tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50980058918634395402024-03-13T10:41:34.659-05:00Sunflower StoriesSunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.comBlogger522125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-91457106615122656612011-01-19T23:39:00.005-06:002011-01-19T23:49:02.968-06:00Vintage Poncho Wearing Sisters*Rubs hands together gleefully!*<br /><br />I dug through a huge box of old photos and came up empty on my search for the vintage <a href="http://sunflowermom.blogspot.com/2011/01/poncho-for-roo.html">poncho wearing sisters</a>, so I called my mom. She said she thought she had that photo and she'd take a look. Forty-five minutes later she called with the news that she found it and would get copies made for us. Me, being the oh-so-impatient one, hounded my dad to scan it and email it instead. Imagine my delight when I checked my email one last time before bed and found this prize waiting in my inbox! (click on it to enlarge!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTfMdIaIe5I/AAAAAAAADDA/lkz5IU9q-rI/s1600/The%2BGirls.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 312px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTfMdIaIe5I/AAAAAAAADDA/lkz5IU9q-rI/s320/The%2BGirls.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564140665484901266" /></a><br />Yayyyyyy!!! Thanks, Mom and Dad, and SORRY! to my big sister, Ann, and my younger sister, Tanya! Have to share it. It's the.best.vintage.photo.ever. I am guessing it was taken somewhere around 1978. We are standing in my elementary school gym, possibly at a craft show or something. I was in Brownies then, so it might of had to do with that. Oh my goodness, it makes me grin so big to see this photo again!SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-44735298481097345082011-01-19T10:11:00.004-06:002011-01-19T10:46:15.309-06:00Acoustic Birthday BalladSean's favorite song to sing right now is "Happy Birthday to You." He loves to serenade each of with this happy tune. If it actually happens to be someone's birthday that he knows, we will call them up and leave a singing telegram via voice mail. The other day, he stepped it up a notch and played guitar while singing. He's Daddy's little rock star!<br /><br />(video embedded)<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M37qRSmUt2o?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M37qRSmUt2o?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-8220451675039155882011-01-16T11:37:00.005-06:002011-01-16T11:58:16.403-06:00A Poncho for RooGrowing up as the middle daughter of three girls, I have many memories of my sisters and I dressed in matching, handmade items crafted by my mother's hands. One piece in particular stands out as a favorite: the crocheted ponchos she made us, in shades of brown and orange. A child of the 70's, a girly girl, and the perfect garment for skipping, dancing and twirling. I might have to sift thru boxes of photos to see if there are any of us in the ponchos.<br /><br />When I started knitting, one of the first patterns I looked for was a poncho for Eleanor Ruby. I found the <a href="http://knittingpureandsimple.com/kids.html">Knitting Pure and Simple Children's Poncho</a> over a year ago, but wasn't sure if my skill was ready yet. Then I found a beautiful yarn that I had to have to make into something lasting for Eleanor to enjoy. Two skeins of <a href="http://www.mosaicmoon.com/">Mosaic Moon Mountain Meadow Worsted yarn</a> in the Selah colorway arrived with it's coordinating aqua trim back in October. I had to sit it aside for months while I worked on Christmas and birthday gifts.<br /><br />I decided that my first garment of the new year would be Ella Roo's poncho. I was pleasantly surprised by what an easy garment it was to knit! I made the 2-4 year old size and didn't make any major changes to the pattern. Only thing I think I did was purl the first row of the hood so I had an easy marker for measuring the length of the hood as well as adding a design element to the neckline. I also picked up four extra stitches on the hood because I thought it spaced the stitches out better than the recommended amount.<br /><br />I worked on it a few hours a day for 11 days until I had it completely finished. It's beautiful, a perfect fit, soft, warm, and just what I hoped for. It warmed up to 22 degrees today, so Ella and I took a short walk in the sun with her favorite baby and her sparkly new shopping cart from Nana. I hope this is the first of many fun memories for her and her poncho.<br /><br />Finished piece<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMwqYjzcpI/AAAAAAAADCQ/uVVrEkhBIWc/s1600/FO%2B1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMwqYjzcpI/AAAAAAAADCQ/uVVrEkhBIWc/s320/FO%2B1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562843469437956754" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMwqS6gImI/AAAAAAAADCI/2zm4HJsU6Ss/s1600/FO%2B2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMwqS6gImI/AAAAAAAADCI/2zm4HJsU6Ss/s320/FO%2B2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562843467922547298" /></a><br />Finished piece in action<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMw4ughIDI/AAAAAAAADCw/hQq0ASJAr8s/s1600/front.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMw4ughIDI/AAAAAAAADCw/hQq0ASJAr8s/s320/front.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562843715847921714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMw4qt5SEI/AAAAAAAADCo/jRvGyPw21Ig/s1600/laugh.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMw4qt5SEI/AAAAAAAADCo/jRvGyPw21Ig/s320/laugh.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562843714830288962" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMw4FuP0BI/AAAAAAAADCg/Gz7ZCUoW26c/s1600/point.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMw4FuP0BI/AAAAAAAADCg/Gz7ZCUoW26c/s320/point.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562843704899653650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMw4KUD9JI/AAAAAAAADCY/WxwocB4DC2I/s1600/side.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMw4KUD9JI/AAAAAAAADCY/WxwocB4DC2I/s320/side.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562843706132001938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMxRCBpOlI/AAAAAAAADC4/-A3bMfhyszQ/s1600/back.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TTMxRCBpOlI/AAAAAAAADC4/-A3bMfhyszQ/s320/back.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562844133403998802" /></a>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-82749268438424474992011-01-14T15:20:00.002-06:002011-01-14T15:27:24.687-06:00ONEder Fund Video!Sit back and enjoy this wonderful collection of photos and video clips of our beautiful kiddos with Down syndrome! The <a href="http://www.kellehampton.com/2011/01/pay-it-forwardrock-oneder-fund.html">Pay it Forward: Rock the ONEder</a> campaign continues to grow. Kelle Hampton's words from the heart and narration in <a href="http://www.kellehampton.com/2011/01/it-begins-with-awareness.html">today's video compilation</a> is breath taking. Catch Sean shaking his moneymaker at the 5:39 mark!<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vvoKTDMhpVs?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vvoKTDMhpVs?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-65842688670655842512011-01-11T10:39:00.006-06:002011-01-11T11:08:11.274-06:00Snow Day and Mountain Lady MeatloafWe finally got our first snowfall of the winter! It started coming down Sunday evening and snowed all night and thru the day Monday. I think we ended up with about 4" of soft, fluffy, pretty powder. Not bad enough to cancel school, so both boys went to school while I stayed tucked home with Ella. <br /><br />I bundled Eleanor up to go out once and she lasted just a little while before she said it was too cold. She outgrew her cute pink snow boots from last year, so she wore a pair of Sean's hand-me-downs. Hee hee! They were a bit big, but she did alright in them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNhjR2lPI/AAAAAAAADBo/M2P7yYg7EBM/s1600/E%2Bsnow%2B2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNhjR2lPI/AAAAAAAADBo/M2P7yYg7EBM/s320/E%2Bsnow%2B2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560975247441040626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyMUrCcojI/AAAAAAAADBQ/vdAx7XULDq4/s1600/E%2Bsnow.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyMUrCcojI/AAAAAAAADBQ/vdAx7XULDq4/s320/E%2Bsnow.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560973926673982002" /></a><br /><br />After school and a snack, the boys got geared up and we all went out again. It's too bad we don't have a hill to sled on or pretty woods to take a quiet walk through. They just stomped around in it a bit, made some snow angels and tried to make snowballs. It wasn't wet enough to make snow balls though, so they just chased me and threw handfuls of snow at me. Silly boys!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyMUUHzBkI/AAAAAAAADBI/cNE1NhCZ2uA/s1600/angel.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyMUUHzBkI/AAAAAAAADBI/cNE1NhCZ2uA/s320/angel.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560973920522405442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNhs1hKhI/AAAAAAAADBg/B1VEBe8bjsM/s1600/Aidan%2Bsb.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNhs1hKhI/AAAAAAAADBg/B1VEBe8bjsM/s320/Aidan%2Bsb.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560975250006551058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNh7Y4wiI/AAAAAAAADBw/bxnyD_UyzhM/s1600/Sean%2Bsb.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNh7Y4wiI/AAAAAAAADBw/bxnyD_UyzhM/s320/Sean%2Bsb.