Eye Spy Jars and other stuff

I've been wagging the blog again, I know. My to-do list exploded and I became utterly over-whelmed, not only with the things I had to do but, in fact, more so with the things I *wanted* to do. Too much, too much. So I stepped away from everything for a while to try and clear my head.

I need to learn to slow down. I'm getting there.

My little big boy turned four just a few days ago and we had a little road trip up to Rockhampton where my husband was working, so we could all be together for Clarys' birthday. It's about a five hour trip, so not as bad as spending 12 hours in the car but still..............if the kids are unhappy the whole way 5 hours can be a very, very long time :(

I am always on the look out for new ways to entertain the kids in the car. When you travel the roads we do there's only so much 'I spy something with my little eye, starting with T' you can take (because IT'S A TREE, IT'S ALWAYS A TREE because there is nothing else to see). Actually Clary's only just graduated from the kind of 'I Spy' which goes like this

'I spy with my little eye something starting with..........five!!'

You cannot beat 'I Spy' with the little ones for some tricky stuff, that's for sure.

Anyway, these babies have probably been doing the rounds of blog-land for years but I have only just discovered them........Eye Spy Jars! Brilliant.

 You fill are jar (or two) with rice and an assortment of little trinkets, shake the jar up and you're pretty much done. Before putting the little bits and bobs into the jars I placed them on white paper to photograph them printed the photos out (only just a little bit bigger than business card size), laminated them and then provided each child with a jar and matching card to see what they could find.

 I did these at the last minute and didn't know if I would be able to find enough stuff to go in them but, ah, amazing how many little bits of 'stuff' I came up with by rummaging around (you'd be amazed what was in the bottom of my handbag). I popped a number 6 in for Ruby and a number 4 in the other for Clary, those two things came from my scrapbooking stash.

 No I'm not going to tell you that it kept them entertained for hours and hours, but it did keep them busy for  a little while. When I got a chance to have a go at them and the kids told me the things they hadn't been able to find.........it kept me quiet for a little while too :)

Even my husband was intrigued for a bit there.

Another last minute job was the train drivers' cap. I decided I would make Clary a train drivers' cap for his birthday after seeing a great tutorial/pattern here. I had only just a week or so before picked up some blue ticking fabric (very randomly, had no specific plans for it at the time in true 'second stitch' fashion) so I was all good to go.

I have never made a hat before and I was surprised at how well it came along.

 I lined mine with calico.

 But even as I was doing it........ I just knew........it was going to be too small. But I was pushed for time, no time for a re-do, so I just kept going hoping it might just be OK.

Uh uh. Too small. But I'm happy with the way it turned out and am going to make another one, a bigger one. Even though I don't actually think anyone else was excited as me over the train cap ;)