Alphabet Bean Bags

This weekend I FINALLY got in gear on a project I have been thinking about for three months!  Over the last two weeks I gathered my supplies, cut out letters, etc. but this weekend I was determined to finish.  I DID IT - Alphabet bean bags for Charlotte!  

 

{Side Note:  Whenever I run into friends around town and we have not spoken for a few weeks, they invariably ask what is new with me.  We live a pretty normal, steady life – would not want it any other way – so it’s hard to report boring – if monumental events in our life – facts like “I FINALLY caught up on laundry.  Aren’t you jealous of my swinging life?”  What they should ask is what new projects I am working on, now THAT is a long list of exciting and ever changing goals.  Just sayn’}  

So, here is what I came up with using white felt, letter patterns from my computer, two super cute charm packs of fabric, beans and my sewing machine.  This is a time consuming project and I had many bumps in the road (how did I manage to break a needle at 1am?) but SO WORTH IT to see Charlotte’s excitement.   

 

Because I do a lot of crafty projects this scenario plays out quite often.  When the supplies start accumulating on the dining room table (in this case the sewing machine, fabric, etc.) – she immediately asks what I am making for her!  Until the project is completed, she circles me ten minutes or so like a shark, checking on my progress and trying to run off with unfinished pieces.  It’s a wonder I accomplish anything!  

Anyway, although so much of it had to be done during naptime or after bedtime, Charlotte was able to help fill the bags with beans.  I tried to keep my OCD under wraps …it was hard, beans were EVERYWHERE but she had a blast.  No matter how many times I told Charlotte they were dried beans she insisted that it was dirt and that she was playing in her garden!  

Here they are – all 26 uppercase letters!  

Fort Charlotte

This afternoon Charlotte convinced her Dad to make her a fort!  They had so much fun and spent a few hours watching tv (Star Wars) while I was sewing in the dining room.  Wayne even took a little nap at one point.  They were being so cute so OF COURSE I needed a picture.  This is when Charlotte told me “NO pictures in the fort Mommy!”  

 

Here is a picture of the nest Charlotte and I “built” yesterday.  She pulled EVERY pillow we had in the house.  Okay, I called it a nest – which she hated – she called it a camp and announced we were ALL camping in the living room.

Charlotte is a Penguin!

On Friday, Wayne, Nanny and I took Charlotte to meet her new teacher for the school year.  She was excited to meet her teacher and other classmates.  To be fair though, she spent much of the time playing with the dress up clothes, babies and shopping carts.  ;) 

Charlotte was happy to learn that her class this year will be the PENGUINS and her teacher sent home a little craft project, well I guess you could call it homework, for her to create and then return on the first day of school.  The instructions suggest encouraging you child to be creative and color or decorate the penguin anyway they want.  Figures that Charlotte was totally un-interested in doing anything other than playing with the glue stick and placing the pieces EXACTLY where they were supposed to be!   

Ps – The cute bee antenna Charlotte insisted she needed to wear to do this project – too funny – is from Granddad.  In addition to breakfast and fishing with him yesterday we also went to a Bee/Honey Expo.  Granddad very kindly bought Charlotte this super cute headband.  Thanks Dad, obviously she loves it!

First Day Of School: PreK 3's

Daddy Fun Day

Today was one of those “missing” summer days where summer school is out but the school year has not quite started.  Wayne and I decided at the beginning of summer, when we discovered the lapse, that we’d try to take those days off of work to spend “special” time with Charlotte.  

Based on the state of my house this afternoon when I came home from work –I’m calling it "Knee Deep in Disaster" - today was a HUGE success.  Of course, I knew it was as soon as I opened my car door – another one of those awesome moments when I wish my brain could record those “moments” that I can never describe well enough to do them justice!  Le Sigh!  

 

Charlotte came running out of the garage, dressed literally HEAD to TOE in princess regalia and announced “Mommy, Daddy and I have been being married all day!”  I looked to Wayne for confirmation… “Um, yah.  We even had a wedding!!”  Ha, ha!  Wayne said they were playing with her dress up clothes and in the midst of a totally appropriate (according to Daddy – they had toy swords, enough said!) game of pirates when Charlotte found a veil her Grandma made for her last Christmas.  Apparently she turned right around with the veil on her head and announced they were having a wedding.  Charlotte went on to tell me about the rest of their adventures including their babies, a lion and a pig {of course}, with names like Baby and Boris.  One totally normal name for a three year old to choose and the other, just, WHAT?!?  ;)  She also told me they used the couch as a “car” in their pretending and when I came into the house she had Baby and Boris strapped into toy car seats on the couch..Too cute!