My Silly Valley

Kayla's new outfit

Here's a new outfit for Kayla, made from an Ottobre Design pattern.

My little reader

Kayla and Kristen

Kayla and Kristen had a play date today. They went mini golfing. These two have been friends since they were six months old and went to daycare together.

First cookout of the year

We had our annual end-of-the-year Family Night at the YMCA yesterday. It was the first cookout of the year -- the burgers were GREAT!

Chillin'

Kayla on the porch swing which is now conveniently located on the porch (vs. back yard). So far we've taken turns reading out there and napping, and Granger's friend Calhoun played a little guitar last night.

I re-covered the cushions with this green and blue striped fabric -- I impressed myself with my ability to make it the right size.

The pool's open!

It's swimming time again. It's supposed to be in the 90s this week so we're glad the pool's open!

Dancing water

Kayla shed shoes and socks to dance with the fountains at the new Cupertino Library plaza today.

My latest post is up on the Silicon Valley Moms blog:

Thank heaven it’s spring in Silicon Valley: I'm tired of washing socks. We’ve muddled through the fall and winter wearing seasonally appropriate socks and shoes, but I’m relieved to believe I can finally stop scrambling for socks for my younger two kids in a few weeks when we bring out the sandals.

Today, my kids played barefoot while dancing with the water fountain at the Cupertino Library/City Hall plaza.

Read the rest.

She even put in a zipper!

After just four sewing classes, Kayla has completed her first project. She made a purse.  She cut it out one day, sewed on it for a couple of days and then finished it this week, including putting the zipper in.

She said it wasn't hard.

Next project: Pajamas.

Kayla's sewing lesson

She's taking it Very Seriously. She got a new sewing machine for Christmas, along with a month of sewing lessons. If she likes it, we can get her more lessons for February.  The first lesson involved learning how to put a needle in the machine, how to hook up the foot pedal.

Then she went to town sewing on printed paper -- straight lines, wavy lines, star shapes. She had to stop and pivot at corners, control her speed along the way and pretty much stay on the lines. (This is one of those things where staying on the line is valued.)

I'm not sure what's up next, but I have printed out a bunch of templates for her to puncture with her machine. 

Walter wants his own machine now. Surprise!

Goodbye, Farmer Joe

For the second time in three months, we've had to have a plantar wart burned from the bottom of Kayla's right foot. It's just a regular old wart, but since it grows on the bottom (plantar) side of the foot, it's painful because it gets pushed up into the foot and can feel like there's a pebble in  your shoe.  The doctor took nitrous oxide and burned the spot while we slowly counted to 20.  They did this in October, too, but it didn't work.

Our instructions now are to go home, pumice off the skin, apply Compound W, then a bandaid, a pad, then DUCT TAPE.  We have to seal the tape around the edges of everything well so air doesn't get in, and leave it oh, three weeks or so. (We should change everything every three days, just because.)

Imagine my delight.

During the time the darn thing has been hurting, Kayla nicknamed the wart.  He's a plantar wart so his name is, obviously, Farmer Joe. We held a farewell party for him in the office just before the Big Burn.