Getting ready for another school year

Ben and Madi start school on Monday! Boy did summer vacation fly by! Our school schedule is 2 months off for summer vacation and then during the school year, every 6 weeks we get 1 week off and boy do we like and need those weeks during the year.

Okay so I took a quarter yard of these 4 different Michael Miller fabrics...cut strips, sewed them together and added elastic...so easy, didn't even need a pattern. Plus there was enough fabric leftover to make a matching hair ribbon and another project...so, cheap and easy. Madi looks so cute in this new little skirt for school.

Columbus Zoo

On the first day of our family reunion we all met at the Columbus Zoo. From my cousins and aunts even to my Grandma Erwin...they are very proud to have their zoo be America's #1 rated zoo this year. Growing up we went to the Columbus Zoo every summer and it was always good...it's Jack Hanna's zoo. Can you believe Jack Hanna was there the same time we were and my sister and her family got pictures with him. He asked Cary and Brian where they were from and they said Salt Lake City and Jack Hanna said he was just there the day before. Ewww...the kids touched the snake.

Claudia and Madi sitting in the shade trying to catch a break from the heat.

There were so many of us at the zoo...it was so fun. After the zoo everyone went to Aunt Laurie's house for a pool party and dinner was catered by China Bell...mmmmm.

Since we don't ever have everyone together at Christmas, Aunt Onalee thought we should celebrate it in July. She had HUGE OVER FLOWING bags of gifts for each of the kids. In the picture above you can see she even had some for all of us adults. What a fun memory of having Christmas in July at a family reunion and pool party.

Ben and Madi with their huge bag of Christmas in July presents.

There is Cary and Caty sitting with Madi.

Some of the girls...Rachel, Claudia, Madi and Lora.

Everyone enjoyed the pool party and being together!

For just 50 cents

This week I have been busy making lots of gifts for people. Last night I finished some of them and wanted to get them in the mail today. We have to drive right by my favorite quilt store to get to the post office so we made a not so quick stop....the kids were so good for me in there so I could look. At the end while paying, in the scrap bin Madi found herself fabric she just couldn't live without. We came home, ate lunch and then got busy making this cute little bag....for just 50 cents. It's just big enough to carry her wii remote in when she walks to the neighbors to play with her friends. It's fun to be a mom on days like this!

TBDBITL...

(tabittle) is what we use to refer to The Ohio State Marching Band. It stands for The Best Damn Band In The Land.



This past week has been the best medicine for a lonely girl...we went to Ohio for a family reunion. We could hardly miss Steve when we were getting hugged and kissed by at least 75 or more family members we haven't seen in a long time.



In 1946 my Grandpa Moseley was the Drum Major for The Ohio State University. This past weekend we got the royal treatment....because of my grandpa's wishes to take us on a tour of the university's bandroom they opend up the gates for just us. It was so cool being there with my grandpa and for my kids to be there too.

We even got to go into the stadium! There is Ethan, Claudia, Ben, Madi and Caty.

Look at the sweetest little Buckeye ever...there is Aunt Laurie holding baby Eva.

Update: the baby buckeye is Eva Onalee...I was asked by ummm... you know who(Aunt Onalee)...to correct my blog. :-)

We got to go down the hall in the stadium that shows pictures of each of the Drum Majors from the beginning to present day. And Uncle Richard being funny taking my picure while I was doing theirs.

In the trophy case they have an old picture of my Grandpa (Bev Moseley) doing his thing over 60 years ago. My Grandpa is still one of the judges when it comes to Drum Major tryouts...he is 82 and still loves loves being a part of action.

Me, Ben, Madi and Grandpa Moseley in front of the trophy case in the hall.

Oh there is Ethan...Eva's big brother....looks like a future Buckeye to me.

This was definitely one of my favorite stops during the reunion...Steve wants to come back for a football game when he gets home from Iraq.

a mistake

Today is garbage pick-up in our neighborhood. So last night I was gathering up all I could find to set out at the curb. From underneath the kitchen sink I pulled out our sharps container/milk jug. When I saw all the syringes from the past few weeks it took my breath away. Can you believe how many shots Madi gets.





Madi gets two types of insulin. One night last week I gave her Novolog at 10:30 at night instead of Lantus. I give Madi her Lantus at night while she is sleeping and she doesn't even wake up. After giving her her shot I went back to the kitchen to document the shot and put the insulin away. I went to put the vial up in the cupboard and there it was sitting on the shelf...my heart stopped as I looked down and saw a very similar vial in my hand but it was the Novolog...the fast acting stuff. I had to call the Dr. We have the best children's healthcare here...we even have the phone numbers to the Peds Endocrinologist to call at any time we need 24 hours a day. I have only had to actually call the Dr. twice but every time they are so kind, helpful and even want you to call them back to let them know how things went getting through whatever situation you were dealing with. Well that night I had to wake Madi up to eat over 100 carbs and was up until after 2 am. She ate a Snickers ice cream cone, an oreo cookie, 2 juice boxes. 12 sugar pills, smarties....poor thing wasn't even hungry and was crying trying to eat her ice cream. I felt so bad/mad that I had made such a mistake. So now we have put a red band around the Lantus and every night the kids and I double check which medicine I set out on the counter to give each night.
Of course I had to email Steve about what happened and he was so nice and just replied that it was bound to happen. When Madi was first diagnosed with diabetes in March I was so scared to take care of her. Then when I found out Steve was deploying to Iraq I was really upset and scared to be alone with Madi. I thought I should either have to deal with Madi's new life style or with my husbands deployment not both at the same time. But here we are...still kicking, enjoying our summer...mistakes and all.

