Coins and cloth

Viggo and Nate have launched into coin collecting with abandon! Every week seems to bring trips to the bank to buy rolls of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Because of the bad economy, lots of people are visiting banks to cash out change - change that has sat around on a dresser in a jar for a couple of decades (or longer!). This has made it fairly easy for Viggo to find pennies dating a century back - sometimes several in one roll. Those that aren't needed are brought back to the bank to be cashed in for another roll. Viggo saves the money he earns each day (by doing chores and being helpful, etc.) and is overjoyed when he has enough to visit the bank and buy a roll of something. He also spent his hard-earned money on the books to save the coins in. I for one am a big fan of this hobby because it teaches Viggo that there are other things to do with money other than spend it, and it is also time-consuming! He's zipped through pennies and is almost done with nickels, but dimes are going to take awhile because they are $5 a roll! Nate has also amassed quite a collection and it is fun to watch them work on their coins together. They often trade one coin for another, and go on special outings to the bank and the local coin stores. When Nate comes home from work it is not unusual to hear Viggo say, "Dad, can we go to the bank?" Svea usually tags along too - she loves going to the bank.

When Nate brought home a roll of presidential dollar coins, I asked if I could have one. It was fun to look through the pile of shiny golden-colored coins! He said, "Oh, are you going to start a collection?" Well, not exactly: "No, I just thought it would be fun to spend one!" Clearly I have a lot to learn :)

Svea gets in on the action. She loves all the coins, but even under supervision can mix up critical piles of sorted and unsorted coins . . .

Nate giving Viggo a hand with some pennies.

~~~

Meanwhile, I've been attempting to sew things for Svea. She's my little girl and loves dresses, so I am doing my best to rise to the challenge!

I bought some gorgeous Amy Butler fabric to make her a sundress. I started this a couple weeks ago, got distracted, but now all that's left is to put the straps on. I just wanted to take a photo of the fabric it because it's so pretty!

Svea helps out by constantly turning the pages of the directions so it takes ten times as long to accomplish reading one short paragraph . . . but whenever she manages to find the right page, she says, "MY pretty dress!"

As you can see, Svea is really the one in charge here.

The Disney t-shirt, a tape measure - this is really all she needs to be happy! And her sunny presence is all I really need to be happy while sewing!