I Made a Shower Curtain

At Breakfast

James has been making this face lately...

 It's a face he makes when he's irritated...

But most of the time he looks like this...

Or like this...

We do love him so...

Joe's 8th Birthday

Dear Joe,

Me:  You have turned out to be the greatest 8 year old I know.

Joe:  Did you think I wouldn't?

Your 8th birthday invitations...

I made these "official membership cards" and after you filled them out I had them laminated...

You helped me make this sign and we hung it in the front yard...

I made these nets out of tulle on my serger...

and used fabric to cover some composition notebooks I got for fifty cents each to make "field journals."

Your cake...

You don't like frosting, so this was a lemon buttermilk cake, layered with raspberry whipped cream and lemon curd, with a butter/sugar icing of sorts on the top to help the berries stick...  and those are last year's candles (plus one.)

The nets were assembled using a coat hanger, a hose clamp, a wooden dowel and some tape...

We also had a station where you could hammer holes into a mason jar lid to make a bug jar...

And James got to taste cake for the first time...

But the whole party started off with Dan, "The Creature Man"...




Your birthday gift...

You're in love...

And so are we...

Project

I had a lot of fun making these patches for Joe's birthday tomorrow.  Initially Joe said he wanted a Star Wars birthday party and for me and Chris to dress up in costume and do battle with his guests...  ...  ...You can imagine my relief when he changed his mind and asked for a nature party.  We're giving these away as party favors...

The first fifteen that I made were really fun, but the last five I was like, "What was I thinking???"

Sorry all these pictures are sideways, I'm too lazy to change them...

The backs...

I hope the kids will "get" them, Joe seems to think they're neat.  The party is tomorrow!

Mattie Makes James Laugh and James Pokes the Camera

Thanks For The Reminder.

Joe:  Isn't it cool how some of the most ordinary animals can do amazing things?  Like squirrels...  they plant whole forests when they bury their acorns.