All Things Heather

Just a quick hello..

I played hookie from school today to watch the inauguration.  Boy was it a show and it's still going strong into the wee hours of the night!  I think I've become temporarily addicted to c-span.  Political viewpoints aside, I was pleased by the inaugural speech, Obama is a very good public speaker and I found myself moved to tears on more then one occasion.  Granted, this is coming from the girl who cries during the Folger's commercials. 

Hope all of you are well and I'll be back in a few days with a "real" post.  I have been working on a few things here and there! 

Overwhelmed....

I dragged my sick butt to the ER last night. I'm not sure if my physical state really warranted an ER trip but the fact that the clinic was closed today made my decision for me. I had suffered for 5 days already, I didn't think I could do another 2 more. After some blood work and a strep test, it was concluded that I was sick, really really sick.  Finally, some validation.  I not only have Strep, which I figured, but I also have the Flu and I have a REALLY low RBC count, like really low, nearly needing blood transfusion low.  I managed to talk my way out of that with plenty of reassurances that I would see my doctor on Friday and discuss the issue.  I'm probably just super anemic, which explains why I've been feeling so crappy, dragging, and tired. 

I don't do sick like most people.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not super woman, I'm cranky and irritable and pretty much at my wits end, but I don't get fevers.  I don't look fantastic but I don't look like I'm on my deathbed either.  Both freakin' Doctors that saw me, said "You look fine, the fact that you are just sitting there reading a book leads me to believe that you are fine. It's probably just a little cold with a sore throat. " Every time I swallowed it felt like hot daggers poking into my throat, I know what a sore throat feels like. This is like 9 on the pain scale, this rated up there with giving birth to a 10 pound baby.  I didn't have a cold, I knew I didn't have a cold, I didn't know how to express to a Doctorthat sees hypochondriacs every single day that I'm not overreacting, I feel like I'm going to die and I have to "hold it together" because I have two young girls that need me to hold it together and I if I really did what I wanted to do I would be curled up in the corner whimpering but I think it's more appropriate to try to distract myself with a book and at least pretend that I'm not ready to die.

Freakin' Doctor. After all that he gets my labs that he insisted that I didn't need, reads them, is surprised to find that Yes I do indeed have Strep even though he swore I didn't, and that I do indeed have the Flu, that one was news to me, I've never had the Flu before but I knew it was something because I've never had everything hurt so much, and he sees my RBC count and doesn't understand how I'm still up and about with a count so low. "I guess you do look a little pale." and he still looks at me like I'm "faking" it.  He then tells me when he had strep throat he couldn't even get up!  Good for you, I'm glad you are a giant puss, please don't compare yourself to me!  I know he was doing the best he could but I really wanted to call him a Jackass.  

I got some penicillin (the most complicated 4 times a day for 10 days penicillin) that I could possibly get prescribed and was on my way as quick as I could. I'm feeling much better this morning, only 12 hours of anti-biotics have worked a little miracle, I've only been on them a handful of times is my life, so I'm always surprised that their speediness in my body.  I'm a little irritable because I'm tired and I need to get some rest.  I can't because my husband is incapable this morning of expressing anything to the children in any other way but screaming and I'm spending my morning trying to keep everyone from being emotionally scarred for life. I just want to take a nap!    So that's where I'm at. Thanks for all your nice comments and well wishes. I'll be back to my perky self in a couple days! Happy New Year!

Tragedy...

I've been doing so well with my food log. I'm amazed at how quickly calories stack up. No wonder I've been gaining weight at an exponential rate.  Who knew that tiny fish burrito I love so much at Rubio's (pretty much the only fast food place I'll ever eat at) had 800 calories in it! That's over half my intake for the day, that doesn't even count the chips and guac I usually pack in too!  Since I started I've lost 5 lbs.  I'm no fooling myself into thinking it was 5 lbs of anything but excess water weight - I was super bloated, I looked like an oompa loompa - but 5 lbs of water means that my wedding ring is no longer cutting off the circulation in my finger and that's good enough for me. 

Tragedy had to strike. I'm sick. This is not your run of the mill sickness, this is life altering I don't know how I manage to make it out of bed, I have a fever and it feels like someone is poking hot irons down my throat sickness and every joint and bone in body aches sickness.  Apparently strep is making it's round about Southern California and it decided to stop in the house for a little visit.  Of course, Tom is off and about doing Tom stuff at work. The kids are still on winter break and going stir crazy.  I barely have the energy to get out of bed and help them with the bare necessities.  Montessori mom goes out the window during times like these.  It's only 12:30 and they are already on their second movie.  I feel bad for them, I feel bad for me, now's the time when I need to step up and be a good mother but I just want to lay on the floor and cry about how bad I feel. My youngest declared that she would NOT eat the grilled cheese that just took me 30 minutes to make and I collapsed in tears.  I just can't take it today, I can't take the fighting, the opposition, the anger. I just want her to be nice, eat her freakin sandwich and tell me I'm a good mom and give me a hug. I know it's a lot to ask of a four year old but it's just one of those days. My ego and my sanity and my bodily well being are all being held together by the tiniest thread and it's stretched so tight that I'm afraid everything is just going to snap. I just need to make it another 7 hours and then it will bed time.

So that's enough for my pity party. I'm hoping hubby will be home sometime tonight so I can make it to the ER or at the very least maybe the clinic will call me in a prescription for something to make my misery go away. I've been drinking orange juice and cayenne pepper like it's nobody's business and it's helped a bit but the inside of my body feels like it's on fire!  Just a couple more hours and I can lay around in agony!

