Get ready for spring!

Anyone need a bag for spring? I know a good place you can find one!

Cooking with Aidan

Lately Aidan has become the best little helper. And smart too....... he totally caught on to the fact that while he knows how to load the dishwasher, and cook food, and do the laundry, daddy still is clueless. He even offered James a cooking tutorial. Trust me, if the day ever comes that James enters the kitchen with the intent of cooking a meal, i will capture as many digital images as possible, and post them for all to see. Otherwise, who would believe it ever happened? Anyway, Aidan and i spent a delightful afternoon making Swedish meatballs, and he even did the dishes when we were done! Amazing! My next plan is to teach him to use the sewing machine...... i really need to increase my production.




making the breadcrumbs.....



Notice the cute little chubby fingers....



shaping the meatballs......



Look mom! I'm doing the dishes!



I think he cleans the dishes better than i do.



There wasn't even any lumps in the gravy!



mmmm...... notice, since he was the one cooking, he has noodles AND potatoes!

cuteness

I can't help it, i am a doting mom. I always think my son is cute, even when he is just putting his socks on.

pride goes before a fall

This weekend we enjoyed a lovely couples dinner party at one of our neighbors, (while our kids were being watched at another neighbors) and we were treated to an amazing chocolate cake, from the pioneer women. It was so amazing i decided i couldn't go more than a day without making it. So Sunday we went to the store and bought all the ingredients, and whipped up the best sheet cake ever. All the while i was telling myself things like, "wow, you are going to blow away your co-workers with this one.... wow, this is so amazing and good, they will all want the recipe......" and all sorts of other vain notions. Aidan and i licked the bowl, mmmm... and enjoyed a warm piece, at which point i started to not feel so hot, but decided to dig in anyway........ Maybe it was just too rich for me.



To make a long story short i put Aidan to bed and ended up with the stomach flu, so i can guarantee that i won't be making anything chocolate for anyone for a loooong time. So if you are looking for a good chocolate cake recipe, head over to the pioneer women website, because i will probably never make it again. Although Aidan might be able to tell you how good it was!

the best day off ever!!!!

for those of you who aren't into sewing or fabric, i am really sorry about this next post b/c i am about to go over the top with superlatives, exclamation points and adjectives! Yesterday i was treated to a great lunch at this lovely place, and i had a personal tour of a high end textile store, Schumacher's. All i can say is "wow." Can you believe i actually ran my hands across rows of amazing pieces of fabric that are almost $1000/ yard!!! Hand-made, hand-woven, hand pulled, hand-blocked..... absolutely delicious! i need a job at a place like that! After we were done eating lunch we wandered around all the designer showrooms. there were some good deals to be had. We even found a whole table full of lamps that were 75% off........... of $999.99!!!!! Later i picked Aidan up from James' work. After spending a few hours with daddy, Aidan thought he was pretty big stuff. One of James' co-workers had given Aidan a leather day planner that says "Carlson School of Managment" and Aidan carried it around proudly all day. Not to be outdone by daddy, Aidan and i had to make a special stop here for some quality bonding time over some cupcakes. Even though touring the textile store was probably the most fun i have had in months, nothing can top a chocolate kiss from my three-year-old.

To moms

This week my good friend's mom passed away. She was diagnosed with cancer less than six months ago. My heart aches for my friend, and her little children who will probably never remember their Grandma, and for all the other memories they won't be able to make. It's also sobering as i think of my own life. James and i hit the big 30 this year... i know... it is not so old. But i think about our whole circle of friends, and their families, and i know that this is only the beginning, as we all grow older together. Most of us have lost our grandparents, and soon it will be time to start taking our parents to doctor appointments. I guess what i want to say is, appreciate your parents while you can, send a letter, call them while they can still pick up the phone, take a trip and spend a weekend. Most of all, value the time you have together.

cold morning

brrrr.... we woke up to a - 40 windchill this am. As you can see, we had thick, thick frost in our windows. Part of me wanted to just stay in for the day, in our cozy house, but we had alot to do.



So we all filled our tummies with some hot steel cut oats before we headed out.



mmmmmm!

Busy day

We had lots of fun today. Aidan and i went to a Valentine's sock hop, and the gym, and the library, and Target, and i was able to get some sewing done too. So check out the shop for some new treasures!

morning conversations

This morning Aidan and i had a very interesting conversation. It went something like this.....

"Mom, can i pick my nose at our house?"

"Sure, why?"

"Well, i can pick it here but not at Vicky's house, right?"

"You know, honey, you really should use a kleenex to pick your nose, at our house and at Vicky's house."

"But when they are really big, you really need to use your finger, right mom?"

what can i say..... i guess there are times, when only his finger will work!

Ants on a log

Recently Aidan informed me that he likes to eat "green things with peanut butter and raisin's at Vicky's house." (Vicky is the lady who watches him on the days that i work) Now if i recall correctly, we have tried making "ants on a log" at our house many times, without success. But since Vicki made them, suddenly it is really cool.



So Aidan and i made a little trip to Super Target tonight and loaded up on raisins, peanut butter and celery, and guess what! Not only did he help make them, he actually ate them! Amazing!



mmm, good stuff!

Valentine's day

My husband thinks Valentines day is a marketing ploy. His opinion is that you should show your love all year... not just on one special, overpriced day. In other words, i usually don't receive any gifts from him.



Personally i think Valentine's day is a great reason to decorate the house between Christmas and Easter, especially because as Aidan grows up he is enjoying holiday decorations more and more.



Holidays also make good timemarkers. Aidan knows that "first comes Valentine's day, then Easter, then Aidan's birthday." So regardless if you are on James' side, or mine, here are a few photos to get you in the mood.

You only have 10 days left!

more items in the shop

Well, i haven't made it to church or the gym or the grocery store thanks to a sick kid, but at least i have been somewhat productive.....



Here is a sneak peak at a few more items that have been added to my etsy shop......



I think you need these on your table this spring.

Sick boy = more sewing

Well, we are stuck home again today with a feverish, coughing boy, so for him that means cuddling up in mom's sewing room watching a movie, and for me that means i can get some more sewing done!



This is a vintage barkcloth throw i have been working on for the last few weeks, and was finally able to complete today!



I think it means Aidan and I are going to have to curl up on the couch today and read some books under the warmth of our new blanket!

new items

well, now that i have the hang of this, i have had to keep myself in check, because i wanted to try and add new things all day! Instead i kept myself busy playing with Aidan and doing some sewing, so if you check my etsy site, there are a few new items to help us all ready ourselves for spring!

one more try

There's nothing like hot cocoa on a cold day for a sick boy! And yes, i have been wasting the last three hours figuring out how to do stuff on this blog!

blog shmog

well, this blog just reinforces the fact that i am terribly computer illiterate! i can't figure out how to put my photos on my web page, and i can't figure out how to make my slideshow work! auggh! i knew this blog was a bad idea! think of all the purses i could have sewn, or books i could have read to Aidan, or the laundry i could have folded while i have been killing time on this computer!