About a girl...

For the Love of Yarn

2012-01-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

Back in August, when my girlfriend and I attended Sock Summit, we made a pinky swear to not purchase yarn for a year. Ahem. I think I've done pretty well (Nate gave me only a month). I can proudly say, I have purchased no yarn for me (Nate did give me money though to buy some... so that's really a gift... right?). The only yarn I've picked up have been for projects for the kids.

One thing I'm particularly enjoying about this challenge, is searching through my stash for yarn for that project I can't wait to knit, rather than heading to a store. What that has meant for me, is that I end up knitting the project in a colour I know I wouldn't have otherwise. But everything I've done so far, I've absolutely loved. I double love it, because my stash is getting smaller. That's a good thing (I think I could be called a yarn hoarder).

It's nearly February 1st, but I'm still sneaking this post into January. Here's what I've cast off the needles this month!

This is Aidan's birthday hat. The boy loves his puppies. I love that when he runs in this hat, the ears flop. It's knit out of my go to yarn for kids hats - Diamond Luxury DK. Seriously this stuff holds up well to washing, it's comfortable, and it's great to knit with. The pattern is McHenry Hat :)

This is the Top Down Shoulder Warmer. I'd had it in my queue since early 2010. I'm not sure what colour I had envisioned it, perhaps red, but I had two skeins of Madelinetosh DK in my stash - settled! I LOVE how it turned out. I can layer it with cream, brown, or blue long sleeves, and tanks probably in the spring. It's fantastic with jeans. As one of my first knits using Madelinetosh, this yarn is a dream. A dream.

My Gingercowl. Pattern is the Honeycowl, adapted to knit out of Madelinetosh Pashmina (cashmere blend = yum!). I struggled with this knit. It's a combination of knit, and slipped stitches, and for me, was really monotonous. I had it as a personal goal to finish it by the end of this month, or it may have sat unfinished for months.

I also cast on, and off, two socks this month... but two different socks. Their matches will hopefully be completed in February, so I will leave their reveal until then.

This means I have 3/33 projects so far for 2012. If I can keep it up I might make my goal (of knitting as many projects as I am old). :)

Out with the Old

2012-01-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

We bought our 1988 home in 2003. We quickly made a few changes to it - new lights, paint, and door knobs. The house was typical '80's. Dusty pink walls, yellow light fixtures, and floor to ceiling wall paper - up the stairs, in the kitchen, in the bedrooms. It felt so much more new with just a few changes.

Then a couple years ago we took a bigger step, replacing the carpet with new carpet, and renovating our master bedroom and ensuite. All the windows were also replaced and we finally bought window coverings.

Our home has slowly started to feel more and more "ours".

Our home also came with all the appliances, save for the washer and dryer. Over time, we have gradually had to replace them, one by one. First the oven (after a tear filled called to Nate one day after ANOTHER recipe had burnt to a crisp. He came home with a new oven that weekend), then the fridge, another washer and dryer (supposedly we only get half the years out of ours because we use them so much - who knew!), and this past weekend, our last old appliance was ready to be replaced. Our dishwasher.

I have been washing a third of the dishes that go into it, by hand once they come out.

We went and settled on what would be our new one this weekend (my biggest wish item was buttons on the top so little fingers can't reach them and change the cycle).

Nate was a gem and picked it up last night from the warehouse AND installed it. I love my handy man.

I wasn't expecting it to arrive until today, so I had to unpack all the dirty dishes from the old one, stack them on the counter, and wait to load them into the new one. This was the state of our kitchen last night.

One of the many discoveries you find in an "older" home. Looks like our lino was a second layer to other awesome, older, other 80's lino.

TODAY:

So glad to have a new functional dishwasher. It is Aian proof. He can't reach the buttons, nor can he open it. He's tried. The result? He says "stuck". :)

Watching a little guy for a friend of mine. Aidan's napping and the little guy & Grace are watching some cartoons together.

TONIGHT:

Taking Grace to see Beauty & the Beast in the Theater. She and I are both really excited about this. It's in 3D. We'll see if she'll keep the glasses on!

Too Good Not to Share

2012-01-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

The following article popped up on Facebook. It's well worth a read. There are a number of items on the list that found me saying "ooh great idea!" or "I need to try that!". My favorite, and first to try, will either be the apple & rubber band, or the cookie dough on the muffin tin.

http://www.thedailybuzz.com.au/2011/11/25-clever-ideas_household-tips_storage-ideas/

Which is your favorite?

The Littlest Biggest Step

2012-01-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Her body used to fit in my lap. Head to toe from my waist to my knees.

She learned to walk when she was 13 months old.

She was a pudgy baby, and is now the skinniest little girl with the longest of legs.

She has made me a better person, and is growing me into a Mom.

She kisses me goodnight. Every night. And tells me she loves me everyday.

She still eats Rice Krispies for breakfast. Everyday. Unless she asks for blueberry pancakes.

Her favorite toy is a book. She will sit for hours (really) and "read".

She loves her brother. She tells him so everyday. Even when she's mad at him.

She loves to dance, twirl, and play dress up.

I suppose I could go on and on.

Nate and I have done our research. We are blessed to be in a city with alot of school options. We looked at public, French Immersion, Spanish Immersion, Private Christian, Waldorf, Montessori, and TLC. I think we've done our best as parents. We've looked at our little girl and her strengths, we've looked at our options, and this morning (with a bit of a deep breath), I dropped off the Kindergarten registration forms. Now we wait. If we don't hear from the school by Aptil 30th, Grace has been accepted.

It's hard to believe that we are already at this step. Letting those little wings of hers leave our nest... just a little bit.

Cold Days

2012-01-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

We are beyond 'Snow Days' in Southern Alberta. Snow Days make me think of warm hot chocolate after sledding down a hill. Cold days do entail snow, but mostly they are just COLD. Beyond cold really.

That's a screen shot of yesterday. The cold snap hit on Monday and is expected to last until Saturday. It's frigid, but school and work don't shut down here. Things keep on going. You just need to cover every inch of yourself with warm woolies before stepping outside.

This morning, I got Grace ready for pre-school, went and woke Aidan in his crib, got him all bundled up, and then I opened the front door. The boy who usually runs out the front door in a fit of laughter, stopped. He backed up. "Ccccooooollllllddddd" came out of his little lips.

Now I'm not really complaining. But I'm looking at cities like Victoria BC where my hubby grew up, that have been hit with the slushy white stuff. The city has literally shut down. People are out tobaganning and playing. It looks REALLY fun. After last week of being sick, and this week with being terrified to go outdoors, we are going a little batty over here.

Tomorrow, we are braving the great outdoors and headed to a friends for a playdate. It's actually not so bad if you:

- dress warm
- warm up the car
- and as I always say to my kids before we head out "think warm thoughts"

If you are in a cold snap, I hope you are thinking warm thoughts too :)

From the Couch

2012-01-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

It's relatively early in the morning, and not my usual time I find myself blogging. We are in the middle of sick days again around here, and since yesterday are spending the majority of our time on the couch.

Nate came down with a sinus thing on Monday, a minor type of flu hit Aidan on Tuesday, and Grace woke up this morning with a frog in her throat and a stye (I think) on her eyelid. Oh my poor people.

I'm the only one left standing. This could mean I could be doing alot of laundry (which I am actually) or cleaning the house (which I'm not). I'm fighting off all these bugs using a stupid amount of hand sanitizer, and knitting (I realize knitting doesn't keep bugs away, but it is keeping my spirits up).

This is the Top Down Shoulder Warmer by Laura Chau. A quick little knit that has been on my queue for well over a year. I'm knitting it with Madelinetosh DK which is a dream. These photos don't do the colour justice (again, early in the am with poor light). It's actually a deep midnight blue with hints of brown and bright blue. Perhaps I'll finish the second sleeve today.

One last thing to show you - have you seen this? I used to do alot of cross stitch when I was younger. My Mom has a really neat sampler in her kitchen of a clothes wash line. I love this one and can't wait to order it. I think it's the snail that's winning me over ;)

Two!

2012-01-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful few days of celebrating. His actual birthday on Friday, my Mom and I took he and Grace to our new Science Centre - Spark. An amazing kid zone had them playing in a indoor playcentre, splashing at water tables, playing with magnets, and checking out natural music with rain that fell on drums.

Saturday was our family party. Aidan spent the first of the two hours showing everyone his cake "See! See!". He even said NO to opening presents, rushing back in to check out Snoopy. Aidan's party was themed 'Snoopy and the Red Baron'. The boy loves puppies and planes :) Big thanks go out to my girlfriend Krista who made the Snoopy who topped my cake. He was a hit!

When Aidan finally left Snoopy to check out gifts, in his true style, he was happiest having others do the work for him. He watched the gift opening from the top of our couch :)

Finally cake time! Not wanting to get too close to the flame, blowing out the candle became a group effort :)

Look at these girls in their matching handknits! For those of you who knit, this pattern is amazing. Grace has been wearing her "party dress' since she was three. The design is meant to be worn as a dress that transitions to a top. Charlotte is sporting the smallest option. She's had hers since she was 2 months old, and she is now 8 months. I hope it will fit her til she's two!

With all this partying behind us (for a week anyways, Nate's and my Moms are on the 16th!) it's had me reflecting on how our family celebrates and how we will celebrate going forward. Birthdays are really important to me, and I like to make a big show of them. I am totally ok with birthdays spanning into a three day celebration. What has become harder though is hosting two events. One for family, and one for friends. Here is what we/I discovered with Aidan's.

It's winter. The holidays have just finished, and it's cold & flu season. Out of the four families we invited to his friends party on Thursday, only one was able to attend. Having one party would mean that no matter what, we'd have enough people show up to still make it festive. Aidan of course had no idea, but Grace was upset. We called in recruitment friends and made it a playdate with cupcakes. It all worked out in the end. Then we had the family party, which also included friends of the family. We had family come who spent the entire time on their Iphones. No really. A couple of them we are not even sure they spoke to Aidan. So we are re-thinking how birthdays will be celebrated going forward. We are open to suggestions.

How does your family celebrate?

Snapshots of Today

2012-01-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

The quietness of last week has been replaced with a steady buzz of lists this week. So far, I'm on track.

Banana Cupcakes and a project on the go. The hat was cast on last night. I was ready to accept that this year, a knitted gift would not be present for one of my kids birthdays. But a gentle push from a friend, a husband who without question stopped at a yarn store for me last night, and a project was cast on. It now travels everywhere with me. Even while I wait for cupcakes to bake. Banana, because the boy loves his 'nanas!'.

This photo makes me choke back tears. For no particular reason as it is just a photo taken a few weeks back at a friends house. But because I can't believe how quickly two years has come, and gone. This willful BOY (in every essence of that word) has filled our lives with such tremendous joy. And he keeps me on my toes. He fills my days with both laughter, with usually a small does of frustration. That's ok, he's growing, and so am I.

Wasn't this just yesterday that after such a long wait, he rushed into our lives? He caused commotion from the very beginning. This keeps my theory being true that a childs birth says alot about their personality.

Sweet boy. (Yes, it is just Wednesday. His birthday is Friday. Don't worry. Friday, we will be busy celebrating the amazing boy that he is. There won't be time for looking back. We will be looking ahead with joy & excitement!

My two New Years Resolutions. I'm not one to make resolutions. I'd rather call them goals. That way, if they don't happen, I haven't truly failed anything. Who likes failure? The first, is making my bed every morning. I love the way our bedroom looks when everything is properly in place. Not to mention it's a good habit to show my kids. This photo, was taken on a freshly made bed. Day 4 and doing good.

The second are the journals. I have kept a journal for my kids since pregnancy. I had seen an idea on Pinterest of a recipe box full of cards where you write a sentence or two on each, every day of the year. Then the following year you start again using the same card. Basically a five year journal. I loved the idea but also new a box, and recipe cards, were a recipe for disaster with littles around. So I bought myself a journal, and have written a little bit in it each night. I like that I have a journal for them, and for me. A page per day. It's not too late to jump in on this yourself. While I was at the bookstore they even sold a journal specifically geared to this idea. I wanted a journal I could decorate and create myself, but there is the option for an easy way out.

Happy New start to a New Year my friends!

The best week of the year

2011-12-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Christmas this year was good to us. The past few we/I have felt like we are trying to understand how to make Christmas work with our kids. How to not overwhelm Grace. How to go at their pace. And each year we do less, which in essence, creates more. More space to be. Together, to play, to love, to laugh, to rejoice in the people we have around us who make this life so much better.

And, despite how great this Christmas was, I still LOVE the week after Christmas. I always have. There is this quiet peace that lingers after so much festivity, and with more festivity to come. This pause between Christmas and New Years that allows people to just be. Or so it seems. I absolutely adore it.

We haven't done much this week. We've slept in, hung out in our pyjamas. My hubby and Grace have sunk their noses into their newest books. Aidan has continued being two - laughing, running, playing, learning new words seemingly daily. I've been usually found with knitting needles in my hands.

And as 2011 soon comes to a close I'm starting to reflect on all 2011 was.

- Aidan turned one. He has learned to walk, talk, jump, skip, and has turned into an amazing little boy.
- Grace turned four. Four has been a harder year for us, but despite the emotional challenges four has brought about, there is also this caring amazing girl who shines through more and more each day.
- We took trips to BC with my parents, and then Hawaii in the Fall.
- Nate and I celebrated 9 years of marriage.
- Nate finished off a long year of night shifts and our family regained some normalcy.
- I started teaching some knitting classes in the Fall at a local yarn store. This has expanded into the Spring as well. I absolutely love being able to share my love of yarn and needles :)

I'm not one to make resolutions. But, 2012 will be a big year for our family. I'm excited. There will most likely be career changes, a trip to Anaheim to celebrate a 5th birthday, a sweet boy soon turning 2, and Kindergarten in the Fall. I have a crazy personal challenge to knit as many projects as my age. That means 33 this year. I did just eek out my 32nd project this week. Good thing I knit lots of little things for little people. Somehow in there I want to knit as many socks as possible. Is it too lofty to aim for 12?

Tomorrow, after dinner with friends, I'll be ringing in the New Year at home, with a movie, and a new knitting project on the needles.

Thanks for journeying through 2011 with me. Here's to 2012!

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

2011-12-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

From our home to yours....

We wish you the very merriest Christmas :)

Week Full

2011-12-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

I didn't expect to be away from this space for so long. Starting December 16th things got busy around here. Most I can't share, but for the most part, all extremely wonderful. But between all the changes we were going through and thinking about, there were also Christmas activities. Life got busy. Busier than I usually like it at this time of year.

One thing I can share with you is we purchased a new to us car. Our little Civic had been SO good to us. It was purchased with the hope of a family, selling my most beloved VW Beetle. That Civic brought home Grace, and then Aidan from the hospital. It had numerous family outings to the mountains, kept us safe around town, and in all of its 114000K with us, never had any huge mechanical issues. Only issue was space. The trips I made to BC with the kids, it was good in a space way, that Nate wasn't with us. I had the trunk packed full, the space under the kids feet, and the front seat. Space in the Civic with two kids was a little tight.

Enter the Mazda 5.

(photo from the dealership website)

I was at a playdate last week and my friends cousin was visiting. She was driving a Mazda 5 and I noticed it had 6 car seats. It was a lightbulb. Nate and I knew we didn't need the space of a van, nor could we afford one. I came home and did some work, and found a 2012 Mazda 5 with just over 20,000K for a steal of a deal. The deal got sweeter when they appraised our Honda at the same price we would have wanted to sell it at privately. For a VERY minimal cost, two days ago, our new wagon was parked in our driveway.

I'm adjusting to the length, and to driving an automatic. But I LOVE the extra room in the back with the back row seats folded down. Grace is already practicing buckling and un-blucking herself. She's determined to sit in that back row. Funny girl. I feel very blessed that this vehicle seemed to have been waiting just for us.

This week also found me wrapping up (literally) those projects I mentioned in my last post.

Erin's tree skirt. I struggled with the free motion quilting. Hard to do on my little Singer. But I think it turned out pretty good for something that will be covered with presents :)

Aidan's elf shoes. These are seriously sweet. I felted them in my front loader which worked like a charm. They match up to his size 7 shoes. You can find the pattern here. I used Cascade 220 yarn.

This little fairy is by Susan B. Anderson and came out in the Knit Simple Holiday 2011 magazine. It's a great project for using up scrap sock yarn, but is a little tedious and requires quite a bit of seaming (just a warning). The flower pulls up into a pouch to carry the fairy in. It's incredibly sweet :)

I have decided to gift the kids their handknits tomorrow night, rather than trying to fight with Santa on Christmas morning. I hope they absolutely adore them.

I hope this past week of yours has been one of quiet preperation. With the last stitch being cast off on the fairy last night, today passed quietly. Nate finished work early, and it was such a nice surprise to come home from picking Grace up at school, to find him at home.

I'm excited for this weekend, for watching Aidan re-discover Christmas, and for Grace sharing the magic with him.

Tomorrow: Making cookies for Santa. Grace wants sugar cookies, cut out as Santa, with pink icing, and craisins on them. Sounds interesting. I hope Santa likes them ;)

Merry Christmas to you & yours!

Causing Panic

2011-12-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Grace likes to tell me whenever Aidan is getting into something he usually shouldn't "Aidan is causing panic!". It makes me chuckle everytime. It hit me on the 14th that it was 10 days until Christmas Eve. Eeep! I have caused myself some panic.

