awaiting a home

We welcomed a new nephew into this world this past week.  That makes a grand total of 4 nephews, 2 sons and NO girls! Hmmm...I'm not sure exactly what my desire for a girl stems from.  I wonder if all women want to relive their childhood a little bit?  I know that Big C always imagined himself with at least one son.  I also wonder if I would think differently if I were more of a tomboy.  I never played sports growing up - it was all ballet all of the time.  I liked Barbies and My Little Pony and playing library and store.  The fact that all my boys want to do with me is wrestle and climb could also be part of it.  I would love a little quiet, imaginative play in my household but so far it's nothing but running and jumping and climbing and throwing and splashing and....
No doubt, if we tried for a third it would be another boy.  Although, to tell you the truth, that sounds heavenly also.  Another little sweaty head to kiss and snuggle and bruised knees to tend to and oh the love that little boys have for their Momma.  Hmmmm...

I made this crib quilt for my new nephew a while back and it is now just awaiting it's delivery to it's new home.  We haven't met the new baby yet...but apparently he looks just like his big brother.  Lucky boy!

A good day

So, I made it into the city today for some very hard earned and (I think) well deserved "me" time. I decided to drive an hour each way to the west end of Toronto even though I knew it would eat into my window of away time.  I was really craving a good browse through two of my favourite crafty spots.
Romni Wools on Queen West and The Workroom, also on Queen West did just the trick.  I also made my way into Kol Kid which was on the same path and picked up a few Easter prezzies for the kiddos as well as for my youngest nephew who will become a big brother in a few weeks.

I'm usually drawn to colour, colour, colour but I have a particular family in mind that I'm going to be making a quilt for and fell hard for these beautiful fabrics in beige, taupe, gold, grey and blacks.
The part of fabric shopping I love the most is finding each separate piece and building on it.  I will  often pick up a pre-made bundle with coordinating fabrics and put it down again without buying, even though I may love the grouping.  It's probably because the time I spend meandering through the shelves in the stores is by far my favourite part of quilt planning.

Now I'm off for a little Bailey-Boo as my father in law would call it and some couch time with Big C. I'll no doubt have a crochet hook in hand and will continue to work on my Granny Square quilt.  I bought a few skeins of wool today to make sure I have enough yarn to see me through the border of this bad boy.  I want to try and make it big enough to cover most of my 6'4" husband!  We may "splurge" and order Argo from Rogers On Demand tonight.  It's only 7:30 now.  I think I may be able to stay awake a few more hours.  Have I mentioned that Little T is STILL waking throughout the night.  At least once and usually 2 or 3 times.  Sigh.  They're only little once...they're only little once...

Quilts to occupy my time

It's another snowy one out there.  The snow and ice is making it extremely tricky to get anything done with the boys outside.  Our amazing stroller is even having a hard time making it over and around the gigantic chunks of icy snow.  Poor Little C is almost too small to venture out into our backyard, the snow is so deep and my car doors were frozen shut this morning so we couldn't even take a diddle around town with a coffee (for me) and Timbits (for the boys...and me).  Isolated is definitely a word I'm becoming very well acquainted with lately.  Apart from the fellow grocery store patrons and odd passerby on the street I haven't seen or spoken to any real, live person this entire week except for my boys and the fleeting glimpse of Big C in between late nights and earlier mornings setting out to work.  I am getting a lot of sewing done though.

I finished the front of the girly quilt requested, in shades of pink, yellow and greens = check.  I think I'll use the green polka dot for the backing and the grey tiny dot for the binding.  However, the binding is the worst part of creating a quilt for me.  I may have to try a "bindless" quilt one of these days.  Maybe with a soft fleece back?

I'm also queen of beginning a project with no actual intention of what exactly it will become.  I started cutting and sewing together strips in a frenzy last week and have created 6 squares (more rectangly than anything) of colourful stripes.  I'm not sure if I'm going to cut down the squares further and try to make something like this or this or just keep them the way they are.  I could even back it with a water resistant material and make this into my picnic quilt I never got around to making last summer.  Hmmmm...some more ideas to ponder...

I'm looking forward to my Saturday morning. Big C has ASSURED me that he does not have to work this weekend and has told me to bugger off (nicely) for a few hours.  I am most definitely going to take him up on his offer.  I was trying to decide what to do and have come to the conclusion that a little trip into the big "city" is in order.  This yarn store and this craft store are beckoning me.  And, I may have to slip into a Chapters and grab a Starbucks latte also.  Oh my God that sounds good.  I haven't done something like that in over a year.   Literally.  Something that I so took for granted when I was working in the city for those many years now becomes a thing of fantasy for me.  If only I won't be constantly thinking of Little T back home who will be no doubt thinking of me (okay not me but my left boob), all morning.  More on that later.  Yes - I'm still nursing my 15 month old, with no real end in sight and yes - I don't have any desire to stop yet either. So there!

