Sew the weekend has gone quite well already.

Wow, is it just me or are all of y’all noticing an explosive kick in the family schedule? Trying to merge my work, homeschool, soccer, church, kids’ parties, and not let my house go to pot has been a bit much this past week. Just for the record, the house is what has suffered (that and my sleeping hours).

Seems as though, once more, I need to evaluate and simplify; its my creed when the schedule is awry and I don’t have a moment to breathe, much less see and speak to the OMSH-man.

I needs me some Mr. OMSH.

And just in case I sound like I’m complaining…I’m not. I believe families have control over most of the activities they choose take part in. I’ve made some decisions to limit my work after the new year, so the current frenzy has an ‘end’ up ahead. I’m thankful and blessed in much of what I’ve chosen to do and I don’t take it for granted for even a millisecond. I don’t need more time, just need to prioritize and let the chips fall where they may on the tail-end of things.

That said, after working through the night on a recent mockup for a web design client, I crawled into bed with Jeff at 4:30 am and let out a deep sigh of relief. Not only had I completed another mockup, but I enjoyed the process and delighted in the outcome as much as I hoped my client would when she woke to it in her inbox.

As Jeff often does when I get in bed after him, he reached his arm around my waist and pulled me to him – and with the simple act of gently caressing me from shoulder to feet, all remaining stress and tension lifted from me and I fell asleep quickly and deeply; I just love that kind of sleep.

When I woke the next morning Jeff had left for work, turned the alarm off to let me sleep, and left Emelie in charge of Meredith and Kenny – telling her not to wake me unless there was an emergency. That was exactly what they did. I woke up to Emelie baking sugar cookies, Meredith reading one of her independent readers and Kenny playing Legos on the floor near Meredith; it was 10:30. It was Friday – OUR ‘off’ day in school. I felt great.

Emelie had a sleepover birthday party to attend Friday night, and since she sleeps in her father’s t-shirts, needed appropriate pajamas (with an emphasis on having actual ‘bottoms’ to put on) to pack. Thursday morning during our errands she picked-out a cute flannel after making sure (an umpteen number of times) I’d actually have time to sew them before the party. Meredith jumped on the bandwagon too – and we tossed in an extra yard for my little cousin Olivia, whose birthday party is today.

And so, after waking on Friday, I checked email, saw nothing was urgent, and spent an hour of the morning cutting-out and sewing Emelie’s pajama pants – figuring I’d work on Meredith’s and Olivia’s pants Friday night after Em was at her party and Meredith and Kenny had run-out all their energy at a playdate.

Just knowing I only had a few things to do the whole day made Friday LOVELY. We watched 3 episodes of Andy Griffith, stayed in our pajamas until 3:00, then went and bought toe socks, a book and a balloon for the birthday girl.

I have to say that Emelie was thrilled with her pants.

I call them her prince pajamas, though I’ve never seen a princely frog with lipstick and eyelashes. Details, details…

They lay over the foot like she likes.

I have no idea why pajama pants feel better when they’re dragging the ground, but I’m the same way about mine.

The nicest thing about sewing is I could give Emelie the length she wanted without having to give up trimness in the legs and waist. Both of my girls have longer legs than their pants’ size ever figures in. So, either their pants are too short or the pants have a droopy butt and wide legs.

Not these though…no droopy butt.

Can you tell she felt I took one photo too many of her tush? Or maybe she’s just trying to help me prove my point.

No droopy butt here.

Later on I had to adjust my pattern to make Olivia’s size 6 pajamas. The pattern had been cut for Meredith’s size 8.

Can I say right now that if you haven’t taught your daughters how to sew, do it! Seriously, every woman needs to be able to sew at some point in their lives. Not necessarily because they will love it, but because they WILL need it over and over and over.

My girls know how to sew. Meredith doesn’t care for it much. Emelie likes to have projects here and there, but she needs something she can finish in a day or her interest wains. That’s fine; I’m the same way. Quick, short projects.

Like making pajama pants!

Most of my personal sewing is done in the wee hours of the night. It is peaceful; no one tries to eat strawberry yogurt on my work station (a.k.a the breakfast table, the school table, and ‘everything-else-table’) and I can keep going single-mindedly.

There is just something awesome about sewing without interruption(s).

And my sewing machine didn’t even vomit on me; no bunching of thread, no gargling and groaning, I didn’t even have to refill my bobbin. Don’t you hate it when you realize you’ve sewn a mile without noticing your bottom thread is NOT THERE? That’s the pits, really.

I’ve had this Kenmore since I graduated highschool. I was given the option of a highschool ring or a sewing machine.

Umm…that was easy.

“Something I’d use forever or something I’d tuck away in a drawer, keepsakes box, or lose?”

Der.

Olivia’s pants came together quickly and I ironed them, folded them around a piece of cardboard, placed the soft, knit shirt we bought to match on top, and tied it all up with a bow.

Makes a very nice gift.

Well, Mer says we also need to get some Lipsmackers, but after that…done!

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