Good day

We took our first real bike ride of the season yesterday. Husband went in to work early so he could get home early and it was awesome. The weather was gorgeous and our road was just paved, so that was nice. Husband was supposed to ride the Madsen with Daughter in the back and then I was supposed to take my bike (a Trek something or other) with Son on it, but it didn't work out. There's some piece that's bent that makes it not shift gears right. Scary. So I rode the Madsen, which is lovely, but difficult on hills (mostly because of the 5 year old in the back).

It was really nice to get out of the house and not have to think about what needed to be done. What we should be doing (like clean the gutters) and just enjoy the evening. The moment. And there was a big moment for Daughter who is scared of most everything (I joke that I want to give Daughter a bit of Son's courage and Son a bit of Daughter's fear...I'm really only half joking), she went down the big slide! The biggest slide that was there!

Also, my mom says it wasn't a cheap purse, it was leather. I say there are cheap leather purses out there.

Before and After number 2

I'm so creative with the subjects don't you think? One day I'm going to shock you all and have something totally creative and bizarre, but for now you'll have to settle with what the post is actually about. Also, I promise some posts on how I stay organized, probably next week, after I donate some stuff that shouldn't be in my living room because I did this yesterday.

That dresser is from April 4, 1964 or April 9th, I can't recall, but either way the date is stamped in one of the drawers. That is also the dresser that was in my room as a child and I believe it's the one that I got in trouble for. There was a blue spot on it at one time and I was blamed for it. Because I couldn't look my mom in the eye and tell her I didn't do it (meaning I broke eye contact at some point). Now I know that it's normal to break eye contact when being honest and abnormal to make no eye contact at all or not break away eye contact. This is why I got in trouble when I wasn't lying and got away with lying so much as a teenager. This little tidbit of information will now make all of us better moms (not than my mom - she worked with the information she had at the time just as we all do) , but anyways, my mom totally 'fessed up a couple of years ago that it was her cheap blue purse that made the spot, not one of us. I got to give a very nice I told you so and now the dresser is mine.

I now feel vindicated as the dresser has a nice shade of blue gray on it. Of course I really just wanted a light gray and the color that came out of the can is not the color that was on top of the can. I'm thinking about repainting it, but I'm also kind of busy and this color isn't that bad. (I am still so happy I painted that floor white - it's dirty now but still beautiful.)

I was going to get new hardware because the stuff that was on it was in such bad shape, but then I remembered that we had some aluminum colored paint that Husband used on our gas line (it was starting to rust which is not good). So instead of dragging two kids to the hardware store, I painted the old hardware. It actually turned out really well, but we'll see how it holds up to the wear of us using it.

On top of the dresser is a set of drawers (it holds my rings - pretty and functional), two candles (the only room in the house that I have candles and an elephant that was brought back from India for my mom. She knew I'd like it and it doesn't match her decor so she gave it to me. I've had it for 6 or 7 years now (I'm trying this new keep only what I really love). The Eiffel Tower candle is from our first apartment where I decorated the living room in a Paris theme. I've since gotten rid of most of the Paris stuff, but kept a few items that I really loved. Another item is on top of the quilt rack which is on the wall above the dresser.

See it up there? And so you don't think I'm making up this keep what I love thing, the Rosie was brought back from Portland as a gift from Husband, the paper weight came from the rock shop in Arkansas that he'd visit as a kid while visiting his Grandma, and the Mozart and Beethoven bookends were a gift from me to Husband for our first Christmas together (he loves classical music). Even the books have made it through numerous prunings (that's what I call it when I go through things to see if there's anything we could get rid of). As much as I never wanted to become a Kindle nerd because I love the way books feel, it has made my house a little less crowded. I say a little because we still have tons of books all over the house, I just tend to use them as decoration now. I do love my books.

Oh and the quilt was my mom's baby quilt.

How did you spend your Monday?

This is what I did with my Monday. And it was glorious. The weather was absolutely perfect (even though it was supposed to storm) and the strawberries were plentiful. I know you can't tell that from the above photo, but that basket was filled within a half hour. 10 lbs. I froze them so that come the middle of winter when we really want fresh fruit we will have something close to it. It's also good for teething children. Just put the strawberries (greens removed) on a cookie sheet so they can freeze separately and then, once frozen, put them in a plastic freezer bag (or mason jars in my case - I freaking love mason jars) and back in the freezer.