Off to crochet a puff flower, drink a glass of wine and eat Ben and Jerry's double brownie ice cream.

the glitch

Hmmm...may have found the glitch in my parenting system that has been wreaking havoc on my day to day. I'll explain...

Today, it is yet ANOTHER snow day so preschool was cancelled for little C which was actually just fine with me because he has a cold and it was supposed to be picture day at school and I was having a weirdly hard time letting go with the fact that he would have to miss his very first class picture.  They are now going to reschedule for next week so I could let go of my unnatural and absurd worrying and get on with it.

Big C was very late for work as he had to shovel before leaving. He shovelled for almost 3 hours! This, in turn made me feel guilty that I was just sulking around the house, drinking coffee and minding the bratlings so I got my ass in gear and started some housework.  Our house is in desperate need for an early spring cleaning but I literally keep telling myself that I'll do it when the weather is nicer and I can open up the house.  Lame excuse, but nonetheless this is how I procrastinate.

I got the vacuum going and then the dusting and the schlepping and generally had a good go on the main floor.  What I realized was that the boys were less annoying in their fighting and whinging and general craziness.  Don't get me wrong - they were underfoot and doing annoying things like pulling out the vacuum plug (makes me crazy), sucking on the vacuum nozzle, spraying cleaner into one another's eyes, playing with doors and pinching their fingers...the list went on but for some reason I felt calmer...more productive.

I think the error of my ways has been that when the boys are up and in play mode, I've been trying to interact with them, create projects, and also have some Momma time.  Trying to read, sew, crochet...expecting them to play around me and leave me alone....This never works and just creates craziness in me.  I then try to accomplish all of my chores when they are asleep or watching T.V.  O.K - that is a lie.  I don't always do chores when they are asleep. There is definitely some web surfing that goes on.

We'll see if this continues to work out.  Chores when they are awake, rest when they are "away".
Have I mentioned recently that I actually am head over heals in love with the littles.  They may make me crazed but I still want to eat their faces off because of their cuteness.

Unrelated, here is a pic of a quilt project that I created a while back. It's been washed about a million times now, since it's creation and has faded and crinkled into a pretty little thing that usually lives on our sofa.
Off to do some laundry...

new project

I started a new crochet project before completing the one I'm already working on.  I couldn't help myself after seeing these crocheted flowers and a tutorial, to boot.  Mine, of course are imperfect but I love that they are puffy and soft and thick.  They'll  make a gorgeous blanket hopefully that I can either give away or keep.  I picked up the yarn on sale from Michaels when I should have been saving my pennies for more important things like food, pants for Little C...oh and a little thing they call 'hydro'.  I only went to buy an extra large crochet hook to make a rug like this or this, but ended up with yarn in greys, corals and pinks.  I already had the brownish yarn at home and actually, the pictures don't show the true colours.  The light pink is more dusty, the dark pink is more coral and the brown is more yellow.  I think I'll add a few more colours to the palette.  Maybe a peach and a blue/green grey.  LOVE.  They take quite a while to make each one though so I'll only make a few in between finishing up my granny squares.

Winter is dragging on and on and on.  The snow keeps piling up and spring seems a million years away.  We're all very ready for winter to be over.  I'm sure my stir-craziness is passing on to the kiddos.  And why, oh why won't my baby nap in the afternoons AGAIN.  I only really got 2 solid weeks of great naps and now, poof, gone, all over!  I can't handle it.  I require him to sleep and not scream.  I need it for my sanity...hmmm...winter blahs have crept in and taken hold.  Anyone want to come to my house and take over for a week while I hop on a plane to Jamaica?

Saturday morning

I had the most peaceful morning.  Big C woke with the boys at their usual 6am start and I stayed in bed until almost 9:30!  I think I've done this a total of three times since Little T was born 14 months ago. 

After putting Little T down for his morning nap and shooing Big and Little C outside to shovel the insane amount of snow that fell yesterday, I sat on the couch, by MYSELF for a full hour while the baby slept.  This level of freedom doesn't often happen until after the kids' bedtime and when I'm too far gone to enjoy much of anything, so my mind obviously reeled with possibilities; quilting, crocheting, housework, crockpot prep, blog reading.  I decided to keep it simple and sipped my coffee, ate my PB and J cookie and read.  Heaven.  The only real interruption was that Little C kept knocking on the back door and wanting me to re-insert his cold, wet hands into his colder, wetter mittens.  

