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This and That

It's been awhile since I posted anything here. Our household has been really busy and I've been pretty worn out. I was blaming it on getting back into the school routine and adjusting to the Preacher working more again (the summer workload is lighter for him). Having a cough and cold symptoms since the end of August didn't help, either. Earlier this week I was hardly able to make it through the day without laying down to rest and felt like things were getting worse rather than better so I made a mid-week visit to the clinic. The doctor thoroughly listened to my lungs and said I had "a bit of pneumonia." That was a surprise for me, but it helped explain why my cough would not go away, why I was winded so easily, and just so tired. He prescribed some "heavy-duty" antibiotic that should take care of it. Now I'm optimistic that I actually can handle this school/ministry year schedule and hopefully I'm feeling better and more energetic soon.

Here are some of the things that we've been busy with:

New School Year
My daughter is in Grade 1 and goes to school every day now.  She loves it and isn't nearly as tired from it all as I thought she would be. My son started Junior Kindergarten (Pre-school) this week. He goes three days a week and so far his first two days were great. He is tired at the end of the day and today he told me that his favorite part of the day was rest time. That might be because he was tired or it might be because he helped me make a blanket and pillow for him to keep at school. He choose a fleece with hockey players on it. He was most excited about stuffing the pillow. He loves stuffing things.

First Day of School
My toothless daughter takes her role of big sister very seriously when it comes to school!

I did not get a picture of the blanket and pillow. It didn't even occur to me. That might be because this was not one of my proudest sewing moments. Neither fleece nor hockey make it on the list of my favorite things.

Seasonal Clothing Change-over
Three days a week I am home with just my youngest daughter.  She's two and a half and a very delightful companion. So far we've done really exciting things together like go through boxes of hand-me-down clothes and find things that will fit for fall/winter and put away spring/summer clothes. I am amazed at the task that this is each fall and spring. The bedrooms are a mess with clothes until the transition between seasons is over. Clothes pile up in the sewing room waiting to be mended or altered or for a matching shirt or pants to be made. It all just feels very cluttered and disorganized to me. The Preacher came home in the middle of this project one day and commented about the number of boxes and then said, "This is a part of our life that I know absolutely nothing about." Ah, yes.

Seasonal Clothing Sorting and Change-over
It's nice that one of us seems to be having a good time.

Preparing for the Fair
Last year at this time I was busy making things to enter for judging at our local fair. I enjoyed doing that and it was a good experience, but I've been too busy this year to do that again. I still have been sewing, but it hasn't been stuff that I can enter in the fair. At one point I thought I would just forget about entering anything this year, but then I started thinking about things that are already completed that would be eligible. So, I registered a quilt, hand knit socks, a sundress, and a pullover sweater. Optimistically, I thought that I might be able to make a blouse and skirt for my daughter and finish a cardigan sweater, so I included those on the entry form.

The blouse and skirt are finished and despite the impression this lousy picture gives you, they are rather cute.

Music Class Skirt and Blouse
The Music Class Skirt and Blouse from Oliver + S.

The sweater, however, is not complete and will not be entered:

Rosamund's Cardigan 

My daughter is very excited about entering some things in the fair this year. So, some of the time that I would have spent getting my own things ready has been spent helping her and it has been fun. She's hoping to enter four things. We had a cupcake decorating practice round last weekend (that might make us sound rather competitive, but really the thought of figuring it out the day before it is due and counting on it turning out well is just too stressful for me). She liked the sheep the best and that's the one she's going to enter. All the entries are due on Monday.

Animal Cupcakes

Some Sewing
I have done some sewing in the last three weeks. I'll give these things proper posts with decent pictures soon.

Jumprope Dress
The Jumprope Dress from Oliver + S.

Patchwork Skirt
Patchwork Skirt

There are so many things on my want-to-sew list for fall. I'm so hopeful that I'll be feeling better soon and be able to get to some of them.

Comments

  1. I hope you feel better soon too. It's hard to be sick when you are caring for little ones. The clothes you have made are just darling and the gray sweater is gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope your heavy duty antibiotic knocks out the pneumonia, and you get your energy back soon. Looks like you have been pretty busy despite being tired. I love the cupcakes, and the Oliver and S clothes are darling.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like you have been pretty busy - and yet you still have done a lot of sewing.

    "This is a part of our life that I know absolutely nothing about." Having them acknowledge that fact helps, doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I hope you feel better soon! Even though you have not been feeling well you have been very productive.
    The cupcakes look delicious and they all look so very cute.
    Your clothes are all so pretty ~ such lovely fabrics.

    My youngest graduated high school this June, sending him off to university(a local one) was much easier this year...other than supplying some $$ we had really nothing to do. It was kind of nice in a way!

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