Flash Freezing

We had a CSA this summer which meant a lot of fruits and vegetables.  After wasting too much I've been trying to be more conscientious about freezing the food before it went bad.  I would only do a few fruits or veggies a day so it made it a more manageable time and space wise.  We had a plethora of peaches, but skinning and canning them seemed like too much work.  I would put whole peaches in my smoothies so I figured I might as well freeze them that way too. I use them in smoothies almost every day.   I also did a lot of tomatoes.  I figure I can use them in place of canned diced tomatoes which has the added benefit of avoiding BPA.

Instructions:
- Chop
- Lay it on a tray
- Stick it in the freezer
- When you remember remove from tray and stick in freezer bag
- Easy peasey.

I've done
- tomatoes
- celery
- peaches
- plums
- cantelope
- butternut squash
- blackberries
- raspberries
- strawberries
- blueberries
- zucchini and summer squash

Reversible Skirt and Jalie 2805

I whipped up this reversible skirt a couple months ago.  It was a satisfying project because I was able to complete it in about an hour and a half.  Selena loves it.  She likes wearing skirts and tights.   I used more of the Marcus Brother's Porcelina fabric.   I think I still have enough fabric left for one more project.   I think I used only 37" of fabric and made it 11" tall.  She keeps asking me to make another one for her, and one for Allie.

The shirt pattern is Jalie 2805 and worked pretty well.  I used a holey old jersey knit sheet for the fabric (being green and upcycling).  My big complaint with the pattern was that the pieces are mislabeled in that the pictures don't match the view labels (for example View A has a picture of View B--not sure if that is the exact problem but you get the idea) so I cut out the wrong front piece, but other than that the pattern went together well.  I love Jalie patterns because they don't have excess ease in them and you can make adult and kid sized clothes.  I made myself one as well and it fits great.  Hopefully I'll get a picture later.  I made a long sleeve version as well (but she stained it with chocolate ice cream the first time she wore it).  The second time I made it I lengthened it a little.  I don't think the pattern drafts for a small child's protuding belly (which is oh so cute) but because the fabric is stretchy it still works.  It goes together quickly.  It takes me just over an hour to sew it up after cutting it out.

Excited for Halloween

I think Halloween is Selena's favorite holiday.  She seems to remember prior years fairly well and she gets really excited about it.  She keeps changing her mind on what she wants to be, but at the moment she wants to be a monster again.  I was planning on making her a costume, but dealing with the seizure medication has been hard for me and I might just have to go and buy one.  We carved some pumpkins at Nana and Papa's and this year she actually helped scoop out seeds.  She also tried to get in the pumpkin to see if she would fit because apparently we have a tradition of putting kids in pumpkins.

She likes requesting food in clues.  I want something round and juicy-- an apple.  I want something that reminds me of Halloween -- candy.  I want something oval and juicy -- grapes.  We didn't have any grapes so I tried to give her a pear, but she wouldn't go for it.

She is also big into making last minute plans and keeping them a secret.  She will wake up in the morning and declare that she has a scooter race.  Then she draws a map so her dad can find it.  The map includes shortcuts.  Unfortunately she gets very upset if she is unable to execute her last minute plans.  Her and Mi (Do, Re, Mi) were supposed to have a rollerskating contest yesterday, but obviously we can't just drop everything and go roller skating, and the rink was closed, so she was upset and crying.

She loves preschool, but she has been so grumpy since she's started.  She will sleep till 10 on the mornings without preschool and then I have to get her up at 8:15 on the days with preschool.  Trying to get her to go to bed earlier is impossible.  Usually she'll either take a nap, so then she won't go to bed early, or she will hang on and still stay up late, then sleep in the next day and take a nap.  Floyd keeps lobbying to keep her up and make her go to bed early, but I feel like we just get a super grumpy kid who still won't go to bed, and everyone is miserable.

I finally broke down and bought training pants for nighttime and that seems to be a good solution.  She doesn't object to them because aren't quite diapers, but if she does have an accident at night, there isn't a mess.  I slip them over her underwear so we can reuse them if they stay dry.  If she does refuse to wear them I just put them on her after she falls asleep.

She's been running some.  She'll decide she needs to go for a run and she puts on her running shoes and off we go.  She doesn't mind running in the rain either because she's hard core, but dad isn't because he doesn't like running in the rain. :)  She ran a 2k race the other day.  Floyd ran a x-country race and they had a 2k community race after.  She was very excited, but the gun startled her.  When she did start running she tripped over Floyd's foot and fell.  She was hurt and crying, but still wanted to run the race.  She managed to push through and ran the whole thing.

She is becoming verbose!

That was the title of the post I wrote when Selena was 16 months old and it is even more true for Allie. She is talking more and more every day.  She points to your eyes and says "eye".  She does the same for nose and ears.  She often will yell at Selena, "Seenuh, go away."  Sadly that is because that is what Selena often yells at her.  She calls all dogs, "Dyna" and loves spotting all the dogs every where we go.  She also likes spotting crows and is always pointing them out.  She calls other 4 legged animals Dyna as well.  Usually goats, cats or bears.  She can specify if she wants cheese, banana, or a sandwich.  Sometimes she'll say, "I want" and point to the thing she wants.  She loves bellies and is always lifting her shirt, and other people's shirts and offering "tickle, tickle's" and zerberts too.  Really her vocabulary is becoming enormous.  

• She still hits, and pinches and pulls hair.  It still is frustrating.  I really wish she would stop.  
• When she gets excited she lifts her feet up and down dancing similar to the Happy Feet dance.  
• She likes helping in the kitchen and is often dragging a chair to climb up on.
• She likes wearing coats and is often stealing her sisters.
• She is starting to really like books, especially ones with large single pictures or photographs.  Her favorites are Baby Bear, Baby Bear, and when I checked out Brown Bear, Brown Bear that is a hit too.  She also likes Dog or what she calls the Dyna book.  My First Halloween Board Book has also been a hit.  She likes the crows and witch hats. 
• She likes planting big kisses on you.  She has also taken to licking me.  Selena taught her that and she thinks its hilarious.  
• We went to the Evergreen State Fair and the Puyallup Fair.  She was very upset that she wasn't allowed on any rides.  We finally found one that they would let her on, but of course it was the fastest ride in the little kids section.  A bit of confusion happened so she didn't get to go on the same turn that Selena did so she screamed the entire time at the injustice.  Then she finally got her turn, but it was too fast and she got scared and cried.  The operator stopped the ride for her so she could off early.  :(   At the Puyallup Fair she did get to go on the little train and that was perfect.   She loved the animals though and thought the face painting was cool too. 
• She weaned due to me getting sick and requiring unsafe for breastfeeding medication.  She actually has taken it pretty well, better than I have.  But I want to write a whole post for that.  
• Her hair is getting a little curly at the ends.  

 I got too involved playing with my new camera, and snap this shot.  Look up and then realize how high Allie had climbed.  Selena told me not to worry because she was supervising. ;)