holiday kick off

The past few weeks have flown by.  From DC to Boston, we've visited all of our east coast family.  Thanks for putting up with us.  We really do love spending time with you all.  (I only pulled out the camera twice during the past few weeks.  The pictures below are from the day we visited the Public Gardens downtown Boston.)

Cora's Quotes

-When she obviously needs to go potty, we'll ask her, 'do you need to go potty?"  She will almost always respond by saying, "no, I already did."

-I was asking her what she wanted for a present for Christmas.  She didn't say anything, so I started suggesting things like dolls, bikes, art supplies, and stuff.  She said no to everything and then said that she wanted, "clips" (aka: finger nail clippers).

-I asked Cora what does Daddy do when he goes to school and clinic.  She responded by saying, "Eat food and sandwich in backpack."

-It was Cora's turn for the prayer so she was repeating after me.  I said "thank thee for" and she said "five six seven eight nine ten eleven."

-Lap is "wap."  She knows how to say it correctly, but she insists that it is called "wap."

-Cora is convinced that individually wrapped prunes are actually candy.

-Any open area is just an invitation to do somersaults.

-She used to say her name sounding like 'Cow-a.'  Now is sounds more like "Car-a."  Maybe one day it will sound like "Cora."

-One time we spotted a Caterpillar just outside out building.  I let her hold it and play with it for a few minutes.  EVERY SINGLE TIME we go in or out of the building (since this happened in September) she says, "Caterpillar crawled away."

-We put a Sesame Street episode on Ryan's IPod for Cora.  Later she was asking to watch Sesame Street on the "Pea Pod."

-Cora and I took a one way flight home from Boston.  She was seriously disappointed when she found out we weren't going to Grandma's house when the plane landed.   I guess she has associated airplane rides with going to Grandma's.

recent goodies

I love that little stinker and I love sewing for her.  

let's go fly a kite

ryan took cora on a date to fly a kite.  she can't stop talking about it.  here's what the camera showed about their outing.

two little kittens lost their mittens

It's a matching set!  With the knitting book on one knee and the laptop open to google on the other knee, it's a small miracle, but I knitted mittens for Cora.  

Now I just need another small miracle to get her to put on some pants.

our little devil

Cora loved halloween.  She dressed up as a devil.  It was my costume when I was little.  Thanks for making it for me 20+ years ago, Mom.  

Check out those blue eyes.  

Cape Action.

Very serious about the games.

Nice flames.  Too bad the glow in the dark parts no longer glow. 

She was so big and walked the catwalk for the Halloween Runway Show, but at the end she felt that she needed to re-enter the stage and do some funny motions shown above.  

Our Halloween Family plus John.  haha.  

remember these?

While playing in my jewelry box one afternoon, we rediscovered these vinyl window stickers that I played with tons when I was little.  Cora had a blast playing with them and sitting up so high.  

Cora's Quotes

Cora is starting to say the funniest things.

-She was laying in bed for nap and started shouting, "Where are you Megan?  Megan, where are you?"

-I was out for a run pushing Cora in the stroller up a really big hill and she said, "Faster Mama, faster."

-We were at the library and in walks a cute mom dress all hip with really short shorts on.  She came and sat down next to us.  Cora looked at her, pointed, and said, "Panties, panties, panties."  Cora was thrilled that someone came to the library in just panties.

-I was trying to get Cora excited about reading books one afternoon so I called it a 'book party.'   It totally got her excited, but a few minutes into reading, she asked, "where's the cake and candles?"

-Ryan got home and gave her hugs and kisses.  She stepped back and said, "Cute shoes Daddy."

-All water bottles are "Daddy's bottles".  Toots are called "Pop pops."  And she'll correct you if you say something else.

-I know this is common, but she is always saying, "Watch this!"  So I look over and she'll do a little step or a tiny hop.  It was her "cool trick."

dreams

after an exhausting, busy morning and frustrating afternoon struggle putting this little angel down for a nap, i laid down to rest.  without really thinking about anything, it totally came to me how to fix that giant, but cute dress that I made a few weeks ago.  that night, after another struggle putting her to bed, I took my big sewing scissors and cut the neckline off, decreasing the shoulder seam by half and gather made a box pleat in the front to bring it back together.  All together, it took about an hour to fix a dress that never would have been worn into cora's new favorite dress.  she loves that there are buttons all the way down the back.  

look at that sweet little girl!  

so, the dress originally started as a bed sheet from DI and a pattern purchased from a garage sale from the 60's, but i added a full lining to enclose the edges and because the sheet was too thin.  I also changed the back from a zipper to buttons closure.  I also change the neckline completely.  The only thing straight from the pattern was the sleeve and the length for the dress.  I'm really happy the way it turned out.  

if this isn't what fall is all about, then i don't know what is

best day ever.  apple orchards with a good friend.  tons apples in my kitchen ready to be made into applesauce.  

toddler torture

cool weather sewing has proved to be a bit more difficult than spring/summer sewing.  I started off with a 1950s dress pattern purchased at a garage sale.  It looked so cute on the cover, but I was a little nervous about messing up my new precious corduroy, so I tried the pattern out using an  bed sheet from DI.  I improved the pattern along the way adding a full lining and enclosing every raw edge.  Turned out awesomely adorable and ready to wear in approximately 4 years.  Seriously, it said 2T and her measurements fit in correctly, but it will fit as a shirt when she is 6.  

Disappointing.  I figure I do better without patterns.  So I took that precious corduroy and bravely cut into it.  I figured I'd just make a simple jumper to wear over long sleeves.  It turned out cute and the fit exactly how I imagined it, but CORA HATES IT. When it was almost finished, I needed to try it on her to see where to hem it.  Ryan helped me but she fought it every second thrashing around and saying, "no i do wanna wear dress, no no no."  We ended up bribing her with an M&M for every 4 seconds that she held still.  I thought (or maybe was hoping) it was just the day that she was protesting, but turns out, every time she see the dress, she says, "no I dont wanna."  Excellent.  I hope we don't have to give her an m&m every 4 seconds if I force her to wear it to church.  

I enjoyed designing the jumper with growing in mind.  The straps are adjustable and there is a deep 3 inch hem for letting out.  It is loose around so I am hoping that she'll get lots of wear out of it if I can convince her to like it.  

And I knitted the hat.  I've had visions of that hat for years and I'm happy to finally improve my knitting skills to create it.   

the hayes family

we had a fabulous time this summer at the hayes' family reunion.  not sure if i am just getting older or what, but reunions are so much more meaningful and FUN now that we have a little kiddo to throw into the crowd.  these were the professional pics taken there of the whole group and our little family too.  thanks for the memories!