Who Says a Mom Can't Pass on Her Gifts to Her Sons?

I love sitting with other homeschool mothers and observing our children. It is so neat to see the talents all these moms share with not only daughters, but sons. I used to ache for a daughter, but God has really brought me full circle. I can now see that I was the mother to these men for a reason. My unique gifts were meant for them, not the daughters I may someday hold in my arms. I truly feel I wasn't gifted a daughter because I needed sons. I also feel that they needed me. They need my talents, my thoughts, and my moments in life. Our children are given to us as special on-purpose gifts. He hand picks and creates the child within us. We are meant for each other.


I know many of the moms in my life who don't get that it is okay for my boys to sew, crochet, or cook with joy. But they have been fed the lie. The lie is that you can only share your womanly arts and gifts with your daughters. Somehow in America most have decided that boys are to be MEN at all times. The funny thing is that most of the things women do well were started by men, invented by men, really.


I like that my boys can be boys. I do! I love filthy messes all over them from a day out at play. I love the creatures Remy finds. I love the movies they are drawn to because they are men. Men crave manly things. But I also find such joy in sharing who I am with them. Teaching them how to do the things I know how to do well. Because of it they tell me how great I am. I even have boys who are interested in the things I love. It isn't a one sided relationship. Through these men I have grown to love nature. I have been invited into the secret world of men just as much as they have been invited into the world of women by me. :) I know it will all serve them well.


Elijah stitched up his first garment this October. He loves Zelda. Making his own Link costume was so much fun for him. Parts of it he did, parts I did, but we worked together. He can now read a pattern and understands it isn't magic that makes a garment, just hands, and time.

















I had to laugh because he figured out quickly that sewing is much easier than knitting or crochet.


What can be more fun for a boy than to know he made most of this?





See how a little boy can learn something that is considered girly and use it to be so boyish? :)

Bumbles Owl Quilt

I made Bumble a quilt. :)

I wish I could have gotten a better photo. If Matthew takes pity on me and takes one I will for sure share it with you all. Mine didn't seem to get the colors right.

Also, beware, the next few posts may be baby prep heavy. ;)

Make and Share Monday - Sun Dress and Bloomers

I didn't get around to sewing for this weeks Make and Share post until 3:30pm today. It took me two hours to stitch this up from start to finish. I made it for my niece Amy, my sister's child. :) I can't wait to mail it out. I owe her a birthday gift. :)

Here is the front.

The back, which I love!

A close up of the fabric, it is more pinkish than it shows here.

And here is a front view with the bloomers peeking out below. :)

I didn't buy anything, I used what I had on hand. :) Doesn't it look like an English Tea in a Rose Garden to you? I so wish I had a girl to stitch for. :)

Make and Share Monday ~ Remy's Monkey Jammies

I know it isn't Monday anymore, but I had to get in on this new blog theme! It is back to school and with back to school and fall I feel crafty and I sit day dreaming of sewing, baking, and creating. :) *sigh*

Make and Share Monday was made for me and my wandering mind during this time of the year. :) So look forward to a weekly bloggy post of the little goodies I whip up with my hands. :)

I made Remy my little "Monkey Boy" some new jammies. Both of the boys need new jammies in BAD ways and while we don't have the money to go and buy them, I do have the huge fabric stash from my richer days, and I have put them to use! :) Remy says I am a magic mommy and he is going to sew all of his kids clothes when he is a daddy. ;) I mean he will live in the wild, ya know? I don't believe Walmart will be in the Amazon. Hee hee...

I had some sock monkey fabric and some blue knit. I also had the pattern in my stash. :) He could not stand himself as he waited for his jammies. He went around in undies because he said his normal clothing was not good enough. I was asked every 5 minutes when they would be done. He is quite pleased with the result. :) He is so super cute. :)

Odds and Ends of Our Lives, Lately...

It is Christmas Time!

And I am so darn happy!

Friday marked our Christmas Break from formal homeschooling. We have until the New Year to enjoy our days the way we choose. LOVE IT!

Brina and the boys came for a visit, please be in prayer for her as she takes on the huge tasks that the Lord has put before her. Pray for her strength!

I always get a photo of Matthew and Tucker, I have since he was born. :) Here is the newest one.

Here he is pulling up on my legs as I sit on the couch. :) He is MOBILE!

This little crawling fool can go anywhere he pleases, and believe me, he does!

We made Ginger Bread Men with Brina, Renee, and the children. We had a blast! And Logan stayed the night as Matthew helped him with a Science Fair project he had.

