Oh yes, this lil program cut the top of my sewing project pictures off… but if you click on them, there’s a big and bigger version, depending on how many times you click. Just in case you wanted to see the neckline of my dress

I finally finished the dress I posted about last time (a few weeks ago, actually). I’m only now just writing about it because I’ve been a busy bee! Last week, Sam decided it was time to use the big boy potty. Oh yeah! We’ve been in full blown potty training for almost a week now, and he’s doing fabulously. He looks like such a big boy in his underpants.

Somehow in all this I’ve managed to sew here and there and finish two projects! The dress I made cost less than five dollars for materials, because the fabric I used was a twin cotton sheet I found at a thrift store and cut up. I used a wonderfully soft lining for the bodice and it’s very comfortable. I like the boat neckline and length a lot, but next time I think I’ll skip the front tie. I don’t know, I can’t decide if I like it or not.

The second project was a skirt with eight godets. I’m thinking if I ever get out for swing dancing again, this is the skirt to wear! Check out my twirling action, hehe. Challis is my new favorite material… super soft, drapes well and is lightweight. Perfect for the summer. I like the mostly pink but kinda coral color this print has. I can’t wait to pair it with some cute shirts and hit the town! (In between feedings and potty runs, that is).

I have to say, I was very disappointed last week when I went card shopping for Father’s Day. Upon first glance, there seemed to be a huge selection. But as I started browsing through the cards, I just got plain mad. It seemed every card had some backhanded compliment to it, or dealt with the “golf-obsessed, farting, lazy, beer drinking, remote controlling, belching oaf” of a Dad. Honestly, how can anyone feel good about giving their dad a card like that? And what dad would actually want to receive a card like that?

What a total lack of respect! We are to honor our fathers. Not just on Father’s Day, but every day. None of those cards came close to telling any father how we love them, respect them as men and the head of our home, or appreciate the sacrificial love they show our families. Granted, there are most likely some oafs out there. But when 98% of the cards at the store have a message like that!?

And when I searched for a card that Sam could get for Mark, many were “from your bratty kid who never obeys and is a general pain in the you-know-what.” I think it reflects our society and the break down of the family, really. Fathers never get it right, and children are not a blessing but a constant source of frustration. It’s like Hallmark hired a bunch of angry women and this is the best they could come up with.

I finally found a card for Mark that wasn’t in the Father’s Day section at all. It read, “You make me smile… every single day.” And it’s true. I am so grateful for and proud of Mark, the father of my precious children. And I am so thankful for and proud of my Dad, who has lead our family well and always treated my brother and I as blessings.

So come on, Hallmark. Get with the program.

Samuel and I have a blast together with Photo Booth on my iMac: