Thursday, October 31, 2013

Early Childhood Development Amazes Me

I'm amazed at the development of our 21 month old.  That's 1 3/4... wow.

He's talking lots, and making himself understood: he'll repeat something over and over patiently until you repeat it, and if you get it wrong, he'll keep going...  He'll also use other words or take you and show you what he means.  Communication!!

He's singing, sort of... when we sing our usual songs, he will chime in with the last word in the phrase.  And with Hickory Dickory Dock, a good 'BONG!' for the clock striking one!  Our 4 at bedtime are Baa Baa Black Sheep, Jesus Loves Me (so cute to hear him sing most of this!), Twinkle Twinkle, and still Row Row Row Your Boat.  All three verses.

He's learning his colours.  And his numbers.  He likes eleven.  Today he said 'one, two, three, four' all on his own.

His climbing and jumping and throwing and playing in the bath all make him look so big.  When I take him out of the car I'm more likely to put him down so he can walk rather than carry him.  That's often when I notice that he's really not my little baby any more.  Even grocery shopping - sometimes he needs to be contained in the cart or in my arms, but he likes walking along and pushing the cart and generally stays close.

We went to the Harvest Party at church last night - with borrowed elephant and giraffe costumes to choose from, he went as a Rider Fan in a t-shirt and hat...  He had fun playing the games, though, and collecting treats!  Today the neighbour called saying he had something for N and the little guy down the street, then he was hiding out and not handing out candy - M was able to talk him into the elephant costume, they went across the street and came back with a bag stuffed with a bag of chips, two bags of gummy worms, and five full sized chocolate bars.  Might have to help him out a bit...



Monday, October 28, 2013

Have time for a coffee?

Hello, Friends. There's a reason I haven't promised that I would post on a regular schedule... because life's not like that for me!

I got an order last week from Ambassador Coffee saying the coffee cozies they bought were selling really well, and when could they get another 50?  So I've been ironing and cutting and sewing and stitching on buttons and this morning I delivered 60!  That's thanks to my business savvy husband.

I bought these 3 packs from Cindyrella's Quilt Shop for making the tops (here's me telling all my secrets), and made up as many as I could make from them, along with some other fabric I had been planning to use.  I had a few on hand already, too, so when all was said and done, I had 60 made.  I planned to take them the 50 they ordered and list a few on Etsy, but Sean suggested when I let her know they were ready, I should ask if she wanted all 60.  So I did.  And she did.  So happy selling to me.


Here's what 60 looks like.

The new labels!

We are back in the swing of things with soccer.  Sean usually takes M to the evening practices while I put N to bed, but usually we can make it to the games.  Nolan likes being there, and likes that we usually get him a Tim Bit when we get our coffees...


This week we have a piano recital and a harvest party at the church thrown in the mix, the Amazing Race for youth group, and then a tournament this weekend, so it should be a fun busy week.  M has been going to youth at another church with some camp friends, and it's been a good group for her to be a part of.  They are on different nights so she can usually make it to one or the other most weeks.

Ciao for now - have a great Monday!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Links

Some blogs I read have a weekly list of links to check out.  I couldn't do that - I don't spend that much time online!  Once in a while, though, I'll read something that I think is worth sharing and I save it up for you... Enjoy!

A couple on things that are good for you:

Go Outside

52 Reasons to Go to Church  (From Pastor Darren)

A couple on family:

How to Talk to Your Daughter About Her Body (Spoiler in one word: Don't.)

Why You Should Date Your Husband

And a couple of funny 'unreal childhood' ones:

My Imaginary Well Dressed Daughter

Warped Childhood Restoration Hardware Style

Monday, October 14, 2013

For This I am Thankful...

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!  We just drove home from Mom & Dad's today after an uneventful-but-great-to-be-with-family weekend.  The clouds parted and we enjoyed some sunshine - ironically, at dusk, so it was in our eyes, but I'll still take it!  The colors were so rich and spectacular it didn't even matter that I finished my book half way through the drive.

For that, I am thankful.

We had perhaps the best drives yet with Nolan, both there and back.  He woke after 20 minutes on the way home and I thought that might be all we got (no...!) but he did fall asleep again after a while and slept quite a long time (whew).  He also slept pretty good at Granny & Papa's, and had a great time with his cousins.  He's growing and maturing and talking and joking.

For that, I am thankful.

I left a box of goods with Mom for a sale table at their upcoming women's conference.  It's satisfying to make stuff that other people might actually want and use.

For that, I am thankful.

I am reminded most days in one way or another that God made us each different, and he did that on purpose.  Our job is to love Him and let Him help us learn to love each other, not only when people are like us and please us, but in all circumstances.  It's not natural, but it's so necessary for a good life.  He loves me in spite of the way I continually need improvement, and that's a great encouragement.

