Last Minuet Gifts

I came across a few things the other day that I wanted to make for my kids.  I was actually even able to get them finished on time!  

I found these little fabric houses I wanted to try out.  I know my kids will love carrying their animals around in them.  They didn't turn out quite as good as I would have liked but they work and they don't care.

 Makayla has been wanting a pillow pet so bad so I found this owl pillow and thought that I would just make it for her.  It turned out really cute!

Aiden's 1st Christmas Program

Aiden had his first Christmas Program with his Pre-school this year.  For the first part of it he dressed up like a Shepherd boy.  He was adorable! !  He did a great job too.  I was a little nervous about weather or not he would stay on stage and sing but he did really well.

 Lookin' pretty excited.

After singing about 2 songs in their costumes they all went out  and took off their costumes and came back and sang a few more songs for us.  They all did a great job and we all had so much fun watching them perform for us.

(Aiden is on the far left of the pic 3rd boy in.)

A Few More Things

I've been working on a lot of projects in the last while.  I have a few more completed, YEAH!  I always feel so good after I get a project finished.  

I had this idea to make a dresser into a TV stand, so I went on the hunt for a dresser that I could use.  I found one.  It was really ugly with paint runs all over and didn't even have all matching drawer pull, but that was all right by me, I had a vision in my head.  Here it is before I started.

 Here it is complete.  I love how it looks in my toy room, and has plenty of room for toy storage and for movies.

 I don't have a lot for Christmas decorations at my house and I'm not one to go all out and buy lots, so every year I try to pick up one or two new things to add to my collection.  This year I decided to make Christmas wreaths.  The paper one was a lot of work and took me forever to make; the red and white one was really quick and easy.  They both look great on my wall.

My next project was a Christmas gift for Aiden's pre-school teacher.  I decorated a clipboard for her and for her 13 year old daughter (class helper) I decorated up a plain notebook. 

Makayla's Christmas Present

I've been working for a long time to make Makayla a doll house for Christmas.  I finally finished it! ! !  It has been a lot of work but turned out perfectly.  I'm so excited.  I can't wait to give it to her.

  

I bought a second hand dresser and transformed it into a beautiful doll house.  Mike and his Dad built the shelves and walls for me, then it was up to me to finish all of the decorating.  I used a lot of scrapbook paper, stickers, cut outs, and LOTS of mod podge.  The floors are wood so I made cute little throw rugs for most of the rooms, which I have a feeling will be used for blankets as well.

So here it is, everyone has been wondering how I made a doll house out of a dresser so now you can see what it looks like (just don't tell Kayla!)

The little girl room.  My mom also got her a crib and some furnishings for this room.

 The parents room.  The bed and dressers I got from Mike's dad and just put padding on them and fabric to make them prettier, and added pillows.

 The purse wall.  My sister gave me a birthday card with these on it so I used them as a little extra decorating.

 The little kitchen.

 The living room.  My mom also got her living room furniture for Christmas.  I have a really cute little family for it too, but they are already wrapped for Christmas.

The little empty room is the bathroom which Kenzie bought the furniture for.  So nice to have people helping me with all of the furnishings!   I know you are all thinking, Kayla doesn't play with dolls! !  But, I also got her some Littlest pet shop toys, I have a feeling it will be more of an animal house than a doll house, but long as she uses it I don't mind.

I also left the bottom drawer in the dresser for storage.  I love it that everything can be shoved in there if needed.

Mighty Hunter

Mike took Aiden duck hunting this morning.  They even got one.  Aiden came running up to the back door with it to show off his 'prize'.  They had so much fun together.  Mike is so happy to have a hunting buddy to hang around with.

The Start of Christmas

We had our first Christmas party last night.  This is one of the kids' favorite party because Santa comes to bring all of them presents.  When Santa came all the kids when running to meet him.  Most of them were so excited!  

Makayla patiently waiting for her turn to sit with Santa.  When he first sat down she ran up and climbed into his lap, a big turn around from last year when she was terrified of him.

 Aiden having his turn with Santa.

 Makayla still waiting. . . . . 

 Finally Kayla's turn!  This little girl was sooooo excited!

 Tearing into her present.

 Weston was so excited to watch her play with it.  He just kept pointing at everything she made.  Long as he didn't touch any of 'her' stuff she was happy to have him watching her.

Thankful for my 2 goofy kids

Happy Thanksgiving!

I got up this morning and right away noticed all the snow we got and it was still snowing.  My favorite thing is waiting for my kids to get up and watching there faces light up when they see it out the window.  What a fun way to start out my Thanksgiving morning!

I'm so thankful that I'm the mother to these 2 amazing kids.  They are fun, crazy, naughty, sweet, and test my patience every day.  But I wouldn't trade them for anything.  

I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving.

Kayla's New Do

I now for sure deserve the bad mom of the year award.  A few months ago I took Kayla in for her first ever hair cut. . . and forgot my camera.  I told myself, no big deal, I'll just take it next time and pretend that was her first hair cut.  Well, I scheduled hair cuts today, set out my camera, checked it for naughty pictures (JEREMY!), and left the house without it again!  Anyway, I ended up cutting a lot off her hair.  I know I said I would never cut my baby girls beautiful long hair, but I broke down and decided healthier is better.  I think we took about 3+ inches off!!!!!  Yikes, but I must say, without all that wispy, thin, scragely hair at the bottom, it looks really good.  I'm so sad to think that she is almost 3!  I'm not very emotional about my kids growing up, but Kayla hair is one of my sensitives subjects.   But I got through it and did what was best.  Now I have to wait and see what Mike has to say (I didn't tell him I was cutting her hair off).  I went in thinking I was going to just trim the ends again but didn't.

