a short break from sewing...

I took the boys to see some fireworks last night (not sure why they did them on the 3rd instead of the 4th). After living here in Michigan for 5 years this was our first time seeing a fireworks show here! For the last few summers they've been in Colorado over the 4th of July with my ex in laws and before that we were in Ohio celebrating with my sister and her kids. But this year they were home and we weren't going anywhere so I looked up the nearest display (you can seriously find EVERYTHING on the internet) and off we went. The boys bickered and fought pretty much the entire time (there must be something in the air the last couple weeks) but the show was good. Here are a few of my favorite shots... (the colors look much nicer when you click the image and see it in the larger size)

this one reminds me of a flower. so pretty!

and even though this one might not be the most exciting or colorful shot... I love that it looks like a dandelion! :)

Back to the sewing table now...

family pictures!

Last month Becky Higgins did a huge photography giveaway on her blog where photographers from all over the world gave away photo shoots and picture packages. I entered for the Michigan photographer nearest to me, and although I didn't win she did offer everyone who wasn't chosen a discounted sitting. My boys and I hadn't had pictures taken in EONS so I made an appointment and we met with Jody Sebring last week. I've been dying to see if any of the pictures turned out and today I received the disk of pictures in the mail! I loved a lot of the shots she got of the boys, together and individually. :) Unfortunately my shirt looked like a circus tent and effectively made me look about 100 pounds heavier than I am. note to self: do not wear baggy shirts on picture day no matter how cute they look on the hanger or in the mirror! It was also INSANELY windy that day so my hair is a massive disaster in most of the shots I was in. I didn't think to bring a mirror or anything so once it was blown around there was pretty much no fixing it. AND even though the boys bickered pretty much constantly, we did end up getting ONE shot of all four of us that I really like...

Thankfully this one was early enough that my hair wasn't a completely horrifying mess yet. Carter has decided this is his "new smile" because he doesn't like his 'old smile' anymore. He made this SAME face in every single picture. I love having stubborn children ;) Cameron and Connor were practicing the forced fake smile most of the day... but they actually look almost real in this one.

Some of the individual shots of the boys...

This last one is my absolute #1 favorite shot of the day! Totally cracks me up. The photographer told them all to jump on 3... she counted, Connor and Carter both jumped... and Cameron just stood there, looking at her like she was absolutely out of her mind. Seriously, what was she thinking asking a teenager to do something so completely uncool like that?!?! rofl I just love the look on his face while he stands there NOT jumping. ;) lol

 Looking forward to getting some of these printed... I think I'm going to blow up that first one with all four of us. :)

In other news... still plugging away on orders. I'm looking forward to getting caught up so I can start working on some of the new designs and some promotion ideas I have in my head. :)

the end of an era!

My youngest son graduated from 5th grade tonight! After tomorrow I will no longer have ANY children in elementary school! No more walking them in on the first day and taking pictures at their new desk. No more picking them up on the last day and taking pictures with all of their friends and favorite teachers. I'm SOO sad to see it go. We LOVE this school. As a mom, I am SO thankful for every single person who gave my son everything they possibly could, as if he was the only kid there. He's gone to this school since 1st grade. It has ALWAYS been a challenge, Carter has some issues and some quirks that aren't always fun to deal with. And even still, EVERY teacher, social worker, counselor, even the principal ... has given Carter 200% at all times. They honestly LOVE him, as he does them. He's grown by leaps and bounds in the past 5 years thanks entirely to THEM! In first grade he spent more days in the office curled up in a ball crying than he did in the classroom. In first grade I was OFTEN called to the school to pick him up because he was inconsolable. In first grade when he got upset he would completely shut down and there was no getting through to him. But NOW, he can usually talk through his frustrations... he can walk away from things instead of letting them upset him to the point of no return. He never gets sent to the office (though we did still end up with a pink slip or two. *OOPS*). While he has always been very smart, his own behavior and emotional issues were holding him back academically. This year he got the highest MEAP grade (state testing) IN THE DISTRICT! This year he got the highest grade in the whole 5th grade class on his 6th grade placement tests. Next year he'll be in advanced English AND Math! Today at the graduation he was one of only six kids to get the Presidential award for academic excellence! He got a certificate, a letter from President Obama and a little pin (which he proudly told the waitress all about at dinner after the ceremony). All of these successes are thanks to the teachers at this school! I have no idea what we'll do without them! Thank goodness for email! lol

 

The end of every year has always been tearful and sad... but underneath the blow was softened with the knowledge that we'd be back in a few months so it wasn't goodbye forever. But NOW it is! :( I know Carter is going to be heartbroken tomorrow when it really sets in that it's the very last time he'll walk through those doors. I will be shocked if I get out of there without sobbing like a fool. Just writing this is bringing that tell tale lump in my throat. 

