My Only Sunshine

Five Fingers

Ask her how old she is!!!  Go ahead, ask her.  Know what she'll do?  She'll hold up five fingers.  I can't believe it, my baby is five years old.

She and her sister both got to open gifts yesterday after school and it was great fun.  Big sister Bug will be 7 next week so they will each get presents on each of their birthdays.  It's always a full week of birthday at my house when it is time for the kids to get older.

The girls got huge TV pillows with their names on them from their Nana.  They were a huge hit.  They also got Nintendo DS Lites which they love and Bit got Bambi which she has been dying to have because it has a bunny rabbit in it (we call him Thump).

For school, Bit got to wear her tiara so everyone would know she was a birthday girl (she's the youngest in her class) and she took cookies to give out to everyone.  It was a great day that was topped off by her choosing Taco Bueno for dinner.

Today Bitty decided to wear her Katja to school so I finally got a few pics of her wearing it.  She refused to pose though.

It was a good five finger day.

It's finally here!

This is my new Austin bag from Overland Equipment.  When I ordered it they were out of stock and I have been waiting none too patiently for it to arrive.  What great customer service I got though.

It is a good heavy duty bag with tons of small pockets for all of my ridiculous technological gadgets.  It has easy access to my Razr, my Palm T|X, my iPod, and my card case (which I can't live without and get tons of compliments on).  It also holds my visual journal, my watercolor pencils, my frequent bubble tea card, and my eye drops.  See, it's prefect.  Can you tell I'm excited?

While I'm showing off my bag I might as well show some other stuff too.

Do you all subscribe to WhipUp?  I saw this bead bowl there and knew I had to make one just because I liked looking at it so much.  I made a much smaller version (as you can see from the cat I used for scale, he isn't really a 200lb cat) and have no idea what I will use it for.  It doesn't really matter, I like to look at it.  Shiny!

I have also started a small zippered pouch for Buster.  I don't know if I have mentioned this before,  but my husband is a "homer".  A homer is a person who loves and supports one team (or group, whatever) no matter what.  We met at Baylor, he grew up near Baylor, his parents went to Baylor, he loves Baylor.  He loves the football, the basketball, the band, whatever, whoever whenever, even however.  No matter how crazy things gets, he is never disillusioned.  That's a homer.  So when he needed something new to carry his meds in I decided I would make it something a little less plain.

My sewing machine and the vinyl I am using did not get along at all.  I'm lucky I was wearing my glasses because flying sewing machine needles bits are no good in the eyes.  My hand sewing, of vinyl ugh, is not all together wonderful, but I think the pouch will still be passable.  I'm not really looking forward to hand sewing the zipper in, but my favorite homer is so worth it.

Last, but not least, we have a pic of the blueberry cornmeal cake that I made.  After you drop by WhipUp, take a look at Coconut & Lime, you'll be glad you did.

Back To

This is how Bitty is feeling about school.  When she comes home from school she's perky and happy and everything was ok.  When it's time to go to sleep she starts to think about being away from me the next day and gets freaked out.  My sweet little seperation anxiety girl.  In the mornings she tries to talk me into not taking her to school.  She tells me she wishes it was weekend.  I take her to school and she doesn't want to let go of me.  She's stoic and rarely cries at school, but it's harder.  I never had this problem with Bug, she can't wait to go to school.

I've been working on ways to help her feel more comfortable with school.  I think I am making tiny strides.  I asked her teacher to deal with a situation at school.  It appears that someone at Bit's table figured out that she is the youngest, not 5 until next week, and has been making her feel like she is not old enough to be in Kindergarten.  The teacher said she would take care of it and I hope it will help.  I also hope that time will help.  She will learn that each and every day I will be there as soon as she needs me, that just because she can't see me that doesn't mean I am lost to her.

Where-as school has been hard for Bit, dance started this week and she had a great time.

Bug is pretty excited about her three dance classes too.

She's taking both ballet and jazz again and today is her first day of theatrical movement.  She'll get to tap in that class.  You wouldn't believe how many dance shoes we have these days.

I've talked about the kids, and dance, lately I've even talked about sewing and who knows what other crafts.  What haven't I talk about???

Knitting! 

Look, I knit something.

This is Knitty's Katja that I have upsized for Bit.  It is knit from Classic Elite's Isabella.  She hasn't worn it yet but I will get actual wear shots as soon as I can.

Project Kids at School: Episode 1, the Kitchen

Yesterday both my babies went off to school, for the entire day.  It was pretty shocking to my Mommy system.  Bitty went to half day preschool last year, but full day school is a big change for both of us.

I'm not too worried about her though.  She's much bigger than her Mommy might like to think she is, and she has a big sister just down the hall to watch out for her.
Once I got home from the big drop off I knew that I would have to do something to keep myself occupied so that I wouldn't miss them too much.  (I said too much because how could I not miss them at least a little?)  I decided to start with the kitchen.  We needed groceries but putting groceries away was getting harder and harder because the pantry was such a mess. 

