A Few More Projects

I was racing to get in a few more Etsy shop projects finished before the sewing machines go back onto their shelves. Now I will focus on homeschooling. I get very distracted when my machines are out. I took a few week schooling break with the eight youngest ones. When the Waseca County Fair rolls around, it is hard to want to keep up with school. Every year I think I can fit it all in. One year I will actually learn to not schedule school Mid July to Mid August. As my scheduling goes now, we are three weeks behind. I will just scribble out the past dates and pop in new ones. That will work.

The table is now cleared off. I will spend this week correcting the kids work books, help where they need help, finish putting the rest of my sewing paraphernalia away, and look ahead to my fall schooling plans.

Cyrus, Nolan, and Josiah have a big week head of them with football practice. It is Josiah's Sr year and I want him to soak it all in. Nolan's practices will be more intense than years past because he is in 9th grade now. It is a big deal. Cyrus might get the opportunity to play on the varsity football team with Josiah even though he is in 10th grade. It will be a big football year!!

Did I mention Grant will be moving out at the end of August? Oh, I will miss him SO very much!! Joyce is already out of the house so we will soon be down to only 13 children at home! I bet this coming year Elena will fly the nest,as well. Gee, then with Alan and Josiah graduating high school spring 2015...we could have only ten at home come next fall. The years have flown by. They have not all been easy years with this past year being one of the hardest, but we will look back and think our lives were spent well. I hope we will,at least.

Here are the projects I finished the past few weeks.

I made this bag for myself. I really like it. It is pleather. Good feeling pleather. It actually kind of smells like leather. I wonder if the manufacturers did that on purpose? I plan to offer a made to order one in my shop, because I have enough of the materials to make a duplicate.

I finished these two skirts a few weeks ago.

This dress I finished yesterday. The dress is made from a pattern I purchased from a Hawaiian company. It is a version of a muumuu dress.

Very cute! I wanted Lily to wear a black long sleeve t-shirt under it to make it more Christmas-y because that was the look I was going for but Walmart did not have their long sleeve tops out yet. These pictures are cute, though.

Happy Week!!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

It's Not Easy

being green...

But green's the color of Spring.
And green can be cool and friendly-like.
And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall like a tree.

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder? Why Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful
And I think it's what I want to be.

~ Kermit the Frog

Thank you, Josh for the beautiful plant!! It is just like the ones I appreciate when I go to The Daily Grind!!

And

Thank you neighbors for the delicious cucumbers!!

It did not take us long to eat them all up!!


Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Guess Who...

Guess who won a bike?!!!

None other than the youngest of the Frye princesses herself!

It was Waseca's National Night Out down at Clear Lake. Well, I think it was National Night Out. It was some big event,anyway.

Lily's number was drawn so she won a new girls bike! She is VERY excited!

As you see, someone at the event was painting hair, too.

Pink hair AND a pink bike!!

Just totally awesome!!!

Congrats, Lily!!!


Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Happy Birthday, Grace!!!

It is hard to believe Grace is ten!!!!

Happy birthday, Grace!!!

I love you!!!!!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

A Few Completed Projects

It has been nice to get a little creativity back into my days.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

FAC 2014 Sports Clinic

A bunch of the kids spent this week at the FCA Waseca Sports Clinic.

It made for very tired kids at the end of each day but they will say it was worth it.

Here are a few snap shots of this evening's family pizza party.

Cyrus was too old for the camp but helped out.

I am missing pictures of Joel and Josh but they were there, as well.

Lily has a few years left before she will go to the camp but she is already thinking about what sports to pick.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Another Tasty Treat!

Another tasty treat,

Made by Odell and Joel.

Chocolate covered frozen banana pops.

They were SO good!

P.S.

I am still at the adult table.

~sigh~

All is good, right?

Yep.

It is how it should be.

It is all how it needs to be.

And that is why it is how it should be.

Have your kids make some chocolate covered frozen banana pops this week and eat them at your adult table spot. If you close your eyes while eating them, your 'adult' troubles will almost melt like lemon drops. How? Because you will be brought back into the here and now by enjoying the moment, appreciating the treat, and most of all, delighting in how pleased your kids are for their kitchen creation. Their pleasure can also be your pleasure, their joy can be your joy if you are paying close attention. Try not to miss it. I do not want to miss it,either.

THAT is truly how it should be.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Sleepy and His Forest Friends

I did take out my sewing machines this morning. I worked on a few Etsy shop items. I decided to made a sample of each item and a duplicate for Lily. I am not finished with my new creations but hope to finish as time permits this weekend.

My partially finished skirts

This will be a fall corduroy jacket with a solid beige lining.

It will look great with the Forest Friends skirt!

