It's So Easy Crafting Green

*In case I don't do another post before Sunday, I would like to wish a very special birthday to my dear sister Angie.  Love you Sis!

*I love Josh's perspective...

This evening after examining his foot he said, "My foot's doing pretty well except for the weakness, the wounds and the rash."

*I have been so excited to finish up a couple of St. Patty's Day projects so I could post them.

Come with me and I'll show you what's been going on in my craft corner...

For these first two projects I was inspired by Pinterest.  I'll show you the originals and then my own takes on them.

The Four Leaf Clover Tree

Original:

http://www.inspiringcreationsblog.com/2010/03/shamrock-tree-with-tutorial.html

My version:

I think I do like the green frame on the original better than my white one, but I'm still enjoying my copy.

Shamrock Burlap Bunting

Original:

http://rebeccacooper.blogspot.com/2011/03/simple-st-patricks-day-banner.html

My version:

I decided since I used a book page on the last project I would use burlap on this one.  Also, I wasn't fond of the idea of cutting out a bunch of shamrocks from paper and so I decided to use this other cute idea from Pinterest to create them out of wool felt...so fun!

I absolutely love how this turned out!

Abby and I decided to use one green button amongst the mother of pearl ones for a little surprise.

While I was putting this together this afternoon, Matt and Ben were watching I Love Lucy's.  They got such a kick out of this part and Matt kept playing it over and over.  Their favorite was when Lucy kicks Ricky over and puts her hoof on him.  That really brought the laughs.

Ahhh...simple joys.

I also want to share a craft I did a year?...or was it two?, ago.

I really like Dana from the blog MADE.

She shared this super cute idea and I totally used it!

Split Pea Shamrocks

Original:

http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-split-pea-shamrocks.html

Here's mine:

Matt really wanted in on the pic.

In October I'll have to show you what I did with the same idea for Halloween.

So just a thought that has been going through my head the last little while...shamrocks and four leaf clovers...it's never really bothered me before but these are two totally separate plants that we seem to use synonymously for St. Patrick's Day.  One has three leaves, one has four.  Maybe it's just me...I don't know, it's really not that big of a deal....but it kind of is...to me.

Anyway, so I know I just got these projects put up today and in a couple of days I'll take them down to put up the spring decor, but hey, I'll enjoy them while they last.

Top Ten

This will be a non picture post....sorry, I just didn't take any pictures today and I'm too lazy to go searching for appropriate ones.

I had some fun moments today and I thought I would share.

Unlike traditional top ten lists, these will be in no particular order.

1) making these from my Pinterest board...they were delectable

2) eating the above

3) going to a luncheon with friends to celebrate multiple birthdays

4) going to a second lunch with Mom and Chris G. at The Crepery...thanks ladies.

5) Having my brother James come and babysit for my lunch escapade and then having him fix my vacuum.

Thanks James!  You're great!

6) Delivering treats to friends.

7) Finding out that one of my best friends from my high school days almost bought the house next door.

(This was actually kind of a heart breaker.  How fun would that have been?!)

8) Super pucker lip smooches from Ben

9) realizing how extremely obedient Matt has been the last couple of weeks

10) Teaching Abby how to change Ben's diaper and get him in his jammies.

(It was kind of her idea and she was super willing!  Is she too young?  I don't know but I thought..."Hey, why not?"  It will take quite a while before she can handle it on her own so I guess it's a good thing we're starting now.)

okay...I have one more...

11) Having Andy tell me all about his lesson he will teach tomorrow in Seminary.

(I love hearing about his work.  I need to ask him about it more often.  Too much of the time we are consumed with so many other things when he gets home that we don't get much beyond a "How was your day?")

There you have it...some of the blessings I enjoyed today.

Healing...

Things continue to go well for Josh and his foot.

The cast came off two days ago.  He's now in an ankle brace and a walking boot...although he's not supposed to walk on it yet.  In a couple of weeks he can start putting a bit of weight on it.  

Each day we are supposed to redress the wounds and put lotion on his rash that developed under the cast.  He scratches at it like crazy.

His foot is swollen and red.

When we took the wrappings off tonight we noticed the difference in his new foot vs. his old foot.

The pictures don't really do it justice, but believe me, the difference is amazing!

