Working clothes?

Seems like all we do lately is go shopping for clothes. We've had two shopping trips on two subsequent weekends, and neither Dave or I are tremendously interested in the Mall.

The first trip was to buy Chloe some working boots for the job experience project she was going to work on in the next week...so steel toe boots were a requirement.

So, Chloe had her week of doing cabinetry at a small cabinet shop (much too strenuous, may keep woodworking as a hobby!)

The next shopping trip was to buy all the kids warm clothes for a trip down to New South Wales. Since it's winter time and pretty cold there we were looking for long-sleeved warm things. With not too much luck though, NQ is not the place for warm coats and sweaters.

Donnelly had the quote of the day though:
"Don't go over there, all they have is upper-class women working clothes."

Makes you wonder what low-class clothes would be since we were in Target at the time. :)

Dave also picked up a $15 box of chocolates that he was going to drop off at the cabinet shop to thank the owners for looking after Chloe for a week. Problem: he left them out overnight and Izzy broke into the box, gnawed a hole in it, and ate several candy bars.

Can't give them to the business now.

Oh, dear, guess I'll have to eat them all myself.

Sigh, the trials of being a step-mother.

The Chinese have nothing to worry about

I've been trying my hand at a bit of sewing lately now that we have room for me to leave my sewing machine out.

All of the needed accessories at hand: thread, machine, pins, scissors,
 and ... Diet Coke

My latest project is a set of table napkins. My mother-in-law sent me a bunch of gorgeous lace-edged ones, but of course they're too nice to use (at least with our bunch). So I decided to make some inexpensive ones that I wouldn't worry about getting dirty.

The kids gave their highest compliment "They look just like bought ones!" Since it took me all afternoon to make a set of 8, I don't think I will hire myself out to a sweatshop anytime soon.

In the running for probably the longest time I've EVER taken to do a project is the embroidery sampler in the picture below. I started it over a year ago at the other house, and promised myself that I would finish it eventually.

I really like embroidery, and hope to do more of it soon. It's very relaxing and I can just let my mind wander while I "paint with thread", which is how I explained it to the kids. 

Cross-stitch just seems a little bit too much like math,
so I think I'll stick with embroidery

The Birthday Boy

The Sugar High cometh!

Brynley's 11th birthday was this weekend. He got to have part of his present early because his actual birthday fell in the middle of the week. I think Dave may have regretted this particular purchase...

Bryn tried for weeks to convince us that he was really 11 turning 12, but sadly he's now only 11. I'm not sure what benefit being 12 has, but I suspect it has something to do with a later bed-time.

Chloe has nominated herself as the family birthday cake baker, and so she got to work early in the day to make her special chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. You can't go wrong with chocolate!

The modern baker - note the apron
pocket doubles as an MP3 carrier

The Never Fail Birthday Cake

After Chloe finished the cake I saw a well-scraped bowl left on the counter. I asked the chef if she let the boys lick the bowl. She said "Nope, it's my cake, and my bowl, because thats how things roll in the land of Chloe".

Connor looks perplexed
"um, those are really big candles"

Tall candles are surprisingly hard to blow out

And now, bring on the presents!

All..... mine!

The best gifts don't need batteries!