catching up

Cold-weather outdoor artists.

chalk on board




Last week didn't end on Thursday. Friday morning, I took the girls out into the yard to play while I (and Mom) shoveled the driveway (Mom has had lots of practice as their area of Iowa is having record breaking snowfall this year).

I made a judgment error and decided to let DramaQueen wear her school coat with her snow pants. She got very muddy. So when we went in the house I threw all their snow clothes into the laundry.

I went downstairs later and discovered the washing machine making weird noises. The drive finally broke. At least eighteen months ago the machine started making periodic sporadic noises. I called out Service Plus and they said that the drive was going bad. Our machine was a direct drive rather than a belt-driven machine and the repairman told me that given the machine's age we should run it until it dies and then buy a new one.

I was helper for DramaQueen's class so after school I brought her home. Shortly after the girls went to sleep for their naps, my Dad arrived for the weekend. He went with me to Lowe's where we bought my new machine.

Fortunately, we had already researched washing machines and I knew exactly what I wanted. I am thrilled with my new machine. Maybe if I remember and I get a chance I will tell you about it because I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants and energy efficient machine.


Saturday morning Dad took the girls for a walk. Since the snowsuits were still wet the girls were dressed in a hodge-podge. I think DramaQueen looks cute in her Dad's coat. :)





These Easter eggs are made with balloons, yarn, and liquid starch.


When my Dad saw the pictures of the previous potato heads he said wheat would work well. So I asked him if he had any, he did. So I asked him to send me a ziploc baggie with some. I was expecting a cup or so. I got a gallon bag full of wheat. ;) I planted the wheat on Monday and this photo was taken on Sunday. The wheat is nearly twice as tall as that now. He said wheat is easy to find if you go to a health food or organic foods store.


When Mom and I went to Jo-Ann's last week Monday we found these crosses. We thought they would be a fun project for Mom to do with her grandchildren. (The arms of the cross unscrew so that they can be beaded.)


Mom and I made these cross necklaces as Easter gifts for the girls. I made one she made the other. I've decided that good jewelry design is much harder than one might think.



I made this daisy chain with seed beads when my Mom was here. I really enjoy daisy chains. I am sure you will see more in the future.



I haven't been able to post this week due to problems I've had with blogger. Those have been resolved and maybe I can catch up now. :)

It has been a difficult week again although the issues aren't so much about doing lots of things.

On Monday, Stinkerbell decided to runaway to my Mom's house. She woke up from her nap and was making noise but it sounded to me as if she were in her room so I didn't think much of it. She wasn't. She was ransacking the jewelry drawers, change can, and hubby's coin collection. She packed a bunch of change in a bag, put on shoes and prepared to go out through the garage. I put a stop to it then. But I didn't know about the bedroom until I asked her what was in her bag. She had all the change (including one old silver dollar) and a ball.

That evening when we wrote in her journal, she finally admitted she was going to Grammy M's. I asked how she was going to get there she told me "I had to get a car." I am not sure if that was the purpose of the change or not.

It made me want to cry. Not because she tried to run off or because she wanted to run off but because she could. She knows how to open the door into the garage and then open the garage door.

I did not realize until my hubby told me that there is a manual lever to lock the garage door. So now we will lock it at night. (Unfortunately, she knows how to unlock the brace locks we have on the sliding glass doors and is not the least bit concerned about unlocking them).

Today Stinkerbell decided that Mom wasn't paying enough attention to her and got into the beads and strung beads and findings all over the place.

She wears me out. Today while running errands I found a bright orange t-shirt that was discounted. In white letters it said "my parents are exhausted" I bought it for her.