Snow and No Snow

We got snow on Sunday night, I watched it fall as I nursed the baby around midnight. When we woke up (around 7 am) there were several inches on the ground. I tried to get my husband to take an hour delay from work and play in the snow, but the forecast called for more the next day, so off he went to work. We played with our new sled and snowball maker, had a friend over and watched all the snow melt away. The sun came out and it was beautiful and blue out, but slushy.

The promised snow for last night, never came. You have to understand, my husband LIVES for snow, he was super excited at the prospect. He grew up in this area and knows that you have to have the perfect combination to get actual snow. We get the rain, because we are close to the ocean, which makes it warmer, which means - no snow. Which, I guess, happened last night. The look on his face when he pulled back the curtains, expecting a blanket of white. . . So sad. Live for the moment!

My Matched Set

He likes to give her things.

She smiles and laughs at the sight of him (or has a look of complete fear!)

95% of the time, they are my sweet little matched set.

It's the other 5% that is giving me an ulcer! But, we are having a wonderful time together. Butters tells some of the funniest stories and has an incredible imagination. Today he asked if we could go across the street to see his cousins, Andrew, Jake and Tyler (they live many miles away). She smiles if you even look in her direction!

And, I'm almost done with my sweater, Wicked! I've been asked to write for the shop blog at Let It Rain, click here to read it. I'll ramble on about knitting and try not to bore you about it here, visit me there and leave some comments!

We are hoping to get snow this weekend to try out the new sled and awesome snow suits from our friend, Anna!

It's Not Working

Well, if the sewing gene is in me I think it's needs to be catalysed or maybe it mutated, because I suck at sewing. I made a crayon roll, and it's totally cute in theory, but sucks in execution. Like eating a donut: it sounds like a good idea, but ends up making you feel yucky all day.

I combined Kathy from Pink Chalk Studio's pencil roll pattern with this crayon roll pattern and what I made will hold crayons but it's not perfect. The lines are wonky. I didn't have interfacing so I thought, "make it from flannel, why don't other people do that?" Well, they don't do it because it get so thick you can't fit it under your machine foot! Plus, I put outside tie ribbon in the wrong place, so when I turned everything, the ribbon was inside the crayon roll! None of this makes sense to some of you, but now some of it does to me, I guess I just need more practice.

It's a gift for a young boy, who won't notice, would you make a new one or give it as is? A 4 year old won't notice, but it's the principle-giving an imperfect, slightly wonky gift. Would you do it?

Craft Wall

My aunt (P. Mookie) had a bin of old fabric and remnants that she let me dig through over Christmas. I went a little crazy. I'll do anything to increase a stash! Among the fabrics were bits of material from clothes my mom's mom made for my sister, old curtains and table cloths, etc. I've got several projects in mind, but the first involved embroidery hoops and glue! I didn't make this up, I saw it here.

My grandmother died when I was three. I remember her laugh (or at least I've heard it on old tape recordings), I have some of her embroidery and quilt work and I know how she used to fold pillowcases. She was sick a lot, I visited her in the hospital, but I wasn't privileged to know her more. As I picked out the fabric, I came across this little note: 2 yds. I kept it pinned and put it on the back of the frame, this was one of my favorite fabrics.

My dad's dad died before I was born. My dad took my sister and I to his grave and I started to cry a bit and my dad kind of laughed at me. I didn't understand at the time. As I got older, I found out my grandfather was not always a kind person. It's hard when you realize your grandparents or your parents aren't perfect. My dad probably thought it was ridiculous to cry over someone I didn't even know.

I'm hoping Butters and BabyGirl won't remember the times when I loose it and yell, but one day they will find out that I'm not without fault. If my grandkids come across a sample of my handwriting, they'd probably say, "I can't even read this, her handwriting was horrible..." (That's the least of my imperfections).

My grandmother probably wasn't perfect, either, but now I've got a little bit to inspire me, because she did do some amazing needlework and she said some funny things. And now I have a small note from her here. I hope anyway, this could be the woman's handwriting at the fabric store!

Cream Cheese

You've got something on your nose.












Yeah, right there!

I Survived!

I made it 5 whole days and bedtimes without my better half! My 'Darling Husband' (DH in blogland) has been out of town since Monday and due to get back in a few hours. I had to get this one under my belt; the first time on my own with 2 kids. I should probably feel like I can do anything right now, but I'm just so exhausted all I want to do is sit on my arse. I'm so tired, I don't even think I could knit! By the end of the days, I've been slumped over, begging for mercy. But right now, both kids are asleep, the dog and cats have given up the search for attention and I'm drinking water and wishing it was wine! If I was a single mom, I'd be a total alcoholic.

I get stressed out to easily with all the details. I think men would be better at staying home than women. Women need interactions with friends and adult conversations, most men I know would be happy going days w/out talking to anyone. Plus, you need to think about so much and so much could go wrong-bring snacks, diapers, change of clothes, feed the baby, go pee pee on the potty, water for yourself, etc. I start to get all freaked out and then I forget to have fun. That was the turning point for me this week, when I remembered I need to have fun. We went to a jumpy place that we hadn't been to before and Butters wasn't really playing on the giant inflatable structures, he was playing with the kids toys, some of which we had a home. I'm a cheap ass and all I could think was, "We paid 6 bucks to get here and you aren't bouncing!!!"


