Twirly Skirts and Being Two

The weather has turned hot. My little girls were in need of something cooler. Sew, Mama, Sew blog to the rescue. If you sew ,check out this amazing resource.The girls had received some shirred tops in a hand-me-down bag and fell in love with them. The problem being, there were only two tops and one was really too big for the littles. So with great fear and trepidation, this mama put elastic thread in her bobbin and shirred away. I found myself pleasantly surprised. It worked! The shirring that is. The first top I tried to make for C6 barely went over her head. Hoping it will fit this other girl I know. If you try this tutorial please cut TWO rectangles on the fold. TWO! OK you have been warned.And the twirly skirts??? I adore them and knew the girls would put them to good use.








That is after I convinced C6 that truly this would be fun.She is 2 & a half, quickly approaching three. It is such a hard age. I do not believe in the terrible twos. There is nothing "terrible" about her.(or any two year old) I have complete and utter sympathy for them. They are unable to communicate clearly with those around them. Trapped in their minds are feelings, thoughts , stories and ideas. They desperately want to take part in everything around them. Everything is new, exciting and begging to be touched, tasted and explored. They are told many times a day "no," they aren't big enough or simply left out of what appears to be all the "fun". (I am thinking of C6's fascination of "helping" the older girls clean out the litter box.) I do not think that means we chuck loving discipline and guidance out the window. That does not mean I make excuses for everything she does. It's just my attempt to see the world through her eyes. I find when I do that I have great sympathy for her. I am a thirty-one year old woman and at times, think maybe throwing myself down on the ground and having a good cry would not be such a bad idea. How much harder for someone who has only been living this life for two years?! Praying today to see the world through my children's eyes.

Quietly easing back into this space

Week One-Joining in with a Bang!, originally uploaded by jasmatb.

Head over to Six One Way to view other lovely images from mamas lives.

My Daughter-the Photographer

L1's favorite subjects are animals and her baby sister.






***Please, note the green grass and the babies' "fall" outfit***

Lazy Days

Life is chugging along smoothly. I tend to be taken surprise by change. I realized this weekend that so much of my mini-meltdown was getting back into the gear of school, my mom returning to work (days off no longer regular) and all these birthdays! We have been working in the garden preparing the ground for our fall planting. I really want to try strawberries this year. I have offered a quarter per bucket of weeds. Now if only the strawberries would grow as well as the weeds!


::L1 earning some money


Awhile back, there was a storm brewing over at Stefani's. It triggered one here,too. It brewed up some serious thoughts about some things I had allowed to creep into our lives. I often think how we spend our time is just as important as how we spend our money. We have been cutting away some activities and slowly trying to make somethings a part of our everyday routine. Not all of us are as pleased as others.


::The Boy suffering from media withdrawal


The Littles (what I call the younger set of girls) have been busy working at their restaurant while the oldest girl and I dig in the garden.

::Carrot Peel Stew



::Dirt Cake (I love knowing that H 4 took this picture because she always gets the camera strap in the shot!!)


And hands down our favorite way to pass time is to watch C6 tote her bubble machine all around the yard.

Birthday Season Has Begun

Borko birthday season begins with a triple birthday in August. My mom and C6 share a birthday and my sister's takes place a week before. We had the whole gang over for a birthday bash. There was food, cake and laughing. My mom loves coconut cake and had been eyeing this one over at Martha Stewart. We did the best we could to compete.



It was super yummy and vanished quickly. J's parents came over and celebrated later on in the week with a smaller cake!



C6 turned two AND there is not another baby coming. It has been a lot harder on this mama than I ever expected. I am trying to embrace the feelings and cry when I want or just sit and enjoy her when I know I "should" be doing something else. At first I tried to deny/suppress the grieving feelings. Things like:

"Give me a break Eva you do have SIX kids!!! What's your problem?"

"What are you some kind of baby nut!!! Won't it be great to not have a diaper bag?"

"You will have lots of grand babies to hold. Just wait."

"You can always work in the nursery!."

had been running through my head. I have never made it to a two year old birthday without a baby on the way. And this whole process of letting go bites.



::Before the curls came in




::My brown eyed girl




::Cool baby,cool



::Not so easy being two



::"Horsie!!!"

Sigh . . . Now I'll be gearing up for P3's birthday this month, with ones following in October, November and December. We get January off before The Boy's birthday in February! Going to search for more cute cakes!