RoyalMom

We have wonderful friends for Isaac and Xander and Simon enjoys tagging along but I decided I need to start setting up some playdates just for him.

Today we went to play with Pablo and he had so much fun!

I'm embarrassed to say this was the last time we visited them...

Pablo and Simon

And this was today...

Pablo and Simon

But I am a hermit and they live in Portland;) I'll try and make it over again before 3.5 years have whizzed by.

Summer 2010 was our first attempt at a garden.

Some bad decisions were made along with some less favorable weather. I was thinking our next garden would be much simpler with various lettuces, some tomatoes and that's it. But, honestly, we're going to go with a Farmers Market year for 2011.

Well into the fall of 2010 I gave up on the garden and figured my tomatoes would never grow, my carrots would never get bigger than tooth pick size, onions never bigger than marbles and the brussel sprouts never produce more than the giant sun blocking leaves.

I was right about everything but the brussel sprouts. They've been busy growing out there all by themselves.

Too bad they look a little over done for eating. But what do I know? Rookie!

You see how they take over my 4x4' garden bed? I'm guessing the space required and the harvest time of seven months may not be ideal for my home garden.

Xander always draws faces on balloons. Does this look a little like Barack Obama? I mean that in the nicest way possible. ;) It's just that he came to mind when I first saw it.

We need to start up a website for Xander's creations!

He made a mobile for Lotus out of Tinker toys and paper.

looking up at it...

I think there's a smile in there!

Yes! There is a smile!

...and getting too big to model my newborn hats!

I made some more buttons but this time used shape cutters instead of button molds. Lesson learned: Don't forget to set the holes down in a trough. The thread overwhelms the button after it's sewn on without that little gutter.

The hats the buttons are for. I know, wild and crazy combo:)

Busting out of the hat!

Lotus is such a happy baby. And such a sucker for my baby talk. It doesn't take much to get her to bust out a smile.

My sister Omi and her hubby Aaron had their first baby this morning!

Baby boy, Icen, weighing in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces and 20". He is a tiny ball of cuteness.

Fresh out of the oven...

Grandma gets to hold him...

Two Aunties get a hold:)

I am so happy for you guys! He is such a beautiful baby, healthy as can be and taking to nursing so naturally already. <3

Ooops! The last pic didn't get included for some reason.

Little sweetie face. ****swooon!!****

I feel horrible for posting this on the same day as baby Icen's birth but I guess not horrible enough to stop myself from doing it. Ha!

Not wanting to diminish the awesomeness of Icen's arrival AT ALL, I had to document my second sweater completed.

Xander is pleased with his color choice "Purple Mystery."

There was plenty of the "water green" yarn leftover so I'm using it for a tiny sweater for Lotus in size 12 months and some bulky yarn has been ordered for Isaac's sweater. WHew! after all of my babies have cozy pullovers I may need to take a knitting break!

Do we look related? hahahaha!!!

Omi and Icen...

Me and Simon, and my mama...

He makes stuff and tells me to get my camera.

Today's creations...

Xander sports a crown, cape, shield, wrist guard and metal tube weapon.
Simon displays the map. It looks like X marks the treasure. (so that's what the paper box full of paper gold coins was for!)

The first crown was too small so Lotus was made queen . Just like Cinderella but in this story having a small head is the desirable feature;)

My two littlest just before heading over to Omi and Aaron's house...

I swaddled Simon and rocked him in the rocking chair. I called his brothers over to see how well he smiles now and soothed him with back pats and baby talk. I tucked him in on the couch next to Lotus and he must have stayed there in cozy bliss for 20 minutes. hahaha!

Xander thought it was pretty dumb at first but after seeing all the babying play out he said, "Me next!" ha! That's right, they are all still my babies.

Finally holding Icen again. So tiny and sweepy...sigh:)

Only eight weeks difference in age and my baby girl is a giant next to him!

Two cousins down, one to go! I'm so excited to have both my sister and sis-in-law having babies so close together.

I like the tag coming off of Icen's head. It says 100% pure baby cuteness.

Clicky click for extra cuteness...

They might be related, eh?

The bear booties I knit for Lotus forever ago, back when we had no idea what this little person would be like, finally fit. They are so cute:)

Jason and I surprised the kids with some Valentine fun when they woke up.

Just some streamers on the door and handmade valentines but you would think it was Christmas by the sounds of their excitement when they woke up and saw it. haha!

Part of the fun of making these Valentines was having them in the living room "not looking" while we made them. It amps the excitement and shows them the work we put into it because we love them. Just like knitting for them...they get to watch a sweater grow from the yarn they picked out, see all the work I put into it and enjoy the finished product that much more. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!!

