It's been busy

These days seem busier than ever its hard to keep up with it all. But isn't that how it always is with a family, there is always something that needs to be done. There is always something put on the back burner for another time. Sometimes my head feels so cluttered, with those projects and jobs sitting back there for so long there is no room for the things you cant get to now. So, when it comes to setting something else back there it just falls off the side of the stove and is gone (maybe forever). I figure I need to dig out those dusty things, reaching all the way to the back and to the bottom of the pile. I need to go back to the beginning and start purging what doesn't really matter and finish what does. That should give more room....right? Will that help my brain come back to a more productive and less confusing state? I sure hope so.

So here are some highlights of the past few months or so that I have been meaning to write about or get out there... just taking some stuff off the burner!

We got nearly 2 pounds of kale from the garden

and made southern greens, with scalloped potatoes, and mustard roasted chicken

we broke out the deep fryer and make home made french fries

Sophia and Annabelle knit a bracelet

I finished one of two roman blinds for our bedroom 

using a tutorial from Jen Duncan

Made homemade granola bars with dates, dry apricots, and blueberries

from Ina Garten

Made a birthday gift for Mrs. Jessica

Followed Pseudocook.blogspot.com

substituting salmon for tuna

Started making our own spaghetti

 and linguini

 

For things like chicken noodle soup!

Do you see the volume up button? I fixed it with some scrap booking glue and a piece of foil!

and last but not least finished my Sophias quilt that i initially started nearly 5 years ago,

hows that for digging out a burried to-do?

 

My babies are growing waaay to fast 

without words

He mesmerizes me

This sweater was the first thing I made him once I knew he was a boy.

Grandmas stool

My grandma Pearline has had this stool since before I was born.  I remember sitting on it as a little girl at the kitchen table with all the grown ups. I remember my brothers and cousins sitting on it too, or pulling out the steps and climbing up it. I remember trying to sit on it at the table when I was older, but my legs were too big.

She gave it to me many years ago, when my first child was still a baby, and as she grew we used it the same way. We also used it to paint rooms and reach stuff up high. It has always squeaked when we pull the steps out. It is a good stool, and unfortunately as time goes on it has shown its scars of use.

But it is a good stool and it has a long life ahead of it. So yesterday while my baby boy was sleeping and the girls were running around with their friends outside, I fixed it.

I had to scrub it clean again, and find a screw that would fit where one was lost to its leg. I took of the seat and back and removed the old vinyl and foam and cleaned off the rust. I was going to use just any fabric really, but then I spotted some oilcloth fabric I used to make sandwich bags with for my girls. Luckily I had just enough for the job. So I used some quilt batting to replace the old foam, streached the fabric over and put it back together.

Good as new!