By the way..I just noticed that my blog comments are nearly to 3000.  I'd tell you exactly but I want it to be a surprise.  At this rate, it will take a couple months to get there but I wanted to dangle the carrot out there.  Number 3000 will get a nice surprise!  I think a nice hand dyed fiber surprise, maybe something about 2000 yds, enough to make a sweater and a hat and a scarf.  Maybe silk?  Or Bamboo? Or just plain merino..in what ever color the person might want it.   Let's just see...we are almost there. 

I hope all of you are in good spirits and wishing you the very best this new year!  Here's to losing a couple pounds and finishing up my degree!  Blessing to all of you and Happy New Year!!!

Christmas Ham....

I weighed myself this morning.  I'm just absolutely disgusting. Or maybe I'm just disgusted with myself.  I've put on so much weight over the last couple of years. It has just crept on insidiously and now it holds on for dear life.  I initially blamed it on Makenna, due to complications breastfeeding was cut short, so I never lost that baby weight.  I can't really blame the last 20 pounds on her though, so who can I blame it on?  Genetics?  Lack of self-discipline?  Food today that is essentially void of nutrition but packed with calories and fat.  I was commenting to my husband last night, for the forty first time, I'm heavier then I've ever been in my life but I enjoy food less then ever.  Things seem to taste bland, I don't enjoy the purity of food that I did at one time, I just find myself mechanically packing it into my mouth and watching with horror as my backside expands.  And my metabolism, don't even get me started on that.  I can look at a chocolate bar and almost immediately begin to feel my pants tighten.  I'm cursed with a slow metabolism...and hitting the 35 mark didn't help much either. 

So I'm not sure what to do.  I need to make a bigger commitment to my health, like many of us I'm certain. The funny thing is, that I eat pretty healthy, not too much processed food, lots of organic and whole foods. I'm the healthiest eater I know, but quantity over quality does have something to do with it.  I'm really not caught up on the whole weight thing, but I can't afford to keep buying bigger clothes and it's not going to get much easier to get off later.  I really do have the self discipline of a slug.  I'd like to think on that more later but for now I don't think my much damaged ego can take it at the moment.

So I think I'm going to start a food journal and start really watching my calorie consumption before I start making any drastic kneejerk (and temporary) changes.  Maybe I can find the hidden patterns that I didn't see before that would clue me into what is going on and then start working on my self control to change things slowly.  When my husband was lamenting on this exact same topic a month ago, I told him to start writing down everything he ate because he was probably eating more then he thought he was.  Maybe I should follow my own advice.  So wish me luck on this journey of eating self exploration.  And although I'd love to lose 40 pounds..I'd be happy with 20, heck I'd be happy with 10!  I can't afford to start knitting bigger sweaters! 

Tis the night before Christmas..

And what do I find myself doing this fine Christmas eve?  Typing homework of course.  I have a HUGE project due on the 5th and I must not put it off until the last minute, so here I am on the night before Christmas, click clacking away.  In thinking back to last year at this time, grad school was only a minor twinkle in my eye.  I was still in a bit of a fog and wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life. I graduated from college in 1996 with every intention of going back to graduate school. But lives were lived and before I knew it, over a decade had passed and I found myself a stay at home mom to 2 lovely if not slightly obnoxious children.  I'd been in a funk for the last couple years, not a day to day funk, but an overall funk, wondering where my life was going to take me. Don't get me wrong, I love being a mother, but that is not all that I am.  And now, here I am, back to the click clacking away. In all honesty, I wouldn't of had it any other way.  I didn't realize that Montessori was my calling until very recently, I wasn't even sure of it when I started this program in September but I'm sure of it now. And if I had realized it, even a couple years ago, I wouldn't have that couple extra years of age and wisdom I have now.    And what of the funk?  It's comes and goes, I'm still working to find balance in my life, but I'm thankful that I found my purpose.  

I would really love to go in depth about the Montessori program here, I know many of you, assuming you have any interest at all, probably have some stereotypes or misconceptions in regards to Montessori but I don't want this to become my Montessori blog so I'll approach it in baby steps.  As to not let this program consume me, I've been trying to get back to some knitting and sewing that I've neglected over the last couple months.  Here are some sneaks of the projects. I'll revisit these in more depth later.  In the meantime.  Merry Christmas to all of you and hope you stay warm and toasty (and out of airports) this holiday season!

 

Homemade Holiday...

Can you believe it..two posts in 2 weeks!  I think I deserve a gold star or something!  Ok, not really..and if you count quality over quanity then this really isn't much more then a filler post, but a post none the less! 

I'm sure for most of you, the end of this year has been financially challenging. I personally made a commitment not to overspend this holiday season since things are so tight all around. I didn't do as well as I had hoped to, as I look at a closet stuffed full of presents, but I did much better then I had in the past.   I've noticed though, that when things do get tough, it's equally as nice to give as it is to receive.  I would have liked to have done a handmade holiday for all the folks on my list this year, but I really didn't have the time or the foresight to get my stuff done back in July.  Actually, that's not true, I had the foresight just not the will power to follow through with it.   Regardless, I did manage to take some time out of my hectic schedule and do a little Christmas baking. It was actually pretty easy, I choose my recipes carefully, and I had a nice time spending part of the last couple days in the kitchen.  I wanted to share my a favorite recipe or two, it's not too late to get baking! 

The first is a Martha Stewart one that I've been baking for a quite a few years now. It looks a bit complicated but it's really not!  You can find the recipe here but here is a quick type up also:

Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

3 large eggs

45 round swirled peppermint candies, coarsely crushed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add sugar, extracts, and eggs; mix on medium-low speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture. Stir in one-third of the candies. Refrigerate dough until firm, about 30 minutes (or wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight).

