HELLOmynameisHeather

Monster Bash

I'm heading to Denver tomorrow to tape an episode of Sew It All for PBS. We're making baby bibs. I don't know when the episode airs, but I'll keep you posted. Should be fun!

If the fates allow, there will be time left to bake cookies with my kiddos tonight before I go. And time for sleep—that's always nice. I'm terrible at sleeping before a trip. Even a quick little one-day appearance.

Her Own Self

Here's an illustration I discovered while straightening up the kitchen today. This one had to be shared.

Charlotte's inadvertent theme, "I am my own self," has proven so very true. It is not unusual to find her unusual creations lying about here and there.

Have a good laugh. Happy Wednesday.

Sand in the Suitcase

We did it! The Baileys took a vacation. I'd call it our first 'official' vacation ever—that wasn't a family wedding, funeral, or campout. Considering that Elijah is nearly 16, it was about time.

This could become a habit.

We spent a couple of days in Florida, followed by a tour of the Bahamas via cruise ship. Before leaving town, I mailed off a new fabric collection—so I could truly relax. Of course, travelling with a baby isn't always relaxing. His needs accounted for half of our luggage. There was the crib, the stroller, the diapers, the swim diapers, the wipes, the formula, the juice boxes, the baby food for excursions (Conch Salad on shore wasn't going to cut it), the multiple changes of clothes, the quilt, the diaper bag. It was a workout.

My siblings came along with their kids, so Charlotte and Elijah had a flock of cousins to hang out with. My mom was there too. We were a big, noisy group.

Ten stand-out memories:

• Elijah's glee at the sheer quantity of food he could order at will: steak, then salmon, then steak, then dessert, and dessert again, then pizza, and so forth. Teenage-Boy Heaven.
• A run on the beach with my sister at high tide in the dark. The worst/best workout ever.
• Touring the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach—Whoa! I will post more about this one. Think mini Versailles.
• Siamese cousins at the airport (below).
• Charlotte teasing the magician during his evening performance. With hundreds in the audience, he called out in reference to her loud giggles and taunting, "Now there's the reason some species eat their young."
• Spicy Ginger Beer and Goombay Punch in Lucaya.
• Jogging around the ship's deck during departure.
• The butterflies on the hill below Fort Charlotte in Nassau.
• Not having to miss the U.S. Presidential Debate while onboard.
• Cramming 15 of us into one van, with all of our luggage, for a ride back to the airport.
• Not one of my kids got sunburned—yes!