Fun with kids?

Photographer: Donna Griffith
Hair and make-up: Sandra Yang

Ok. So recently I shot the October issue Canadian Family Magazine. They are amazing there and it was great working with them again.  Surprise on set I got to see one of my favorite make-up artist Sandra Yang. So that was a lot of fun getting to catch up.

Last time I worked with them.

After my make-up was finished my first pretend child came in. She was a year old I think. Super cute, but really didn't like sitting next to me. Ya I was stressed considering I am the accessory in the shot and the main talent doesn't like me. I was actually sad because generally kids love me. Seriously. Either way it didn't work out she just screamed every time she got on set with me on our make believe bed. Poor thing I think I traumatized her, but totally not on purpose.

Next my second pretend child came in. A little timid, but I got to chatting with her she is about the same age as my little guy so I showed her a pic and she seemed to warm up to me. Super cute and full of energy she really made me miss my real kid. We had a blast and got the shot so things were good.

You would think its a piece of cake to work with kids. I am a mom. Kids tend to like me. No stress. Wrong. Still lots of fun, but super stressful nonetheless. It's more fun working with my own kids, but playing pretend is fun too.

Doing the pose thing with the mag

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Project Monday: Modern Kimono Dress

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So my love of asian fabric continues and this time it is one I used a pattern with. Only size modifications. My waist is really small compared to my hips so I always have to adjust patterns. I also made it a little longer than the pattern called for. This time around I was getting used to the slippery fabric and had a much easier time putting it together. I also did my first time attaching binding around the neckline and one sleeve since the other sleeve is just hemmed. I didn't make the belt because I had the perfect belt in mind to wear with it. Love the result even though part of my is thinking about taking it in a little more at the waist because of the way it gathers. Who knows maybe it will bother me enough to actually do it one day.

Side view

Sorry for the poor quality. Will have to take some new ones.

My daughter loved the dress and I had enough leftover fabric so I just made her one too. Although she doesn't like the look of two different length sleeves so hers are the same. I just used parchment paper and drew out two somewhat rectangular boxy sleeve shapes with a slightly lower dip in the neckline for the front. Again making sure it was wide enough to go over her non existent hips. Put it together hemmed it and than sewed a fabric flower to add to it. I attached it to felt before I put it on the dress. She loves it and always gets compliments when she wears it too.

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Back to school drama...

The clan on Maddox's first day. He started two days later.

Nothing like a weekend full of sickness that keeps you in bed to catch up on a little blogging. Sure enough 8 days of school and somehow I was infected with some sort of awful sinus disease. My kids were great though especially my McKayla, she even made me breakfast.
Moving on. I have been looking forward to and dreading the start of school for a few reasons.

McKayla Grade 4

The pros:
1. I get to get back to my regular workout routine. (Which I have totally neglected over the summer and it shows.)
2. For the first time in 11 and a half years I get "me" time from 9-3:30 Mon.-Fri.
3. The kids can be happy instead of fighting with each other constantly. (Happens every summer. They just get sick of each other.)
4. I get to have day dates with my hubby when he's off. Just the two of us.

Marcus Grade 6 What?

The cons:
1. I don't get to be lazy anymore and sleep in.
2. I have too much "me" time to fill which leads to me taking on a hundred different things and then really there isn't going to be any "me" time.
3. I miss my kids. Most of all my last baby has just entered Junior Kindergarten and it's FULL DAY!!! He is such a big boy now and so cool already labeled the cool kid with the spiky hair. Who seriously does not like anyone to touch it.
4. Now I feel like every moment of my day will judged as to how much did I get done today? What the house isn't spotless? Didn't you have the whole day to do it? You mean you didn't cook a whole three course meal? How come I have no clean clothes? What did you do today?

Maddox JK

Don't get me wrong these questions haven't come up yet, but let me tell you they are bugging me just the same. My house is still a disaster, I still have know idea what's for dinner, and no I still hate ironing so that will have to wait. I thought it would be this magical transformation of how wonderful it was going to be and what a good homemaker I'm going to be. Not so much. I have filled my 6 full days (two of the school days I still had Maddox) that I have had so far. If you subtract 2 of those days spending time with my hubby. Yet I still have a thousand other things I need to get done and don't get me started on cleaning and laundry because that crap never ends. You do it, but you can't tell because the next day it's a disaster again. Ok. I didn't realize this post was going to turn into such a downer. But as my 11 year old said to me while doing his homework this weekend, "At the bottom of the box there was hope." So yeah I am going to have hope that it just takes practice and I just need to create a system. Oh and looking at the positive I did go to the gym 5 times in those 8 days. And I totally ate really healthy in the process. See things are getting better already.

I got Marcus almost smiling. He was excited Maddox was going to the big school.

McKayla jumped out of the car because she needed one with Maddox too. 

So to all the moms out there who do it all your amazing. I know I am a lucky one who gets to be home with my kids and volunteer at their school and chauffeur them around to all those extra curricular activities. I really wouldn't trade it for the world. Motherhood in all its frustration is amazing and rewarding and definitely a privilege. We moms have to stick together and support each other because it's tough.

