Larry Boy

Remember the artist within from last spring. We have been working on drawing mat man which is a basic man almost like a stick figure from Handwriting without Tears. Miss K has been doing mat man with the prompts. Her brother decided he wants to be an artist and so he has been drawing and drawing. He drew Larry Boy telling me how easy it is to draw.

Miss K really wanted Larry Boy. The other day she asked me how to spell Larry Boy. She wrote the L and then wanted help. Today she decided to draw Larry Boy.



Maybe there really is an artist within.

Cover for a Kindle

I had a friend visiting and so we decided to work on some projects. We chatted while we scrapbooked. I managed to do about 18 pages not completely caught up but getting there. My friend mentioned that she needed a cover for her Kindle. I had seen a pattern on Moda Bakeshop. I got my scraps of fabric and made it. Using the fabric I had mine is a bit different.



The pattern was easy. I still need to work on binding which I admit is one thing I don't really like doing. The one thing I would do if I were to make this again is to make it a bit smaller about 18 x 9.5 instead of 18 x 10. I might just have to make one for myself.

Happy Birthday, George

We joined the celebration today remembering February 1777 when George really was there and he celebrated his birthday.He turned 46 here.  Did you know that Martha joined him every winter? George would get settled for the winter and then Martha would join him. During the whole war George only went to Mount Vernon once on the way to Yorktown. Mount Vernon was named for a British General.

Well, the first thing the children did today was inlist in the army. I have their enlistment papers and their pay. They signed up for three years. The only medical check they needed was to make sure they had at least a tooth on the top and bottom.

After that they got their weapons and began learning marching and maneuvering drills according to General Von Steuben's training manual.

They marched them up a hill and then marched them back down the hill. Then General Washington reviewed the troop's progress.

Then we sang Happy Birthday and had some cake. There was a cake there made from Martha's recipe.

We then went to a reenactment and tried to stay warm at the fire. It wasn't near as cold as it was in 1777.

It was a fun activity and fits as we are studying American History. Last week as we got ready we started reading some books about George Washington so that hopefully we had a bit of understanding before today. We did learn that he was born on February 11 but that year they adjusted the calendar and was it became February 22.

Spelling Help

Miss K  - "Mama, spell 'gr'"

Mama - "gr - g, r"

Miss K - "okay" as she picks up her pencil and writes something on her paper.

Then later she said .

Miss K - "Mama, spell heart"

Mama - "h, e, a, r, t"

I saw the h and some scribbles and the t on the paper.

I think she has listened to her brother ask how to spell words and it was her turn.

 

Heart Pillow

I finally finished the heart pillow. The idea was floating in my head. It was inspired when I found a scrap of red pinstripe fabric in just that size in a box of fabric. The buttons were from my button jar. I used a cookie cutter to draw the heart and  I hand sewed the buttons.

I know yesterday was Valentine's Day but now it is finished for next year.

Pursue Love

That was my theme for the first two weeks of February as we got ready to celebrate Valentine's Day. I made some hearts for messages and notes. I got the pattern from Moda Bake Shop but changed it a bit. I wasn't sure how it went together so I started with some scrap red fabric. Then I decided that J being a boy would probably not go for real hearty fabric so I just decorated this for him.

I added a bit to Miss K's to just give it a bit more girl look and considering that she is all girl I knew she would like that. I did write notes and put them in most days (I missed some days as we had the house painted things were torn apart). I used words from I Cor 13.

We made heart shaped pizza for dinner tonight, Valentine's Eve (tomorrow we celebrate a birthday).



J doesn't put much cheese on his and he realized that after it was cooked.

It was a fun celebration.

Life with Miss K

keeps you busy - we left the 2 remaining donuts in her bedroom and she found them. (We had been hanging out in her room while they were painting).

keeps you wondering - why did she pull everything out of her bedroom? Because she saw the painters come in and put everything in the middle of the living room and she decided her room was next or so we think.

keeps you laughing as she runs down the list of movies she wants to watch -- Arthur at Grandma's, Annie, Cat and mouse (Tom & Jerry), Bears, and a few others.

keeps you praying as she wakes up crying and saying she hurts and needs the doctor (she coughs and says she needs the doctor) and is her little body is shaking. We decided she must have had a bad dream that left her scared. After a few minutes was calm and not shaking.

keeps you smiling - she doesn't miss much and wants to be part of everything.

American Helicopter Museum

Last Friday morning I decided it would be best to leave the house so the painters could paint without interference. I had a bit of a time crunch because Miss K had therapy. I decided that we would go to the American Helicopter Museum. J and I had tried to go there last summer but it was Tuesday. They were open on Friday and we enjoyed our time. I thought it was a bit expensive but decided if I view it as a donation as well as admission then it doesn't bother me as much. If you do want to go there are coupons available from here.

There were not many people there that is the advantage of going on a school day. The volunteer was very informative and had worked in helicopter design. This part of the country has a bit of helicopter manufacturing.

The kids had fun and hopefully they learned something. I did tell J that he had to give me 2 things that he learned.

I wish there had been a bit more about the history of helicopters. It seemed that basically it was a big room filled with helicopters. There was a children's corner and some books which gave us more information.

It was interesting and I had told J that we would go back when we could go inside so we did that.

Homemade Sausage

Living overseas is full of challenges. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed those challenges until coming back to the USA. One of the things that I learned to make while we were overseas was breakfast sausage. We could get ground pork but could not find sausage or if we did find it, it was imported and expensive so I found a recipe and learned to make it.

1 pound bulk pork

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 sage

1/8 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmet

1/4 tsp paprika

2 oz water

Mix it up and then fry a bit to see how it tastes and adjust as necessary.  I will often make 2 or 3 pounds at a time.

I made it the other day. Just to keep up that skill and for the sense of accomplishment. Then we had biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I had a little helper making the biscuits.

The gravy was yummy.

My "white bread and gravy loving" daughter was enjoying this meal.

I know, this is a southern breakfast. I am married to a southern who suggested this. We had grits the morning before and my kids couldn't get enough of them.

She is all girl.

There is no question -- she is a girl. The other week she had found my purse and found my lipstick case and was so proud of herself. She used my lipstick -- my favorite Clinque color that you cannot buy in America. I will admit that it was hard to tell her no when she looked so proud and cute. I did tell her no after taking a picture.

She is stubborn. That "no" did really mean much. She found my purse and got out the lipstick again. I didn't take a picture and she did get a bit more of a no. She also got her own lipstick case and lipstick aka chapstick. She is happy.

She did take it with her to the doctor appointment the other day.