Pooh and Alastair

It’s been such a long time since I have posted, but I’ve been having too much fun with 5 yo grandson Alastair to sit still and write.  He  has been with us for 10 delightful days.   More on that below.

 

 

Meanwhile, I did manage to sew up a little suit using a commercial pattern.  You know how those 5 for $7 patterns from  Joann’s stack up.  As always, I was in a hurry and grabbed the first one which would work.  I should have looked through my Children’s Corner and Michie patterns.  Some modification was needed to meet my vision for a fully lined project.

 

“We’ll be Friends Forever, won’t we, Pooh?’ asked Piglet.
Even longer,’ Pooh answered.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

 

This is an easy-care garment with polycotton gingham pants.  The Imperial broadcloth bodice is trimmed with a hand worked running stitch as well as that wonderful whip stitch piping from Farmhouse Fabrics.   I just love the look that piping gives.

The embroidered Baby Pooh and Friends  is from the Brother card  of the same name, though it is also available here at ibroidery.com where so many Disney designs are available for sale to anyone with a Brother machine with D at the end of the model, i.e.  PE 780D, Innovis 6000D, etc.  I just love this simple line drawing with its single splash of red on Eeyore’s tail.

The back is closed with red buttons.  As so often happens, the minute I went outside to take these pictures, the wind picked up and the sky grew dark and cloudy.  It was raining just seconds after I retreated to the house.  Bottom line–the shirt hangs crooked and I didn’t get a shot of the back.  Oh well.

NANA FUN

While our daughter and her husband are taking a week to move into a new home, Alastair is spending time with us.

He sewed bean bags–one all by himself!–and made a wooden toss target for them with Granddad in the workshop.  He was so proud of his projects.

 

 

Our son and his family joined us for Memorial Day.  At dinner we had a long  patriotic discussion about the meaning of the day and those who defended our country.  At church on Sunday, there was a moving tribute to those who have died defending our country.  With this topic fresh in their mind, after dessert Alastair and cousin Robert bravely defended their tree house by pelting Surinam cherries at imaginary foes. There were no casualties.

 

“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

 

Even with a 4 year age difference, the cousins are such good friends.  Alastair idolizes Robert and Robert reciprocates by treating Alastair with protective, loving respect.

 

Alastair missed a full week of Montessori VPK, so he attended Nana’s Homeschool.  He’s reading the same 1st grade book with which I taught his cousins to  read. Teaching a grandchild to read is an incredible thrill!

I can’t help but think how exciting it must be for a dear lady at church who has taught piano for at least 50 years to what must be 3/4 of our community’s children.  For the last several years she has driven 95 miles once a week to give piano lessons to 11 of her grandchildren!

 

 

Hand writing take a lot of practice for a 5 year old.

 

 

The bannister was his normal route down the stairs….

 

 

…and he climbed the same giant cedar tree that his mother and uncle climbed when  they were kids.

 

 

The children splish splashed in the pool on that hot Memorial Day.  Having finished a great swimming course, Alastair was able to hold his own with Robert and Laurel at Marco Polo and all the horsing around.  No more swimmies for him.

 

 

At the end of yet another busy cousin day, Alastair spent the night at their house.  He fell asleep early, guarded by Apollo who adores children.

 

 

We miss him already.  And as Pooh said, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”