Bring on the Flowers

A friend of mine showed me how to make cute hair clips and head bands with ribbon and fake flowers. So yesterday, I set my mind to the task and here are the results:

This headband's flower is made pulling the wire from the ribbon and thus gathering the ribbon and then sewing it to keep it all together to make a beautiful delicate flower.

I glued the flower on this clip but first I took the flower apart and sewed a button in the center.

I did the same with this flower except I put it on a headband.


And here is another button-center flower.

This flower I took apart and glued the layers together and put a rhinestone in the middle of each.

Here is another ribbon flower in green.

I also bought some peony flowers that looked really cute on the headband.

I couldn't leave out my baby in her cute rabbit ears.

Happy "Evan Lysacek Day"

Well, today in Naperville it is "Evan Lysacek Day." Evan Lysacek is the American, Olympic gold medal winner for men's figure skating from this year's olympics. Apparently, he is from Naperville. So all of Naperville has become obsessed with the boy including our own little Abby. Evan attended Abby's elementary school when he was young. He is making an appearance there today in front of all the students. He will talk about his favorite book and winning the gold medal.

Abby couldn't be more excited. Yesterday, she was sitting on the toilet singing her heart out with a song she made up about Evan Lysacek. She has been so excited for weeks now about him. We have watched his gold medal skate several times on the internet.

Unfortunately, they have banned parents from coming to the assembly to see Evan because there isn't enough room. I wish I could go see him too. I could go after school where the mayor is presenting him with a key to the city but Abby and Sammy have an Easter egg hunt. Oh well...

Anyway, today I have gotten two calls from the school nurse saying that Abby is complaining that she doesn't feel well. The nurse checked her for a fever and she has none. Her throat looks fine too. She says she has been coughing. She complained of this yesterday as well so we kept her home in the morning so she could be well enough to see Evan Lysacek today. When I asked her on the phone what she wanted me to do, she said she didn't know because she wanted to see Evan Lysacek. But then she called back again saying she was not feeling well but still did not want to come home. The nurse again confirmed that she seemed fine and had no fever. So she is going to tough it out, all in the name of seeing Mr. Evan Lysacek. What a sacrifice! Maybe she is just nervous...

Below is an article about Evan Lysacek making an appearance at the high school near our house:


Naperville Welcomes Home Golden Boy Evan Lysacek


NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) -- Naperville's Golden Boy is celebrating a homecoming. It's "Evan Lysacek Day" in Naperville.

Long before his glory days, he was a student at Nequa Valley High School. Six years after graduating, he returned Friday to receive a "Distinguished Alumni Award."

As CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports, it wasn't quite a gold medal, but you wouldn't know it from the reaction of students.

Lysacek returned to his alma mater with a new rock star status. In the gym at Nequa Valley High School, the gold medal winner was greeted with thunderous applause and students in awe.

"This is crazy," said student Matt Rabe. "It's like before a big football game. I love it!"

"I mean, Evan Lysacek, he's a gold medal winner!" said student Stacey Franco. "He went to our school. We just can't believe it!"

Lysacek told the students to go after their dreams, the type of encouragement he said he was grateful to get from his teachers when he was a student there.

"It's such an honor to be back here," said Lysacek. "It definitely takes me back to when I was leading my double life, trying to be a normal student as much as I could, and train as an elite athlete. This is a day to celebrate, but it's also a day to say thank you to those who have backed me in this community."

The festivities gave Lysacek a little break from training for the "Stars on Ice" show that he's currently preparing for, and his "Dancing with the Stars" partner was with him on stage.

The private pep rally was just the beginning in a series of homecoming honors.

"Isn't he a great looking guy? And he still loves Naperville," said Naperville Mayor George Pradel. He unveiled a street sign, renaming a parkway after the golden boy.

Lysacek will also be presented with a key to the city after another rally later this afternoon.

"First, I'm going to find out exactly what it unlocks because I'm not sure," Lysacek said. "A big safe, maybe. That's what I'm guessing."

No Luck

Well, four weeks have passed and the harness has done little to nothing so we are on to the next step. Alexandra will most likely have surgery in April and then an almost full body cast for 12 weeks (three months)! The cast goes on both legs from her ankles up to the nipple line on her chest. I am still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing....

Here are some pictures from the past month or so.

Here is little Alexandra, harness-free for the month of March!

After the first day or two, the harness did not seem to phase her. She was as happy as can be.

Sammy was "Star of the Day" not long ago and I think it was the greatest day of her life! She wore her crown all day.

We made a poster of pictures of Sammy for her special day.

Sammy made Abraham Lincoln at preschool. I asked her who Abraham Lincoln was and what he did. She replied, "that he put papers in his hat."

Abby and Sammy were being especially good friends one day and wanted me to take their picture.

Abby has become quite the writer and reader. She writes letters to each of us several times a week. When we went into her school's open house, her teacher even showed us a letter Abby wrote to her during her free time at school. She always begins her letters, "I love you. You are the best..." The above is actually one of the shorter letters she has written. It says, "Dear Family, I love you family. You are the best. Mrs. Smith (her teacher at school) teaches me a lot. And she sometimes puts an excellent (on her papers). Love Abby"

Alex started on solids this past month and can't seem to get enough. She is already eating three meals a day and loving everything.

For Valentine's Day, Abby and Sammy gave Daddy a heart attack on his office door. They were very sneaky putting it up so he wouldn't hear them. He was so surprised. We also made heart sugar cookies with lots of frosting and sprinkles to give him as well. Grandma was also here for a visit over Valentine's day and the girls loved spending time with her having puppet shows and doing flannel board stories.


Thanks for reading!