Conference Coat

It seems every conference weekend I have a sewing project going on. I focus more when my hands are doing something so I keep my hands moving.

This fall jacket for Clara is made out of some fabric I picked up at the Scrap box a few weeks ago.  I was undecided about which pattern to use but ended up sticking with Oliver &S's Sunday Brunch jacket with only a few adjustments.  A knit lining was added, about 3" added to the length and the addition of large pockets.

This was my first Oliver & S pattern and although I liked the simplicity of it, I still feel the accuracy of Japanese patterns make them superior.  For example I was disappointed that the pattern cover showed pleats but there was not enough added fulness to do pleats instead of gathers.  Also the button placement was funny but later found an added note inside the envelope to make proper adjustments.

Clara is kind of picky about what she will and will not wear.  I had plans to really embellish this coat with all sorts of fun girly applique and embroidery.  But then President Uchtdorf gave his great talk about simplifying and I decided a simple heart on the inside facing would be enough for Clara to wear it.

I still had to beg her to wear it for these pictures....but it was warm at Gallup Park today.

Instead of button holes I applied snaps and sewed the buttons on top as decoration and to cover the snaps.  It is easier for Clara to get the coat on and off.  And off the coat goes and onto the ground........... 

Week of September 26 as told by William's camera

As I was reviewing the pictures the boys took of our water bag I came across a pile of interesting pictures from our week,  all on William's camera which he stealthfully shoots with.  It is a good piece of history to have a record of our daily doings through the lens of a child's camera - so starts a weekly feature of our days as told by William's camera.

Mystery child in a luchador mask, astronaut suit and red cowboy boots.

Chicken and herbs was on the menu.

Taking pictures of math is sometimes more fun than doing it.  (note the doodles in the margin)

Face painting for arts and crafts (for real).

Found caterpillar, days later the girls still think it is relaxing in the "fairy house" they built.

It rained so free time adventures were limited to the pink carpeted basement.

Conference was set up on mommy's laptop on top of a sewing table filled with projects and tools.

Water on the Go

We are hooked on freezer paper stencils. 

This is our on the go water bag which can hold about 8 water bottles. The boys designed it and I did the exacto-ing and sewing, they chose their 4 favorite languages to be featured, each saying "water" (I hope it does at least).

Since it was their project I let them take the photos.  This first one is my favorite, you may notice in Peter's reflection he's wearing his football freezer paper stencil shirt, he's been wearing it everyday.

  Chemistry

  Spanish

Greek, both modern and ancient because they couldn't decide.  My nephew Johnny served his mission in Athens, Greece so he helped us out on this one, thanks Johnny!

Chinese

No more excuses for thirsty kids at the playground.  Maybe we'll even attract some interesting people from different countries, to my delight it may also be an on the go conversation starter.

DIY Designer T's

Freezer paper stencils were on the top of our list for back to homeschool clothes.  I love the way this project drew out each unique personality and how happy they are to display it right there front and center on their growing bodies.

Since this project involves Soft Scrub bleach and an exacto knife child participation in this did not go beyond selecting the color T and drawing a picture.  To make this more of a homeschool project James was given the assignment of teaching us about the chemical properties of bleach and how it breaks down the molecules to change the color.  He read about this in my old Textile Science book and on wikipedia.

Here's what the science guy (James) came up with, quite witty.

William's aircraft obsession led him to this:

Our football enthusiast Peter had me working hard cutting out all the detail in this next design, he added the block M and winged helmet last minute.

Maryanna drew piles of pictures for me to choose from, this was my favorite. 

Clara's first drawing was of a unicorn giving birth (Peter's lesson about the mammals really stuck with her!).  I suggested she draw a baby unicorn instead so that's what she did.  I did save the original though.

Henry can't do more than a scribble that he usually calls "Thomas" so we asked Opa to draw one of his famous peanut head characters to represent Henry.  Last time he saw Henry his cheeks were still red and inflamed but now that he is healing I left the rosy cheeks off from the original drawing.  Thanks Dad!

And since I sometimes get carried away with projects George had to have one too....but he had no say in what he was to represent.  I chose this next message from Proverbs as a reminder to me.  He doesn't look happy but I think he likes it.

This one for me was only added on because I found the T-shirt for $.99 at Salvation Army and the design was quick enough to cut out.  I look tired because I am, all because I stayed up too late working on these projects but it was fun and the kids are very pleased.  I'm still trying to come up with a design that Paul would want to wear.

Here's a sample of the ones we did last year. And here and here.