 

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, form mounds of dough; dip tops into remaining candies to coat. Place cookies, candy sides up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until just set, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

The second recipe I wanted to share with you is compliments of Wondertime.  Not only was this particular recipe much better then I thought it would be. The technique is a keeper!  Granted, the proper way to make bark is to spend a couple hours tempering the chocolate but I didn't really have time.  The refrigerator gave the chocolate that extra snap and I doubt it will be around long enough for anyone to analyze it.

Cherry-Pumpkin Seed Chocolate Bark :

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (the green kind)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 (11- or 12-ounce) bags semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried, pitted sour cherries

Heat oven to 250. Line a 12-by-17-inch jelly roll pan (or rimmed baking sheet) with parchment paper. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the oil until a drop of water sizzles on contact, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring constantly until the seeds are fragrant, starting to brown, and making popping sounds, about 3 or 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the salt and cayenne, and leave to cool about 5 minutes. Scatter the chocolate chips evenly in the prepared pan. Place pan in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove and spread chocolate with a rubber spatula. Scatter the cherries over the top of the melted chocolate, then scatter the pumpkin seeds. Chill at least 2 hours, until firm enough to break into pieces.

 

I made two other kinds, white chocolate peppermint bark and oatmeal cookies with holiday m&m's.   I plated the sweet treats on 8 cute dessert plates I had bought on clearance last year, bagged them up and off they will go to their lucky new homes. I'm happy to be done. I'm pleased with how they turned out and I felt better getting back to a handmade holiday.  Hope you take the time to enjoy one of these recipes! 

 

Deck the halls with boughs of slackness...

Fa la la la la la la la la....

Miss me...huh...huh...

Have you noticed a pattern?  I disappear for a couple months, come back all smitten and jolly, ready to tackle blogging again with new inspiration. I make a couple comments about how I was feeling too much pressure, I need to just blog for me and not worry about popularity or readership. I'm good for a day or so and then I drop off the face of the planet.  Phooey to that,  I miss you guys!

Well I am alive and I am back but I'll spare you with the sob story of my absence.  Well maybe I won't spare you all the tasty details but I will spare you from any false promises of blogging grandeur.  I do have some things I'd like to share and hopefully I'll find the time to do it. 

So you want to know where I've been?  Remember way back when I said I wanted to go Montessori or Bust?  I took the plunge and did it, and I'm now in the middle of a full blown graduate program in education, $28,000 in debt, and well on my way to changing the world one child at a time.  I need one of those super girl t-shirts, but it has to be real cheap because I have about 50 cents to my name right now.  It's been quite a ride so far but in all honesty I'm enjoying every minute of it. (Most minutes, who really does enjoy every single minute of anything? Except maybe chocolate, I enjoy every single minute of chocolate.)  Going back to school at my age, 35 last month - gasp, has been a bit strange. I've not only been out of academia for nearly a decade but I've spent the last 5 slowly losing brain cells with my wonderful, but brain cell sucking two children.  The people in my class are a trip, luckily I've managed to keep my blogging alter ego fairly incognito and only one girl knows this link!  Hi Michelle!  So, I'll try to pass on some of the more entertaining moments of my day. 

So how is everyone doing with this new economy?  Pretty much sucks doesn't it!  We've cut back on so much and it still not enough.  Maybe it's a blessing in disguise, I have been a bit wasteful in the past, time to get thrifty.

See my yucky shiny face..n ot it's not how I normally look but the winter winds (yes even here in southern California) have played a number on my pores.  But who has money to spend on those outrageously expensive pore strips.  I saw this recipe someplace on line and it works like a charm:

 Home-made Pore Puller Outers:

Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of Knox gelatin in a small bowl. Heat in microwave for approximately 10 seconds.  Mix thoroughly and using a small paint brush, brush mixture onto nose and any other areas that are a little clogged.  I recommend avoiding the eye area, for reasons you will find out later. Let dry 10 to 15 minutes and peel off carefully.  This is the point where you are thankful you didn't put it under your eyes!  Take a look, you can even see the little porcupine things sticking out, that was in your pores!  Double the recipe if necessary but I find this makes plenty!  That was my thrifty tip for the day!  I'll hopefully be back soon! Tootles!   

Fabric panels...

Finally, after nearly a year in the making, I managed to add a little color to my living room.  Remember way, way, way back when in October I was trying to figure which Amy Butler set I should use for my living room, I went for the green and "pinks,"  deciding on the aquas for my bedroom.  If you can actually believe it, I managed to sew a couple of throw pillows and a simple patchwork lap quilt in an afternoon's time.  Although the fabric is no longer cutting edge, I love it and it was a good match for my space.  

 

After brightening up my couch I realized that the rest of the room could use a bit more oomph or at the very least another "fabric" piece to tie everything together.  I recently rearranged my tiny living room and had been staring at an empty wall above the couch.  Thank goodness for other creative bloggers, I remembered seeing a post at Bella Dia about making fabric panels and realized this was a perfect solution.  A couple days of tinkering and viola.  I managed to incorporate a couple pictures of the kids in floating frames that I think work rather nicely with the panels and I used up a good deal of my scraps from the lap quilt.  

 

The whole thing was a harder to photograph then I imagined.  Either there was too much light or not enough, I'd get glare on the frames or have to use my flash.  I will definitely not be quitting my non-existent day job to become an interior photographer but hopefully you get the drift of what it looks like.  Size is also tricky when photographing spaces but I reassure you that the size of the "mosaic" is appropriate to the wall, it looks a little wonky in a couple of the pictures but trust me, it's nice in person.  

