Make your own snow globes

Olea brought home a snow globe from her last day of school before the break. I, of course, figured that it could and should be accomplished by our family. Esp with two weeks of vacation. I obtained appropriate bottles via facebook shout out and Freecycle. I did a lil internet research about it.

And then for FHE we set to work sculpting our figurines out of sculpy clay. Bless Gary for helping the two younger ones do theirs, Zurich asked for a Reindeer spaceship, I wouldn't have known where to start! Nev quit trying to destroy what I was working on when Gary helped her make a Christmas tree.

We cooked the sculptures and went to bed. This picture is minus two sculptures.

The next evening we put them in their globes.


I had a lot of frustration with mine from the beginning to the end but it ended up working out fine. They were worth it, it was a lot of fun and the kids love them.

Olea also made one for her cousins that were coming the next day.

It turned out cute but after a little bit the tree ended up coming unattached from the base, so it was a floaty tree. I think it was because it was rushed a bit where the other ones weren't. It was still fun and appreciated at least. :) All the other ones we made are holding up great.

Letters from Santa

After being put on bed rest I got an idea from a friend, and since all I was supposed to do was lay around in bed, I had time to do it, thanks to a laptop. :)

I took the opportunity to edit the letters found on this site and tailor them a bit more to my kids and our situation and the things they had accomplished this year. I also made an envelope file with postmark and return signature etc and put them on a border I had from microsoft clip art. I knew that Olea would really be the only one who would appreciate/understand it, but to add to the effect did one for each child. It made for a fun trip to the mailbox.
And Olea was very excited about it.

Getting the mail, Olea realizes what the return address on the envelope says.

Kids opening and reading their letters.
It was fun, adding to the pre-Christmas Eve excitement and reminded the kids what one thing they asked Santa for.

Chase Bank mailings

Dear Chase:
You bug me. I get at least 2 mailings from you in a week. Today I got 4. REALLY?! In one DAY!? I got Two last Saturday and expect to get at least two more before this week is out. You could fill a land fill with all the junk mail I get from you. And for the record, it might not be so annoying if you put fake credit cards in them so I could fil up Nev's little play wallet, but you are cheap and you don't. You just keep sending me crap. Thankfully I have recycling. But seriously stop sending me so much junk mail! How do I make you stop?

Vivid Dreamer

Last night I was up three times after going to bed
Once to clean up puke, Olea coughed so hard she threw up.
Twice to listen to Nev whimper a bit and settle back down
and Thrice to Zurich who had had another dream that I had to talk him through. If I don't he'll keep going and going and wake up his sister, which means I am in for a rougher night...


This happens at least once a week with him. He has very vivid dreams that cause him stress and he usually cries or screams till I go in and calm him down. In order to that the method varies on the dream. Some nights I am amazed at my skills. :)

I have had previous training with these kinds of dreamers... two of my siblings gave me plenty of scares when we shared a room.

Last night I popped out of bed and dashed down the hall to hear him crying, "I want to cut my project." which he kept screaming over and over so after some inquisition he finally clarified, "I need to cut my homework project." so I said to him, "Ok, here are the scissors you cut yours and Olea will do hers." Apparently, I hit the nail on the head and he was quiet and smiling. I asked, "Are you happy now?"
"Yes."
"Ok, good night."

I am starting to realize most of his dreams are about fights with his sisters. Which is funny when it's between him and Nevy, since she is well 20 months and he is three and he'll have dreams about wanting her to play with him and she won't or him wanting her to give him the toy phone and she won't.

It's kinda funny that I have to solve imaginary fights, after solving real ones all day. kinda.

Skiing with kids

Gary took the kids skiing weekend before last. It was Zurich's first real go at it and it sounds like he did great till he got snow between his gloves and coat... then he just wanted Mommy.
Which is why I encouraged Gary to take him. The kid needs some toughening up. Zurich was psyched to go though and so I am so glad Gary was up for it. Last minute Gary called a friend with a little guy who is about 4 to go with them. I think that helped keep things positive. :)


I don't ski, it scares me, I have tried it a few times though for the record. Thing is I don't want my kids to have my same fears, I want them to be able to try things and have the opportunities to do awesome things that are just between them and their dad. Olea has really enjoyed this about skiing and I think it was a little hard for her to accept having her little brother along. However, she is good enough now that she can ski on her own and only needs help with the lift, which Gary figured out with his ingenuity how to get them both taken care of on the lifts at the same time.
After Zurich got snow on his wrists Gary gave him his gauntlet gloves. Why don't they make only those for kids? Why they make any other kind of glove for a kid doesn't make sense to me.

Olea's face looks so smooshed in this picture, Gary confirmed it was, they needed to adjust her goggles. :)

I, of course stayed home with my pregnant self and my little Nevy and was grateful for Gary's new work phone that has a camera on it so he could take pictures.

Knitting again

It's a seasonal thing for me. I like it, but I don't knit as often as I tat.
This year I finished Zurich's hat by putting on Pompoms and ear flaps and made Nevy a new hat.
Aren't they just adorable...

The hats are too I think.

REpurpose junk mail

You know those fake cardboard credit cards you get in the mail? 18 month olds LOVE them. I know this because every 18 month old I have had LOVES to pilfer through my wallet and purse. So keep those fake cards, and fill an old wallet (or one from the Dollar store) and let the child go to town.

It's fabulous motor skill work, taking the cards in and out and can keep the kids occupied for quite a while and since to them it looks important and real they think they are being sneaky while playing with it.

When I put one together for my first child I didn't have any saved up from the junk mail so I just used some old matte board I had and cut them down to the right size and drew words and pictures on them. Olea is now 6 and I unwisely threw them away a month ago... while getting ready to move, and I am going to have to gather again since Nev is in need of more cards for her play wallet.

Print out a wallet size picture of your family or the child too. I use whatever fits basically, old library cards, info cards, business cards. It adds variety and interest.

Nev's favorite thing to do is sneak around my side of the bed and go through my purse or my tatting bag.... So this has saved me having to reorganize my purse OVER AND OVER!

Another reason to Tat (as if I needed one)

Last year I started a doily out of Christmas variegated thread to use under a nativity set I made. I never finished the doily. I was making it up as I went along... It probably would have worked, but at some point, a child who shall remain un-blamed/ un-named smeared the thing with pink chap-stick. I was frustrated and threw it in a laundry bag to wash it... but washed it with a bunch of towels. Fuzzies stuck to it.

I thought it was a bigger deal than it was and I almost threw it out. But was just starting to get use out of my pottery kiln and thought it might be good as a stencil or something. As it worked out the fuzzies weren't a big deal. I ironed the doily and picked off the fuzzies and when I glazed a set of serving plates I used it as a glaze stencil.

Then I clear glazed it and fired it. The worst part about ceramics is waiting for the kiln to cool off enough to open it and touch the finished pieces. Maybe this is just me and my lack of patience or excitement to see finished pieces.

I did a set of three serving plates using the tatting as a stencil. My idea was Christmas serving plates that weren't red and green so they could be pretty and useful all year round.

The blue tatting reminds me of snowflakes on the white plates.
I am thrilled with them and look forward to using tatting in raw clay.