Making it Up As I Go

The girls are climbing on B while he tries in vain to get a couple more minutes of sleep. Tiny is dressed, Z is still wearing her ornage monkey pj’s that she got from a friend for her birthday.

The otherwise tidy living room is strewn with Cars, Wall-E, and Nemo comics.

2 loads of laundry are folded. I’m out of laundry soap.

It’s overcast and cold outside. We’re supposed to go swimming with our ward playgroup later today. I really hope it warms up.

I’m dreaming of fried eggs and toasted baguette.

I just made that dream come true. Woo hoo!

I may have just cooked the perfect “over-medium” egg. Yum.

I need to finish a baby blanket today (pictures to come, because the fabric is ADORABLE) and run by the store to get plates/cups/forks for a shower tomorrow. So many babies ’round these parts.

I just made a diaper for a stuffed Tigger out of a wide blue ribbon. Such is my skill.

I need to read today. I realized yesterday that I only finished 1 book in June, and that was at the beginning of the month. I’m in the middle of 3 or 4, you’d think I could finish one of them. (Although, I did finish 2 yesterday, but not any of those 3 or 4.)

The girls are speaking dolphin. It’s very squeaky. Z is trying to read this sentence as I type it. Which reminds me that we need to do her reading lesson this morning.  We’re also going to try out our new art book: Come Look with Me: Enjoying Art with Children which is awesome and I highly recommend to anyone with kids.

Off to get our day going. What’s going on at this moment where you are?

I’m starting an etsy store.

More info to come soon.

It’s been a busy week!

Monday: Bounce-A-Rama!

Tuesday: The beach

Wednesday: Picking veggies and walking the “beam” at Papa’s

Today: Went to the pool, had cousins over to visit, and finished this for my lame best friend who is moving to stupid somewhere other than here. (It’s not her birthday, but I made one of these for my girls and knew she’d want one for her kids too. And now I like this one better than the other one I made. )

And, at some point during the week: Tiny impersonated a rock star

What’s going on with you?

Bread is kneading in the bread maker. I haven’t used my bread maker in way too long,  my attempts at  “handmade”  bread have all failed, and I am totally one for accepting my limitations (especially when it comes to kneading), so I got it out to love it some more.

Tiny is walking around carrying a giant Nemo over her head and saying “Rella cake? Rella cake?” over and over.  Apparently she thinks the bread maker is going to make her a Cinderella cake. She will be disappointed.

Z is sitting at the table coloring. She recently figured out how to draw flowers. She’s excited about that.

My cleaning schedule says that I’m supposed to clean my living room today. I should get on that.

I’m loving the words of a hymn we sang in Relief Society yesterday (Tiny went to nursery! Woo hoo!) – it’s hymn 285, God Moves In a Mysterious Way, and the second verse reached out and smacked me:

Ye fearful Saints, fresh courage take

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Isn’t that SO lovely? I don’t remember ever hearing the hymn before, let alone singing it. We should sing it all the time!

Tiny is now dancing and singing along to All is Love from Where the Wild Things Are. We love that song around here.

Speaking of dancing, you should check out Miss Z and the moment she decided that the stage is her life . The girls did such a great job, and were SO excited. All of the kids at the talent show were so confident and happy, it’s really so cool that kids so little have these opportunities to get up in front of people and perform.

I have a bunch of things to do this morning, and really all I want to do is lay around and finish Hamlet. I’ve decided that I’m rereading through Shakespeare’s plays this summer, and goodness, I’d forgotten how very much I love them. The language is just so gorgeous, (or “gorgois” as Mia Michaels would say) and so dang funny, even in the midst of the tragedies.

I totally love my Zutter Bind-it-all. Zoe just came over to me and said she wanted to make a book of the pictures that she’d just been drawing, and 2 minutes later:

I LOVE it.

Tiny just declared “Everybody Came” by Ambrosia Parsely her “fa-bit, momma! Fa-bit!”. Of course, 2 minutes ago she said the same thing about “I am a Paleontologist” , so what can I say, the girl has good taste.

I am going to go get my morning moving. We have an appointment at a  bounce house  later today. And no, that’s not some euphemism us losing our minds. I may have just sabotaged that intent however, because the Glee version of Alone just came on, which reminded me of Will and whatsername’s dance to it on SYTYCD, and now I MUST go watch that.  Here is is, watch it now!

What’s going on with you at this moment?

The best daddy I know, doing what he loves the most:

I couldn’t ask for anything more.

We love you.

Some projects I’ve finished lately:

I made this for my mommy for her birthday.  Seeing as she’s taught this book for I don’t know how many years in her class, it seemed fitting.

Here’s the back:

A patchwork picnic blanket. It has squares for everyone in the family- skull and crossbones for B, Cars for Z, doggies for Tiny, swirlies for me. I love the fabric on the back- keeps the patchwork theme with none of the work!

And it has a strap so that it  rolls up into a nice, easy to carry package:

I’ve been meaning to make a blanket for myself for quite a while now, but just kept putting it off for various reasons. But I finally buckled down, got out some of my favorite fabrics, and sewed them all together. The result is a light, cuddly blanket that I LOVE.

We planted some new plants too:

I still have about 4 projects that I need to get finished, but it’s felt great to get these done. Now I’m off to get to work on another of them!

Seen in our house today:

Apparently it’s never too early to start.

In case you’re curious, they’re doing:

Bow pose (or “rockinghorse” as they call it)

Downward Dog

Cow pose

Upward dog (or “iguana”)

Tiny’s own version of downward dog which consists of resting on her head instead of her hands.