All in all I really love the way it turned out and I think it definitely adds a bit of spark to my living room.  It's amazing how tiny little touches here and there can truly make a space and it was really not that difficult nor that expensive.  Next, maybe a little splash of color in the kitchen, I think a couple new hot pads and some decorated tea towels really help out. I'm sure that will be another year in the making though.  Thanks for looking.

Child abuse...

It was a pretty mellow weekend but we spent a considerable amount of time at the pool on Saturday. Luckily, our community has a nice pool and at only $6.50 for admission, it's a pretty inexpensive way to spend a Saturday morning. Normally I make the children wear long sleeve suits but for some reason I had a lapse of judgment and allowed them to wear their speedos.  Even with a hourly sunscreen lathering, my oldest came home with quite a burn.  It's pretty much as bad as it looks and I get the loser mom award for the day.  The sun is deceiving, and sunburn is even more so.  When you notice you are getting red, it's normally much too late and this case was no exception.  Luckily she is young and resilient so she can curse me later in life.  her sibling, Makenna was not blessed with the white pasty skin and tolerates sun exposure much better, although I am diligent about sunscreen on her I can't remember the last time she actually got a burn.  For lunch we had a delicious smoothie filled with lots of anti-oxidants and enzymes so maybe that will help fight some of those nasty free radicals.  Don't they say that most of your skin damage is done during childhood?  Anybody have any nasty burn stories they would like to share?   

Hi....

I figured it was time to finally come back.  I've been gone for how long now, a couple of months, maybe? Definitely enough time to bum out some of my few but loyal readers, I'm sure everyone understands the summer hiatus thing.  Regardless, I didn't think forget about you guys and have thought of many of you throughout the last couple months.  I wonder how "Mama Urchin" is doing keeping her kids busy with no planned activities, I wonder how Ruinwen is doing with her relationship with her mom, I wonder how Zondais feeling about her boobs, and I wonder if each and everyone of you has had a nice summer.  Honestly, I haven't been keeping up with my bloglines so I have no idea.  I feel a tiny bit guilty reading what others have wrote when I haven't written anything myself.  Isn't that funny, blog reading as a reward, and I know that not everyone who reads blogs have blogs but for myself, I feel like I have to contribute in order to benefit from the work of other people.  Just add it to my laundry list of "issues."  In the meantime, I have LOTS of catching up to do. 

Last time I checked in I was on my way for holiday in Washington state.  Like most things, my expectations far exceeded the reality of the situation and I cut the trip very short and did not do nearly any of the things I wanted to.  Part was to blame on illness, Amelia managed to come down with strep throat, and part was just unrealistic expectations on my part.  I thought it would be a mini-holiday for me, instead it was just me working harder to take care of my kids someplace else.  I'm sure many of you Mom's know how that is, sometimes it's just plain easier to stay at home.   And my relationships with my own mother was a bit strained, I'm not blaming, I'm just admitting to tension, so for my own self preservation, it was time to go when I did.  The bummer is I didn't have a chance to hook up with some of the folks I would have liked to meet...I guess it wasn't in the cards, maybe one day. 

So my life now, Tom left again on deployment about a month ago so I'm once again adjusting to his absence.  This in for a month gone for a number of months routine leaves a bit to be desired.  I realize even this shall pass but I just don't see it getting any easier. Thankfully, the kids are adjusting well, kudos to a busy summer camp and lots of trips to the pool. 

Quite a few other changes on the homefront that I will delve into during the next few weeks.  Some great, some not so great, some will be great.  I don't want to overload your poor little minds with too much excitement at once.  I'll also try to round up some actual crafting photos but in the meantime you will just have to deal with a picture of my kids. Take care all.

  

Adios and Ogee...

We are leaving on our trip tomorrow.  I'm feeling the slight on set of panic about last minute packing.  It's hard to pack for a month, trying to figure out what I'm going to need versus what I really want to bring versus what I should bring.  Normal questions like - kid's bikes vs. my sewing machine.  5 knitting projects vs. books and crafts. Food for the dog vs. more yarn.  Very tough questions indeed.  

In the meantime let me present to you -

Ogee Tunic from Knitting Nature

Needles and Yarn - Filtura di Crosa Zara on size 5 needles  

Modifications - I changed the shaping from a not so flattering on me a-line to more traditional "girly shaping."  I cast on based on the pattern schematics - size small to begin with which gave me 41 inches at the hemline, did waist shaping and then increased to the medium size to fit my bust line.  I should have probably cast on for the medium size but I didn't want it to flare out too much at the bottom, I could probably block another inch or 2 out of it.  I added 2 inches of length so it didn't look like a crop top. I was going for 3/4 inch sleeves which ended up being a bit longer, I kind of like them though.  All in all I like the pattern, I think the neckline is flattering for my body type. The set in sleeves were in a pain in the ass to seam but it wasn't too bad after it was all done. 

 

Adios for now and I'll check back in later this week. 

Smorgasbord of thank yous...

After all the amazing cards and get well gifts that Makenna has received over the past week, I'm pretty sure she is plotting her next injury.  I'm not sure what the etiquette is for get well presents so I figured I'd just do it the modern Internet way and say THANK YOU!!!!!  I've tried to send an e-mail to those we received gifts from but a couple addresses were lost. If you have not heard from me then I apologize and let me tell you that your thoughts were very much appreciated! 

She is doing remarkably well and is pretty much back to her normal stubborn self.  Although her shoulder is still technically broken, and will be for some time, it's apparently healing because she has nearly full range of motion and only seems to complain of pain when I tell her she needs to pick up her crap.   I wish they could bottle that, the healing power of young children, I get a bruise and it stays for weeks, she gets her whole shoulder smashed in and it gets better in days.  I'm just grateful that things turned out as well as they did, it could have been much worse and her speedy recovery has really helped me lose most of my mommy guilt.

