Making Painting Smocks

Over the summer, the school gave us an extensive list of school supplies to pick up. I literally went all over the city hunting down supplies and still didn't manage to get everything. Luckily, I put the word out to a girlfriend who helped me pick up two of the missing articles (who knew project style exercise books would be worth their weight in gold?). Thanks so much, L!

One of the items on the supply list was a painting smock. I had a look at what was available and then thought that I could make something just as nice - perhaps nicer - on my own. I found this gorgeous pattern and tutorial at Kellie's' Don't Look Now blog. The tutorial is wonderfully simple to follow, even at 2:00 in the morning when I do my best sewing ;)! I work best on a very, very tight deadline. Iain's first day of school being the deadline in this case). I copied the pattern pieces onto my USB stick and brought it to Staples. The pattern pieces were printed on 20 X 30 sheets at actual size. They printed beautifully and cost just under $10. Most everything else I needed was on hand due to many years of hoarding collecting bits and pieces of fabric and general sewing supplies.

I only made a couple of changes to the pattern. First off, I had some leftover nylon from when I'd made change pads for our first baby (Iain!) so I cut a solid piece to go under the front of Iain's new painting smock then basted it to the muslin I used for the front (and back) of the smock. This ensured that the smock is a little more water proof than when using just cotton.

The other change I made was to make up my own pattern for the front of Iain's smock. I found this super cute fabric at Walmart and couldn't resist buying it. Iain has been obsessed with going fishing this summer (and horrible parents that we are, we still haven't taken him out) so I thought that this fabric was perfect for him.

With that in mind, I designed a fish themed appliqué pattern for the front of his smock.

Voila!

I am thrilled with how it turned out.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to get a picture of Iain modelling it before he headed off to school and the smock went with him.

When I decided that I was going to make Iain a smock, a friend of mine asked if I could make one for her daughter, G, as well. She and Iain are great friends so this also provided me with the opportunity to make G a 'Happy First Week of School!" present.

What a treat - sewing with pink! Due to the serious lack of pink in this house, the opportunity to sew something using pink was great fun.

I more or less followed Kellie's appliqué pattern for G's smock.

My appliqué technique needs a bit of work but I am pleased with how it turned out overall. This style of appliqué is inspired by Maureen Cracknell, whose blog is a constant source of delight and inspiration.

And an actual modelled picture. By the look of those sleeves, I will be repeating this process come Christmas!

Rite of Passage

In what seems like a ridiculously short period of time, Eldest headed off for his first day of Kindergarten this past Thursday, September 6, 2012. He was thrilled!

WOO HOO! Says Iain!

Though I didn't end up shedding any tears at his school, the week prior to Iain's first day saw me in short fits of tears. To me, school is a huge rite of passage for both children and their parents and I was crying over the fact that 'this is it'.

From now on, we will have few days when I have all three boys home with me, days when we can stay in our pyjamas all day if we want or get up and get ready to hit one of the many programs or locations that have become so important to maintaining my sanity as the kids tear around enjoying themselves. This is the start of the big world having more of an impact on Iain than his family will. The start of an outside agency having a huge impact on our family schedule (can you say 'homework'?) and lifestyle. The start of significant peer influence. The last day of all boys being at home together.

Middlest wasn't quite as happy as his big brother about Iain going to school. He wanted to go to school TOO!

At the ripe old age of three, Aidan seemed to know exactly what
impact Iain's first day of school would have on his life.

Outside Iain's school.

Because Aidan was so upset, we didn't manage to capture all three boys in a a blog worthy picture at the school.

Iain was too cool. We found his class room and teacher, dropped his things off into his locker and got him changed into his indoor shoes. The teacher took a first day of school family picture of us all and Iain went to his desk calling out "See ya!" as he sat down.

Sniff.

I am so proud of you my big boy.

Salvage

The first time I visited Salvage, Bonavista Bay was over twenty years ago and with a former boyfriend ('ex' seems harsh - he was a nice guy). His father's family was from there. I have a very vague recollection of the visit and his grandparents home but a vivid memory of the town itself. The community was stunning and quickly became one of my favorite places on the island of Newfoundland. It had retained much of its original character with brightly painted stages and stores, many built on posts over the water. The rocks that the town was built on and between was equally lovely and its marriage with the seascape incredible. Always an ambassador of our province's scenic beauty, I have often encouraged people passing through or staying in Terra Nova National Park to head down the Eastport peninsula and visit Salvage.

You can imagine my delight when Salvage was part of our family summer holiday plans. Salvage has changed a bit since I last visited. There are fewer stores and stages, though there is still one in particular pitched on stilts that had my mother concerned for its occupants safety. However, its scenic charm is as strong as ever.

My other visits to Salvage have been to visit community members or to take a scenic drive. This time we got out of the vehicle and went for a hike along one of the 'Old Trails', a set of scenic hikes along old routes and paths to resettled communities or scenic look outs. We took the 'Doctors Pond' trail which led us past the salt water pond, to the cemetery at Burton's Cove and onto Net Point, named for the herring nets set underneath the point at sea level.

