Teaching Littles to Sew

Over the last year or so I've been wanting to start teaching Sweet Pea handicraft skills.  Real, useful skills... beyond housekeeping, which is another post altogether.  I've searched and I've searched, but not much comes back.  There is plenty on teaching your kids to sew, but not so much in the preschool realm. Most things for the very young (she had just turned three when I started looking) list lacing cards or lacing beads or pasta on a string.  Nothing against them, but it's not what I was looking for.  I wanted something more... real.

One I did find brought inspiration.  So I ran with it.


I grabbed a piece of pink felt, left over from my mom's visit last year, and put it in a hoop. 




It's easier for her to turn the whole project over, rather than poke up from underneath.



As you can see, this first project was more about experience (and practicing not stitching around the hoop) than design.  But she was so pleased with it!!!


Next, I drew a heart shape on the pink, drawing it on the front and back so she could flip it over to see where to sew also.



Once she was done she decided to make it into a pillow.  I layered it with some pink cotton print, drew a line around the edge on the front and back and let her go.


I decided to teach her a running stitch.  Maybe not the stitch I would use for the same project, but a good one to start on for her.  Not every stitch is on the line, and I do take some of them out for her to do again, but she's learning.


And ultimately, it's about growing a love for sewing.  Something she can do that's like mommy. 


I'll have to share the results when it's done.  But I love that it's a fine little beginner project for her... yet it's still real. 

Labels: Heart Strings, Learning for Little Ones, Making Memories, Raising Children

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 6:00 AM 4 Comments

A little love... or "what I would have done if..."

I wanted to make these in chocolate chip!

I've been dreaming up Valentine's Day plans for weeks now... and I've been using my new Pinterest account to help me!  I knew I wouldn't get to everything, but I thought that maybe if I could do just one or two, it would make the day special for my littles. 

Step one was going to be spending time talking about love... God's love, how we are to love one another, etc.  Now, we did do some "heart" activities early in the month and we've been memorizing Matthew 22:37-40, so I'm not a total failure, but as for the things below to make today special... not so much. 

But, I comfort myself with the reminder that it's been a bit hectic around here lately and I'm feeling pretty good to have gotten dinner on the table most nights.  :)

You see, all three of my children have been working through high fevers at their own paces over the last week and a half.  :(  Poor kids!  My 18 month old has it now.  Couple that with seemingly constant contractions and reduced (even more than normal) sleep for me... and an OB appointment this morning early, and it's no wonder things didn't happen!

So here are some of my favs from my V-Day board on Pinterest.  Click over to see the rest and link through to the originals!

Love the recycling happening here... if only I hadn't eaten all the candy canes!

Was totally going to make these with the kids for grandparents and single ladies at church!

Maybe someday...

I want to make this long one for another season too... maybe with changeable covers!

I ground the flour for these yesterday... do I get partial credit???

Love these!!  Maybe for Sweet Pea's birthday instead... in pink!

Labels: As it happens..., Chasing Three, Heart Strings, Home Making, Special Treats

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 1:44 PM 0 Comments

Grateful for Play

One of the (many) areas I am woefully lacking in this mothering journey is in just playing with my babies. There always seem to be too many other things to do.

Sure, I include them in my things. Yes, we read together a lot. And there is all the talking and "Mommy, watch this."

But playing....


Playing is harder for me for some reason. I'd rather watch... and then instead of watching I'm "dovetailing" some other activity a the same time. So much for watching. So much for being a part.

Recently we've been struggling with obedience in our household. It seems like we struggle to want to obey. To care. And it seems to us (the mommy and daddy) that NOTHING is getting through. The verses. The talking. The urging. Scolding. "Discipline measures". Nothing. Even staking... he (in particular) just doesn't seem to care.

What is a mother to do?


