A Hard Days Work

So these kids of mine, the same ones who refuse to help with dinner prep or clean up, who throw a fit on cleaning day when asked to do their chores, who have to be reminded a gazillion times to bring their clean and folded or hung laundry to their rooms, these same kids, love yard work. Who knew? (Actually I feel the same way and, I have a feeling that I may have unintentionally instilled in them a severe distaste for all indoor chores at an early age)

We had quite a productive day yesterday. The yard was spring cleaned. all rubbish, toys, bits of wood and anything else was cleaned up and put away. And, the lawn mowed by one very talented, tractor driving, 12 year old. Seriously she was backing up like a pro and mowing flawlessly.

The chicken coop was de-pooped, scrubbed, whitewashed and filled with fresh bedding. My sweet little chicken hugger worked hard and was so happy and exhausted at the end of the day.

We added 3 new little ladies to our flock this spring and they are loving the roomy run after spending their first few weeks inside. Now that the coop is cleaned and the big chickens are starting to accept tolerate them, they will have the choice of sleeping in the coop with the big girls, or in the nesting box they've called home for the past week and a half.

We even squeezed in a bit of gardening. My two youngest are determined to plant gardens that rival mom's. I'll be working on rototilling a bit more yard for them and helping amend the sandy soil with some compost, but the rest of the work, they have requested, is on them.

Everyone collapsed into bed exhausted, sun kissed and proud of all the work they accomplished.

Zipper Fly Plaid Pants or How to Catch a Chicken

I finished up the plaid pants a couple of weeks ago. I was a little paranoid that he'd destroy them before I  was able to get some decent pictures. Also, that fabric? Not cheap. Not something I would normally use to make pants for my boy but, he really liked the plaid print and I really, really wanted to make my little punk some super cool duds. But, you know that boy of mine is pretty observant. He saw how much work I put into them and knew how excited I was about finishing them.

I told him they are not sand pit pants and that they're perfect for days we're out and about rather than days at home or at the playground. I think he kind of likes having a "nice" pair of pants. I've seen him, twice now, run up to his room, without being reminded, to change into different pants before heading outside to practice baseball or dig in the pit. Don't get me wrong, he is as rough on clothing as any other 8 year old boy, and I have no delusions as to what state they will be in when he's through with them, but I like to tell myself that one day I'll be able to pass them on to his little sister. Maybe with a few flower patches over the holes and grass stains?

We waited for a day with mild temperatures and a little sun for the photo shoot and had so much fun with it. After getting the first two pictures up there, I just chased him around the yard while he did his thing. I didn't notice until I was choosing and editing which pictures to share with you here, that there was a bit of a story happening. It seemed to repeat itself in the photos I snapped, and had me smiling, so I thought it was worth sharing.

So, just how does an 8 year old boy catch a chicken you ask? Well, first you should sweet talk them. Use the same, high pitched, baby talky voice you would use with a toddler. As you can see they eat this up and somehow, instinctively, know that this means yummies and the affections of a doting caretaker will soon follow.

Sometimes it helps to get down at their level. Maybe pretend your a chicken, let them know you're a friend.

Next lead them to the garden shed and sprinkle something tasty on the ground.

Make sure to lock the yummies back up so no critters can get in. This also tricks the chickens into thinking you've moved on to other things.

Now that you've got them distracted it's time to go into sneaky, stealthy, ninja mode and slowly move in from behind. Then, when the moment is right, and this may take a few attempts, go for the grab.

I really love these pants and I'm so glad I decided to take the leap and try the zipper fly. I've started a monster of a tutorial for you combining the two I used and filling in the, big, gaps they had. Well I say it's for you but, honestly, it's because I know myself and, chances are, if I don't do this I'll let 6 months go by before trying it again. By then, all knowledge of how it's done will be lost and I'll be starting from scratch, so it's really for me, but I like  to share.

Loving

• How contagious his love for the game is and, that now, she's in love too.
• That he decided to "coach" her when we showed up and realized practice had been canceled.
• The way she lights up when her big brother plays catch with her, teaches her what he's learned and treats her like a big kid who can play the game alongside him.
• And, the way he lights up when his little sister wants to play ball with him.