My Little House Elves

As much as I mourn the loss of cleaning ladies from years past, I am grateful for the opportunity I've had to allow my children to share in the responsibility of household tasks.  Is our house clean?  not as in the days of the cleaning ladies and probably not as clean as yours, but it certainly looks a lot fresher on the day we get it done.  From the words of one of my best house elves...."the best part about cleaning all morning is relaxing in the freshness afterwards".

Marie Ricks and Don Aslett have been my gurus in training me to train my children to work.  I met with Don Aslett at his store in South Jordan and there he guided me to the best products and gave me the suggestion of dividing our microfiber cloths into 8 cleaning surfaces just by the way they are folded.

Marie Ricks, on one of her personal consultant visits, encouraged me to let each child have their own cleaning tools and allow them to personalize them.  That is what is going on in the pictures below.

When it's time to clean and hand out the assignments each child is eager to grab their very own cleaning cloth.  Also decorated were some pretty cool rubber gloves complete with watches, fingernails and blood dripping from them.

We try to make the cleaning fun and when it isn't fun we play music and try to get it done without too much whining.

As you can see from the first picture James takes his assignment very seriously.  He has the hardest of jobs including windows, mirrors and toilets.  William is the vacuum man and when he is through he is leader of the "Spotters" (spotter:  noun/ a little person with a damp cloth who spies spots, finger prints, and crayon on all surfaces of the house but mostly the walls, they then wipe and scrub what is spotted).  Peter is the sweeper, swifter, duster an mopper; Peter also refills toilet paper and replaces hand towels in the bathrooms.  Maryanna has the assignment up stairs bathroom sinks and vanity after which she takes on the job of a "Picker" (picker:  noun/ a little person who picks "stuff" off the floor and decides if it goes in the garbage or upstairs and downstairs piles).  Clara owns the downstairs bathroom sink and she enjoys shinning it multiple times a week.  Henry is given a mop and cloth and just follows the older boys around.  These jobs are a part from their daily kitchen jobs and house "zones" and are expected to be completed with great care.

As for me, I am the house master and float around with George on my back over seeing, encouraging, training, assisting and sometimes re-doing.  When I get the chance I'll do a quick run down of the tub and shower.  We are all sweaty by morning's end.

Cleaning day has been switched from Mondays then to Saturdays and now finally Fridays.  The reason for this is I like to have the house clean for the sabbath that way I'm more likely to rest.  There is a nice spirit in our home when it is clean and what better day to enjoy it than Sunday.  Saturday is now official family fun day or outside project day (notice outside the house and not inside messing it all up) and where we use to do field trips on Fridays we now spend the morning cleaning then afternoon with the local homeschool group.  Field trips have been moved to mid week as I recognize that training your family to have fun is just as important as training them to work.  So we try to do both.

It's great to have a houseful of little house elves........just have to be careful not to toss them a sock  - Ha!

  

  

Paul's guest post

I forgot to post notice here of the essay Paul wrote in celebration of the family on Chocolate on my Cranium.  Cocoa had contacted me several months ago to participate in this event but the stress of trying to heal Henry had worn me down to being uninspired.  

Late at night while I was too tired from cooking everything from scratch Paul stepped in and took the assignment.  He is not a blogger but just a natural writer  - he does it for fun and as part of recording our family's history.  Either way I think he needs to write more because it is always a joy to read, even as much as the old high school love notes.  

So check out his post and all the other great contributions in this great celebration of the family.

What's for Breakfast? Lunch? & Dinner?

The good news is Henry's skin has been healing.  The bad news is as soon as we veer from his special diet his skin flares up again, so bad it bleeds.

Meal planning is always a goo idea but for me it is now essential.  Beyond lunch meat and hot dogs there are few grab and go food options for us.  But even meal planning is a challenge - I stare at a blank page and wonder what in the world to plan as there is little overlapping of what these kids should eat and what they actually will.  But I plan and prepare gear up for the presentation and stand firm against the crying, whining and insults.  

Sometimes a few of the kids will eat no more than one bite.  But Henry is happy and hungry for just about anything and typically makes rounds around the table until he's finished what the others have refused to eat.  Despite his allergies, he looks very well nourished.

The above meal is homemade falafels, golden beet salad with basil, sauteed spinach with feta and yogurt sauce.  Henry does not get the dairy so I served a few small dishes of warm chicken broth for him to drink or dip his falafels in (what toddler doesn't love dipping?)

Today is meal planning day so I thought I'd make a list of what's worked in the past:

Lettuce wrap tacos

Roast chicken

Lamb Kafta meatballs

turnip carrot salad

falafels

buckwheat porridge

Quinoa salad

Pot roast

Any ideas?  Anyone?  Anything without wheat (or other gluten grains), nuts, seeds, eggs, dairy, nightshade veggies, citrus fruits, corn or soy?