Daughter filled her own basket which I cut in half and put in the fridge. Hers was a much smaller basket and tonight we'll feast on strawberry shortcake. She is unbelievably excited even though she's never had it before (how I have let this happen I do not know). We didn't make the shortcake ourselves and instead bought it from the farm stand where we went strawberry picking. At least I'm supporting a local business yes?

As you can tell from his hands, Son also thoroughly enjoyed the strawberries. I think he ate about as many as we picked, thereby following the pick more than you eat rule that the farm has.

links

What a stay at home mom does all day - she pretty much nails it.

Hamburger cookies - absolutely no baking and kid helper friendly.

Home made Edible Finger Paint - this would be good for Son who tried to eat paint the last time I let him finger paint.

Home made Yogurt - my new yogurt recipe - I do not have a yogurt maker so I use a jelly roll pan, an electric heating pad and a thick towel.

Making a Pom Pom - without a pom pom maker.

Bath Crayons - awesome!

Spray Painted Mason Jars - I love mason jars, and not just for canning.

Peaceful

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, go to" Soule Mama or leave a link to your moment in the comments.

*This is the girl I babysit, not Daughter.

My list

Inspired by The Last Mom on Earth and the list of inspirations go on from there. I say inspired, but really, I'm totally stealing this idea from her. I asked her first, so I think it's okay.

I actually think you could gather a lot about me from reading this blog, but just in case you've only been paying attention to the crafty side this could be your chance to catch up. And in bullet form. Who doesn't love bullet form?

• The place I was happiest living was Chicago. We lived there for 2 years before having a child and moving to the suburbs (we moved when Daughter was 3 months old).
• I love that our house is considered small (I consider it modest sized; it's about 1200 square feet). It's a lot easier to clean and keep clean, it's better for the environment, we're able to have a larger yard, we don't have the space to hold on to a bunch of things, I'm teaching my kids how to give to charity, and we're all learning that you don't need a lot of stuff to be happy. Plus, I like the challenge of decorating/organizing a small house.
• I love my children, but I sometimes need a break. I think that recognizing this makes me a better mom.
• I love biking. I love biking so much that we bought a Madsen so that it would be easier to do with 2 kids (I tried a trailer first, but Daughter and I both hated it). I really want an electric assist for it so that I could use the bike instead of the van. The added bonus is that it would be better for the environment (I try to do my part).
• I was super excited when I got my composter. We tried the whole compost in a pile in the yard and it was great until Son and the dog started getting into it.
• I make my own yogurt. I just recently tried this recipe and it is much thicker than just using milk. My family loved it. I don't have a yogurt maker, so I use an electric heating pad on a jelly pan with a thick towel over the yogurt. I've only had it not work once.
• I hate Christmas. I hate it more than you could possibly imagine. I will only be giving gifts to my kids this year.
• I believe in eating locally and ethically whenever possible.
• Having children made me even more pro-choice.
• I am very political in my private life. I have very strong liberal opinions which can turn people off, but here's the thing, we may not agree but we can still get along.
• I've never understood judging people or hatred. Or hatred while judging people.
• I studied psychology in hopes of figuring out what was wrong with me. I studied sociology to better understand hatred.
• I would totally live on a farm and have chickens if I could. There's a group trying to get rid of the backyard chicken ban ordinance and I'm totally going to join them.
• I will not (purposely) have any more kids. With all the problems I had during my two pregnancies I think it would be a very selfish decision.

I think that's all that I want to share. You could ask if you really want to know something else or something more about one of the above. Or you could tell me some things on your list.

tiny tea leaves

Remember back to sweater #6? The Tiny Tea Leaves cardigan in the most luscious wool? The one Daughter refused to wear and told me it was "too itchy?" Yeah, that one. She wore it. She didn't want me to get photos, but I'm sneaky and I spent a lot of time on that sweater.

The back was an easy shot to get since she was trying to hide from me. (Also, that's the door knob from Anthropologie that required a bore insert, non-adjustable tube latch and longer spindle. It's the most expensive door knob I own. I don't recommend their knobs unless you have vintage doors or are willing to do some work and spend some money).

I really must make one of these sweaters for me.

number 9 number 9 number 9 number 9

I finished sweater #9 for the same little dude that received sweater #7. He was recently baptized and is now my newest Godson. He deserved something special. I suspect he'll have so many hand made items that I included a bottle of Eucalan with the gift.

I used the Sweet Potato Baby Sweater pattern. This sweater is technically crocheted, but I'm still including it in the Year of Sweaters. It's my year, so I'm making the rules.

