Sewing for Summer

It's been awhile since I sewed anything for the girls (maybe as long ago as their Halloween costumes), so I've been really excited to make them a few things for summer. I found some cute fabrics and easy patterns to make the girls some easy tops and dresses for the summertime heat.

This three-tiered ruffle top was much easier (and quicker) than I thought. The hardest part was making my own bias tape; I think I burned off my fingerprints with steam from the iron as I pressed the creases in the bias tape.
I was so excited to finish both tops that I couldn't wait to take pictures of the girls wearing them. It's going to be warm this week, so I think the girls may have the chance to wear their new tops in the days to come, so I'll snap some pictures of my little models then. I think I may have enough fabric left over for matching shorts with a little ruffle or bloomers at the least, and I have more plans to make tons of sundresses. Since we'll be potty training this summer I think dresses are going to be the way to go!

Festival Fun on Friday

While I was in Columbia, my mom took the girls to the Flowertown Festival to ride the rides and the word is they had a blast. Last year they were too young for the rides, but this year Anna Claire and Mallory met up with their cousins Brennan, Dylan, and Connor to ride the train, cars, slide, and more.

I tried desperately to find some time in our busy weekend to get back to the festival with them both Saturday and then again Sunday to no avail. I really wanted to see them on the rides in person and take them down the slide myself. Maybe next year......

I'm Not in Kansas Anymore

...or Missouri, or Charlotte, or Atlanta, or Columbia. I am home! I am so happy to finally be back with my babies after the longest three days ever of almost constant travel.

Let the weekend begin!

What's Happening at Home?

I loved having these pictures waiting for me in my inbox last night!

Supper time...

Bedtime...

All Mine

Kansas City, Here I Come

I have never spent the night away from Anna Claire and Mallory ~ until now. (;_;)

Wednesday afternoon I have to fly to Kansas City, Missouri, for work. I'll be back Thursday night but not until the girls are asleep. Then, I have to be up bright and early Friday morning for a meeting in Columbia, so I'll be leaving the house before the girls are awake. Basically, I'll be dropping them off at my parents' house Wednesday morning, and I won't see their smiling faces again until Friday afternoon...and I'm not so happy about that!

I will certainly miss the girls like crazy {I don't really know how I'll stand it}, but knowing that neither of the girls is feeling her best is making this {quick} trip much, much more difficult for me than I think it would be otherwise. I had started to tease that I was having to go all the way to Kansas City to get some sleep {not funny, I know, when my babies are sick}, but both girls slept all night long last night ~ no coughing until 4 AM ~ so maybe things are on the upswing! I sure hope so; that would make leaving them a tiny bit easier.

This overnight trip is likely to be longest I've ever taken. Wish us all luck!

{And, as if I'm not upset enough about leaving the girls, did I mention I'll also be missing the opening days of the Rosalina warehouse sale Thursday AND the Flowertown Festival Friday!?!?...and did I also mention how thankful I am to have a job?}

Still Sick

Mallory is still not feeling well. She is coughing. and coughing. and coughing. Saturday night we took a quick trip to the after-hours doctor because I just could not stand another sleepless night for her. Every thing checked out fine (ears and lungs) and her strep test was negative. She surpassed the weight limit to receive a cough suppressant and it is helping - some. I love mother-daughter bonding time, just not at 10 PM (and 1AM...and 4AM...). Anna Claire has had a runny nose on and off this weekend and is coughing a bit, but not as bad as Mallory. I so hope she fights this off - whatever it is.

Hopefully both girls will feel better soon. Things are about to get very busy around here.

The Sniffles

My poor Mallory...watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing and coughing. Our entire neighborhood is in bloom, so I'm pretty sure it's just allergies, but she is positevely miserable. :-(

Breakfast in an Instant

The girls recently began to grow tired of eggs for breakfast and were also starting to avoid their pancakes, waffles, and french toast, so I needed to find a filling alternative fast. I happened to have some instant oatmeal in the pantry. We gave it a shot last weekend, and it was an instant hit!

On the menu this morning: oatmeal, bacon, cantaloupe, and grapes.

Thank Goodness for St. Patrick's Day...

...because sometimes we need to take a break from wearing all that pink!

Ladies in Waiting

We waited, and waited, and waited {for about 2 minutes} for something to happen before the girls had enough of that and tried to drag their new potties out the door. I really didn't want potties that looked like toys, but for $12.99 each, how could I resist? We'll be setting some ground rules tomorrow {like the potties stay in the bathroom}.For the record, Anna Claire has been very interested in the "big girl potty" for a while and is showing most of the readiness signs {Mallory - not so much}. I don't want to start real potty training until school's out and both the girls and I can be focused, but with Anna Claire showing so many signs, I certainly didn't want to deprive her of the opportunity to get started.

Stay tuned...this could get interesting!

Another Time Change Come and Gone

It's seven thirty; it's still light outside, and both girls have been sound asleep for twenty minutes!

What was I worried about?

A Little Bit O' Irish?

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day a little early with an Irish feast.

For dinner tonight, the girls had corned beef, cabbage, and mashed potatoes. They both loved the corned beef (shocking!); Anna Claire could not eat enough cabbage, and Mallory gagged on the mashed potatoes. I'm not sure what this says about how much Irish blood they might have in them.

Since it was uncertain how full the girls actually got from dinner, it's a good thing I made dessert tonight (also shocking!). Both girls ate their weight in pound cake with syrupy-sweet blueberries and strawberries (not shocking!). Yummy!

Construction Zone: Girls at Work

The girls had so much fun Saturday at Owen's party. It's hard to believe he's already two, which means the girls aren't very far behind. Now, that's really hard to believe! The theme for the party was "construction," and (believe it or not) I was totally inspired by all those dump trucks and construction hats to get cracking on the girls' party though it's still more than two months away. I've got a few ideas for themes in mind, but I'm still doing my research. In the meantime, here are a few shots of Anna Claire and Mallory in their dresses hanging with all the boys at Owen's party. Enjoy!

notice that anna claire is wearing her dress here

What's Wrong With This Picture?