Learning to Read

MK: *upon finishing singing the ABC song picks up a book* Let's see if I can read now.

WIP Wednesday #8 - Rose Quilt Block

This is what I did this week. 

Rosie's Rose

I've made this for the Utah QuiltFest "Save the Boobies" Fundraiser. You buy a fat eighth from the Quilt Guild and then create a 12" (Finished) block flower incorporating the fabric and any other fabric you choose. I found this pattern  called Rosie's Rose on Craftsy.com.  At QuiltFest, everyone's blocks are displayed. Then you can buy tickets to vote for your favorite block. (Prizes for winners.) Blocks are eventually made into quilts and other items and donated to a women's cancer center in southern Utah. This will be my 3rd year attending QuiltFest and I'm finally doing a block. 

I'm really happy with how this block turned out. I really want to make more of these for me.  

Rodeo

We went to the Rodeo this weekend. My mom and dad invited us to attend the "Pony Express Rodeo" with them. Mom was part of a presentation done before the rodeo--her local quilt guild made some charity quilts for cancer patients. Mom and a few of her guild members were part of a ceremony honoring those in the community who have had or currently have cancer.  Then, we stayed to enjoy the show.

S, C, and Boppi eating popcorn waiting for the Rodeo to start

Boppi and MK

It was SO windy! S, C, Boppi, Grandma, A, and MK

Our sunglasses kept the dirt out of our eyes. Even MK's wearing hers.

 

MK Goofing Around

C Watching the Rodeo

S kept running around us and poking us. Boppi finally caught him and held him down with the help of Grandma. We all tickled him.

 

We all had a good time. It's been quite a while since we've gone to the rodeo. 

MK's shades

After visiting with Grandma Great, MK and I headed home. She said she needed quite because she had a headache. As we drove home, she then laid her head down and closed her eyes. When I pulled into the driveway and turned around I discovered her asleep like this:

 

She had put on her sunglasses to keep the sun out of her eyes so she could sleep. 

Grandma Great

We are lucky to have R's grandma close to us. All my grandparents have already passed on, so I love having R's grandmother who I can call grandma, too. Because she is the kids' Great Grandmother we affectionately call her "Grandma Great." Well, she's also a GREAT grandma so it fits. 

She recently had a sever stroke. We all thought we were going to lose her. She's a fighter and pulled through. She's currently staying in a rehab care center where she can get the care she needs to relearn to walk and other things. 

R's sister had flowers delivered to our house for us to take to Grandma Great. Now that was a fun messenger to be--deliver flowers! MK and I drove up to spend some time visiting with her and deliver the flowers as well. 

I got this picture of MK and Grandma Great to send to R's sister

MK and Grandma Great

Love MK's cheesy smile and LOVE how Grandma Great is looking healthy and loved.

Baseball Season

C loves playing baseball. He's been really lucky this year on having a coach who really works with the boys at practices and games to help them improve. C has wanted so incredibly much to play Shortstop. At his game on Tuesday, he finally got to play shortstop in the third inning.  The funny thing is that he had been drinking so much water during the game that it finally caught up to him and he had to go to the bathroom really bad! Thankfully, it was a short inning and he RAN for the bathroom as soon has he could. He finally got his moment, and he was out there doing the potty dance.  Even still, he did an excellent job. He stopped balls, he backed up bases, he did his job. He LOVED it.

 

 Hopefully, he'll get more chances. 

What Big Brothers Are For

Now that baseball season is upon us, we spend a LOT of time at the parks. On Wednesday, C had baseball practice. I told S and MK they could play at the park while C was at practice. I gave them the usual lecture of "Who's your buddy?" and off they went. S and MK run off to the park area without me while I stayed and watched C for a bit.  I eventually made it down to where S and MK were and found this:

S was teaching MK how to swing

S & MK

S found a jump rope. He tied two swings together. Then, he helped MK into the swing by picking her up and making sure she was on it. He got in the swing tied to hers and started moving them, all the while giving instructions on pumping to keep the swings moving. 

S & MK

MK  was so happy to be able to do this on her own and learn from her big brother. Eventually, she was going it all on her own without her big brother next to her. 

S & MK

S is so creative. He knew just what she needed. I love these pictures of them smiling and happy to be together. 

Piano Party

I signed C and S up for piano lessons soon after I bought our piano. They have loved it so far and are always eager to show me what they have learned.  Their teacher normally does a Recital in May, but has had a very hectic life with two sons getting married and another son getting ready to go on a mission. (He's going to Paris, France, which just makes me so excited as that was MY mission!) Anyways, their teacher decided to just do something easy and fun for all her students and had a banana split party.  She had awards for all her students. For C, S, and another student were very new she gave them medals. 

S in the background is showing off his medal. C was just being silly and wouldn't smile.

She also did a fun gift for each student that reflected their personality. 

S received several bouncy balls as she described him as "bouncing off the walls he is so fully of energy." I couldn't agree to a more fitting description. He was even jumping around when I tried to take this picture. This is only one I got where he's not blurry. 

S

C received a yo-yo because he keeps going back and forth between his lessons and home where he practices hard and is so eager to learn. (I finally got a smile out of him for this picture.) 