This pattern was really nice. The only confusion I had was whether or not to skip the first stitch when you chained 2 for the double crochet (you do). I did have to rip out a row because I got that wrong the first time. When crocheting the separate pieces of the sweater I was a little worried that it wouldn't look good all put together, but I was totally wrong. The mom loved it for the same reasons I do, it's extremely versatile and cute. I really try to make clothes that can be worn for many seasons; not just so that they get a lot of use, but also because I want them to be able to wear it as much as possible.

The Dad loved it for the buttons at the shoulders. Anything with a wide neck is good when dressing a baby.

And, just because I had it, a photo of the sweater taken with the instagram app. I love this app.

letter to my 16 year old self

Inspired by Last Mom on Earth who was inspired by Soul Pancake who was inspired by this.

Dear Me,

Where do I even start? You're in your worst year of high school, the one with the history teacher where you just want to go to the bathroom and puke instead of having to walk into her classroom. The year your mom starts nursing school and it feels like you've lost her. That coupled with all those hormones and some poor choices in friends (you know the ones that only call you when they're alone because they're too embarassed to hang out with you otherwise...you know who I'm talking about) drive you to some very poor choices.

I could tell you not to pick up the razor blade, that one day you'll have to explain those scars to your daughter and son, but I know you (because I was you) and you won't listen. And maybe it's best that you don't listen. Because all those terrible choices you make, all the scratches you explain away, the long sleeves on an 80° F day, and the terrible choices in boys who are just as fucked up as you; all of those things lead you on an amazing (albeit extremely difficult) path.

I don't want to give too much away; you'll see for yourself one day. It does get better than that high school teacher and crappy friends. Instead of writing terribly tragic song lyrics (think Tori Amos - Blood Roses, Icicle, Silent All These Years and Sarah McLachlan's Good Enough) and relating to them so much because they're so tragic and you're so full of melodramatic pain; you'll appreciate them in a different way. For the stirring moments that can bring you right back to a place, but you're able to leave. You'll love that you got help from a whole myriad of counselors (7 to be exact and you'll appreciate them all in a different way), you'll be thankful for every day with your children and husband, and you'll be grateful for the wisdom you've gained along the way that make you a better mom and wife. These are the songs you'll start to relate to:

This is not to say your life is perfect. There are still some ironic moments and people that still make you want to puke before you see them, but you're much more grateful for just being able to live it. And there's a sense of peace within yourself that you've never had before. I'm sorry it took so long and I'm sorry you are so miserable and angry right now. It gets worse before it gets better, but hang in there because it all leads to the most amazing thing.

Love,

Me

P.S. You're 31 now and still going strong. You'll know why that's a big deal.

taking a ride

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, go to" Soule Mama or leave a link to your moment in the comments.

this is how we do it

Yesterday when it was raining I decided to take my dirty hand knits and do this.

I always choose to use Eucalan (I'm not paid to say that). I like it because it's simple as long as there are no stains (and I've been lucky enough to not get stains...yet). Put it in tepid water and let soak for at least 15 minutes (I usually forget about the clothes at this point so they soak longer). Then squeeze (never wring out) and roll them up in a towel, stomp on the rolled up towel, and then lay them flat to dry.

Before you see the next photos and freak out a little, they were laying flat to dry all night. They were almost dry and I hung them for that last tiny bit of drying so that they would smell nice. I promise I'm not ruining them.

Something about clothes drying on the line gives me a little bit of peace. I'm odd, I already know this. Also, there's a stow away in my bathroom window.

Her name is Kat. Yes, I named my cat Kat. Kudos to you if you understand the reference. And that blue out of focus thing? That's my clothes pin holder.

There was absolutely no measuring involved in this. I used this one as inspiration, but I really wanted a hook instead of snaps. It just seemed like it would be easier to hang on the line and move it with me.

I made a rectangle and then folded that rectangle in half. I then used a plate to trace and make the curve on the top. I then undid it and traced it so that I would have two pieces. I traced a cup on one of the pieces to make a hole and used seam binding around the hole to make it look nicer. I used seam binding to hold the hook as well because I'm a little lazy like that. I put the two pieces right side together with the hook sandwiched on the inside and sewed the edges. I should have taken pictures, but I was more concerned with finishing because Husband had just bought 96 clothes pins.

On a side note, my brain does tend to work this way. It always seems so random, but yet, a little tied together.