I didn't even go into the drama we actually had at school. To sum it up my kids are all in very large classes. Going up in age 31, 29, and 29. Also McKayla's teacher decided to resign the Friday before school started. All parents involved are crossing our fingers this week we get good news and another teacher so we can lower the class sizes. As well as a permanent teacher for McKayla. So another year another adventure in school. Let's hope it is a good one.

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Project Monday: Asian Silk

So 2011 trip to Singapore I bought all of this great fabric with really only ideas in my head of what I wanted to do with it. I also had only just received my sewing machine from my father-in-law and really would have to learn how to sew all over again. I hadn't truly tackled a project since 7th grade.

Love this fabric!

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Embrace the Camera: August 31, 2012

So today embrace the camera is with my littlest guy. He was so brave today having to go under general anesthesia to repair his mouth full of cavities. Going in it was 9 with 2 of them being root canals. 

Let me just say I was freaked out! Being the first time any of my kids have ever had to have any kind of anesthesia I was really anxious and worried. Needless to say I got little sleep this week. Last night I prayed extra hard that things would go smoothly and he would come out at the other end ok. My prayers were answered because he did extremely well in there on top of that only one root canal and cap instead of two. 

So funny.

 Instead of filling the front teeth she did disking so he didn't have to be under so long and they will fall out in a few years anyway. In essence it changed his smile. He is still my guy though.

Now he might be laughing away, but coming out of the anesthesia he was not happy. Complained he couldn't see because he was so groggy he couldn't keep his eyes open. Screamed away for about 10 minutes and then was calm enough to eat a freezie. Sugar free of course. It made him feel a little better and anxious to get home. He gave us all the evil eye the whole way home and tried his best to take off the silver cap which in his mind "tasted weird". 

Luckily my good friend Kathy came along one, because they suggest two adults so one can watch them in the backseat on the way home and two, I really needed the moral support. She kept my mind off the fact that my baby was asleep. She is amazing and I am so grateful.  I actually almost lost it watching him fall asleep because he fought it off a little. It was even more torture seeing him wake all confused and scared. I just kept repeating it was over and he did a good job. I didn't want him to think he still had more things to do there. 

Monkey

Showing off his new teeth.

After it all I am so thankful he is ok. Not nauseous at all and happy to drink liquids and eat. Besides the first few hours of wobbly walking he seems pretty steady. Hopefully he continues to do well through the night. My guys only had dental work to do. I have a new appreciation for what so many parents go through when they have children having serious procedures done. Being a parent is the best job and your heart is so full that it literally breaks when you see them in pain. 

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Flashback Friday: McKayla's Baptism

Ok. You know I took a big break from blogging when I didn't even post about McKayla's baptism and she turns 9 in two months! Almost a year later here I am recording for history's sake.

In my church we get baptized at 8 which is the age of accountability. It's a pretty big deal and you have to even have a meeting with the Bishop about it just to be sure you know what's going on and what you are doing. McKayla was super excited and even a little scared of what was going to happen. She really didn't want to mess it up. Luckily we had a lot of help along the way and it went smoothly.

Bigger news was the fact that my big brother Lehi was flying in for just that one weekend so that he could be the one to baptize her. I was so happy and so thankful he could be here.

She wanted me to speak at her baptism, but I begged her to let me off the hook because I knew I wouldn't be able to pull it together and speak without bursting into tears and looking like a crazy lady. So she asked her Primary teacher and my best friend Kristi which believe it or not is like a second mom so it was perfect. They did a great job talking to McKayla about baptism and the Holy Ghost. They even gave her a copy so she could keep it. She has put it in her special box and still breaks it out to read every once in a while.


The baptism went smoothly and she was confirmed. She was absolutely glowing afterward and I couldn't believe my little girl was 8 and is baptized. I am so proud of her and the beautiful lady she is becoming. She has such a loving spirit and I am so blessed to have her in my life. She constantly reminds me of the things that I should be doing to be a better person. She inspires me to be the best mom so I can set I great example for her. Teaching her that we all make mistakes, but the plan is set forth that we can get up and correct those mistakes and learn from it is a blessing. I look forward to watching her grow and make those choices that will guide her and change her and mold her into the person she will become. Her light is shining bright and I know that she will continue to shine and bless others with it.

After her baptism everyone came together and had dinner. The love and support of friends and family is overwhelming and she felt so special that thy were all there for her. I hope she always remembers how special she is and that she knows that we love her unconditionally and that her Heavenly Father loves her and is there for her whenever she needs him.

I realize this is an unusual post, but I couldn't write about her baptism without sharing how I feel about her. Thanks for the flashback now I'm going to go give my girl a hug and a kiss and tell her how much she means to me. Who are you going to hug?

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Project Monday!

So I decided to set aside Mondays as my project posts. Seeing as I tend to do a lot of them. Lately they've been sewing projects and today was no different. This time I took on a project for Maddox. I had this fabric for what seems like forever so I thought I would finally put it to use before he grew out of it! Although I probably have enough for another project.

I found this pattern online and thought it sounded simple enough why not give it a go.

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