A Home-Made Phaser

Look what Parker and his dad made tonight before dinner! A replica of the original Star Trek series phaser. They have been watching the original series a little a time each night after Parker reads to my husband. He's been wanting a phaser to play with, but you can't buy one like the original any where around here! So they found an image on the internet and made this in about an hour before dinner tonight. I'm pretty impressed! Parker does great sound effects for it too.

Quiet Day to myself

I had a quiet day to myself today because my boys went skiing without me. I injured my left big toe a few months ago. The bruise underneath the nail has moved up enough that the nail is now separating from my toe. Ouch! I got a lot done though. I slept in a little then quilted one of the charity quilts I pieced at retreat. I will start on the binding tonight. I made another note pad cover and a tote bag, both for potential gifts. I finally finished the bag I cut from the "what was I thinking" fabric, photo above. It made a really cute tote bag. I cut up the rest of this fabric to use as backing for charity quilts. The bag turned out so cute I may have to find other backing fabric and make a few more totes with it instead.

Notebook covers

I've had company and been out of town so I haven't posted for a while. I made these little note pad covers last week. They hold an 8" by 5" note pad. It took me longer to figure out the pattern than it did to make them! These are just my practice ones. I hope to make some fancier ones to give as gifts.

Flu Shot gives 7 year old boy Super Powers!

Parker has always been a bit of a wimp when it comes to shots. My husband and I have both had more than our fair share of crying and whining at doctors offices and the health center with Parker getting vaccinations. So when the note came home last week that they would be giving H1N1 vaccinations at Parker's school on Tuesday, we braced for the worst.

They were offering both the shot and the nasal spray, but warned that anyone who had ever been diagnosed with a list of conditions should not get the nasal spray. One of the conditions is asthma and Parker was diagnosed with asthma as a baby. He has not ever had any asthma symptoms while he's been healthy. But when he gets sick it usually goes to his lungs. Then we have to use the nebulizer and after a few days he's better.

We told him that some kids would get the nasal spray but he needed to get the shot because the spray could make him sick. Then Tony told him a story about how he distracts himself and doesn't look at the needle and before he knows it the shot is over. So Parker decided he was going to be brave, but he took a blankie, just in case.

I worried all day. Kept my cell phone in my pocket all day in case he needed me. It never rang. When he got home I asked him how his day was. He said it was great. Taking this as a good sign, I asked about the shot. He said the needle was tiny and hardly hurt at all. He told me all about the procedure. Then he says, very serious and kind of quietly, the shot has given him super powers! It took some serious mommy super powers not to laugh out loud, but somehow I managed.

So ... have you gotten your flu shot? If you are feeling like you could use some super powers, give it a try. Be sure to let me know if it works for you too!

Visual Texture Homework

My art group meets today. Last month we created some visual texture pieces using black and white copies of textural fabrics. Our homework was to recreate one of our paper pieces using fabric. Here is the paper version I made last month.
And this is my fabric version.

I haven't put any binding on it yet. I did this yesterday afternoon and didn't have time!

Navajo Stocking Ornaments

I have finished the first set of ornaments for this year. I have the others ready for the blanket stitching. These have turned out very cute!

Vase of Flowers

More beautiful artwork by Parker. This one was done at the end of first grade. I bought frames for this one and the monster yesterday morning. They are too good to just put in a box (and bigger than the box I have)!

Yesterday afternoon I made 9 dinners for my freezer plus a 10th that we ate last night. I now have about two weeks worth of dinners in the freezer. Yay!

This morning I started basting my nephew Zeke's quilt. My mom made the top for him and gave it to me to quilt. I realized this morning that she is coming on Thursday and expects it to be ready to sew the binding on! So I'd better go finish basting it.