Loving

• I got a picture of sweater #7
• yoga pants - whoever came up with these is a genius.
• that Daughter makes friends so easily (she made 2 yesterday and apparently planned play dates - we need to talk about how only Mom's plan play dates).
• almost done with sweater #9
• that I found a soaker pattern that will fit my toddler (Vanilla Soaker*)

• warm summer evenings spent outside (sometimes with a glass of wine)
• that people read this thing (even though I can't quite define what it is)
• As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis Devoto (I miss snail mail)
• The poorly named Cougar Town

sweater #8

I can't believe I have finished 8 sweaters already. I know, they're mostly pint sized sweaters, but considering I have 2 kids, was babysitting 2 kids and all the other things I've made, I have the right to be a little surprised.

It's another Playground Shirt by Elena Nodel. She was on to something when she designed this shirt. It's open for customization (although I stuck to the original) and it knits up quick with no seaming (a big plus in my book). This time I made it out of cotton so that it can be used in all seasons. It took me a little longer to finish because the cotton would hurt my hands after a while, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I know it's a lot cooler for him which is nice on those hot days.

I made it for Son because Husband shrunk the last one I made for him (there is now a strict hand wash the knits only rule in our house). Son seems to enjoy it, or at the very least not care that I put him in it.

Oh and I made the pants too. They are the Huck Finn Pants from the book Weekend Sewing.

clothes!

I have clothes lines! This makes me ridiculously excited. Which is a bit ironic since I always HATED helping my mom hang out clothes to dry. And then I HATED bringing them back in to fold (or folding right off the line - more preferable, but still dreaded). And then I HATED how scratchy I thought the clothes were. I still dislike that part, but now I realize they soften up as you fold them and wear them.

Yet, I am ridiculously excited about these. 13 feet across, 6 feet high (I'm only 5 feet 2 inches, so I had to work with my height limitations), and 4 feet across. We were able to fit 5 lines across which is enough for about 2 loads of adult clothes and 1 large load of kids clothes. I absolutely love the smell of the clothes when they come off the line and how much easier it is to just fold them as I take them off (see the irony there?). It's true that it's a little harder than just putting them in the dryer and it takes a little longer for the clothes to dry. However, I love that it's not a constant doing laundry anymore. I'm able to take a little more time with my kids or (try) to have a cup of coffee while doing some knitting while waiting for the clothes to dry. And perhaps it makes me a little nostalgic for my own childhood of running around in the clothes and pretending (that was before I had to help do the work).

But here's the real conundrum...do I hang the knickers out or not?

sleepy

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, go to" Soule Mama or leave a link to your moment in the comments.

thoughts

I'm never really sure what this blog is. It's not just about mothering, it's not just about crafting, it's not just about feminism, and it's not just about politics (actually it's almost never about politics - I save that for facebook). I'm starting to realize I don't care though. I like what it has evolved to become; a safe, positive place for me to put my thoughts. And that's enough for me.

I read this on SouleMama the other day by Tara Thayer:

in the end,

what you want for them most of all is to leave you.

to leave your house to become who they will be.

and when they are gone

who do you want to be left with?

I have always said if I do my job right as a Mother then my children will leave. But that quote made me realize that even though I've feared at times that I've given up who I am as a person, I haven't. I can come back to this blog and see that I still have my own interests, that I'm able to form coherent words on very little sleep, and that I still use my education and brain power. It's just in different ways. And when my children are gone (but they better still be visiting!) I will be able to come back to this spot that I've created and remember when they were little.

breastfeeding

This blurry photo of an empty bottle was one of my proudest moments as a parent. This was the first bottle that Daughter ever finished. Not because of anything I did, but because of what Daughter was suddenly capable of. What some parents take for granted. Daughter ate on her own.

It also was one of the happiest moments. Because with this bottle, after being told countless times that she would be coming home "soon," we knew that this time "soon" was for real. That bottle was full of hope and formula. I had a horrible time breast feeding as do many women and it's a shame that there are people that will continue to say how horrible formula is. When you're being told how horrible formula is, it's a very short step to inferring how terrible you are as a mother.

Beware of that when talking about formula. When you tell a mom that uses formula for any reason that it causes diabetes, obesity, cancer, and even death; you are effectively telling her that she is going to do all of those things to her child by feeding formula. And there are scientific studies that show all of those things, but in all of those research studies courses I took over my college career I learned CORRELATION DOES NOT MEAN CAUSATION. Just because all of those things are greater in formula fed babies does not mean that the formula is causing it; there are a lot of undefined variables that are in humans.

Is breast milk the best food for your baby? I never said it wasn't. Of course it is, your breast milk is. Your breast milk is formulated for your baby, but sometimes that doesn't work out. There is no reason to tell a mom horrible things about what she's feeding her baby. Unless, of course, it's pot brownies. Then I think there's a bigger problem.

