Disney World-#3

After being rained out of Sea World, we were well prepared for Magic Kingdom with ponchos and changes of clothes. We were ready to brave the weather! The day started at a light drizzle, and we started with rides we thought Josiah could handle (last time we started with Buzz Lightyear and that was a mistake!) What could be nicer than Winnie the Pooh? Josiah did not agree. We didn't understand it, but he screamed until we took him out of the line. We moved on to Dumbo---the whole family enjoyed this ride. It was starting to rain harder. We actually did get Josiah to go on Peter Pan (no idea why this one wasn't as scary) and then my favorite, It's a Small World. Really, I do love it! and so did the whole gang.

Another terrifying thing for Si, and fun for the rest of us, was Mickey's Philharmonic Show. Poor Si. It's the loud sounds and dark places that do it. We arrived at lunch (I forgot the place--they served fried fish and chicken) just in time to get out of some heavy rain. We took our time there until the rain let up a bit, and then continued on in Frontierland. Sam and Jess decided they were wet enough to go on Splash Mountain, while the little ones and I watched, getting just as wet in the rain!

We all enjoyed the Swiss Family Robinson tree house I am looking forward to renting the movie. We took turns taking Sam on Pirates of the Caribbean. That one scared me to death as a kid! Then we parked ourselves under an awning and waited for the parade. I have to give it to Disney, even a "cancelled" parade becomes a fun event. The "rainy day" parade featured raincoat clad castmemebers splashing their hearts out to songs about rainy weather. As I huddled under the awning and sipped my coffee, I admired their enthusiasm. And my kids'.

Adeline and Josiah both slept through the parade. Addie on Jess's chest (you can imagine the admiring looks my husband got from every woman around!), and Si in the stroller. They continued to rest with Jess while the big kids and I went to Sam's favorite, Buzz Lightyear. We switched so Jess could take the big kids in the pouring rain on the soaring planet ride, and then we all laughed through the Monsters Inc Laugh Factory. I loved that one!

Jess and Sam ran off to do go carts while the rest of us got really muddy on the playground. I'm starting to think I won't last much longer. There are fewer dry spots on our bodies. But Ella and I had one more "must do." It was the Barnyard Roller Coaster, her favorite from last time. This was the highlight of my day! Watching her scream and laugh through the twists and turns was so much fun! So I agreed to ride it one more time. . . as the rain changed from a drizzle to a deluge. . . . We rode that roller coaster in the pouring rain and she laughed and squealed just the same!

Unfortunately, we left our ponchos at the stroller. Jess and I, by this time, are getting tired and cranky, but the kids are truckin' on with chattering teeth. We meet Mickey and Minnie:

This is one thing that does not scare Si. In fact, he LOVED meeting the characters!

It was supper time, and we stepped in the nearest restaurant feeling the icy cold air conditioning on our wet bodies. We all decided eating pizza in a warm hotel room while dry and cozy sounded way better, and we said goodbye to the Magic Kingdom. Jess and I saw a lot of tantrums that day, but none from our kids. We were so thankful for our time together!

Disney World #2

We woke up Monday morning at slathered up with sunscreen, grabbed our hats, and headed to Sea World! I was excited about this park. Jess and I have great memories of a trip here just before we had kids. And I love roller coasters. I really really really love them. I grew up riding the Zippen Pippen, the 1920's wooden roller coaster (Elvis's favorite, so I read) at Libertyland.

I remember my first "upside down coaster" and how it boxed my ears. And I remember riding the one with my mom at a small theme park in Oklahoma. And I remember riding the Kraken at Sea World over and over with Jess during that visit 7 years ago. So I was ecstatic to learn that this was up and running at Sea World:

Well, I'll just tell you now, I didn't get to ride. And that was maybe the only disappointment of my trip. And I tried very hard not to pout and whine too much.

My kids, however, had a wonderful morning. Although I'm sure they were a bit disappointed they didn't get to see their mama ride a coaster that you actually SPLASH into the water during a descent. Can you tell I'm not giving this up easily?

We saw the dolphins:


And just about every other creature of the sea. And around the sea:

We laughed at the clyde and seymore sea lion show and ooohed and ahhed at the shamu show. Then we ran for cover as the skies opened up and we were drenched! We had enjoyed a fun morning, so Jess and I made the decision to leave the park and have a nice lunch somewhere. I think it helped that the park was free to military and family, so we didn't feel like we were wasting money.

