Our Family Project

Yesterday was Free Enterprise day for our homeschool group.  Free Enterprise day is when each child makes something to sell, then they set up a table and sell their goods to the other children and parents in the group.  Our table had hot cocoa, banana bread, cookies, gift bags, and face painting.  There was another family that had hot cocoa too, so we were in competition.  I think Andrew sold more though because of our Cocomotion.  That thing rocks! Andrew and Adam helped me make banana bread to sell.  We made mini loaves and sold them for $1 each.  Maryanne actually dug into the end of one of the loaves so we cut that one up for "samples."  The loaves were one of the first things to sell out ... next to some wooden swords that another child made.  (Which I didn't even get pictures of because they sold out so quickly!) Kate decided to offer face painting.  She practiced at the ward trunk or treat, so she got pretty good at it. ...

On Fridays we get together with some friends for an art lesson and playtime.  We've been getting together since September, and each month one of the moms takes a turn teaching and providing the art lesson/project.  Last month the mom did a lot of Halloween crafts, and the month before that the mom did a unit on Mosaics.  I've loved having our own little art gallery in our loft, filled with all of the children's art! This last Friday was the first time that the group met here for a lesson/project of my choosing.  I have a book that introduces children to the great art masters, and then provides an idea for an art project that helps them to learn how the artist created their masterpiece. I decided that since Claude Monet's birthday is this month, that our first art project would be about Monet.  After reading in my book about Monet and the associating project, I looked online for more ideas.  One of my good friends posted on her blog about a couple o...

I was privileged to make the scripture tote for my good friend's daughter.  She recently turned eight-years-old and received her own set of scriptures.  I quickly learned that when I develop my own pattern for something, I should probably write it down!  It was June 2010 when I made the last scripture tote ... the one for which I actually made the pattern.  I didn't write down anything about it, except what I did on my blog ... so I just went off of that and what I could remember. I spent quite a bit of time trying to remember how to make the bag, and actually made one and it was too small!  So, I took it apart and changed the pattern measurements and then it was slightly too big.  *sigh* I started again, but this time I had expected it, so I just had to do a couple of alterations.  I also eliminated one of the pockets in the inside and added a zippered pocket on the outside ... A change that I will definitely do again next time.  At any rate,...

We had the opportunity to go with my brother-in-law's and sister-in-law's families on a family campout for my brother-in-law's church congregation.  Actually it was sort of a regional thing ... the entire stake was invited.  It was a phenomenal opportunity.  And, those who planned it and were in charge did such a fantastic job! We went to a scout camp that is only about 2 1/2 hours away.  It was so nice to be among pine trees, camping out of doors, and still have potable water and the absence of mosquitoes.  It was severely serene and beautiful. Because we were camping at a scout camp, we had all the amenities we could ever hope for: a cafeteria, fantastic food, flushing toilets, a zip line, archery range, horseshoes, badminton, trails, and even showers.  Each ward took their turn preparing and serving a meal, and then cleaning up afterward.  Because of our little ones, we had to divide and conquer.  So, I ended up hanging out with our l...

Made this apron for my good friend for her birthday.  She picked out the fabrics ... I wasn't too sure about them when I saw them online.  But, like my sister, she has fantastic design sense, and, of course, they look so great together!  I love this pattern too ... so easy to make, it worked up in no time! (P.S. AA, I cropped your head out of the photo because I never know how others feel about their faces being posted on someone else's blog.  :-) Thanks for sending me the photo!)

Last week we hit kind of a road block on Tuesday.  We were all being a little lazy, a little distracted, and a little unmotivated.  So, I packed everyone up and we went to the park!  Maryanne ran off and started playing, while everyone else was told that they needed to get their work finished before they could go play.  Somehow, it worked!  Eliza ran off to a pavilion to do her work in peace, and shortly after, Kate followed.  The boys and I stayed on our blanket and they each took their turn reading to me, then doing their math worksheets. When they were all finished, they ran over to the playground to play for a little bit.  Unfortunately, they didn't last very long.  It's still too hot here to go outside in the middle of the day (by this time, it was almost 12).  So, we packed everything up and headed out for the library ... a spot that has soon become a favorite for our family. In all, I felt that we didn't get much done, b...

Maryanne needed something to wear this week.  She has been having a hard time getting to the bathroom ... which leads to wearing three to four pairs of pants everyday.  On this particular day, she didn't have any "dry" or "clean" pants to wear.  After looking and looking for something ... yes, it was laundry day ... I decided to take on Dana's challenge .  I figured I could make her a skirt in a shorter amount of time than it would take to wash and dry her some pants. So, Maryanne sat on a chair in the sewing room in just her underwear for probably 30-40 minutes while I made her this skirt.  It took me longer than I thought because .... Da da duh! Shorts! I'd been holding onto an old t-shirt with the idea that I'd make Maryanne a cute dress out of it.  I decided after a while that I really didn't want to see Maryanne's underwear every time she put her knees up.  So, I cut into the t-shirt, used the hem of the shirt fo...