This year, I made a decision not to go crazy trying to do a whole swack of handmade gifts for people. Last year, up until the last minute, I was busy knitting away. Two scarfs, a cowl, a pair of fingerless mitts, and two animals for the kids. Phew! Scarfs seem easy. After all they are just long and skinny. Key there is LONG. And I tend to notice scarves take a long time to knit. To knit and gift someone with a scarf, shows a whole bunch of love and care for that person. (I think anyways, coming from a knitters perspective).

So this year, I did things a little different. I gifted out of the sheer joy of gifting, outside of the Christmas season. Giving a couple people a little unexpected knitterly surprise.

First, after Grace's surgery, I wanted to do something for her surgeon. And I wanted to do something to recognize his skilled hands. I went up to my stash and found the perfect skein. So perfect it was, to be honest, slightly hard to part with. I then called the two men I know who are tall (Dr. Fraulin is at least 6'7. No really, I asked the nurse). Once I had the hand measurement of the other two guys, I set to knitting Dr. Fraulin a pair of mitts. He was smitten with them. When we went back for our return visit last week, he came in the room with a smug smile on his face and asked "Did you knit me more mittens?" :)

You may also recall I made a cowl for my girlfriend to keep her toasty warm. She is Canadian (now) but her roots are in England. All this snow gets the best of her every year. Heck, it gets the better of me too, but I grew up here so I have a certain tolerance of having to just cope and get through it. She too loved it.

So all I am left with are these:

A semi-secret project. Um, it was a birthday gift... from last May. But it is destined to be under a tree, and today is Dec. 15th. Ahem.

Almost there. A pair of elf slippers for Aidan. One done, one almost there. But they still need to be felted. Since I no longer have a top load washing machine, this requires an evening trip out to my Moms.

And this? Ha! It's Grace's fairy. Yes, still to start. To be honest, this has me the most concerned. For others who I have seen knit these, it has taken them a few days. And given G is with me most of the time, it's pretty hard to find time to knit in secret. And we are running out of days.

Slight panic. (Must also say, this panic is caused by my own skill of procrastination).

Is anything out there causing you panic 10 days til Christmas?

Easy to Please

2011-12-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

I bought coffee beans when we were in Hawaii, but I didn't have a grinder in order to be able to use them. So I added one to my Christmas list. I found a great deal on one in the flyers this past weekend, and not so secretly pointed it out to Nate, who informed me he had other plans for my gifts, and I should just go get it myself. Wheee! While Grace was in school this morning, Aidan and I headed to the store to pick up this fantastic device.

This my friends, is sweetness. I don't typically drink drip coffee, but I have very fond memories of waking up in the morning when I was little, and smelling the aroma of coffee brewing for my Mom & Dad. The smell of coffee still brings a smile to my face.

Ah! A homemade Caramel Macchiato, and my Ipad turned to my blog list to do some great reading. This latte tastes so smooth it is pretty remarkable. Starbucks may not see me for a month or so while I work through these fantastic Hawaiian beans.

I hope you too are having a great Wednesday.

Now you see it...

2011-12-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Now you don't :)

Yesterday was our check-up at the Children's Hospital. Dr. Fraulin was happy with how her scar was healing, and said we could take the compression bandage off. Grace has been wearing it 24/7 so we were both pretty pleased with that news. I ran out of medical tape the night before the appointment. I took that as a good sign, and it was! Grace has also been given the clear to jump, run, and play. She can be a kid again, and I don't need to monitor her every move. Relief. There is still some remnant skin leftover from the hemangioma which is why there is purple near the centre. This will fade over time, and I told Dr. Fraulin that if it doesn't, that's ok. It's a reminder of what was. We will still continue to see the clinic, in six months for another check up of the scar, but also to monitor the hemangioma on her jaw. As we left the clinic Grace asked "Will we come back again?" I smiled and told her "Yes, otherwise Dr. Fraulin would miss us" :)

Doesn't it look beautiful?

Sick Days

2011-12-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

My two pigeons are sick (yes, I call them pigeons. I'm not sure why, given I don't think pigeons are all that endearing, but the word just comes out of my mouth).

Grace came down with "it" on Sunday afternoon. It hit rather suddenly and she just wanted to nap. We asked her if she was ok and we got the "YES, I'm just tired!". Alrighty. She spiked a small temperature, we gave her tylenol and sent her to bed. We went about our normal Monday. Then Tuesday came. I came home from teaching (another story, but a great one) and Grace was crying/moaning in her bed. She was making an awful raspy noise when breathing. A call to healthlink (a 24 hour nursing hotline) reassured me that it wasn't necessarily croup and they weren't concerned. By Wednesday morning (after a long night of waking every 20 minutes... which means I'm not necessarily sure anyone slept) she could hardly talk.

We saw a new Dr. yesterday afternoon who said her throat, ears, and breathing all seem fine. He thinks it is due to the cold weather an dthe breathing tube from her surgery (I still have a hard time believing this given her surgery was three weeks ago... but I'm no Dr. Just following that Mom intuition).

But I'm going with the Mom intuition that it is just some sort of nasy viral bug they are fighting. When we got home from the Dr. "it" hit Aidan. He fell asleep on his little couch, and spiked a minor temperature. This means if he follows the same course as G, that tomorrow night could be a long one.

Today I am thankful for tylenol, thermometers, hot air humidifiers (I had to rush out last night to buy a second one), and that we have made it almost two years before they have both been sick at the same time. And it's not Christmas yet. Thankful for that too. Sick before Christmas is much better than sick at Christmas.

Being Real About Christmas Spirit

2011-12-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend Alicia wrote this post awhile back, about the reality of her day to day life. How in the blog world, it is easy for just the good and great to be written about, not also the rawness of our days. I had a few thoughts initially about this - the first being if we all wrote about the hard stuff, who would want to read it? And second, does writing about what goes on on a day to day basis expose the "bad" side of our families. I don't think so. I think what it does show, is underneath all the crafts, the knitting, (the coffee consumption), that my family is just like any other family. So let's begin.

We found out a couple weeks ago that the kids Christmas party hosted by Nate's company was at capacity so our family couldn't attend. They usually have jugglers, face painting, balloon creations, a Santa, so I wanted to re-create this the best we could. What I found was Christmas in the Rockies. It didn't disappoint.

We headed out Saturday morning, before Aidan's nap, hoping, but knowing he wouldn't, nap in the car. We took in popcorn and hot chocolate, a puppet show about the areas of conservation in Canada (very informative), then we divded up and stood in line for the rest of the events. All in all about a 45 minute wait for each. My Dad stood in line for the face painting, Nate and I stood in line for Santa photos, and Grace and my Mom stood in the mass waiting for balloon creatures. We scored there - they had one no other child was claiming, so we took it as our own. Grace quickly got over the fact it wasn't pink.

This is the closest Grace has gotten to Santa in two years. She was holding my hand - lol.

This brought us to 4 o'clock. We hit McDonalds. (Writing that makes me cringe a little. It is not my happiest place on Earth). The Santa Claus parade was at 5:30 pm. It was 4:30, the kids were starting to crash, the only thing keeping Aidan sort of content was his soother, but we knew leaving meant more tears from Grace. So we waited it out. It was worth it. Aidan's eyes got as big as little saucers when he saw the trucks go by. All told there were two Grinches with their dogs, one Mrs. Claus, one St. Nick and a whole lot of festive.

My Mom with the kids looking at the Ice Sculptures pre-parade.

We left Banff shortly after 6 pm and a snowstorm hit the highway about 7 pm. We safely arrived home around 8 and tucked the kids into bed. It was a full full day. I don't know what I was thinking come Sunday morning.

See I love Christmas. I love decorating the house. I think it should all be this perfect family photo opportunity. What I was forgetting was that I had two tired kids, and a hubby who doesn't put as much emphasis on it as I do. And I think it would have gone swimmingly had Aidan not fallen down the stairs.

Here's what happened. Nate pulled the tree out of our undeveloped basement. This means the stairs are wood, and lead to a concrete floor. I went downstairs to find the other boxes we needed, Nate was upstairs with the tree. Aidan was still wearing his sleeper pyjamas (the ones with the feet) and one of Grace's princess dresses. This is a point of contention for Nate who thinks he shouldn't be wearing dresses. I always inform him that he didn't grow up with sisters. It's just the way it is. My poor brother wore make-up and had his hair crimped, and I played with Tonka Trucks. But, Aidan went to come downstairs, which he has always done successfully, but tripped on the dress. It sent him falling down the stairs, landing on the concrete floor. We both rushed to him. Thankfully he was ok. From this point though, we should have really just said that decorating could wait. Nate was upset and blaming it on the dress. Grace just wanted to decorate the tree and kept saying "can I help? can I help?" (all while she was helping). Aidan kept getting into the candycanes and was trying to eat them all. I just wanted the negative energy in the air to disappear.

The kids holding their "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament.

A "ready to give up" Mama.

We got the tree set up, but it involved some mild cursing from Nate, tears from both the kids, and one frustrated Mama.

This all happening two days after reading this post. And I knew/know that we are not the only family that this happens to. My girlfriend just told me she decorated the tree by herself while her husband and daughter watched Myth Busters.

Coming into our home today, what you would see, and all you would know, is that stockings are hung, the tree is up, and gingerbread cookies have been baked.

As we put them in the oven, Grace said to each one "Don't run, don't run, don't run" :)

We got through it, and I think I should write myself a sticky note for next year "Don't be in a hurry. Decorating can wait. No need to rush. Remember they are little. Nothing is perfect".

Nothing better than being done

2011-12-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today Colleen came and picked up Aidan's quilt to be longarmed. (Not sure if that is the technical term... it comes off more like it's going to a shooting range or something!). I was concerned about the quilt top, given it took me so long to 'almost' square. In the end there is still about a 0.5" of difference from one side to the other. Sigh. But Colleen deemed it ok. Then I showed her the back. Oh I seriously LOVE the back of Aidan's quilt. So much that it might become the front - lol.

I ordered the orange argyle from Fancy Pants Fabric. Having cut it a bit too short (my error, I didn't order enough) it gave me the fantastic opportunity to jazz it up with some coordinating blocks to the front. Have I mentioned that I love it?

I ended up picking a blue and brown thread for the front of the quilt, and an orange for the back. Colleen is going to send me some photos via e-mail for quilting patterns, and it should be done in about two weeks time. Which means if I get my act in gear, I should be able to have it binded and wrapped up in time for his birthday in January. (I'm still wondering how my boy became two so quickly. It seems to have happened much faster than it did for Grace).

Having the quilt gone, I set to work finishing up a hat for Nate this afternoon. I managed to cast it off the needles shortly before 4 pm and it is now secretly blocking underneath our bed upstairs (blocking - fancy word for it is wet and is drying). I am hoping it will be dry by Monday - one so I can show you a picture, and two so I can leave it in his truck for him to find in the morning as a surprise.

Now with two projects off my plate, I sit here pondering what to do next. I love (especially after something large like the quilt has been done) the feeling like there are so many fresh creative ideas that are suddenly possible. Of course, there are a few Christmas knits that need to be done for the kids.... but there are also socks, shawls, cowls... for me - lol

Today

2011-11-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

There was a snowstorm this morning. It was a little sketchy getting Grace to pre-school.

I joined Pinterest. Dangerous pastime.
I learned that Pyjama is spelt like pajama in the US. Perhaps I've just always spelt it wrong?
I made caramel corn from scratch. At the rate it is being consumed, we might be making another batch in a few days. Something about caramel corn says Christmas to me.

Aidan wore snowpants for the first time. He took the typical "I'm not sure of this white stuff, and if I stand really still in one spot, nothing bad will happen approach".

He did better than Grace. Grace's first true snow experience, she cried. Aidan laughed.
I bought a Latte this morning and am still drinking it this afternoon. I assume I'm not the only person this happens to.

I worked some more on Aidan's quilt. Our banister is becoming more like a works in progress display.

Tonight:

At home date with Nate. Or rather Nate has a date with his two girls. He's teaching us to make paper airplanes (for Aidan's birthday invites). I have bought some soda in bottles, and three types of candy. Should be a fun festive time :) I've been looking forward to it all day!

Quilt Musings

2011-11-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

The kids and I stayed in our pyjamas today until 1 pm. When my Mom called to drop something by at 11, I had to warn her of our state. She sounded a little shocked, given I have been pretty on top of my goal of always getting ready before the kids get up. When I opened the door for her, Grace was dressed up in a princess gown, wearing a collapsible toy bucket on her head. Mom laughed and then she saw Aidan dressed up as Tinkerbell. Where was my strange get up she asked? Aren't my pyjamas at noon enough I laughed back?

See last night, I was up until midnight working on Aidan's quilt. I was thankful the kids slept this morning til 8 am. Colleen (the longarm quilter) is scheduled to come pick it up on Friday. And I've been quilting like a mad woman trying to get it ready. And I've realized, that sometimes the simplest things are perhaps the hardest. I knew I wanted some specific fabric for his quilt, but it was quite busy. Not wanting to mix busy fabric with a busy pattern, I landed on making him an improvised coin quilt. Oh but for the life of me I couldn't get it to square up last night. The sashing (neutral strips that join the coin stacks) were twisting the entire quilt top to the right. Absolutely no idea why. So I cut and sliced and almost cried. Then I laid it out in our front room so I could see it fresh in the morning and went to bed.

Most of the fabric is Robert Kauffman, the Remix series.

Taken yesterday mid morning when I was still piecing it together.

This morning, it did look better. And I cut myself a break. It's truly my second large(r) quilt. I'm no expert. I'm learning. My kids are wee. When I look back at this quilt, if I make more, in years to come I will see where I started from. And I know that that will make me smile. When Grace was still under one, I took a course at a local yarn studio on how to knit a baby blanket, multiple colours, from the centre out. When I went to wash it, I didn't realize that a stitch (ok a few stitches) had dropped, and the blanket unravelled. Still not experienced enough to know how to handle it, I did a botch job of trying to sew it back together with weaving the yarn in. It's not pretty. I could unravel it (just as I could undo the quilt top), but I kept the blanket and put it in Grace's closet. When I come across it, I smile and look at my beginning, and it makes me see how far I've come. There is something great about that. I just have the back of the quilt to piece together and it will be on it's way. Hopefully back home to me around the holidays, and ready for Aidan's birthday in January.

Three Good Things

2011-11-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Canada is starting to jump on the Black Friday bandwagon (sometimes calling it Blue Friday) and this past Friday saw my Mom at a store for me by 8 am to pick up a gift I had wanted for Aidan's birthday. When she approached the till, the woman asked her if she would like to donate $2 to pediatric cancer. When my Mom agreed, the woman said, "there, you've done one out of your three kind things today". She explained to my Mom, that since her kids were little, she taught them to do three kind things every day. Holding a door open for someone, going to see someone who really needs you, picking up something someone else dropped - what have you. At the end of the day while they are at the dinner table, she asks them what their three things were. My Mom really liked this idea and so do I.

I try to do little things for people when I see them or think of them, but I've never put a conscience thought to it.

As the holiday season fast approaches, and with it also a season for some that is especially hard, I want to try and find ways to give a bit of a hug.

Here are some of my bigger ideas:

Adopt a Family. We have done this in years prior and really enjoyed it.
Toy Mountain - giving new toys to kids that would really love them.
Good Will - I go through our clothes and toys before the holidays hit and donate what is still in good condition.
Food Bank - I want to make a conscious effort to pick up food primarily for the food bank when I'm shopping.
Visit a Seniors Home. I know there are lots of volunteer options over the holidays. I'm going to see what they are.

And I have lots of smaller ideas to:

Surprise treats in the mail to friends
Visiting friends we haven't seen in far too long (young and old)
Actually sending out Christmas cards (I've neglected this for two years... I think it's time).

And something I've always wanted to do, but never have - buy a coffee for the person behind me in the drive thru.

Do you have any ideas to add to the list?

Secret Crafting

2011-11-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year where I have to start doing all my craftiness in secret.

I'm knitting a hat for Nate while he's at work.

Knitting a fairy for Grace.... Most likely on Monday knit nights (the girl is up til at least 9:30 lately and doesn't nap. Doesn't leave much secret time!)

Knitting elf slippers for the wee man when he naps.

And finishing his quilt within the nxt two weeks every other moment I have. (this may require by next week some serious neglect of the house).

How do you find that fine balance of getting everything ready for Christmas without all those eyes seeing you do it?

Beginning to Feel Alot Like Christmas

2011-11-18T16:27:00.001-07:00

This morning we woke up to more than a skiff of snow, and temperatures of -14C. As I bundled the kids up to take Grace to school (her first day back!), that wonderful sense of Christmas began to overtake me.

I've been drinking the amazing Gingerbread Lattes for awhile, and have been slowly picking up Christmas gifts. But, the season is truly almost upon us.

Aidan and I went to the mall while G was at school. Christmas music was playing, seniors were walking arm in arm (I love that), and signs for Santa's upcoming mall arrival were on display.

E-mails are arriving into my inbox for friends getting together, cookie exchanges, parties and the like.

Last night Nate and I sat down to figure out our gift list (ok, in truth I figure out the list and purchase the gifts, but I like to at least read it to Nate and get the head nod) :)

All of this has me reflecting on our ideas around Christmas. With Grace being four, we are really starting to establish our own family rhythym, and traditions.