I took a picture of my morning on the couch, not only as evidence that it did indeed happen, but also by how random the montage was.  I love looking at images like this that evoke such feelings of calm, and simplicity.  I imagine that those enjoying such moments are also wearing starched aprons, listening to Bach on their vintage record players and have some sort of fantastic homemade stew, simmering on the stove.  My moment, however was Tim Hortons fine grind coffee, PBandJ cookie finding a home on a makeshift baby sock napkin, a board book that I was also using as a coaster and a stack of magazines that my Mother-in-law passed on to me recently (love).  The book is Simplicity Parenting which I'm enjoying and will talk about later.

On to more productive, and crafty endeavours...I am still working on my crocheted Granny Square blanket.  I am working on it at night as though it is my one and only job here on Earth right now.  I can't get enough of it.  Although, I'm slow so the blanket is still only a third of the way done.  However, I did start to feel a pang of desperation as my stack of pretty Granny Squares kept growing and I knew that I still had to attach them all; a process I didn't even know how to do yet.  So...I visited my good (pretend) friend in the blogosphere over at Attic24 and followed her super simple tutorial on joining Granny Squares as you go.  Because I hadn't been doing this process from the beginning, I realized that I would have to add an additional border around my existing squares in order to join the ones I had already made.  This was fine for me because it meant each square would become bigger and thus, I wouldn't need as many to finish up the end product!  This project is making me super giddy for some reason.  I love it.

After more play outside and inside and Little C deeming me his "best friend" (heart melt) and Little T not napping but instead, crying through his entire "nap" I knew I had to start something for dinner which is usually the most horrible part of any day for me.  I love when I'm motivated enough and get a crockpot dinner started in the morning, as I'm always grateful to morning-me when I don't have to lift a finger come 5pm.  I did, however have a recipe I wanted to try that I found on pinterest for Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. Please be advised - this is not a quick prep dinner.  Because of the homemade cheese sauce and wild rice components it took me a full hour of cooking and a further 30 minutes of baking before it was done.  The good news is that everyone enjoyed it (or at least ate it).  I enjoyed it which is sometimes all that matters...

Messes...

 Snow Day!

 Scrap Bliss

PBand J cookies

Not particularly what I needed today.  Snow, and LOTS of it!  The buses were cancelled in our region and that meant no preschool for Little C :(
Some of my other Mom friends are rejoicing in this little adventure.  No school for kiddies means holing up at home for some together time, cuddling, reading, work from home etc.  But when you're a stay at home Mom to 2 littles you aren't exactly jumping for joy when you're faced with another indoor day full of constant companionship.  My little cling-ons are even clingier today.  I think it has something to do with my mood.  Not the chirpiest right now as we are just finishing up 2 weeks worth of Big C working around the clock.  He's tying up loose ends at work before moving on to another job.  The good news is, he'll be off all next week.  Yay for extra hands!
I've been working on cutting scraps for a sort of hedgerow quilt in soft pinks, yellows and greens for a friend's daughter.  I'm happy with how it is turning out and finished my favourite process of quilting - planning, cutting and figuring out the pattern when lo and behold my big fat cat Frances (who is loved, but is horrid) decided to jump on top of the table and writhe around for a while.  I swear the only time Frances comes out of her hiding nook is when I have a project on the go, nicely laid out on the dining table. She's the worst (lovingly said).
Although I am no cook, and certainly no baker I do love a sweet indulgent.  When normally I'd make a run for the store for some ice cream or chocolate or a quick drive through Tim Hortons for coffee and a donut, we are clearly not going anywhere today so I made some PB and jam cookies.  They are super easy and quick and delish and I can at least let Little C help with part of the process without him provoking tears of frustration in me.  He enjoyed making the dough into balls and then scooping jam into the indents.  Success.  I've already eaten 3.
Here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 cup soft butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Add flour mixture to rest of ingredients and mix

Roll into tablespoon size balls, set on greased baking sheet

Make deep indent on top of balls

Fill with jam or jelly

Bake 350 oven for 7-9 minutes

Let cool

Days like these always leave me feeling a bit lost.  I like depending on the stroller to get us out for a walk at least once a day or being able to throw Charlie out into the yard for a few minutes or even a drive around town singing Old MacDonald in a pinch when things get too wrangy here.  So, our house is usually extra disastrous on these days. Full of makeshift forts (made me by me, no less), upturned couches, random "projects" started, and waaaay too much T.V even by my standards (more on this some other time when I won't be too hard on myself).

Cheers to messes, little and big and lets hope for a more productive and calm weekend ahead.