How do you even thank teachers like the ones Carter has had??? There are no words! No end of the year gift that shows them how very much they mean to not only your child but to you! Everything I've come up with just seems inadequate.

Carter, receiving his graduation certificate from the principal, while his VERY proud teacher looks on. :)  
side note: though you can't see really it here, Carter chose his own outfit this evening. a tuxedo shirt (complete with pleated front and left untucked), black dress pants and a vest... that just so happens to be about 2 sizes too small, buttoned all the way up. VERY stylish ;) the brown belt and brown shoes totally completed the outfit too. lol

kids... and bugs

Yesterday was just FULL of fun around here! (where's that eye rolling smiley when you need one?!) My youngest son, Carter (he's finishing up 5th grade this year), went to Cedar Point with the choir... WITHOUT MOM! He was thrilled, I on the other hand, was a complete wreck! I couldn't sleep the night before with all the terrible scenarios running through my head... rides breaking down, roller coasters flying off the tracks, him wandering away from his chaperon and getting lost or stolen. Thankfully he came home unharmed, short only by one sweatshirt that he had apparently tied around his waist and then lost somewhere. Most of the day I spent my time sewing, working on some custom orders and watching movies. But late last night we had a bit of excitement to take my mind off the worrying for a few minutes... my 12 year old came up to me asking "what is this?" and pointing to a tiny black speck of something that seemed to be stuck to his chest just under the collar bone. It was seriously TINY, I have terrible eyesight and I just could not tell what the heck it was. So I drag over my nice bright daylight lamp reserved for scrapbooking and sock monster sewing. After inspecting the spot I decide that I think it just MIGHT be a tick!! EW! A TICK?!? GAH! (and people call me crazy for thinking WINTER is the best season. NO BUGS IN WINTER PEOPLE!) I've never actually seen a tick before, somehow we've managed to go all these years without picking one up. (knock on wood) And even though I can't actually SEE any legs or anything, I'm pretty sure at this point that it's a tick. Next logical step, of course... google "how to remove a tick". (what the heck did people DO before the internet?!?) So I drag Connor (and the daylight lamp) into the bathroom, get out the tweezers and tell him I need to take it out. Now, he didn't actually freak out or anything, but I think he may have been a little scared because he was downright adamant that it was NOT a tick. And no he didn't need me to take it out because it was nothing... nope, not a tick... nothing. Um yeah... I don't think so. I can just see me trying to figure out what to do about Lyme Disease! NOT HAPPENING! So I force him to stand in front of me and hold the lamp above my head so I can see the damn speck. I grab hold with the tweezers and pull it slightly away from his body like the instructions directed. Then I held it there... and we waited. It seemed to take FOREVER, though in reality it was probably only 2 or 3 minutes. And FINALLY the tick backed out and let go. Captured in my tweezers I popped it into a ziploc baggie and made sure it was well sealed (just in case Connor should get sick or anything, so we can take the culprit to the doctor with us). We washed the bite spot and both of our hands with soap and water then I proceeded to check the rest of his body while the boy tried (and failed) to escape the bathroom. After I dropped the tweezers into a pot of boiling water for good measure, I held the baggie up to the daylight lamp and sure enough... I could see microscopic little legs, the critter was squirming around in the baggie, probably wondering where his dinner had gone! After showing the boys (because you know they like that creepy stuff), I delivered the baggie to the freezer for safe keeping and everyone went back to what they were doing.

Yep... things are always fun around here with three boys. ;) 

On a MUCH happier note... I am finally getting caught up with my custom orders (only 4 more to go now). I made this guy late last night and he is definitely one of my favorites! I just LOVE the rainbow sock and his face totally looks like a frog to me with the green and yellow. :) 

Hopefully today is completely uneventful! ;)

thanks to a fellow blogger...

My very first day of blogging and I've already bumped into some wonderful fellow bloggers. Michele of The Scrap Shoppe gave me a heads up on another fun link party happening over on the Oopsey-Daisy blog. She suggested I post there with my Lens Pets™ since they're specifically made to capture the attention of babies and toddlers who might otherwise not want to look at the camera. SO I posted my link, now to jump over to some of the other great blogs linked there...

I definitely see how this blogging thing can become an overnight addiction! I've already posted here 3 times today and I've spent way more time surfing from blog to blog today than I should! Better get back to the sewing table now! ;)