When Dad's Away...

Todd has been up in Kenya for a few days. Which means a few things. 1) I haven't cooked since he left. I made a big batch of mac-n-cheese with veggies and chicken in it, and we've been munching on that and PB sandwiches for pretty much a week. The kids don't mind and it's been blazing hot, so I'm not about to turn on the oven or stove. 2) The kids are in bed by 7, but since Todd normally does the bath-bed-story routine, it's never right and they're up and down for at least three more hours. 3) I get bored and turn to getting things organized, which then turns to making things in order to get rid of things that must be organized.

I don't know how to sew, but I have this great new machine and google. I also have all the clothes that have fallen apart, mostly from Todd, stashed for whatever. And, I made the sorry mistake two weeks ago of buying a bulk package of thin fleece throw blankets in hopes of turning them into kids pajama pants. I say sorry because now I have what feels like a hundred fleece projects and this babe is due before Easter. Lent tells me I'm going to run out of time. Oops. Oh well I guess. As I was cleaning and sorting through the bits of this and that in the "craft/sewing" cupboard (don't give it too much credit, it's small and the kids play with it so things disappear frequently), I came across a pair of denim jeans that Todd has had since the 90s. They had more than a few holes and a large gash at one of the knees, but its denim and I loathe paying for denim. But, lets face it, there's a reason why you buy denim and there's a reason why it's expensive. The stuff is hard to work with!

Now, remember, I have no pattern (because I don't know how to read them and don't tell me they're "easy" because to me, they're not... I need to take a class, but that will have to wait a bit!) and Cooper was mostly asleep during these sewing sessions. Normally, I sew a bit, rip out seams, sew some more and then try it on a kid who screams at a pin I'd forgotten. I made these a bit big (and apparently with a 70s bellbottom-vibe to them) so that Cooper can grow into them. I also lined them because this boy of mine is constantly moving and constantly losing shoes/socks/hats/shirts/pants/whatever he has a mind to get rid of. It's so frustrating.

I got to the hem, and realized I don't know how to hem either. So... we folded and stitched, and then folded up one more time because I made them long enough to (hopefully) last through the coming winter.

But, as you can see, pocket placement is apparently one of those things where you really, really should take the time and wait so see where they should go instead of just guessing. Glad he won't actually use them since anything that gets put in those bad-boys will be sitting just at his knee crease. Hehe!!!

And all through this 'photo shoot', poor Lani was banished to her pillow because otherwise, I inevitably get a tail in every picture. She was so sad and pitiful looking that right after this picture, Cooper crawled up with her to make her feel better. LOVE these two together!