Crunchy Peas

Plan B

Well, I certainly did not intend to abandon this space for as long as I did.  I found myself with a few computer glitches (Thank you husband for sorting things out for me:).  And the weather...the weather has been beautiful.  It is so hard to be inside.  Then, on Saturday I took a bit of a getaway with Emma Girl.

We drove over to Seattle and caught a ferry that took us to Tillicum Village on Blake Island.  Emma's first grade class has been studying Native Americans and we went with a few of her classmates to see the sights.

Personally, the boat ride was my favorite part.  The seafront was simply stunning.  Even amongst all of the other travelers, there was something quite peaceful about being out on the water.

The girls were hanging out the windows, mesmerized by the waves and other vessels passing by.

When we stepped off the boat onto the island we were greeted with an appetizer.  Clams in nectar.  They were um, well, lets just say the best thing about the clams was stomping on the shells adding to the others on the pathway (we were encouraged to do this, and the girls thought it was so fun). I think clams taste like rubber bands, but I tried to be a good sport. 

We watched a man give a demonstration on how the totem poles were carved.  Then I made the girls pose for an obligatory souvenir-ish photo.

I had hoped that Emma and I would have more time to explore the island.  The beaches looked so inviting.  Alas, the time went by so quickly. It wasn't long before the horn sounded and we were called back to the boat.

The day turned out to be a bit of an adventure, not unfolding entirely as planned.  In the end, we had to give up Plan A and move on to Plan B.  It was a bit disappointing, and we spent a few minutes sulking.  Emma and I are "planners" and letting go of what we had intend was tricky.  It is always good to be stretched in those kinds of ways. We reminded each other of the enjoyment that the day had already brought us, and  pronounced the day a success in spite of the change of plans.  We also decided that we are truly not "city people".  All the noise, all the people, all the waiting in line was overstimulating. We giggled at the way we must've stood out as obvious out-of-towners.

Home sweet home. 

Off we go full speed into another week.  Recess duty, piano lessons, childbirth classes, 5 days on call, end of school year activities...buckle up!  Good thing that we are in the home stretch. I am just counting the days until summer vacation.  Only two and a half more weeks to go. Praise God!

Thanks for checking back in on me, I hope to be here more often this week.

spool snake

I had a lovely Mother's Day that included pancakes, bacon and coffee made by the Mister.  I also stole away to the fabric store for a few hours.  Alone.  The girls gave me sweet cards that they made in school, and Carl and I went out to dinner on Friday night.

As much as I love my girls, the occasional dinner without them is a real treat.  I like eating out like adults.  Wine, appetizers, foods that you cannot pronounce.  Very tasty.  We were also celebrating Carl's birthday. 

(brownies and ice cream, when you get older cake and frosting are not a necessities)

Today he is 34!  I like older men.  Not only do they have more money, but grey hair can be very distinguished.  Besides, you have to marry someone older than you if you want to be in a relationship with someone who's maturity level is equal to that of your own.  He is four years older than me...and those four years help.  In all seriousness, I love you Carl and Happy Birthday!

I made Laurel a little toy yesterday.  My grandma gave me one of her craft books (which would make it vintage) and it had all kinds of simple ideas for homemade toys. All the necessary supplies are ordinary things that you find around your house.  I just love toys that don't have flashing lights, make beeping sounds, or have a screen.

I have been saving all my empty thread spools in a jar hoping that I could, at some point, put them to good use.  This little project was just the thing.  A spool snake.  Just tie a knot at the end of a ribbon and thread them on.  I did tie a knot in between each spool in order to make it lanky enough (is that a word?).  Also, it was a bit plain so I cut some patterned paper and taped it on each spool.  You could glue it on, but I used tape because I am lazy like that.  Then, at the other end of the ribbon I tied a little loop for pulling.  See, here it is in action.

And here the snake is slithering up the stairs.

Two warnings come along with this little snake.  First, if you are going to take your snake for a walk down the stairs, be sure that the little snake doesn't slither under your feet and get tangled up under your pink cowboy boots.  This may result in doing approximately three somersaults down the stairs and ending up with some slight resentment and disfavor to your spool snake.  Also, beware of kitties who love to chase these types of snakes. 

So, there you go.  Don't throw your spools away, make a snake.  A little person or a kitty might thank you.

Her wish for me, My wish for them

 

"My mother wanted me to be her wings, to fly as she never quite had the courage to do.  I love her for that.  I love the fact that she wanted to give birth to her own wings."  Erica Jong

::Happy Mother's Day!!::

a skirt

At 10pm last night I got this crazy idea to start a little sewing project.  Why does that zest and inspiration come to me so late at night ? (perhaps because that is when it is quiet around here)

McCall's 5430

A simple wrap skirt.  I chose to sew it without the optional ruffle, pockets or trim.  Black linen, plain and simple.  I am not used to wearing a waist that is so high...it took me a while to figure out that I would actually have to tuck my shirt in.  Does anyone ever do that anymore?  It was weird, I felt a bit frumpy at first.