Twirly

When I first saw those bold colors and pretty flowers on the clearance rack of the local fabric shop, I instantly thought of my middle girl with her bright smile and love of color. I brought home just one yard, not wanting to buy too much without a plan for how I would use it and put it on the shelf. There, as so often happens, it sat waiting for inspiration to strike.

Then one day, over a year later, during the dull days of late autumn, you know the ones, after the leaves have all fallen and the snow stubbornly refuses to make the world sparkle, it hit. I was hoping to come up with a couple more handmade gifts for the holidays, and I was desperate for a little extra color in my crafting when I spotted  the bright fabric near the bottom of the heap. The big, brilliant flowers were begging to be made into something pretty and playful, and it just so happened that my twirly girl's wardrobe was lacking a little twirl.

I love box pleats and knew I wanted to use them to add that twirl. I only had the one yard of fabric so, I decided to add a few panels of the purple, left over from the apron I made my niece last year, to peek out from those pleats. I love the result. Then, I found some black satin blanket binding in my stash and wrapped it around some wide, stiff elastic for a comfortable and soft waistband that wont twist or collapse.

It hits just below the knees, giving plenty of length to comfortably sit, dig, twirl and leap around the sand pit which is precisely where she choose to do this little photo shoot and precisely what she did while I shot.

A Weakness for Popcorn

I've slacked on getting dinner started again, it's getting late, moods are deteriorating and my patience is dwindling fast. Frantically I'm looking for the HUGE 12.5lb tub of popcorn, calling to the kids to see who saw it last, wondering how on earth I could have misplaced such a ginormous thing. When, out of my bedroom walks my son, an apologetic smile on his face, trying to contain a giggle, carrying the very tub of popcorn I am searching for. I stare confused and ask why the popcorn was in my room, how did he know it was in there, who put it in there. I Repeat my questions assuming his little sister had decided she needed it for some game of make believe. Then, I ask him if he put the popcorn in my bedroom. He answers quietly, still working to contain the giggle while trying to sound sorry, "yes. I hid it because I was mad at you."

Hiding the popcorn from me!? Has it come to this?  

A few minutes later I'm happily shoveling handfuls of freshly popped deliciousness into my mouth, good moods and patience restored, and thinking about how well this boy of mine knows me and, how glad I am that, because of this silly trick he pulled, we were able to laugh about our earlier disagreement.

We are enjoying all the popcorn love on the internet these days. Tonight we finally tried Amanda's January popcorn and are looking forward to trying more recipes in her year of popcorn.

For the Love of Plaid

I should be doing laundry or washing the dishes. At the very least I should be getting ready for bed. But, I'm way too excited about the progress I'm making on my first ever pair of zipper fly pants.

In plaid no less!

Plaid Pinterest inspiration here.
Tutorial help on drafting the zipper fly pattern pieces.
And, the tutorial I used to help put it all together.

I miss blogging

I don't take as many photos anymore. I have way more started but, unfinished sewing projects without that push to get it done and post it already. I don't really get into much personal stuff on my blog but, I miss the way it marks the passing of time for me, the way the subtle clues I leave myself remind me of a certain day, or event, or adventure.

My baby girl, who is so not at all a baby anymore, loves pandas right now. The game they're playing here really isn't much fun and I think most of it's parts have found their way out of the house, but the mask, the mask she kept. Because, who doesn't love pretending to be a cute, sweet and lovable little panda every now and then?

I've figured out the issue with the photos, I just have to change the way I upload them. I really do want to find a way to make a little money but, I have a hard time pulling myself away from all that I feel I need to do. Kid care, food, cleaning. But, I'm also learning that there has to be time for me too. I'm working on it. My kids, obviously, are not babies anymore and while in some ways that means less time (driving a million places for all the things they're into) it also means they need less help from me day to day and they're capable of pitching in and freeing up more time when we are home. Any way, I'm not giving up on my shop, or on moving to a fresh, new, pretty site, but for now I'll be back with my usual silly posts and attempts at pretty pictures.