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560975253912994338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyMVI-bIcI/AAAAAAAADBY/g7TDUj2_sP0/s1600/run.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyMVI-bIcI/AAAAAAAADBY/g7TDUj2_sP0/s320/run.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560973934710170050" /></a><br /><br />We came back in and changed out of wet clothes, then Sean helped me get supper in the oven. My Grandma Eleanor's Mountain Lady Meatloaf is just what our cold day needed! I made a side of Mac & Cheese and some early peas to go with it. My sister, Ann, asked me awhile ago to write down the recipe for her, so I thought I'd just share it here. Enjoy and stay warm!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNimp1oNI/AAAAAAAADCA/DE59zcc8ufY/s1600/Sean%2Bml1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNimp1oNI/AAAAAAAADCA/DE59zcc8ufY/s320/Sean%2Bml1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560975265526816978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNiZBow-I/AAAAAAAADB4/lDT4Br5ijwE/s1600/Sean%2Bml2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSyNiZBow-I/AAAAAAAADB4/lDT4Br5ijwE/s320/Sean%2Bml2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560975261868540898" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Mountain Lady Meatloaf</span><br /><br />1 1/2 lb lean hamburger meat (I use the lean sirloin so there's not much fat)<br />1/2 lb ground sausage (the plain kind, no spices added)<br />1 (10 3/4 oz) can of tomato soup<br />8 to 10 saltines or Ritz crackers, crushed fine<br />2 T pickle relish<br />2 eggs, well beaten<br />1 t crushed sage leaves<br />1 tsp salt (I usually omit this since the crackers are salted)<br />1 tsp fresh cracked pepper<br /><br />Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, make sure to really work in the sausage as it likes to cling together. If it seems to dry, add a bit of catsup, if it seems too wet, add more crackers. Dump into bread loaf pan and shape into a loaf.<br /><br />Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees. Remove and let rest 5 mins, then very gingerly pour off any fat into your empty soup can so the fat can be thrown away. Turn meatloaf onto a platter and slice. Makes about 5-6 nice big slices. <br /><br />*My Grandmother noted on her recipe, "The left over meatloaf is good cold, for sandwiches. The meatloaf should have a crisp brown crust. This is a favorite recipe of my son, Dale."<br /><br />I *heart* that <a href="http://sunflowermom.blogspot.com/2007/11/remembering-mountain-lady.html">lady</a>!SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-18120088975320076632011-01-09T13:48:00.007-06:002011-01-09T14:09:09.180-06:00Rock the ONEder<a href="http://ndss.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=461377&supid=318966917"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSoV1oc7IyI/AAAAAAAADBA/-4t3-loLQIQ/s1600/birthday%2Bheader%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 49px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSoV1oc7IyI/AAAAAAAADBA/-4t3-loLQIQ/s320/birthday%2Bheader%25282%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560280701078283042" /></a></a><br /><br />Friday afternoon, I was just skimming Facebook and caught a request from Kelle Hampton: "Short notice, but if any D.S. mamas are willing to share photos that they wouldn't mind being shared on the blog, please e-mail the best photo of your beautiful child in the next twenty minutes to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net, and please include the name of your child (I'll only first names) and a short written statement that you give me permission to post. Epic fundraiser starts tonight in honor of Nella's b-day!"<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Epic</span> doesn't even come close to describing the <span style="font-weight:bold;">magic</span> that is happening on <a href="http://www.kellehampton.com/2011/01/pay-it-forwardrock-oneder-fund.html">Enjoying the Small Things</a> since Friday night!<br /><br />I had no idea that emailing a photo of Sean would include him in the most amazing out-pouring of love and acceptance that I've ever seen! It gives me chills.<br /><br />So if you haven't had a chance to read her post, <a href="http://www.kellehampton.com/2011/01/pay-it-forwardrock-oneder-fund.html">Pay It Forward: Rock the ONEder</a> yet, please do. And if it inspires you as much as it has inspired so many, <a href="http://ndss.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=461377&supid=318966917">make a donation</a> in honor of Sean, beautiful Nella on her first birthday, and the other 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the United States.<br /><br />Kelle's amazing photography, love for life, dedication to her family, motivation and pure joy inspire me every time I click onto her blog. Thanks, Kelle, for taking center stage and singing loud!SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-71206883294602556102011-01-07T12:44:00.003-06:002011-01-07T12:49:58.018-06:00The Nap MatGenerally, Ella takes her afternoon or mid-morning nap on the family room couch. It's much easier for me to get her to sleep and lay her there than to try to carry her 28 lbs up old creaky wood stairs to her bedroom and hope she doesn't wake up. Works for me. However, my mom gave us a down-alternative comforter for our king size bed for Christmas. When all three kids were home ill, we opened it up and made a little nap mat on the cushy carpeted floor. They napped on it, snuggled on it, watched tv, etc. while resting up.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSdgF0CFg_I/AAAAAAAADAw/dhQMkOG4GbQ/s1600/nap%2Bmat.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSdgF0CFg_I/AAAAAAAADAw/dhQMkOG4GbQ/s320/nap%2Bmat.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559517917995172850" /></a><br />It makes such a cozy little nap mat, I'm not in a hurry to put it to it's rightful use.SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-37175703339110789182011-01-05T10:27:00.004-06:002011-01-05T10:44:13.632-06:00Last Doll Dress: The Poppy Dress<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSSexnoi0kI/AAAAAAAADAg/fqS5n31WzuM/s1600/Poppy%2BDress.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSSexnoi0kI/AAAAAAAADAg/fqS5n31WzuM/s320/Poppy%2BDress.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558742415371850306" /></a><br /><br />I was able to pick up some buttons to finish off the last baby doll dress last night. I love how these buttons pop against the purple dress! So cute.<br /><br />This was originally a pattern for a doll cardigan to fit <a href="http://www.etsy.com/transaction/28973624">Waldorf dolls</a>, called the <a href="http://tikkifabricaddict.blogspot.com/p/freebies.html">Poppy Cardigan</a>. I made a few alterations to change it into a dress because, at her age, I figured Ella would get frustrated with putting a cardi on a doll.<br /><br />I used Cascade 220 Superwash wool to make the dress. It's a soft, machine-washable wool that drapes really nice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSSexYv05YI/AAAAAAAADAQ/qf_TlD_3f9M/s1600/Poppy%2Baction.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSSexYv05YI/AAAAAAAADAQ/qf_TlD_3f9M/s320/Poppy%2Baction.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558742411375863170" /></a><br />I knit the pattern as directed until after the split for sleeves. At that point, I joined the sides and knit it in the round for an inch. Then I did one row of increasing every stitch (kfab) to double my stitches for the skirt. I knit until it was about 6" long, then knit the garter stitch hem. The total length is 6 1/2" from center neckline to hem edge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSSexOP8ICI/AAAAAAAADAI/7ds_ApYLEVQ/s1600/Poppy%2Bsit.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSSexOP8ICI/AAAAAAAADAI/7ds_ApYLEVQ/s320/Poppy%2Bsit.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558742408557764642" /></a><br />I'm pleased with the look and fit of the finished piece. Ella loves it, too!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSSew4g0IYI/AAAAAAAADAA/-uT74ezWpyA/s1600/Ella%2Bbaby.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSSew4g0IYI/AAAAAAAADAA/-uT74ezWpyA/s320/Ella%2Bbaby.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558742402722963842" /></a>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-74144139584242438262011-01-04T10:57:00.006-06:002012-02-25T18:47:40.696-06:00Stripey Doll Dress<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSNa2VT15uI/AAAAAAAAC_w/W2zhRkql-Xk/s1600/Stripe%2BDress.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSNa2VT15uI/AAAAAAAAC_w/W2zhRkql-Xk/s320/Stripe%2BDress.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558386254585128674" /></a><br /><br />A fun, simple, summery dress for baby dolls. This stretchy knit dress is easy for little ones to put on their babies and a quick knit. It was designed to fit a chubby 15" doll, but you can continue in pattern to make the length longer for larger dolls or reduce the length for shorter dolls. Finished garment is 6" long from center of neckline to edge of hem.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSNa2xY4CHI/AAAAAAAAC_4/H7bTyVzWwqY/s1600/stripe%2Bdress%2Bsit.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSNa2xY4CHI/AAAAAAAAC_4/H7bTyVzWwqY/s320/stripe%2Bdress%2Bsit.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558386262122432626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSNa1jkTQxI/AAAAAAAAC_o/dBn7CNyn83o/s1600/Stripe%2BAction.