Enchanted Mama

Around here::

Yesterday was a busy one.  

One where you run as soon as your feet hit the ground.  I wasn't rested.  Neither was the big daddy.  We attended to our littlest ALL NIGHT LONG.  

She's not sick, well maybe a small cold nothing more.  She was fed.  Changed.  Read to.  I wonder if there is such a thing as baby insomnia because that may be what she was afflicted with last night.

 Around 2:30 a.m. she was fed again...banana to the rescue.  Finally about 4:45 a.m. she fell asleep.  My other children up and ready for action around 6:30 a.m..  The whole "it's light at six o'clock" doesn't help.  

Tired? yes.    

Plus, I've been attempting to "BE" a morning person.  Not working for me a self proclaimed night owl.  A workout at 6:00 a.m. just isn't getting more fun the more I do it.  I thought you were supposed to feel more rested when you exercise!!???! right?  

It's about forming new habits, I suppose, and those are never very fun. It gets easier? Yes? Say, yes.  

I literally stumbled from bed toward a latte.  The likes of which I hoped would have miraculous qualities.  After the second latte...yes two is what it took.  I felt better.  If not a bit jumpy.  So, I put it to good use and finished flip flopping my children's rooms.  Two were already moved, mostly.

The big daddy carried the tools and moved the heavy things while I cleared shelves, bedding, toys, etc. etc. etc.  

By 5:00 we were finished.  Or rather we were done for the day.  Two more children in their new spaces.  The two of us on the couch sipping Kombucha.  Legs elevated.  Wondering when the dinner fairy would arrive to make a scrumptious meal.  

She never came!

 

Typically, around here, I don't attempt to completely rip the house apart each day.  Just yesterday.  Which is good.  Exciting.  Exhausting.  Full of adventure.  

I look forward to having a day of writing and laundry today for it will, no doubt, seem easier than yesterday.    

How is your day going?

 

 

It's Official::

Yes.  It's official.  

I've figured out that by simplifying my life I might in fact be making it harder.  

I mean I'm sitting here sewing felt eggs...enough said.  Of course, they are felt eggs that have a secret little pouch inside for treasures so....

The intention was to move away from the plastic egg idea into something warmer and potentially more beneficial for mother earth.  Something we could use again and again.  Something fun and easy.  Easy.

Anyone going to step in here?  What I may need is an intervention.  Someone to pounce on my sewing machine and tell me to "slowly back away from the machine".  Alas, that has yet to happen.

 

And then, to make matters worse I decided on new bags.  

This seemingly innocent bag has been time consuming.  Yet, I continued.  I wanted something smaller to make the smaller gifts and treats seem bigger in the bag, you know.  Sitting next to the machine as we speak are three more bags cut out and ready to sew.  

Simple right?  Next year, it will seem easier/simpler.  At least that is what I say now....

So unless someone makes a move here I'm headed back to the studio to finish those other three bags.  

Yup...I am...I'm going now....I'm walking...I'm walking...  

Well, if you change your mind and have a moment in your day you know where to find me.  

I asked a friend of mine recently (A friend that I will NOT tell you is in the process of making the very same felt eggs) whether she ever felt that her life was harder because she was attempting to make it "more simplified"?  

Her response was...EVERYDAY.  

Anyone else out there? 

 

Hidden Messages::

We have a bit of construction going on at our house right now.  The old storeroom chocked full of stuff has now been emptied and is undergoing a transformation.  Walls are appearing and insulation soon to be applied.  A doorway and soon another room for one of our children.  

It's been quite an adventure already as construction invariably can be.

 

The other night we had a lot of fun though.  Our children were allowed to draw on the walls....oh my.  They were able to use crayon and write messages and this mama and the big daddy just smiled.  Can you imagine?  

So our children were all about the giggles and laughter while we covered every square inch of the walls with hidden messages.  Messages tucked into the walls that will bring forth the love in which they were drawn or written.

 

I remember doing this with my mom and three brothers in the new kitchen.  Things like great meals made here.  Love in the kitchen.  You know, important things.  

The intention being the biggest and most crucial element.

My love really is to see what each person decides is important.  I love that this is his.

 

 

And, his.

And, hers.

 

And, his.

It's made me wonder why is it that we don't draw on walls more often?  It's such a lot of fun!  

Except for that pesky "its-so-permanent" thing.  Oh well.  

 

Weekend Surprise::

A surprise trip into the city to see the Peter Pan ballet.  

There were four excited children.  A delicious meal at a retro modern diner.  A chance to dress-up.  Time to walk by moonlight in the city before heading home.  

