Winter Wonderland in a Jar

After a quick stop at the kids' clinic for Channing's well child check this morning, we ran an errand or two.  It was not my intention to stop at Archivers.  However, as we passed by the storefront, the Silhouette Cameo display caught my eye.  In need of more stencil vinyl, we dashed in.  Right next to the vinyl, we discovered a package of mini bottle brush trees.  

Channing snatched them up in .26 seconds, pleading with me to bring them home to 'make a Christmas wonderland.'  I could hardly say no.  

At home, we plunked our trees down on the kitchen counter before scouring the rest of the house for necessary items.  A mason jar.  Poly-fill.  Washi tape.  Dinosaurs.  Yes.  Dinosaurs.  Can you really argue with the logic of a five-year-old's brain.  I think not.  

It took several attempts to get it just right.  At first, Channing filled the ENTIRE jar with poly-fill, leaving no room for trees or dinosaurs.  Then, after removing the majority of the fill, the weight of the dinosaur caused the trees to topple. 

A total meltdown was simmering just below the surface, but we finally got it.  The trees were upright, the dinosaur was too and the perfect amount of 'snow' held it all together. 

With a little washi tape to fancy up the lid to the jar, our project was complete.  

I kid you not when I say Channing asked to be tucked into bed tonight with his Wonderland jar.  I did manage to convince him, Mr. Bunny would be just a tad snugglier.  The jar found a place of honor on his dresser.  As I walked out the door and flipped off the light, I heard a quiet voice from the darkness, 'Goodnight, Wonderland.  Goodnight.' 

Artful Announcement

The paint hasn't dried, yet the photos have been uploaded to iPhoto and a blog post is swimming in my head.  What started as Channing begging to 'do a project' after dinner turned into family art night.


He grabbed construction paper, paint brushes & paints, while I cleaned up dinner dishes and WM prepped the dining room table with a drop cloth.  I thought for sure there would be peels of laughter, worming & squirming as WM began to apply paint to Channing's toes.  Nope.  He was captivated by the process.

Paint applied in just the right pattern, a footprint was pressed to paper.  Then another.  And yet another.  The result?  This:

Channing then asked with a shy smile, 'Can I paint on your bald head?'  Though the paint claimed to be washable, I hesitated & in that brief moment came a solution.  My belly.  Yes, I let Channing paint my belly.  It would be covered up if the paint at all stained my skin.  


He took great care in applying the paint just so, connecting the paint lines 'so no one can get in' whatever that means to a three-year-old mind.  I like to think it's his protective side once again shining through.

It seemed appropriate in that moment to finally share what many of you already know.  Through Channing's artistry and WM's steady finger on the camera's shutter button, we'd like you to know we're having a

Yep.  There you have it.  Another boy.  We couldn't be more excited.  Just 10 weeks to go!

No-Sew Sewing Club

Yep.  That's right.  Sewing club without the sewing.  This month, it was Mary's turn to pick.  Inspired by the hundreds of listings and postings on both Etsy and Pinterest, she chose yarn wreaths as our monthly project.  


We wrapped and cut and glued our way through the later part of the morning and into the early part of the afternoon, exchanging our usual banter on loves and lives and kids, the moments we're most proud of and some that while they may not have been our best, they stretched our limits and helped us to learn.

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, we dined on heart-shaped pizza and exchanged treats and snacks until the dinner table turned into a craft table for the wee ones.  Collin, Megan and Channing painted sun catchers in keeping with the holiday theme.

It was busy.  It was fun.  It was a lot of work.  Only two of us finished the project and not until all the others had gone home.  A lot of satisfaction came at the moment I declared myself done.  I just need to find a piece of bright polka-dotted ribbon from which to hang my spring inspired beauty.  And soon.  

A Thousand Words

I should really write something one of these days.  It's been terribly long since last I posted.  Stuff has happened.  Lots of stuff.  Photos were taken to preserve the memories.  The writing part...Well, that seems to be where I'm stuck.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let the photos do the talking this time around.  

Hot and tasty treats courtesy of Kathy.  She served 'em up while most of the sewing club ladies worked on holiday themed hot pads.  The pair with the holly are the one I made.  Get it?  Holly.  There are times I just can't help myself.

While the mamas sewed, the wee folk worked on crafts.  Felt reindeer ornament craft kits kept little hands just as busy as the bigger ones.  If you ask Channing, his reindeer is actually a zebra.  Notice the one black stripe?  That was a left over bit of antler.  

I found these sweet treats on Pinterest and just had to make them when the high school girls came over for our annual ornament exchange.  Channing was more than willing to lend a hand.  For once, the majority of the candy ended up on the goodies instead of in his belly.  And once again, he used his own best judgement when placing the decorations.  A three-horned reindeer with two noses?  Why not?

We did a little painting too.  A hand print globbed onto a glass sphere with a few small details thrown in quickly turns into a happy family of snowmen.  A few of our ornaments took on the appearance of spring thaw.  The colors may have been muddied together into a lovely shade of brown that colored more of the hand print than not.  Whatever.  We're going with it.  With this project, it was a whole lot less about the end result and a whole lot more about working together and making 'a big, giant, giant mess.'  We definitely accomplished that.  

And there you have it, in several thousand words, give or take a few.