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSNa1jkTQxI/AAAAAAAAC_o/dBn7CNyn83o/s320/Stripe%2BAction.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558386241232388882" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Materials:</span> 1 skein Patons Kory Stripe Sock Yarn, set of US3 double-pointed needles, US3 16" circular needle (optional), US6 DPN, stitch marker, tapestry needle for weaving in ends.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Abbreviations:</span><br />k: knit<br />p: purl<br />sts: stitches<br />kfab: increase by knitting into the front and back of the stitch<br />m1: increase by taking the left-hand needle and pick up the bar between the stitches from front to back. Use the right needle to knit this bar through the back loop.<br />bo: bind off<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Gauge:</span> 6 stitches/inch and 8 rows/inch.<br /><br />Cast on 72 sts onto 3 of your DPNs, place marker and join in the round, careful not to twist sts.<br /><br />Rows 1-6: Knit in 2 x 2 ribbing <br /><br />Row 7: Knit all sts<br /><br />Row 8: *k1 m1* all the way around<br /><br />Rows 9-15: knit all (you can switch over to the circular needle for this part if you want.)<br /><br />Row 16: BO 36 sts, k 36 sts, bo 36 sts, k 36. I used my US6 dpn to bind off so it is a nice loose arm opening.<br /><br />Row 17: place maker, rejoin, k 36, rejoin, k 36.<br /><br />Rows 18-23 k all (will need DPNs as it is too snug for the circ now.)<br /><br />Row 24: *k4, kfab* all the way around<br /><br />Rows 25-31: k all<br /><br />Row 32: *k5, kfab* all the way around. You can fit this on circ's again.<br /><br />Rows 33-39: k all<br /><br />Row 40: *k6, kfab* all the way around<br /><br />Rows 41-46: k all<br /><br />Row 47: *k7, kfab* all the way around<br /><br />Rows 48-54: k all<br /><br />Row 55-61: work in garter stitch by alternating between first row purled, next row knit. <br /><br />Row 62: bo all sts, weave in end.<br /><br />Finished! This yarn can be machine-washed in cold, lay flat to dry. It is a self-striping yarn, so it's fun to see how the colors work out as you knit it. Any self-striping, fingering weight yarn can be used to produce similar results.<br /><br />ETA: This pattern is in the library on ravelry: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stripey-doll-dress">Stripey Doll Dress</a>. Add it to your queue!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Note: This is a free pattern, please give credit to Deborah Minner for the design by linking to this page if posted online. Thank you!</span>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-61294052516276754822011-01-04T10:19:00.003-06:002011-01-04T10:50:01.952-06:00December Recap 5: Close Encounters of the T21 KindWhen we are home, just motoring around town doing our thing, we rarely run into other people with Down syndrome (aka T21.) We see Sean's classmate at school, but that's about it. So when we are away, I always have my T21 Radar on to notice other families. This trip was no exception.<br /><br />Encounter 1: Orlando airport, Budget Rental Car waiting area.<br />A woman walked by with her cocker spaniel and waited just across from where we sat with the kids while Doug got our vehicle. My kids didn't want to go see the dog up close, so we watched from a distance. A 14-ish year old boy walked up to the dog with his 3 year old brother, who has Down syndrome. I watched his big smile as the dog wagged his tail and grinned back at him. He sat on the floor in front of the dog to play with him. All was well until the dog jumped up and licked him on his forehead, then the boy decided that was enough and reached up to brother to take him away in tears.<br /><br />I watched them head back over to mom and then Sean wandered off that way, too. We worked are way over to them and said hello. The other mom was happy to meet Sean and talked to him at length. <br /><br />Encounter 2: This was a mere brush, but at Magic Kingdom there was a boy older than Sean, maybe 10ish, with his parents and they seemed to be 2 groups ahead of us on several rides that day. Didn't chat with them, but I liked seeing how their child reacted to all the stimulus of WDW. The previous day, Doug said a similar aged boy with Ds was in line for the Rock & Roller Coaster ride. He said he really wondered how he handled that ride as it was fast and a bit scary. No way would Sean go on a ride like that, but maybe as he gets older he'll be interested?<br /><br />Encounter 3: Lunch at <a href="http://freddysfrozencustard.com/">Freddy's Frozen Custard</a> with my family, New Year's weekend. <br />Sean wanted to sit at a different table than the rest of us, so Doug moved over to sit with him. A family of three, their daughter being a young adult with T21, sat at a table between our two groups. I watched them and saw them watching Sean as they ate. When Doug and Sean finished, Sean wanted to go sit outside at a picnic table, so Doug came over to grab their coats. Sean walked out without him and I guess the mother thought he was leaving on his own, so she hopped up and went after him to reign him back in. <br /><br />I had to laugh, because Sean & Ella herding is such a second nature thing to Aidan and his cousins, as well as us. I guess that instinct doesn't wear off as our wandering ones get older!<br /><br />I love that T21 Radar.SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-29420380548600887482011-01-03T16:34:00.006-06:002011-01-03T19:03:24.924-06:00December Recap 4: Christmas Day at Disney WorldOur Christmas Day started at Magic Kingdom. <br /><br />This time, we got the double stroller and a special needs pass. We learned the thanks to the American's with Disabilities Act, Sean and 5 of his friends could use a special pass to get into rides more easily at WDW. The pass allowed us to wait for rides in the FastPass lane, rather than the extremely long regular line. Ride operators worked our group into the ride in alternate with people in the regular line. We did still wait a bit, but not nearly as much as the previous day. We were also able to use the stroller as a wheelchair if there was a long line and Sean needed to sit until it was our turn. That said, it was an extremely busy day at Magic Kingdom, we later heard that they had to close the gates at 11 am as it was full to capacity by that time (100,000 people.)<br /><br />The first thing we saw after getting our pass and stroller was a street parade with some of our favorite characters: Woody, Jessie, Mr Incredible and Frozone. I lifted Sean high up to see everyone and he beamed with excitement and waved so hard! It literally brought tears to my eyes. We worked our way through the crowds towards the castle to find a ride to start with. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJTJImOioI/AAAAAAAAC-w/ITf4jx57QqQ/s1600/Castle%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJTJImOioI/AAAAAAAAC-w/ITf4jx57QqQ/s320/Castle%2Bsm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558096306520361602" border="0"></a><br />First stop was the famous Mad Tea Party tea cup ride! Doug, Aidan, Sean and I rode while Grandma and Grandpa watched with Ella. Sean covered his ears the whole time, but said he liked it. Aidan was disappointed that we wouldn't let him spin the cup too fast.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJTJT2z7SI/AAAAAAAAC-4/VTXcCYvT6aI/s1600/teacups%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJTJT2z7SI/AAAAAAAAC-4/VTXcCYvT6aI/s320/teacups%2Bsm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558096309542710562" border="0"></a><br />Next we took Sean and Ella to the <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/many-adventures-of-winnie-the-pooh/">Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh</a> while Grandma and Aidan rode <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/dumbo-the-flying-elephant/">Dumbo the Flying Elephant</a>.<br /><br />Doug and I rode the carousel with the three kids, then the six of us went on It's a Small World together.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVq0NfwjI/AAAAAAAAC_g/yjlUO4K-Ves/s1600/enter%2Bsw.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVq0NfwjI/AAAAAAAAC_g/yjlUO4K-Ves/s320/enter%2Bsw.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558099084186731058" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVqeIcmkI/AAAAAAAAC_Y/A7sqbOu7SAM/s1600/DSE%2Bsw.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 263px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVqeIcmkI/AAAAAAAAC_Y/A7sqbOu7SAM/s320/DSE%2Bsw.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558099078259972674" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVqCGEt3I/AAAAAAAAC_Q/2xox3Lw7yYs/s1600/J%2BA%2Bsw%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVqCGEt3I/AAAAAAAAC_Q/2xox3Lw7yYs/s320/J%2BA%2Bsw%2Bsm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558099070733825906" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVprw2PAI/AAAAAAAAC_I/L5tSRzUqMJI/s1600/hippo%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVprw2PAI/AAAAAAAAC_I/L5tSRzUqMJI/s320/hippo%2Bsm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558099064739216386" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVpVy9EqI/AAAAAAAAC_A/0enMLqzBDvo/s1600/winterland%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJVpVy9EqI/AAAAAAAAC_A/0enMLqzBDvo/s320/winterland%2Bsm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558099058842473122" border="0"></a><br /><br />We had a horribly long wait to get some lunch, then we walked up to the <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/donalds-boat/">Toontown</a> section. By the time we got there, Ella was sound asleep. The boys explored a bit, then we decided to take the <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/walt-disney-world-railroad/">train</a> back to the entrance and go back to the hotel. The kids wanted to swim in the big pool at the resort before we had to leave Orlando. <br /><br />The kids absolutely loved playing in the resort pool. They had little life jackets so the kids were fearlessly jumping in and going down the water slides.