His little belly button from the side is my fav. Reminds me of a Cabbage Patch doll belly.

...and so are nine year olds.

Isaac sharing his passion for gaming with Lotus....

Lotus gives it a try. Jeez, these kids are learning how to work a computer earlier and earlier! ;)

I guess she fits in the Ergo baby carrier now but I'm not sure it's okay for her legs to be out yet. They seem pushed out too much for a little baby.

But, I'm also having trouble fitting her legs inside the Mei Tai carriers. Maybe a side carry is the best for now. I'll have to play around with the carriers and see how a side carry can work.

Picture complete with baby spit shirt.

I finished a little sweater for Lotus out of the leftover yarn meant for Isaac's sweater (that turned out small enough for Xander and Simon).

This is supposed to be a 12-18 month size. I think it will still fit next year but I'm not sure. The pattern does seem to run a little small after knitting three of them. They are so cute and cozy though.

Xander made a house out of cardboard and some paper people to go with it.

I'm calling it "My first studio apartment." It just needs a kitchenette that can be hidden by a curtain, a futon and a few pieces of hand-me-down accessory furniture. :D

An amazing day! We got all three boys into the cooking class together!

This never happens...getting them all into a class together I mean. Classes always seem to be broken into age groups that just miss including one brother, but not today! We lucked out...with such small class sizes the teacher combined the two age groups and let Simon join.

I took the pocket camera the kids usually use and snapped a picture of the class eating the meal they created...

I'm not sure why the photos are so long and lean. I haven't touched this camera in a long time and I'm not even sure how to change the settings.

Check out the other photos I found, that the kids took.

Lotus sleeping in our big family bed...haha!

Isaac and his DS

One of Xander's creations (I believe this box is what later evolved into "my first studio apartment."

Random kid perspective pics of Lotus

On Isaac...

On me...

An older one, modeling one of the cable hats I made...

This one must have been taken by Simon. Completely out of focus but I love how it shows Xander at the table where he spends much of the day working on his crafts, And Jason popping up from his spot where he uses his computer.

Since we ran out of perler beads, a trip to the craft store was DIRE (keeping the craft supplies stocked is important around here;).

Along with the three giant buckets of perler beads, we grabbed a bunch of new crafts to try, including these bead kits...

The middles (that's my new nick name for Xander and Simon...I do love the symmetry of having four children!) had fun making themselves a necklace. Xander says he'll make me one but it will have to wait until tomorrow.

Another project that landed in our shopping cart was a blanket we put together.

Aundi and Casey made us a cozy fleece blanket that's blue and red with trucks on it a few years ago. We have been using it for Lotus' "nest" on the couch, where we tuck her in when she's napping. Jason and I made another one in a fun girlie print last night.

Awfully cute blankie for only $13 at the fabric store!

The boys are thrilled with the shirt ninja mask we figured out how to make last night. A whole lotta wooop-POW going on here!

So now while I'm innocently chillin' on the couch watching the Phineas & Ferb marathon this morning, I look over to see this face next to me...

Other happenings today...Jason thought today was a good day for green eggs. No reason.

And, I might be breaking out the sewing machine again but *only* because I need something for my knitting. This could get ugly...

A new project was born from a need for better containment for my knitting notions. Everything stuffed in the inside pocket of my bag has lead to things spilling out the second I throw my bag down many times.

So.....I thought what I needed was a pencil pouch. After searching stores and not finding what I needed, a Google search turned up this adorable zipper pouch sewing pattern, with embroidered applique.

I still have very little patience for sewing. Isn't it sad to want the product but lack the skill?

Jason once again joined me on the project and did most of the machine work while I tackled the embroidery part of the pattern. Embroidery? Who knew it could be so fun?!!! I had so much fun, I'm trying to think what else needs some embroidered flair. ha!

Aside from the little embroidery, this is really a show and tell for Jason. He is getting really good! This might be the first time the old sewing machine has had the zipper foot used. He rocked it out like a pro.

Jason had fun too because he wants to make a money pouch for one of the kids.

We bought one of the beginning sewing, or should I say threading, kits during our splurge at the craft store. The kit included a heart and a cat to thread and stuffing...

Xander tried the heart and decided it was a pretty lame activity.

I suggested he try the cat on the machine and it went from lame to super fun! He handled the curvy seam like a pro and now he knows as much about sewing as I do;)

Isaac has not been interested in much in the home economics department but I think the sewing machine might have caught his attention.

He made a little pillow and is now eyeing up the embroidered plushie doll pattern I printed out.