I'm busy packing for our summer hiatus to Washington State.  We are leaving on Sunday for a road trip that will end with a month long stay with my parents.  Tom is deploying again through October and I don't feel like sitting around here for the entire time he is gone trying to find ways to keep the girls entertained without spending money.  I figured a nice long stay in the Pacific Northwest would clear some of the boredom. At the very least, I can spend some quality time with actual trees and greenness.  Packing is a bear though and I pretty much want to bring every crafting thing I own, including my sewing machines, my sewing stuff, and all my yarn.  We don't have too much room, with the 90 lb dog and the 2 kids, so I'll have to compromise.

On the knitting front my Ogee Tunic is about done and is just waiting to be sewn together.  It seems that seaming sucks. I actually used to like seaming, not so much anymore. I'm not sure why I just didn't knit the thing in the round. Granted, I do hate sewing set in sleeves so maybe I figured it would be easier to just do it flat.  I haven't tried it on but I think it will be a good fit!

Bags, bags, and more bags...

Let's talk about bags, fun fabric bags, but not the kind under my eyes.  The kind under my eyes are definitely not worth talking about, even though they are huge and black, and would probably put me on the cover of some gossip rag if I were famous.  The kind that no amount of cover-up would hide even if I choose to wear it.  I'm proud of my bags, they are my battle scars, proof that I'm human and a Mama.   

The other bags are a bit cuter and fortunately do not resemble gaping black holes.  The paint shop teacher at school asked if I could make some bags for her granddaughter, I agreed, once gain not realizing what I was really agreeing too. She went on holiday and came back with enough fabric to make 10 bags, I settled on three.  Luckily I was able to get these done before the disaster hit. I wasn't able to put on all the finishing touches but they look well enough for me.  She loves them and I'm sure her granddaughter will too and that is all that matters.

The first is a darling messenger bag, it's kid sized but should be ample enough to hold lots of goodies. It gave me a bit of grief, mainly because I wasn't using a pattern but now that I have it figured out - I would do the next one a bit differently - I could probably bust them out with a bit of speed. I love the bunnies, don't you!

The second is compliments of a pattern I saw on marthastewart.com.  A bit fussy, but it turned out cute.  I didn't have a model to show you how it is supposed to hang so I tried my best in the photograph. The long arm goes through the short arm and then you can just put your hand through the hoop. Once again, this one is in kid size, which is probably the reason why it was so fussy, but I will probably sew one for myself. It's technically reversible and has endless possibilities.

The last is my signature marker/crayon bag. Not much to say about this one, I used a new font for the embroidery, I was trying to go for the space age look. 

I'm happy to report that Makenna is doing much better then I expected. Her shoulder no longer looks like a cantaloupe, maybe a smallish orange and she is actually getting some color back. I managed to coerce a smile out her, bless her little heart. 

The horror....

Thanks for all your well wishes. It means so much to know that I have so many great blogging friends.  It really has been a stressful couple of days but I'm sure things will eventually start to get easier.  Many of you have inquired about the nature of the accident, I've decided to just post it here. If for no other reason then to just get it off my chest, I'm feeling very guilty over the entire thing and I probably just need to let it go. 

Maya, the 90 lb. dog was leashed to the front door with a long lead.  We had been going in and out and she has been known to run across the street to see the neighbor's dog so rather then take a chance of her getting hit, we just secured her to the house.  The dog and Makenna were both in the house, I told Makenna to open the front door to go outside. I knew the dog would probably run out but didn't think much of it since I knew she was secured to the door.  It didn't dawn on me that Makenna would get in front of the leash or be in the way.  She opened the door, the dog bolted - all 90 lbs of her - the leash came from behind Makenna and caught her in the back of the legs - she is 35 lbs - she flew into the air into a horizontal position, the dog got to the end of the lead and the door slammed shut onto Makenna's head and neck.  The door handle slammed into her shoulder and broker her collarbone clean through, in my opinion it probably saved her life.  Her neck would have snapped if it had taken the full blow.  It was the worst thing that I have ever seen in my life, I was 2 feet away and just couldn't get there in time. It happened in slow motion yet so fast all at once.

We spent a good part of yesterday with the orthopedic surgeon who specializes in children.  "Impressive break" is what he called it, he had never seen anything like that before, a break like hers, a person who does this for a living said that.  The bone is normally so pliable that it bends, he can't imagine the force that it took to make it break the way and in the location that it did.  On the plus side, no need for surgery, since they cannot cast that part of the arm, it should set fine on it's own.

I made her a sling last night to replace the ugly hospital one - I thought maybe some froggies would brighten her day.  It was the least I could do.  We had big plans in the next couple weeks that are not going to work out. I was supposed to be flying to NC tomorrow to see my girlfriend and have a couple days of much needed alone time. In 2 weeks we had made reservations to stay at a giant indoor waterpark in Washington State.  Her school recital is this coming Monday.  Plans change, I'm just thankful she will be ok. 

 

Good will...

I had a rough evening yesterday to say the least. Makenna, our 3 year old, was involved in a horrific accident with our 90 lb. dog that I would rather not go into (it wasn't the dog's "fault," it was an accident.)  Unfortunately, Makenna did not fare too well and spent the evening at the emergency room.  She managed to escape with a broken collarbone and some pretty significant bruising, it could have been worse - she could have been killed, but she is in serious pain.  I'm having a heart attack and am just plagued with guilt, I was 2 feet away and just couldn't get there in time. It was just horrible. 

