After: Ready for baby

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Close up of his lamp, a cricut project

A little art project to decorate his walls

I might be just a little bit in love with his name.... can you tell?

Before

First day of the second Grade:-)

Today Eagle started Second grade! What a big day. I remember second grade well. The year of hall monitors, learning cursive, multiplication, my teacher who had super long hair and would let us brush it if we were good, playing bloody mary in the bathroom (dont remember that?... creepy kid game that has permanently affected my ability to walk into a dark bathroom), first loves and so much more. This is the first year I did not feel sad when dropping him off. I'm proud of him- Joyful that he woke up well this morning and got himself dressed, choosing his better school shoes on his own and then brushing his own hair. I'm a little nostalgic though so here are some other first school days to celebrate.

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

He was so confident this morning! When he first woke up he was a little nervous, but Daddy called from Laredo and by the time they were done talking he was excited and ready to go! He drew a picture and wrote a note in his best handwriting to his teacher and gave it to her in the camo bag with an apple. He started this tradition last year, all on his own.. taking an apple to his teacher. I think its sweet. I totally meant to go get a really nice big pretty red apple, but oops. So he took a little green one from our mixed fruit bag :-). Worked for him, so it works for me! He also did not want me to take him inside. I was confident he would find his class because it is just a few steps from last years class. That made me one of five parents who did not park and walk in their child. Oh well. I'm trying to trust his lead on things like this. We had taken his supplies to meet the teacher night last week so all he had was his lunch money and teacher gift. And swagger. He had plenty of swagger this morning too.

Listing

Tomorrow is week 35. Meaning in roughly 4-5 weeks, or less... I'll be holding baby Sprout. In my arms.. not my belly. There is so much left to do so I have begun the process of making lists. Lists of things to clean, places to go, people to call. Lists of things I need for baby care, for nursing. Lists of groceries, and bills so I can take care of life without thinking when the baby is here. Lists of doctors, lists of things to keep the big boys busy, happy and feeling involved. I am also including my netflix que on my list of lists because hey.. even mamas need a break from reality.

Mr. Simply has another interview next week. Thats all I'm saying. Its up to God and right now all I can focus on is getting Eagle to school next week. Which brings up another lists... school supplies. How would I fit an entire other category of lists into my world right now if he got this job and we had to start planning a move? So for now... I'll focus on the cleaning list. And the happy children list. And, of course, the Netflix.

Finished in time for a start

I have been working on quite a project. Usually my projects go something like this- Meme gets an idea, rushes out to buy whatever materials are needed, stays up till sunrise to finish and ends up with a messy, not thought out piece of something that gets put in a corner and forgotten if not thrown away. This time would be different. This time I was inspired, and careful. I read lots of blogs. Lots of crafty, sewing is easy blogs. They make me drool. Because sewing for me is not. easy. I never was good at staying in the lines and sewing needs a bit of restraint and focus and well lines. I found THIS blog a while back. I'm not even sure how I found her anymore, but I enjoy her projects. And dream of living on a farm like she does. I don't. I live in suburbia in a patio home with wally world as a neighbor. I digress. On her blog she posted a quilt she was working on for her daughter and I simply couldn't resist. She made it sound so easy! Now of course I couldn't do it exactly like she did which is the traditional, correct way to make a grandmothers garden quilt. Nope. I opened one of Eagles math books, found a hexagon and traced it and then cut my own papers. But I stuck to the same idea.... just made stripes instead of flowers. It was easy! AND I loved doing it. AND I took my time. It still turned out Meme perfect.... meaning there are no straight lines and if folded over the bottom of the quilt measures a good two inches thinner than the top. oops. But my husband said it best. "the imperfections are what make it look homemade." Yup. very homemade. So here, in photographs is the story of a quilt from beginning to end. Finished just in time for the beginning of my little guys own personal homemade story. I hope his story has just as many imperfections. Just as many crooked stitches that say... I'm me. Made by God as an original.

Step one: Begin applying fabric to paper hexagons by sewing corners or edges. Sew edges together. I made stripes not flowers in the Meme version of this quilt.

Step 2: Sew hexagons into stripes and then sew stripes together.

Step 3: using my cricut machine I made iron on appliques and ironed them on :-). Then I appliqued the edges so it will last forever. Imagine a world where appliques require no iron on interfacing or pins! It does exist.

Step 4: I only used my machine on this part.. and now regret it. I cut two inch strips of each color of fabric and sewed them together to make the border. Had I done this by hand I would have added a week to my quilting time, but the stripes would have been even. Alas. At least I know they wont come apart.

Step 5: the hardest for me was adding the quilt batting and backing. I didn't take pictures. The store was out of the backing I wanted and then it took several attempts. Tip: use curved safety pins and not straight pins.
Step 6: Quilt and bind :-).

The final product. Quilted, bound and washed. Ready for snuggles!

I gots the Swag

Just in case you've missed it, here is a video about the Swagger Wagon. And here is a picture of me with my new to me Vintage Swagger Wagon.

I'm totally pumped. As in over the moon super excited. As of this afternoon I am the proud ownder of a 2004 Toyota Sienna. I've wanted to drive it all day long today, and can not wait to drive it to my moms house tomorrow. We even took a drive at 4:00 pm to go pay rent. We never leave the house after lunch time simply because our non swagger anything car wont cool down enough and I melt. And cook the baby. It was so much FUN to sit in traffic and rock out to someone elses forgotten cd of worship songs (yes, ill be returning it) and enjoy being cool in my cool new Meme Van. Thank you to my sweet friend Kelli who came over, swooned over my baby stuff with me and then drove me to pick up the van! She is also throwing me a baby shower/sprinkle/pray for the  baby party  on saturday with another friend of ours. I feel so blessed right now with friends and comforts a good church and good things for this baby. I know some big changes in our life might be right around the corner (other than being parents of THREE boys) so I am soaking in the goodness of simplicity right now. I know God has his hand on all of this and know that when we asked for bread his plan was never a stone. I'm finally seeing around all of the pebbles I have let block our view lately to the feast He is preparing! (Matthew 7:9)