Josiah kept requesting the dinosaur restaurant. The one he HATED when we went in February. We had to drag him in then, terrified, and hold him tight every time the animated dinosaurs acted up. But hey, he's almost 3 now, he says he can do it, let's give it a try.

I bet you think he cried anyway.

You'd be wrong. He loved it. (The Winnie the Pooh ride tomorrow, though, now that's a different story!)

The big kids loved it too.

Except every once in a while, when the restaurant went dark and the animals start moving and roaring. This is Ella about 30 seconds after the picture above:

all better (and beautiful!)

They were excited to hear there's a T-Rex restaurant a few minutes away from our new home in KC, KS. They better start saving their birthday money now!

The ONLY picture this week of the four kids together.

More Legos!

Now, a word from our sponsors.

I am sitting down to write about Disney, i promise, but I just have to recommend a recipe really quick because I'm laughing at how fast my children scarfed it up. My children who will try to pick out every sliver of basil from the pizza sauce, or whine about generic, non-controversial food like sweet potatoes, chicken casserole, and pasta salad. They can't get enough of kale:

Seriously folks, I brought a bunch home from the coop today, prepared half so we could have something green with our pb&j, and it was gone before I could snap a picture. So I made the other half while they watched a movie. They're picking up the crumbs from the pan as we speak.

There are recipes all over the Internet, and I remember trying "flash fried spinach" with my brother and sister in law once. This is just as addicting, and a little healthier. So here's how I did it: Tear a bunch of kale into bite sized pieces--don't use the stems. Place in one layer on a large baking sheet.
drizzle with olive oil, salt, and, if you want, Parmesan cheese.
bake at 375 until crispy, i think it took about 15 minutes. Get a plate for yourself before the pan looks like this:

Disney World- #1

Taking a cue from my smart sister-in-law, (not to be confused with my intelligent sister-in-law, my astute sister-in-law, my ingenious sister-in-law, my clever sister-in-law, or my brilliant sister-in-law) I'm going to give you Disney in installments. I'm sorry if it means you'll be biting your nails and not able to sleep as you wonder what will happen next.

Once upon a time, a family of many small children took a trip to the most magical place on earth. It was February, a wonderful time to head to Florida, so they thought. However, they brought with them the cold winter winds, and spent the week bundled up, teeth chattering, but happy. When we come back again, they thought, we'll have warm weather and see the things we missed.

A few months later, the time had arrived and they packed their bags--plenty of sunscreen, hats, cool clothes--it gets hot and muggy in May! They were especially excited about the Caribbean Beach Resort with the pirate pool! Before checking into the hotel the family visits Downtown Disney--these kids love the Lego sculptures.

Then it was off to the resort. This was such a treat! Our room overlooked a lake, ducks grazed our front lawn, and a quick walk over a bridge, on to an island, and over another bridge took us to the main building and pool. We immediately donned our swimsuits and headed over! I've told some of the story by labeling the pictures, so if you can't see them well, click the picture to enlarge.

Everyone croweded happily in our room and went quickly to sleep. However, those clouds grew heavier as more and more rain moved in. . .

Stalling. . . .

Why, yes, I am. And I'm also trying to get you to turn your head in a funny tilt so you can see this video. But it will all be worth it, I promise.

I will have that Disney report up soon, but you've forgotten all about it after all this cuteness.

4 kids clean and happy?!?! Time to get out the camera!

When we found out Adeline was a girl, Sam, in particular, was excited for the symmetry. Boy-girl-boy-girl. Since we've found that our favorite parenting method might be "divide and conquer", here are some ways our children are grouped throughout the day. (Although they are seldom this cute and clean throughout the day--just caught everyone in a good mood after church. And yes, I match/coordinate their clothes and I will until they refuse to let me.)

The Boys

almost four years apart--Si does EVERYTHING he sees Sam do, and so far, Sam doesn't get too frustrated with his little brother.

The Girls

Now that she's a little older, Addie adores her sister and will hold up her arms to be carried when Ella Rose walks by. This wasn't always the case. Ella was a little too intense for newborn Addie (think Lenny, Of Mice and Men)

The Big Kids

They fight the most, play the most, and love each other soooo much (at least that's what I keep telling them!)

The Littles

There's a lot of trouble in this picture!