I received my copy of Homepreschool and Beyond the other day and I read something in chapter two that has stuck with me:

"Parent's need to spend time playing with and talking to their children every day. Parents who do this will reap an unexpected benefit: Their children will work hard to please them and to protect their relationship (emphasis mine)." Susan Lemons, Homepreschool and Beyond

Not a new concept for me, but a much needed reminder... and spelled out so simply.



I don't know how long it will take for this relationship to be restored, for enough heart strings to be retied, but I am grateful for the process. Grateful for play!



Grateful for:

94. beautiful Sunday afternoon weather

95. planting bulbs with my boy

96. an old deflated ball

97. kickball in the front yard

98. laughter

99. rough housing and a sore jaw

100. my boy's smile

101. an opportunity to play

102. taking that opportunity to play

103. memories

Labels: As it happens..., Gratitude, Heart Strings, Raising Children

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 3:01 PM 3 Comments

Birthday Vacation

This past weekend my little family and I traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia for a little vacation. Kind people my husband works with have offered us their time share several time over the last few years and there is always something that keeps us from using it (childbirth, family visiting, etc.)

Finally something worked out. My Beloved was presented with several dates a month or so ago and he instantly knew which one he wanted. It became my birthday trip! Yep, I had a birthday... yesterday. I'm 31. It's a little weird, but then, I think every year is weird these days as I never imagined life past 28. Don't ask me why. It's not that I didn't think I'd make it past 28, or that I've never imagined details... it's just that I never thought much about the numbers beyond that.

At any rate... we went on vacation. Let me tell you... it was so nice. This is the first vacation we've taken (since our honeymoon, which really doesn't count), just us. We've vacationed to Maine, but with friends or to visit my sister. We've vacationed to Michigan, but to see My Beloveds parents and/or grandparents. As wonderful as those visits were, there is just something special about pure vacation. No schedule (unless we want one), no need to compromise with others... just whatever we want to do, anytime we want to do it. (I'll go on and on sometime about the wonders of visiting family and vacationing with others... i.e. seeing loved ones and having babysitters for a quick evening stroll.)

I did want to share some of the fun of this weekend!

Seeing animals in Colonial Williamsburg was very exciting. We made the decision (since My Beloved was still unwell and we were getting a late start) not to buy tickets, but to see what we could just walking around.

These sheep were extra fun because so many of them were right by the fence. I was concerned a couple times that the kids were getting too close.

The coaches and carriges were fun too... and Tornado loved that everyone wore "funny" clothes, as Daddy called them.


And did you know that "oxen" are not a particular animal, but any animal breed and trained as work animals... this includes the steer (pictured), sheep dogs, water buffalo in India, and even our seeing eye dogs and such here. I had no idea... my head is still spinning a little, but a nice man in "funny" clothes told us, so it must be true.

One of two highlights of the trip for Tornado was riding the bus. With My Beloveds waning energy, we weren't planning on seeing Colonial Williamsburg at all. Then we found out that for $2 a person (and the kids are free) we could get a bus pass that would make stops all around the colonial area... picking up every 5 minutes. After eating our lunch and watching the buses go by (which was also very exciting by the way), we decided that was the way to go.

Oh, and the other highlight of the trip??? Chasing squirrels! Seriously... we could have stayed home and done both of those things, but then I wouldn't feel so rested!


Saturday we visited Jamestown where we saw a musket demonstration...
and helped hollow out a canoe from a log... among other things. (Some of those things include chasing chickens, wearing armor, climbing all over a ship, laying in the first mate's bed, and lots of learning and sight seeing for Mommy and Daddy.

Sunday was checkout day, but before making the 5 hour trip north back home, we stopped into York town were we saw a working farm from that period (and learned some great things) and saw an artillery demonstration (not Tornado's favorite part... he doesn't like loud things and kept asking if we could go somewhere else.)


Well, that is vacation in a nut shell! Thanks for following along!

By the way, I had so much fun... I'm not finished glowing from all the fun I had! It was the most wonderful trip we could have had... fun, relaxation, time with my family, and more!

Labels: As it happens..., Heart Strings

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 1:04 PM 1 Comments