Nine-patches and snowballs done for June

Plus one make-up month's worth. When we get back from Florida, it'll be July, so I can do my other make-up month then.

I moved my blocks from the one-quart bag to the one-gallon bag today :)

Christmas in June (and July, and August...etc.)

My internet buddy Amanda in Australia has issued a Christmas Challenge. The task for the month of June was to make a Christmas ornament. I've been putting mine off (ya think?) but finally just decided to get it done tonight.

I had some scraps of sewn-together Christmas fabric squares that I think one of the kids dragged home as a quilt show prize. I took it apart and tried the half-square triangle technique demo'ed here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MissouriQuiltCo

It worked great, but the pinwheel block I started with was WAY too big, so I took the four pieces and cut them some more: two into smaller pinwheels and squares and two just in half. So I wound up with four ornaments instead of one. Only one got bound, and I glued the button on to cover the thread tangle from sewing a hanging loop on :)



I may or may not finish the other three tomorrow - I have some neglected black and white nine-patches that need attention, as well as my Art Now for Autism mini-quilt.

Happy Father's Day to a great dad!

My wonderful husband. The Small Man and I went out and got donuts from Donut King for breakfast, and then used his Father's Day present of a bag of chocolate chips to make cookies. Also listened to "Exile on Main Street" and watched "Blazing Saddles." He made his own dinner though - cheeseburgers! All in all, a good day.

Sparkly trees

In my yard in the summer, we have fireflies.

We have a lot more than we used to, because there are no lawn chemicals used at casa de Monkeys. Early in the evening, there are the sort of lightning bugs that I remember from childhood summers spent in East Tennessee. [I grew up in South Florida. Plenty of bugs, but no lightning bugs!] Slow, lazy fireflies that hover around fairly close to the ground, so easy to catch.

Later, though, when it gets to be full dark, my trees start to sparkle. Hundreds of fireflies in my trees, and they don't seem to bother with long flashes - short, rapid-fire flashes that make it look as if fairies are sending messages to each other. It's completely magical.

I wonder if I was just never allowed to stay up late enough to see this, and it happens lots of other places as well.

KinderCare graduation today

The Small Man graduated from preschool today.
Yes, he's adorable.


There were musical numbers, including all kinds of hand movements.


I think in this one, they were signing the letters for "Alligators All Around."


As they handed out diplomas, Ms. Nadine asked each kid "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Small Man was first, and said "FIREFIGHTER!" (He changes his mind on an hourly basis, mind you.) The girls were pretty consistent - teachers, doctors, ballerinas, princesses. One "gymnastics girl," one "painter," and one "singer." The boys had a core of testosterone-fueled professions (another firefighter, policeman, soldier, cowboy, etc.) but were also WAY more creative. "Spaceman." "Pizza Man." "Superhero." And my personal favorite: "METAL DETECTOR!"

One more week, then (as I'm told two or three times a day) the SUMMER BASH on Friday, and then NO MORE KINDERCARE PAYMENTS!!