We like to:

Host Christmas Eve at our home. I love having family over to our house. Eggnog, cider, cinnamon buns, board games around the table. It allows the kids to still head to bed, and we still get to visit into the evening.
Have Christmas morning just the four of us. We no longer rush out to see other family members on Christmas morning. It's a chance for us to slow down and just enjoy the kids being kids (and lounge around in our PJ's).
Talking about PJ's, the kids each get one gift on Christmas Eve. A new set of PJ's. This year Nate and I are joining this tradition and are getting eachother a new set as well.
We gift the kids each four gifts. Something to read, something to wear (this year dress up play clothes!), something to play with, and something handmade (I'm excited about what I've found to make the this year!).

What about you? Any special traditions you've started or have been doing for years? Is it starting to feel like Christmas around your neck of the woods as well?

A special note of thanks for all the prayers, and heartfelt comments for Grace. I'm typically not very outspoken about my Faith, but it is very very clear to me that God was with her in the hospital room. I know she was being uplifted in prayer, and I am certain it is why her healing is going so remarkably well. I am so so grateful, for a community of friends, many whom I have never met, who came together to lift up my sweet Grace in prayer and in thought.

Our Story/Her Story

2011-11-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

When Grace was born, the midwive who did her first exam remarked that Grace had a strawberry mark on her right shoulder blade.

When she was 8 weeks old, I was changing her and was shocked to see that the strawberry had turned into a deep purple bruise. I called the midwives in a panic. They informed me it was a vascular birthmark. Some great information on the various types of birthmarks, can be found here. A friend of mine from our pre-natal class had been referred with her daughter to the birthmark clinic at our Children's Hospital. When I took Grace in to our family Dr. I made mention of the clinic. Our Dr. referred us and we became patients of Dr. Fraulin. A Pediactric Plastic Surgeon. This was blessing #1.

Hemangiomas go through a period of growth (a quick, rapid phase) then a period of involution (a slow prolonged phase). Grace's hemangioma burst at 3 months old, only weeks before our first clinic appointment. We took her to emergency, but they weren't able to do anything for her, and she wasn't in pain (G's hemangioma had never caused her pain. She hardly knew it was there).

When our clinic date came up I came with a folder of photos for them, of how her birthmark had appeared at birth, and as she grew those first months. For the first year at the clinic we also saw a pediatrician. Part of the clinics purpose is research. It is still unknown why some children are born with hemangiomas, and others aren't. What is known is they are more common in girls, than in boys.

Those that follow this blog will know that this past June we elected to have Grace's hemangioma removed, as suggested by Dr. Fraulin. Her hemangioma wasn't involuting as quickly as they would have liked.

You may find the third photo below graphic. This is your warning. But, my first reaction yesterday when all her bandages were removed, when I first saw her scar was "it's beautiful". I teared up seeing her flat back for the first time. And without showing her scar, it is hard for others to understand how dramatic the change is.

This was Grace's back taken just before her surgery.

This was taken yesterday before we headed to the hospital to have her bandages removed.

And this is my Grace taken last night. We still have a journey in front of us. She is wearing the compression bandage for the next three weeks, and we have to avoid places with lots of kids. But, we are on the healing journey.

Tonight, we are having a birthmark party. To celebrate the amazing change this sweet girl of ours is going through. I've made these (but with pink icing). There will also be pink balloons, and sparkling juice.

She's a brave brave girl. And I love her to bits.

Childhood in a Box

2011-11-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever watched the show Consumed? I quite enjoy it. For the sole reason, they take people who have too much stuff, take ALL their stuff away for 30 days, making them live with next to nothing. Then they get all of their stuff back, and have to purge at least half of it. The seperation from it, most of the time, makes the sentimentality behind the objects less, and they are able to part with it.

I'm a bit of a pack rat myself, but have been slowly getting better. Kijiji is my friend.

(I realize this post is a bit scattered... we will get somewhere, I promise). As a child, I found a box in our downstairs closet. Looking through it I found the memorabilia from my Dad's childhood. This box obviouly resonated with me.

When I moved back to Calgary after getting married, my parents dropped off boxes of my stuff. (I don't recall how many, but there were alot). About six months ago, I took my first stab at sorting through it all. I had two goals.

The first : Everything I keep has to fit within one box.
The Second: It has to be important to me, but also items that when my kids look at them, will give them a glimpse of my childhood.

After the first pass I ended up with two boxes. One, almost full of stuff that I knew I needed to keep, without question. The second box has sat in our bedroom for months. I finally (after watching an episode of Consumed), brought it downstairs and set to work on it yesterday.

I ended up parting with more than half of it. Some to Good Will (the picture frames that held my piano certificates, some clothes I wore when I lived in Africa, and a couple of books). There was also a pile I was happy to throw away.

There was one pile of 'unknowns', that after talking with my Mom, I parted with. A book about MC Escher sold through Kijiji in one day.

I now have all of my childhood memorabilia in one box. A box of things that I love, all are important to me, and will be a neat box for my kids to look through one day.

It makes me wonder as I look around our home, what items my kids may keep as treasures of their childhood.

Lucky

2011-11-12T14:31:00.001-07:00

Grace was admitted at 8:30 on Thursday morning. By 10:30 they were wheeling her back into the holding area. Up until this point she had done really well. As soon as Dr. Fraulin appeared she panicked. I held her against me as he drew on her back. Unable to relax, the staff said I could "suit up" and carry her back into the OR. She was struggling to not let go of me, and I did my best to place her on the bed. The anaesthesiologist held her face to put on the mask for the sleep medicine. I held her hands, stayed as close as I could to her face, and sang her our song. Tears slipped from her eyes, and soon started slipping from mine. The surgeon reminded me I couldn't cry. I kept it together until they told me she was asleep. A nurse escorted me out, telling me I had done really well. As soon as I saw my Dad outside the waiting area I broke down and let all the emotion out. Then again when I saw my girlfriend Erin.

Grace's surgery was 75 minutes, and she was in recovery for just over half an hour. When they paged us, we went back to her room. The best sight to see was seeing her again. Awake, and almost finished a blue pedialyte popsicle.

We were discharged by 2 pm. Grace was an amazing trooper. She never once complained before the surgery that she was hungry or thirsty. She only moaned a little afterwards, disgruntled with the IV in her arm. She only cried softly when she said her compression bandage wrapped around her chest was tight. As I type this she is sitting in the kitchen, playing quietly on the Ipad. They say kids are resillient, and it's true. It's amazing how quickly she has bounced back.

I'm feeling really lucky. Lucky that:

The hemangioma was just under her skin, not in her muscle.
That we have such amazing health care in this country.
For the skilled hands of her surgeon and the caring staff at the hospital.
For the friends and family that have gathered around us.
And for you all out there in the blogosphere who have never met our sweet Grace, but still upheld her in your thoughts and prayers. We live in a pretty awesome connected world.

She is still on Tylenol every 6 hours, and will wear the compression bandage until we see Dr. Fraulin again next week. Today I am feeling like we are all more settled. Less emotion in our home, and less stress.

We are getting back to normal, and normal is good :)

Emotionally Charged

2011-11-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

I'm typing on my IPad, upstairs in our ensuite bathroom, while the two littles have a shower together. G's surgery is tomorrow mid morning. I'm guessing anyways, as her admission time is at 8:30.

I think I was fairing pretty well until last night, where it took me two hours to fall asleep. Then fairly well again until I called and received her admission time this afternoon. Ever since my entire being feels tense. And I know I need to keep it in check because the kids emotions are feeding off of mine.

Tomorrow I will have one of my closest friends, more like a sister than a friend, with me, as well as my Dad.

I would also love your prayers and positive/healing thoughts.

Will post back when I can.

Preparing

2011-11-03T22:10:00.000-06:00

In a weeks time, Grace will be having surgery to remove her hemangioma. The one on her back, not the one on her jaw. I knew going into the hospital this past June, that surgery would be discussed. A hemangioma typically grows, then starts to involute (shrink). Grace's hasn't been shrinking as fast as the clinic would have expected, and they/we decided that having it surgically removed before she enters kindergarten would be best. The best, but also the hardest. I wasn't able to sign the surgical release forms. I had to pass them to Nate as tears streamed down my face. Now, a week away from surgery, I'm feeling stronger, but still get pretty teary when the surgery is discussed.

Grace in 2008. You can see the hemangioma underneath her shirt.

Grace's hemangioma this past summer after a couple of mosquito bites.

The hospital called a couple of days ago with the one week prior instructions. I expected that Grace wouldn't be able to have the surgery if she had the flu, or diarrhea, but she also cannot be congested or have a persistent cough. Wednesday was her last day at pre-school and we are now keeping her at home, trying our best to stay germ free.

We have been preparing for her surgery since the summer, reading recommend books such as Franklin Goes to the Hospital, and answering Grace's questions as best we can. Most times, the questions come out of the blue. We were in Hawaii and Grace was brushing her teeth before going to bed. She stopped, and asked "is it going to hurt?". Questions like those are the hardest, and others are easier "can I bring my bunny with me?".

I'm thankful that I have an amazing support group of friends who are helping me stay grounded, and am in awe of the love that surrounds my little girl.

Defining Me

2011-10-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

If I was asked to describe who I am, I could easily list off a few things.

I'm a Knitter (with a capital K).
I'm a Mom
A friend
A wife
An artist
An occasional runner (shhh. I will be again one day).

To be honest, since becoming a full time stay at home Mom, I haven't put much thought into how others see me. I get through the day to day. Breakfast, getting dressed, driving to pre-school, picking up, playing, laughing, making more food, cleaning more things up, doing laundry etc. etc. It's just my life. (And one I love).

I was tucking Grace into bed a few nights ago, and she had on her lap her favorite Richard Scarry book. It was opened to the page about 'Workers' and I sat down next to her to read it before she fell asleep.

It was about a goat of some sort, that was a farmer, who bought a tractor from someone else, who bought some eggs, bought his wife a gift (it's true!), and his son and then put the rest of his money in the bank. I think it was trying to show how the world economically goes around and around. However, there were then three questions on the page.

The first: What does your Dad do for work? Grace quickly replied "He builds tall towers".

Second : What does your Mom do for work? She paused, she lowered her head. I asked her again. She shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of "I don't know".

Then I paused. And I said "I take care of you".

The third was "what do you do". She also couldn't answer that.

But I have been thinking on this off and on, ever since. And what gets me, is that my Mom was a stay at home Mom. And I don't have any particular strong memories of her being there. I think it's because she always just was. I never knew any different. Nor does Grace.

And for that I'm kind of thankful. That she doesn't remember those two years of being in a dayhome. That she only knows this, now.

But the other side of me wishes there was a definition for who I am, what I do. To tell another adult I'm a SAHM, denotes a certain image of what I do (obviously depending on their own personal experience of to them what a Mom does). But to a child? To my kids?

When people asked me what my Mom did, I told them she was a Microbiologist. For she was, at night and on holidays. But me? I'm this. A Mom. That is me. It is what I do. It's almost as if socially, a Mom doesn't exist in the repertoire of "workers". My Mom pointed out perhaps it would help if books like Richard Scarry incorporated the various roles of women who work, including those who work at home raising their children.

I do know I want to be more than shoulder shrug. That I want to have my kids be able to answer when asked, what I do, and be strong, proud, and sure of the answer.

Now I just need to work with my family, and my kids, as to what that answer will be.

What are your thoughts?

The Kitchen is for the Bats

2011-10-18T14:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday when Grace got out of pre-school, she wanted to go across the hall and say hello to her previous 3 year teachers assisstant, Mrs. K. On the way out the door, I noticed a bunch of bats hanging on the ceiling that the kids had decorated. I got that excited feeling that we too, needed bats.

During naptime today, Grace and I got down to our batty business.

I cut them out (for the sole reason we couldn't find her scissors at the time). Then she glued on some googly eyes, and painted them with glitter glue.

There are a total of six bats now hanging out over our kitchen table.

If you are looking for a quick easy craft for your toddler or pre-schooler, these were alot of fun :)

Home Again Home Again!

2011-10-17T12:59:00.000-06:00

We're home!

After a flight from Lihue Kauai, to Seattle on Saturday, a stay in a somewhat sketchy hotel, then a flight from Seattle to Calgary, we arrived home last night at 5 pm.

It was so good to be away, but so good to be back home. Into our own beds last night. Grace was determined to go to pre-school this morning, so we are already back in routine.

We have some serious Fall catch up to do, and I see alot of crafts in our near future.

Aidan's first time at the beach

So many days spent at the pool

Turtles!

Geckos loving Aidan's chair

A photo from our daily walk into town while on the Big Island

Tears over Icecream melting too fast

Goodbye Big Island, Hello Kauai!

Nate arrives and catching lizards begins!

The Tunnel of Trees

Aaaah home!

Turning toward home

2011-10-10T18:01:00.001-06:00

Today is Monday, and my thoughts are starting to turn towards our journey home. We fly to Honolulu, then Seattle on Saturday. Sunday will bring us home. We arrive in Calgary in the early evening, but will be facing a 4 hr time adjustment with the kids. It would be easy to try and jump right back into the busyness of our day to day routine at home, but this post ( http://simplemom.net/post-vacation-peace-for-kids/) on simple mom caught my attention yesterday. I'm starting to think about what is ahead the week we come home, what is important, what isn't, and how we can let these laid back days of ours linger for a little while longer.

Here's what I've learned on this trip:

You can get by with a lot less. Less clothes, shoes, toys, STUFF. I'm thinking of how to clean out a bit when we get home. Make everything a bit simpler. I've found simpler to be less stress, and much easier to maintain.

Coming down the pipe:

Three days a week of preschool, the start of me teaching some knitting classes (yes!), Halloween, pumpkin parties, inlaws visiting, and graces surgery. Phew! Even typing that out makes me spin a bit.

Going to take some tips from the article and figure out on a day to day basis what will keep me calm, so I can ease the transition back for the kids too.

Today:

Thinking of all those celebrating thanksgiving today. Knitting on graces blanket. Possibly headed to the beach. Life is good.

Update

2011-10-09T00:51:00.001-06:00

Nate has been with us now for a week. It's bliss. Gone are the stresses of daily life, and all I see is the friend I married. The one who makes me laugh, who holds my hand, who plays with the kids in the ocean and pool for hours. A week away with the one you love is enough to make you fall in love all over again.

The kids are good. Aidan has cut all four eye teeth, and is a new boy. He too is easy to fall in love with all over again when his boy behavior doesn't seem so foreign to me. It probably helps his dad is with us 24/7 and understands boys far more than me!

With Nate here, lizards are caught, four year old girls are taught how to hold them, and proudly parade around with them no different than being at home playing with our dog. It's enough for her to think her mother should hold a lizard too. So I did. Just once. Nate laughed til he almost cried.

We had a date day on Friday without the kids and went on a kayaking trip down a river, then on a hike to some hidden waterfalls. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

One more week before we head home. I'm soaking all of this in. The sun, the sand, the laughter, the warmth of family.

Not your typical vacation

2011-09-30T16:46:00.000-06:00

There is something huge about to happen here on the Big Island, and how I wish we were here to see it. I count myself fortunate I'm even here to see all the athletes tapering (slowing down/preparing for race day).

The Hawaiian ironman starts on Oct 8th. All athletes need to be here by the 6th. The resort we are staying at is along the marathon route, and let me tell you, there are buff, muscular people EVERYWHERE. One of the most cool things is to go down to the oceanfront and watch them do their ocean swim.

I was in a running shop this morning (all these active people are giving me a marathon itch), and one of the athletes said "anyone can do it". I think he might be crazy. First I pointed out that you would need to enjoy both biking and swimming. My mom pointed out, you'd have to know how to swim. These people to me are frankly remarkable.

Sitting here typing this, I remember telling people that anyone could run a marathon. And sitting here probably only able to push out a 5k by a miracle, it's hard to believe those words ever came out of my mouth.

Today I'm thinking about:

That my dad said I have done some pretty remarkable things. Past tense.
When Grace wasn't even on the radar yet I started buying baby items and stowing them away. I am tempted to buy a new running shirt here and stow it away. Better yet I should use it.
These athletes are making me dream big. I'm thinking of future marathons I've always wanted to run.

Maybe two kids later, I still have it in me.

On my mind

2011-09-28T15:58:00.000-06:00

* I'm pretty lucky to be sitting right where I'm at.
* the kids are adjusting to sleeping in the same room, and with me. Our clocks have shifted and it seems we start our day here at 6 am, which also means bedtime comes early. But the sun sets early and it all works.
* Nate arrives on Saturday. I can't wait to see him. He hasn't had a vacation of more than three days in a year and a half. He so deserves this break.
* before I left I found the fabric for aidans quilt. Was missing one fabric I particularly liked. Just found it on etsy from a woman in Illinois. I love that site.
* despite how beautiful it is here, I do miss the fall leaves. You can't beat those amazing oranges and yellows at this time of year. (don't worry, that is not a complaint!).
* I'm on the 11th colour of Graces hospital blanket. Surgery date is booked for Nov. 10th.
* I have always kept her birthmark covered and out of the sun, and away from prying eyes. I bought her a new swimsuit that lets her hemangioma "hang out". I keep looking at her when she wears it wondering how she will look without it, how big will the scar be, and how hard it will be to mot ease her pain after surgery. Big changes up ahead.
* my poor dad gets a recurring bug, that lasts 24 hrs and is similar to the flu but not contagious. It hit him yesterday so everything is moving slower around here to allow him to recover.
* we eat out on the deck. The geckos and birds are particularly fond of aidans highchair ;)

Where we are at

2011-09-25T14:25:00.000-06:00

Thank you for the comments and encouragement on my last post. The day after I wrote it, after a morning of hitting and pushing, I took the kids to walmart for milk. We had lunch, did a bit of shopping, and I was grabbing a coffee on my way out. Aidan signed he was thirsty so I gave him his milk. He took one sip and launched it across the floor. Milk spilling everywhere. After retrieving som napkins, I was bent down wiping it up, got up to throw them in the garbage and just couldn't hold it back anymore. I cried in walmart and sobbed in the car. I called my mom in the parking lot and told her I felt out of control. That I had no idea what to do. I came home to the replies from Meg and Elizabeth. Thank you for meeting me where I am at and letting me know it will be ok. I love this strong armed child with his fiery disposition. But he challenges me in a very humbling way.

Friday morning the kids and I loaded the plane with my parents to Seattle. Aidan missed his nap, and we all found ourselves in bed at the hotel at 6 pm. Saturday one more plane trip and we've arrived in Kona Hawaii. What my disolussioned mom and I thought was a 4 hr plane trip was actually 6. And our stewardess quite openly did not like children. Aidan slept for an hour so that helped, but with three hours left we had run out of tricks to keep the kidlets happy.

We are adjusting to the 4 hr time change, and were all up at 4 am today. Aidan is currently taking his noon nap at 10 am. This will take a few days. But, it's gorgeous here, and I have two extra sets of hands (my mom and dad) to help me with the kids.

One day at a time. Thank you again for your love and encouragement. Sending you some Hawaiian sunshine :)

About a Boy

2011-09-21T19:29:00.000-06:00

Admittedly, when we found out we were having a boy, I was scared. I knew/know nothing/little about little boys.

The second day we were in the hospital, was the first time I changed Aidan. Suffice it to say, the cute little gown they had put him in, soon had to be laundered. Boys should be easier to clean, or so I thought. There have proven to be alot of things I never knew about boys.

Today, after doing an hour or so of errands, I thought I'd take Aidan to a playground while we waited to get Grace from pre-school. I remembered there being a playground not too far from the church where she goes, and was excited that I thought Aidan would be excited at a new place to play.

But he didn't choose to play in the playground. Despite that I tried coaxing him by swinging in a swing. No, he wanted to play underneath the baseball bleachers. Following his lead, I sat under the bleachers with him and drank my latte. This play was for him afterall, and he made it fairly clear he did NOT want to go to the playground.

Me: Aidan, do you want to go to the park and slide down slides?

Aidan: NO.

Alrighty then. After checking out all the weeds under the bleachers, he then climbed the bleachers to the very top and back down. That job accomplished he went over to the bench at the ball diamond and threw around some red rocks.

My boy is a BOY. And I love him for it, but some days, I feel a little lost.

After a wild afternoon involving alot of pushing, hitting & kicking (Aidan, not me) I'm putting thought again towards finding a book that can help me out on how best to raise him. To respect his innate nature, but to also raise a responsible, caring, man. (Yes, I am looking for an instructional manual of sorts).

Can anyone help?

Creative Zone

2011-09-15T22:14:00.000-06:00

I've been in a creative funk for about a week. Fall is clearly here and the kids need mittens, and yet I can't find the oomph to pick up the needles and cast them on. I have a gazillion other knitting projects that could be finished, and I haven't touched those either. I am on colour ten of Grace's blanket, and haven't knit on it since Monday. I fear that blanket has burnt me out.

This afternoon my Mom came to watch the kids so I could go to a fabric store to find fabric for Aidan's quilt. I wandered the store not able to find one fabric that jumped out at me for him, and called my Mom. She wisely told me to come home. I showed her the fabrics I had liked on etsy, and she e-mailed her friend in Ontario, who e-mailed me back tonight and amazingly has them in her store. But I'm looking at the pattern online, and for the life of me can't figure out how I'd want to configure the fabrics.

I wonder, how long does a creative funk last?

However, despite this personal funk, it has made room for alot of creativity with the kids this week.

We tried making a volcano in a pop bottle. I did get the baking soda and vinegar to bubble, but not to spout out the top. Obviously not enough pressure? Any science types know how to make this work?

Then we set about painting a large rock. Grace's pre-school has rocks painted in the garden (small palm size rocks) and she wanted one at home. Nate and I upscaled the project. This is a work in progress and needs another session, but I look forward to having it sit in our front garden.

Any tips on getting myself out of this rut? Or will it just take time?

Three Amazing Friends

2011-09-13T12:56:00.000-06:00

It was 2002, I was newly married, and my Dad found a job for me at his company in downtown Calgary for the Summer. By the Fall, I accepted a full time position deciding not to go back to school. This September marks two years that I have now been a stay at home Mom. I can say without any doubt, that one of the singular most amazing things that job gave me, was one of my dearest life long friends. Our friendship formed and solidified in 2003, and I am blessed to have her in my life. She indulges and joins me in all of my crazy passions (running and flying to Florida with me for a marathon, and knitting and flying to Oregon with me). She also loves my kids as if they were her own. She doesn't wish to have kids, but if she did, she'd make one amazing Mama.

In 2007 I joined an online community of Moms during my late pregnancy with Grace. It was April and I hosted the first meeting of a Clothing Club. I remember her sitting on my carpet, with her then 6 month old son nearby. I had no idea at that time that this woman and her kids would become such an important part of my life. Now three kids later for her, and two for me, we talk on the phone every day - sometimes multiple times. She can make me laugh when I really need it, she can be a sound of reason, and a great Mama to talk to when you really need another Mom to meet you where you are at. This sweet friend hangs out in the same creative zone of mine, and I love how she inspires me.

This next friend rounds out the circle, and came into my life through the first friend. She has a quiet spirit and such a loving soul. She gives of herself asking nothing in return. She is smart, crafty, and beautiful. Even the first time Grace met her she just loved her.

These three amazing friends and I have been meeting weekly for a year now, at a local coffee shop to knit. We spend two hours together laughing, sometimes crying, and living our lives together.

Last night, on our regular knit night, we met for my birthday dinner. When I was asked what I wanted to eat, I responded chocolate. It did not disappoint. We met at The Living Room and had cheese and chocolate fondue.

I've been in a space in my life lately where things are becoming quieter. The extravert in me is turning inward. I fought it for awhile and now I'm just letting it happen. And as I become aware of my tendency to want to stay home and be a homebody, I'm grateful for these three friends who meet me where I'm at and love me unconditionally, and help me to not cocoon myself too much.

My Mom once told me that in your life, some friends will come and go, and others, a handful, will journey with you through all seasons in your life. I am blessed at the age of 32 to know that I already have some of those lifelong friends journeying with me.

If you three read this, thank you. For your friendship, and for such a lovely evening. My family and I are lucky to have you in our lives :)

A Day of Firsts

2011-09-12T15:09:00.000-06:00

Grace had her first day of 4 year pre-school today.

She was so ready, didn't want her photo taken but still obliged, and once inside the classroom, didn't even blink when Aidan and I said goodbye.

Aidan on the other hand, made a beeline right for the 3 year old class, and started to play. He cried when we left. Poor guy isn't aware he has another year and a half before he can even think about joining in the fun.

But as our first morning of just he and I, I wanted to do something special for him. Aidan loves to be outside, and he loves the water, so I drove us down to a local park near the river.

We spent a good hour there, saying hello to every puppy we came across (he was particularly smitten with a pair of Beagles), swang on swings and went down slides.

This week will be an adjustment getting used to so much time without Grace. As many have said to me, I'm going to miss my little helper!

TODAY: So far this afternoon we've made Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (with 4 handfuls of chocolate chips courtesy of Miss G). I'm also waiting for a call from the hospital with a surgery date from Grace. Hard to wait for this not so patient Mama!

Right in Front of my Eyes

2011-09-09T22:51:00.000-06:00

I had an experience today as a Mom that was totally new. Aidan grew up, right before my eyes.

His hair was starting to curl over his ears, and I knew he was due for a cut. He's had many haircuts before, so I didn't think this one would be of any special note.

We arrived, and we sat him in a Finding Nemo car. I gave him a sucker to distract him from the haircut, and Joy cut his hair. She's cut his hair many times before.

We were busy chatting, she was busy cutting, and all of a sudden, I looked at Aidan, and he looked like a two year old. His face had changed. There was a little boy sitting in that chair. It caught me so by surprise that I teared up. Joy looked at me and told me if I cried, she would too.

And then, just like that, those few seconds passed, and the new Aidan was again the boy I knew, but different.

Please hold on sweet thing. These moments are passing by way too quickly.

Wrapped Up in Stitches

2011-09-07T14:18:00.001-06:00

Suffocated in Stitches

Consumed by Stitches

Any of those titles would be appropriate. Back in June when we found out Grace would be having surgery this fall to remove her hemangioma (the one on her back, not her jaw), I decided that I MUST knit her a blanket.

She picked the pattern, and knowing I wouldn't get the yarn from the US quick enough, I picked up some Garnstudio Drops at my local yarn store.

Knitting one colour a week seemed like a manageable task. But I started knitting other items in conjunction.. and pretty soon it was September and I wasn't even halfway done.

For reference, there are 288 stitches per row, and 32 rows per colour. It is 40" wide, and will require 14 colours in order to be long enough to justify the width.

As of last week I still had just under 70 000 stitches to knit. (Perhaps I shouldn't have calculated that out, but I was curious).

My deadline is October 15th. We leave on holidays for three weeks to the US on September 23rd. We told Grace's surgeon we'd be returning on the 15th. Which means her surgery could happen at any point after that.

I've realized that the blanket is already too large to pack with us, so it must get knit before we leave.

Everywhere I go, the blanket goes. I knit on it constantly. Even at friends homes who do not knit. The blanket and I are one. My girlfriend last night suggested I wear my baby sling and I could knit the blanket on the move. She was joking, but I think she is onto something.

My view from here.

Despite how all consuming this project is, it doesn't feel like work, and I don't feel tired of it. And I know that's because it feels like it holds such an important job, and is for such an important little girl. My Mom's friend commented to me that it's pretty special that as the blanket grows, it also serves a second purpose of preparing Grace for the upcoming hospital stay. She calls it her "hospital blanket" and as I knit it she will often asks me questions as to what will happen during the surgery. It's a good discussion piece to help prepare her.

Each and everyone of these stitches holds so much love. I can't wait to wrap it up for her :)

What My Girl Does All Day

2011-09-05T19:51:00.000-06:00

Grace was an early talker, and we read to her from an early age. I can't recall though when she started "reading" them to herself, but it has been at least a couple of years. She has an amazing imagination, and if we would let her, she'd have her nose in a book all day long (however we do see eating, and social play as important). I have learned that books are Grace's "safe place". If we are somewhere that is busy, or even if she is at home and feeling overwhelmed, she'll find a book and a couch, and read to herself. I'm starting to take little clips of her doing her favorite thing, so that when she truly starts to read, that we don't forget how marvelous these early "reading" days were.

For reference, the book she is holding has very few pictures. It is the series of stories about Winnie the Pooh.

Fancy Pants

2011-09-01T13:53:00.000-06:00

This is a mid birthday day post to share with you the fun we are having over here :)

According to Grace there is a checklist for your birthday, and it's not even 2 in the afternoon and I think we have almost fulfilled the list!

First, there was a stop at Starbucks this morning to get my free birthday latte (this isn't on her list, it's on mine) :)

Then off to the zoo. I had first thought of taking the kids to an outdoor water park, but when I saw last week it was only supposed to be 15C today, the plan was revised. We met up with my girlfriend there (check!) and her kids (check! If being with friends on your birthday is important, it's nice to have my kids have their friends too!).

We saw Elephants, Red Pandas, Flamingos, Sheldon the Tortoise (who got stuck under our stroller!), camels and butterflies.

On the way out we stopped at one of the playgrounds for the kids to play, and Krista gifted me with an amazing handknit cowl/capelet. It is stunning. I love the colour, and I love that I've been gifted with a handknit. Especially because I know how much work went into this (she started it three times!).

I got home, took off my handknit sweater I had been wearing, and put on the capelet. I think it completes my birthday outfit. (check!). I went to the mall with the kids after doing my post last Monday, and bought some fancy pants. They are from Guess, cost far too much money, but I love them. They have crystals on the rivets, and the stitching is in silver (so it sparkles in the sun!). My kids have always worn a handknit on their birthday, and now I'm wearing a handknit gift as well.

Photo courtesy of my photographer Grace :)

When Aidan wakes from his nap we are headed to my favorite yarn store, then off for frozen yogourt.

Tonight, we'll be feasting on Snickerdoodle Cupcakes!

Birthdays are too much fun :)

A New Tradition

2011-08-29T09:40:00.000-06:00

Shhhh.... there is a birthday happening this week.

This morning, I was explaining to Grace the various things we were going to do this week. Hang around home today, perhaps make milkshakes & pick raspberries. Visit with friends tomorrow. Then I paused for dramatic effect. Wednesday we are going to make a birthday cake. Then I paused for her squeal :) Because THURSDAY is my birthday! I then told her we were going to go to the zoo, and perhaps go to a playground in the afternoon (I skipped the part that all I plan to do while Aidan is napping is cast on a new knit project), go out to dinner with Nate, then eat cake. And the sweet girl said "maybe your friends could come too". And I smiled at the simplicity of a child's birthday. Ok, maybe not simple, but a child knows what a birthday should entail:

Cake
Balloons
Presents
Friends

But, I missed something on that list. Because moments later here was the conversation in our kitchen:

Grace: What are you going to wear for your birthday?
Me: Um, not sure.
Grace: I'm going to wear a dress for your birthday. My white one with flowers. Because that's fancy.

And I instantly understood. For the kids since they were little, I knit them a new garment to wear on their birthday. They always have new clothes just for their special day.

So I think, on this 32nd birthday of mine, I'm going to celebrate it like a kid. Tomorrow night, sans kids, I'm going to go buy a new outfit just for Thursday. Thursday morning, I'm going to get dressed in something new, going to get my coffee on the way to the zoo, eat icecream with the kids, and pick up balloons just for me on the way home. Then I'll knit, go to the playground, go out to dinner and order my favorite garlic mashed potatoes, and come home to my favorite cake - spice cake.

I'm really looking forward to Thursday. I know it's not going to go as seamless as written above, what with two kids with me for the whole shebang, but we are going to have fun.

About to finish this and put my laptop away Grace says to Aidan "Aidan, you are driving me bananas". I can't help but smile at how she mimics to Aidan what I say to the dog - lol.

I wasn't sure about this number, 32. But, this morning with the sun shining in, listening and learning from my kids, I can't help but smile. 32 I welcome you with open arms. I'm a pretty lucky lady & Mama.

Here's to birthday week :)

Heaven, Hell & You

2011-08-25T11:37:00.000-06:00

Catchy title heh? You just wait, I have a few more for you!

First I want to say this post is not a forum for debate. We all have our opinions, I'm just giving you my perspective.

I was raised in a Lutheran church, baptized as a baby, and was confirmed as a teenager. From my very foggy teenage recollection, there was a change over of pastors, and an upset in the congregation of our church, and when I was around 14 my parents stopped attending. I can tell you my Mom has fallen away from the Christian perspective, but my Dad has remained devoted. I have one brother who is an agnostic, and one who is probably an athiest. Myself? After a relationship gone sour, I reconnected with the church at 19. That year, at a Non Denominational church, I became a youth leader, where I met my future husband. I was re-baptized, and at the age of 20 moved overseas where I did a SALT term (Serving and Learning Together) with the Mennonite Church. Nate and I started dating shortly after I returned home, and were married two years later in a Lutheran Church by a Non Denominational Pastor. Why do I tell you all this? First, I have no strong ties to one particular branch of Church. For me, if you were a Christian, worshipped God, it was all good with me. I'm not too interested in doctrine. Second, because I was SO passionate as an early believer, I was more than likely pretty hard for my non-Christian friends and family to swallow.

Then something happened. Nate and I moved to Calgary and tried out some new churches trying to find a new "home". We tried the largest in the city, we tried a small Baptist church, and tried a few in our neighborhood. Nothing stuck. And soon Nate and I both knew we were agreeing on the same thing. We know what we believe, but (ok, now please remember, this is just MY view), we have a hard time believing in what the church preaches. This is not a blanket statement and we have seen in our past some great churches with some great people. We have come to see the church as a building, but that you can have a community of Christians external to that building. This leads into alot of other deep issues like how we are raising our children, how we nourish our spiritual needs etc. I'm not going to get to all of that (because this post does have a purpose). And there was one other catalyst. My Uncle Paul passed away from a brain tumour 4 years ago. He battled for two years. He was not a Christian. And I know this truth - I believe in a loving and compassionate God. You can disagree with me here, but seeing the way my Uncle Paul suffered, a loving and compassionate God would NOT send him to hell solely because he did not follow Christ. Yes, I believe that. And I know I do not know what happened in his last minutes, but I do know the type of God I follow, and sending a man who suffered that greatly to hell, goes completely aginst the God I trust.

Here's the point of all of this.

We live up the street from a Baptist church. And there must have been a change of pastors. Because around the time the new mayor of our city was elected (Nyenshi, a Muslim) the slogans on their board became a little "much". After his election (and I am paraphrasing here), the board said something like "Praying for those who are elected when they aren't who you would have chosen" I remember thinking "Wow". But I haven't been able to stop saying "wow".

A couple weeks ago it read "Heaven, Hell & You"

Then "What the Bible says about Homosexuality"

And this week "Loving Muslims through Prayer". Yes, it actually says that. On their board, displayed on a busy intersection.