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="224"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/1513663520937"><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/1513663520937" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="224"></object><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzfe2-m_hVL5oECTAwNv1gyVJoawWoB7CeNjB8541xja9I8Tq0FKbl7O96gbWzo91SivI_jkdOcgtN-KPAvBQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />We had to drive to Okeechobee after that, so we packed up the kids and our things and headed down south aways where we spent the rest of our week. We had cool, windy weather the rest of the week so we didn't get to do as much outdoors as we wanted. It was nice just being lazy and watching movies or playing games with the family. We did take a day trip to hit some fabulous <a href="http://www.miromaroutlets.com/">outlet stores in Fort Myers.</a><br /><br />Our flight home went fairly well, though we got in late so that made an exhausting day. We were glad to see that we didn't have an ice or snow covered van to clear off at 11 pm.<br /><br />It was a neat experience, for sure. Disney certainly has a lot more to do than we could take on in a short time with young kids. I hope we can try it again in several years when they are older. I saw so many other things that I'd like to do there.SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-66735042649441810162011-01-03T15:35:00.007-06:002011-01-03T16:30:47.416-06:00December Recap 3: Christmas Eve at Disney WorldWe flew to Orlando, FL on Dec. 23rd and went to the <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/caribbean-beach-resort/">Caribbean Beach Resort</a> at WDW that evening. The kids did fairly well traveling there, we had a fully charged dvd player, i-Pod and PSP to keep them occupied. Hey, screen time has it's uses in tight spots! For a change, our kids weren't the loudest on the plane. :)<br /><br />I didn't take any photos of the resort, but did get some video at the pool on the last day there. The resort was big and comfortable, we had rooms overlooking the beach so the kids got to play in the sand several times. The weather was a lot cooler than it had been when we went to Florida the year before, so that was a bit of a bummer. Still, you can't beat walking around in long sleeve shirts, no bulky down coats, in December!<br /><br />Christmas Eve Day is my niece's birthday, so we let her choose which park to go to that day. She picked <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/">Hollywood Studios</a>. We all met for breakfast then rode the bus to the park together. Sean and Ella loved the bus ride almost as much as the Disney rides and sang Wheels on the Bus the whole way there. We rented a double stroller and headed to the Pixar Section to ride the <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/attractions/toy-story-mania/">Toy Story Mania</a> attraction. Given the huge amount of love all the kids, especially Sean, has for Toy Story, we knew that this was a MUST DO event. What a wonderland!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGCKAXrfI/AAAAAAAAC9c/bO7eMb32ItI/s1600/3%2Bwildcats%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGCKAXrfI/AAAAAAAAC9c/bO7eMb32ItI/s320/3%2Bwildcats%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558081892988202482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGB8SwTuI/AAAAAAAAC9U/M1-s1dgEXqw/s1600/woody%2Btree%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGB8SwTuI/AAAAAAAAC9U/M1-s1dgEXqw/s320/woody%2Btree%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558081889307217634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGBVohllI/AAAAAAAAC9M/3nmomqTNW7Y/s1600/army%2Bguys%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGBVohllI/AAAAAAAAC9M/3nmomqTNW7Y/s320/army%2Bguys%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558081878929544786" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGBT-ZenI/AAAAAAAAC9E/DQGjPmIEWMM/s1600/death%2Bby%2Bmonkeys.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGBT-ZenI/AAAAAAAAC9E/DQGjPmIEWMM/s320/death%2Bby%2Bmonkeys.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558081878484417138" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGBIxJRPI/AAAAAAAAC88/gxHLAPd5Pm8/s1600/Potato%2BHead%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJGBIxJRPI/AAAAAAAAC88/gxHLAPd5Pm8/s320/Potato%2BHead%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558081875476038898" /></a><br /><br />The wait for the ride took around 45 minutes and proved to be very difficult for Ella (she kept wanting to climb all over the displays) and Sean (they had the theme music running rather loudly and Potato Head talked to people.) Once in the ride, they forgot all about it and had so much fun. It didn't take Sean long to figure out how to fire the Buzz Lightyear laser at the targets. He rode in a car with me, Aidan and Grandpa rode in a second car, and Doug, Grandma and Ella rode in the third. Doug earned the highest score, with me in a close second.<br /><br />Our second stop was to meet Woody and Buzz. When we got in line, the doorman said is was about a 20 minute wait. The kids had fun posing with the photo props, but as we got near the front of the line Sean started wandering ahead to have a look. Grandma followed him up and kept trying to talk him back into our place, but Sean was just <span style="font-style:italic;">mesmerized</span> by his heroes. He just stood there and stared in awe. The Disney photographer talked to Janice and told her that Sean should have a special pass so we didn't have to wait in long lines. She told a co-worker to bring us to the front of the line and let us go next. By the time we got up there, Sean was hand-and-hand with two of his favorite people.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJiJHRshI/AAAAAAAAC-Y/22MqW5aKedI/s1600/buzz%2Bbox%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJiJHRshI/AAAAAAAAC-Y/22MqW5aKedI/s320/buzz%2Bbox%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558085741039432210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJhy9vJjI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/J5m3yungeAA/s1600/the%2Bclaw%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJhy9vJjI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/J5m3yungeAA/s320/the%2Bclaw%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558085735093839410" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJOLZhYuI/AAAAAAAAC-I/UfEzi590bpw/s1600/zurg%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJOLZhYuI/AAAAAAAAC-I/UfEzi590bpw/s320/zurg%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558085398055445218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJOEO3-PI/AAAAAAAAC-A/WBJ9HAEoj9o/s1600/Sean%2Bwb%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJOEO3-PI/AAAAAAAAC-A/WBJ9HAEoj9o/s320/Sean%2Bwb%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558085396131739890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJNwoJtrI/AAAAAAAAC94/E78eexx6bgg/s1600/Aidan%2Bwb%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJNwoJtrI/AAAAAAAAC94/E78eexx6bgg/s320/Aidan%2Bwb%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558085390869051058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJNtns9HI/AAAAAAAAC9w/dS8gyLvP2AQ/s1600/Ella%2Bwb%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJNtns9HI/AAAAAAAAC9w/dS8gyLvP2AQ/s320/Ella%2Bwb%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558085390061859954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJNd5pxiI/AAAAAAAAC9o/XKe2T4OV4OE/s1600/family%2Bwb%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJJNd5pxiI/AAAAAAAAC9o/XKe2T4OV4OE/s320/family%2Bwb%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558085385842181666" /></a><br /><br />From there we had some lunch, then Grandpa and I took the little two to the <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/attractions/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids-movie-set-adventure/">Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playset</a> and Doug, Grandma and Aidan went to the <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/attractions/muppet-vision-3d/">Muppets 3D Show</a>. By the time we met up again, Ella was getting very tired and Sean was asking to go home. We decided to take them to see The Cars display and then Grandpa was going to help me get the little two back to the hotel for some nap time/down time. Sean is a huge fan of the movie Cars and would of loved to see them up close. Unfortunately for him, they were automated displays that rev their engines and talked. It was so loud he refused to be on the same side of the street as them, let alone go up close.