Halloween

Don't they make cute pirates! 

The kids had so much fun trick-or-treating around the neighborhood with all of their cousins.  With 9 total we made quite the group running through town collecting candy.  Makayla carried her little pumpkin around hugging it telling it how much she loved it!  She was all about getting that candy.

 Carving pumpkins.  I didn't really get many shots of the carving.  I was to busy 'carving' mine and trying to keep Kayla from covering herself in paint.  That didn't work out so well.

 Makayla concentrating really hard on her pumpkin art. 

 Aiden and my pumpkins.  Aiden was a little disappointed in his.  He wanted it to be really scary like Nicks.  I  thought it was great for his first ever pumpkin {with a little help from his Dad.} 

 Mike and Makayla's pumpkins.

Car Seat Conversion

I've been wanting to recover Kayla's carseat for a long time now.  I finally got the nerve to try it yesterday.  It was a little scary and intimidating wondering if I was going to ruin it, but I decided to try it anyway.  I've always wanted her to have a cute girly carseat, but I'm to cheap to buy her one, so. . .  Here it is.  I figured it out, and gave it a try.  Here is a pic of what it looked like before and after.

What a difference!

It took over 12 painstaking hours to finish it but I love how it turned out!  So worth all the time I put into it.  It isn't anywhere near perfect but I love it anyway.  She is even excited about it.  Her favorite color is still blue, but she was so happy when she saw that I made her a pink carseat.  There is some hope for my little Tom Boy yet!

Falling Behind

So I have been falling behind on almost everything except. . . crafting!  I have so many things that I want to make and haven't gotten to, or no place to put it if I do make it.  Here are a few things that I have made recently.  

A prettier version of a white board.  I think the total cost of it was about $5.00.  I bought a cheap 99c frame, some really cheap fabric, and some spray paint and hot glue.  I love how it turned out.  I have a few things more I want to add yet.  I'll get to that eventually.  

 I found this idea for an old shutter conversion.  I had something else completely in mind when I started and then ended up with this.

 I did NOT make this bedding, but I fell in love with it a long time ago and just moved Kayla into a bigger bed and had to have it.  Luckily I could still find it.

 Since she is to big for a mobile I thought that I would make something else for her.  I had seen pictures of these and thought they would be perfect.  She loves them hanging over her bed.

These are just a few of the things I'm working on.  I still have a BIG list of things that I want to make and I'm working my way through it. 

A few things the kids have been up to.

Aiden:

In the beginning of this month he got to go on yet another camping trip with my Dad.  

He LOVES going to preschool and can't wait for Kindergarten so he can ride the bus.  

He loves drawing, writing, coloring, painting, ect.  He knows how to write the whole alphabet!  He has been practicing on my white board a lot since I finished it.

He is very excited for his 5th birthday that is coming up soon.  

We went on his first school field trip to the Pumpkin Patch.  He also graduated from painting pumpkins to carving them this year.  (I'll get pics of that later.)

He can't wait for Halloween. 

Makayla:

She does not believe she is 2.  She tells people she is 24, really wants to be 4 like Aiden.  And gets really upset if you try to convince her she is 2.  

She also got to come with on the field trip to the pumpkin patch.  

She got to paint her first pumpkin this year.  She did a really good job and loved it, until she thought the paint would look better on her.  Thankfully I have a great sister in law who was kind enough to give her a bath for me!  Thanks Kenz!

She wants to go to school with Aiden so badly.  But she is really starting to like playing with Kase the days he is in school.

She LOVES all things animal.  She will finally once in a great while crack out some barbie's play with them for a little bit.

We met Grandma at the Sale Barn for lunch yesterday and she had so much fun watching all of the animals.

She has a HUGE attitude and is not afraid of speaking her mind to anyone around her.

Mike is finally finished with corn so the kids have there Daddy back!  I don't know who likes that better, them or me.  I have someone to help with dinner and bedtime!!  

Camping with Grandpa

My Dad decided in May he wanted to go camping in Winthrop.  He had to take Jake along and decided he was brave enough to take Aiden too.  I finally got the pictures and they just make me laugh.  They did not get nice weather.  It rained the whole time and my Dad promised them 2 sleeps and they were not letting him get out of it.

This picture brings back old memories for me.  This train is a half way mark that we stopped every year when we were growing up.

They found some snow in the mountains on the way.

My Dad had to buy the boys rain gear because they were going through so much clothes.  The look so cute!

Fishing in the rain.

There camp site.  

They spent a lot of time inside the tent hiding from the rain.

They didn't know who this was but he was nice enough to let them play in his canoe.

Aww. . . Just precious.

They all had so much fun on this wet seemingly miserable camping trip.  My Dad might even be brave enough to try it again next year!

1st Day of Preschool

Aiden started preschool this week!  I can't believe how fast the time has gone.  

Does this boy look excited or what!

 

I was a little nervous about what was going to happen when I dropped him off on his first day.  I really thought that he was going to be sad and cry. . .but he jumped right in and started playing and didn't even care that I left.

He loved every minute of preschool.  I was expecting a lot of chatter about what his day was like from him but didn't get near as much as I expected. 

My conversation with him.

 'What was your favorite part?'  "Playing with balls & hockey." 

 'What did you learn about?'  "Jesus." 

 'Did you learn about anything else?'  "I saw my eyes."

'Did you make any new friends?'  "Yeah."

'What are their names?'  "I don't remember."