Wow, wow, wow. Do they see what kind of portrayal they are giving of their church? Of Christians? Do they actually think being that bold makes people want to go in and HEAR that message. And I know what you are thinking, because I have thought it too. Before I get too carried away labelling this church and their messages, perhaps I should go hear one of them and see what they actually say. And perhaps I will. If I do, I will tell you what they had to say.

I just wish there wasn't this big PUSH from the church. It feels a little bit like "join us, or else". I think sometimes the "Christ" of 'Christian" gets lost along the way.

Back to School

2011-08-19T08:08:00.000-06:00

I've had an absurd idea kicking around at the back of my head, that when Nate goes to work at 5:45 am, that I could also get up and start my day. Don't worry, nothing crazy like laundry or cleaning, just a cup of coffee by myself, with some knitting or some internet. Sounds lovely I think (other than the 5:45).

So this morning I thought I'd aim for 6:30. That should be doable, and no different from than when I used to work outside the home. Right ? I epically failed. The alarm went off, I kind of tried (if hitting the snooze button means to try) and managed to get out of bed at 7:30. But in about three weeks time there IS going to be a wake up call.

I was talking to my girlfriend about this last night, and pretty soon these lazy mornings of summer will be behind us. Yesterday was 13C. It's undeniable around here. F*** is on it's way. And with it, the rush of back to school. Grace starts 4 year pre-school three days a week on September 12th. So we do have a bit of time, and I'm thankful that we live close by. To get to the 8:45 start, requires we leave the house at 8:30. Time wise, this isn't that hard of a challenge, but I do enjoy watching the kids wake up when they like (as I type this it is just past 8 and Aidan is still happily snoozing), and I think it's nice they get to putter in their PJ's for a bit without a rush of getting dressed.

I'm not ready for Summer to end. I love Fall, and the sweaters that come with it.... but these Summer days have felt WAY too short.

A Notable Day

2011-08-16T19:35:00.000-06:00

Today started out pretty unremarkable. We had breakfast in our PJ's (I usually get ready before the kids get up, but took today "off"). Our only plan for the day was to walk to the library to pick up a knitting book that had come in for me. Having started our day at 7 am, we lazily weren't ready to head til the library until 10 am.

It's at the library that the day started to become rather notable. After picking up the knitting book, I decided being in the area, I should look through some quilting books. It's become (or is becoming) a tradition of mine to quilt my kids a quilt for their second birthday (corresponding with when they are usually ready to move out of the crib). Aidan is now 19 months, and his second birthday is quickly approaching. I managed to find a few books that looked interesting, picked up some books for Grace, and we headed home.

We settled ourselves in our front living room, and while Grace read & Aidan played, I took a look through the quilting books, and found a pattern I thought would be suitable for Aidan (the more I look at it the more I think it's just right). In the book it is referred to as "Karen's puzzle" but I found it on the web as "Milky Way". After finding the pattern, things got quickly into motion.

I pulled out the business card for Colleen, the amazing woman who long armed Grace's quilt - twice. Having moved since she did G's quilt, the phone number was disconnected, so I sent her an e-mail hoping I could still reach her. She called back within half an hour, and we set up that she would pick up Aidan's quilt top the first week of December. Yes, that's right. I pick up a quilt book and have suddenly committed to having a quilt top down in the next 3 1/2 months. I must work well under pressure.

It was now about noon and I put Aidan down for his nap... and I took Grace's quilt off of her bed, found some quilting thread and a needle, and headed to the back deck. For the past year, perhaps longer, her quilt has been unfinished. She told my girlfriend that it was her "favorite unfinished blankie". I got it back from Colleen the second time, sewed the binding onto the quilt, but never sat down to handstitch it to the back.

I sat on the back deck with the blanket on my lap, Grace beside me for three hours. Aidan woke up, we headed to Starbucks for a much needed refreshement, and I went right back to the blanket. It was a relaxing, and enjoyable afternoon for all three of us. Grace happily sat and read beside me (she was probably in astonishment this was actually happening), and once Aidan joined us, he sat at my feet on the quilt and chit chatted away.

By 4:45 her quilt was complete.

I laid it out on the grass as she was inside, and I called her outside telling her I had a surprise for her. She squealed, ran to the quilt and said "Mama! There's no strings!".

I have called a few friends to tell them that I have finished Grace's quilt, and they have all let out this sigh that I can only equate to astonishment, and amazement.

I look at it, and I love it. And I can't wait to get started on Aidan's (whose quilt I deep down hope will only be quilted once).

Growing up Handknit

2011-08-12T12:40:00.000-06:00

To my knowledge, I'm a 3rd generation Knitter. My Mom was taught to knit by her Mom, and I was taught by my Mom. I have very clear memories of growing up surrounded by knitting.

I was probably 10, and we were on vacation in Idaho with cousins. Our condo was on the second floor of a complex, and my Mom was on the deck knitting on a sweater. I recall the fit of giggles as my Mom's working yarn, rolled off the deck, and onto the grass one story below. I can see in my mind my cousins and I rushing down to retrieve it, and trying to throw it back up to my Mom. I'm pretty sure she ended up just throwing down her sweater to us. For years, there was also a knitting machine in our basement, and I can see my Mom putting on the spools of yarn.

I think of these memories often, as I am so blessed to have grown up in such a creative environment. Not only did my Mom knit, but she also quilted, did stained glass, made her own chocolates around the holidays, and canned fruit. It's pretty evident that this had a huge impact on who I am. And I love that my Mom and I share so many similar passions.

This morning, as I was winding yarn in the kitchen, Aidan clambered up onto the chair, and stood in the middle of the skein laughing. It made me wonder, what handknit, crafty memories my own kids will have of growing up. Will this handknit environment create a passion in them to knit or craft themselves? It excites me that this love of creating things with ones hands, could be passed down one more generation to these wee ones of mine.

Thursday Thoughts (& the truth about an Ipad)

2011-08-11T13:28:00.000-06:00

First the Ipad. I love mine. I've had it for about two weeks, but I had been jonesing for it for a long time before that. I used the trip to Oregon as an excuse to convince my hubby that I needed one. Excuses included the laptop I've had since 2007 that is starting to show it's tired, the crazy amounts I save in our groceries basically pay for it, and heck, it helps me keep in touch.

The Ipad has all sorts of great things to be said about it. But it also has a few drawbacks. Perhaps it's a bit like Twitter. You can easily flit onto it, and off, but it's not great for doing anything substantial. Like writing blog posts. I'm sorry for that. My absence here is fully due to fliting around on my Ipad. It's rather anti social of me - all this lurking and no posting.

(That thought was so large it required a space all it's own). Here are some other thoughts this Thursday:

I agree with Elizabeth. That "F" word is also starting to show itself around here. Today is 12C. Cool enough to wear jeans and a sweater. And even on warmer days, there is a coolness to the wind.
I finished 146 repeats of a shawl pattern yesterday, to realize I had knit the entire pattern incorrectly. The perfectionist in me has found a way to make it work.... because I don't have the heart to rip out 100g worth of yarn & time.
I want to start running again but am having trouble taking that first step.
I turn 32 in two weeks. I don't feel like 32. I still see myself as being in my late 20's.
I love having Nate back working days and home with us at night. I particularly love falling asleep with him beside me. It's sort of like re-learning to ride a bicycle. This morning, he left for work and I never heard him leave. I woke in a panic ready to wake him up, only to realize he had left. Somehow, that made me smile. That after two weeks of our new rhythym, it is already becoming familiar and we are so easily adjusting to this "rightness".
I wonder sometimes if I knit too much. Is that possible?
I have to start thinking about quilting a blanket for Aidan for his bed. Far too soon he'll be out of his crib.
Tomorrow my older brother flies into town for a party this weekend for my Dad. I can't wait to pick him up at the airport and take him out to dinner.
I promise to dust off my laptop and pop on here more frequently. Promise.

Tomorrow I shall post photos of my shawl that caused me so much agnst yesterday. Funny how most of my knitting becomes so uniquely mine. Almost as if my hands figure that nothing should be followed exactly as is.

Happy Thursday to you!

Sock Summit in Photos

2011-08-06T14:01:00.000-06:00

Warning: This post is HEAVY in photos!

Meeting PeacefulKnitter in person. We ended up seeing alot of eachother over the Summit. I wish we lived closer!

My girlfriend Erin and I hit the Marketplace as soon as it opened on Wednesday night. This is Erin admist the crazy crowds elbowing for yarn. No really, it did get pretty crazy in some of the booths!

A walk up Starbucks. This was picture worthy. A city warm enough that you can actually walk up and purchase a coffee?!

This may have made Sock Summit for me. This is Jeni Steiman. The wondermind behind the surprisingly stretchy bind-off (so great, you should try it!) and the designer of the Duck Feet I made for Aidan. I flew the duck feet down to Oregon with me and had them photographed with Jeni. So great to meet her in person. I did a bit of that awkward, gosh I can't even put my words together, while trying to speak to her.

Oh the craziness! All the yarn that Erin and I purchased (while almost....)

Alberta Street. Need I say more?

Erin may kill me for posting this. Just focus on those awesome handknit socks of ours! 80's sock hop :)

Knitting on the worlds largest sock.

Flash Dance in front of the convention centre. You can watch the whole thing on YouTube here.

Another awesome designer to meet in person. This is Cookie A signing one of my books.

Look at these sheep!

Being sheered for the Fleece to Foot challenge.

Spinning the Fleece.

See?! Amazing isn't it! I WILL be going again. I can't wait actually. In the meantime, I have alot of knitting to do. Good thing I have two years! Next Sock Summit (hopefully!) will be in 2013 :)

Connected

2011-07-31T13:31:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting at the Portland airport, with my new iPad, waiting to head home. It's been an amazing few days filled with yarn, classes, and great adventures with a great friend. I met many ravelry friends in real life, met many more new ones, and spoke to many amazing artisans. It was amazing to be in such an inspirational place. (I just re read that paragraph and I said amazing slot. I guess it really was if I naturally say it so often!)

I flew in thursday, went to the marketplace, bought yarn and went to dinner. Friday I took an (insert my go to word here) class on held for toe up socks. Then my girlfriend and I headed to Alberta street for grilled cheese sandwiches where you can dine in a school bus. The sketchy bus ride to get there was well worth it. We also found a quilt store, a knit shop (just incase we really needed more yarn - ha!)and a glass art shop whose art had all to do about drugs and nothing else. And I can't forget to tell you about the sock hop. We looked inline form :)

Saturday was shopping at a mall, and a class in the afternoon about knitting with two co ours ( or more!) in your socks. The technique for not twisting your yarn was so simple it astounded me.

This morning, before heading to the airport, we went to the convention centre to see sheep being shron for the fleece to foot contest. So neat to see.

It's been a full few days. So glad to have come, but also nice to head home. My hip is missing my little man.

I will post up photos soon (once my family and I have time to reconnect) :)

This is Awesome :)

2011-07-25T20:35:00.003-06:00

Topsy Turvy

2011-07-24T22:29:00.000-06:00

I haven't spoken as openly about this on this blog, as I'm about to now. For the past, I don't know how many months, at least since January, perhaps longer, my husband has had an opposite schedule to those my kids and I keep. Aidan, Grace and I wake around 7 am, go to bed around 10 pm (ok, well that's when I go to bed). Nate wakes at noon, goes to work at 1:30pm and doesn't get home until 1 in the morning. Our time together looks like this: after Nate eats, showers, gets his lunch ready for the day... we have about an hour together. Aidan who naps at noon, only gets about 10 minutes of Nate's time. And Nate works six days a week. He essentially has missed alot of our little A. For the most part, we've all adjusted to our routine. But it's far from "normal", if you call normal the routine that most people & families keep. We don't have dinners together, I do bedtime solo... I do many things solo. We don't have weekends together, and Nate and I only have one evening together per week where we can have adult conversation without our kids with us. Until tomorrow.

Nate applied for a new position on Monday, was offered it last Thursday, and on his way to work tonight was told that as of tomorrow, he is back on days. Even as I type this, it makes me tear up. Nate and I kept looking at eachother this weekend, getting excited about normal little activities that he now gets to be apart of. Comments like "we get to have dinner with you every night now" "I'll be here to help you with this now (as I bath the kids and prep them for bed)" and even silly things like "I can't wait to have breakfast with you in the morning" and "we could walk to Tim Hortons together and get donuts!"

Really, the mundane to most, is SO big for us right now. SO big. 8 hours a day, weekends off, dinners together, bathtime, bedtime, 2 hours of awake time with Aidan every week day, 7 days a week where he & I can have time alone together without the kids. I really can't even put all of it into words.

Life will be so different tomorrow. So different and so so sweet. God is good, and miracles do happen.

Reclaiming Our Space

2011-07-22T21:45:00.000-06:00

I'm usually pretty happy in my home. I try to keep it in some order of sane, and keep the toy scatter under control. But, every few months, something in me snaps, and I find myself sorting all the toy buckets, creating a pile of items to go to Goodwill.

But my usual snap was a little bigger today. I'm ready to re-claim some of our home, for us. An area that won't have kids items scattered amongst it. I think the catalyst was going to my girlfriend's home this week. She had re-organized her front room... and it looked SANE. She has two small boys, but the room felt, dare I say, grown-up.

That is our front room. It's an awkward space. Where the piano and all those toys are is supposed to be a dining room. But, it's carpeted (with small kids we want to keep carpet for awhile), and it joins into a front sitting area. The other awkward part about the room, is that with a table in the centre, it would block the flow from the front door to the kitchen. It's been a constant struggle for us to figure out how best to use this space. The piano fixed a small portion of it, and we have always talked about having a smaller sitting area in the nook. But I've had a secret vision for awhile. I want the nook to be a reading space for Grace.

I originally thought a bookshelf, and a big bean bag chair (yes I know, this does not scream grown-up). But, in my snap tonight, I sent a note to my hubby - could he please make us a storage bench? He called me shortly after and we started planning. He's rather busy with work, so this won't happen quickly, but I'm already excited.

Picture this - a bench that will sit underneath the photos in the nook, and go the entire width. Underneath will be storage for most of the toys. Yes! I'm going to sew a pillow/pad for the top in some sort of awesome fabric. The trampoline will find a new home. Somewhere. And this front room, is going to be a little more 'Aaaaah'. I can already feel it!

Sock Summit

2011-07-20T12:51:00.000-06:00

I'm starting to prepare for Sock Summit. Yes, that's right. A whole conference devoted to yarn & socks. Really, what could be better? Oh yes, if you are into beer, there is also a beer festival happening at the same time. Mine and my hubby's 9th Wedding Anniversary is the day after I fly home (August 1st). I might see if I can find him some beer and have it shipped home (not sure how I'd pack it?).

I fly into Portland early Thursday afternoon, and will head straight to registration. From there, I have two classes I'm taking - Heel Construction for Toe Up Socks & Stranded in Your Socks. Both are three hour long lectures, and only one requires homework (which is good, because I still haven't started mine yet!). I'm also attending Opening Night Reception as well as a Sock Hop.

The Sock Hop is '80's themed, and my girlfriend and I went to the store Siren's a few weeks ago to get the necessary outfits. I'm still a little scared that you can so easily buy '80's clothing. Wasn't living through that era once enough? I'll be wearing an off the shoulder shirt, grey and pink striped that says on the front "I love my boyfriend" and a pair of shorts so short that well, a woman in her '30's really shouldn't be wearing. I also picked up some jelly bracelets, and will be wearing my birkenstocks. Nice image heh? But, the outfit isn't complete at a knitting event, without a knitted item. So I've been working on these:

The loudest pair of legwarmers ever. The yarn was purchased years ago (Blue Sky Cotton & Blue Sky Alpaca Suri) to knit a pair of legwarmers for my daughter. The project never happened, so I've claimed the project for me as my Sock Hop Socks. The pattern is Leg Warmers by Blue Sky Alpaca. I know you want a pair right?

And for a little bit of fun, I'm flashing my yarn stash over on Ravelry these next few weeks. I have four drawers of yarn. Here's the first:

Week Away

2011-07-14T20:28:00.000-06:00

Aidan had his 18 month vaccinations on Monday morning. He is now 25% percentile for his height, and 50th% for his weight. Overall, looking at just him, not compared to other year and a half year olds, he's in the 75% percentile. So he's proportional. Overall, we only had a semi nazi nurse. I have noticed with child #2 they are a little more forgiving, and a little less in your face when you do things differently. I'm also a little more forgiving, and I let their comments just roll off my back.

After the vaccinations, I packed up the kiddos & headed to BC. My parents have a timeshare in Panorama, a 3 1/2 hour drive away. It was an awesome three days away (we arrived back home tonight). Unfortunately I have no photos to share but here is a summary:

My parents golfed 18 holes each day. While they were golfing the kids and I tried our darndest to have some fun. We were foiled by lightning shutting down the pool, then power going out (two seperate days). We made up for the lack of fun by eating icecream. Which perhaps was even better.
When Aidan took his naps, Grace and I sat out in front of the condo watching gophers. She did the same thing last year when we went. This year, a deer decided to also join us and took a nap in the bushes near us.
The mountains are beautiful and so is the mountain air.
Aidan took 4 hr naps in the afternoon, but screamed each night. I am thankful my Mom was there this morning so Aidan and I could sleep in (8:45 am is a sleep in!).
It was like camping, but in a condo. Water you had to boil, and Grace, Aidan & I all sleeping the same room. The second night Aidan woke up talking, Grace sat up in bed and started answering his chatter by saying "shhh." On the way home today, Grace told me she was looking forward to her bed :)
We rode the Quad ski chair up the hill today and did a hike to find a playground.
I watched a movie each night with my parents. We watched Slum Dog Millionnaire, Mona Lisa Smile & some other movie about Pombe disease and a father who fought to find a cure. All three were really good.