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJMRC765zI/AAAAAAAAC-o/72tty8M2Jwk/s1600/Aidan%2Bcars%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJMRC765zI/AAAAAAAAC-o/72tty8M2Jwk/s320/Aidan%2Bcars%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558088745858295602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJMQ_u5GeI/AAAAAAAAC-g/S5QRru7--FY/s1600/Ella%2Bcars%2Bsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSJMQ_u5GeI/AAAAAAAAC-g/S5QRru7--FY/s320/Ella%2Bcars%2Bsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558088744998345186" /></a><br /><br />Doug, Aidan and Grandma stayed until the park closed at 5:30 but were only able to get to two more attractions: <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/attractions/rock-n-roller-coaster-starring-aerosmith/">The Rock & Roller Coaster</a>, which scared the beejezus out of Aidan, and the <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/attractions/lights-motors-action-extreme-stunt-show/">Lights-Motors-Action Stunt Show</a>, which was a huge hit in his eyes! They didn't take the camera with them, though. <br /><br />We met up together for dinner that evening at the restaurant at the resort and then flopped exhausted into bed.SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-24566430528876083922011-01-03T15:07:00.005-06:002011-01-03T15:35:02.555-06:00December Recap 2: Early Christmas at HomeSince we were leaving for our Florida vacation and wouldn't be home Christmas Day, Aidan had me email Santa at <a href="http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/home">The Portable North Pole Website</a> to ask if he could visit our house early this year. Luckily, Santa balanced out Sean and Ella's good behavior against Aidan recent naughtiness and made the trip for us. LOL<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-L3q5BII/AAAAAAAAC7s/hNzXvKRbf7w/s1600/before%2B1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-L3q5BII/AAAAAAAAC7s/hNzXvKRbf7w/s320/before%2B1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558073263771944066" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-KodjorI/AAAAAAAAC7k/wVHP2-l2d9o/s1600/before%2B2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-KodjorI/AAAAAAAAC7k/wVHP2-l2d9o/s320/before%2B2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558073242509615794" /></a><br /><br />Aidan's highlights<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-MN3MjTI/AAAAAAAAC78/0uXNoXOv35M/s1600/robot.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-MN3MjTI/AAAAAAAAC78/0uXNoXOv35M/s320/robot.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558073269729135922" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-L0L3P7I/AAAAAAAAC70/Bunf4hro6X4/s1600/snowman.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-L0L3P7I/AAAAAAAAC70/Bunf4hro6X4/s320/snowman.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558073262836498354" /></a><br /><br />Sean's favorites<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-Nc-uAUI/AAAAAAAAC8E/YAaz-GxZvJ0/s1600/teen%2Bt.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI-Nc-uAUI/AAAAAAAAC8E/YAaz-GxZvJ0/s320/teen%2Bt.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558073290967089474" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI_N79QthI/AAAAAAAAC8M/QuuEw9pQD0Q/s1600/rocket.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI_N79QthI/AAAAAAAAC8M/QuuEw9pQD0Q/s320/rocket.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558074398794102290" /></a><br /><br />New loves for Eleanor<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI_PTF6eQI/AAAAAAAAC8c/I0pmfZkxfJI/s1600/carriage.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI_PTF6eQI/AAAAAAAAC8c/I0pmfZkxfJI/s320/carriage.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558074422184278274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI_PbszhOI/AAAAAAAAC8U/2diJj8epnzU/s1600/wiggles.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI_PbszhOI/AAAAAAAAC8U/2diJj8epnzU/s320/wiggles.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558074424494884066" /></a><br /><br />One thing we suggested to family and have had fun with is new games for the kids. We got several different ones to play.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI_PltlVJI/AAAAAAAAC8k/GXeZSnZcH0k/s1600/game%2Bon.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI_PltlVJI/AAAAAAAAC8k/GXeZSnZcH0k/s320/game%2Bon.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558074427182503058" /></a><br /><br />As for me, my husband surprised me with a Flip Camera, so I will hopefully take more videos in 2011. Yay!SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-40439994103765887252011-01-03T14:28:00.006-06:002011-01-03T15:02:04.833-06:00December Recap 1: Finished Christmas KnitsA <a href="http://christine.typepad.com/knitting/easy-drop-stitch-scarf-pa.html">Drop-Stitch Scarf</a> for my sister, Ann, knit in<a href="http://hyenacart.com/stores/NurturingThreads/"> Nurturing Threads</a> Wicked Rainbow yarn.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSIyxtpfA6I/AAAAAAAAC6k/ZqdbtRclyD8/s1600/wrap.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSIyxtpfA6I/AAAAAAAAC6k/ZqdbtRclyD8/s320/wrap.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558060719777186722" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSIyxv3DsNI/AAAAAAAAC6c/kasIHNBO3F8/s1600/close.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSIyxv3DsNI/AAAAAAAAC6c/kasIHNBO3F8/s320/close.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558060720370987218" /></a><br /><br />A swing top dress I designed & named The Violet-Elizabeth Dress, based on two <a href="http://shelbyknits.blogspot.com/2008/06/violet-dress-pattern.html">other</a> <a href="http://hyenacart.com/alligatorknits/mt/2144/71234/The-Elizabeth-Tunic-Pattern-Now-with-sizes-4-10">patterns</a>. This was made for my friend's daughter, Alena. She just turned two, so I had Ella try it on for size. I used Classic Elite organic cotton & merino wool blend yarn for it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI0BdMBmuI/AAAAAAAAC6s/oZT-t_ptae0/s1600/VE%2Bflat.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI0BdMBmuI/AAAAAAAAC6s/oZT-t_ptae0/s320/VE%2Bflat.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558062089748191970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI0BoXFGWI/AAAAAAAAC60/OK26JbROch4/s1600/VE%2Baction2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI0BoXFGWI/AAAAAAAAC60/OK26JbROch4/s320/VE%2Baction2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558062092747348322" /></a><br /><br />I also made <a href="http://familyrootsfibers.com/category_1/Patterns.php">Hudson Hats</a> for each of my kids.<br />Aidan's is made out of <a href="http://www.mosaicmoon.com/">Mosaic Moon</a> cestari wool in the Woodland in Spring colorway.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI2-uVTOJI/AAAAAAAAC7M/nR8qJBmIe4g/s1600/Aidan%2BHH.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI2-uVTOJI/AAAAAAAAC7M/nR8qJBmIe4g/s320/Aidan%2BHH.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558065341345773714" /></a><br />Sean's is made out of <a href="http://hyenacart.com/stores/RetroBaby/">Retro Baby</a> gaia organic bulky wool in the Rumple colorway.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI2-Log8AI/AAAAAAAAC7E/o6NfWoxJ9pY/s1600/Sean%2BHH.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI2-Log8AI/AAAAAAAAC7E/o6NfWoxJ9pY/s320/Sean%2BHH.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558065332031123458" /></a><br />Eleanor's is made out of Nurturing Threads aria organic merino wool in the Enchanted Lotus colorway.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI294SAC4I/AAAAAAAAC68/naso75GWFhk/s1600/Ella%2BHH.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI294SAC4I/AAAAAAAAC68/naso75GWFhk/s320/Ella%2BHH.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558065326836419458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI2-vNKq3I/AAAAAAAAC7U/YgKMxL1e3vc/s1600/peace%2Bout.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI2-vNKq3I/AAAAAAAAC7U/YgKMxL1e3vc/s320/peace%2Bout.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558065341580094322" /></a><br /><br />I made a manly <a href="http://knithats.tripod.com/id3.html">waffle-knit hat</a> for Doug with inexpensive acrylic-wool blend Plymouth Encore yarn.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI4tZBlDvI/AAAAAAAAC7c/p-9Kpp8OSVc/s1600/Doug%2Bhat.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TSI4tZBlDvI/AAAAAAAAC7c/p-9Kpp8OSVc/s320/Doug%2Bhat.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558067242591391474" /></a><br /><br />And, lastly, I made two more doll dresses for Ella's babies. I need to sew buttons on one and the other one I designed the pattern for so I will list that separately. Phew! My needles were hot in December! :)SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-14583173527036380852011-01-03T14:14:00.003-06:002011-01-03T14:28:19.596-06:00Belated Holiday Wishes!Poor, poor, neglected blog! December was a whirlwind as I tried my best to do as much as I could in as short of time as I could. I had lots of knitting projects I wanted to get finished, we took the kids to get photos done for Christmas, and then we took a 7 day trip to Florida over Christmas week. <br /><br />Today, the boys should be back in school, but instead they are home due to illness. All three kids have a respiratory illness and had to start antibiotics. I was hoping to use their napping/tv vegging time to blog a bit. I will try to break these down into sensible posts, but beware there will be more photos than text as I have a lapful of kiddo right now! :)SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-43175108259445717062010-12-12T19:13:00.005-06:002010-12-12T19:26:38.177-06:00Two Special VisitorsThe kids got to see two very special people this weekend, Santa and my older sister, Ann. Ann and her husband, Blake, came out for a weekend visit from Wisconsin. They narrowly missed blizzard weather to spend some time with us. It's been bitterly cold and crazy windy all weekend, but I suppose that's still better than a blizzard!