Oopsy...

She is competing at the Irish FEIS tomorrow morning in AnAhEiM not Sunday! We have to be there at 9 AM. AHHHH...Scrabbling!! Don't forget the wig, the cap, the dress, the crown, the kickpants, the socks, the soft shoes, the hard shoes, the dancer & the BaBy! Wouldn't that be a mess. Wait...maybe I could leave..., no better not.

Our weekend line up

Wowzers! We have a lot going on this weekend. We have already been to 4 soccer games, 2 piano lessons, Clogging, Irish, Young Women, Scouts & School Open House this week alone. And I registered 30 cloggers for NATIONALS WEST. Don't forget about homework, clarinet practice, walking the dog & the BABY! No wonder Winston wanted to make brownies last night...

{Here is the line up for the WEEKEND}
*Mommy & Me Breakfast-Primary Activity.
       3 kids in Primary...Cheyanne's last one.
*School Carnival...got to get there early for the carne asada tacos. [YUM]
*Private DUET lesson (I am teaching)
*Scout Camp Day @ Camp Pendleton for Jace
*DAUGHTRY CONCERT!!!
What do I have to wear? Will the baby be ok without me for so long...ohhh Grandma can handle it.
*Irish FEIS (competition) in Anaheim.

Thank goodness Winston backed out of his bike race! When will I squeeze in planting a GARDEN?

Green Smoothie

I have a Green Smoothie everyday. Low calorie, packed with tons of vitamins & nutrients! My kids {love} them too! In this recipe I added a berry blend, so it turned a purple color. Usually, though, my [GREEN] smoothies really are green! It's fun to play around with different greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens) & fruit. I have found that the fewer ingredients you put in, the better the flavor & taste. Keep it simple! I also add a bit of agave as a sweetner.

My Blendtec Blender is AWESOME!

It blends so quick & super easy clean up! {GOTTA HAVE IT}

*RECIPE*

1 cup Water

2 cups Spinach

1 cup Kale

 (stem optional-didn't add in this one)

1 Banana

1 cup frozen Berry Mix (Costco)

1 Orange

(skin barely peeled...try to leave white)

1 cup ICE

Makes 2 big servings

Xander...3 months old

Landon..."I finally lost my tooth!" in Paragonah.

Landon is our sweet kinder kid. He has watched so many of his classmates loose teeth during the year. One of the girls in his class lost a tooth at school & she got sent to the office for a {Treasure Chest}. Oh, how he wanted one too! Well, he still had a mouth full before we left on spring break. While in Utah, he spent 2 nights at his {Great-Grandparents} house all by himself-What a treat! Winston was at his {Adventure Race} in Moab & the rest of us at clogging competition in St. George.

Grandma called a few days before he arrived to get a menu of items he would eat. She wasn't going to fix anything he wouldn't eat (heaven forbid). This was list...bananas, Mac-N-Cheese & hotdogs. You know all, the healthy stuff : )

Saturday, he knocked it loose eating a carrot (not on the list). Sunday morning for {BREAKFAST} he couldn't eat because it was soooo loose. So for an [HOUR] grandma & grandpa watched him work that sucker out! Grandpa's finger were too big to get a good grip. And that method of tying a string to it & slamming the door that HE always threatened us with...{EMPTY THREAT}! He was so sweet helping Landon, encouraging him along. Landon pulled it out [ALL BY HIMSELF]! What a boy! (This is also the same kid that potty trained himself while I was away at clogging camp. Lucky me.)

We arrived in Paragonah Sunday afternoon.

He ran out to us so fast...

"I FINALLY LOST MY TOOTH!"

Baby Bibs

The baby is ready for SOLIDS! My latest project has been getting some baby bibs ready. I like to use DISH TOWELS. They cover shoulders, shirts & pants for messy eaters. I have made these for all my kids. I buy Extra-wide, Double Fold Bias Tape, dish towels & soft, flexible Sew-On velcro.

I trace my keyhole, cut it out, pin down the bias tape & zig zag all along. Then I add about 3 inches or so of velcro. We use these bibs up thru the toddle years so leave enough velcro to grow. It doesn't have to be perfect, since it's just going to be messed on : ) *FYI...pre-wash the towels before you sew.

