One Ninth of the Way Done

Our Week in Review

I'm finding it hard to believe that it has already been four weeks since the start of the deployment. It feels like this past week we really settled into the rhythm of life without Joe and have come to accept his absence as the new normal. We are lucky to be able to talk to each other almost every day through skype or regular phone calls. It is fun to see Audrey react to the sound of the skype ring on the computer as she gets very excited to know she'll be able have a virtual visit with Daddy. Grayden is a little more indifferent to the calls and if he is engrossed in something else (usually his post school TV hour) he doesn't even want to come to the computer. With the 14 hour time difference it is hard to find the perfect time to chat when everyone is awake, well fed and content. Sometimes we just leave the skype connection open while we go about our business so Joe can observe our chaos and feel like he is home.

We have been enjoying get togethers with the families of Joe's colleagues and broader Navy community. Today we participated in an egg hunt at the base hosted by our battalion's spouses. It was a very pleasant afternoon that included a group of kids of all ages that play really well together, with older kids looking out for the younger ones. Audrey is just on the verge of walking independently and she had fun holding my hand and toddling around for the eggs. The plastic eggs were numbered one through ten and each kid had to find a full set of numbers to turn in for their goody bags. Grayden did a really good job identifying most of the numbers. He has recently become more interested in both numbers and letters and is now able to associate sounds with a large part of the alphabet. It will be really fun when he starts reading on his own as he loves books and will likely be a prolific reader.

Standard shirtless, MS cooking attire. Note bandaged hand.

I really was hoping to report that finally this week we were all in perfect health but, alas, that is not the case. Audrey was back at the doctor Wednesday because her fever returned and the ear infection had not cleared up. After starting a new antibiotic she seems to be on the mend. Thursday, when I picked Grayden up from school, his teacher informed me he had injured his hand by dropping one of the class activity puzzles on his left index finger. His poor finger was very swollen and bruised so I brought him straight to the base medical clinic. Luckily the pediatrician was still there and she suggested he have an x-ray. Ends up Grayden has a small fracture and has to keep his finger in a splint until late next week. It is still very swollen but he has been a really good sport about it and has done a good job keeping the splint on while still being able to play and run around.

The other drama this week was the political theater taking place in DC over the budget. We were holding our breath hoping Congress would take action so Joe would actually receive his full paycheck on April 15. We're lucky that we're in the financial position that if we needed to dip into savings we could but unfortunately most of our money is tied up in CDs or stocks. We've always considered Joe's paycheck very secure so have never felt the need to keep a lot of liquid savings on hand. I may be rethinking that strategy based on the shenanigans of the current Congress. I was so mad I actually called my congressman's office to voice my opinion that a compromise needed to be worked out. It looks like we have a one week reprieve. I hope for the sake of all of the military families that live paycheck to paycheck (not to mention the rest of the country) the compromise will stick. It is an extra emotional burden on these families that are already under a lot of stress due to extended deployments, unemployment of the civilian spouses due to frequent moves and forced single parenthood, and a salary structure that leaves many living at or under the poverty level.          


The Project

• Fabric  - 3/4 yard floral print cotton, $1, 1 yard green cotton $5
• Pattern  - Simplicity 2555
• Notions - just thread
• Time to complete - about 2 1/2 hours
• Total Cost - $7

 

The project was a response to the weekly challenge at Sew Weekly. This blog, turned sewing community website, is the inspiration for starting my own blog and weekly sewing projects. What started as one woman's personal challenge to sew her own wardrobe, one week at a time, has turned into a resource for both beginning and advanced sewers to find inspiration, support and tips on constructing handmade clothing. Each week the website posts a sewing theme and each of the five contributors posts her response to the theme, one each day of the week. It is a daily indulgence to check in on the website and see what was created and what other great information has been shared through the community forum.

The challenge this week was to make an apron along with a black dress from a Burda Style pattern. I decided to tackle just the apron as I had a pattern on hand and plenty of apron appropriate fabric. The fabric I used was purchased a few months ago with the intention of making yet another dress for Audrey. At first I thought I'd use the print as the skirt and the solid as the bodice but decided the reverse combination would be more contemporary looking. The only deviation I made from the pattern instructions was to add a band at the bottom of the skirt in the floral print to create some contrast and flair.

The apron adds at least 15 pounds to my middle!

Making an apron was more time consuming than I anticipated because there were miles of raw edges to hem. I really like the color combination of the finished apron but really it is not the most flattering fit for me. The ties are up near the bust, rather than the waist, so it produces a wonderful "uni-boob" look. I think I will pass this on as a wedding gift to Grayden's preschool teacher when she gets married next week. She has also been baby sitting the kids when I need an evening off and both of them really adore her. It is nice to have a reliable, responsible sitter that I can count on every week or so when I want to get out with friends.

"Cooking"

I have to mention a few words about the quality of photos I've been posting. I really need to figure out a way to get better pictures of me in the clothes I make for myself. This week Grayden took the pictures, and honestly they are not that bad for a three year old with one good hand! He likes to play with the camera so often when I go to use it the memory card is full and the lens is smudged. Several times now I've taken all of my photos before I realize they are blurry due to the fact that he has greased up the lens. I may need to buy a new camera and pass on the old one to him to use exclusively. It is already an ancient five or six years old so I'm sure the latest technology would blow the old one out of the water.