I was glad to have a black slip to wear under this.  I was wishing that it wrapped a bit more (maybe if I lost a few inches of my non-existent-boyish-waist that would help :) The overlap portion of fabric was only about 8 inches, on a windy day that can be dangerous! Other than that, I really like it.  The waist band puzzled me for a while, I kept thinking I was sewing it on upside down.  And yes, I had to rip out a seam- twice.

This viewpoint makes me smile.  I am glad to have captured (by accident) the little bodies of motion that are constantly whizzing around me.  Even Sophie The Cat got in on the action.  So, if you need a quick spring/summer skirt this is a pretty easy pattern.  I am thinking of making another one, only this time I would make a contrasting waistband and matching bias trim around the edges of the skirt...no hemming that way.

Bits and Pieces

There is no way that I would ever be clever enough to find a way to tie the following things together...so I will just slap them together and you'll just have to be okay with that.  Alright?

First off, let me just say that the warmer weather is so great.  It does, however, require that I shave my legs more than once every two weeks and paint my toes so that the bruise on my big toenail doesn't show. (I dropped a 15lb hand weight on it- at home thankfully and not at the gym. I don't swear very often....but that moment definitely warranted some serious profanity!)

Laurel Baby and I were matching in our navy sandals. You can't see her toes very well, but our polish was the same color. Try and ignore the dirty floor. And how come squishy soft legs are so much cuter on her?

Yes indeed, it is so nice to be wearing lighter weighted clothes.  I have been waiting to wear this dress since I bought it at and end-of-season sale at Jcrew late last summer.  It was like torture passing by it in the closet each frosty April morning.  I must say that it is easier to dress the kids too- especially girls.  Dresses and sandals all the way. No more looking for matching shirts, pants, socks or anything else!

 

The garden is coming together.  Actually it has been nice having a few extra weeks to prepare the ground.  I wasn't as ready as I thought I was.  Obviously it needs a bit more mulch around the borders, and I still need to dig up some space for corn and squash (the squash will grow on the ground beneath the corn stalks)  Oh yeah, and just out of the frame to the left is a slope up to the back fencing.  That is where the watermelon will go.  Any gardeners out there?  Do I have things laid out right?  Do any of the neighboring plants hate each other? 

The zucchini is really ready to make it's journey outside- flowering already! I get so nervous putting my starts out.  You nurture these little plants inside for months,  watering, feeding, coaxing growth...it would be so sad if they didn't make it!  I think I'll wait one more week.

And this is new (the car, not the husband :)  Laurel is begging to be let back in her new favorite play place.  Carl has been such a long suffering man when it has come to vehicles in this marriage.  He has always taken my "automobile hand-me-downs" (meaning that when I am through trashing it- he takes the old car and I get a new one.

With temperatures over 90 degrees most of the summer and deep snow in the winter, we felt it was appropriate that he have air conditioning and all wheel drive (two things he has never had- I told you he was long suffering).  When I first met Carl he was driving a beat up old Chrysler New Yorker. For our first date I prayed that he wouldn't come pick me up in that thing.  Thankfully he borrowed his mom's.  You've come a long way baby.

The many faces of Hannah

Not much to share other than a few funny pictures of my funny girl.  Hannah is always faithful to make us laugh.  Sometimes without even knowing it or trying very hard she can absolutely crack me up.  So very entertaining she is...reminds me a bit of my brother. Her sisters are so lucky to have her- she is always up for having fun. Growing up with someone like that makes for lots of happy times.  We find that she demands the attention of a room in a "non- annoying sort of way" (which is more that I can say for her older sister at the moment) almost as if you can't help but love her.

She made this face when she saw the camera pointing her way, (not just accidental timing). We call it her "Zoolander with a sucker face" pose.

And here, she had no idea that Carl was taking her photo.  I guess the excitement of being at the park on a sunny day, moments away from feeling the wind on her face as she flew down the slide was joyously overwhelming to her.  How can you not smile with her?

The weather has been so nice, and so my sewing machine is collecting dust.  There is much work to be done both inside and out around here. I am definitely behind everywhere I turn.  Hang with me for a few days and I hope to have more to show!  Enjoy Spring...it is finally here!

lots of action

It was a big weekend around here....

 

Our town celebrated it's annual Apple Blossom Festival.  We never miss the parade.

There was lots of flag waving, and dancing in the streets.

