Babies – Page 26 – Gracious Rain

August 13, 2009August 2, 2020

T-shirt Baby Pants

August 11 030

So with the heat of August, which means a cooler on and off during the day–we’ve needed something to add to the babies’ summer wardrobe that will keep her legs from getting too chilly. She does spend more time on the floor where all the cool air lands.

We’ve found a simple solution in Baby Pants, made from T-shirts. With all the grown-ups around here we are always having T-shirts being passed around. When they finally go through all hands, and no one claims one, we either put in the box for donations or we try to make something else out of it. In this case Baby Pants.

Are you ready?

August 11 012

First, smooth out the shirt nice and flat so that you have two side folds.

August 11 013

Using a pair of pants that already fit baby, fold them in half and lay the side edge along one of the folded sides of the the T-shirt with the bottom of the pants lined up on the bottom of the T-shirt.

August 11 014

Cut around the pants being sure to leave about 1/2 inch seam allowance on the sides, and at least 2 inches at the top. If you are using jeans as a pattern–as I am–be sure to leave a little more because they cut them low these days…even for babies.

August 11 015

Sorry this is harder to see but flip the piece you just cut out over to the other folded edge and cut it out the same way.

August 11 017

You’ll have two pieces the same.

August 11 018

Open them up and place them right sides together.

August 11 019

Sew down the curved edge on each side, stopping at the point.

August 11 020

Now, re-orient the pants by matching those two seams together by laying them on top of each other. Now they should look a bit more like pants.

August 11 021

Sew the inside leg seam being careful to match the bottoms and the middle seams.

August 11 022

Fold down the top about 1 inch and sew it down, to form a casing–leaving an opening of about 1-1/2 inches.

August 11 024

Measure around baby’s waist and add one inch. Cut 3/4 inch wide elastic using this measurment. With a safety pin, guide elastic through the opening, around the waistband and out the other side.

August 11 025

Sew the two ends of the elastic securely together.

August 11 026

Sew the opening closed.

And now you have them…

August 11 032

Soft and squishy, long and cozy, cuddly and warm baby pants! Wahoo!

August 11 038

Our donation bag is in serious trouble now.

August 9, 2009August 2, 2020

Easy Summer…

misc 010

Summer is the time when one sheds one’s tensions with one’s clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit.

misc 009

A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all’s right with the world.

~Ada Louise Huxtable

August 5, 2009August 2, 2020

Toyland, New York

July 16 545

Doesn’t look like any big deal, right? That’s what I thought too.

July 16 546

This, my friends–is a toy store to be reckoned with.

July 16 608

Chompy trying to say, “Hollll–Leee–Cow!”

July 16 609

A life-sized Lego Chewbacca–because we all need one of those to ward off the Vader guy.

July 16 612

A lego Batman to scare off all the other bad guys with his…

July 16 548

Bat-belt…or those shorts. They could do it too…easy.

July 16 549

Lyndi’s favorite part–a 10 foot tall Jelly-Belly soldier…

July 16 550

and all the other candy in the civilized world.

July 16 551

This is what a thousand pounds of jaw breakers looks like up close.

It looks the same far away.

July 16 554

A couple of babies enthralled with a Jack in the Box. Sheesh, you’d think they’d never been surrounded with 65,000,000 toys before…

July 16 552

or been hugged by a 6 foot bear.

July 16 562

Three stories of this. Even a Barbie wing. A BARBIE WING!

I’m sorry, did I say that twice? They even had my very first Barbie in a glass case as a collector’s item. Ok, that part was embarrassing, but if you’re wondering where the picture is…umm…well…too blurry to do anything but make everyone sea sick. Maybe I was shaking.

It was an emotional moment for me.

July 16 559

Remember the movie “Big” where Tom Hanks dances on the giant piano? Well, I’m sure at some point, I told my kids that I’d get them one of those big pianos someday…

July 16 558

Oh, yeah. I lied.

July 16 564

Lily chose a sweet dolly…

July 16 616

and Beck and Chompy met the Muppets.

July 16 565

If you look at the corner shelf on the far right—third shelf down, third bird over–you’ll see a stuffed Robin. It came home with me, to be with the Cardinal that I already have.

They sing.

Come over sometime and I’ll show you.

July 16 635

Harry Potter and all his friends…

July 16 567

absolutely, positively…

July 16 566

adore this place.

