You know you're a parent when...

Last night I got stuck at work late, so we had to meet our wonderful babysitter (sister-in-law) in a parking lot half way between her house and the area where Hubby and I work (car pooling is a WONDERFUL thing!) - we decided to then make the most of being out as a family and run some grocery store errands (and pick up pizza for dinner) while we were out.

The Munchkin loves the grocery store - between the free cookies or fruit bars in the bakery, and the large model train that runs above the ethnic food section (don't ask - I think it's been there through a few re-sets of that store) - he's in heaven. Plus he's a full out flirt, and the ladies that work there just adore him!

On the way there, we crossed a rail road crossing we don't normally cross when Munchkin is in the car. He liked finding a new one. Then we decided to take the back way home - which took us across a triple crossing - again a newish one for the Munchkin. That one had a train parked on one track, which he insisted was moving (nope - parked), so Hubby agreed to take an even more back way home that would take us up and over that triple track, and the parked train.

Ohh - can you sense the excitement that caused!!! And going that way meant that we had one more crossing to go (a double this time, and part of our normal commute) to get back to the house. We figured it out - from home to daycare and back to home, he got to go across 6 (SIX) crossings that day! Unfortunately the only trains he saw were one (parked) and one (scale model) but I really don't think he cared.

Ah - simple happiness.

Lunch Time

Through the month of April, the wonderful folks at Sew Mama Sew were holding a tutorial contest, and crafty folk from all over the world entered their wonderful tutorials and ideas - posting them for all of us to share and enjoy. I had hoped to enter my watercolor seahorse tutorial, but alas that is still a work in progress and missed the deadline.

One of the winners in this little contest was the Square(ish) Bottom Hobo Lunchbag. I had been wanting to make some fabric lunch bags for each member of the family for a while now, but was undecided on the design. This little tote was a great combination of the furoshiki style that I have been utilizing, and a more structured bag.

This train version is for The Munchkin - not only does it hold his lunch AND breakfast for the day - it matches his Miranda day tote (as well as the pillowcase, two totes and a Wonder Wallet given away that I managed to get all out of this 2 yards of fabric). I was a little bit shy on the fabric needed for one strap, so the fabric is pieced half way up, but it does not seem to make a difference. You could get really "patchwork" creative with this - as the bag is fully lined it really makes no difference if either the covers or linings have some extra seams.

The other thing I did was to change the technique for boxing the bottom. The original instructions call for doing the corner "triangle" thing, which always seems to go wonky on me. Instead I cut a 3x3 square notch out of each bottom corner (and threw those in my quilt block scrap bag!) - and then just sewed that closed after I stitched the sides and bottom.

I made a 2nd one - but did not get pictures of it last night. On that one I took some scraps and added a square pocket inside - good for milk money, little notes, or condiment packages - and also made the bottom portion of the bag 1" taller overall to accommodate the tall round containers I transport my soups in.

Turtle of the Day - ...and a train ride!

OK - so this Turtle is not exactly part of MY collection - he is part of the collection at the Boston Museum of Science, where we spent the better part of Easter Sunday.

The Munchkin got his first major ride on a train - 5 trains to be exact - and experienced both "interurban" and "subway" modes of transportation! He was so very excited! Unfortunately the pictures did not turn out so great. Exhaustion got the better of him, though, and he fell asleep on the last train of the day as we headed home. We had a great time at the museum, and were especially surprised at how relaxed and enthused he was in the snake and lizard display, considering the trepidation he has shown about some of the snakes in a few of his books. At one point he was nearly nose to nose with a Burmese Python (well - with THICK glass in between) and the python was moving towards the glass. He was not startled in the least, and wanted to "help" the snake because he thought he was stuck! He liked the walking Chameleon (so did Mommy) and a small stuffed Gecko is now part of our collection of "buddies" - named (what else?) - "Gecko". He's so original!

Birth Month Day 22 -The Munchkin is THREE!

Yesterday the Munchkin turned three - unbelievably THREE! He woke up all smiles and "it's my birthday!" and then more giggles. He knew the 22 pocket was HIS birthday - and this morning got a birthday train set - 2 engines with confetti decoration, a "snow globe" tanker car with a cake and presents inside, and a flat car with a "present" on it. He opened those up over at Grammas in the morning, and I guess played with them ALL DAY.

We did dinner at the local diner - he ordered all by himself "grilled cheese and french fries please" and was tons of fun. Then back to Grammas for more "pwesents" - including a box from his SC Gramma with Katy and the Big Snow and some other fun stuff. Of course Katy was our bedtime story for the night.

His big present was his camera. His very own digital camera. Daddy and I had loaded it up with batteries the night before and it was all ready to go - except we put in rechargeable ones and they must not have been fully charged, because they gave out after a few pictures.

But the Munchkin loves his new camera SO MUCH he was willing to sacrifice the batteries in his Duplo diesel train engine to power the camera!!! Luckily that did not have to happen.

I am looking forward to seeing what kind of pictures he takes - so far we have a lot of the floor!

(Oh - day 21 was an oil tanker car for his train set. He was a bit grumpy that evening -having fallen asleep on his way home from Grammas - and even the car did not pull him fully out of the grumpies - but he's got it all lined up with all his other tanker cars now (he is up to 5))

Sharing the Love

I had LOTS of this train fabric - after making both a pillowcase and a new tote for the Munchkin, I STILL had LOTS of this train fabric. So last night I decided to share the love - and the fabric -and whip up a few little gifties for some friends.

Two little kids I "know" are train lovers, too - one lives in Arizona and the other just moved from Florida to North Carolina. I've never met them - or their moms - in person, but know them from an online group of moms.

Happy Pants -the little one in Arizona - has a birthday coming up - so one tote is for him. He also has a big brother who likes trains, too (I think) so I put together a wonder wallet for Super Boy. Their mom was VERY generous in sharing a template file with me to make the Munchkin's birthday party invitations. Saved me a TON of time! Thanks!!!!

The other little train lover in Charlotte is such a cutie! She and the Munchkin would have lots to talk about if we could ever bridge the distance and get them together - train talk!!! She and her Mom are off to Tweetsie Railroad in May to celebrate her birthday - how I wish we could go, too. So she will have this little tote to carry her "train stuff" in.

Just need to get some addresses and envelopes and get these out in the mail.

Birth Month - Day 11 - Baby's Got a Brand New Bag

This is my first ever Miranda bag - another great Lazy Girl pattern. I already had the train fabric and since the Munchkin's day bag was getting a bit worn (it was a Harrods tote from Lazy By Proxy Sister Terri from her years in England) I thought I would make this for him. He also tends to be a creature of habit when it comes to his bags, coats, scarves and such - he does not like to change - so I thought perhaps the train theme of this might ease the transition.

It is hard to see in the picture - but there is actually quilting on this!!! Machine quilting! I did not go crazy and free form - I did diagonal "tracks" on the green bottom, and followed the railroad tracks on the train fabric. The inside is a fun and funky orange to match some of the train cars. I put in clips so we can cinch it in, or add the longer strap (to be made) if Mommy has to carry it for any length of time. The whole thing is short enough that the Munchkin can carry it on his own if he likes.

Now to make one for Mommy!!! - not with trains, though - I don't like them THAT much!

This is Birth Month day 11's gift - since I spent the bulk of day 11 making it!