The Last Photo

This is the last photo taken with my trusty camera, a Canon G11. I've had that camera for over 4 years now. It replaced the one I bought to replace the one I dipped in the Sea of Cortez a little over 5 years ago. This one met it's untimely demise in that pool there, right after the sun officially set.

Sigh.

Frankly, it was time for a new camera. The software was all wonky and the lens had a small scratch. I was contemplating an upgrade to a proper DSLR anyway. But an unceremonious flinging out of my bag as I go to put it on my shoulder was not my plan for retirement. I've got a short term solution in place, but it is time for the full upgrade. Wee!

In related news, that pic was taken in Turks and Caicos a month ago. Hubby and I escaped for our first trip away together - not work or wedding related - since our honeymoon twelve years ago. It was a trip we needed in so many ways. And while it pained me not to have a camera for the rest of the trip (I dunked mine on day 2) it was also kind of freeing. I stopped thinking about capturing moments and actually lived them. That was what we needed as a couple. And really, how many pictures of turquoise waters does one need?

Friday Favourites - Gamewright Games

My kids have never been ones for toys, not the girls at least. The Monster, especially, has always preferred things with a strong element of human interaction - make believe, wrestling, painting together, long conversations, and games. But even games and our interest in them come and go. They are definitely a winter activity and with an extremely precocious toddler in the house we have to manage our time and space around games. The games that have, without a doubt, captured all of us in the family are the ones made by Gamewright.

And when I say captured all of us I mean even my husband enjoys playing them. This is a man who likes to say, "There is a reason they are called BORED games." But he will happily sit down and get his butt kicked by a 7 year old who mastered the numbers game Rat-a-Tat Cat from the first time she played it a year ago. That child is a ninja at that game. And The Evil Genius has an eye for strategy on Too Many Monkeys.

The games provide the opportunity for strategic thinking in the midst of a pretty fast pace. My kids do not get bored playing these games. Frankly, neither do we. And with a full range of games I expect they will grow up with our family.

We purchased ours at a local toy store, but they seem to be available everywhere, including the major online retailers. 

Embroidery - Properly

It took four years. Four years to get from this to that there.

Their first efforts have hung on their art wall, surviving every single purge of art at their request, for the past four years. Then one night a few weeks ago The Monster asked if we could do it again.

"Mama, can we do more of that up down sewing with thick thread? Except, can we do it properly?"

Of course sweetie. And I panic. Because I have no clue how to actually do it properly. Thankfully I have a rather extensive book library for sewing. A few resources to the rescue and we teach ourselves a running stitch and a back stitch. We stock up on a few bits of floss (all in pinks and purples except for one lonely skein of yellow. We buy hoops. And we put their little brother down for a long winter's nap so he stays out of our way.

They each drew a picture on a piece of scrap osnaburg, lightly and with a pencil, selected their floss, tightened it up in the hoop and we sat down to stitch. And we stayed there for two hours! This activity kept my 7 and 5 year old girls still for two hours. I'm still in shock about that. I was on cutting, floss separating, and knot tying duty.

We've got some skills to learn - sometimes they don't always pull the thread all the way through and we get tangles, and their back stitch and running stitch look kind of the same. But this first effort is not any better than I probably could have done.

And the best part? They want to do more.

Triangles

It took a scary day, medically speaking, to push me to finish The Evil Genius' quilt. It sat on my design wall for well over a month. Frankly, it is so pretty I was content to look at all the triangles and not sew them together. But then my girl needed a pick me up so I finished the top. 

Like her first quilt she picked all the fabrics and layout for this quilt. I will admit to spending a few days strongly suggesting that using red on those edge triangles would not make the quilt look better. I finally had to cut a few options and have her compare. This is the fabric she chose for the backing and I think it works well here (My preference was for a pale grey or white.) She definitely has a future as a quilter.

It finishes out at a twin. Because she wanted a quilt big enough for when she gets her own bed. (My girls share a bed.) With no plans to actually buy new beds that means I have tonnes of time to get it done, right?