For that, I am thankful.

Madeline went to soccer practice tonight and connected with a great friend.  I'm glad she's on a team with some friends from last year, glad she enjoys the sport, and glad she gets a chance to play.

For that, I am thankful.

And you?  What are you thankful for?

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Welcome Alice&Victor to Etsy!

It's a big day, everyone!  I've been getting set up for a couple of weeks and I'm ready to show you the 'finished' product... my new shop!
 

Alice and Victor are the kids' middle names, both named after loved grandparents.  I figured it would be a name I wouldn't grow tired of.  :)  In trying to come up with a description (because Alice&Victor says nothing about what I sell), I realized that useful and colourful described pretty much everything I make.  And seeing all that fun colour when I use them lifts my spirits a bit, so I threw in playful... a better word than happy, I think!

I am thrilled that I have items selling in retail shops and through word of mouth and online sites like UsedRegina; I set up a shop of Etsy as another outlet to sell the goods I sew. I'm not expecting it to be a huge income generator, but a place where my goods can be found by people who are searching for them.


My business cards are ordered and now I have to figure out how to re-package some of my things with the new branding.  I chose the blue/grey background and dark blue letters because what I make is usually so colorful.  For a while I had brightly colored and patterned cards, and while I really liked them, they were often too busy and clashed with the goods themselves. I think these will go fabulously with what I make - I like that the font is a little playful, too.

I'll sign off here, because I know you want to click over and check it out, ha ha... As I put Nolan down for his nap today, I told him I was going to go rest, too, and he told me 'Nap.' I think that might be a good idea... Later, friends!

Monday, October 07, 2013

Scrapbook Pages!!!

It's been a long time since I had pages to show you!  I had a good time at the retreat, though; while some of my friends make works of art and only get a few pages made all weekend, I usually want to come away with as many pages as I can.  It is a good place to spread out all your supplies and take the time to play with more time consuming techniques, but I kept it all pretty simple this time around.  Pretty much my style anyway.  Without further ado, in alphabetical order, here they are!

M's 14th Birthday

Just a series of shots I took of N playing with a friend's trike.

This one I did a while ago, but never took a photo of.

Frozen blueberries make a messy snack.

Cousins.  Always gotta get one of these shots.

This is M!!!

An 8.5x11 just for fun.

From a little photo shoot at the park down the street.

Love this pic from a few years ago.

Love these photos.

Always so interested in looking at and touching what's down there.

She's so pretty in this picture.

Part 1...

...and part 2.

Love this picture - and I took it with my phone!!

*A note on the photography:  I made a lightbox for taking product pictures, and it worked great as a place for shooting these.  I propped it on the back of the couch catching the indirect light through the window, but balancing on the couch and using no flash made for a case of the fuzzies...  I'll rig it up better next time, but thought I'd rather show these to you imperfectly now instead of next week sometime...

Sunday, October 06, 2013

Recommended Reads - September

Hello friends!  I hope you have had a great weekend.  I spent mine at a scrapbooking retreat - my first time away from my whole family in at least two years - since Nolan was born for sure.  I have been on this retreat a number of times before and have had a great time with the friends I go with; it's a good getaway and I always get a ton of pages done.  This weekend I got 13 made - I will take pictures and post very soon.  I did wonder how Nolan would do at home; if he would ask for me non-stop or have troubles in the middle of the night, but they all managed fine and Nolan wasn't stressed about it at all.  Whew.  So good to come home to a happy and relaxed family.

It's a little late, but here they are: the books I read in September that I thought were worth passing on to you!

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman - This was a beautiful sad story about a couple who has to make some really tough choices. Honesty and consequences...

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skoot - A non fiction work; a great combo of an author who is passionate about her subject, but can also write compellingly.  "Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance."

Insurgent by Veronica Roth - I re-read Divergent last month (book #1) for book club in September and then picked up Insurgent (book #2).  Book #3 comes out later this month.  They are easy reads, fairly simple but enough to make you think.  A young adult dystopian novel.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - This one was kind of a trippy read.  Have you ever wondered how a clone would experience life??

Loving Frank by Nancy Horban - About Mamah Borthwick Cheney's  clandestine love affair with Frank Lloyd Wright.  A bit of history, a bit of real human struggle and choices and effects.

Bonus!  I though I'd throw in this year's picks for our book club.  The way we do the deciding is to each bring two recommendations, and the others vote on which one we'll do.  Here's what we came up with:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Speak by Lori Halse Anderson
Quiet by Susan Caine
The Last Crossing by Guy Vanderhaeghe
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
The Deception by Barry Reed 
The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

Happy reading!!