Twas a few weeks before Christmas and in Kansas...I HAVE NO CHRISTMAS PRESENTS DONE! Ok, I feel better now. That was the feeling before the weekend. Those precious few days produced toe warmers for ballerinas,
rice and lavender filled flannel neck wraps (these can be warmed or cooled and smell heavenly)
and a brown and green bag. This is the first of several I have plans to complete this week. I like the pattern for this bag so far. It's simple and durable and stylish. The brown and lime green combo is one of my favorites as of late.
And did I mention that the girls had their liturgical ballet recital on Friday night? And Nutcracker practice? May be going a bit crazy over here. The recital was amazing though. Abby's group pulled off a very difficult dance flawlessly. Morgan is the youngest member of this group, and the general consensus was that she stole the show. She is just so tiny and the choreographer played to the cute factor.
Back to the sewing machine for me. I only wish there were elves upstairs cleaning my house and doing my laundry right now! I can handle the crafting, its the other stuff I could use a whole army of elves to help with this time of year!
He's finally home!!! Can't believe it. Thirty pounds lighter and quite a bit tanner. Seven months in Iraq will do that to you. The kiddos were beside themselves with excitement for the week leading up to him coming home. Morgan told people from school to church to the mall parking lot that her grandpa was coming home. I want to thank all of you out there who prayed for him on his deployment. Your support and concern have touched us all. So now we just have to fatten him up a bit and get on with being a family. Welcome home pops.
Its a funny thing...waiting. As hectic as my life is these days, it seems to be full of waiting. Waiting for the girls to get out of school. Waiting at the dance studio. Waiting for the copy machine at the church. It was really starting to annoy me. I have a hard time with idle waste of time. I could be sewing, cleaning, or even doing laundry. I get antsy having to wait all of the time. The last week I have looked at this time a bit differently. Today is the 6th day of advent. We are waiting for the birth of our Lord. That's a way to put it in perspective. I'm trying to this time of waiting and make the most of it. I can sing a song with my little man while we wait for the bell to ring at school. I can work on my Christmas cards while I wait on the rehearsals for Nutcracker to be done, and think about how grateful I am to have all of these wonderful people in my life. So here I am, waiting and thanking God for all of my blessings this day.
This is my first year helping in the costume department for Nutcracker. THAT is a job I will never want. I have enjoyed fixing hems, sewing on buttons and adding sparkling doo dads. This production has hundreds of costumes, and that just doesn't sound like fun.
This one was a dress from the party scene. Uh oh...better run. Nutcracker practice in 15 minutes. And so it goes!
I randomly subscribed to the 12 days of cookies offered through the Food Network last year and I swear I loved every one of them! Today I got the first one for this year. I haven't made them yet, but I'm pretty sure they are on the menu this weekend! Check out the recipe for these cool little black tie cookies! Click on the banner to sign up for yourself and check out some of the past recipes!
So we haven't yet figured out whether Abby is truly enjoying the sport of volleyball, or if its just social hour. She has been playing on a Parks and Rec team for the first time this year. She runs, she does her drills, she is even begging for a $40 volleyball she MUST have! Some of these girls have been playing for a few years and can serve the ball overhand so hard I couldn't hit it! All that being said, she is a ballerina. She jammed her finger the other night and I thought it would be the end. The shoes, the shorts, and the tiny embroidery on the tank all have to match...for practice.
I'm really not making fun of my oldest...really. The blessings for this season have actually been many. She has a great group of friends (by the way...who knew that 9 year old girls giggle constantly, must have cell phones, and listen to ipods?). They are all wonderful influences and support each other like only girls can. Plus she is trying something athletic other than dance. And having the time of her life.
I was so excited when I opened up my mailbox this afternoon to find a parcel marked from New Zealand! Melissa and I worked out a swap during the past month or so. I sent off a few things from Kansas and she returned with treasures from Nelson, New Zealand! She sent some awesome fabrics, beads for the girls (which they quickly claimed and made into bracelets), some sweets for Parker, and baby shoes for my sister's new babe! I can't tell you how much I loved everything! The shoes are too cute and reversible...I even loved the bags! Such a talented gal! Thanks for making my day Melissa!
I love this time of year. Watching the kids decorate the tree. Abby has been reciting lines from the Christmas pageant all weekend. Nutcracker. Christmas recitals. It has to be the busiest time of the year for us, but I wouldn't have it any other way! This project took about 5 hours longer than I thought it would. All afternoon and most of the evening. They are Advent stockings.
There is one stocking per child per week of advent. I think I will add small treat or toy or note every day. I'll let you know how it works out. I got the idea from this gal. Great blog if you get a chance to read it every once in a while! Happy almost advent everyone!