Here is a photo of Mikey decorating his Ginger Bread Man. :)

Remy and I made this Dolphin this past week. Matthew made up a pattern for it because of course Remy doesn't want to make what is in the book. Our daddy is GOOD like that! Hee hee!

I am thinking that Matthew and I should write a felt craft book together! :)

Eli and Remy are in a homeschool craft swap online. Eli's swap came in the mail last week. Isn't this the best Santa puppet ever?

We had our Christmas get together with Renee and her family. Sabrina gave the boys these super cool "TRANSFORMER" jammies! And now Aunt Brina ROCKS OUT in their opinion! :) But she always has. :)

I kept forgetting my camera lately. BUT I know I can snatch some photos from some pals...if I remember!

Be on the look out for Christmas Break fun!

A Pink Lizard for Taylor and Place Settings

Elijah has now crafted a pink lizard for Taylor. He was beat after that green one. I found him the next morning eagerly at work on the pink one. I was surprised to see it. I thought maybe he had given up on making another for his friend. I knew he wanted to make something different. When I asked him what made him still go forward with the pink one he said that he had promised one to her the next time he saw her and that he would just work as if working for the Lord!

I love seeing the words we read during our studies from the Bible coming back out of his mouth. It is neat that he is applying the word to his life. He has grown so much lately. What a sweet little man he is. :)

Around the midpoint of every "grade" school year we go over table manners and place settings. It is always nice to brush up on those and to see what we have retained and what we have let go through the past year. I can remember the first year we did this. Elijah was so upset that he just couldn't remember how to do it. Well, this year, he remembered still and set a nice place quickly.

Matthew's mother would be happy to know we do this. *laugh* And it is nice to know I am sending some men into the world who will know some of the things that will make him look attractive. :)

Creative and Crafty Days...

We have been snuggly and warm with family and friends these past few day. :) Nothing is better than that. With three days off in a row from "normal" school studies we are enjoying each other and our free time. Fun times!

I made cookies without help from my overly helpful little men. They usually are involved in all the meal preparations here at home. Remy can make his own egg now and Elijah is wanting more freedom from my watchful eyes. I just wanted to try out a cookie recipe for gift giving during Christmas. These are so good!

Pistachio - Cherry Sandwich Cookies

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups shelled pistachios

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 Tbs. lemon juice

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups cherry perserves

1. Process the pistachios in food processor 1 minute, or until finely ground. Transfer to bowl, and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar in food processor 30 seconds, or until fluffy. Add egg and lemon juice; pulse 15 seconds, or until combined. Scrape down. Add pistachios, flour, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. Pulse 15 seconds more, or until combined and dough starts to clump together. Divide dough in half, flatten into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour, or until firm.

3. Preheat oven to 350. Roll out 1 dough disk on sheet of lightly floured parchment paper, to about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer parchment and cookie dough onto cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer 5 to 8 minutes to firm up.

4. Cut out cookies with 2-inch cutter, and place 1-inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Reroll scraps, and repeat. Bake 12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough disk.

5. Spread 1tsp. preserves on each of 24 cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

Per cookie:

248 calories

4 gram protien

11.5 grams total fat

34 grams carb

29 mg cholesterol

41 mg sodium

1 gram fiber

19 grams sugars

Let me know if you try them! Remy said they "ROCKED", and Eli said he almost passed out with the first bite. Hee hee...

Remy has driven me crazy waiting on that check for his new books. So I have a new printer/copier and I made that baby some school work. It was so nice to not have him trailing after me and begging for a worksheet. He is so strange. I love that he loves it.

I made him some worksheets, a little reader we made together, and a phonics game. He had it all done in a few minutes, but it hit the spot. He was on to reading whatever he fancied the rest of the day.

Elijah found this book at the library:

Remy and I stayed home and daddy took him to get felt and thread today before he left to shoot a wedding. Eli made this lizard.

He now understands why I hate to cut out patterns and that sewing takes time. Whew! That was a good one for him to learn. It took him hours to put this little guy together.

Remy and I made this monkey. He says he will do the next one all by himself. This little monkey is named King Kong and he is Abu's (Remy's best friend Monkey's) little brother. :)

I made Mikey a leaf matching game and this box to put them in.

I even made up new chore charts. The others were dated. :)

I make them up at:

www.dltk-cards.com/chart

Matthew had a wedding Friday and today, but he is off tomorrow! YAY! :)

Remy was sick one time this morning and he didn't have another instance the rest of the day. I doped him up on vitamins and herbs. :)

Now I am looking forward to my Tofu-Turkey I make on Thanksgiving! YUM-YUM!