Is June seriously almost done?

We have had a crazy month!  From having a booth for buttonboxdesigns at Creative Chaos, Glen and Amanda tying the knot, the end of programs and activities, Aria's preschool graduation, VAC Kids taking over the weekend service for Father's Day, to an upcoming ballet performance; I feel as though June has rushed by in a cold, rainy blur... we have not had much sun, and yet, my garden flourishes, and that brings me great joy!  Here is a bit of a photo montage of the past several weeks, since I have been such a negligent blogger!

Amanda and me

Outside the reception

Driving around...

Roscoe's cheese face!

All ready to go!

Cheese face again!

The preschool grad

Receiving her "diploma"

Ballet year end performance

This is just the dress rehearsal, as the performance is on Saturday

We can't take pictures at the performance, but no one's stopping us during the dress rehearsal!

Yay September!

So, I started working in Kids Ministry at my church in May, and in between being a full-time mom, summertime, crocheting (very little), and running summer ministries for K-Gr 5 kids, I have been planning and dreaming for the Fall.  In August I gained a new partner at the church, Amy, who is working full-time (I'm part-time), and we have been planning, and training, and prepping, and dreaming, and painting, and typing, and recruiting like crazy women!  But, this weekend... is the weekend.  Our Fall Kickoff for VAC Kids (www.vernonalliance.org/home/ministries/families/vac_kids/)!  Hooray!  We don't have enough volunteers yet (as if you can ever have enough!), and we didn't get a stage or set built yet (there's always next month), but its coming together and I'm so excited!
At the same time, I am working on another local order for Chicken Little.  Apparently my hats have been selling like hot-cakes.  I've even had a local mom email to say how much she loves the hat, and would I make one for her!  So neat!  Jeremy and I have been debating whether or not I should have a booth at a local Christmas fair, but I don't really want to.  I love being out in the community, connecting with my clients, but its a big sacrifice to stand around for two days, especially when I have been doing so well with custom orders, and selling through local shops.  So, I think for this year, I won't do the Christmas fairs.
However, as I mentioned I am still doing custom orders, by email or on my Etsy site (www.buttonboxdesigns.etsy.com), and I picked up some new yarn yesterday to work on some new fall-themed designs.  Last night I made Aria a cute little beret with some pink bamboo yarn that I had in my stash.  I just have to put the finishing touches on it, then I'll photograph it, and post them online here.  I've wanted to develop a design for a beret for awhile, and I'm super pleased with how it turned out, and how quickly it worked up (considering I was designing as I went, which often means I end up pulling out rows as I go if I don't like how its looking!).  A couple of my girlfriends are having babes this fall, so they'll probably be the recipients of my first fall hat designs.
I love the Fall.  After the heat of the summer in the Okanagan, the cool, crisp air of the fall is always welcome and so fun to go out walking in!  Aria starts preschool again next week, and I'm excited to have an excuse for walking to and from the school to pick her up.  Ballet starts up next week as well.  Every morning she asks me how many more sleeps until preschool?  How many more sleeps until ballet?  The countdown is on!

Preschool, Olympic Torch and General Musings

Aria has been attending First Kids Preschool for a whole year already!  Hard to believe.  Last Christmas my parents had given me money for doing daycare or something like that so that I could have some one on one time with Roscoe (only 2 months old then!), or nap, or grocery shop.  All the things that are easier with one less child!  Well, it turned out that Aria was old enough to start preschool, being that she was 32 months old and potty-trained.  I had always planned on putting her in this preschool, as it was in our neighborhood, highly recommended, reasonably-priced, and has Bible-based teaching.  It has been a delight to have Aria involved at this school, making new friends, singing songs, doing crafts, and having lots of fun playing and learning.  But, because of Roscoe's age, I had never gotten to be the Duty-Mom until just last week!

 Aria was so thrilled that I was coming to be the Duty-Mom.  She had seen all of her friends' mothers  come and help out, but I had never yet had my turn.  She was so proud to have me there helping, and I had a lot of fun.  I washed toys, stapled together the take-home papers, cleaned up, played with the kids, told a story, and took lots of pictures!

Our friend, Noah, was the Star of the Day, and he brought his mom and her Olympic torch as his show and tell that day.  She was involved in the torch relay as a runner the previous week, and shared about her experience, and showed the kids the inner workings of an Olympic torch.  They all got to touch the torch as well.
The day it ran through our town, I took the kids over to the park near our house to watch it go past, and to cheer on the runner, or should I say walker.  The lady carrying the torch was a Grandma in her late sixties, and she definitely was not running.  All the hoopla by the official race sponsors went by, and then we waited... and waited... Finally she came, and then, right where we were standing, her torch "kissed" (apparently that's the official terminology) the next fellow's torch, and off he went... walking!  I just think that if I were carrying the torch, I would run.  There's no way I could just walk with the crowd cheering, the music blasting, the adrenaline pumping, and the significance and history being represented by the flame in my hands.  Just a thought...
It was exciting though, and my husband and his staff came down to join us at the park.  We couldn't go down to the big celebration downtown, as it was Roscoe's bedtime.  And honestly, I don't think I would have enjoyed being down there with all the people and both kids by myself.  Instead, Aria's friend came over for a play-date, Roscoe napped and I had a cup of tea!  Speaking of which... I think that I hear my crochet projects calling my name.  Either that, or the elliptical... Exercise or tea and crochet... hmmm...