Almost Wordless Wednesday

The beast chilling out in the hubby's favorite chair.

Little Dresses For Africa

Have you met Kristen over at We Are That Family? She is the host of the weekly blog carnival, Works For Me Wednesday. You should stop by and say hello.


At the end of last year, Kristin came up with the idea to refocus some of her time/effort to help others in need. The result was her brilliant Do It For Others Projects (DIFOP). To date, she has organized seven different projects including Fleece Blankets for Hospice, Gift Bags for NICU Families, and Care Packages for U.S. Soldiers.


The DIFOP for June was to make 100 pillowcase dresses to donate to Little Dresses For Africa. As soon as I heard about this project, I knew I wanted to get involved. I immediately signed up to be one of the seamstresses.


Like so many women today, I find myself busy doing things for my own family. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Taking care of my guys brings me immeasurable joy.


That said, I think that it's important to look outside ourselves and do something for someone else... no matter how small the gesture. In addition to that delightful warm-and-fuzzy feeling I get from helping others, it provides me with the opportunity to teach kindness, generosity and the art of service to my boy. What could be better than that?


At the beginning of July I received a package from Kristen. Inside were 10 pillowcases and all of the supplies that I would need to transform them into dresses. Everything in the box was donated (along with the money to pay for the postage) by the generous readers at We Are That Family.


The dresses were a snap to make, even for someone with basic sewing skills like me. I found directions on the Little Dresses For Africa Website along with a pattern from Nancy's Notions.


Some of the dresses were adorable without any embellishments. Isn't this one cute?


Others needed a little something extra... things like ruffles, pockets or bands of complimentary fabric. I simply used scraps of fabric that I already had at home. I am really pleased with the results.


If you are interested in helping with one of Kristen's DIFOPs, stop by her blog. A new project is announced every month. You can also check out Craft Hope which provides those in need with handmade crafts. It will do your heart good.

Sign #1 - Cereal Combining

Over the past few months, my hubby has been repeatedly stating that he is getting older. How can he tell? I can assure you that it's not because of aching joints, gray hair or wrinkled skin.

The hubby thinks he is getting older because he has started to do "crazy old man things." In what I hope will become a regular post, I would like to share The Hubby's Signs You Are Becoming Old.

Sign #1 - Cereal Combining

You know you are getting old when you don't mind mixing random cereals together in one bowl. Allow me to elaborate...

Imagine that you have a hankering for a nice bowl of cereal. When you go to the pantry, you realize that there are several boxes to choose from, but each has only a few spoonfuls of cereal inside. As a young whippersnapper, you would have groaned in despair and then found something else to eat.

Not to worry though, you're older now. You do the only logical thing... you dump the remaining crumbs from each box into one bowl. Bran flakes, Fruit Loops, Grape Nuts, Rice Crispies... It doesn't matter what kind-of crazy combination you end up with. You simply pour on the milk, grab a spoon and enjoy.

Just the other morning, my hubby had a bowl of Cinnamon Harvest Shredded Wheat, Honey Bunches of Oats, Grape Nuts and Bran Flakes. Mmmm.

If cereal combining is an actual sign of aging, I have nothing to worry about. I am happily situated in the young-people-who-only-eat-one-cereal-at-a-time-category.

What about you? Do you combine cereals like my aging hubby?

The JAM... The Final Chapter

The boy performed his final show at The JAM last night. It was the perfect way to cap off two great weeks at music camp.

From what we were told, the boy's band had to overcome quite a few obstacles in order to get ready for the show. I guess some of the older kids were having a rough week. The instructor said that our little man was the glue that held everything together. The hubby and I were incredibly proud.

Despite a rocky start, the kids managed to play quite well. See for yourself.

Up first... "Use Somebody."



And last but not least, "Supermassive Black Hole."

The JAM... Part 5 - Folsom Prison Blues

In an effort to maintain my status as an obnoxious mom, I'm posting yet another video of my boy. Thanks for humoring me.

As you know, my boy is just about to finish his second week at The JAM. It has been a truly wonderful experience. Not only is the boy a better drummer, he is infinitely more confident and sure of himself. The little fellow has grown up quite a bit over the past two weeks.

The boy was assigned to the Rockabilly Clinic Band during the morning session. The "Billhilly Band," as they called themselves, played "Folsom Prison Blues" at last night's concert. It just may be my favorite performance to date. I hope you will enjoy it as well.

Check back tomorrow for some footage of the final concert.

As Heard Last Night

The boy: Mama, tell me again why you don't like snakes and lizards.
Me: I don't like them because they slither and scamper around and like to hide in dark corners.
The boy: Slither and scamper?
Me: Yes. I prefer a large, rambling animal... one that I can keep my eye on.
The boy: Oh, I see. What about a giant, rambling lizard?