C

I'm so glad my boys are learning music and enjoy it. I only took piano lessons for 1 year when I was 8 years old. I have always wished I had stuck with it. It's been so fun to have a piano in our home where I can play anytime I want and I can hear my kids playing, too. 

MK wants to learn so badly. C has put masking tape on the keys to write down the key's names on it. Then C and S have both written down the notes for songs like "Mary had a Little Lamb" and "Rain Rain Go Away" for MK. She will get out HER music and plunk along and play the songs. 

Preschool Graduation

MK is a Preschool Graduate! 

MK

It's official. MK has graduated from Preschool. She couldn't be more excited to be going to Kindergarten in the Fall. In fact, she has been talking about it since the VERY day she turned 4. On her 4th birthday her exact words were, "Next birthday I will be 5 years old and get to go to Kindergarten at brothers' school." She has talked about it non stop since. I'm not exaggerating.

MK has loved preschool and all that comes with it. She loves the take-home library and the books she gets to read; she loves all the fun activities; she loves the snacks; she loves the field trips; and she has loved making friends. It has been so funny how many times we'll be out and about and she will suddenly say to a kid "I know you! You're my preschool friend!" Everyone is a friend. 

MK has one particular friend she has been with o daycare since she was born, then to preschool,  and then to dance classes. Next year, they will be going to different schools for Kindergarten.  

Z and MK

HMQS

On Saturday, May 11th MK and I went to the HMQS (Home Machine Quilt Show) with my mom, aunt, cousin, cousin-in-law, and cousin-in-law's mom. It was a lot of fun. Lots of amazing quilts. Lots of great vendors.  And a great Girls' Day Out. 

My cousin, Marilee, let MK be the official photographer.  She took her duties VERY seriously and took LOTS of pictures. She'd say "I need to get a close-up." Then, she'd start to back AWAY from the quilt. I got this picture of MK, Aunt Mary, and Grandma looking at quilts.

HMQS

After we looked through the quilt show, we needed to take a break for a bit. My mom needed to sit with the Utah Quilt Guild's Opportunity Quilt for a couple of hours, so we all sat at the table with her. The Quilt Guild made a beautiful quilt that is being "raffled" off. Because Utah doesn't allow raffles, we have to make it an "opportunity" instead. So, you buy a piece of candy and get an "opportunity ticket" you fill out and you might win the quilt. Sounds silly, but there you go. It raises money. 

So, MK became the official candy counter. She counted out the candies people bought. 

MK

(her pose here just makes me laugh) 

MK

We had such a great time. MK loves coming to these things with me, it's fun to share it with her.

Peek-a-boo

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

Peek-a-boo

MK watching TV under her blanket. 

WIP Wednesday #7 - Big Block Boat Quilt

Because my Fracture Flowers Quilt is still in time out, I've started a different project. A friend of mine is having a baby boy this summer. He has 5 daughters, and now he's having a son.  He will be in need of little boy things. So, I thought I'd help the effort in making a baby boy blanket. 

I've seen several quilt blogs and on pintrest where the quilter makes one big block for a baby's quilt. Most common I've seen is a large Log Cabin block. I took the same concept and made a big block Sail Boat. I finished this all in one day. 

Big Block Boat Quilt

Now, I need to figure out a backing, quilt it, and bind it. 

Mother's Day

Saturday night, C told me very sternly to make sure I slept in since it was Mother's Day the next day. Then, at 8:20 Sunday morning I was poked awake by C. He led me out to the dinning table where the kids had prepared me breakfast. They had made me a large bowl of oatmeal, a super-sized bowl of mixed fruit, and 2 slices of banana bread. There was so much food I told them they had to help me eat it. We had a fun time eating breakfast all together. They gave me my presents they made for me. Although MK gave me mine on Thursday on the way home from preschool. (She came out to the car very excited about my surprise. Then she proceeded to tell me all about it and then opened my present for me so I could see it.) 

Later, the kids and I did a craft project for the grandmothers. 

I forgot to get a picture of it, but my mom took this picture where she hung it on her refrigerator. 

 

C, S, and MK traced their hands, cut them out for the "plant" and then pasted on flowers they cut out. The pots have each of their names and says "Happy Mother's Day."

We had a great time putting it together.

Stay Off the Sidewalks!

Baseball season has started. We spent last night at the ball field for C's first game. After the game, S wanted to head back to the car before the rest of us were ready. I gave him the keys so he could get in. When I finally made it to the van, this is what I found:

S behind the wheel

He was also pretending to steer.

Why MK can't sleep

The other night, I heard the pit-pat of little feet out of bed after tucking them in bed.

Me: MK, why are you out of bed?
MK: Mom, I can't sleep because I'm shy.
Me: Shy? (I can't keep the smile off my face nor the laugh out of my question.)
MK: (realizes she is silly and smiles big) Yes.
Me: Go to bed.

The Joy of the Cardboard Box Part II

I recently received a large fragile package, which was packaged in a box wrapped in bubble wrap inside another box. Immediately, S commandeered the boxes and started creating. He made a train. Am I surprised by a train? Not at all. This boy has loved trains since forever. I walked into the living room and found this: 

C, MK, S

They were having a train party. They were pretending they were on a train and all sorts of things, it was so funny to watch.