July 16 634

So did we!

July 30, 2009March 2, 2017

Total Fairness…

Day 2…still

We found this random, obscure, completely perfect county fair while we were messing around in the calm portion of New York. County fairs are essential to your eternal salvation. I’ve no idea how–but I’m sure it’s true.

Of course, the first stop is anywhere where the guys can shoot something….anything.

And we can watch them and…clap.

Luckily, the other booths weren’t quite manly enough to get our guys’ attention—

because they wanted to save up all their primal caveman instincts for a ride like this.

You know, one that gives them the sensation that their brain matter is shooting out their nose.

No, no. I don’t get it either…but we watched…we clapped.

Help me understand why we even let these goof-balls drive, let alone be the president?

In my opinion, this is a more rational ride–floating through the air with your eyes closed—like you’re on an old fashioned rope swing—now that need I could respect. Hmmmmm….lovely.

Moving on to a few “firsts.”

First time for these human babies to meet these farm babies.

First time for them to have a helmet strapped on their heads–and by a pirate, no less.

First time to ride a real live pony. This little dude is a natural. He was so comfortable that he actually started falling asleep and tipping over.

Real fake pony ride–on the carousel–big first. They loved the music and kept trying to wave their hands and dance. Note to babies: No dancing on the Merry-go-round, and scaring Grammy half to death. Just hang onto the pole.

Sheesh.

Baby Chompy–bored with, or overwhelmed by all the fuss. This, however, is not a first.

Watching babies take a swirly ride in a big pink chicken–yeah, that was a first.

Watching their daddy—the dare devil of the entire, roller coaster universe—turn greener (is that a word?) and greener (I guess it is), with each round. Pretty funny first, although, I will admit–we were never quite sure if he was goofing around or ready to hurl.

Oh, the crazy lights…

the powdered sugar waffles…

the plethora of goats…

and the indescribable deep fried, peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Oh. It. Was. Fabulous.

No, this is not a good time to tell me about the evils of fried food.

Fortunately–everyone knows that calories don’t count when you’re on vacation.

Good thing.

July 29, 2009August 2, 2020

Still Upstate~Things To See…

Day 2

A baby ordering room service…

July 16 083

and he did one fine job, I might add.

July 16 088

Tons of forests and marshy land. We live in what is commonly referred to as a desert–so we were duly impressed. In our world, lush green is a tough commodity to come by in the middle of July.

July 16 085

These fabulous, ancient farmhouses kept popping all over the place. I want them. All of them. Pretty sure I annoyed everyone by shouting, “Look at that one!” every 20 seconds. I was powerless to stop it.

July 16 086

Lyndi and I did break up the monotony by shrieking, “BEAVER!” and leaping from the car before it came to a complete stop, so that we could get a picture of the little guy. He had a big problem with two crazed women sprinting across his meadow towards him, I guess. The bad sport jumped into this canal pipe before I could get my camera turned on.

We saw the very first beaver I’ve ever seen, in my entire life.

I just can’t prove it.

July 16 095

We met back up with Jillian for a tour up “the hill.” You know, the big, steep, switch-backy, smallish mountain. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too bad. I was expecting to have to pay for a pack mule or camel or something to get me up this thing. The treadmill work must be paying off. Lucky for me because they were all out of beasts of burden.

July 16 098

She showed us the creepy pagan idols that are used as props in the play. Good thing we don’t worship those nasty looking things. What are they suppose to be anyway? yikes.

July 16 109

This is what 7000 seats looks like from the moon—I mean, the top of the hill. You can’t really tell, but we are standing just back from a very steep, deadly edge of this hill. I mean, you could seriously plunge to your death from this place. yikes again.

July 16 116

We saw the Angel Moroni Monument…so pretty.

July 16 130

and headed back down the foresty side of the hill.

July 16 134

Oh, Chompy was impressed with all this, let me tell you.

July 16 149

Back on the road and passing more of those houses that I want…

need…

ok, covet.

July 16 152

One Chill and Grill Hamburger. Yum.

July 16 151

One Chill and Grill “Junk Plate” for The Bald Kid. Let this be a lesson to you. Never assume that anything called a junk plate could possibly taste…you know, good. It was hard to watch–and harder to sit by. Blaugh…

July 16 159