It has been a while since we have had a pantry in our house and I think we have lost track of how to keep one organized (right, so maybe we never knew how.)  I thought getting the pantry and fridge taken care of before I bought groceries might not be a bad way to go.  With all the work it would take I certainly wouldn't have time to mess the girlies "too much".

This is how our pantry looked when I started.  It's a good sized little closet in the kitchen but the shelves are deep and it is hard to have access to the back.  This causes us to buy things we already have quite often as well as the occasional funky smell as some bread or whatnot gets pushed to the dark corners.

I took everything out and sorted through what needed to stay and what really didn't.  I also took the spices that were piled here and there or heaped into the carboard box at the bottom of the pantry.  I've had a new spice rack that needed my spices to be put in new little bottles for a month or so, it was about time to actually put it to use.
I got the spice rack working and moved all the spices to the cabinet next to the stove so that would be closer at hand.  I also moved all the coffee and tea supplies to this cabinet.  All the pantry room I could spare up would help.

I am so happy that I got the pantry straightened out.  I even had the energy to clean out the fridge and buy groceries to fill them both up.  Yay for Episode 1 of Project Kids at School.

I hope everyone else is having a great back to school week.

Tears and Triumphs

A week like this is one of tears and triumphs, the first week of school.  I have worked so hard at my current job, that of Mommy.  I grew them in my womb, I fed them from my breast, I kissed their boo boos, brushed their hair, and tied their tiny little ballet shoes.  Now it is time for them, my two beautiful princesses to go out in the world and begin the very first steps of making their own way, and it is hard.  At the same time that it is hard, and I can't help but cry, it is also the most wonderful thing.  As a parent you work so hard to help your child eat right, get enough rest, have fun, and learn.  When they go off to school you get to see just how very well you did at helping them start to form who they are as people.  It is an amazing thing.

This morning I helped Bug wash her hair very early because she wanted it to be the very cleanest it could be for her first day of school.  Then we blow dried, dressed, had some breakfast, and she was ready.

She picked out her own first day of school clothes, and helped me make her lunch in her new back pack.  She was so excited.  When we got to school I walked her to class, the only day of the year I am allowed to do that, and helped her find her seat.  I gave her a kiss on the head but she was already far beyond me, looking at her friends, trying to figure out who her new friends would be.  She is such an incredible child, it's really hard for me to get across the full extent of who she is here, but take my word for it, ok?

Bit got dressed up as well, though all she had today was Kindergarten orientation.  Today it looks like this at my house.

Tomorrow it will look like this.

This is ever so hard for Wain and I.  I am not quite sure what we will do without our Girlies, but I know it will be very quiet.

This is about all I can say today about this because I'm getting all choked up.  I'll finish with a poem we got from Bit's new teacher.

The First Day of Kindergarten

On the first day of school everything is new.
It's your first day with me, and my first day with you.
I've been waiting for today.
Have you been waiting, too?
You look just like yourself, so I feel at home with you.
There's a hook for your backpack,
There's a tag with your name.
There's a chaid and a place for you,
I'm so glad you came!

Meme from Mom

Bob sent me this meme in an email.  It's so funny to see blog memes coming from my mother, but it makes sense, just look at who she reads every day.  I've just about gotten her hooked.  Now if she would just learn to knit too.

I'm starting with her answers, then I'll post mine.

A) FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE:
   1. Texas Tech University Student Government
   2. Missouri Democratic Executive Committee
   3. Ericsson
   4. The Bama Companies

B) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AND OVER:
   1. Amadeus
   2. St. Elmo's Fire
   3. Accidental Tourist
   4. Blue Velvet

C) FOUR PLACES WHERE I HAVE LIVED: (only four?)
   1. Lubbock, Texas
   2. Austin, Texas
   3. Jefferson City, Missouri
   4. Dallas, Texas

D) FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:
   1. Project Runway
   2. Big Brother
   3. America's Next Top Model
   4. American Idol       (Do we see a pattern here?  Yes, I am a reality
      tv junkie.)
E) FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION:
   1. San Francisco
   2. Jamaica
   3. New York City
   4. Santa Fe
F) 4 WEBSITES I VISIT DAILY'
   1. My Only Sunshine
   2. Crazy Aunt Purl
   3. Very Pink
   4. CNN
G) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS (NO PARTICULAR ORDER):
   1. Chocolate
   2. Anything fried
   3. Anything my gourmet daughter prepares
   4. Oysters

H) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
   1. In Frisco, TX
   2. Anywhere in Texas (Amarillo, for instance)
   3. Did I mention Texas?
   4. Sitting in Michelle's office playing a game.

