Long time, no write

It seems like it has been forever since I have blogged! Things have been super busy around here. I have been working hard to keep on top of K's homework and my housework (which is usually the first thing to go). We have been trying to stay busy as a family on the weekends with lots of bike rides, playing ball, movie nights, and trips to Auburn basketball games. The weekends are really the only times we have that all of us are here together....usually. This weekend, we had to split up since K had softball try outs and E had a dance recital at the exact same time. But it is all good, even if it is super tiring!

K did well on her try outs and we should start practice and games soon. She has been working really hard and has improved so much since last year. She really seems to enjoy playing, though she is worried about this year because she doesn't think she will know anyone on her team.

E's winter show was really just a sneak peak before the May recital. Her group did their jazz dance in full costume and did pretty good. E didn't smile a single bit until she was sitting on the side and found me in the crowd. I asked her that night what was her favorite thing she did that day and she said dancing at the show! For a mom who danced for 13 years, I am so extremely excited to have at least one of my girls love dance! Yay!

Tonight, K had a Brownie meeting. I found out she has sold a great number of Girl Scout Cookies so she should get a badge and maybe a prize or two. Also, I found out she will be the caller in the flag ceremony for a Girl Scout luncheon in March. I am so proud of her! I think this means she will be giving instructions to the color guard and the audience as the flag is brought in and as the pledge is said. She is so excited, which makes me pretty excited! This is her first year in Girl Scouts and she is really enjoying it. :)

Groovy Sewing

My girls inherited several Groovy Girl dolls from some friends a few years back and enjoy brining them out every now and then and playing together.  The only problem is the girls are a little short on clothes. K has most of the outfits but there are still not enough.  Needless to say there are way too many naked dolls around their rooms. 

I found some easy patterns from CraftGossip.com to make an A line skirt and a strappy top. I modified the pattern slightly just for time.  I used a zig zag stitch on all the edges since I don't plan to wash these clothes and I didn't sew down the velcro.  

My girls are really excited about the first outfit I made tonight. I hope to make some more sets out of my scrap fabrics in the coming weeks.  Total project took probably 30-45 minutes for both the top and skirt, and that included searching for the supplies.

Thanks to CrafGossip.com for the tutorials:
Free Pattern Strappy Top for a Groovy Girl
Free Pattern A Line Skirt for a Groovy Girl

A great weekend!

This week has been pretty stressful for me at work as well as at home with 3rd grade homework.  I bring a lot of stress on myself.  I worry about getting everything done, having enough time for my girls, getting things done at my house.  So this weekend, I told Mike I wanted to relax and not do much.  Friday night was pizza night with the girls and we really didn't do much at all.  It was so nice!

Saturday, our girls were able to play with a dear friend from out of town.  They played all day and got along great.  My favorite part of their playing was watching them play in a little creek in our neighborhood park.  They decided to make a dam using rocks, sticks, and leaves.  The water was so cold but they were all in it.  

Mike and I took a few minutes to look for a geocache close by.  The girls were too interested in their dam to play with us.  This was a micro cache within walking distance of our creek but we couldn't find it anywhere.  I hate being left with a puzzle I can't find!  That night, we enjoyed watching Beauty and the Beast with the girls.  I take for granted that my girls have seen all major Disney movies, but Elizabeth is three years younger than Katherine.  She has only grown up hearing about a lot of these movies.   K almost didn't watch it with us because she said she had outgrown it but she hung with us anyway and seemed to really enjoy it.

Today, we all went on another geocache adventure close to our house.  We had three on our list to search for and only got to 2.  And out of those two, only one could be found.  Both were micros and one was hidden in a very cool way.  The other was impossible to find.  Did I mention that I hate not being able to find these things?!  We had a great time anyway, and took a break halfway through for some delicious Icees.

I love this pic of my E on E.  :)

Mini Vacay....Yay!

So my husband has a large work kick-off meeting in his region the beginning of each year.  Luckily, the event is held at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi and I am able to go, too.  This is our second year getting to go and it is pretty fun for a work event.  Mike works the majority of the weekend but after work, we get to enjoy some nice food and, of course, the casino.  Our girls get to spend a few days with family so we can spend a few days without them.  It is kind of nice to have a mini vacay, though we do miss them while we are gone. 

One of my favorite things to do, besides a little gaming, is to enjoy the spa.  I usually spend the better half of one day in the spa getting a massage, having lunch, and just lounging around in the quiet facilities.  I rarely get massages so this was great!  And the staff at the spa is so accommodating.  If I need anything, I just ask and they handle it.  Refreshing!

I need to also mention the work event.  Mike's coworkers are always so nice to me and they really put on a great event.  I got to eat some wonderful food, too.  I really enjoyed hanging out with the other employees and their wives and have met some good folks.  I look forward to seeing them again next year!