If you know a mom who is struggling to breast feed, listen. Listen. Listen. Before offering any advice, listen. Let her know she is supported. Offer to bring food over (food is always the most awesome thing when you have a newborn), offer support, offer to bring her to a LLL meeting if you go, talk up all the benefits of breast feeding and the breast feeding relationship, but for the love of all that is good in this world, please do NOT put down formula. You can think every bad thing that you want about it, but sometimes it's a necessity.

For Son

• Go read For Daughter, those things apply to you as well, and then tell your sister to read this after you're done. Tell her I said so because these things apply to her too.
• If cross dressing is the my only concern, I will buy you a pair of Jimmy Choo heels and take you out for a night on the town. That is to say it's not that big of a concern.
• Sometimes it's good to come inside. Like when it's a downpour or a snowstorm.
• Don't pull the pets tails.
• Please learn to listen. It's vitally important to being a good friend, good coworker, good significant other, you know, really...just everything. It's good for everything.
• Treat women with respect. Very often, women's issues are your issues as well.
• Realize how lucky you are to have been born a white male with all the privileges that come with it and realize other people may not be so lucky.
• Don't be a Republican. You can not hate me that much. (I'm writing that on both of your lists just in case you're not listening to the first bullet point).
• Always use a condom, not just to protect yourself, but your partner as well.
• It's okay to talk about your emotions, just know who to talk about them with.
• It's okay to cry.
• It's okay to wear any color you want.
• Do not rape. It is never okay to have sex without the other person's consent.
• I hope that one day you find someone who loves you, makes you happy and treats you well. I don't care what sex that person is and neither should anybody else.
• I am not perfect. Nor am I the best mother out there, but I am the best mother you will ever have (I feel the need to tell you I got that from a friend and didn't think of it myself - see the first sentence in this bullet point).

whooo slippers

I made some slippers the other day. Those are my very pale feet modeling the said slippers. I love them. I had some crocheted ones, but they always felt very weird to walk in, but these are almost perfect.

I used the pattern from Weekend Sewing, but I didn't use her directions. I didn't have the material she suggested using for the sole, so I had to put them together a different way. That's when this tutorial video came in handy.

In the Weekend Sewing instructions there is a piece of elastic in the back that helps keep the slipper on. I added it after I put the two pieces together and then added seam binding to cover the raw edges. I wish I had used fold over elastic (FOE); the elastic on the back just doesn't keep the slipper tight enough. I think the slippers would fit better and not fall off while I'm sitting had I used FOE. Things to change for next time.

it's not often I get to photograph her

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, go to" Soule Mama or leave a link to your moment in the comments.

Sneak peek into the Now

Trying to make as many clothes as possible for Daughter to get us through until we get some hand me downs. Elastic waist pants for the win!

Enjoying the warm weather and happy wake ups from nap time.

Missing what a ham the little girl I watched over the past six weeks could be. I was taking photos and she just HAD to have one of her doll (whose name I can never remember because we don't watch Yo Gabba Gabba).

Enjoying some jewelry that Son can't break. Made by Jillian Moore.

very cool

Etsy lately has this huge trend of writing a story to go along with the product you're selling. I don't buy into it. I like to tell people what the product is, what it's made of, how big it is and what it might be good for. The fact is, my products aren't used before they're sold, so what story is there to tell? They pick up stories after somebody purchases them and uses them. And this bag now has a story.

I don't remember when I put this bag up for sale or when it was purchased. I do know that it was always one of my favorite bags, it was sturdy yet flexible, had a really good weight to it, and the straps were stiff yet comfortable. It is hands down one of the best bags I've ever made.

The bag was purchased by Lunacycle as a gift for her sister Lillian* who had just acquired a job teaching Mr. Roger's curriculum to kids at homeless shelters in the Pittsburgh area. Lillian loved the bag and decided to use it on the job. Part of the job is handing out children's books, so this was a perfect bag to carry all those books. Now, I was pretty thrilled that what I made was loved, but it gets better.

I got a message from Lunacycle the other day that Lillian had a meeting with the higher ups in the program, including an exec who started with Mr. Rogers back in the 60's. She had actually approved the t-shirt when it came out and was thrilled to see it used in such a creative way. I was so excited by this story that I just had to blog about it (with permission from both Lunacycle and Lillian).

*Not the real name, I chose Lillian because it would have been Son's name if Son had been Daughter #2 instead.