A great time was had by all.  

 

 

 

Play Well::

Sometimes they play so well together.  

They laugh and create worlds with forts.  They help one another and find endless things to talk about.  They share and imagine great things.  They are surprised when the day is over. 

Sometimes that happens.  

I'm really glad when it does.  

 

The Light::

This began as a very different post.  

The plan was to talk about the stretching we do as "creatives" to learn new things.  Try new techniques.  Experience new processes.  

Then, it was about this sweater and how it started in a flurry last January after I had finished "the sweater that took forever".  To prove to myself that I could do it again.

Then, I planned to spend time talking to you about steeking and how it involves scissors and the knit project you lovingly knit on for months which normally would send any knitter huddling into a corner.  The process both terrifying and thrilling and after months of plotting "how to" steek it was over in about thirty seconds.  I'd planned on talking about that, shaky hands and all.  

Then, I thought of the long months of knitting away, secretly mind you, finalized the night before christmas.  The project then wrapped and tucked under the tree.  The fact that I somehow ended up drawing my honey's name in the family handmade venture well, pure luck I tell you.  I thought I'd talk about that.  

 

Instead I'm just loving that the light finally gave me what I wanted.  No, not the true color of this sweater, as that seems to be truly elusive but rather back-lighting and camera flare.  Two of my very favorite things in photography.  Yup.  That's really all I wanted to say after all.   

 

Oh, and even without the light, I'm pleased to see that this cardigan looks pretty good with some baby on it too!  

Happy Wednesday to you all.   

 

*For those of you interested...the full set of photos and knitting details will be on Ravelry next week.*  

 

 

 

Halloween 2011::

A "Jingly Jangly" Gypsy.

An Aviator who flies bi-planes.

A courageous Knight.

A Flower Faerie.

 

"Mommy, why don't you hold my shield I've tamed enough dragons today."

"I think maybe I'm done trick-or-treating because I don't want to get cavities."

"Here daddy you can have this piece of candy I know how much you love it." 

"I'm courageous out here in the dark."

"This is the best Halloween EVER!"

 

Just a few things I wanted to remember...

 

 

 

Halloween Glimpse::

Hope your day is "Spooktacular"!  

Happy Halloween to you all.  

 

 

 

Birthday Mittens::

These mittens, I'll admit, spent way too long on my knitting needles.  They were supposed to be a quick, mindless project that I finished while doing all types of "other" knitting.  

Uh-humm, that didn't seem to be the case.  

So when my little four year old's birthday rolled around and he asked for new mittens again I thought it might be time to focus and finish. On the morning of his birthday I cinched up the last stitch.  Hence the ever ironic/obvious name I dubbed for them, the Birthday Mittens.  

Sometimes it takes a deadline and a really sweet four year old for me to "get it in gear" and put in those thumbs.  

 

Yeah, it was the thumbs that slowed me down on these cuties.  

I've decided that I am, in fact, not a lover of thumbs.  Well, of course real thumbs come in right handy but I'm referring to the knit kind.  Those I find to be a real pain.

I even consulted with the handwork teacher at my children's school and was given a great trick to use.  Pick up double the amount of stitches around the thumbs, where holes procreate, and then on the first round knit two stitches together until you have the right amount.  

Now, this is so simple.  

So obvious.  

Yet, it's taken years for me to actually ask someone.  Years of knitting other things and avoiding all thumbs such as these. Or spending loads of time afterwards sewing the holes together from the inside of the mittens. 

Even though the thumbs were finally finished I've decided that maybe I will only make gusset thumbs from now on.  Yes, even though I have the key to these I still don't want to make them.  Go figure. 

Those of you who don't knit, I apologise for the knitting chatter about mittens and thumbs and stitches and gussets.  I only hoped to spare even one knitter out there the angst of having to do another thumb in the traditional way.  

Okay, moving on...  

 

Th birthday boy was quite fond of his new mittens.  He actually let me take his picture only if I promised it would be two minutes and afterwards he could go ride his bike out front.  I've never been so glad for a fast lens as I was this day.  

So there you have it.  Birthday mittens.  

The other good news is that the mittens are roomy which means they will work for awhile.  This is good news on the thumb front. 

What are you knitting today?  Or sewing?  Or crafting?  I would love to hear...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eight::

Eight years since this sweet one came into our lives.  

Eight years since the day I held him and wondered how life could be so painful and beautiful all at the same time.  

Eight years since we realized what we were missing.     

Happy Birthday to our delightful boy.

We wouldn't have wanted anyone but you.  

 

We love you!