<br /><br />We take the kids to visit Santa in his little glass house in the park every year. Sean rushed right in to go first and just loved on Santa!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1lw0d5iI/AAAAAAAAC54/aJNbkdkTIXM/s1600/sean%2Bsanta.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1lw0d5iI/AAAAAAAAC54/aJNbkdkTIXM/s320/sean%2Bsanta.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549971407424579106" /></a><br />Aidan went next, and I caught this coy smile when Santa said, "Have you been a little naughty this year?"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1l_csYeI/AAAAAAAAC5w/zWxfyA1t4cI/s1600/aidan%2Bsanta.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1l_csYeI/AAAAAAAAC5w/zWxfyA1t4cI/s320/aidan%2Bsanta.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549971411351396834" /></a><br />Ella wasn't willing to snuggle up to a stranger, so she let Daddy sit near him. :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1lk6hvJI/AAAAAAAAC5o/sixh2ZJvy7o/s1600/ella%2Bsanta.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1lk6hvJI/AAAAAAAAC5o/sixh2ZJvy7o/s320/ella%2Bsanta.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549971404228770962" /></a><br />We drove halfway to my parents house to meet up with the family. I thought a lunch together and some playtime at the mall would give us a chance to catch up, but the mall was busy and the two littles took off in opposite directions every second they could. Did get to take a few pics while waiting for our food.<br /><br />Mom (aka Nana) and her first-born, Ann.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1q7nyMUI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/i5eQa97h5ig/s1600/mom%2Bn%2Bann.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1q7nyMUI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/i5eQa97h5ig/s320/mom%2Bn%2Bann.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549971496223519042" /></a><br />Ann with Aidan and cousin Adam (my sister, Tanya's son.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1mQiUdbI/AAAAAAAAC6I/rmXQGAOUW7k/s1600/ann%2Badam%2Baidan.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1mQiUdbI/AAAAAAAAC6I/rmXQGAOUW7k/s320/ann%2Badam%2Baidan.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549971415938397618" /></a><br />And then Sean took this one of Ann, too cute!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1mOXO-QI/AAAAAAAAC6A/A4eIKSlhgiI/s1600/ann.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 302px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TQV1mOXO-QI/AAAAAAAAC6A/A4eIKSlhgiI/s320/ann.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549971415355029762" /></a><br /><br />I wish we could get out to Wisconsin to visit them sometime, but not in the winter! :)SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-70682849942532349852010-12-08T09:23:00.002-06:002010-12-08T09:48:48.404-06:00Wordless Wednesday: School Christmas Concert<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TP-jNYid-xI/AAAAAAAAC5g/GibCnVwZK78/s1600/Sean1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TP-jNYid-xI/AAAAAAAAC5g/GibCnVwZK78/s320/Sean1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548332716264389394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TP-jM5FpOKI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/PrV7twSnMDw/s1600/Sean2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TP-jM5FpOKI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/PrV7twSnMDw/s320/Sean2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548332707821992098" /></a><br /><br />(Video of Sean "singing")<br /><div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=cdb5e7831ed9603e6981d6" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="408" height="382" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=cdb5e7831ed9603e6981d6&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:408px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt0" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Make photo slide shows at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TP-jMmWLR_I/AAAAAAAAC5Q/gRLbmJFxZRg/s1600/Aidan2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TP-jMmWLR_I/AAAAAAAAC5Q/gRLbmJFxZRg/s320/Aidan2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548332702791059442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TP-jMOxfJXI/AAAAAAAAC5I/XJxpgyYznQY/s1600/Aidan1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TP-jMOxfJXI/AAAAAAAAC5I/XJxpgyYznQY/s320/Aidan1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548332696463156594" /></a>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-65140793728830571062010-12-05T15:45:00.000-06:002010-12-05T15:45:00.438-06:00Salt Dough OrnamentsI decided it might be best this year to make a toddler-friendly tree in hopes of avoiding broken glass ornaments. The kids and I spent a couple of days working on a batch of Salt Dough Ornaments to use this year. I wanted to venture from the usual ribbons and orbs, and instead bought inexpensive strands of beads and some glittery snowflakes to accent our homemade treasures. The kids really loved each step of the process.<br /><br />Cutting out the dough<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF2NpMVMI/AAAAAAAAC4o/1D362MTEkvo/s1600/cutting%2Bdough.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 122px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF2NpMVMI/AAAAAAAAC4o/1D362MTEkvo/s320/cutting%2Bdough.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547315269947118786" /></a><br />Painting the ornaments<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF1yCSRvI/AAAAAAAAC4g/x2wkJtIjuMc/s1600/painting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 110px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF1yCSRvI/AAAAAAAAC4g/x2wkJtIjuMc/s320/painting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547315262536173298" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwGUkV-mCI/AAAAAAAAC4w/t0C3peVa9Mk/s1600/E%2Band%2BNana.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwGUkV-mCI/AAAAAAAAC4w/t0C3peVa9Mk/s320/E%2Band%2BNana.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547315791436617762" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF1MZRkpI/AAAAAAAAC4I/YUlfj9JBYRE/s1600/done.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF1MZRkpI/AAAAAAAAC4I/YUlfj9JBYRE/s320/done.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547315252432048786" /></a><br />Decorating the tree<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF1t5LwzI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/xi99sF2rFnQ/s1600/hanging.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 138px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF1t5LwzI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/xi99sF2rFnQ/s320/hanging.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547315261424255794" /></a><br />And enjoying the finished result!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwGVGhn5_I/AAAAAAAAC5A/i2VbKCKoiA4/s1600/close%2Bup.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwGVGhn5_I/AAAAAAAAC5A/i2VbKCKoiA4/s320/close%2Bup.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547315800612268018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwGU8m16lI/AAAAAAAAC44/URBUciwBB2c/s1600/tree.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwGU8m16lI/AAAAAAAAC44/URBUciwBB2c/s320/tree.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547315797949803090" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF1Ru0ZxI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/n1rGqjclKfU/s1600/nativity.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPwF1Ru0ZxI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/n1rGqjclKfU/s320/nativity.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547315253864589074" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Classic Salt Dough Ornament Recipe</span><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />2 cups flour<br />1 cup salt<br />1 cup water<br /><br />Directions:<br />1. Mix salt and flour.<br />2. Add in half the water, then gradually add the remaining water.<br />3. Knead until the dough is smooth, this can take up to 10 minutes.<br />4. For flat dough ornaments roll out the dough on baking paper<br />Or be creative and make odd shapes and wreaths (takes longer to bake)<br /><br />Create:<br />Use cookie cutters, cut-out templates, or just use your hands.<br />Dust dough with flour and begin to add details to the ornaments with a toothpick, popsicle stick, and knife.<br /><br />Don't Forget:<br />Use a straw to make a hole so you can hang the ornament.<br /><br />Baking: Time varies based on thickness of ornament<br />Temperature: 325 degrees<br />Time: 1 1/2 hours - or until dry<br /><br />Decorate: Let cool before you begin<br />Paint with acrylic paints<br />Glue on beads, buttons, or any fun accessory<br /><br />Preservation: Making them last a long time<br />Coat with acrylic varnish when everything is dry<br /><br />*** Color Variations ***<br />- Substitute coffee for water - great for gingerbread people<br />- Add food coloring to make dough a unique color - white, blue, red, etc...SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-87559877419853164832010-12-01T09:44:00.001-06:002010-12-01T09:50:02.468-06:00Wordless Wednesday: Bedtime<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/deborahminner/?action=view&current=IMG_8510-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/deborahminner/IMG_8510-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-28075526656659153542010-11-29T09:16:00.005-06:002010-11-29T10:01:18.418-06:002 More Dolls Dressed!Finished up another knit doll outfit last night, so I thought I'd update progress again.