Yes friends, you heard it right. The Wise family made its first trip into the emergency room for stitches. I've had my money on Parker being the first for quite some time now. Oh the drama. Lets start at the beginning.
Thanksgiving day couldn't have been more delightful. We were blessed with friends and family all day. Will cooked a turkey in the smoker, and I did the traditional bird in the roaster. Lovely. Food. Family. Football. Chiefs even won the game. What a perfect day. The kids played outside (70 + degrees in November...in Kansas) most of the day. Mark Hood and Don and Marcie Davidson joined us as well. All was calm. Peaceful. Nice.
Then came today. The adrenaline started early in the day. My sister-in-law Jan, my niece Torey, and I braved Target at 6am. Good deals, but you feel a bit like a hunter. Only the strong survive the day after Thanksgiving shopping. Next came the mall. You have to hit all of the stores you need before the early bird specials expire. It really is a workout.
Then came the phone call. The phone call you never want to get when you are out without children. It was my husband. His voice was pretty frantic on the other line. I heard whimpers in the background. Heart racing. He said he had tried to stop the bleeding. That was all I needed to here. Luckily we don't live far from the mall. The poor guy was the casualty of a fight between his sisters. Something about a chair being in the way of the television. Pushing the chair back and forth and eventually onto Parker's head.
He was a trooper. The doc in the emergency room said he needed a few stitches, but she thought she would be able to use dermabond. The link says "no pain". I have to say after 20 seconds it must really sting. Poor thing.
So there it is. The girls are waiting on him hand and foot. Serious guilt. Enough drama.
...for my baby sister. What a fun we had in KC. Or should I say, what a fun day I had in Kansas City. Managed to get out of the house for the whole afternoon BY MYSELF!!!!! I swear to you, I haven't had lunch with my mother and sister without a child for 10 years! How special! The picture above is three of the craftiest gals I know! Hannah and her perfect little Arlo, my sis Kerry, and Lynn. Look at that sister of mine...she's been the best aunt. She's an absolute natural!
This bag was made by Lynn. I LOVE it. Its the nappy bag from Amy Butler! Could you get a cooler bag!? I swear Lynn...you are awesome. And Hannah made an E (for Eddy...my sister's last name), yes I said an E! I didn't get a picture, but I can't even imagine how it is possible to sew and stuff a stylized "E". Perfect vintage fabric as well. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. Kerry wore this great black dress, so you have to really pay attention to this picture to see how adorable that belly is!
Hope you all had as wonderful of weekends as I did!
The past few days have been tense to say the least. As if running a house with four other people in it (and those people's said laundry, dishes, and eating needs) weren't keeping me busy enough, I have been volunteering in the church office as it is getting up and running. So, in comes crafting. I have been craving a heated pouch for neck since a friend loaned me hers after my surgery in may. Nothing clears my head like sitting in front of my machine these days.
This neck warmer is filled with rice and can be refrigerated as well if a cool pack is needed. I even made an extra, for one of my many friends with a tense neck these days.
This was going to be my post on friday, but I thought it was more important for me to post about our church. It is such a huge part of our lives. I'll keep you guys up to date as things move forward with that.
This was a project I had been meaning to finish for awhile, but it got stacked with the rest of my good intentions for a few weeks! I found the easiest tutorial here.
This is my general workspace, much to my dear husband's pleasure, in the dining room. This room flows from one of my favorite rooms to the kitchen rather well and seems to be a buzz of activity all of the time.
Today was a sad day for us. I received a phone call early this morning informing me that our beloved church was on fire. I wasn't prepared for what I saw. This place has embraced my family for the past few years. The community is beyond my description. As I pulled up to the church and the smoke was billowing out, I felt like someone could have knocked me over with a feather. The air was cold and biting, the smell of smoke was dense and choking. It was a feeling of grief. As if a member of our family was dying before me.
As I walked closer to the church, I noticed a large group of people standing in the bank parking lot across the street. There were about 100 parishioners huddling together. This is the church, I thought. This is the community that embraced us. This is the family that has been with us. This is the spirit that binds us together. And Christ was with us today. From the workers in the bank that kept us warm, to the brave firefighters that tried to save all that they could, to the Salvation Army workers that fed us throughout the day. God in all his grace shown through these people. And He will be with us as a family and as a community as we rebuild and grieve, and heal.
This is one of my favorite spots. A million reasons why. The sun comes so gently through that window. The hundreds of hours spent holding babies in that chair. No television in this room. The many conversations with family and friends. Watching my nephew walk for the first time. Admiring my father's laugh when my brother tells a story. Serious talks with my loving husband. Plans for the future. Remembering the past. Homework on the floor. My husband shopping on the couch (our tradition of me buying his clothes and then him giving the thumbs up or down from the comfort of the couch). This corner can be at once a place of solitude and relaxation and the hub of our family.
