More Sewing!

This is another project I finished today for a friend's little boy!  He has nap time at his school, and they have to bring a mat.  This one has an attached pillow and blanket for easy transporting and storing!  I hope this brings sweet dreams to N! 

It measures 25 inches in width by 50 inches in length.  I used a 1 inch thick pad. I always make the blanket part slightly larger in width so it will cover them up.  And, the pillow can be removed for washing.

Rolled and ready to store!

To Bubba on his 3rd Birthday!

This past Saturday was Luke's 3rd birthday!  I cannot believe that my youngest is no longer a baby...it is difficult to think about in some ways, but on the other hand, I am very happy to be done with diapers!  In honor of Bubba, I thought a would share just few things about him!

20 Facts
1) Luke's name was actually going to be Lexie.  That's right, he was supposed to be a she.
2) "Bubba" is derived from Hubba Bubba which was his name after birth.  Luke was VERY round and pudgy and had beautiful pink skin.  He always reminded me of a big bubble like Hubba Bubba bubble gum. 
3) From very early on, Bubba has been a strange combination of extreme independence mixed with desire to be held constanly and loved on all of the time.  Even still today, if I am sitting down, he feels the need to be in my lap. 
4) Bubba resembles my dad in looks and mannerisms more than anyone else in the family. They always said that they broke the mold when my dad came into the world.  I guess they did not consider it could be glued back together!
5) He loves loves loves puzzles.  He will sit for long periods of time and put together the same puzzle over and over while talking to himself.
6) Bubba is NOT a good sleeper.
7) He loves to torment his older brother and laugh while doing so.
8) Bubba never does anything unless it is his idea and he must be allowed to do it in his own time. This includes getting in and out of the car, getting dressed or eating!
9) Bubba could sit and watch the tiniest ant forever.
10) His favorite thing to watch on TV is and has always been Scooby.
11)He loves the kitty, but the kitty does NOT love him.
12) He still has the best belly laugh I have ever heard.
13)His favorite food is strawberries
14) I believe that he will do something with architecture or construction where he can sit quietly for long periods and draw or build. 
15) He absolutely hates to wash his hands when I ask him to, but once he starts, I usually can't get him out of the water!
16) He also hates to have his teeth brushed.  We have graduated from me sitting on him and holding down to just putting him in a headlock!
17) He has a sweet and loving soul, but do not make him mad. You will be at the top of his list for a long time!
18) Bubba has a strange obsession with his belly button.  When he was younger, it was a daily chore to clean out his belly button.  He liked to use it as a storage container for everything from food to rocks. While some kids have a binky or a blanket, Bubba has his belly button!
19) He is not afraid to try or do ANYTHING. 
20) My favorite thing about him is his giant brown eyes!  Watch out ladies...they are dangerous!

 Luke, you are one of a kind, and I love you endlessly!  Thank you for being you!

Thanks Nana for the goodies! The puzzle has been put together and taken apart several times!

Dave and Busters for a little celebrating with just the four of us!

They both picked out a yo-yo with the tickets they won.  We have since spent a lot of time rolling it back up for them or taking it away because they have taken to swingging it over their heads!

Bubba chose Mac and Cheese and french fries for his dinner...he at the fries! Here is to another year!

Latest Sewing Project!

It has been a bit since I blogged about any sewing, but that is because I have been working on piecing this quilt together and wanted to get the top finished before I posted and pics.  So, here it is.  This is a t-shirt quilt I am doing for a friend of mine.  She had all of her college t-shirts and asked me to put them together!  I still need to do the border, but at least you can get an idea.  After the border, just the back and quilting to go! I have enjoyed working on this quilt and learned a lot.  I think grandma would be proud!!!

Telling on myself!

So, Logan and I were sitting at lunch today having a bit of yogurt when he got this crazy look in his eyes and suggested that we make frozen yogurt pops.  I loved his enthusiasm, so I dug around and found some craft sticks to insert through the lids of the Dora yogurt.  Then we put it in the freezer for a couple of hours.  I was surprised that they actually froze all the way through and was thrilled that the boys enjoyed them as much as they did.  Suddenly, I thought that Logan was quite the little genius, and I figured I should look into ivy leagues at this point...I took pictures of them so I could document the mensa moment (a little dramatic, I know) and was just excited that he had come up with this without any help.  I could not wait for Lyndon to get home and tell him about it.  Later in the afternoon, as I sat at the computer typing about this yogurt pop moment for the blog, Lyndon comes home to my exciting news, and he tells me that yes, he knows about the yogurt pops because that is what they are designed for.  I stared at him confused for a bit, and then he proceeds to tell me that the packages even come with the sticks.  Sure enough, right on the front of the box, in bold type, it gives instructions for how to make them.  In all fairness, when I grab yogurts, I just focus on the expiration dates. So, anyone could have missed that right??  Regardless, I still think Logan has genius potential, but he did not get it from me! Thank goodness Lyndon loves me and has just learned to role his eyes at my blonde moments (yes, that is what we will call them)!