PS:

Please Lord,

I do not want to sit at the adult table anymore.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me


Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys

Have you heard this old Polish proverb?

Not my circus, not my monkeys!

~SIGH~

Umm...

What if it is my circus?

What if it is all happening under my big top?

What if they are all my goofball monkeys?

My circus peanuts?

Well, under this big top, clowns are one of the most popular characters.

That is the part of the apple that fell close to Jeff's side of the tree...

Did I just say that?

I find they are VERY skilled in a variety of circus acts.

Driving me bananas is their most practiced and encored act.

I wish I could say I was the ring master by I find out I am more the juggler, lion tamer, tightrope walker, and flame thrower all rolled into one.

Haha.

I think Jeff would like to be the unicyclist but then again he would like the ring master's top hat.

But instead, fortunate for him, he mostly just arrives when the daytime circus show is wrapping up.

He misses the good stuff.

Jeff did take this old circus-ed out juggler, lion tamer, tightrope walker, and flame thrower to the fabric store when he got home from work.

It has been a little more than three weeks since I left Waseca.

Thank you, Jeff!

I needed the break.

I bought a lot of this Snow White's Seven Dwarfs fabric. I have many plans for this!! I might just unpack my sewing machines today.

I also bought a blender at Kohls.

I was feeling the need to blend stuff.

I tested it out when we got home.

Jeff, Elena, and Alan watched as I blended an old banana I found in the freezer, milk, chocolate syrup, ice and a little oatmeal together. It was not bad. They were my taste testers. I read somewhere that oatmeal adds protein and a little thickness. Next time I will leave the oatmeal out, though. It did not blend very well.

These are pictures I took yesterday. I LOVE my milk weed plants!!

I am wondering if this butterfly escaped from the Butterfly exhibit at the fair this past weekend.

Daisies are also one of my favorite flowers.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Saying Good-Bye to the Fair!!

Grant showed his car in today's classic car show.

Looks very impressive!

Joel, Grace, and Lily on the Yoyo

Lily on the little car track

I just happened to take this picture as Lily's crush "the Dinosaur boy" drove by her. We named him that because one day as Lily was running by his house trying to impress him with her running speed, he was pretending to be a dinosaur. Maybe to impress Lily? He is such a cutie! Maybe this picture is a foreshadowing of the future?

I was being paparazzi-ish (which is different than being an embarrassing mom) and took this long range picture of Nolan (in the blue baseball cap) and his friend Jennifer on the Tornado.

Lily on the Motor-Bike ride

Very handsome picture of Jeff

Now this striking beauty is Anya. Just absolutely gorgeous.

Joel, Grace, and Lily on the Pirate Ship.

Naomi looking concerned on the Yoyo

Jeff looking:

A. Afraid
B. Concerned
C. Humored
D. None of the above

Where did Lily get her lack of fear from? Notice Jeff is holding on tight...

Joel on the Bumpers

Good-bye Waseca County Fair 2014!!

Looking forward to Waseca County Fair 2015!!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Two Day Post: Part Two

Today, my oldest niece got married!!!

I was not able to attend but I heard the wedding was beautiful!!!

My oldest sister, Heide , texted me these pictures.

Thank you, Heide.

I figured out how to email them to myself.

I am smart like that.

Tech-savvy-Tina.

Just call me that:

TST for short.

CONGRATULATIONS JAKE AND JESSICA!!!!!

Here is the BEAUTIFUL bride Jessica!!!!

I gave her pop to drink when she was about 5 or 6 months old and afterwards I thought it might actually kill her... But it didn't. I am glad. Another time, I left her out on the sidewalk at the U of M all by herself in her stroller while I went into my house to answer the phone. I was gone for a long couple minutes. She could have gotten kidnapped, but thank goodness she didn't. I did not tell her mom Tammy for years. I was a clueless auntie.

You are SO beautiful, Jessica!!!!

My sister, Tammy,aka: Jessica's mom, aka: my very pretty older sister.

Tammy, my sister-in-law Angela (married to my sister Missy), and my baby sister Missy. She will ALWAYS be my baby sister!!

My nephew Matthew (Jessica's younger brother), my brother-in-law- Paul (married to Tammy), and Tammy

Not pictured:

The groom, Jake!!

My mom!! Where was she hiding!!??

Heide, the picture taker.

My sister Heather who was not able to make it to the wedding, either. This post is mostly for her. Heather, I thought you would enjoy seeing the pictures.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Two Post Day: Part One

A girl who fears NOT !!!

I did go on the Scrambler with Joel, Lily , and Grace.

I decided I am a little too old for spinning around.

BUT I am SO going on the Tilt-a-Whirl tomorrow. I will spin around for that.

See you there!!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy