First day of school

Tuesday was our first ever first day of school. Only one of the twins started preschool this week. (The other has told us he's not ready and would rather stay home!) I think he was as excited about getting his very own backpack as he was about starting school!

So far, he loves it! I'm excited for him as he's definitely ready to venture out on his own.

I discovered ChookyBlue's Secret Santa Christmas Swap through another site of hers - Stitch-a-long - a blog focused on making A Gardener's Journal. When I discovered this blog, I was caught by the pattern - watching it be revealed in each blog entry. I love the idea of combining gardening with quilting - two of my favorite pasttimes.
I've really enjoyed being a spectator on this group's progress. The quilt they are making has inspired me to try out an idea for a neighbor. This neighbor is wonderful to us - especially the boys - and is a master gardener. (I cringe every time she invites the boys into her yard!) I'm in the midst of drawing up a set of patterns similar to the Gardener's Journal stitcheries, but specific to her house, yard, etc. I'm not as skilled as I would like to be at sketching, so it's a challenge to get the pictures out of my head and onto paper. I'm hoping to have it put together in time for Christmas. We'll see how that goes!