Summer School

Nope, I'm not talking about actual school. You know, the kind with teachers (though, since I am one, that's debatable) and desks and regulated lessons. I'm talking about the kind of "school" life gives you. You know, the kind of lessons you learn the hard way? Over the last two weeks I've learned quite a bit from that kind of school. I thought I might share some of my lessons with you.

1. Explaining to a 3 year old that while the weather is FINALLY perfect for going to the pool and playing in the park she can't because she has a fever is darned near impossible.


2. Explaining to the same child that while she may FEEL better, she is still contagious with strep throat and STILL cannot go outside even though she went to the doctor and got medicine is even harder than explaining the part about the fever. (her faith in the medical profession and medicine is a bit scary at times too)


3. My patience with dealing with icky bodily fluids is getting less and less the closer Miss Tinkerbell is to being fully potty trained.


4. The word diarrhea when repeated over and over again by a 3 year old because she finds it amusing is almost as icky as cleaning it up (see above).


5. Buying new underwear is occasionally the better part of valor. (See numbers 3 and 4 above)


6. When the stars finally align and the weather, child, and activities finally combine for the first trip to the pool for the year, Mommy points are given for remembering to slather the child with sunscreen. An equal number of intelligence points are removed for forgetting to put sunscreen on your own back.


7. Burgundy, while a lovely color and one I usually look good in, is not as appealing when it is the color of your skin.


8. Keeping a child amused when all you want to do is lay on your stomach and moan about how much you hurt is not easy.


9. Growing new skin itches. A lot. And of course, the worst itches occur in places you can't reach easily on your own.


10. Door jams and walls are your friends. Chair backs also work well.


11. While learning (or relearning in the case of the sunburn -- some lessons it seems need to be repeated periodically) the above, it's near impossible to do anything of a crafty or blog reading nature.

So, as you can see I've been a diligent student these past two weeks. Many, many lessons have been learned. Now to see if I can remember how to use my sewing machine. I THINK I just may be able to.

And, well, since I just realized how long it's been since I posted ANYTHING that even vaguely resembles a quilt, a photo from my Mom's house of a quilt like object. I still have more cross stitch to show but come on, it's not like the title of this blog is cross stitch in cornfields. Ok, so it comes with a cute photo of my daughter too. Sue me.

And another photo of the same thing only in its actual resting place. This is a patchwork puzzle ball from the Jenny Beyer book that came out a couple of years ago. Oddly enough, one of the few projects I've hand pieced. I made this for Christmas 2005 and substituted fabric photo transfers for some of the pieces. It worked out well and I've done it a few more times for other memory balls. I actually really like making these -- Miss Tinkerbell has a set of them here at the house. A great baby gift really. Soft balls that young children can throw around without too much possibility of breaking things. I should try and get photos of the others we have in the pit that is my house.

Hopefully I will have more crafty (and quilty) goodness to show soon. I've gotten some lovely mail and I think I may FINALLY have a chance to get some sewing done tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Unintended Blog Break

Hey all -- wow, when I made my last post I had no idea I would be taking a week and 1/2 off from blogging. I'd love to say that it was due to some mysterious, dark stranger who came and whisked me off for a romantic trip filled with fabric and yarn shopping. (hey -- we all have our fantasies right? I mean -- it COULD happen, we won't mention pesky details about my hubby or child waiting for me at home. This is after all a FANTASY) But, well, nope.


I've mostly been bad company to be around -- a combination of winter hanging on way too long (will this snow and cold NEVER end? maybe -- it's sunny out now and almost human temps), a few nights of "bedtime battle" (who knew a 2 yo could be THAT passive aggressive? I mean, one or two potty accidents in one night I'll buy -- the 8 times we had?? Each one pretty much calculated to allow me to get downstairs and sit down before she called me up to tell me she had wet her bed? Yeah -- not buying it. We are now having serious conversations about only wearing big girl panties. If her control of her bladder is that good -- um, I'm not buying pull-ups anymore. That particular battle also lasted over three hours folks, meaning she got to sleep close to midnight, I got to sleep a heck of a lot later -- so not doing that again), and being ticked off at a universe where a really sweet lady is no longer here -- and her 14 yo daughter is without her mother. Yeah, that one has really been eating at me. Nothing I can do about it. Nothing to really be angry at, but -- still, makes me want to scream at the universe or something. And yeah, the funeral. Have I mentioned I don't do funerals well? (no, I don't make a scene or anything -- I go, I'm polite, I'm even presentable -- I just, well, don't like doing it. I never know what to say -- then again, if I did maybe then something would be wrong?)


Unfortunately, the something I've been doing hasn't been much on the crafty end. I've got a few things in the works but nothing worth showing really. Um, unless you count some mommy/daughter Easter decorations? You will? Great (hate to have a post without photos here). This one started out because Tink asked me if we could "decorate" the house. (sniff, sniff, so proud) Ok -- no problem. Wait. Possible problem. So I look through my decorations. Halloween. Check. Christmas. Check. Birthday. Check. Easter. Um, nope. Nothing, zilch, nadda. So, a trip to Michael's -- cute bunny house kits. Sticker backed pieces. A project we can do together, on sale -- perfect. Yeah, until I got home and realized that this lovely little bunny Victorian included glue. And glitter. (please refer to what happened with little one and sprinkles) Ok, so less the little one could do -- way more for Mommy. (at least, if I don't want EVERYTHING in the house covered with iridescent glitter)


Back to Michael's for the simple cottage. Smaller, fewer pieces, no glitter. No glue. We've been working on both of them -- she peels off the backings to the stickers, I do some placement, she pushes in place. At the current pace -- both should be done for Easter. Yeah team. (that is IF Mommy gets off her duff and finishes gluing down all the extra pieces.) I'll share finished photos when appropriate.


Other than that -- a few books I was planning to review but I had to return them to the library. And some other crafty goodness in the works. I'll post more about those projects later. Until then -- um, I've got a certain hubby who has a birthday soon (soon? crud -- it's tomorrow. Ok, a present to make tonight -- or, a card? cards are good right?), an anniversary of sorts coming up, a sweater I said was going to be for an Easter gift, and a visit from my Mom in a week (panic cleaning -- goodie -- though her only request is that the bathrooms be clean -- that I CAN promise). Enough with the feeling down in the dumps -- who the heck has time?!?