I did see a cute idea where you sew a bandana to the top to the towel & tie it around the child's neck. I need to figure out how to save those links & add them to mine...still learning.

*Homemade Laundry Detergent*

My sister-in-law, Michelle, taught me how to make my very own laundry detergent. It is a recipe she got from the Duggar's book (TLC’s 19 & Counting). I found lots of similar recipes for homemade laundry soap online as well http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/  I have been using this now for 1 month. With the new baby, I do at least 2 loads of laundry a day.
Recipe:
Hot Water
1 cup Washing SODA
½ cup Borax
1 Fels Naptha Bar Soap
*5 Gallon bucket with lid*

Makes approx. 10 gallons of Laundry Soap-depending on how concentrated you want to make it.

Directions:

1. Grate the Fels Naptha bar and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
2. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot water.
3. Add the melted soap, Borax and washing soda. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill the pail up with more hot water.
4. Stir and let it sit OVERNIGHT. Stir again and it is ready to dilute and use. You will smell a scent from the concentrate, but there will be no scent on your clothes.
YOU NOW HAVE A 5 GALLON BUCKET OF CONCENTRATE. The recipe says to dilute it 1 part water to 1 part soap. I like to put it in a smaller [USED] laundry soap container. I dilute about 1 part soap to ½ part water. Play around with it and see what works best for your laundry needs.
*STIR OR SHAKE soap before each use since it will GEL.
Top loading: Use 1 cup per load
Front Loading (HE included): 1/3 cup per load (I fill mine up to MAX line)

The cost for all my supplies was less than $8.00. With the amount of borax & soda used for recipe the cost is under $3.00 for 10 GALLONS of SOAP!!
Our clothes, especially the towels, are so SOFT!! Some recipes say to use Vinegar as a softener, but I still use my Downy, since I like just a little scent : ). But I have even diluted that down to 1 part softener to 1 part water. Look at all the money saved!

I purchased all my supplies in Utah at Macey's in Pleasant Grove. I haven't tried to find here in Southern California, but if anyone knows...please leave a comment.

HaPpY wAsHiNg!

Ad for School Yearbook

Nizhoni

Cheyanne is a wonderful daughter & sister. She loves to Irish dance and clog. She loves to play soccer & basketball. Cheyanne enjoys spending time with her family-playing games, long walks with her dog Jericho, cooking with her grandma Elton, shopping with her grandma Robinson, and playing with her little brothers. Cheyanne is an amazing artist & loves to sketch people.
Cheyanne is in 6th grade at Rancho Minerva Middle school. She plays the clarinet & is top of her class academically. She is very responsible & dependable. She is a good helper to her mother & a great babysitter. She is a great example to her friends. She always chooses the right.

Cheyanne doesn’t have a middle name, but her mother calls her “Nizhoni” which means ‘beautiful’ in Navajo. We hope that she will always remember to “walk in beauty” as she continues on her journey of becoming a young woman. We are blessed to have Cheyanne in our lives & in our family.
(Written for New Beginnings-Young Woman's Night March 2010)

Our little 2009 arrival...Xander

I feel like a 1st time mom again with our little Xander. Six years has gone by & I have forgotten what it is like to carry a diaper bag, survive on little sleep & change all those diapers! But all those squishy parts, baby giggles & slobbery kisses are worth it. We feel our family is complete.

Why Dancing Stitches?

I have been dancing all my life. Practically since the womb, as my mom recalls. I have been a dance teacher for over 12 years now. I love to dance...it makes me feel free & happy. I also love to quilt. There is just something about a homemade quilt that makes you feel special & loved. Last year I purchased a long arm sewing machine, so that I could "stipple" my own creations. Long arm quilting takes flow & movement. You have to take a deep breath & GO FOR IT! As I was learning to let go of the control & go with the flow, I realized it was like dancing. There you have it...Dancing Stitches.

So It Begins...

I did it! Wow...a whole new world. I have been putting off blogging for a long time. Why now? Well, I keep looking at pictures of my kids and wonder where did the days go? When did you get to be so tall? New shoes again? When did she grow to be a beauty? I feel like the song "Sunrise, Sunset". The tears start to come as think about my limited days with them in their magical childhood years. They change everyday...I don't want to miss a thing. We have the pictures, we have the videos, but I have not been very good at putting them all together so that we can remember our story. So here we go...