I try not to ask for much but I thought I would go out on a limb and call on some of my internet friends to send her some well wishes.  I realize she is only 3 but she would love to get some cards in the mail or some small little doohickeys to show her that there are lots of people out there that care for her.   Amelia, our 5 year old, was also incredibly brave during this whole thing and I know she would love to get a card from a "friend."  So if you think you have some free time to write her a little note, e-mail me at  at olypen dot com and I'll send you our address.  Thanks so much. 

Lighten the load...

Even in the midst of the "economic stimulus" checks (does anybody else think these are a joke, a welcome joke, but a joke nonetheless,)  the news is still spewing out doom and gloom. Oil prices are at an all time high - I've noticed by my $75.00+ fuel tank fill up and airlines are continuing into crisis mode.  I had enough issues with the $25.00 second bag fee, now American Airlines plans on charging $15.00 for the first one!  For a family of four, that adds up to a pretty substantial cost in addition to the already ever increasing price of tickets.  Luckily we don't have to fly too often, but we are planning a trip back east in the fall to attend my BIL's wedding, fuel prices could make for a very expensive flight!  In the meantime, I'll just sit back and hope it doesn't affect us too much and cut little corners where we can. 

Makenna decided to play her part and lighten the load by getting her long locks cut off.  I managed to persuade her that she really did not want her hair to look like "daddy's" and instead convinced her that a "tinker belle" haircut would be the way to go.  It's not the best cut but it does look truly adorable on her and I'm happy to leave behind the combing hair power struggles that seemed to come at least once a day.

Here she is sporting a brand new sun dress hot off the sewing machine.  I found this fabric in the remnant bin and it only cost me $3.45.  All I did was sew a seam up the back, hem the bottom and attach some bias binding as halter tie and she had a brand new dress.  Less then 4 bucks and 20 minutes isn't too bad!  The best part is that she loves it, and that's enough considering she isn't always easy to please. 

 

I've been busy with other things about that house that are far less the glamorous but I did manage to finally get the front portion of my Ogee Tunic knitted up.  It came out lovely, I changed the shaping a bit, the original pattern was more of an A-Line and that really doesn't fit my body type so a little math led to 2 extra inches in length and some girly shaping.  That should do the trick.  Now I have the back and the sleeves to knit up, but those should go quick in theory since it is mindless stockinette.  I'm thinking of doing 3/4 inch sleeves for a more "casual" feeling, any thoughts on that?   

That's it for now. 

Everyday foods revamped...

I secretly curse my girlfriend's two boys who will pretty much either eat or try anything.  Her 5 year old will pick fish as his favorite food any day of the week.  Mine, a little different, they prefer their meals to be in nugget form.   So it turns into a power struggle but as you remember I've committed to end the struggle and begin anew.  Things are going surprisingly well and I feel confident that they will continue to improve.

But what do you do when your kid's still don't want to eat anything but the nuggets.  I guess let them eat nuggets.  I've taken a cue from Beth, a fellow knitter and mom who does not have a blog, and decided to let them pick out dinner for one night each week.  So o course, as I was explaining this to them, their eyes got as big as pie plates - "We can pick WHATEVER we want."  I was expecting an immediate chorus of nuggets but my youngest surprised me and immediately yelled out "COOKIES - I WANT COOKIES ."  This was followed by a "no dear, you can have cookies after dinner but for dinner."  Then followed by an "awe man..i want nuggets."  My older daughter surprised me with tacos.  If they are going to choose tacos and nuggets every week I might as well try to make them healthy and pack in some extra goodness where I can.  Viola, tacos revamped.

   

The recipe was inspired mainly from this book.  A child's exposure to veggies should by no means be limited to "hiding" them in their food, but a little sneakery here and there is just fine by me.

The taco filling itself was the big change and it was a little different but surprisingly good!  I used 1 1/2 lbs of ground turkey, 1/2 pureed sweet potatoes (lots of vitamins,), a 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes(hello lycopene) and a regular packet of taco seasoning sans the MSG.  The whole ting got wrapped in a yummy organic spinach tortilla from the market - the kids thought it was hilarious that the tortilla was green - and finally garnished with local sharp cheddar as well as organic lettuce and avocado from my CSA and it really was a truly green meal.   

The best part, both my daughters actually ate it with no complaint and Amelia glowed with pride at the fact that she picked it.  I might win this battle yet.  Next up - revamped chicken nuggets - lord help me now!   

Shaving cream fun...

I've been a bit inspired by the Crafty Crow and wanted to share with you our latest creation.   Although this was age appropriate for my young children I've seen some rather sophisticated marbling techniques done by older kids.

The supplies are basic -

• the cheapest white foam shaving cream you can find
• Paints - I used liquid watercolors but any other water based paint like Prang tempera will work well also.
• paper - I prefer a heavier card stock but everyday is fine.
• a straight edge to scrape off the shaving cream - piece of cardboard or flat plastic
• a paintbrush or toothpick for swirling
• lots of paper towels.

Spread about a once inch thick layer of shaving cream onto some sort of mat or tray.  I prefer to "level" off the top but you can leave it bumpy if you wish.   Carefully drop or paint directly onto the shaving cream.  You can use coordinating colors like we did here or just do one at a time.

   

Create your design using a paintbrush, foam brush, or a tooth pick. Make whatever sort of design or shape you wish.  Keep in mind you want the paint to stay on top of the cream so don't smash it in too much.

Place your paper onto the cream and press gently.

Remove paper and admire your work.

 

The colors may look all muddled but use your straight edge to remove the excess cream and Viola!  A work of art!

   

Repeat until your kids get tired of it and decide to paint themselves with the shaving cream.

The prints would look great on the front of home made greeting cards or you could use large rolls of craft paper and create your own wrapping paper!  Embellish with glitter or stamps or just leave plain.  The possiblities are endless.  Happy Crafting!   

