TWENTY-SIX

My kids completed the summer reading program for the local library so on Monday night we went to pick up their prizes -several tickets for free kids meals at local restaurants and entry tickets to a couple museums and zoos and a free book each. They were really excited. 

2017 week twenty-six

Theodore finds dead flies (that Matthew shoots with his salt gun and leaves on the ground/blinds/splattered to the windows) and perches them on the back of his hand and tries to carry them around the house as little pets. If they drop off, Frida is at his feet to snap them up. It's a little gross around here. 

Tuesday night we took some friends to a new chicken restaurant ("chicken restaurants" are things in the South) as a thank you for all their help during the past couple months. Everything was spot on. And there was a little outdoor stage for my kids to run around and pretend to perform on. Also it's so close to our house, so, come visit us and we'll take you to have the best fried chicken you've ever had. 

Blueberry lemon cream tart. 

Theodore makes this face when he sees me getting a towel
wet at the end of a meal.

He keeps his eyes screwed up tight while giggling, then
he sticks one hand out while trying not to dissolve into
hysterics. 

More dead bug adventures. Theo found a dead cicada. And the kids carried it around in a cup admiring its wings and eyes and little legs and feet. After a while they wanted to see what was inside... the cicada adventure ended in, "THEODORE! You can't steal the bug! I'm trying to dig a hole for a FUNERAL! AHHHH! BRING IT BACK!" 

This style brought to by 50% genetics and 50% dinner in your hair. 

I've had a couple people express interest in the "smocks" that my kids wear during meals. These were a response to my children wiping their hands on their backs instead of the bibs tied around their fronts. So, clearly the bibs needed 360 degree coverage. And viola, the smock was born.  Technical writing isn't my strong suit (neither is washing or ironing sewing projects) but here is a quick tutorial for our smocks/pinafores.

Target sells a pack of 4 flour sack towels. Any such towel will work. But that four pack makes two smocks. Feel free to wash and iron yours, I've made too many to care about perfection in them since they are essentially glorified napkins that I bleach the dickens out of. 

On each towel fold over one side and sew down to  make a casing for elastic. You can make this any size you prefer. 

Leave 2 towels whole. Cut the remaining two in half. Hem the cut side. 

Sew two smaller pieces onto each side of the towel you left whole. Start sewing from the bottom and only sew halfway up. 

Thread elastic through all three pieces, and tie elastic at the back. You can sew the two pieces that touch in the back together or leave them open. I prefer to leave them open because I can adjust the elastic if it shrinks in the wash, and it's easier for my kids to find the back to put on themselves. I have previously added different colored ribbon bows where the pieces meet in the back.  That looks really cute. Without the bow it's a bit more "unisex."  

One size fits all smock/pinafore. 

I have a delightful relationship with kitchen towels -I adore them. Here is another kitchen towel trick I discovered to help keep lettuce fresh for ages. Dismantle your head of lettuce and submerge in cold water. Lightly shake out each leaf and place stem side in toward the center of a kitchen towel, overlapping slightly. Fold the other half of the towel over the stem and lightly roll up your lettuce. Fold another towel over the top of the leaves and lightly roll up. The moisture from the wet leaves seems to keep the lettuce remarkably crisp and lovely in the fridge. I had a head of lettuce that we slowly picked away at for almost three weeks and each leaf was as crisp and perfect as the last. 

Vera found a PEZ candy at the store that she wanted to do extra jobs around the house to earn. She was in a pony state of mind for days toting around that little thing. 

Helping Papa put up shelves in our guest room closet. So much more space for my jams and preserves now! 

Goldielocks was getting too sweaty in this summer heat, so he got a proper hair cut yesterday morning. 

And a congratulatory lunch at Cane's with the library coupon for free kids meals. 

Quotes:

"Probably when I'm a mama, before I get married and have kids I will be an actress on a stage for one week then I will have a baby and get married. Will you come see me on the stage theatre and I will not be shy?"

"Wow! I've always wanted a phone like this!"

"Look, if I put my legs through the arm holes of my purple dress, it makes a really good penis! Can I stuff it in my panties and wear the penis to the library?"

"I'm so sad. My child giraffey died and we are at her funeral. Is this music sad enough for a funeral?"

"That baby is the cutest baby ever. She's even cuter than me when I was a baby!"

"Why did that bear get all his fur taken off?"

"Do you know why I did that? Because I'm cute and curious!"

V -"Why did the library give me one of their books to take home? Why did I want to pick a goldilocks book?"
Me -"Vera, please don't ask me why you did something. You were the one who did it. Just tell me about it. If you want to talk about something just say, 'I wanted a goldilocks book.' You don't need to always ask why when you want to say something."
V- "Why don't I have to ask why? Why did I ask why?"
Me -"I'm going to lose my mind."

Sunday night family dinner. Matt made his delicious Independence Day ribs and I grilled some chicken. There was watermelon and corn and biscuits and jam and s'mores and everything a 4th of July dinner could want.