Well, if he needs to play with the little toys to get used to the place, let him. Baby girl fell asleep in her pouch, so I put her in the car seat so I could jump w/ the boy and get him used to it. As I moved the baby, she woke up. She'll be fine, remember to have fun. I started jumping like crazy, running crazy on the jumpy thing, bouncing on my butt. I didn't care if I peep my pants, if my legs were sore or if I had a bra on with absolutely no support. Butters thought Mom was funny and that's all that mattered. He bounced and laughed and keeps asking to go back.

(DH just called, he's got his bag and he's waiting for the parking shuttle!)

I need to remember that they are only young once, I'm not sitting at a desk at a job I hate and at least I have a roof over my head.

That reminds me, we are going to need a new roof in a few years...now I'm stressed out again.

My Teeth Are Coming In!

Easy To Love

Happy Three Months, BabyGirl!

Suck it, Martha!

Like Charlie Brown, I didn't want to support the capitolism of Christmas; I started this summer on presents and ideas for people. I wanted an eco-friendly holiday and even sewed holiday bags instead of wrapping (which is the reason for the title a la Kathy Griffins style, I actually like Martha). Of course, I realize, I had to BUY the materials to MAKE the gifts...anyways, here is the recap!


Starting from top left: washcloth and scrubber set with fancy Body Shop plum soap, cable belt for Dithy from Stitch and Bitch Nation, Sizzle tank from fancy yarn I ended up hating for Shelly, and a mobius basket for my Aunt Kathy from scrap Manos.















A felted flower for P. Mookie. Hand warmers and the Harlot's Cable Hat, wrapped in Cmas bags for NJ and Jill. And some handmade pillowcases for some crazy kids in San Fran.


I've actually got more! I made socks for C's grandpa and T made a birdhouse for his mom from recycled wood! I finished a week before Cmas and started a sweater for myself, it's been keeping me going and gave me something to do on the plan and on our trip.

Today is the baby's 3rd birthday month-I did a photo shoot but my camera battery died. More tomorrow.
PS. Blogger SUCKS, I can't get the layout right for this, preview never works and the darn photos keep moving on me. Anyhoos, that's why the text is all wonky, sorry!

Milestones

We just finished our third and final Christmas! We've had a wonderful end of the year and I hope everyone else has, too. It's a funny thing to make and have a baby in one calendar year-last Christmas, no baby and not even pregnant. This year, 2 kids. I don't always feel supported in my decision to breastfeed (I think I heard someone say this was the Breast christmas ever?), but one look at my 2.5 year old, who weaned at 14 months, and I'm re-dedicated. He's never had an ear infection, never been on antibiotics and never had any meds except occasional Tylenol. I'm hoping I haven't jinxed it! Sure, I can't wear a dress for another year and I can't just leave the baby at the last minute, but it's worth it for the health of my baby girl. Studies show bfing lowers the risk of diabetes and crone's disease and both run in my family, so I'll do whatever I can.

Okay, time to talk milestones! The baby started laughing, like, real belly laughing. She's also grown out of all her 0-3 month clothes. Butters went pee pee on the potty at the museum. And, I went to the dentist. I don't want to get TMI (too much information) but I haven't been in about 10 years. Seriously. The dentist told me, and this is an exact quote, "You've got a combination of great architecture and good genetics." I had no cavities, use natural toothpaste with no animal by product (did you know your toothpaste probably has cuttlefish in it?) and I never ever floss. The dentist even admitted that with my excellent oral hygiene, I probably didn't need to floss! I'm the poster child for dental avoidance!

Last three big milestones-I took both kids grocery shopping and I put air in my car tire BY MYSELF! These are big ones. I'm a hard core feminist and my husband and I claim to have no gender roles when it comes to cooking and cleaning, but when it come to fixing the car, I always kind of want my husband to take care of it. The low tire pressure light came on in the new car and Tsaid he'd take care of it. But, I remembered when my friend Sharon and I were on a road trip and we had a flat tire and we two smart girls tried to change said tire and ended up finding the creepiest looking skinny Canadian woodsman you've ever seen to help take the lug nuts off and we both swore we'd try harder next time. So, I got up the nerve, got over my fear of exploding tires, spent 75 cents on air and now my car's low tire pressure light is no longer illuminated!

Now, the trip to the store: When you have an infant and a large toddler who can't control himself from standing in the cart, pulling things off the shelves, etc and only two hands, trips to the grocery are not easy. You don't realize how easy things are with one kid until you have two! I had the baby in a pouch sling on my front, and Butters in the cart and I made him a list, complete with crappy pictures, of things he needed to help find. He was totally into helping. That, and a cookie and a sucker and $200 later when they asked if I needed help out to the car, I said, hells yeah! Which is my last milestone, accepting help when I need it.

I'll end this wordy post with a photo of the youngest and longest mullet I've ever seen in person. This is from Chuck E. Cheese, a place I'll reluctantly have to return to again some day! See the kid on the air hockey table in the back? Things are just not the same in Kentucky! In the front is Butters, I was trying not to be obvious while taking the photo!

Christmas in Pictures

Playing with older cousins (a bad photo but great faces!)









Being held by professionals!









Meeting Santa (look at the wonder on that face, we were on the fence about doing Santa or not and this made it worth it!)








Visiting and being loved by family.









Doing things you don't necessarily want to, but being a good sport about it!