This weekend we started using our booster chair and let Halleigh sit up at the table with us. She has really enjoyed sitting at the table and we have liked it too.  She has been much more interested in eating like we eat, the same things (which is great!) and the same way (which has been VERY messy).

But, we had a light bulb moment today! Halleigh was eating breakfast and started refusing her apple sauce, only when I handed her the spoon and bowl did she continue to eat. She fed herself the whole container of applesauce without dripping any of it anywhere. I ran and got a bib so the mess would be contained, but it was totally unnecessary. She got a little on her face, but not a drop on herself or the table. She was concentrating so hard on the task at hand she jumped when the flash of the camera went off; she had no idea I was taking pictures of her. She did GREAT!

  Lately, I have been wanting to sew more. I really like to sew, I just don't get around to doing it that often. Miles has been kicking around the idea of different ways to help him be more motivated to paint, and I am going to use his ideas to help kick start some sewing.

I am going to pick five projects and each day of the week I am going to work on one them for one hour. Everyday I will have one hour to get as much of one project done as I can. And at the end of a couple weeks, I will start to have finished projects that I am happy with.

I started today but I think that I am tweeking it a little this week and I am just going to work on my first project all week and then start the others next week. For my first project, I am making an apron, I know, how June Clever of me. But actually, I have found that I could really use an apron... the other day I was frying some won tons for supper club and I got oil all over my shirt... if I had had an apron, that would not have happened. :)

So here is to my mid-year resolution... sew more. What did I get done today? After washing and drying the fabric, I ironed, and cut out all of the pieces. Tomorrow I will start to sew and put it together. When it is done, I'll share a picture!

Other projects on tap:

1. cloth grocery bags (on my quest to be more green)
2. comfy pj type pants
3. dress for Halleigh
4. reusable lunch bag for Miles (also on the go green quest)
5. chefs jacket (to wear when I am delivering cakes)
6. ladybug blanket
7. duvet cover for our bed

Some of these are long term projects, but I hope to work through them as my time allows, and if I squeeze and hour in everyday, some of these items might actually be made.

After Halleigh got out of bed this morning, she was rummaging around in her room and came out with a litte swimmer (a diaper for swimming). She held it up and said "on" so I started taking off ger pj's to put it on, and she pitched a fit and threw herself on the floor... I tried several different things and finally l just put the little swimmer on over her pj's.  The result, a happy toddler.

What a weird-o... but it makes for a funny picture.

I walked into the living room to find this... so precious!

 Here are some other cute pictures that were taken today. I don't know what "puppy" did to make Halleigh fall in love, but she hasn't let that dog out of her sight all day today. It has made for some great pictures.  

 To continue my canning kick, last night Miles and I put some of our cucumbers to good use and made pickles. Using my grandparents' recipe I slaved away over a hot stove (literally) and made/ canned 6 quarts of pickles.

Not knowing that you are not really supposed to store cucumbers in the refrigerator, we lost a ton of our pickle sized cucumbers, so we sliced some of our big cucumbers and pickled slices and spears.

In a couple of days we will have plenty little cucumbers to make whole pickles, but until then we are waiting 30 days for our sliced pickles to be ready to eat! 

Here are a couple pictures of our end product. We made Tzaziki sauce last night too, and besides it having too much lemon, I think that we have finally found a recipe that we like. I would post pictures, but Miles was so excited about it, I'll let him post those.

My friend Katie just sent me the link to a blog that I thought that I would pass along. It is a girl that is fulfilling her new year’s resolution of using her crock pot every day. There are MANY great recipes that I am excited to try. Take a look at this great crockpotting blog here.

Now I am going to have to find my Crockpot and clean all the dust out of it... where is that thing?!?

  Last night Miles was reading a history of Durham book and he read a part to me about how the Rose Bowl was held in Durham in 1941 (actually it was played in 1942). At first I thought he was kidding, but no, here it is straight from the internet:

With the United States' entry into WWII, on December 7, 1941, there was concern about an Japanese attack on the West Coast. Much discussion focused on the possibility of an attack where any crowds might gather. The Rose parade with a million watchers, and the Rose Bowl with 90,000 spectators were presumed to be ideal targets for the Japanese. Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt recommended that the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl festivities be canceled. The Rose Bowl committee originally planned to cancel the game. On December 16, 1941, Duke University invited the game and Oregon State to Duke's home stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

They borrowed bleachers from both Carolina and State and as the picture shows, they had an amazing turn-out. Duke played Oregon State on Jan.1 and lost... GO Beavers!

If you want to read more about this click here. It will take you to a Duke University archive page.

"The heavily favored Duke team lost on a cold, rainy day to an underestimated defensive team that successfully protected an early lead. Coach Wade later stated he spent too much time being host and too little time preparing the team. He also gave the team several days off to go home for Christmas."

Duke, you just got slightly less repulsive. ha ha ha Seriously though... that is totally awesome.  Except they should have called it the Tobacco Bowl... they called it the Durham Rose Bowl instead.

p.s. if you click on the picture it will open in a new window, much bigger.