I'm thankful to be home, but am thankful to have had the chance to get away. I hope you've had a great week also!

Professional Mom

2011-07-10T20:11:00.000-06:00

This coming September, I will have been out of the work force for two years. I'm a SAHM (Stay at Home Mom). And I love it. LOVE it. I was at a baby welcome today, and I was asked if I'm happy at home. My girlfriend said it perfectly "it's what she has always wanted." Another friend of mine also said it perfectly. Her being able to stay at home with her kids was the best gift her husband ever gave her. Nate works SO hard, so that we can have me at home with our kids. And I am so grateful and blessed.

This weekend, I came across an article by Simple Mom which piqued my interest - "How to be a Prossional Mom". Before reading this article, I never would have put those two words together - a Professional Mom. But as I read through the article, I realized that many of the points I'm already implementing in some form or another. It's a conversation I've also recently been having with friends, so I thought I'd cover them off here as well (main points from the Simple Mom article):

Create a Routine

This is a given. Kids strive on routine. From the time they get up, to the hour you put them to bed, the times they eat, play & rest. But it's also true for me. I like knowing, for the most part, how our day or week, is going to go. Reading the tips on Simple Mom, we definitely have room for improvement, but for now, with two who are rather wee still, what we are doing works for us.

Take a Break

Oh how important that is. And for me, rather tricky. But I have some amazing girlfriends, and my parents, who step in to watch the kids for me when I need to get out. I think this point could be furthur broken down.

1. Know when to ask for help, and be gracious in receiving it. Why is it so hard to say "heh, I could use a little help here!". Whether it be to your spouse to take one of the kids for awhile, or to wash dishes for you, or if it be bigger and asking a friend or relative to watch the kids so you can get out for some solo time. We are better Mom's, when we get some breathing room to re-connect with ourselves.
2. Find ways to make you feel more like you. Remember that woman before you had kids? Did you always wear make-up, wear fancy shoes, like to put on a perfect wardrobe, or drape yourself in jewellery? I've given the following bit a break for the summer, but I had been waking up before the kids to catch a shower, get dressed and have a coffee solo. It was a great time that gave me some space to start my day, and also helped me feel ready to face the day. This change that I did this past year was SO great for me. And I think it resonnated with my kids. I think it is important for them to see that as Mom's, we still make room to give ourselves priority as well.

Enjoy Time Around the Water Cooler

What would we do without playmates? For ourselves, and for our kids. I probably meet up with friends (mine, and my kids friends) two times a week. The time to re-connect and talk about how our week is going, and how our kids are doing, is so refreshing. I also have friends I speak to daily just to help keep sanity.

Remember your #1 Clients

Those wee people? Yep, they are my #1 priority. Making changes like I did last month (eliminating Facebook for awhile) helps me keep them as #1. It is so easy to spend too much time cleaning, too much time on the computer, or even too much time on the phone being around that water cooler. For me, this is one area I need to keep checking in on.

Enjoy your job security

The last point was a nice reminder. It's true. Noyone else can be their Mama. I want to be the best that I can be for them. I also want to have a home that my husband feels comfortable coming home to. I'm a natural scatterer, so maintaining a clean, organized home, is work for me. But one I feel like I'm slowly improving on.

How about you? Do you see yourself in some of the points above? Are there certain things that you do, just for you?

18 Months

2011-07-08T20:29:00.000-06:00

Amazing how this wee little boy.....

has so quickly become this amazing little soul:

It seems to me that it's happened in the blink of an eye. Or quicker than that if that is possible. And yet, this past year and a half has been filled with so many journeys. Snuggling Aidan as tight as possible in a swaddler, and having him sleep in front of the fireplace in the bouncy chair. He was only happy if incredibly warm. Two weeks of formula then solely breastfed. Something I never would have imagined possible for myself, and a gift I was so glad to have experienced.

He started crawling around 10 months, and walked at 14. His first words were Mama & See! He moved from a swaddler to a napbag to sleep at 13 months. He's a lefty. Takes his first step with his left foot, and eats with his left hand.

Can't turn my back for a second. He's always getting into something! :)

He has an incredible sweet tooth, and will have a fit for about 20 minutes if he doesn't get what sort of treat he's after. See that Oreo box? He found it in the lazysusan and carried it around the house with him for quite awhile which is how it ended up in the photo op.

The Rice Krispie Treats I mde for his 1/2 b-day.

When he laughs, he has such a twinkle in his eye. He has a gentle soul. He loves his sister & his puppy (both his puppy blanket, and our big dog Clifford). I never knew I could love a little boy so deeply. I am so so lucky to be his Mama.

Making Me Smile

2011-07-05T22:32:00.000-06:00

A whole week without a post! Trust me, that means we've been having fun over here. Without pre-school and other normal yearly activities, our schedule seemed unusually free.... for a little while. But we've been quickly filling it with heaps of fun activities.

Canada Day

I take the kids every year to a Canada Day parade. This year because of Aidan's naptime, I took the kids to a nearby town, rather than out to the mountains.

Truly it's all about the candy. When you are little anyways (ok, when you are big too) :) Grace spent quite a bit of the time waving to the parade participants.

Aidan still doesn't have many words, but he spent most of the parade pointing and saying something that sounds alot like "See! See!". I didn't have to buckle him into the stroller until the end, when he was feeling brave enough to want to walk into the middle of the road and join the parade himself!

Camping

Friends of ours went camping this past weekend, but we weren't feeling brave enough with Aidan to attempt it yet. Grace really wanted to try though, so we pitched our tent in our backyard. I slept in the tent outside with G, and Nate brought us in some lilacs :) She lasted til 3 am when she said she was cold and wanted to move back inside!

Tea Parties

Monday morning I invited over 3 of Grace's little friends for a tea party. We had chocolate chip cookies, watermelon & made a craft. I was a little daunted that having 5 kids under my care would be a tad too much, but it was SO dare I say easy. I'll do it again.

More fun & smiles tomorrow. Aidan is 18 months and we're celebrating his 1/2 birthday over here. I hope you are all enjoying your summer as well!

Yarn Along - Back to the Basics

2011-06-29T13:51:00.000-06:00

I love to knit. My daughter Grace loves to read. I love Yarn Along,, but you will never find my nose in a book. So I bring you - YarnAlong, the kids edition. I'll show you my current knitting project, and the current book my daughter is loving. She's four, and spends as much of her day as possible reading!

Last night as I was starting to think about this post, I caught Grace reading a book she goes back to time and time again. Grace has a tendency at playdates to check out her friends books and scurry away to a couch to read. When she was around 3, she found the Dalmations book and asked to borrow it when we left. As a result, she was gifted a set of five Disney books - Lady & The Tramp, Dumbo, Lion King, The Aristocats, & her favorite - The Dalmations. They are a quick abridged version of the movie. For the most part, I'm ok with Disney in the house, and have only found two that are not allowed - Bambi & Pinocchio. But that could be a post for another time. Onto knitting :)

We found out a couple of weeks ago, that Grace will be undergoing surgery this coming fall. As we were leaving the hospital, I knew instantly what I wanted to do for her - knit a blanket. I came up with a list of patterns, and Grace picked this Corntastic one as her favorite. All this happened while Canada Post was on strike, and ordering Kollage Yarn from the US was not a possibility. I knew that 60" of stockinette stitch could take a small century, and wanted to get this cast on as soon as possible. Annie at my LYS (Local Yarn Store) helped me by ordering in 13 colors of Drops Baby Merino, and I cast on last week. I'm about 2" in but am enjoying the easy knit.

The Yarn Along from last week has been cast off - but I may cast it back on as I'd like to tweak the cast off a bit. Will post back soon with complete photos!

Nate

2011-06-28T14:53:00.000-06:00

We were both just kids when we met. He 16, myself 18. I was his youth group leader. When I moved to Africa the year I turned 19, we were friends, but didn't stay in touch the year I was away. Nate would tell you that while I was gone, he had a dream that he and I were married (he told me that on our second date!). A memory I will never forget, is the first Sunday at church home from being overseas. He came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and swung me around in a circle. That was the beginning of something truly wonderful.

I was nervous about being in a relationship. I was now 20 and had been single for almost two years, after a relationship that damaged my heart. Nate has been repairing that hurt in a truly patient way. Patient because it took almost 8 years. He was a boy who knew what he wanted. He even attended a country concert with me (as a West Coast boy, country was not in his repertoire). He asked me if we'd like to marry after my first, or second degree. I never answered, and when I began my last year of University in Victoria, Nate proposed that fall with a bottle of champagne on the top of a mountain.

I graduated in 2002, moved to Calgary in April (where my plan was to attend University for my 2nd degree), and Nate made the move to the prairies in July. We wed in August. I was a month shy of 23, and Nate was 21. We married with no jobs & no home. We just knew one thing. We loved eachother.

We are coming up on 9 years of marriage this August. And I was reminded today of how crazy in love with this man I am. We have come so far, and I smiled today as he left for work, looking at the man he has become from the boy that I married. Nate and I have two fiery personalities. Our strength in marriage is two fold - we are really great communicators. We hold nothing back and say it exactly how it is. I never have to wonder what Nate is thinking or feeling. This does occasionally cause frustration, and sometimes hurt. But the second part of this is we are really great at coming back together. At thinking things through, at healing the hurt, at meeting the other where they are at.

I truly have married a forever friend, the love of my life, and am so blessed.

Sweet Summertime

2011-06-24T14:26:00.000-06:00

Our first ripe strawberry.

Split three ways. And served over vanilla icecream.

The perfect way to enjoy our first fruit of the summer!

An Admission

2011-06-23T09:26:00.000-06:00

I've been keeping this fairly quiet, because I knew when I did it, that I shouldn't have. And I knew ultimately, that it was what caused this to happen.

I used our new front loader to wash the sweater. But I hadn't yet figured out how to spin it, so I squeezed out as much water as possible from it, and laid it flat to dry. But because it was still so waterlogged, three days later, it was still damp. I don't have much patience. I threw it into the dryer on an air cycle. For 45 minutes. It was time to get Grace to pre-school and it was still damp. So I put it on. There, I said it. I put on a damp, handknit sweater. By the end of the day, it had stretched to a square.

I re-soaked it, figured out how to trick my front loader into doing a spin only cycle, and laid it flat to dry again. And I let it dry. Until it was bone dry. It's all good. The sweater fits, and no funny warping by the end of the day. Which is a good thing, because I really love this sweater.

I only made a few mods to the pattern. I started waist shaping at 6" rather than at 5", and I self-striped the arms by splicing the yarn when necessary so that it closer matched the pattern on the body. I also knit the arms 1/2" shorter than called for - noyone needs saggy elbows.

Given this sweater is mostly cotton & silk I think it will be great for cooler Spring & Fall days. I might layer a long sleeve tee under it too in the winter. I think it's going to get lots of wear!

Yarn Along

2011-06-22T08:12:00.004-06:00

I love to knit. My daughter Grace loves to read. I've always wished to join Yarn Along before, but you will never find my nose in a book. So I bring you - YarnAlong, the kids edition. I'll show you my current knitting project, and the current book my daughter is loving. She's four, and spends as much of her day as possible reading!

The yarn is Sweet Georgia Silk Crush sock in colorway Blackberry. It is SO soft to knit with. This is becoming a Lace Capelet. I've made a few changes - increased the cast on stitches, added a garter stitch border so it wouldn't roll, and increased the frequency of the lace section. I've only been working on it for a couple of days so it's proving to be a quick knit!

The book is Richard Scarry's 'Biggest Busiest Storybook Ever'. Grace calls it her 'City Book'. It has great demontrations of animals doing everyday things - delivering mail, picking up garbage, flying a plane, and driving pickle trucks - lol. She has alot of fun looking for the creature Goldbug in it. If you have a pre-schooler this book is a hit!

First Day of Summer

2011-06-21T13:51:00.000-06:00

It's here. Officially Summer. And the best part - it's actually hot & sunny today. To celebrate, we are drinking lemonade, eating bananas dipped in sprinkles, and doing all of our favorite things.

Grace reading in the hammock.

Aidan splashing in his pool. This boy has a thing for water!

Knitting. Not much better than knitting on a hot day, in a new sundress. Photo courtesy of Grace, from the hammock.

And to make today even sweeter - our first strawberry is turning red.

Welcome Summer. We're so glad you're here :)

Pre-school Thank You

2011-06-20T13:54:00.000-06:00

During the winter holidays I had decided I wanted to do a handmade gift to thank Grace's pre-school teachers at the end of the school year. I'm a procrastinator at heart, and I realized two weeks ago, that I no longer had time to do the handknit items I had wished to. So I turned to Google, and found an awesome project where the students had put their handprints all over a ceramic pot, and gifted it to their teacher with a plant.

Grace's pre-school doesn't offer parent volunteer opportunities, so I co-ordinated with her teacher to arrive one day during craft time. Last Monday, Aidan and I stuck around outside after dropping Grace off, and the teachers assitant brought the students out in groups of threes.

I had already painted the pot blue for the sky and did the rim white for clouds. I'd also done Grace's full handprint to represent a flower. I really enjoyed talking with each student and having them pick their colour for their print. Funny, most of the boys asked for 'blue' which was actually 'purple'.

Once I got all the prints on, I took it home and turned the boys prints into bugs, and the girls into butterflies. I then painted their name beside their fingerprint. On the inside of the pot I wrote "Teachers help chidren bloom".

We gifted it to Grace's teacher this morning with a Chocolate Mint herb plant inside.

She absolutely loved it and said it meant alot to her.

She is moving on to teaching kindergarten next year and will truly be missed.

Wasabi Pea

2011-06-16T13:05:00.000-06:00

Rather wide no? This is my newest sweater that I'd named 'Wasabi Pea' (solely due to the colour) after one day of wear. Trust me, in the morning it fit. By the end of the day, it had stretched out width wise by about 2" and was SO boxy.

The yarn is Noro Shirakaba (42% silk, 40% cotton & 18% wool). The pattern is the Equinox Raglan.

So, here is my plan. I washed it again this morning, and am blocking it (again). I'll wear it again for one day and see if the same thing happens. If it does, I'm frogging it back to the armpits and will knit it one size smaller.

I'm already 80% sure that this is what is going to happen. But, it's lovely yarn, and should be a lovely sweater, so I might as well make it something I will want to wear.

*And yes, I did swatch. But, a swatch isn't subjected to a toddler on your hip, nor is a swatch worn for 8 hours. I'm guessing the stretching is due to the cotton.

Over the top, Ballet for 4 Year Olds

2011-06-15T14:33:00.000-06:00

When I was still pregnant with Aidan, I signed Grace up for dance at a nearby studio. It was a Mom & tots class, and I'll just say we didn't last long. G is a bit of a free spirit, and she spent more time running out of the studio, than staying in it. So when she asked to go into dance this past year, I was a bit reluctant. But she was persistent. I found a studio just down the street. Bought her the tights, the tap shoes, ballet shoes, and the tutu.

In October we were asked if we'd like the girls to participate in the year end recital. Why not? All the Moms in her class signed their girls up and bought the costume.

Then a month ago we were informed that if parents didn't volunteer, the girls wouldn't be allowed to dance. Volunteering means seeing the show from backstage. Friends or family in the audience can't record the show for you, as devices aren't allowed, and DVD's have to be purchased for $25. There is a long story behind this, but the short end of it, after being threatened via e-mail by the studio, a MIL of one of the other Moms has stepped up to help our class out.

But, the make-up. Oh I'm struggling with the makeup. The girls are to wear - 2 coats of mascara, 2 shades of eyeshadow, black eyeliner, blush, lip liner & bright red lipstick. This does not go with my granola nature. I don't even wear mascara on a normal basis. Now, I understand that this is so their face can be seen from the audience. But people, the girls are dancing for 2 minutes at a church! Not a big hall - a church.

The dress rehearsal is in two hours and I still don't know what to do.

It just seems so incredibly wrong.

Were you in dance as a pre-schooler? Is this the norm? As a Mom, what would you do?

And for the record, no, we are NOT signing up with this studio again. Nor are any of the other families in Grace's class.

Dedicated Knitter

2011-06-12T18:57:00.001-06:00

You know what I'm doing right now? Typing yes, but I'm typing sitting in front of my new front load washing machine. And I probably will be for the next 20 minutes of the cycle.

My handknits are in it, and I must admit I'm a little freaked. Wool can felt. I really hope that this will NOT happen. There is a cycle called 'Soak'. I'm giving it a shot, but it freakishly tumbles the clothes every now and then. Agitation of wool will cause felting. So I enlisted Grace to bring me her reading light. And I'm occasionally using it to open the door and check the knits.

This my friends, signals I am either crazy, or a really dedicated knitter.

My new sweater I bound off today is in there.

18 minutes to go.

ETA: I decided since I had my laptop with me, I'd listen to the song on my previous post, which caused me to actually laugh at myself. And you know the best (scariest part) is that me sitting here does not shock my daughter, nor my husband. Maybe they know not to mess with somebody who is usually armed with pointy sticks ;)

Loving this Song

2011-06-10T17:14:00.004-06:00

I LOVE this song. Everytime it comes onto the radio, I turn it up loud & he kids and I dance. There is something so catchy about it. It's upbeat, and there have been many times in this past month where it has picked up my spirits by listening to it. I hope you enjoy it too!

