Er.....Where was I?

I've been busy with bee projects and house guests so I've neglected my blog a bit, sorry!    If you're only interested in crafty things, just skip the rest of this paragraph, I won't mind.  My hubby's super fantastic grandmother surprised me with a week long visit this past week.  Well, it was a surprise when she told me she was coming for a visit two weeks ago.  I wouldn't want you all to think she just showed up.  :)  She's such a great help with the kiddos and she's very patient with me and my "rules."  I'm a control freak.  I admit it.  It's not as if I don't trust her, but I'm not used to relying on others for help or to take care of my kids.  I did manage to get out and have my hair cut.  Hooray!  I hadn't cut it since late April so to say it was in need of a trim is an understatement.  I still can't bring myself to cut too much off.  I'm just a long hair sort of gal.  I also got to take Roarke to a birthday party for one of his classmates.  I was so proud of him the entire party.  He was so polite saying please and thank you--this was especially noticeable because the other children did not.  No judgment, I'm just saying my kiddo happened to be on his best behavior that day.  When the kids finally broke open the pinata and there was a mass scramble for candy and goodies, Roarke quietly walks over (last) and selects one sucker.  Then he rushes over to me, happy as can be, and exclaims, "Look, Mama!  I got a prize!"  All of the other parents stared at us dumbfounded.  They couldn't believe he wasn't greedily snatching up everything he could (like all the other kids were doing).  When I told him he could go back and get more, he runs over and selects a bracelet--that's it.  A pinata full of stuff and he wants one sucker and a bracelet.  He does this with Easter egg hunts too--one egg is good enough for him.  I told the other parents he must get this from his dad because my Easter basket was always full as a child.  :)  I think I may have just cancelled out all the brownie points he earned from not being greedy by being so boastful about it, but whatever.  He's my kid and he makes me proud to be his mama!

Enough talk!  These are some finished projects:

1.  Blocks for Quilting Divas Bee:






2.  Completed quilt top for my SIL/BIL for Christmas.  I'll get around to quilting it when my batting comes in.


3.  House block for The Stitchin' Bee.  This month's bee member only send scrap pieces and requested a house that reflected us.  I made a polka dot house because I love polka dots and I added a moving van since I've moved 17 times (only 2 were military moves)


4.  Karrie's Wonky Stars for Putting the Bee in Christmas



This is a work in progress:

I'm not even half way done tracing these things!  Yikes!  Hopefully this will begin to take shape soon!

A Little Help, Please!

We're having Roarke's 4th B-day party on October 30th (Halloween party with costumes) and I need somegood creative ideas for activities.  I thought bobbing for apples, making candy apples with them, maybe a pumpkin race? I don't know. I need help!  I'd like a few things I can set up and they can do on their own.  I don't want to have to direct/supervise each activity.  I need ideas that can work indoors and outdoors (in case it rains).  Also, there is no way I will have a clown.  They creep me out!

These were my husband's ideas: 
1.  sharpen a bunch of sticks for sword fights
2.  dress someone up with a creepy mustache inside a van and see who will take candy from a stranger
3.  have a bunch of kids corner Barley (our dog) and try to take a lollipop tied to his tail
4.   instead of pin the tail on the donkey play stick the fork in the fake outlet

Yeah, he's hysterical. 

Just so I don't have a post without a picture, here is what happened to my breakfast (cheese toast) this morning:

I was so pre-occupied looking at Flickr that I didn't hear the timer go off.  These were my last two pieces of bread so now I have to go grocery shopping hungry since we have no food. :(  I love cheese toast too!  This was always a special breakfast when I was growing up.  I have no idea why because it's not like it's hard to make, but I didn't get it that often and I really love it.  I mean, what's not to love?  Cheese and bread! Yummy!  Can you tell I will never go on the Atkin's diet? :) 

Brothers, Bees, and Best Friends

I gave the boys a bath together for the first time.  It went well and it save me time--double bonus!  Of course, Cian had to give me a few stink faces while taking pictures.....

Roarke helped me make dinner last night (turkey meatballs with spaghetti squash).  I'm always amazed how much better he eats when I let him help.  By better, I don't mean more, the kid eats plenty, but he eats more vegetables without hesitation.  I MAY have lied and told him the squash was pasta, but it looks like pasta and you cover it with sauce, so does it really make any difference?

I finished by bee blocks for Tracey.  She asked for a cartwheel block and a tree block of our own design.  She did want one ticker tape tree and since I hadn't tried that style yet, I volunteered.  These blocks are huge (22.5" square), but they really didn't take me any longer than a "normal."  I'm considering asking them to make big blocks for me too--so much less work for me later! :)

My best friend was in town over the holiday weekend and since her birthday is this month, I offered to make her a skirt.  I really love the fabric she chose (called Emmaline in Teal)

When I ordered the fabric for Stephanie's skirt, it came with a free fat quarter of the super yummy Birch organic fabric with cars on it.  Now, I've been trying to get my 3 year old to pick out some fabric he liked so I could make him a blanket and a quilt.  He never likes anything.  Of course, he would love the super expensive organic fabric!  I decided to make him a couch blanket because he has no patience.  He kept asking me where his blanket was, hence the simple design. :)  I backed this with chenille so it's super soft and snuggly on the back.