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For years now I've been saving the plastic thread spools, and of course I have quite a few by now. I always thought that they would be the kind of thing a child would like to play with, a sort of imaginary group of people or buildings.
No luck with that, however. Nora very clearly told me, "Gran B, thread is not a toy."
Last week, however, my heart was warmed to see Aaron playing with the spools in the doll house, carefully making a line all around the upstairs. Ah, at last.
Tonight was the last swim lesson of the summer at the Y. I'm feeling sort of sad, although there is lots of summer still to come and Nora still has several weeks of summer vacation.
The baby quilt group is doing a Double Nine Patch quilt this month, and at the last meeting we started making nine patch strips with 1 1/2" strips. I've learned that it's crazy hard for me to work with squares that tiny, especially if the spatches are just a little different in size and need to be squared up.
So, I've started over with 2 1/2" strips and I can tell already that I'm a lot happier. Not to mention, I won't need as many blocks.
And, I've changed my mind about Aaron's train quilt. I'd planned on nine embroidered blocks but I'll be doing twelve. Four rows of three. My first choices were train cars with animals, very cute, but really, the tank cars and coal cars are just as cute.
Coming home from quilt guild last night was my first night trip in my new car and it was raining like crazy. Loved the blue dash lights and the red radio and temperature lights. Having new tires and all wheel drive was wonderful on the wet roads. I really like this car.
Loving the rain too. Sometimes in August it's just so dry - this is a treat.
Ah, today the pictures upload just like they're supposed to. Above, the train quilt I'm working on for Aaron's birthday.Last night was a sleepover, and a good one. There was sleep, even during a 5 a.m. thunderstorm.
When my daughters were small, they had the usual Fisher Price farm, house, castle, etc. I didn't keep the large buildings, which were probably battered and just too big for easy storage. I did keep all the people and their chairs, cars, etc. and they always come out when the kids visit. Amazing that all those years later they still are so loved. I think that some of them even went home with the kids today. Some are lined up and enjoyed, like chairs and beds and cars. And some are fought over a little because, after all, there is only one refrigerator, stove, and sink. From time to time some go into the dishwasher and they always come out fine. Good times.
I'm not sure why I'm not able to add pictures to the blog today, these things just seem to happen from time to time.Probably eight months ago, maybe longer, I started on a train quilt for Aaron's birthday. I embroidered five cars, then quit, I think because Christmas was approaching. Suffice it to say, it took some remembering to get back into making the remaining blocks in just the same way. And now I have eight blocks finished, one more to go, I think, unless I change my mind about how many there should be.Before I started the quilt, I bought a package of microfiber dish cloths at Family Dollar because the colors were so pretty, nice bright pastels. I was happy to find the train pattern because I knew I'd found a use for them. Luckily for me, they are still in stock since I needed a second pack. I think I'll back them with a fusible interfacing, sort of like a t-shirt quilt.When I started embroidering, Aaron was such a different little guy than he is today. He's so grown up now and can ALMOST swim. He's tall and wears grown-up clothes. Luckily for me, he still likes trains. His birthday is next month, should be able to get this finished by then.
Ginny's oh-my-gosh night view,
For years now I've been saving the plastic thread spools, and of course I have quite a few by now. I always thought that they would be the kind of thing a child would like to play with, a sort of imaginary group of people or buildings.
Nora, just out of the pool, was clowning with her birthday cake ice cream. She ended up mixing it with my blueberry ice ball.
Aaron had a blueberry ice ball too, and he ate the whole thing, totally into it. The ladies at the next table loved him.
Tonight was the last swim lesson of the summer at the Y. I'm feeling sort of sad, although there is lots of summer still to come and Nora still has several weeks of summer vacation.
Aaron's teacher was the beloved Miss Heather, described by Aaron, quite correctly, as beautiful.
Usually the lessons were followed by half an hour of outdoor swimming, but tonight was just too cool.
I love that the kids swim in the deep end, even the little ones like Aaron. And that the kids jump off the racing block, once again, even the little ones. It's been a great experience for both kids.
The baby quilt group is doing a Double Nine Patch quilt this month, and at the last meeting we started making nine patch strips with 1 1/2" strips. I've learned that it's crazy hard for me to work with squares that tiny, especially if the spatches are just a little different in size and need to be squared up.
And, I've changed my mind about Aaron's train quilt. I'd planned on nine embroidered blocks but I'll be doing twelve. Four rows of three. My first choices were train cars with animals, very cute, but really, the tank cars and coal cars are just as cute.
Ah, today the pictures upload just like they're supposed to. Above, the train quilt I'm working on for Aaron's birthday.
When my daughters were small, they had the usual Fisher Price farm, house, castle, etc. I didn't keep the large buildings, which were probably battered and just too big for easy storage. I did keep all the people and their chairs, cars, etc. and they always come out when the kids visit. Amazing that all those years later they still are so loved. I think that some of them even went home with the kids today. Some are lined up and enjoyed, like chairs and beds and cars. And some are fought over a little because, after all, there is only one refrigerator, stove, and sink. From time to time some go into the dishwasher and they always come out fine. Good times. 
Ginny's oh-my-gosh night view,
Angela's shopping bag of batiks,
Baby bib adapted from Quilts and More,
Coleus that languished way too long in their cell packs, now happy in Miracle Grow potting soil.