Mine:
A) FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE:
   1. Assistant to Manager of all student labs, Baylor U
   2. Network Operations Engineer, Ericsson
   3. Tech Support Engingeer, Eicon
   4. Mommy

B) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AND OVER:
   1. Amadeus
   2. St. Elmo's Fire
   3. Bull Durham
   4. When Harry Met Sally

C) FOUR PLACES WHERE I HAVE LIVED: (only four?)
   1. Lubbock, Texas
   2. Richardson, Texas
   3. Waco, Texas
   4. Frisco, Texas

D) FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:
   1. Project Runway
   2. House
   3. ER
   4. Criminal Minds

E) FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION:
   1. San Francisco
   2. Jamaica
   3. New York City
   4. Santa Fe

F) 4 WEBSITES I VISIT DAILY'
   1. Keyboard Biologist
   2. Boogie Knits
   3. Coconut & Lime
   4. Happythings

G) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS (NO PARTICULAR ORDER):
   1. Pad Thai
   2. Creme Brulee
   3. Coffee (it's not a food, but it had to be on this meme somewhere)
   4. Fajitas

H) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
   1. I have to say, that just at the moment I am pretty dang happy with where I am.  I'd love to be able to peek in at how Bug is doing at school today.  I'd love for Buster or Bob to be here with me.  For the most part though, I'm good, thanks.

Itty Bitty

Yesterday you got to see my daughter, Bug.  Today we are going to take a look at my younger daughter, Bit.  That's her to the right.  In the spring both of my daughters had their pictures taken in their dance recital costumes by a professional dance photographer, Sharen Bradford.  You can see more of her work at The Dancing Image.  I got the pictures last week and they are wonderful.  This woman has a real talent for capturing dance.  I was only able to afford 4 pictures when I was ordering from her at the time of the shoot so when I got the pics I went to her website to see if I could order more.  That's where I found the picture to the right.  In her gallery of photos she has posted several pics of my daughters because they came out so well.  Little Bit doesn't have the best ballet technique in this picture, but to me this picture looks like the definition of joy.  The picture below is one I did get in my order.  Isn't she something?
From my post yesterday you can see that Bug has a flair for fashion.  Well Bit is even more into "fashion" than her sister.  You can often hear her trying to decide what to wear so she can be "so fashion" as she puts it.  After I finished Bug's outfit yesterday I got out one of the plain t-shirts we bought at Old Navy over the weekend and spiffed it up a little.  I cut out some wool felt and attached it to the t-shirt with fusible web and then did a little hand embroidery.  Here's Bitty showing off her cupcake.

We have plans for many more fancy t-shirts and lots more dance.  I can hardly wait.

Bug's Project Runway, and a Happy Dance

Bob (my Mother) turned me on to Project Runway this season and the Girlies and I have enjoyed watching it.  Bug has enjoyed it so much that she got out the colored pencils and designed her own outfit.

When she was done drawing she brought it to me and said, "Now can we sew it?"  Well what is a mother to say? "We'll go to the fabric store tomorrow."

I let Bug pick her own fabrics out and a few trims and things as well.  I don't know that I would have picked the combo she did, but it was her vision.  She picked things that looked like her drawing to her and she also told me a little more about the shape she wanted by pointing at pictures in a pattern catalog.  We decided to use a pattern we already had for the top and to wing it for the bottom so it could come out just how she wanted.  Bug did a little sewing and lots of trying on and this morning we finished her outfit.

She put it on and decided that it was exactly what she wanted.  She's even going to wear it today.  I can't tell you how proud I am that she has no fear.  She will try anything that she sees with full confidence that she can do it.  I'm pretty proud of myself for doing the same thing with this project.  I am no master seamstress.

As you can see in the title of this post, I've been happy dancing.  Last Friday I went back to the Women's Diagnostic Center again.  As the ladies were checking me in one of them said, "Wow, all she is having is a sonogram.  Isn't that weird? Oh, it's because she has already had everything else."  Yes, that is certainly my story, I've now done nearly everything when it comes to breast diagnostics.

My sonogram went off without a hitch.  The doctor said there was nothing at all there to be worried about.  It was a perfectly clean sono!!  Yay!  She said that I will need to come back for another MRI in 6 months to look for any changes from the last, but for now I am done.  No biopsy, nothing else to be worried about.  What a relief.   For lunch on Friday Bob, Buster, the Girlies and I, all went to Gloria's for lunch to celebrate.  The serve El Salvadoran food and it was delicious.  The perfect happy dance for me, and the perfect reason to be dancing.

I Cook

I don't post much about my cooking and I probably should.  When I am stressed out I cook.  When I am happy I cook.  When I am bored I cook.  If I'm not knitting or sewing, I'm cooking. 

I would say that cooking was my first hobby.

I don't use recipes, for the most part.  I am just better at cooking by taste and intuition.  It also works better for me to make up recipes as I go because my husband can be pretty picky.  Cooking is all about audience.

For some reason, yesterday, I had a craving for hot fudge sauce on ice cream.  This is not something I normally eat but yesterday I wanted some.  I put some things together that I thought would lend to what I was looking for and then cooked until it was the really thick and shiny consistency I wanted.  I think it came out perfectly, just what I was looking for.  I'm going to post the recipe as closely as I can remember it, here, for posterity.

2C    Heavy Cream
2t     Instant Espresso (heaping teaspoons)
1/4C Sweetened Condensed Milk
20oz Dark Chocolate (I used 4 5oz bars of Hershey's Special Dark)
Pinch of Salt

Combine all ingredients in a heavy sauce pan and bring slowly to a boil.  Boil, stirring constantly, until it has thickened significantly.  Let cool.  Refrigerate and heat before serving.