A Day full of Awesome

2011-06-07T21:59:00.000-06:00

Don't you love a really really great day? Today was one of those for me. Here's the highlights:

It was 10% off Tuesday at our local grocery store. I strangely enjoy getting to the grocery store first thing in the morning to snag the awesome deals. Today we saved a total of $65, by buying sale items, coupons & the 10%. Sweet!

I headed out to my parents to return the truck, and the kids and I went to a drive thru coffee joint. I know, I know. But it was so tasty. I am falling off the wagon I realize, but that will soon be remedied! (You'll see why a few points furthur down) :)

This awesome yarn arrived in the mail. I signed up for a year long subscription to Cookie A's sock club. The patterns, and yarn, do not disappoint. Loving this orange.

I had to drop some stuff off to a friend this afternoon, and got to have a few moments of baby snuggles.

A great friend came over tonight, had dinner with us, then watched the kiddos so I could go get a haircut. Love great friends (and she had to change a soiled diaper. Now that is a great friend).

Awesome haircuts. I keep going shorter and shorter. I've never had the back quite this short. What do you think?

Then I came home to this!

Nate gave me his airmile points, and I got myself a new espresso machine. I'd had my last Starbucks one since I was on mat leave with Grace. It still works but has a couple of quirks (if you're interested, I'm selling it for $25!), and I was wishing for something new. Can't wait to try this new one out tomorrow morning!

My friend just left, the kiddos are both asleep, and I'm about to bind off the body of a sweater.

Ahhh.... blissful, awesome day.

I am Woman, Hear me Roar

2011-06-06T14:02:00.000-06:00

Inevitably what happens when your hubby doesn't operate on normal world time, is that you end up doing alot of 'man' work. Our home still has lots of stuff that needs to get done, and for the most part, I've picked up alot of it and added it to my list of things to handle. And for the most part, I don't mind.

I'm getting good at transferring car seats, and loading the kids into the back of my Dad's truck to go and get mulch from the sawmill, one town away. And they are getting good at helping their Mama do yardwork. Even Aidan was grabbing one handful of mulch at a time yesterday and throwing it into the wheelbarrow.

We've been in our home now for 8 years, and for 8 years we've had one flower bed that has been an incredible eyesore. It had 4 flowering bushes in it, each half dead. Beside this bed, is our neighbours bed, which has never been maintained, and each year gets more and more riddened with weeds. Last year we had had enough, but this year we did something about it.

A couple weeks ago my hubby cut down the four bushes (7 in total as we also got rid of another 3 in other areas of our yard), then this weekend dug out the stumps. (There are some things this Mama is just not strong enough to do). Today, after taking G to pre-school, Aidan and I went, got the truck, got mulch, and after getting G from school, and putting Aidan down for a nap, Grace and I put down the landscape fabric and threw on the mulch.

I wish I had a before picture to show you, but I think our neighbours (left side) of the photo gives you enough idea of what we were tackling.

Ours is now a clean slate. I think we are going to leave it for this year, then next year put down some big rocks & evergreens. And you know what? For the first time in 8 years, our neighbours came out and spoke with us, saying "we were just about to do our side too". You were, were you.

We also removed the bushes in the front of our house. I still think this would be a great spot to put a little deck. We'll see what happens.

In the meantime, I feel quite proud of my ability to do some tough work, and think it's pretty neat that Grace especially sees that a woman is capable of doing tough dirty work too.

Scratch that Itch

2011-06-05T20:32:00.002-06:00

I've been really good with spending the past few months. Since becoming aware of our budget in April, and actually sticking to it, and trying to skim it down, I've also been buying less "stuff" for myself (yes, this includes yarn). I knew I was in trouble when yesterday I got the deep desire to spend money.

I found myself Googling shoes, etsy handbags, dresses (oh how I want to find summer dresses to wear). And then today, I went out solo to a yarn store, to buy some wool for a swap. I thought the store opened at noon, and arrived at 12:30. The store opened at 1 pm. Here the downward spiral begins.

I had some time to kill, and there was a Starbucks a block away. I could only fight the desire so long, and went and bought a coffee (heh! I haven't bought one in a week!). More time to kill so I wandered through a clothes shop and tried on a couple dresses. Is it me or are dresses really hard to find one you absolutely love and fits properly? I escpaed without a dress, and went to the yarn store.

I picked up the yarn I was looking for, then casually browsed the store. I think that was mistake #2 (if we count SB's at mistake #1). I had ventured through the entire store, was about to check out, and saw this:

It's Malabrigo Rasta in the colorway Indiecita. I've bought this yarn before in fingering weight for a swap, and LOVE the colour. I couldn't resist. I picked up 2 skeins, with the plan to knit myself a cowl for the winter. I had all sorts of justifications - we have long winters here, there are so many colours in this I could wear it with anything, it's been a long time since I bought yarn...

Leaving the store, I called my hubs and Aidan was still sleeping. So I detoured to the mall and tried on a couple of dresses. I think it was lucky that I didn't like either I tried on. Because it put an end to the spending streak. Good for me, and good for the wallet.

Do you ever get the itch to shop? Do you succumb?

Yesterday & Today

2011-05-31T14:25:00.000-06:00

Yesterday:

After delivering Grace, my pregnancy weight quickly fell off, and left me about 5 pounds less than before I was pregnant. I assumed it was due to being a busy, and flustered, first time Mom trying to figure out the new routine. Plus I started running again 4 months post, and at 18 months post ran an Ultramarathon.

It took about 6 months to gain 3 pounds to be able to conceive Aidan. My goal post pregnancy was to be able to keep on an additional 10 pounds than before. That extra ten pounds came, and went, and in January my hubby gently approached me, concerned about my weight loss. I was then 5 pounds less than the 5 pounds I had lost after Grace. I too was concerned and made an appointment with my family Dr. The diagnosis came back as post-partum thyroditis. Basically, a hyper thyroid during the post partum period, that normally takes 12-18 months to normalize. My Dr. said my thyroid was probably still normalizing and no treatment was prescribed.

My weight has continued to drop, and a month ago I started seeing a naturopath - a very eye opening experience. I have learned that my body does not take well to wheat (gluten), oranges, soy, peppers, or tomatoes (among other things). I have eliminated most of those items from my diet, and have started taking protein rice based shakes every morning, plus snacking on things like almonds and hummus.

Despite the great amount of things I have learned about myself, there has still been no weight gain.

Yesterday I went in to see my family Dr. for a yearly check-up. I am relieved that my blood has been re-tested, and that a referral to an endocrinologist has been placed. My Dr. said it is likely I had a thyroid condition prior to pregnancy, that has since worsened.
I will probably get the blood test results later this week, and am looking forward to figuring out a solution. I realize this may seen like an enviable condition. Trust me, it's not.

Today:

My hubby works nights, and takes public transit. Last night/early this morning, when returning to his vehicle, he noticed someone had removed the hubcap and taken off 5 out of the 6 wheel nuts on his front left tire. Who would do such a thing? After an hour on the phone between our local police and the Transit company, it sounds like there is someone targeting his model of truck in that specific parking location. His truck is a '97. Not a big splashy vehicle that you think would attract attention. Today he is off at school, and then to work, so he has my car. The kids and I are spending our day at home (after a wild morning getting Grace to the optometrist thanks to borrowing my Moms car). Thankfully new 'nuts' are easy to track down and his truck should be back on the road by tomorrow.

Update:

Grace has been without TV (cartoon programs) for about 4 days. She's doing great and not even noticing the difference. I had been latte purchasing free since Saturday, until my hubs bought me one yesterday after cleaning out our dog run (I job I hate more than cleaning the toilets). Must point out I didn't ask for him to get me one, he just brought me one home. He knows the way to make me smile :) As for our cash grocery system, I'm organizing our week as a Thursday to Thursday as that is how our local flyers are released. So far, we are doing good! Couple more days to go, and I think we will have had a successful cash week.

Month of 'No Fun'

2011-05-27T12:28:00.000-06:00

For the month of June I'm:

Using a cash system to pay for groceries. I've been buying our groceries on sale, and when possible using coupons. We've built up a small storage of staples and I feel ready to attempt reducing our grocery bill to $125 per week. I think if I do this with cash it will be easier to stick to than using credit.
No Facebook. I get easily caught up in checking updates and spending far too much time browsing Facebook. As of tomorrow I'm signing off for a month.
Grace has been having trouble when we turn off her cartoons. She gets quite upset so we're putting a stop to it. No cartoons for the month of June. She is still allowed to watch movies (such as Tinkerbell, Monsters Inc. etc.) but not TV shows. We've done this before with her. She is pretty compliable and understands why we are doing it. She's already been TV free for two days.
No Starbucks. I know, this scares me too. I do have an espresso machine at home, and should use it more than me going out for a latte. Starbucks is a really bad habit for me. I think if I don't go cold turkey, I won't be able to reduce the amount I drink.

I'll keep you all updated with posts on how I'm doing. I think the first week will be the hardest, then it will just start getting easier. A woman once told me it takes 3 weeks for something to become a habit. Perhaps by July all the changed habits will be a new normal.

Wish me luck!

Loving the Rain!

2011-05-26T13:19:00.000-06:00

Not only is Clifford loving the rain,

But so are the plants. After four days of being in a raincloud, everything is popping up green.

I think I even saw signs of our carrots yesterday. Sun is supposed to be back on Saturday! A few days of sun after all this rain, should have everything looking so fresh!

Off the Needles

2011-05-25T14:22:00.001-06:00

After weeks of glorious weather, we've been in a raincloud for the past three. The kids and I have been having fun with it, going on 'worm hunts' and splashing in puddles. We were at a friends today and Grace decided to jump on their trampoline in the rain with her boots. I love how rain is fun given it's such a rarity around here.

Onto knits... I've been slowly casting on and off projects, but have been neglecting to post them up on this blog. I figure that should change!
It's becoming a bit of a tradition, that for my kids on their birthday I make them a new knit. Here is Grace shortly before her 4th birthday modelling her new sweater for me :)

The pattern is Boheme by Allegra Wermuth. Ravelled here.

This is the second time I knit the pattern, but thankfully had a model to make adjustments with this time. In order to get the sweater to fit G, I had to knit the top as a size 2T, and the bottom as a size 8. This is definetely not a pattern to knit based solely on a childs typical clothing size. As a result of the huge size changes, I cast on an additional 12 stitches under each armhole.

The yarn is Blue Moon Fibre Arts Sock that Rocks Heavyweight in colorway 'Deck the Halls'. Grace wanted pink - and this IS pink!

I love that this can be layered with a long sleeve on rainy days like today, or with a tank underneath during the summer. This knit used up every little bit of an entire skein. I even had to undo my gauge swatch and use that to finish the edging. Close call!

Happy rainy knitting day to you all!

Giveaway Day!

2011-05-23T15:06:00.001-06:00

It's Giveaway Day today! I wish I had been more on the ball with this and could have participated. It's a rainy day in Alberta today, and a great afternoon to spend perusing awesome creative blogs.

Whether it be rainy where you are or not, you should peruse too. Heh, you might find a new blog you love, or you might win something!

And a shout out to Elizabeth & Affectioknit. They're participating! Go check out their blogs :)

This Month & Random Thoughts

2011-05-20T18:42:00.000-06:00

This month we've:

Celebrated Grace's birthday
Left the kids both overnight for the first time. Nate and I had our first weekend away together since before we had kids. An amazing wonderful time.
We had our in-laws in town to visit. It was great having extra hands around our home to help.
A baby was born to a close friend. A brother for two sweet sisters.
Another baby was born to another great friend, just five days later. This time a sweet sister for two awesome brothers.
Grace has started sleeping without pull ups at night and staying dry.
Aidan has slept through the night for the first time since he was born.

There has been this, and so much more. And on Monday morning, I heard on the radio that tomorrow, May 21st, may be the end of the world. That rapture will be occuring.

My only thought on this, is that biblically we are told that we will not know when Rapture will occur. There will be signs, but we will not know. Based on that, I don't think rapture will occur tomorrow. Nate and I still have plans to work on our yard for most of the day, and perhaps share a glass of wine at night. Sunday morning will see me waking up with the kids shortly after 7 am. I might make them celebratory waffles that the world has not ended.

And, in the rare circumstance, that these people are smarter than God and they know the world is going to end, I welcome it. I'm not scared of death. I don't think so anyways, but I've also never had to face it.

This past week a small town in Alberta was nearly wiped out due to Forest Fires. Alot of people have been asking if you had ten minutes to evacuate your home what would you take? I think I'd take my computer as it has all of our photos on it, then I'd take Grace's baby book & our wedding album.

What would you take? What are your thoughts on the world ending?

Dirt

2011-05-13T19:05:00.000-06:00

We've been spending alot of time outside already this Spring. Cleaning the debris out of the flower beds, and getting ready to put new things in.

The amazing part of all of this, is it's the first year since Grace was born, that I've been able to do this. G isn't particular to getting dirty, but for some awesome reason she's taken to collecting worms this year. And Aidan is more than happy to toddle around the yard, climb into the dirt, dig in the dirt, play in the sandbox, or sit on the deck. It's SO wonderful.

Ignore all that ugly grass surrounding the tree. I told you, I have ALOT of work outside to do!

Especially wonderful is going in to cook dinner and being able to see this scene from the window. We've thought off and on about moving, but being able to look out my kitchen window and see the kids playing outside, made me really love this house today.

And a bonus photo for you. Grace is getting pretty good at taking photos isn't she!

Happy Four!

2011-05-09T11:15:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday, my beautiful daughter Grace turned four.

It was a perfect day - blueberry pancakes in the morning in the shape of the #4, then out for a manicure & pedicure with me. A lunch date followed with her Dad, a movie in the afternoon and smashing of her pinata (she made her own this year!), and family over for dinner & cake that night. It was a full day, but it never felt too busy. I think it was the best birthday we've had for her yet.

Here's some fun facts about this newly minted four year old:

She still loves Rice Krispies for breakfast. Still almost every morning.

If not Rice Krispies, then blueberry pancakes.

Her favorite candy are Blue Whales, or Kinder Eggs.

She loves to play make believe with her toys.

This past year she has learned to spell her name, and can write the letters G & A.

She also has learned to skip :)

Most days with Grace are now easy. There are still moments of drama, and the need to discipline, but she is a little soul that I love to be around. She has a smile and laughter that are contagious, and she loves to have fun.

I can't wait to see what adventures this next year will bring us :)

Going Gluten Free - or Trying to...

2011-05-04T08:40:00.000-06:00

About a month ago I made the decision to start seeing a naturopath for some health issues I've been having since Aidan was born. I have now had two appointments and have learned some very interesting things about my body. The biggest yesterday, after a food sensitivity test, that my body does not do well with wheat. It came up in multiple ways in the test - gluten wheat & gluten barley, wheat based beers & soy sauce. My body does also not like peppers, oranges, raspberries, blackberries, soy products (includes tofu), and walnuts to name a few others.

My naturopath would like me to do a three week cleanse off of the major ones - wheat, peppers & soy. The peppers and soy I can get around fairly easily, and I thought I could manage off the wheat. But, with very little googling, I am realizing how nieve I was, and strictly replacing all purpose flour with rice or potato flour just will not work. Without the gluten the flour doesn't have the same properties and won't have the elasticity. I'm learning words such as xanthum.

I'm determined to still be able to make my own bread and enjoy pancakes with the kids in the morning. Is anyone out there gluten free and/or celiac and have a tried and true all purpose flour replacement? I came up with this one on the web that I might give a go at.

Royal Wedding - Four Year Old Perspective

2011-04-29T14:21:00.000-06:00

I hummed and hawed the past week about whether or not to watch the Royal Wedding. In all honesty, I was happy just watching the highlights on the news at a normal, more human, hour of the day.

But last night, I explained to Grace, that in a place far away, in the middle of our night, a prince would be marrying his princess. Would she like to get up to watch? Her enthusiasm was extraordinary - she went to bed at 6 pm. An hour and a half before her regular routine. She didn't want stories, just wanted to be tucked in.

Snuggled on the couch at 3 am watching the procession.

Her excitement started to grow on me as well. By 8:30 pm, I too headed to bed. But not without first asking my hubby to pick up two sprinkle donuts on his way home from work. If we were getting up at 3 am our local time, to watch William mary Kate, we might as well make it special.

Grace had gone to bed wearing her princess nightgown, but had also laid up her princess costume clothes to get dressed up in once, as she put it, the princess appeared. She woke up, put on her 'lipstick' (lipbalm), and then, when Kate got into the car to head to the Abbey, she put on all her dress up clothes, beads, and a pink tiara. She even found beads for me to wear. And we ate our donuts on my real china.

Aidan has been sick this week with the flu, and Grace has been oh so patient, and not getting as much attention as she really needs. This morning, at 3 am, it was so nice to just be hanging out, doing something special, just her and I. And she was rivited to that TV, asking a gazillion questions "Where is the princesses Daddy? Who is that man in the cape? What are they singing? When are they going to kiss?"

Finding me a necklace to wear from her dress up trunk.

At 5:30 am, after William & Kate had entered Buckingham Palace, I tucked her back in bed. She slept til 8 and was ready to go to pre-school.

Bless her heart. She reminds me to just go for it and enjoy all the great moments life has to offer.

Grace 'with' the Queen Mum.

As for me - I took a nap today, and am SO glad I woke up to watch 'the show'. Simply breathtaking & fantastic.

