they FIT!

Our good friend Charlotte was over the other day and she and Sarah pulled out the Aurora dresses. Lo and behold they finally fit and don't drag on the ground! I foresee some lovely princesses this year.

getting more real every day

2013 is starting big - we have entered the realness of having "real" music teachers. Diana, Emily and Nora take piano from Mrs Pillow and Diana has cello from Miss Heather. So far so good, although sometimes practice still looks like this:

Sigh - Nora's life is hard.

Diana was thrilled a few days ago that she simultaneously found a correct, comfortable bow hold and made a good sound - heretofore unheard of. That is a different thing about the cello; the piano sounds pretty from the get go - just hit a key and voila! music. The cello, you actually have to do a lot to get just one pretty sound, but we have hope for lots of beautiful music in our future.

chair project

Long ago, when I was in high school I bought a chair at a garage sale and it moved into my dad's studio for "someday" when I was a grown-up. We painted it and my mom recovered the cushions and when I got married I took it with me (my dad, who had complained when it originally moved into his studio wanted to know what I was doing with "his chair" when I moved it out!). 

Several years ago I got tired of the covers my mom made (purple) so I recovered them and off we went, but it was in need of a true knock down make-ever and I finally got around to it. Here, buried under piles, is the before - old paint job, dirty cushions etc. 

The old cushions were DISGUSTING and disintegrating - feast your eyes - and I was not wanting to spent $100 on new foam. Luckilly foam was on super sale on black Friday and I had a coupon and ended up with a great deal.

Inside of cushions - eek!

Cutting the foam was a JOKE! I finally took it back to JoAnns and they very kindly cut it for me with their electric knife.

Isaac was a super sanding helper and we stripped off several layers of old paint and then I sprayed on
probably 5 layers of paint and an acrylic coat.

I covered the cushions with a twill under-layer and then the chair sat for a good month because outer slip covers intimidate me and I knew I would need uninterrupted thinking/sewing time to do them properlly - cue laugh track. I was super lucky to find some heavy twill drapes at the thrift store in a pattern I love for $10 a panel (yards and yards of fabric) and a few weeks ago got up the guts to make the welt cording.

Saturday I FINALLY bit the bullet and covered one cushion, carefully following this tutorial and finished the second one yesterday. Ryan calls it our Guggenheim chair. I think it is way fun!

boy news

On this rainy Monday morning we get to tromp over to MacArthur and sign Isaac up for Kindergarten - he knows the outing will be "boring" but the significance is great - big stuff. He is sosososososo done with pre-school and may just die before August when real school starts. Thank goodness summers are so very grand and full of farm, swimming, art projects, tractors and such.

This kid is learning how to talk - yesterday's big statement, "More. . .cookie. . . ." Yep, he's a Chase.

icy

In a little weather hiccup, we were below freezing for a few days last week - cosmic wierdness. The kids had so much fun sliding on the ice at the bus stop and sleeping cozy with more than one blanket (we are so deprived). No worries thought, it was back to 75 today and we liked that too.

A few days ago we needed to get outside so I suggested to Isaac and Sarah that they break up the pigeon puddle in front of our neighbors house (it's a perpetual puddle in our gutter and the pigeons use it as a bird bath - ikk). I digress - they had a grand time breaking up the ice and you will notice Isaac is VERY safety conscious and wore Ryan's safety goggles!

new year

New Year's Eve found us dining on sparkling cider and homemade pizza - tasty!

We decorated with balloons on which we had written favorite memories of the year - top pf the list, the aquarium and our canoeing trip.

We finished off with ice cream, also tasty. Here is to a fab 2013!

California Christmas

Nelson on the plane. Ryan and the rest of the kids drove.

Christmas is California was nice in so many ways. I won't lie, it's a lot of work and inevitable someone get's sick (or several someones), but it's worth it spend time with Grammy and Grampy, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends.

We spent Christmas Eve at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and I have the say, sea creatures are magical.

The day after Christmas we did some beach time at Santa Cruz, all the rain had totally transformed the beach.

Chase family nativity. The best part was cousin Bella insisting Diana return baby Jesus to the NEST!

an invasion and chemical warfare

Nora reached a milestone this month; her hair now extends past her waist. She has been working on it for a long time and is thrilled to have reached a good long length.

Unfortunately, lice also discovered Nora's tresses, I'll spare the details, needless to say we are waging a full assault on the little beasts. I am nearing the end of washing the sheets, mattress pads, and bedding on all 7 beds. Next will be the closet full of Sunday dresses. We did lice shampoo and fine tooth comb last night and will continue checking and treating until we have rid ourselves of these invaders. They will learn NOT TO MESS with this mom!

Nora now wants her hair to grow past her bottom! Be still my heart!

naivity

The Monday before our trip to CA we held a nativity dress rehearsal; it was a zoo, but hey, I'm banking on FHE blessings all the same.

Nora, ever an angel.

Sarah joined the heavenly throng.

Emmy was a "wise person" (see Ramona and her Father)

 
Isaac as an unenthusiastic shepherd.

Ryan and Diana were Mary and Joseph and Livy and Nelson spectating sheep in their p.j.s.

a highlight

A few weeks before Christmas, this lovely lady and her lovely Mommy paid us a week long visit. It was divine! Hooray for Olivia. Sarah was especially happy to have a cousin friend and Aunt Di was a wonderful helper.

a major find

We went the first 4-5 years of our marriage without a Christmas tree (pathetic, I know), then I bought a really pitiful 5 foot tree for $12.99 at Big Lots that served for several years, but, let's face it, it looked like it cost $12.99 at Big Lots. I could not get myself to spend $100-300 on a tree so I kept my eyes open at thrift stores etc until the heavens opened and this fell into my lap. Our wonderful neighbor across the street was selling it for $50 at our community garage sale. 9 ft. pre-lit, and she threw in the jumbo ornaments she had bought for it! Hip Hip Hooray! It is heavy, huge and filled up our Christmas corner beautifully (even if not a single one of my children, the 8 and 9 year olds included could keep their hands off).

finery

Don't ask me why Isaac's tie is outside his vest - he is a nut and not to be bossed about clothes. Still pretty fine finery.

december catch-up

Well, blogger has decided, for now, to let me blog without $???? We'll take it. So here is some of December. Like everyone else with access to a Wal-Mart, we bought gingerbread house forms and went at it with the left-over Halloween candy we had saved - hip hooray! The kids loved the project and even Ryan built one (unprecedented). What they lack in beauty they make up for in pure joy.