I'm amazed...

at the marvels of nature everyday!  Especially those found close to home. Anyone wanna take a guess at what these are? 

I'll give you a hint. They grown on this!

 

The wonders just never cease. 

All about the mom...

I try to do some crafty thing nearly every day.  I'm always working on something, whether it's a knitted sweater or fabric place mats or my latest quilt, but I've found that very few of my creations ever reach these pages.  Did you know that I sew nearly all of my children's clothing?  Don't ask where I find the time, I'm not even sure, I think it just comes in little blurts of harried late nighters crammed between all the other projects that I work on.  But that's not the point, the point is that I share very little of what I actually do.  Many of the projects I do are with my children and most of them are not really photographic wonders.  My hesitancy might come from some sort of subconscious fear of rejection for not being an artistic marvel.  But I think  it's more then that,  I've been hesitant to turn this into a site glorifying my kids and my role as their mother but in reality, my identity has changed and I am all about the mommy moments.  Maybe that is why I have such a hard time keeping things updated, not much happens to me that doesn't involve my kids and I've not wanted to subject my readers to "all things children" or "all things mommy."    But, whatever the reason I guess it's time for me to start getting to it.  My status isn't going to change anytime soon and this site might as well evolve with me.  So be prepared for adventures with the family clan and I'm sorry in advance if I bore you.

In celebration of mothers everywhere - or at least those in Afghanistan - I've been busily working away at this monstrosity of stockinette stitch - 658 rows of 125 stitches.   Talk about knitting doldrums.  After a quick trip to the dye pot - it has been transformed into a beautiful green shawl, the symbolic color of Islam.  The dye job isn't the greatest, a little blotchy here and there but I'm sure that the recipient will just be pleased to have a hand knit offering of love and joy.  If you would like to knit a shawl - you can find the details here.

I know it's not a glamorous piece of work, but it's making a difference one stitch at a time!  Hopefully I'll be able to get one more done before July!   In the meantime - happy day to all you mothers, future mothers, and those who choose not to be a mother out there!   

Whole foods and drunken chicken...

Joining katydidknit's  fitness-a-long has forced me to take a much needed, but a not so appreciated, look at my body and my lifestyle.  Motherhood has really changed me physically and not necessarily in a good way.  Although I'm still a trans fat nazi and I loathe overly processed food, I've begun to notice that my cupboard is predominately filled with typical preschooler fare of goldfish and fruit snacks and I've stopped at McDonald's a couple more times then I would like to admit.  I've begun to cook "speedy" meals for convenience sake but really the kids don't eat them and I'm getting fat so it's not really convenient for anyone.  I'm enjoying my food less but am still packing on the pounds.   So what gives?  We really do live in a processed food environment and no matter how much I stand on my soap box and preach the evils of partially hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup I've allowed these items to creep into my diet due to pure complacency.  So I need to make some changes.   

But change is hard and it takes time.  I really would prefer to have oodles of extra hours every day to knit, sew, study, and bake whole wheat bread all the while keeping my home clean, my dog walked, my kid's butts wiped, and maintain my personal sanity.  Without some sort of compromise I see none of these things happening.  But I digress.

I'm thinking it's time to get back to whole foods.  Good food really doesn't have to be complicated and it doesn't need to come out of a box or from a can to be convenient.  I used to love to cook and I have a bookshelf full of cookbooks to prove it but lack of food gratitude from my children (seriously though, they are 3 and 5, what sane person could expect food gratitude at that age) and my perceived lack of time has really turned meals into a chore.  So I have decided to re-evaluate and cook selfishly, for me.  I'd like to enjoy my food again and since my kids will probably complain whether it's fast food or whole foods I might as well do something right for myself.  So I've been taking a little extra time, planning out meals, getting the kids involved where I can and just trying to enjoy my time.  Cooking should be therapeutic, and with husband home right now doing the dishes, who could ask for anything more.

On the plate last night - country lima beans with beer can chicken.  You basically shove a can of beer up a chickens *ss and stick it on the barbecue.  It was delicious, and none of it came out of a box!   

Phew...

That was a lot of work!  What a tremendous response, we managed to raise over $500.00 to various charities around the community.   I'm hoping this giving spirit will continue, no matter how little you may have, you always have enough to share a little. 

These will be heading to the post office today and tomorrow.   I think it's about $1000.00 worth of yarn give or take a little.  Of course, I didn't think it through on my end and forgot about postage costs!  Yikes..we might have to set up a charity to cover mailing fees, some of these packages are going all the way to the UK!   

 

I have contacted pretty much everyone to let them know they made it to the list. If you have not heard from me, drop me a line.   I have 3 folks that I'm not sure about. The rest of you should be getting your envie in the mail sometime soon!   

give a little...get a little...

Thanks so much everyone. I've run out of yarn, but feel free to donate if you want, I'll add you to a list in case I find some more!

I know times are hard for lot of folks right now.  "Economic recession" isn't just some it word from TV land, it's hitting many Americans in both big and small ways.  Being a single income military family, we have experienced parts of this recession first hand as we watch gas and grocery bills go through the roof and don't even get me started on Southern California utilities, I have a nearly small coronary each month.  Regardless, no one has felt the crunch more then non-profits, people in real need don't just go away during these hard times and many folks are out there just struggling to feed their kids. But that doesn't mean that we all can't use a couple of life's little luxuries - like hand dyed sock yarn! 

So I'm hoping to find a new home for some of my stash and make a little cash for those in need.  This will be much simpler then last years fundraising thing, I'm still pretty sure that a few of you didn't get your yarn! 

