Growing and growing and growing...

These little guys are growing like weeds! I now know exactly how fast that is too, because my front yard is made entirely of weeds. They have overtaken the grass in a brutal battle for control of the curb appeal, and thus there isn't any. :-p Anyway, here is a picture to satisfy cravings to see the twins:

Oh. Wow.

I love my cricut. I mean LOVE it.........but.....check this thing out! Holy moly, jeepers creepers and oh golly gosh 'ems! I want one so badly!!! Seriously folks. I need to go clean up a drool puddle. **sigh** be still my heart.

Sorry

To those of you who follow this blog. I'm sorry I have been terrible about posting. I can't say that I'll get any better. The boys are so curious and active and always seeming to go in different directions so I rarely have time to hold still until it's time to sleep. Nap time is almost over and I need to eat something before I have to share it with the twins. They have hollow legs, I swear!

Okay, so I said I would put up some sewing projects if they weren't "dreadful." Well, I guess they're not dreadful, but they are not great either. Here are two dresses that I made for my nieces. Their mommy was nice enough make them wear them for a photo shoot. (Thanks Dianna!)

Poor Samantha (first pic) is my sewing guinea pig and I do a lot of learning on her. I guess she's too young to care, right? Well, I have also hemmed my husbands pajama pants, so they are now shorts. He tells me they are his favorite things to wear. I'm glad they were a success. I shortened sleeves on his dress shirt and I'll be re-shortening them. Didn't quite get it right the first time. He wore it to church and to work so it can't be that bad. And I have also made an apron for Samantha that I finished in record time only to find out I made a huge mistake. It is now fixed and I will try to get a picture of her in it. 'Til next time, friends.

Samantha's front and back...

Ashley's front and back...

Still learning.

Whew!

It's over. I didn't think I would really be too nervous when I sang on Friday, but it has been a while and my body reacted with a HUGE surge of adrenaline just as I lifted the mic to my mouth. It was a little hard to remember proper technique and breathe deeply. All my lungs seemed to want to do was gasp for air. Fortunately, years of training kicked in and about half way through the song a sort of auto-pilot engaged. It was nice. I now feel the need to write a big thank you letter to every voice teacher or coach I've had in the last 14 years. And though I started a little rocky and had no warm up or sound check, I don't think it went all that bad. Of course right after I finished I wanted to say, "wait! Do over!"

Those in the audience seemed to enjoy it (or that was courtesy applause...) and at least I finished well. With a song like the national anthem, that's all anybody really remembers anyway. :-p It felt good to exercise the ol' pipes again. I've kinda been bitten by the singing/performing bug again. I guess I've never not wanted to be performing (isn't that a double negative????), but now that the boys are getting older it seems like it might almost be a real possibility. If anyone knows of any community theater opportunities or choirs for people who are not students at "the Y" I would love to check it out. Well, gotta run for now!

Later.

P.S. I'll be putting up sewing pictures soon, I promise.

Out of Shape!

Okay, okay, before any sarcastic comments or verbal eye rolling occur: I'm not speaking about my physical shape. Although pear-shaped is not the shape I would ideally like for my body, I also haven't been terribly motivated to put in the abdominal workouts to change that. I am reaping what I sew in that department (she says as she bites into her third fudge striped cookie since beginning this post...).

I am unbelievably out of shape vocally. My diaphragm is weak and tired, my vocal chords are puny and dry (in some part thanks to whatever is in full bloom here in Idaho...cotton?), and someone could drive a semi-truck through the spacing in my vibrato. I could not believe that I got winded after singing to the radio in the car the other day! It just goes to show that you have to use it or lose it. Now now, I haven't lost it entirely. But it used to be so much easier. **sigh**

The reason that any of this has been brought to my attention is because of me and my stupid mouth. When my husband and the rest of the Relay for Life committee were in need of someone to sing the national anthem at this year's event, I cheerfully said "sure" upon being asked. It sounded like fun to perform again and I wanted to help any way that I could. Why oh why didn't I just bake something to be sold at the event or used in a cake walk?! And the national anthem?! Such a hard song!!! It may not sound hard, but man oh man, it takes some vocal gymnastics that this body hasn't done in a LONG time.

Now it's back to basics. I'm putting myself into a self imposed vocal boot camp. The boys have already noticed some strange behavior out of mommy lately. Lots of water, lemon and honey, and all these weird sounds she makes with her hands (well, hand....I injured the left one) on her ribs. Yawns, funny laughs, hissing like a snake, occasionally a siren or two to identify problem areas.... I'm sure the boys think this is all for their entertainment. They giggle like crazy at some of my vocal warm ups and exercises and usually try to "help" while I'm on my back with a large book going up and down on my stomach. They love that one. I'm not loving their attempts to lift my shirt and see what's going on under there, but I have to admit it is probably a little curious from their point of view. This is going to take some discipline, and hard work. Relay is in a week and a half!!!!! I feel like a marathon runner who took three years off and is now attempting a five mile race.....into a strong opposing wind. YIKES! I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. (It does strike me as odd that I am better at working out my voice on a regular schedule than my physique. Where are my priorities??) Here goes nothin'.

A New Adventure...

For my birthday, my grandma - who is one of the kindest, most loving women I know - purchased a new sewing machine and serger for me. Not even a used one. Brand spankin' new. I know, can you say intimidating?! (Don't break it on the first try!) But also so wonderful and exciting at the same time! I have always wanted to have a sewing machine and can't wait to begin a wonderful new era of do-it-yourself-ing. I am a little nervous, and will proceed with caution. Luckily, this machine also comes with lessons for the life of the machine from the store where it was purchased. I will be attempting my first project soon and will post pictures if it is not entirely dreadful. Cross your fingers for me!