The Middles

At 21 months apart, these two are closest in age and I think they will soon be good playmates.

The Outsides

We often use the terms "Littles" and "Middles" but don't really use "Outsides." Whatever you call it, Sam is such a sweet big brother to his Little Lou.


Want to take a guess who was the hardest to photograph during our "mini session"?












Oh, that question was too easy!

Congratulations, Grandma!!!

My husband is not here. He flew up to Illinois yesterday to surprise his mother at her surprise retirement party. We miss him. But we really miss Grandma right now and wish we could have seen her surprised shocked elated face when she noticed all of her children in the coffee shop this afternoon. I bet it was great. And I bet she cried. So, Grandma Marsha, we LOVE you and WISH we could have all packed our bags and flown up to St Louis to give you contratulatory hugs. But the last time we tried to get four kids through airport security (when Jess went to Iraq) was a total mess and I don't think I could handle that again.

PS We also wish we remembered to take this picture before Adeline went to bed. But she sends her love, too. Her love and her slobbery open-mouthed kisses.

Mermaids

We had a WET and wild trip to Disney World. While I recover, and try to dry off, enjoy these little mermaids made from some very favorite fabric that I had sitting on my dresser for a month. Every time I walked by I would just run my hand over it. I was happy that the dresses turned out nice. However, it wasn't until later that I noticed these sweet fabric swimmers are shirtless! Lucky for me, the dress is reversible. Seahorse side for church, risque mermaids for the beach.

Blog love

Had big plans tonight. . . a netflix movie and some icecream. But I stumbled across this blog and I think I'll be here all night. I. love. her. stuff.

Sew Many ideas, so little time!

I admit it. The more I sew, the more I love it. And I have a slight addiction to designer fabric. Lately I don't have the time for many big projects (although I do have one up my sleeve--check back!). However, I've found that if I have half an hour, there are quite a few pretty things to whip up! After a few inquiries about fabric and patterns from friends, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites:

The Pillowcase dress

There are instructions all over the internet. Here is a good place to start.

This one is made from a vintage pillowcase with pretty embroidery at the bottom. There are tons of options here. Lining these white ones was simple. The seersucker ones are embroidered with a monogram and I added an easy ruffle. And the gingham one is a shirt. Ella Rose wore it in the summer AND in the winter over a brown long sleeved tee.

Next are elastic waist pants. I LOVE these pants! They actually require a pattern, which is a big downside for me, but you can find a really easy pattern, and, once you make a few, it's a cinch.

Again, I love the ways to customize them! From left to right, Amy Butler Stripes with grosgrain trim, nameless brown and pink dot with contrasting cuffs, Amy Butler Wall Flower with ruffle, Sandi Henderson Farmer's Market with a ruffle, and even some Minky Dot pants--so soft!

a close up of the pants

Of course, pants can become shorts, and I can make them for the boys, but they are pretty set for clothes right now.

Next is the Lazy Day Skirt from Oliver+S. It seriously takes 20 minutes. This is a summer staple. Go to the site now. It's a free pattern. You're welcome.

On the left is Amy Butler, the right is Alexander Henry

Add a cheap tee shirt with a fabric applique and you have a boutique outfit! I show more on applique-ing shirts here.

There you have it. But wanna know a secret? It is ALL ABOUT the FABRIC. Ok, maybe a secret shouldn't be in all caps. But it's true. And there are "designer" fabric labels just like there are "designer" clothes. That's why I labeled the fabrics up there. I'll admit to being a bit of a designer fabric snob while I continue to get my clothes at target. So here are a few of my favorite designers.

Heather Ross

Anna Marie Horner

Heather Bailey

Sandi Henderson

Amy Butler

Joel Dewberry

And this is where I buy their fabrics:

fabric.com

Reprodepot

Hancock's of Paducah (and if you drive through Paducah, you MUST stop here!)

Sew Mama Sew

PurlSoho

Cia's Palette

Bee Square Fabrics

Superbuzzy

Blogs/Sites I check regularly:

http://thelongthread.com/

True Up (great list of sales every Sunday)

JCaroline

You Can Make This

Well, that should get you started. I've been writing this post for 3 days now and I better just get it finished. When we return from Disney (oh, yeah, did you know we were going tomorrow?) I'll show you the girls' new dresses made with a Sandi Henderson pattern and Heather Ross's mermaid fabric. See now you know!