'Round Here & Yoko

So much to report.
So little time.
I'll hit the highs {you'll have to trust me the lows are here too... they don't make for as great photo ops though}.

Summer's in full swing 'round here.

John Martin got his bangs trimmed so I could see his eyes. When I was done I vacuumed his head. He loved it. It brought back beautiful childhood memories of the Flowbee infomercials; please tell me you remember.

Much better.

Here's a peek at some of the summer sewing I've been working on:

And their nightgowns are ready to assemble... when I look at all those tucks I can't help but think of "tucking" them in bed in their "tucked" gowns, and how hopefully they'll be all "tuckered" out. I hesitated spending such time and detail on nightgowns but honestly they'll wear them more as nightgowns than they ever would as dresses! I quickly convinced myself they're worth the time and energy. {I'll be sure to share fabric and pattern details when they're done.}

Summer also calls for "Summer Reading" programs. We set ourselves a lofty vow of 40 books... we're making progress.

Or maybe I should rephrase that by saying, "I'm making progress!" The girls aren't reading yet so I'm the reader, they're the listeners! We've had such fun making trips to the library and getting our books.

Considering I'm not a teacher, nor a librarian, and since it's been a few years since I've checked out books from the children's section, the librarian has been helpful both times to make suggestions on both "story books" and "beginner reader" books!

Our pick of the litter this time was Yoko, by Rosemary Wells {who is most well-known for her characters Max & Ruby}.

It's a charming little tale of a kitty named Yoko who gets teased for bringing sushi to school. We also picked up a few McDuff books by Wells and they come to life on the pages too. The girls loved Yoko and I made a proposition to take them out to lunch if they'd try sushi... they were all for it.

So today, we hit up a local Asian cafe for lunch. Annie kept John Martin and the girls had a date with Mommy. Of course, Yoko came a long too.

I ordered two boxes and we went to town.

The girls have never used chopsticks.

Morgan got it down in seconds.

And Paige did too, in her own special way.

They were especially intriqued with the soy sauces and dipping bowls.

They both held up to their end of the bargain and tried the sushi {California rolls}.

And weren't too impressed.

Or maybe it was the soy sauce they drenched it in that they didn't like!?

They did love the chicken and the tempura vegetables.

Nonetheless, we had a blast and made precious memories.

Now, I'm back to the kitchen where I'm working on some little pretties for my niece's 6th birthday gathering tonight.... I've baked about 75 of these miniture guys!

Be back soon with another Garden Recipe!!