*Perhaps the best moment, was when I was explaining to Grace that the wedding was in London. She looked at me, gasped and said "Where the Dalmatians live?" :)

Lucky Stars

2011-04-28T10:31:00.000-06:00

Remember this post where I was struggling with figuring out how to do a quilted birthday banner for Grace? The pictures and clothes sat untouched until yesterday, when I realized in a bit of a panic, that birthday week started the next day - today. I had to get this banner done!

Birthday banner hung in the kitchen above the kids craft table.

Thanks to Holly for commenting on my post about a memory quilt. I hadn't thought furthur than just making the squares, and I loved the idea of making them into a permanent memory quilt for Grace when she was older. I started doing some Googling of both memory quilts, and quilt patterns, and landed on this one - Lucky Stars. Not only is the name suitable (for I count myself beyond lucky to be Grace's Mom), but the format also works really well for having a photo as the centre.

Birth square - Grace was 2 weeks old in the photo. The pink flannel was my receiving blanket, the yellow was one of hers. I love that a bit of me, and a bit of her, are used in this quilt block.

Cutting up her wee tiny clothes last night was not as scary as I thought. It was actually wonderful being able to take those tiny little memories that have been stored up in boxes, and use them for something new and wonderful.

Year One - The photo was taken at Grace's 1st birthday party. The yellow is from her first Easter dress, and the pink with turtles is one of her summer PJ's.

This morning I finished putting the finishing touches and got the banner up. For this year, I've hung the four photos (birth through age 3) on a piece of flannel (that was used for a rag quilt I made her). As the years progress I will need to find a larger way to showcase them over the week before her birthday, but I have another year to figure that out.

Year 2 - I love this one. The photo was taken on a trip to Hawaii we squeezed in before her 2nd birthday. The blue whale fabric are some pyjama pants of hers, and the remaining fabric is from the quilt I made her that year.

Year 3 - Photo taken from a joint birthday dinner for her and my brother. The fabrics are two of her pyjamas (see a theme? Grace loves her PJ's!).

I've kept the remaining pieces of clothes and will eventually use those, with future fabrics that will be her favorites in years to come, to do the borders around each frame. (For instance, year 16 (eep!) may have pieces of her yellow Easter dress around it from year 2).

To go along with the quilt, I'm making her a quilt journal where I will write about all the different fabrics used and their significance. I think this project pairs perfectly with the birthday letters I've been writing her each year.

Everytime I see the banner in the kitchen, it makes me smile. When I hung it up, Grace gave me a big hug. I think she loves it too.

The Loop!

2011-04-26T15:39:00.000-06:00

A new yarn store (The Loop) will soon be opening up in Calgary (the 5th store for the city!). Not only am I thrilled to have such an awesome yarn store in my neck of the woods, but it's also partly owned by a friend of mine - Annie.

Despite not having had their official opening yet, they have opened their doors Thursday nights for knit nights.

The kids and I were eating dinner last week, and I got the crazy idea, despite being 45 minutes away from A's naptime, to throw them in the car and head over to knit night. Not to knit, but to snoop. Awesome idea for me, bad idea for the yarn diet.

I eyed this amazing green yarn (Noro Shirakaba in the Lime colorway) . Went home, and decided it had to also come home with me. The kids and I swung by the store this morning and picked it up. Problem (big or little, not sure yet) is they have a 90 day return policy for unused yarn. This means, I need to knit this into the following sweater pattern, in roughly three months.

It's the Equinox Raglan - don't let this photo fool you... I've seen it knit up by other knitters to look gorgeous!

Good thing I'm a gal who likes a challenge. I'll keep you updated on my progress!

Wishing you....

2011-04-23T19:14:00.000-06:00

A wonderful Easter weekend! I hope yours is filled with friends, family & treats :)

New Blog!

2011-04-23T08:24:00.002-06:00

Pssst... I've started a new blog.. over here, for all my crazy grocery shopping finds. Feel free to stop on over, take a peek, and contribute with your own savvy ways to find a deal!

Sewing Suggestions Needed!

2011-04-19T19:09:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine had made a birthday banner for her sons 1st birthday. I loved the idea so much I did the same for Aidan's 1st. Given I was doing a photo for every month, I did them in a scrapbook style with photos, papers, and embellishments.

For Grace though (& Aidan next year) I want something more permanent. So far, I've taken a photo of her from birth til age 3 and have transferred them onto fabric. I have also picked out a garment she wore from each of those years to use as the quilt fabric around the photo. I've gotten my head around cutting the garments up, but I can't figure out/decide HOW to cut them up. Help?

The first is her baby photo. The shirt is the first she wore, and also has sentimental value as she wore it the first time she met my Uncle who has since passed away. My thought for this is, because it is so wee, to leave it as is and sew the photo directly onto the front of the shirt.

Next is her 3rd birthday photo and her Curious Geroge PJ shirt (her favorite PJ's). The shirt has alot of neat features such as buttons & ruffles. I think I could use these features to jazz up the quilting.

But I'm struggling with year 2 and year 1. Year 2 is her dress she wore for her birthday party. It has a neat neckline, but also has smocking. It does have ties at the back that I could use somehow? Year 1 is a pair of her summer PJ's. Totally at a loss here.

Suggestions?

I plan to add to this each year, and I hang it up one week before their birthday :)

The state of things

2011-04-14T20:10:00.000-06:00

First, I'm not one of those Mothers that jumps everytime her child sneezes or sniffles. I keep at the back of my mind, that if they can play, then they will be ok. I give every bug they get a few days, just to see if it is passing, or if it is staying. I only call our family doctor if I get that nagging "this just isn't right" in the back of my mind.

Aidan developed a fever mid Monday afternoon. It wasn't too high - just 99. I gave him some Tylenol and monitored him overnight. By morning his fever was gone. Tuesday he seemed totally fine. Wednesday saw him develop a cough. And as Wednesday and Thursday progressed, the cough became raspy, persistent, and worse when he slept. No runny nose, no other symptoms other than he was happiest on my hip, and his cough seemed to be worsening. I called our family physician.

I have been with our family physician for the 9 years I've been back in Calgary, and three years before I moved to Victoria. It is in a small town just outside the city. A couple of weeks ago, they moved to the newer side of town, into a new building, and merged their practice with other physicians. When I called to get Aidan an appointment today, I was told our Dr. doesn't work in the afternoon, nor on Fridays. That the soonest appointment would be next Wednesday. Wednesday? I, as politely as possible, said "you have to be kidding". There are no open appointments for people that need to be seen that day? I was told to go to a walk-in clinic. What is the point of a family physician if you can't see said family physician? Back when they were in their old location, I could call and get an appointment within an hour.

So I took Aidan to a walk in clinic, and saw a man who was not unfriendly, but also wasn't friendly. He questioned the bruise on Aidan's forehead, told me to wash his hands since he had been crawling - but no, not with that cold water, make sure it is warm. The whole appointment I kept thinking "who is his Mother?" I realize he is a Dr. but it felt like I was 17 and was being scrutinized for my parenting skills. On a day where, between both kids, I maybe got three hours sleep the night prior.

I realize that our healthcare is better than most, and as my husband pointed out, at least we have a family physician (whether we can see them or not). Many in our city don't.

But I'm sitting here tonight, listening to my son occasionally cough in the monitor, and am wondering where the state of things is going. What healthcare will be like a year from now, or even what it will be like when my kids are in their twenties.

How are things where you are?

My kind of snow

2011-04-14T12:51:00.000-06:00

For the first time in a long time, yesterday I could almost only see grass in our backyard. There were still some patches of snow, but green grass was showing through. By late afternoon, snow was once again starting to fall. By the time I put the kids to bed, the green grass was covered in a new blanket of white.

But this is my kind of snow. Heavy, wet, and perfect for snowmen. Or, in the case of April snow flurries that deliver 15cm, snow rabbits.

I suspect our rabbits will only last a couple of days. But they make me smile everytime I look out the window :)

Bread!

2011-04-08T17:37:00.000-06:00

As part of my new focus on cutting grocery costs, I've started making my own bread. The first couple of loaves I made were in our breadmaker, but I wasn't impressed with how they turned out. They were dense, small, and did not pass the kid & husband approved test. So I tried a loaf from scratch. I had already purchased 8 grain cereal, and honey for the breadmaker recipe, so wanted to make a from scratch loaf that also included those ingredients. What I found was this Multigrain Recipe.

The first recipe was such a success, that my husband who doesn't like bread, has been having two slices for breakfast every morning.

A loaf from the store would last the kids and I a week. This loaf lasted us two days.

So I made two more loaves this week. But there needs to be some improvement in my bread making skills. The recipe uses my mixer with a dough hook rather than kneading by hand... but, it makes it hard to make more than one loaf at a time. And, with the rate this bread is being eaten, I need to start making batch quantites.

So, bread makers out there, can you share your secrets? How do you make multiple loaves? Is it part of the recipe you use, or do you have some tricks?

Also looking for any recipes you make and love. What I like about the one above is that it uses various grains, and honey for a sweetener rather than sugar. I'd like to make sure that the recipes I use are for either whole wheat or multigrain.

Feeling Good About 32

2011-04-06T12:50:00.000-06:00

I've been slowly making changes over the past few months.

I've donated clothes that no longer fit me properly, and bought a few new items that do.

I've made a commitment to getting my eybrows waxed (maintained eyebrows make me feel so much better about me).

Most recently, I've followed Robin's steps, and I'm waking up before the kids so that I'm starting the day with some time for me, and a shower.

I'm trying to look put together when I leave the house.

And with all these changes, I feel like I'm putting me first alot more than I used to.

I'm also making changes around our house. I'm keeping lists of things to do from 'clean the toilet' 'take out the recycling' to even 'wash the kitchen cupboards and do my taxes'. My 'rule' is, if I move to a new page on my list, then the items on the page prior become priority. So far, it's working for me.

I'm also purging. I'm getting rid of a ton of items that have been lurking in our basement for far too many years.

With all these changes though, I somehow stopped focusing on our budget, and stopped making meal plans. And when I signed up for PearBudget this past weekend, and entered our expenses from March, I was shocked. Being open and honest, we had spent over $1000 in groceries. That is ridiculous for a family of four, two of whom are very little people.

I put a post up on Facebook about how to cut down on grocery costs. Here is a summary:

Buy in bulk
Make meal plans
Buy less pre-packaged and make more from scratch
Good Food Box for produce
Shopping at specific stores for deals

So, on Saturday, I made a meal plan for the MONTH. I then wrote out which items were things that we could buy in bulk, and which were smaller items I could buy in a supermarket. I then split the supermarket items between two stores. One where I feel comfortable buying produce, and one where I can get cheaper, dry goods. And then, I looked at Flyers for the stores to figure out the best deals. When I went shopping, I brought my mega list with me, checked prices, wrote them down. And, three days later, I have hit three stores, and other than fresh veggies and fruits, I have all the food (and more) that we need for this month. We also have a ton of stuff stored. I feel confidant we are going to see a major change this month in our grocery total.

I have been feeling lately like this 32nd year for me, is a really good year full of positive changes for me, and for my family.

What are your secrets for feeling better about yourself, or for keeping your budget under control?

April Fun

2011-04-03T09:53:00.000-06:00

It's fairly typical around these parts to get our largest dump of snow in the Spring. With no exception, the snowstorm hit yesterday. We awoke to a blanket of white and it snowed big flakes all day long. My girlfriend said she had 11" of snow. I'm not sure how much we got here, but it was alot.

This morning it was 3C, and after breakfast I bundled up the kids for some backyard snow angel fun.

I was surprised how much Aidan liked it. I haven't, until now, actually put him in the snow, but he laughed and batted at it.

Grace was game to make some snow angels (all three of us are there!), and wanted to take a photo of Aidan and I, but after that, my indoor Diva was done (this girl will not be a skier or snowboarder).

We headed back in for hot chocolate with marshmallows. I think I might go have my coffee outdoors though, and leave the kidlets inside with Nate :)

And, look at that! A robin was out this morning! Sure sign that Spring is here!

Tree Jacket

2011-04-01T12:34:00.000-06:00

Not very original, nor as sassy or risque as Nate's. Can you help fix that?

This sweater (the pattern is called Tree Jacket) flew off my needles much more quickly than my hubby's did. I think partly because it wasn't all 1X1 rib, and also that it was knit from top down with minimal seaming. I also did the arms two at a time on two circular needles to help speed things up, and avoid second sleeve syndrome.

I chose the yarn for colour, and for cost. A skein of Cascade 220 averages about $8 CAN. This sweater only took 5 skeins. What I didn't account for, but now I am so pleased about, is this is a workhorse yarn that stands up extremely well to a baby on the hip, who occasionally still likes to spit up. At the end of the day, it still holds the same shape as it did at the beginning - despite being pulled and tugged on. Awesome. I like how the yarn washes up to not feel quite as bulky as it did whilst being knit. For all those reasons, I think at least over these next few years with littles, I'll be knitting another garment for myself with Cascade.

Chop!

2011-03-31T08:27:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I took these long locks down to the beauty salon

*On a side note, I think beauty salon is such a funny term. Makes me think of the '80's and Grease for some reason...

And, I went drastic. The nice gal kept asking me if I was sure I didn't want to be able to tie it back. Nope, I was ready.

And I'm so pleased with the results. It is similar style to what I used to wear for years, but the bangs are new. Haven't had those since I was probably 7 or 8.

And you know what is the best part of this haircut?

I was actually able to style it myself today so it looks like what the hairdresser did. I think that speaks volumes of how great this hairdresser was.

See what I'm wearing? That's my new sweater! I'll show you tomorrow :)

Away & Home

2011-03-26T20:22:00.000-06:00

We escaped winter for 6 days. When we reached Calgary yesterday, Grace asked why we had left Summer. Good point my sweet.
Our typical day included a morning walk to a local coffee shop. Knitting & a movie during Aidan's naptime. Swimming or another walk in the afternoon. Sometimes a game of 'stick ball' (Pool). An adult movie at night. Perfect and relaxing.

Grace slept one of the nights in a bed all by herself, in a room all by herself. Big steps for my girl. She came back to sleep with me the night after. But one night, is one night. I was both proud and missed her immensely.
Aidan is cutting tooth #9. Please make the break soon.
He is walking more and more. He has started trying to do up his own buckles in his stroller and highchair. He likes to cross his feet when he sits which makes me smile. He likes to feed people his snacks. Especially his sister.

I finished a sweater. My photographer (aka hubby) is away til Monday. You'll have to wait on photos, but I can't wait to show you!
We came home a day early on Friday. It is so nice to be away from the rush of normal life, but it is also so sweet to come home.

I hope you had a lovely week also!

Getting Away for 60!

2011-03-18T20:41:00.000-06:00

When my Dad turned 60 this past December, his birthday wish was to get the whole family together for a weeks holiday. He and my Mom got a timeshare that sleeps 10 (and has a pool table & jacuzzi!) and (most) of my family booked the week off of work and other activities.

The time has finally arrived for this grand event, and the kiddos and I caravan with my parents tomorrow to the resort, for an entire week.

I have one suitcase, a playpen, a stroller, 2 bags of food already packed. I still have laundry running, a highchair, and a cooler to go.

Can someone tell me at what age packing with kids gets easier? I've been going at it for a solid day (ok, my little guy does help unpack as quickly as I pack.. ).

Have a lovely week everyone!

Family Tradition

2011-03-16T20:13:00.000-06:00

Shortly after Grace turned one, and met the weight and age requirement to switch from a rear facing car seat, to a forward facing car seat, we switched her to forward facing. I felt the desire to make a big excursion of it. So we loaded her in the car, and drove to Cochrane (a town about 1/2 hr outside the city) and took her to MacKays Icecream store for her first ice cream cone.

May 9, 2008 - Grace facing forward in the car for the first time!

The weight restrictions have since changed, and it is now required that the child be one, as well as 22 pounds (it was previously 20 pounds). At Aidan's one year appointment, he was just below 19. On a whim yesterday, I took him to the nearest vaccination clinic and weighed him - 22 pds, 13 oz! Woot! So, without delay, this morning we switched his car seat, loaded in the kids, and headed to Cochrane for his first icecream cone.

The whie stuff on Aidan's seat - snow! Flurries this morning and -2C!

He was such a happy camper facing forward and giggled for about the first twenty minutes of the trip.

Given tomorrow is St. Patty's Day, Nate and I decided it was fitting his first cone be green - thus he had Mint Chocolate Chip :)

On a side note, this little girl is almost four. Look at her sitting there eating a cone without hardly making a mess and crossing her legs! I keep telling myself not to blink - she is becoming SUCH a little lady!

The three of us outside MacKay's. We had such a fun time celebrating Aidan today. Do you have any fun family traditions?

New Form of Exercise

2011-03-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was surfing around Ravelry tonight, and came across a project of a woman who knit a gigantic blanket. Now, you may not find that that interesting, but take a gander at this video.

I particularly like the knitting combined with the music - lol. But, I did some Googling (I love how Google will tell you anything) and found the following:

Calories burned with Sitting - Knitting

Sewing, Lt. Wrapping (Presents)

102 calories per hour

Assuming a body weight of: 150 lbs

This is equivalent to eating any of the lines of the following table.

Quantity Description Cals

0.4 Grande Starbucks Caffe Latte - Made with whole milk 272

0.1 McDonald's Big Mac - With cheese 704

1.3 Glasses of wine (3.5 fl oz) 79

0.4 Snickers Bar 273

0.5 Cans of Coca-Cola 207

3.4 Carrots 30

I think that this woman, knitting with PVC pipe, burned at least quadruple the amount listed above.

Perhaps I should knit a gigantic blanket, if even to justify my love of Starbucks ;)