In these pictures it looks like the foot on the right is turned out...well...it is, but that's how he walks.  That's how he puts his left foot on the ground. Now, granted, his right foot was not as bad as his left is, but same idea.

Dr. Dad

Slowly but surely we're making progress.

And to think...we get to do this all over again in a few months.

Matt registered for Kindergarten today!  He's pretty excited.  He passed everything on the assessment except for writing his full name.  He does "matt" great, but wasn't sure about "matthew".  He was so eager to learn how to do it after we left.  He wanted to practice right away.  

He's so ready for school

Ben on the other hand, I don't think is ready for school.  Nor am I ready for him to go.  But go he must.  Although he will qualify for special ed preschool in June, I think I will keep him home until the school year starts and he can begin with the rest of his siblings.  I just want to keep him home with me as long as I can.

I think I'm going to have a really hard time putting him on the bus and also having my mornings childless and silent.  Truthfully, I'm sure I will find plenty of things to fill up those mornings (including volunteering in all the kids' classrooms) but I'm expecting it to be emotionally hard for a while.

"Da-da-da-da"

I'm sitting here watching Les Mis on KBYU...it's midnight and my legs are aching.  I ran 15 miles this afternoon/evening...both because you know it takes a while to go that far...it took me almost three hours.  Ummm...it was really hard.  After each long run I second guess this marathon thing.  I guess I'll just keep plodding on and see if I can make it to June 9th.

A while ago I came up with this for Ben...

When Josh was little I copied, colored, laminated and magnetized a few of these little pictures and put them on the fridge for him to play with.  They each correspond to a song that he liked.  Recently I came across them in my files and thought how much Ben would enjoy them.  He loves music...singing, dancing, everything.  I added a few more pictures and stuck them on a dollar store tray.  He loves choosing one and singing the song and dancing and doing the actions.  It's so adorable...especially since the words that come from Ben's mouth for every song are "da-da-da-da".  He changes inflections and even does it to the correct rhythym of many of the them.

Abby pulled the tray out tonight and started singing with Ben.

I caught them in action.

smelling their popcorn balls

 

our song tray!

An Experiment

Just a quick little moment I had yesterday morning...

Josh had fallen on the way down to the bus stop.  Instead of continuing down to the bus, he turned around and came back home.  Consequently, I drove him and Abby to school (following right behind the bus no less).  As I was dropping them off, the bus driver came off the bus with Josh's coat...he had left there the day before.

I had never met her before...she was so nice.  She wanted to chat for a few minutes.  Over the course of our five minute conversation, she must have told me three different times that Josh was "just a darn good kid".

It was good for a mother to hear.

Okay...now for the experiment...

I was inspired last week by two things...

Jenifer, from Moss Moments mentioned recently that her new rule is to keep her computer off all day until her kids are in bed.  I smiled when I read that because I thought what a good thing that would be for me too.  It can be such a distraction...even without Pinterest!  However, I had no real intention to do it...until I read this a couple of days later...such an amazing talk.  What clinched it for me was this sentence...  "I urge each of us to take those things which rob us of precious time and determine to be their master, rather than allowing them through their addictive nature to be the master of us."

Okay, I'll give it a go.  Thursday was my first day with the computer off.  It was nifty!  The morning was less stressful getting the kids off to school (until they missed the bus).  I was much more productive and patient and able to spend more time with the boys during the day.  At first, I kind of felt like I was missing out on things that were going on on the computer...but do you know what?  It was all still there when I did turn it on!

(I am allowing myself to get on during nap time too...not just after the kids go to bed at night).

Today was my second day and I definitely see the benefits and feel a lot better about how I'm spending my time.  It's my new rule too.  I will be a master of these things.  Thanks Jenifer and Elder Ardern!  

To end the night, I went to my cute cousin in law's baby shower. 

 

This one...aren't they cute!

Anyway, I love giving burp cloths made from cloth diapers.  My babies have all been spitters and they just seem to be the most absorbent.  So I "embellish" them.

These are the ones I've done for Jen...

(I forgot to get pictures before I tied them all up.)

And here are some others that I've done in the past....

I've got to work on those dark pictures!

and a quilt for a good friend's first boy

Anyway, they pair up well with a package of diapers.

Congratulations Jen and Clay!