It really was a productive weekend! The picture above is from one of the hundreds of fountains in Kansas City. I loved the vivid autumn leaves in the water. The change of the seasons in Kansas in one of my favorite parts of living here. You never really get bored with the weather because it is constantly changing. Not long before posts of snow and cold will weave into this blog.
I did get some sewing done this weekend as well. I finished up a few baby blankets that are being sent off later today and some kiddie hot/cold packs. These are made with rice and scented with eucalyptus and mint. Thought that combo might be nice for cold season. If you heat them up, the wet heat and the eucalyptus should help clear up chest tightness on the little ones. We really struggle with that during the cold months in this house.
I love Kansas City. I love my sister. Can you think of a better day? The autumn weather was perfect. A bit of a nip in the air, but not quite cold yet. The Country Club Plaza (for those not from the kc area) is a shopping district...the shopping district in Kansas City. It is a historic section of town with amazing fountains and winding streets. Every store you could want is here! We had the most amazing gelato (thanks Kerry), registered for baby gifts, and had a great lunch. Part of the fun is just walking through the streets and window shopping! And don't get me started on Christmas! I really do miss living in KC sometimes. The cultural aspects alone are worth missing.
Our longest stop of the day was at Pottery Barn Kids. I love this store! Kerry registered for some great stuff (if you are a friend of Kerry's you can access her registry online) for sweet little Baby Eddy. The kids had a blast playing with the different wooden toys and props. Parker was especially fond of this puppet show stage and a magic set. Maybe some good Christmas gift ideas there. I know there are no crafty goodies, no major kiddo milestones in this post, but today was a great day. I really need to take note more often of the really great days. Thanks Kerry, thanks for sharing your day and your city with us.
Where to begin...oh where to begin! This is about half of the fabric earmarked for current projects! Other projects need finishing touches (finished pics coming soon). I went to three fabric stores yesterday and was simply so overwhelmed I am going to have to go back. I have a tendency to shop with a notepad and find the patterns I like, jot them down, and wait f or them to go on sale (or get a mailer coupon). Much to my surprise all three stores had almost everything on my list on sale! This is actually much more difficult for me. I stood in front of bolts on top of bolts, contemplating which ones would go home with me. The result of this shopping trip was surprising. I came home with very little. The circus fabric for a baby blanket, the ballet fabric for Nutcracker gifts, and some Christmas fabric for gift pouches. All told, about $10. I knew I would need to go home, let all of the goodness soak in, and then go back. Wish me luck!
Can anyone say sugar hangover?! I didn't know if I was going to be able to peel the kiddos out of bed this morning or not! This is our first Halloween in a kid rich neighborhood. What an experience. The kids were blissfully unaware of the 34 degree temperature (an item I was acutely aware of...i drew the walking straw and Will drew the handing out candy straw). They ran from house to house, at one point even screaming at the witch who came to life when the kids tried to get a piece of her candy (creative neighbors). Parker made the first round, but headed home for some cartoons early (smart boy).
The girlies had parties at school yesterday as well. All of the grades paraded their costumes. Fall cupcakes, punch in dry ice, and candy, candy, and more candy. There is more candy in my house right now than I buy in an entire year! Hope everone had a safe and happy Halloween!
What a difference a day makes. 75 degrees today in Topeka. But wait...it is the midwest...oh yes, it will be 45 degrees and windy tomorrow! What a great Halloween! I have a sick little red head home from school today. Hopefully she will be fine for all of the festivities tomorrow! Is it bad that I have no plans yet for what I'm making the kiddos for school? I'm thinking orange rice krispie treats for Parker and iced sugar cookis for the girls. Dunno yet. I'm sure whatever I end up with will be on the blog later! Wish me luck! I need to take the boy outside so we can enjoy this last little bit of indian summer!
So the 50's theme is in the scrap pile (literally). My mother-in-law sent up a cape she made for a Superman costume for the boy. He was not all that impressed...the store bought costume that came in the box from grandma was much more appealing...go figure a four year old. Morgan, on the other hand, fell in love with it. She was trying to convince me that a bright red cape would go well with the pink flowers I was diligently hand sewing on the circle skirt. With one flower down and 3 to go (each was taking about an hour to stitch) I thought we might be able to rethink this costume. We pulled the pins and the stitches out of the flowers. Then my precious little red head said "how about little red riding hood"? Genius. Actually, she is going as little red riding cape. She's thrilled to pieces. Thanks for the start Grandma Vicki! I had enough time left over to make my first bag. A little rough around the edges, but I think I could get the hang of this! Hope you all are having a great weekend!