I have about 25 skeins of hand dyed sock yarn - most doubles - meaning they are double skeins, 8 oz instead of 4 oz so enough for grande socks or two pairs - that need new homes.  I'm out of room and seriously, I've knit 1 pair of socks in the last 6 months, at this rate it would take me about 25 years to knit through half my stash! 

   

So this is how it's going to work.  You will donate some cash (whatever you feel is fair - I'm talking $5.00 - $10.00  - $15.00 - $20.00 -  I'm not judging) to UNICEF - or a charity of your choice.  E-mail me - athyarns at yahoo dot com - a copy of the receipt and your mailing address and I'll send you a skein of yarn.  I'm going to just slap your name on one of the envelopes - (this is true Montessori style - you get what you get and you don't mind a bit).   

About the yarn, it is from my own personal stash and it has all been been hand dyed by me.  None is tagged but it is all superwash merino or a combo there in and all is appropriate for knitting nifty little socks,scarves, hats, or small shawls.  I realize it's a bit of inconvenience to not know the yardage but I've made sure to only pack up the skeins with ample yardage to knit a normal pair of socks.  And as I said, MANY of the skeins are double skeins so you should have more then enough to share with a friend if you would like.  The gauge, well you guys all to test swatches right?!?  As I stated earlier, you get what you get - if you don't like the color, swap with a friend, knit a hat for a shelter, or use it in a charity blanket - it's for a good cause and you never know, you could strike gold!

So I don't run out of yarn..be sure to post a quick comment that you are participating.  It will "close" at 35 commenters, if it even gets to that, until I reassess my supply. 

P.S. If you are a spinner and would like roving instead of sock yarn let me know.  I think I have a bit I could part with. 

Lose it unless you use it...

As most of you know, I'm returning to school in the fall to get my certification in Montessori.  I'm pretty excited, a little nervous about my ridiculously long summer reading list, but excited none the less.  The thing I didn't talk about was the Master's in Education that could go along with my certification if I choose to pursue it.  Well, I should clarify, if they choose to let me in.  My grades in college pretty  much sucked, I really had other priorities at the time, and now 10 years later I'm paying the price for a little too much fun time.  I e-mailed the admissions board, actually the lady who heads it, and told her very candidly that my grades sucked, is there any way in hell they would let me in especially since it is 10 years later.  I have a chance, not a great chance, but a chance if I take the GRE.  Holy crap! 

So now I'm in GRE hell. I decided to go for it, minus the fact that I would actually get my M.Ed. if I get accepted, I would also qualify for all sorts of financial aid things that I do not by merely getting my certification.  Unfortunately, getting a kick ass score on the GRE, which is highly unlikely, will not guarantee me a spot but it will  help my pathetic odds just a little bit. So I decided to just go balls out and buy all the Kaplan stuff and really study.

I'm amazed about all the stuff I really don't know. I could not answer even one of the math problems and did not even recognize half of them.  And to demonstrate even further how sorry I am at this, I don't even know enough of the basics to be able to learn the advanced stuff I need for the test - how to divide decimals, simplifying radicals, finding percentages of percentages of decimals.   I really don't think I'm a stupid person, I just don't remember any of this crap.  So, I'm feeling a little tense.  The thing that irks me the most though, is after spending literally hundreds of hours to study, they probably still won't let me in but I have to give it my best.

 

On the knitting front - I've begun a sweater if you can believe it.  The Ogee Tunic from Knitting Nature.  I'm not entirely sure why I'm knitting a definitely fall sweater right at the beginning of a sweltering SoCal summer but I've committed to it.  I have at least 10 UFO's in my "knitting trunk" and there is no room for another so this must actually come off the needles in a decent amount of time. I've made a few minor modifications to it but will discuss those as the sweater comes to a finish. In the meantime, it's slow going but I must not lose hope!  Tootles. 

Friends don't let friends drink white wine...

The fundraising auction was Saturday night and in my humble opinion it was a smashing success!  Unfortunately, I got a little smashed as well and I'm payed the price for it the next day.  I managed to suck down 5 glasses of white wine and a token kamikaze - not a pretty sight considering my alcohol tolerance is at nil. Luckily, I'm a gushingly happy drunk so if anything so I just tried to spread good cheer.  I had about 10 people come up to me and tell me how nice I looked, one person even went so far to say that she almost didn't recognize me.  I guess it should be a good thing, but it makes me wonder if I really just look like crap the rest of the time.  It was like they were all shocked I could actually clean up.  But it didn't stop my good cheer and I had a great time. 

The mirror project went for $600.00 in a silent auction.  We all agreed that if it had either gone live or had stayed open longer it would have gone for more. My mother was disappointed, she really wanted it but the price ended up being over her limit.  Instead she focused her energy on a gas grill...yeah for us..we now have a new grill for our patio and she got to win something.  Our last grill basically imploded while we were living in Charleston and we have greatly missed it. I managed to get a little overly generous and paid $200.00 for an overnight babysitter - that's what liquor will do to you!  BUT, at least I know sometime in the next year Tom and I can have a real date night, complete with hotel room and a nice sleep in sans children. 

Pre-event..you would not  BELIEVE what happened to me.  I was in desperate need of a hair cut so I just picked a random salon out of the phone book and went for it.   The auction theme was "Hollywood Glamor" so figured I should at the very least get my big hair blown straight and try to channel some inner glamor.  I get to the salon and am mid styling when a camera crew enters the salon. Get this, apparently they were filming for a new reality show on TLC.   Holy crap.  Of course I was filmed mid blow dry, no make up with a giant mushroom afro - couldn't they at least wait until I was done for a presentable filler shot.  I'm sure the whole thing will make it to the cutting room floor but it was quite an adventure.  For the Mom, who was being taped, she didn't look like she was having a good time, must be challenging to have your every move dictated and filmed.