Slip Sliding Away

As the Christmas season slips rapidly into history, I feel a twinge of pressure about posting my Christmas pictures every now and again. Today, I thought I would at least try to get some of them posted.

I made the most of the Christmas opportunity this year. Before I would let the kids open any presents, their bedrooms had to be perfectly cleaned. I always knew the kids could clean fast if sufficiently motivated.



Here they are waiting, hoping I will not think of anything else for them to do before opening presents.

We started a tradition where we try to make many of the presents we exchange at Christmas. This started in response to our ever increasing need to cut back on expenses and ended up being a really cool thing. The kids and Kurt joined in on it this year with gusto.

Gabrielle learned to piece squares together and hand sewed a pillow for Gregory.



Gregory wove Gabrielle a scarf on his rigid heddle loom with a hand painted warp from Heritage Yarns.



Knowing that I intend to increase my soap making activities, Kurt made me a really nice soap mold (and then for my birthday in January, he made me a matching cutter).



I did my usual round of knitting as posted earlier. Kurt got another pair of socks.



Kurt is funny. When I first took up spinning and knitting and especially sock knitting, he told me not to foist any wool socks on him. Now, not only does he hint around about making him more, but he has started telling his friends that perhaps I can make them some too.



With Michael being so young, we naturally had to get him a few toys. Most of what he plays with actually belongs to Gregory or Gabrielle.



He got a little remote controlled truck since he loves anything in the "vehicle" category.



Michael loves to open presents.



And he looks so cute in the little sweater I made for him.



He is such a cute little guy.



We got the two older kids covers for their bibles.



Gregory got one with Aslan on the front.



And naturally, Gabrielle's is pink.

Everyone (except Michael) got a lap desk.





Here Gabrielle is wearing the poncho I knit for her and the scarf Gregory made for her.



We had lap desks before the hurricane and they are very handy.

The kids also got starter fishing poles (as did Kurt) and they are still waiting for the day their Dad takes them fishing. Poor Kurt is so busy with work and school, fishing just hasn't found its way to the agenda.

Kurt and Gregory also received hunting knives.



Kurt is still wearing the wool sweater I made for him a couple of years ago. For a man who started out saying he never wanted to wear wool, he has been thoroughly converted!



Gregory also has on the hat and fingerless gloves I knit for him in camouflage and looks like a hunter. Unfortunately, the only meat in our freezer, aside from the chicken we raised and the wonderful grass fed beef my sister Wendy sent us from Wellness Meats is deer given to us by other hunters. This year, the men never quite made it out to actually hunt. I think this makes them "arm chair hunters."

Sew and Sew

The sewing bug hit me again a few weeks ago. I made Gabrielle a couple of new skirts for church.



This is one of them. I keep forgetting to take pictures of the other one.

Some of the girls and fathers from church also attended the father-daughter Valentine's Day Dance at Calvary Chapel Gulf Breeze.



I made Gabrielle a new dress for the occasion.



My friend Irene made her daughter a new dress as well. Gabrielle's friend had a pretty dress to wear, but Irene and I thought it would be nice if she had a new handmade one so I made the maroon colored dress for her.



Irene had the brilliant idea of making the fathers ties to match their daughter's dresses.



The coordinating clothes were a big hit all the way around.



Everyone met at the house of Irene's mother in law so we could take pictures by the lake. (Their house is my dream house presently. It is the coolest underground house and overlooks this gazebo and lake.) I really need to work on lighting when it comes to taking pictures.

Michael watched me sew for several days and thought he would join in the fun. I got up at one point so Michael jumped into my seat at the table and pretended to finish pinning the ruffle to the dress.



Michael is a character! In the picture he is wearing the latest jumpsuit I sewed for him. I still have one more cut out. If I am going to sew it, I should hurry up. Winter doesn't last too long around here!

Michael's favorite movie currently is Cars. He got it for Christmas. One day I found him acting out the opening race scene to the movie.



He started by setting up an accident strewn path. He sets one car upside down. As his car, the Lightening McQueen car, races through the accident strewn track, he jumps on the wheels of the upside down car and over the wrecked vehicles on the track all the while hanging his tongue out of his mouth.



Too funny! Television definitely has an impact on kids' behavior.

Of course I've done some knitting lately. I knit a pair of socks for a man at church that broke his ankle. Naturally, I forgot to take a picture. I also started knitting another pair of socks, but frogged them last night. No picture. Then there is my Mom's sweater. One of these days I need to get a picture of that too.