For a few hours all the world seemed right and wholesome.

After a busy day on Saturday I was called in at 12:45am for a birth. I arrived home Sunday morning to see my family stumble out of their beds at 7am.   I managed to catch a nap that afternoon and it was a good thing too because I was called again Sunday night at 10pm.  I am definitely feeling fatigued this morning after back-to-back-all-night-long-births.

Good thing I have these two little bunnies to cozy up with all day! Happy Monday (I think that is what day it is)

Can you believe it?

Don't faint, but I have some actual finished projects to share!

First off, after 4 months of crocheting a row here and a row there....I finished Laurel's cardigan.  The pattern is here and was super easy.  I just love everything that Alicia Paulson creates.  I think that Laurel liked it too (either that, or she was just fascinated by that extra cute girl looking back at her).

Next is a shower wrap that was born out of necessity.  You see, my bathroom is not just my bathroom anymore.  It happens to be the hub of activity each morning.  There are a total of 3 bathrooms in our house, but only one gets used- mine (oh yeah, I guess it is Carl's too).  I am all about "being open" and "celebrating our God-given bodies" and all- but I just felt it was time to be a bit more discreet, if for no other reason than for my own personal esteem.

You know that feeling you get when you can feel someone is staring at you?  I think it wouldn't creep me out so much if I were more, ahem, decent. "Mommy, why is it all lumpy on your buns?"  "What are all those blue stripes on your legs?"  "Is that floppy skin on your stomach where I used to live?"  "Mom did you remember to exercise today?"  The honesty was just too much and the world is a much better place hidden under some soft white terrycloth.  The pattern is from Simple Sewing with a French Twist, and was indeed very simple.  I haven't had the opportunity to make anything else from the book, but I have several pages doggie-eared.

Also simple is this.  I am feeling too lazy to write it out again...but it is definitely worth a try!!

our TIME away

Time escapes me.  I just cannot seem to find more of it anywhere.  I am desperate for just a few extra hours each day.  Can't we all just vote to make the day 27 hours long instead of 24?  Wouldn't that be great? I know that you all feel the same way.

One place where time seems to stand still (or maybe just slow down a bit at least) is my Grandma's.  We had a lovely visit- very relaxing.  The weather was remarkably nice, meaning it didn't rain.

We lounged around in G'ma and G'pa's back yard.

There was lots of good food,

mashed potatoes with real gravy (as in the kind not from a packet or jar, and the kind that my daughter had 8 helpings of!)

Grandma made heavenly rolls and we slathered them with butter.  I'll share the recipe soon, they are so yummy.

Of course, once we arrived my Dad was never too far away from his girls.  I still include myself in that description :)  The marina was buzzing that day with the Farmer's Market open and an Art Walk downtown.  I fell in love with this little yellow boat.

I told my Dad that I would like to row out with it's owner and have him tell me tales of the sea.  Or maybe he could just share some of his crab catch of the day with me.

There was also a hike down to the beach where we lingered over every little sand creature and shell.  They are now smelling up my garage.  I always forget how much I miss the lush green foliage that I grew up with.  I think that there will always be a bit of moss growing somewhere in me.

Oh time...it was well spent while we were away.  Time?  TIME!  It is 5:20pm and I should be making dinner.  Okay, going now.

8am and its midday

So here is a sure sign that I was at a birth EARLY this morning:

Starbucks.  Blech!  I don't really like their coffee, but at 5am it was all that was available.  A soy chai did quite nicely actually.  Another sweet birth for the books.  What was particularly touching about this one was that the birthing mother had her sister there for support (her husband too).  I never had a sister (a crazy but wonderful younger brother instead)...and I am intrigued by the dynamics of female siblings.  Because I have three girls I often wonder how they will interact as adults. Will Emma be there to encourage her younger sisters during their labors?  Will they desire the comfort of each other's familiarity in a moment such as that?  I hope so.

So, already things are moving right along, in fact- I cannot believe that it is only 8am. It already feels like midday.

(aren't these great?  we found them at the thrift store yesterday!)

We are taking a long weekend and I may or may not squeak in another post before we leave.  If not, you'll know where I am.  We are off to visit my Dad and my Grandparents.  Grandma and Grandpa winter down south, and they have just arrived home after being gone for some time.  I am anxious to see them.

I am taking these with me:

With my grandma doting over the girls, I hope to have some time teach myself how to "knitting in the round."  Usually I crochet, but I really like the look of knitting better- especially these sweet little berets.  And, the way crafting has been going around here...I'd better start them now for next winter!  Any tips?  I can pretty much do the basics on regular needles.

Off to make myself a sandwich :) and dig out my umbrella- it's raining again!

ps. How's this for finished piles? Marathon folding session last night.