<br /><br />This outfit was made using the yarn leftover from my Hudson Hat giveaway. I barely had enough to get it done! The pattern I had for this set was terrible, in fact is was missing directions for the sleeves and pants. Plus the calculations were off in several places, requiring me to rip out (aka "frog") sections a few times until I reworked the pattern. Backtracking caused me to take a week to finish it, but the end result works out. Now Dolly has a cashmere sweater set. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPPHaIhVkEI/AAAAAAAAC34/alw50QQfXqw/s1600/IMG_8512.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPPHaIhVkEI/AAAAAAAAC34/alw50QQfXqw/s320/IMG_8512.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544994818001047618" /></a><br />Speaking of that yarn, Cindy posted really <a href="http://lotsofleggs.blogspot.com/2010/11/johnnys-new-hat.html">fun photos of Johnny</a> in his hat on her blog. What a sweetie!<br /><br />I also knit a dress for Ella's Cabbage Patch doll. This was another pattern that I had to make some changes to in order for it to turn out right. Plus I had to learn how to crochet a hem, so it was neat to learn a new skill.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPPIDc3XN0I/AAAAAAAAC4A/vYXLMctFe04/s1600/BB%2Bdress.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPPIDc3XN0I/AAAAAAAAC4A/vYXLMctFe04/s320/BB%2Bdress.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544995527836776258" /></a><br />One more doll outfit left to make, but first I need to finish up a scarf I am working on for another person. I also hope to get Hudson Hats made for my three kids by Christmas. I think it might be a close call this year.SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-8898619723581178862010-11-28T17:22:00.003-06:002010-11-28T17:27:35.830-06:00Letter to Santa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPLlD9QzE1I/AAAAAAAAC3w/h9ZnHE-EhAs/s1600/Santa%2Brequest.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 208px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPLlD9QzE1I/AAAAAAAAC3w/h9ZnHE-EhAs/s320/Santa%2Brequest.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544745947393889106" /></a><br /><br />Translation:<br />"Dear Santa,<br />I hope you can read my handwriting. I wish you a happy Christmas and I hope you aren't so busy but I was wondering if you can bring me a snowman kit, stacks of pumpkin pies, and a real robot. Thank you. I love you very much. Aidan R. M."<br /><br />Oh, and he drew his own stamp & labeled it, "Me, Snowman and Santa"SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-56984646626002604142010-11-26T19:16:00.004-06:002010-11-26T19:21:40.228-06:00A Feast in Photos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcTrEl34I/AAAAAAAAC3Q/GLCIB81wURQ/s1600/parents.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcTrEl34I/AAAAAAAAC3Q/GLCIB81wURQ/s320/parents.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544032634342334338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcTcp67mI/AAAAAAAAC3I/MJHOVL8Mwk0/s1600/milk.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcTcp67mI/AAAAAAAAC3I/MJHOVL8Mwk0/s320/milk.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544032630472371810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcSzA8GlI/AAAAAAAAC3A/mgG57wJ0p8w/s1600/dinner.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcSzA8GlI/AAAAAAAAC3A/mgG57wJ0p8w/s320/dinner.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544032619294628434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcSqkpHzI/AAAAAAAAC24/T-Uz_CJG6bI/s1600/pie.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcSqkpHzI/AAAAAAAAC24/T-Uz_CJG6bI/s320/pie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544032617028460338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcSmlmqcI/AAAAAAAAC2w/VBSqX2Aj9fI/s1600/cake.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBcSmlmqcI/AAAAAAAAC2w/VBSqX2Aj9fI/s320/cake.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544032615958751682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBceQoNnTI/AAAAAAAAC3g/ZTMtr2DWYQk/s1600/Mac%2Bn%2BCurt.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBceQoNnTI/AAAAAAAAC3g/ZTMtr2DWYQk/s320/Mac%2Bn%2BCurt.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544032816222543154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBccjXHz6I/AAAAAAAAC3Y/M09h1mb-o-w/s1600/momma.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBccjXHz6I/AAAAAAAAC3Y/M09h1mb-o-w/s320/momma.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544032786891394978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBdEZj7nMI/AAAAAAAAC3o/YmpE3SF7gMc/s1600/smiley.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TPBdEZj7nMI/AAAAAAAAC3o/YmpE3SF7gMc/s320/smiley.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544033471455534274" /></a>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-33377970745613077532010-11-25T07:37:00.002-06:002010-11-25T10:53:36.716-06:00In Thanksgiving<span style="font-style:italic;">In honor of Thanksgiving, I decided to re-post my guest blog from A Little Bit Downsy on to my blog, to express how thankful I am for the community of families touched by Down syndrome. We all come together, from different parts of the world, with different beliefs, and join as a family to help each other. Many blessings to you!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2UgAViReI/AAAAAAAAC2o/j10CQ2-Njfc/s1600/G1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2UgAViReI/AAAAAAAAC2o/j10CQ2-Njfc/s320/G1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543249993929999842" /></a><br /><br />Goodland, Kansas, population 4,948, is the county seat of Sherman County in Northwestern Kansas. The town is just 4.4 square miles big. It sits just 17 miles from the Colorado border, but is 176 miles from Denver, the nearest major city. The closest major city on the Kansas side is Hays, 212 miles away. Goodland is known for it's vast open fields of sunflowers and wheat. <br /><br />In a small rural community such as this, it's very easy to feel alone. The nights are quiet, the days pass slowly. Socializing is most likely to occur in the aisles of Wal-mart. Everyone knows you, knows who you dated in high school, where you went to college, and which bank you use. The same doctor delivered most of your classmates and if you have a cough, he'll whip up a special syrup for you to take. "Newcomers" are defined as someone who moved into the city in the past 15 years, versus being born there. And it takes years to branch out past relatives as friends when you are a newcomer. <br /><br />When my husband, Doug, and I decided to move to Goodland, we knew we'd go through an adjustment period. We were so used to our busy social life in the town where we graduated from college. Our life had been so hectic and stressful, we relished the idea of a calmer way of life. We comfortably made the transition, learning to eat most meals at home, instead of at our favorite restaurants, watching videos on Friday night instead of going to see live bands. Enjoying family gatherings with his parents, watching football or basketball together while our baby crawled around the house. We slowly started meeting people through golfing at the country club, and participating in MOPs. This was way before the days of Facebook and high speed internet. We rarely used the old lap top computer at home with it's painfully slow dial up internet connection. Occasional trips back east to visit my parents gave us time to catch up with friends. <br /><br />So when our second son, Sean, was born and later diagnosed with Down Syndrome, our support network was scattered and loose. Of course we had the love and support of our families, but we searched for the strength from others like us. Other parents of children with Down Syndrome or other disabilities. Since our local hospital wasn't able to meet Sean's medical needs, we went to Denver to see specialists. The Mile High Down Syndrome Society offers great resources to Colorado families, but since we'd be returning to Kansas, they didn't have information for us. We got a few pieces of paper printed off and stapled together telling us medical facts about Down Syndrome and included a list of online resources to read. <br /><br />When we returned home and connected with our family doctor, he referred us to the Early Education Service Center that would offer therapy for Sean until he was old enough to go to school. One of the first things we asked them to do was to connect us with another family. Unfortunately, we learned that he was the only person under 18 (that's as old as they had service information for) in the entire northwest area of Kansas that had Down Syndrome. Their service covers 13 counties, a total of 12,000 square miles, and Sean was the only person with Down Syndrome in that area at the time of his birth. Talk about feeling alone. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2UcaWkqaI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/g9PO0Hv6XOA/s1600/G2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2UcaWkqaI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/g9PO0Hv6XOA/s320/G2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543249932194195874" /></a><br /><br />We were sad, scared, uncertain, uneducated about Down Syndrome and we felt like the only people we'd ever known in this situation. We grasped at straws to think of who else might offer us advice. I had a vague memory of a person I once did a committee work with that had a daughter with Down Syndrome, so I did track him down and email him a couple of times. My dad surprised me by telling me that his first wife has twin boys one of whom has Down Syndrome from a prior marriage. and that he had lived with them during their marriage. I'd always known of his first marriage, and the twins, but had never realized one had Down Syndrome. I pulled out the old 35 mm photos from the late 60's and closely looked at the faces of two six year old boys. Yes, I could see it now. They looked to similar, but one was slightly different. <br /><br />Yet we still had no one close to us, no one raising their child the same age as us, no one to ask questions that ran through our minds and we were afraid to speak aloud. We pulled out the pages from the Denver hospital and looked at the resource list again. We wanted to find people, not facts. We wanted stories and photos, not statistics and charts. One caught my eye: www.downsyn.com a parent-to-parent support website, it said. I plugged in the old lap top and slowly watched the pages load. The peach colored backdrop, adorned with cherubs, appeared. <br /><br />I.found.home. <br /><br />Any and every question I could think of was asked and answered. Photos, videos, stories, resources, reviews, opinions, SUPPORT. Warm open arms. Suddenly, we were no longer alone and I was so thankful. I leaned on downsyn.com for support so much of Sean's first year of life. It was the lifeline we needed in addition to the love and support we had from our families and friends. <br /><br />When Sean was 12 months old, we finally saw another person with Down Syndrome in person. We had gone to a nearby small town to visit their fairgrounds. While watching some horse riders performing various cowboy competitions, a family with a teenage daughter with Down Syndrome walked past us. They stopped for a few minutes just rows away to watch the horses. Doug and I no longer watched what happened in the arena, but instead intently observed the family in front of us. We stretched to hear them, to hear her talk, to see what they said, to wonder what their life was like. <br /><br />A glimpse into our future? <br /><br />How desperately I wanted them to turn around, look into Sean's eyes and see that he was a part of the T21 club! Instead, they moved along and as much as I longed to chase after them, I held back. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2Uct_DIRI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/ceaL15jcgxI/s1600/G3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2Uct_DIRI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/ceaL15jcgxI/s320/G3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543249937464238354" /></a><br /><br />A few weeks later we went to the Mile High Buddy Walk and completely surrounded ourselves with families like ours. The experience was overwhelmingly emotional and moving. Months later, we moved to our current city and joined a Down Syndrome support group that meets just an hour away. We quickly met other families and built in-person support. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2Ucx41HUI/AAAAAAAAC2g/b4_Bwy1s5dU/s1600/G4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2Ucx41HUI/AAAAAAAAC2g/b4_Bwy1s5dU/s320/G4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543249938511895874" /></a><br /><br />No matter where you are and what stage of acceptance you are at, there is always help out there. There is comfort in those connections. I hope each parent that feels alone can make a connection. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Images of Goodland, Kansas, used in this post were found on google images. I left watermarks as they appeared and thank these photographers for capturing the Western Kansas beauty!</span>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-22487560998227846992010-11-24T15:26:00.003-06:002010-11-24T15:32:15.332-06:00Thankful we are not Alone...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2D9_OWfdI/AAAAAAAAC2I/Deuh4qD4BLI/s1600/G1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO2D9_OWfdI/AAAAAAAAC2I/Deuh4qD4BLI/s320/G1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543231817329835474" /></a><br />I guest blogged at <a href="http://superdownsy.blogspot.com/2010/11/thankful-that-we-are-not-alone-guest-15.html">Just a Little Bit Downsy</a> today! <br /><br /><blockquote>"No matter where you are and what stage of acceptance you are at, there is always help out there. There is comfort in those connections."</blockquote><br /><br />Thanks for letting me blog-crash, Tiffany!SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098005891863439540.post-30830116735176629052010-11-24T10:12:00.004-06:002010-11-24T23:13:21.392-06:00My Breastfed Daughter wants to Bottle feed her BabiesPlaying with her baby dolls is Eleanor's favorite thing to do. She likes undressing them and giving them pretend baths in her play kitchen sink. She uses her doll brush to make their hair pretty. She wraps them in old receiving blankets and rocks them to sleep. They take turns sitting on her potty chair and making pretend tinkles. Nothing is funnier than seeing her lay her baby down on a prefold diaper and watching her carefully attempt to attach it with a Snappi! Her babies also enjoy horse back rides through the house on her shoulders while she yells, "Yee haw!" <br /><br />Dolly goes with us on car rides to get Daddy and the boys or shopping at the grocery store. Sometimes she takes Dolly for a walk in the stroller, with her purse hooked on her arm, cell phone and keys tucked inside, and a wave "Bye bye, Mama. I goin' shoppin'" Other times she snuggles them in her doll sling for a trip around the yard. <br /><br />Recently, she discovered a new way to play with Dolly. I've been babysitting in the two-year-old room for the local <a href="http://www.mops.org/">MOPs</a> group. Usually, we have about 5-6 girls and one or two boys in the room. Luckily, there are plenty of baby dolls for all the girls to have one. They work on taking turns pushing the dolls in the two strollers or on the one swing. They cook up snacks for their dolls in the play kitchen and they remark on their stinky diapers. But there's a new toy for Ella to use with her dolls at MOPs that she hasn't had at home. Doll bottles filled with fake milk or orange juice. It didn't take long at all for Ella to follow the other girls' lead in feeding and burping the dolls with bottles. After a couple of times at MOPs, Ella was quick to secure one of the three bottles for her baby to use each session. I sat back and watched her holding and bottle feeding her baby. So odd to see from a girl that never had a bottle or pacifier!<br /><br />I didn't make a big deal about it at MOPs and figured it doesn't mean much, she only plays with them there. At home, she tends to nurse her babies or uses the little cups from her tea set to give them drinks of "water". Lately, however, she's been wanting a bottle for her Dolly. She found a small bottle of cleaning fluid Doug uses for his guitars, I think, that has a pointy tip like a bottle on the cap. Instantly, Ella began using it to feed her baby. Then Aidan decided to wash out a small chocolate milk bottle, removed the label, and gave that to Ella to use as a bottle. I had to take the cleaning bottle away from her because I was worried about her getting it open.<br /><br />I am starting to see how important she thinks a bottle is to her favorite form of play.<br /><br />Most people wouldn't think twice about whether or not a child played with a bottle and a doll. To me, it matters. I've consciously avoided bottles and bottle imagery in reference to children and babies for many years. I actively avoid baby congratulations cards or wrapping paper with bottles and pacifiers. I feel like it sets up bottle feeding as the norm in baby care instead of as a secondary tool. It's very important to me that my children are raised to believe that breastfeeding is the normal way to feed a baby. I want them to see bottles as just a tool to feed babies when mother is not available. I think it shapes them for how they will parent in the future. I want my son supportive of his partner breastfeeding and I want my daughter confident in her ability to breastfeed her children, should they have them.<br /><br />Doug isn't on the same page as me regarding toy bottles. Maybe because we bottle fed expressed milk to Sean in addition to nursing. Maybe because he thinks I'm just making too big of a deal of it. Maybe he's right. Or maybe I am.<br /><br />Right now, I am confident that she does know what breastfeeding is and how it helps babies. While playing dolls with the other girls at MOPs, Ella's doll fell out of the swing. She exclaimed, "Oh no! Baby hurt!" ran around the swing to pick up her doll, immediately lifted her shirt and held her doll to her chest. "Baby <span style="font-weight:bold;">needs</span> Ni-Ni!" she said, while kissing her doll on her head, in full view of all of her friends.<br /><br />While the bottles may be a fun way for her to give Dolly a drink, breastfeeding is what Dolly needs for comfort. Maybe Santa will put a toy bottle in her Christmas stocking after all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO1ErSXd-TI/AAAAAAAAC2A/tLPE3fJOqBQ/s1600/Ella2Nini.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9FNBA6kKb2Y/TO1ErSXd-TI/AAAAAAAAC2A/tLPE3fJOqBQ/s320/Ella2Nini.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543162226818283826" /></a>SunflowerStorieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04811073595725040739noreply@blogger.com2