Wordless Wednesday: Springing

Wordless Wednesday: Good choice

Boring, but useful

My latest projects—two drawstring bags to hold the boy’s diapers (we’re a most-of-the-time cloth family).  Only I didn’t put drawstrings in them, as I figured it wasn’t necessary for our current set up, and that just ends up making their numerous trips through the washing machine more difficult.  Plus I used the laminated side as the right side (normal treatment is to use it as the wrong side).  Better to have as few nooks and crannies for poop to hide as possible, I say.

And there in the background, the simplest project of my life.  Oilcloth cut in a square, with some rounded corners for good measure to go under the boy’s high chair as we continue easing our way into solids.

Even grown ups need elf shoes sometimes

After I made some cousins tiny little elf shoes, I knew I would need some for myself someday.  And when we moved to Michigan, to a house with hardwood floors, I knew the time was nigh.  Yes, I’ve been slipperless for most of the time we’ve been here.  Yes, winter is ending.  Yes, I’ve managed quite nicely with a couple of pairs of wool socks.  But one of them was starting to wear through at the heels, and I’ve had these near my knitting needles for a while.  So.  Elf shoes.

Elf shoes pattern.  Worked without the additional triangles around the top.  Pink mystery yarn from Woolcott’s.

After looking up my old post, I am now learning about the distinctions between “elven,” “elfin,” “elvish,” etc.  Oh, the joys of English!

Wordless Wednesday: Watching our country grow

At a U.S. naturalization ceremony watching Dad sing.

Email subscription

I finally looked into how to set up email subscriptions.  So, if you don’t subscribe to this blog using a feed reader, and you’d like to be notified when I post something, there’s now a widget on the sidebar over to the right.

Our birthday celebration

When I was growing up, you got to choose your birthday meal.  And you didn’t have to help set the table or do the dishes (oh, the luxury).  Well, not only did I choose A.’s birthday dinner, I made him help cook.

In my defense, he got to choose our breakfast (we went to a wonderful breakfast place in Grand Rapids, Wolfgang's), and I agreed beforehand to be in charge of cleanup.  Because, you see, I had grand visions for this dinner.  You see, A. is a displaced Californian.  And like many such specimens, he misses his fast food burger joint of choice, In-n-Out.  And since they don’t have any stores further than a one-day drive from their distribution center in California, they aren’t going to be opening a store in Michigan any time soon.  Earlier last week I saw an article about a guy ordering everything on the menu (they have a relatively simple menu, plus some “secret” options).  And, even better, there was a link to his previous In-n-Out experiment—making his own!

So, we caramelized onions

Ground our own beef (thanks Uncle Eric)!

And together with American cheese from the deli, freshly made “spread,” and some lettuce and tomato, we feasted.

Of course, it was a bit of effort getting it all together, so we couldn’t eat just one.  But after two?  I sat down with the baby for a bedtime story and was looking through his basket of books, and saw The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  And so we read that one.  If only my overeating would ultimately result in my becoming a beautiful butterfly!  Or, at the very least, be relieved by eating some greens the next day.

Instead, the next day was reserved for the final part of the birthday feast:  the cake!

And here are my boys.  Peter Potamus dressed in a flannel-and-jeans tribute outfit just for his dad’s birthday.  A. doesn’t wear flannel all the time, so I smiled extra when he got up on his birthday and pulled out a flannel shirt.

Why did no one tell me it was Daylight Savings Time?

I just got back from church, and am feeling rather silly.  Some times, I think, reminders are all over.  This time?  I heard nothing.

A very special day

I just wanted to wish my husband and sister a very happy birthday.

A., thanks so much for letting me celebrate your last “mid-twenties” birthday with you.  Thanks for working hard all day and still coming home wanting to play with Peter Potamus and me.  I’m so glad we’re a family.

C., I hope you had fun at the amusement park!  I miss you, and I’m proud of the work you’re doing.  I’m glad you’re my sister.

Details on our celebration (and why I felt like the very hungry caterpillar) later.

Wordless Friday: Preparations

Um, I missed Wednesday.  Oops.

A failure of imagination

I’m normally pretty good at envisioning what my crafty projects will look like when they’re through.  Perhaps that’s why I have so many going at once—I get a glimpse in my head, and I have to start working on making it a reality at once.  But some projects require a bit more vision than others.  Because this:

while pretty, is way less cute than this:

And, to make it about 1,000 times cuter, add the little recipient:

Yarn is from alfabette zoope, a superwash wool in the colorway “Voyage.”  Pattern is the Stella Pixie.  The boy is all mine.

Wordless Wednesday: Early Indoctrination