It was a gorgeous way to spend a few hours for all of us. The boys were particularly impressed with the humpbacks off Net Point.

The only cloud in an otherwise clear blue sky day was that we lost Iain's croc somewhere that day. Despite a thorough search, the sandal was nowhere to be found. This detail probably seems insignificant unless you know my oldest son and his shoe problems. The crocs actually belong to Aidan but after trying on fifteen pairs of sandals and Mommy giving up before we left for holidays, that croc had become pretty important.

NOTE: Please excuse the wonky layouts of some of these posts. I am posting remotely which does not allow me to format. The pictures are also not in chronological order. At. All. Grrr...

Happy 16th Anniversary!

Happy sixteenth anniversary, DH! THIS is the way to spend an anniversary -Terra Nova National Park in 28 C weather cloud watching and making new friends with most of my favorite people in the world.

A Short Family Holiday to: Alberta

In case you noticed (and at least one did - thanks for the MARCO email, M!) there was a commercial interruption in blog posts last week. That's because we took a much overdue family holiday and I couldn't freaking wait. It was the first time I had been on an airplane in almost a year and I was starting to get VERY twitchy from the lack of travel. You know, the kind of travel twitchy that convinces two usually sane adults that travelling with a four, two and eight month old three quarters of the way across the continent for just five days sounds like a good idea? If you are interested in some of what we experienced, one of my SILs, Liffey, sums it up nicely here.


However, we hadn't seen our good friends and godchildren in a dogs age (that's a long time to you CFAs) and I was desperate. We hadn't seen their new-to-us-already-lived-in-for-five-years-to-them house. We hadn't seen their new to us vehicles. Our godchildren are almost grown up and DH and I had not been back to Alberta together since leaving for Germany in the summer of 1998. 


The proverbial straw, however, was that we had not been on a family holiday in over a year and a half and, even if it was going to be short, it was going to be worth it.


And it was worth it. TOTALLY. Despite the fact that we flew stand by (the way our family is able to get seriously inexpensive tickets through DH's work) resulting in some minor flight and seat shuffling each leg, despite the fact that Aidan threw up all over himself at the Toronto airport resulting in a fresh and newly purchased wardrobe for the day (and the bin for his original outfit), despite the fact that the five days were, without a doubt, Finlay's crankiest ever (we blame his teeth - his first two in the front on the bottom are now up) or that Aidan appeared to have a bug and his getting sick at the airport wasn't just an airport thing, etc, etc, our trip was fantastic.


It was such a good time that I didn't even have time to take many pictures. I'm hoping my wonderful friend with the fancy camera in Fort Saskatchewan is going to forward me some decent pictures (hint! Hint!) but, until then, here are a few cute ones of the experience:

Waiting at the St. John's Airport

Not sure what they're talking about but I'm pretty sure the conversation began with Iain asking "Why...?"

Finlay's first flight. Despite this picture, he did not sleep for the entire flight. Nope. Mr. Nosy Pants here socialized with everyone who came within four feet of his Royal Cuteness.

Our trusty steed. No, I'm not being sponsored by them.

Waiting for DH to pick up the rental vehicle in Edmonton.

DH's finely honed engineering skills put to good use.

Aww, brothers.

On the stage at Fort Edmonton. The boys first time, mine and DH's second. Still amazing for young and older.

One of our handsome godchildren.

My beautiful girlfriend.

Everyone enraptured by a horse and carriage going by. These are our other two beautiful godchildren.

Turns out old tree stumps bring out the actor in Eldest!

I had to add this picture. This is how you tell who your good friends are. Aidan had another accident and we spent the rest of the day trying to dry out his cleaned underwear on top of the stroller and our friends continued to walk next to us like they knew us. Even the teenagers didn't complain. Wow.

Taking a break on a perfectly located bench.

It was shameful how little attention Finlay got on this trip. Truly shameful ;)!

The colourful burlap near the top of this picture is a colour coded burlap for hooking a rug/mat. I was involved in a brief tutorial on how to hook a mat with the volunteer at the covered wagon. Hookers: not just another pretty face ;)!

Elk Island National Park. The boys were THRILLED to see these.

On the flight home.

I'm the monkey in the middle!

Most of these pictures were taken using my iPhone. This is the face I get from Finn each and every time he sees my phone. What a ham!

Here is a run down of the things we saw other than the great visit with our friends and despite the lack of photographic evidence. We also visited a local splash park in Fort Saskatchewan, the waterpark at West Edmonton Mall (and to say that Finlay loved the water would be a gross understatement), and, be still my beating heart, IKEA (be thankful I'm not including pictures of the displays)!


We still love you Alberta and We. Will. Be. Back. Even if I can feel the province shudder from here...