After my relaxing few days, I picked my girls up and got to spend a day and a half enjoying them.  When we got home we enjoyed some Crazy Bread (a favorite from Mike and I were dating) and watched Star Wars Episode 1.  I promise this movie was picked out by my girls and they are super excited that it is coming back to the theater!  Monday was a holiday for all of us girls so we slept late and played/lazed all day before a nice dinner and quiet night.  I even heard the girls playing sweetly together....which is not a sound I hear all that often!  What a perfect weekend!  Now, back to the grind.

Happy New Year!

Such a typical title for this first post of 2012 but also apropos.  The holiday season was so crazy.  We had several parties and celebrations to go to.  I celebrated a birthday (I say I "celebrated" but really I just let it happen.  I am too far gone to truly celebrate getting older!).  We also crammed several family activities with our girls in, like 2 Auburn basketball games with friends and a mini vacay to visit some friends who recently moved.  

Oh, and check out the super cute short haircuts on my girls!  Over their holidays, they both wanted more manageable hair.  They are cursed with the same hair I had when I was younger, which means they have stringy, tangly hair.  Now maybe they can have an easier time!  Plus they look adorable, of course!

Now on to the new year stuff.  I usually make half-hearted resolutions because I don't think they work. People just get excited for a month or two then fizzle out.  This is so evident at the gym.  I hate going to the gym in January.  Everyone who has resolved to lose weight or get healthier shows up in January and hogs all the treadmills.  Then, when February comes, you rarely see them again.  So frustrating to regulars!  

I have my usual stuff to plan for this year like being a better person, working out more, becoming healthier, losing weight, spending more time with my family, etc., but I hate to call them resolutions.  These are things I try to fix all the time.  Sometimes I do better than others, but it is a daily battle.  I think that is part of living your life.  I plan to run another big race this year, like another marathon, but need to find a location that is somewhat close but still has a great medal and active city.  Mike has suggested maybe just a race where the main distance is a half.  Maybe we should do a race that has obstacles or just a crazy theme?  I guess time will tell!  No matter what we choose to do, I am ready to start some training.  :) 

Another year older

Yesterday day was my birthday.  Since I have hit all the cool milestone birthdays (being able to drive, vote, and buy alcohol), I don't really get excited for them anymore.  I would rather just avoid them as I am not one of these crazy people who will age gracefully.  I really enjoy my children's birthdays so it is nothing against birthday....just getting old.  Anyway, my husband and girls have been known to ride their bikes all over the neighborhood and have so much fun.  I recently went with them on one of their journeys and had a great time.  I do not own a bike but we have an extra that was gotten at a yard sale.  I had so much fun with them!  Mike and I decided I really need my own bike so we did some shopping.  Since it was my birthday, I took my birthday money (yes, my parents still give me birthday money at my age!) and ran to the store and picked up a bike we found on the internet on sale.  There was exactly one left at the very top of the racks so I grabbed it up.  Took it for a test ride with my girls and it was great!  I think the girls are really excited to have an extra riding buddy and I think it will be great cross training for me in addition to running.  This bike isn't the top of the line or anything but it is a decent mountain bike that I can use in the neighborhood and on trails.  And it is my favorite color!  Cute definitely helps.  The picture below makes it look more like mint green but it is really more aqua blue.  Time to hit the trails!

Sew this is Christmas...

Ok, really bad pun but I have been in sewing world for about a week.  I love making special dresses for my girls but don't have a ton of time to do it.  I also love to procrastinate so everything gets done at the last  minute.  Personally, I think I do my best work that way!  Anyway, I am using a great, simple pattern from Carla C at youcanmakethis.com.  Her directions are so easy to follow and the outfits are easy to put together.  I am making a simple jumper with ruffle.  Elizabeth's dress is done.  It is a bodice and ruffle of white fabric with tiny red dots.  The skirt is red fabric with tons of cute little Santa's all over. E requested Santa's and red is definitely her color!  I was on such a roll that I didn't measure out the length of the skirt like I was supposed to so she have a very long, flowey.  Luckily, she LOVES it long.  She will wear it tomorrow in the school Christmas program.  Even though it was 70 degrees today, she will wear a plain white shirt under it.

I am now assembling Katherine's dress.  Her dress will have a lime green bodice and ruffle with tiny white dots.  The skirt is white with different sized dots that are red, lime, and kelly green.  I was lucky to find fabric exactly as she described she wanted. I am going to leave the skirt long to match her sister's.  Plus, K said she liked the idea of the long, princess-type dress.

I have made enough dresses to know I hate gathering.  It is too time consuming and a pain.  But, I have daughters and all the cute dresses have gathers or ruffles or both.  Today, I found a gathering foot for my sewing machine for an awesome price (1 cent plus shipping!) so I ordered it.  I won't get it in time for this dress, but will have it for Easter.  So exciting!