Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Well, we actually got to spend a weekend together as a family! It was wonderful! The kids were well behaved and we really enjoyed each others company. 
We went for a lovely walk around the Historic District downtown. The weather was a bit chilly and threatened rain, but it was fantastic! 
The last few weeks have been extremely stressful. It was so nice to have so time to spend together. 
With the new baby, HUGE project at work and stress with my husbands work situation, I sometimes feel that I float from one day to the next just trying to survive. 
To have the time to just be with them. Enjoying their company. I realized how big the older kids are getting. And, that I'm really proud of what incredible people they are becoming. 


I often think to myself that I really got lucky in the kid department. Of all the possible kids, I got the best of the lot! I can't wait to see how they turn out. On the other hand, I'd love to freeze time and just enjoy them as they are. 


The baby has decided that sleeping is for wussies. He refuses to nap and wakes up every half an hour or so all night. I'm hoping that this will pass soon. I don't think I've ever been this tired.


As far as knitting goes, I've finished a few projects. I finished a baby blanket for the baby that I thought was never going to be finished! I really am a small project knitter. I can't handle the commitment of a larger project. No sweaters for me I'm afraid! Now that it's blocked, I'm worried that it is too lacy for a boy's blanket.

I made some Owling mitts for a co-worker. They turned out great, but I was unhappy with the thumb. I think that a thumb gusset would have looked much better. The recipient isn't a knitter so I don't think she'll notice. I loved the pattern and I think I'll make another set soon.
I made about 15 wash cloths for teacher's gifts. They were pretty quick and easy using crochet. I packaged them with some soaps from Wolfe Farms. It made a nice package. I've received several happy comments from the the teachers. 


As a quick project, I knit a Starving Artist hat. It was incredibly fast to knit up. It is very warm. 
I've just cast on some socks and the Hogwarts Express Shawl. Also a couple of stuffed animals for the kids. 

I really needed that weekend. After a slump last week, I kinda thought I was losing my mind for a day or two. I'm feeling better though a good night's sleep would be appreciated!!

  

One Step Forward Ten Steps Back

Well here we go again. About a year ago my husband lost his job. Guess what:
 IT HAPPENED AGAIN!! Except this time we don't have any savings!
Yep. I really don't know if I should laugh or cry.
At least I have a healthy family and marriage. I'm so thankful for that. I guess the rest will work out eventually. I'm really trying to keep a positive attitude.

You can't be sad when you see this adorable face! So at least I've got that going for me.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Blog

OK! I Know what you're going to say. And you're right.
Geeze! What happened?!!! A year and no posts. Really? You promised you'd keep up with it.
Ummmm, what can I say. For some reason the last year has been a CRAZY TRAIN out of control and I've just been hanging on for dear life.
First of all, this happened:

Yes! That is indeed a baby. Shocker! I'm really not sure what I was thinking. My other kids were just becoming independent. Now, I'm back to diaper bags and breast feeding.

But you know what? Even though it's been hard, scheduling is a nightmare, and people think I'm insane. I can't imagine my life without the little guy. He was meant to be a part of our family.

Plus, BABY FEET! There is really nothing like little tiny feet. YUMMY!!!!

I'm not going to cover everything that happened over the last year, but here are a few highlights:
A few days after I found out I was pregnant, we were informed that my husband was going to lose his job. That really rocked my world. Let's just say I was a basket case. So one day happy everything is AWESOME and the next BOOM.
Needless to say, we had some scary months.
It really made the recession real for our family.

Despite the terror, I think we're stronger for it as a family. We have a beautiful, healthy family and that is what is really important.

We did have another sad event. Remember the puppy we adopted.
Ummmm, that ended badly. One night as we were feeding the dogs dinner, she attacked Adger. Ever see wild Kingdom? Imagine that in your living room while your children are sleeping upstairs. We had to have Animal Control come and take her.
Adger lost one of his eyes and nearly died. He's recovered well for an old man (he just turned 13). I keep thinking that it could have been one of the kids.
My guilt is really three fold. I feel bad for the kids. They loved her and they lost their pet. I really feel bad for Adger, he suffered terribly. And I feel bad for Suri. I keep thinking that I really should have done something to prevent it. We got her from a "No Kill" shelter. They came and picked her up from Animal Control and took her back. They are going to try and work with her. Evidently, there were behavioral problems with some of the other puppies in that litter. I wish it would have worked out differently. But, there is definitely one thing that I learned this year. You can't change what happens in your life. You can only change how you react to it.

ANYWAY. . . I've gotta go feed a baby. I'll try this blog thing again and see what happens. I just have to sit down and do it. If you put it off, it just gets harder and harder. I really have enjoyed this outlet. It makes a great journal and forces me to think about what's going on. The last year seems like a fog. I wish I'd blogged my thoughts so I could come back and look at it all now.