Eagle pose

Volcano pose (I don’t know that there’s an equivalent in grown up yoga- this is a pose from yogakids.)

Hot air balloon (also from yogakids.)

Alligator pose (again, yoga kids.)

Z is playing swim lessons with her dolly. She just informed her dolly that they’ll be going to Starbucks. Lucky ducks.

Tiny is sitting at the table playing with a “momma” and “baby” Pooh bear. Any toy that she has two of become a momma and baby. And not just a baby, a “baby, awwwww”. It’s pretty dang cute.

I’m moving a boatload of pictures off of my camera. I try to do it daily, but apparently I haven’t moved anything for almost 2 weeks. So I’m revisiting pictures from a lovely wedding,

(Doesn’t she look so gorgeous, and so in love?)

(And isn’t this a beautiful old church?)

a trip to the museum,

(I COVET this piece. Yes, I’m aware that’s a deadly sin. Still.)

(sewn and embroidered silk. Gorgeous.)

the girls being crazy,

(Because if there is a bucket, Tiny will put it on her head.)

(Pretending to sleep.)

and finally, the gorgeousness we saw on our adventure at the nature preserve today.

Now Z is alternating singing “A Spoonful of Sugar” at varying speeds and practicing reciting her scripture that she’ll share in Primary in a couple of weeks. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things. Moroni 10:5.” Over and over and over.

She and Tiny have moved on to playing with the dollhouse, and are displaying their growing skill to play well with each other. That skill comes and goes.

It’s almost time for their rests, and for me to torture myself. I’m back to doing Jillian Michaels every day- a group of like minded crazies and I are doing it together. Well, not together, but we’re all doing it and reporting in each day. I’ve been throwing in some yoga afterwards, because I like it, and because I have a new goal; I want to be able to do this:

No, not the playing in the sand, that I can do. The crazy body over your head handstand. Isn’t it the coolest thing you’ve ever seen? I saw this picture and was completely captivated. I really can’t express how much I want to be able to do that. So I’ll workout and work on my flexibility, and hopefully some day it will happen. Not in a bikini though.

In the meantime? My calves are KILLING me.

What’s going on with you at this moment?

It’s overcast, yet not gloomy outside. Like it might decide to rain, or might just decide to stay moody.

Carole King’s Tapestry is playing. There’s nothing quite like this album for this kind of day. It always makes me think of my momma, who I’m assuming listened to it back in the day.  It fits with my vision of who she was back then.

Z just came over and asked if we could listen to some “fun music”. So much for Carole King. Maybe she’ll appreciate her on rainy days when she’s in her 30’s with her own kids.

Speaking of Z, check out the lovely outfit she picked out for herself today:

Those are legwarmers over tights, because her legs were cold when she went out on the porch.  Luckily we’re not going anywhere today.

The phone just rang and my friend who is bringing her kids over to play informed me that she is also bringing “chicken salad, homemade bread and fruit salad” for lunch. Are you jealous? You should be.

Tiny just walked past with a comb, apparently she feels her hair needs some attention:

And when she saw this picture just now, she said, “Tiny, punny!” (That means funny in Tiny-speak.)

Both of the girls are under the weather today, but it appears that Tiny may be past the “screaming at the top of her lungs at any provocation, including and especially Momma taking even the smallest step away from her” stage. Thank goodness for that.

And speaking of Tiny, I finally found her tennis shoes today after a period of about a week and a half of them being lost. They were at the end of my bed, under the overhang of the comforter.

I’m loving all of the lovely fabric that’s slated for a yummy blanket just for me. Do you want to see it? I know you do:

Thanks to a tip from a friend, I found a Beverly’s fabric store, and halloo- hallay, they carry the entire line of reproduction 1930’s fabric that I LOVE. I had to restrain myself and only bought a little bit, but I could have spent SOOOO much money.

I’m reading The Mindful Child by Susan K. Greenland, and so far it is excellent. It’s all about how to teach children mindfulness-  being able to calm themselves, be aware of their breath, and the things happening around them and inside them.  Z has really embraced the breathing practices and affirmations we’ve been doing, and it will be fun to try some new ideas. The book is full of games and songs and things that are specifically geared toward kids, so that makes it really nice – far less adapting to do!

What’s going on with you at this moment?

I’m working on a patchwork picnic blanket.  If I like how it turns out, I’m going to finally make myself a blanket with my favorite fabrics and fuzzy warmness on the back. I’m thinking of using a t-shirt material sheet for the backing. I want something sturdier for the picnic blanket back, so we’ll see.

The puff balls are back! Woo hoo! Swimming lesson got a little hard for Z today- she’s learning how to use her arms while swimming, and it’s the first time she’s really had to work at swimming. It’s good for her to have to put some effort into it. In other swim related news, even though I coat her with sunscreen, she’s getting SO tan. Takes after her Auntie.  (Not that Auntie, the other one.)

Tiny actually started enjoying her swim lesson today. She got to swim off of the step on her own (basically throwing herself forward into the water from standing), and she LOVED it. She’s a little daredevil, that one.

Z has been enjoying trying to follow along with my yoga DVDs, so I decided to get her one of her own.  (Gaiam Kids: Yogakids Fun Collection)  She’s done it for 3 days, and this is what she busted out with today. She completely surprised herself, and me!  I really highly recommend these videos, they’re 40 minutes long, and seem like 5. Kids model the poses, so they’re far from perfect while being completely kid appropriate, and each “pose” (a lot of them are movements) is only about 45 seconds.  Seriously, Z LOVES them. She asks to do them. And Tiny likes them too,  and tries to do the easier poses.I do them with her, though I don’t count them as my workout. 

What’s going on with you today?