So Morogan's Halloween costume is on the top of my wip list this week. the skirt went together no problem, but sewing the flowers on may take a bit longer. She wanted a poodle skirt, then decided she didn't really ike dogs as much as she liked flowers. Hence, the 50s flower skirt and not a poodle skirt.
Yes please...I'll take one of each! Isn't the pumpkin in the back about as cute as they get?! Janielle and I took the boys on a trip to the pumpkin patch today. It was windy, cold, and short lived. The boys were terribly upset when we pulled them away with their purple fingers and bright red cheeks. It really has been a perfect fall day. A bite in the wind. The leaves changing colors. Pumpkins and gourds ready to decorate and carve. The next post should have the fruit of our labor in that department. We were blessed this weekend with my family. One person noticeably missing. Ben celebrated his 30th birthday and we were all able to get together for a few days. It is amazing to me how close we all are. I could never ask for better friends than my siblings (and their spouses).
The next few pictures are of Parker's favorite spot at the pumpkin patch. I think he jumped into this hay 20 times. What fun to be a 4 year old boy!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Best Commercial Ever
As many of you know, my dad has been deployed to Iraq since May of this year. He sent me this clip in an email last night. Teared up a bit. We are all so very proud of your service Dad! Thanks for being a credit!
Aren't these guys a riot?! Went shopping with the two toe heads today ( and grandma and aunt janielle of course). Parker still isn't quite sure he's ok. He was pretty secure in being the baby of the family. Kerry's little guy is going to rock his poor little grandma centered world. I think he'll get over it when they are all old enough to do his bidding (being the oldest won't be so bad).
On to the picture of the lunch bag.
Morgan is the only one of my kids that is bizarrely picky. She's not like normal kid picky. Normal kids only like pbj and chips. Hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Not my Morgan. We have struggled with her school lunches this year. She doesn't like the school's lunches (who can blame her). She won't eat chicken noodle soup in a thermos. She won't touch a sandwich. Salad has been a good lunch item, but its wearing thin. We had a revelation Monday. She packed dry cereal in her thermos and bought milk at school. Genius. The principal called and told me she was sending her son with cereal the next day! Nutritious ...easy...she'll eat it...yup, all the things a lunch needs!
I have big plans for the weekend! I have quite a few works in progress. The fabric above is earmarked for a purse. Wish me luck on that. I just love the colors and the flowers.
Went through my small pieces this morning and got them all folded up and took a mental inventory. Forgot I had a few of those pieces...i love the jump roping little girls on the green. Parker looks excited. He started to dig into that fabric box while I was taking pics of the fabric on the table...he gave me that look unprompted. Not quite sure what to make out of it. He picked out the green jump rope and the red pattern. Says he needs a blanket for his teddy. How do you say no to that?
Of course I have the ever present pile of baby blankets to finish. All the farther I have gotten on this batch is the shopping and the washing. The washing takes about as long as anything else. I always have sooooo much laundry. Washing fabric for sewing seems to get pushed to the end of the line. Well, wish me luck. I fully intend on sewing this weekend. Of course it is Nutcracker season, Will's off, and intentions are just that...
I really love this time of year. The changing of the seasons in Kansas can be so dramatic. A friend of our took this picture and I think it says it all. Looking through the green of summer to the changing colors of the fall. It is brisk today. The air has that little bite... makes you shiver just a little. Invigorating. I have been nesting a little bit today. Changing the clothes in the kids closets, dusting the fireplace, and finding some new sewing projects to start. Thank God for all of the seasons he gives us.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
(Can ) Father-son bond of Dick and Rick Hoyt
[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly] I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.
But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.
Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.
Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life. This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.
"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''
But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''
"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''
Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''
That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''
And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.
``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''
How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.
Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.
``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.
Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.
``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''
OK, the season is almost over. You won't have to put up with many more Project Runway posts. The season finale part 1 is tomorrow night on Bravo. I'm sooooo excited! And Tim Gunn...who couldn't use a guy like that cheering in your corner?
Twas a few weeks before Christmas and in Kansas...I HAVE NO CHRISTMAS PRESENTS DONE! Ok, I feel better now. That was the feeling before the weekend. Those precious few days produced toe warmers for ballerinas,
And did I mention that the girls had their liturgical ballet recital on Friday night? And Nutcracker practice? May be going a bit crazy over here. The recital was amazing though. Abby's group pulled off a very difficult dance flawlessly. Morgan is the youngest member of this group, and the general consensus was that she stole the show. She is just so tiny and the choreographer played to the cute factor. 
Back to the sewing machine for me. I only wish there were elves upstairs cleaning my house and doing my laundry right now! I can handle the crafting, its the other stuff I could use a whole army of elves to help with this time of year!
As I walked closer to the church, I noticed a large group of people standing in the bank parking lot across the street. There 
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