Stich in Time

This has been a crazy week. My daughter had a kidney infection and was quite sick. Strange how quickly kids get sick. One minute they are fine and talking your ear off. The next, they have a 103 fever and you have to rush them to the doctor. They have to get sick every once in a while just to make sure you appreciate them.

I finished a knit bunny from Susan B. Anderson's book Itty Bitty Toys. It turned out great. I'm gifting to to a friend's baby. Hope she likes it!

I want to break my sewing machine back out. I had a good setup about a year ago, but we had to change our playroom around and I lost my sewing space. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I think I have a solution. I've rearranged things again and found some space. I've been listening to some sewing podcasts and been inspired. Look at i-Tunes under quilting and sewing. There are so many. I'm really enjoying listening to them.

There are some great podcasts and crafting websites out there. Check out One Pretty Thing. This is an excellent site! They go through thousands of websites and bring together great crafting projects from everywhere. Another site I've fallen in love with is Cluck.Cluck.Sew. Lots of great projects that are actually doable! Also has some great giveaways. This week they are giving away a fat quarter bundle from The Quilt Shoppe. They offer some beautiful fabrics. I can't wait to get some!

I'm loving looking at cute fabrics. I can't wait to sew something cute again. I think I'll make some dresses for my sweet little girl. I guess the kidney infection worked. I really want to spoil her!

Pickled Again and Ooh, La La!

I need to get another refrigerator! This one is packed and I still have a drawer full of cucumbers! So far, I've made 15lbs of strawberries into jam and 30 jars of pickles. On Friday, I had to spread the love. I packed up the car with preserves.  I put together some knit dishcloths, jam and pickles with handwritten notes. I dropped them off with several friends. It was so sweet to see the looks of delight on peoples faces when delivering hand made goods. They all seemed a little confused at first. I could see them wondering if there was a holiday that they'd forgotten about. One person even gave me a hug and teared up. So nice! (and it helped reduce the pressure on my bursting fridge)

It really made me feel great. 

I'll post some recipes as soon as I get the chance.

I can't believe that my baby is 4. What happened to my sweet, pink, cuddly, slobbering baby? She is all grown up! 

 We threw her a Fancy Nancy Tea Party. We based it on the books by Jane O'Connor. OK, so I got carried away. I had so much fun putting it together from the invitations to the food to the cake. We asked for everyone to come dressed up. One family took us very seriously, the dad actually came in a tuxedo! Awesome!!!!

So she is all grown up, but she'll always be my baby!

Let's Jam! - or - I'm in a pickle!

I'm not sure what evil domestic demon has possessed me lately! Frankly, it's a little disturbing. I've had the overwhelming urge to preserve. As in Jams. VERY SCARY! Yet, yummy.
I've sought the help of a physician (luckily, I'm married to one). The problem is he wants pickles. What am I to do?
My kitchen is a wreck. The fridge is full of tiny jars of jam. We can't even find the milk. Now, add the pickles and watch out! Jars and jars of pickles. There are cucumbers everywhere.
Can I do just one variety of pickle? Oh, no. Since everything is out we might as well try a few kinds. We never know when this plague may strike again. After all, I'm 37 and this is the first time I've been afflicted. These canned goods may need to last another 30 years!
I need to take some pictures, but I can't find the camera. Where is it? Is it behind the pickling spice? In the fridge buried among the jars of jam? Am I losing my mind?
The only solution is to hit the streets and see if anyone will take some of this off my hands. Actually, I'm going to gift them to people that have been sweet and spicy in my life. Just a little "Thank You".  I love homemade gifts!
I just realized. It's only spring! What if this condition persists? What happens when the tomatoes ripen?
Zucchini anyone?
HELP ME!!!

The Baby That Never Was

The first mother's day that I considered myself a mother was passed pretending everything was fine. Inside I was experencing wrenching grief that I felt I was not allowed to express. The month before I'd experienced the miscarriage of my first child. Although I was only 12 weeks pregnant, it was a very real child. Being my first pregnancy, I was so excited and wrapped in that was all my hopes and dreams for the perfect little person that I imagined our baby to be.


The loss was truly devistating for me. The fact that society seems to view morning for a lost pregnancy inappropriate made it all the more difficult. The insensitive comments or silence from others was unbearable. Even though I have a wonderful and very supportive husband, who as also greving, I felt so alone.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I was able to hold my child in the palm of my hand during the miscarriage. He/she was this perfect, tiny person with 10 fingers and 10 toes. Beautiful and perfect. Yet, it was all of my hopes and dreams for the future gone.


I still think about my perfect, tiny child. I wonder what he or she would have been like. As I watch my other children grow, I wonder what would have been.

So this weekend, give a little love and attention to Moms that might have been and Moms that want to be. They need a hug!