Who'd thunk it?!

We were at a birthday party a couple of weekends ago when I ran into a friend of mine.  I noticed that her precious little boy who is about 2 years old was wearing a small beaded necklace.  I mentioned that I loved the color and asked if it had some significance (they are from Jamaica, so I thought maybe it was from the island). "It is amber," she said, as if I had a clue what she was talking about. It must have been apparent in my facial expression that I was clueless, so she told me that she put it on him because he had a rash and pain from teething and that amber is known to relieve pain and inflammation; the oils absorb into the skin and heal a number of issues.  She told me that they sell them in drug stores there and that a lot of children wear them for a lot of different reasons, but that her son in particular wore it for a rash and that it disappeared within a few days.  I was floored by this and decided I needed to look into it more because Luke has dealt with excema since he was an infant.  So, in doing more research, I learned that amber can help with a list of common skin issues, lack of energy, headaches and more.  I immediately looked for a place in Charlotte to get some, and found them easily. So, long story short, Luke has been wearing one around his ankle for about 2 weeks, and I have to say that this is the first time since he was tiny that he is excema free! I wish now that I had taken before pictures, but I honestly did not think that it would make such a dramatic difference.  We have bathed him in a lot of different things, tried creams and lotions including several perscription ointments, and nothing has cleared it up like this.  I have to say that I am stunned! I have also put one on Logan hoping that it will help with his sinus issues and got one for me for sinus and headaches (I would put one on Lyndon, too, if he would wear it).  At a mere $20 a pop, I have to say that it is one of the best investments thus far! 

The back of his knees were awful.  They stayed red and irritated all of the time. This is the clearest we have seen them in over two years.

Inside his elbows were the worst.  He would scratch them in his sleep until they bled!  All cleared up now!

Friends!

Our friend Robby from Indiana came for a visit this week on his way to see family!  Robby and Lyndon have known each other since they were young tikes...they were just as much trouble together then as they are now!  Robby has recently been promoted as command sergeant major in the Army! We are so happy for him as this is a huge  accomplishment.  Robby's wife Kim also works with the Army helping out with families of deployed soldiers and seeing soldiers off and welcoming them home.  We are so proud to have them as friends and grateful for their dedication to our country.

The boys loved to see all of the army gear!

Soccer!

Logan started a soccer skills class this week!  He was so excited that he put on his shin guards and cleats at 8:00 this morning for his class at 4:45 this afternoon.  Needless to say, he loved every minute of it.  Here are a few pics of Logan in action!

I really hope he has Lyndon's athletic ability rather than mine!

I love the background of the soccer field! 

It is still 95 degrees with 100% humidity here! 

Luke stayed in his chair for about 2 minutes.  Then he spent the rest of the time collecting a lot of rocks! He may not have the same passion for sports as Logan, but I believe that whatever he does chose to do in life will be with the same kind of enthusiasm!

New Addition!

Meet Charlie (Logan named her after my mom's dog)!  This is our newest addition to the Cook family.  It has taken a couple of months to get Charlie to come around, so I waited to introduce her.  We were not sure she was going to ever become comfortable enough to stay, but she has become a part of the family!  I was very excited to acquire another cat after losing Sherlock a little over a year ago.  She is not as relaxed or as friendly as Sherlock, but I do hope with time she will get more and more used to the boys.  I do fear that Maddie and Charlie will never be good friends; I have never seen a cat have a more fiery-passionate hate for a dog. At any rate, she has taken to me very well, lets me hold her and love on her, and she LOVES to eat!  I was concerned when we first brought her home because she lost a bit of weight, but she has since discovered cat treats...I may have to put her on a diet!  And, despite her rough start (our friends found her pregnant and hungry behind their house), she is gorgeous.  I love her markings, and she is very soft and has beautiful green eyes.  So, I am happy to have her, and I think she will eventually make a great pet for Logan and Luke!