The babies just keep coming!

Soon to be 6!

Well if 4 wasn't enough.....

Now I have 5! haha its all good.

Is 4 really a lot?

I often have people comment on my kids. Or more to the point that I have 4. Again this afternoon while my older two had Karate another of the Karate Mums who is newly pregnant with number 3 commented on how calm I always look and that she takes her hat off to me as she has never seen me with anyone to help me. (* For the record Simon does stop on his way home from work to help at Karate if he can*).

But is 4 kids really a lot these days?

Do I really look calm to others when I am out with everyone? Because honestly I feel like a feral most of the time. Constantly keeping my children in line. Or at the very least by my side.
Evan is independent, always has been. He often doesn't think the rules apply to him so will ignore the "Don't touch" or " Come back here" words that seem to come out of my mouth like a broken record.
Glenn is a bit of a day dreamer and wanders with out a care, not realising he is being called back or is about to walk straight into a person.
Isla is a runner. My only runner. She thinks its a great game to run away at every chance. Apparently its ok as long as she squeals with delight as she takes off.
Iain, well he is a breeze at the moment. He is yet to take those first unaided steps. The others were walking... make that running by 12 months. But my dear chubba Iain is yet to take that step on his own. He is 14 months now.

But anyway back to my question is 4 really a big number these days?

I have an urge....

Do you ever get a feeling that you need to do something. The need to write it down, draw it, make it...
I love to sew. That's my thing. I make stuff. I can just sit at my machine as basic as it is & make something. It might not work out as I planned but I enjoyed the time in front of the machine putting together what I could see in my head. Usually with out a pattern. Just the last few days I have made an apron & nightie for Isla. The other week I made a pouch sling, which I didn't like so then turned into a really funky layered circle skirt for Isla (Isla gets a lot of what I make).

But

There is something more. Today it struck me again. Driving home I was in awe of the clouds forming in the sky. Big fat white puffy ones. I think I want/need to take photos. I don't have the foggiest idea of how to really use my basic 5 mega pixel camera. Its almost 4 years old & has features that I really don't know how to use. But there is something in there that wants to come out. Another creative outlet. I think its photography. Scenery to be exact. The Clouds, the tress, the stunning cliff faces of the gorge as I drive along Bells Line of Road towards Lithgow. I never tier of looking out at those Cliff faces.
I love taking photos of the kids too. But what parent doesn't. I think I am getting good at it too. But I love capturing those moments when they are not looking. Simon thinks I like to take weird photos. Or more that I like the ones of the backs of people. But to me I am capturing a moment that's not posed. Its pure & honest....

I can't afford a new flashy camera so I will make do with my old 5 mega pixel camera. But I will try & learn how to make the most with it & how to use photo shop for more then resizing. I don't have time to enrol in a photography course, unless they don't mind my little kids tagging along :P.

But there is an urge & I will find a way to satisfy it.

Flats to Fitteds.....Sheets that is!

So, I have 4 kids. I have 4 kids aged 7 & below. I have 2 kids who still wet the bed. 1 is only new to being dry at night as she is only 3. The other well, its not a regular occurrence but often enough.
So anyway I have 4 single beds to keep sheets on. Thats a lot of linen when accidents still happen.

Just the last few weeks we have had terrible weather for bed wetting. I have found myself short on sheets. So I thought I would turn some of the top flat sheets of my single bed sheet sets into fitted to help fill out my fitted sheet stash.

Here is how I went about it.

First of all let me say that I have not cut any of my sheets. My kids tend to not keep a top sheet on them at the moment but if they do happen to want a top sheet then I have done these so I can simply unpick my stitches and bobs your uncle the process has been reversed.

So Grab your sheet and lay it out on your single mattress. My kids have a standard hight single mattress so if your game you can skip this bit & just use the measurements I have used and hope for the best.
What you want to do is have the sheet laid out evenly as possible and then at one corner find the spot where the top of the mattress is. Now grab this corner but just the sheet and pinch it up. Hold this spot & take the sheet off the bed. Now while still holding this point bring the corner of the sheet to a point & measure along the edge of the sheet until you are at the point where you marked the top of the mattress would be.

For me this is roughly 35cm


Ok Im sure there is a less complicated way to explain that but its late & my brain doesn't work well at the best of times, remember I have 4 kids.

Now make sure you have the right sides of your sheet facing in. You now want to sew or overlock from from the edge of the sheet to the point which is the top of the mattress.



Now At this point you can either cut off the point of the sheet if you want OR you can tack it to the side as you add your elastic which is what I have done. This way I can remove it all later if I want my flat sheet back again.

So next you want to lay the sheet out so you can fold over your point (if your keeping it).

If not you still want to lay your sheet out so you can mark you elastic placement.
I have placed my elastic roughly 20cm either side of the line I stitched earlier. I think this is plenty. But you may like more.

Now what I did seems I left my corner attached was using a straight stitch sew the flap down. When you reach your elastic placement mark slip your elastic in & do a Zig ZAG stitch remembering to pull the elastic tight as you go all the way to the other end where you have marked your elastic placement to go.


Now repeat the steps for the other 3 corners & your good to go :D.

I will update this with better instructions this was a rush job :)

Hot?

I am in love.

A little while back I fell in love with the look of Beetlebum carriers.
You have to be mighty fast to hyena one of these babies. I am not fast enough! A few weeks back Mel from Beetlebums released a few carriers & I wanted Pepe.
Pepe sat there tempting me but I had car troubles that ended up costing five thousand dollars to fix so I just couldn't justify buying it for myself.
Then Pepe was taken down from the store & I never seen it come back up.

Now Michelle from Wildchild Nappies is a dear friend of mine. I feel extremely privileged to be able to say that. I first met Michelle in 2007 when I was first starting out with cloth nappies.
She later contacted me about doing some work for her. I am so happy that she contacted me. She is a great person. I can talk to her about anything & I know I will get a no BS answer. I respect her opinion a lot.
Recently Michelle launched her new website & new range of Wildchild products.
I was a part of getting some of these things made. I love that I get to play with these great materials & be a part of the process that turns them in Wildchild nappies.
March was a massive month for Wildchild but I don't feel I did anything super special. But Michelle being the wonderful person that she is sent me a thank you gift.

Yesterday I went to the post office to collect a mystery parcel. I knew I was expecting something from Michelle but had no idea what.
When I opened it I was grinning from ear to ear.
There was Pepe!
I am now the extremely proud new owner of a beetlebum carrier.
Pepe is so comfortable. Iain loves Pepe also. Just look at the smile on his face!

Michelle, thank you so so much! Not just for the carrier but for being my friend also.