Summer boys, politics, and free patterns

With summer in full swing, no crafting is getting done. My time is full between work and keeping up with the boys. We're trying our hand at t-ball, exploring the natural spaces around our neighborhood, going to various summer camps, and still trying to make it to every wading pool and playground within reasonable walking/biking/driving distance. The best news is that our newly renovated neighborhood wading pool is open. So even on days when we only have a little bit of time, we can still get some swimming time in. So far, we're doing a great job as we're all really tired by the time bedtime rolls around each night!

For our big July 4th celebration, the boys wanted to have a picnic - and not just any picnic. They wanted to build a huge submarine sandwich just like the kids on Sesame Street. We took a loaf of french bread, packages of salami and cheese, along with condiments and let the boys have at it. Here's the result:
The boys were very proud of their sandwich. We took it along for a picnic before the local July 4th parade and not one of the boys ate even a single bite of it! I guess they were too excited...

They also ran in a race for a local children's charity. They were so excited, though my company's shirts were a bit big.

Thankfully, the event shirts came in kid sizes, so they actually fit. Here they are posing for a group picture. My three are 296, 297, and 298.


One thing we've only managed to do once so far this summer is go camping. Our second planned camping trip fell into the two week shutdown our state experienced, thanks to our state politicians acting just like my twins (if you won't play MY way, then I won't play!). Thankfully, I think they're finally back on track, though not the right track, at least a track that gets services and jobs going again - and our favorite state parks back open. Now we're holding a collective breath as we watch our national politicians play through the same arguments as the state - and hope it ends a bit more successfully. Scary stuff!

Several times, my partner and I have pondered whether the world's really as unstable as it seems, or if we're just watching too much CNN. I guess it's not just us. My partner came across a map showing all of the natural disasters just this year - it's hard to fathom - here (second slide). No wonder things seem so unstable - they are. Add in all the political and economic instability and it's time to go play with my fabric stash for a while!

Since stitching isn't something I'm getting to do much of right now, I thought I'd share a free pattern site I came across recently. The Chocolate Crow Trader - unfortunately, the shop portion of this site has closed due to the economy, but they've graciously kept their free pattern page available. I'm still a couple months away from sewing again, but am still on the lookout for good gift ideas!