We are at the end of another fun week of swim lessons.

Both Ben and Madi are becoming quite the swimmers...I love watching them play in the water. And look at those nice sharp arms she has...they have learned some new strokes this summer.

Camera strap

I had been seeing pretty camera straps everywhere and even thought about buying one. Sure glad I didn't...I made this one for a dollar or two. I padded it and it's much softer on my neck now.

By printing USAF (for US Air Force) onto and iron on and placing it on a piece of white fabric I made a fun patriotic decoration.

Here are my fun patriotic kids on the 4th of July.

Red and white

My goal this summer with Steve gone was to make sure I got to the gym most days, give the kids a fun summer and learn to make some fun crafts. I have never been much into sewing. So this summer I told myself my sewing machine was going to live in my dining room. That way I could really play around with it while being with the kids. My kids have always like to be right next to me. So while I watch them play wii, with friends and even watching some fun tv I have been sewing. One of my favorite kinds of quilts are the ones with the triangles so I thought I would try a small project and it was so fun! I would love to one day make a quilt this style for Madi's bed.

This red apple fabric is my favorite this summer. I used some in my quilted project above and made Madi some cute capri pants with a matching ribbon for her hair.

fabric necklace

We have been swimming everyday this week. Ben and Madi have done so good at their lessons. They are in level 3 and 4 now...American Red Cross. This morning they have been begging to go again today. I said we could this afternoon if they were good this morning so I could clean house and make a fabric necklace. I LOVE it. You can use any colors and make them any length you want....I know I will be trying a few more of these. Rachael over at p.s. i quilt had this fabric-necklace-tutorial on her blog the other day.



It's just 3 strips of fabric.

summer mornings

I love summer. Getting to stay up later then normal. Sleeping in. Being together. My kids are so fun. They enjoy some of the simplest things in life. This morning they each enjoyed a bowl of grits...Madi in Georgia red and Ben Carolina blue.

Last week in the mail I got a $10 coupon for JCPenny. So one night after gymnastics we went shopping and Ben and Madi got matching wii pj pants.

Black bird and Father's Day

I loved this crazy fabric with the black bird on it. So I made Madi a simple dress...it looks cute with a black tee and her green crocs. And get this, I had a coupon so this dress only cost me $1.29...makes me love it even that much more.

We are thinking of Steve since it's Father's Day. He did email us today. He said work was busy and someone was sick so he is covering an extra half of a shift so he can't call. But the kids and I are enjoying the day. We just finished dinner...pancakes! As soon as it cools off just a little we are going to go to the same park we did with Steve last Father's Day. Also just like last Father's Day I started on my Christmas cards this afternoon....I guess that's my new tradition.

Lots and lots of Americana

I love these cards I made to send out for the 4th of July...they have one of my favorite pictures of Ben and Madi on them. The kids were were 2 and 4 and dressed in their pilot uniforms...I have this picture displayed in my living room too.

Here is last years 4th of July card...it's my little blog symbol whenever I leave comments on other blogs.

This in one of the tables in my living all dressed up in Red, White and Blue.

See a few little stitchery pillows I made in years past...I love making little things to decorate my house.

Look at these beautiful little piggies. Last Wednesday was Madi's birthday. She wanted to go to the movies to see Night At The Museum 2 and she wanted to go get her toes done...it was such a fun day.

A Hero's Salute

Last week in Afghanistan 3 Army Soldiers from Georgia were killed. One of them from Henry County. This is the first person to give the ultimate sacrifice from Henry County. Sgt. Beale was flown back to Georgia last night. His family picked him up in Fayette County and from there drove through Clayton County and then home here in Henry County. There was a helicopter escort along with lots of motorcycles and police cars. Along the 20 mile route from the airfield where he landed to the funeral home about 2 miles from our house the streets were lined with grateful Americans to welcome him home.

People started lining up more that an hour before Sgt. Beale's hurst drove by. One of the neighbors, Kameryn came with us. At first I didn't know if I should tell Ben and Madi about someone getting killed in action with their own dad serving in Iraq right now. I did and I am glad they wanted to go support this other family that has lost so much.

I am amazed at this picture.