signs of spring!

I couldn't believe it when I swung the back gate open yesterday and saw this. Tulips! Lilac buds! It's still so early in March, but we've had unseasonably warm weather. Crazy. I'm trying to remember when they usually start coming up. It's so exciting! I can't say that I have big gardening plans this year, though I definitely want to plant some more perennials, and if it works out (if not this year, then next), do a co-op vegetable garden with friends. I'm anxious to see what comes back from what little I did manage to plant next year. I do have these large front flowerbeds that I hope to make a mass of color with perennials and annuals in the next few years.

the knitting saga continues...

Eight years ago I had a neighbor that was teaching herself to knit from a book. I was intrigued, and since Martha Stewart knits (and she and I were constantly sharing Martha wisdom and mags), I thought 'hmm! I should learn to knit too!' I tried. Really hard. For like, a day. Then my neighbor moved away and I tried to put it out of my mind. I hung on to needles I'd enthusiastically bought from a garage sale somewhere along the way. Then 3 years ago I discovered a book, Kids Knitting, by Melanie Falick. A-ha! I thought, if it's written for kids, I just know I can learn! Uhhh, no. Even my attempts at making my own needles from wood dowels as per the book (maybe wood would work better for me than metal or plastic? I wondered) didn't do the trick. So again, I put the needles and yarn away.

So fast forward to recently and my still lingering wish to learn to make fabric from yarn with my own 2 hands. I discovered that 3 of my friends kinda know how to knit. I also found out there are local knitting groups. A friend and I went to one and I had someone show me how. I could actually do it (some)! The next day all of what I thought I'd learned had left me. I went to the library and checked out more books on knitting and went to youtube (love youtube!) and watched some tutorials. I'm slowly getting it. I can't imagine doing anything but the casting on and the basic knit stitch (seed stitch? purling? CABLES? how the ****?!) but baby steps, right?

I'm excited too, my kids also want to learn and I will be able to show them how.

Way better than a regular coloring book!

My kids, when they get a new coloring book as a present, only tend to color a few pages and then lose interest. This is why, when I periodically clean out the craft cabinet, I end up recycling a stack of partly used coloring books. And why, when I saw this wonderful, out-of-the-ordinary coloring book by Taro Gomi, I had to get it and see how the kids liked it. It offers direction but gives the user creative license. They have already spent a lot of time with this book (both the 11 and 6 year olds--the 3 year old will grow into it more). There are other books in the 'series'--I imagine we will be acquiring them all!

a spot of tea

Rob had this brilliant idea yesterday of having a tea party with Lily. He set it all up, invited the guests (um, us), and we had our afternoon tea. It was lovely. It reminded me of the importance of playing at being grown up and how magical and fun it could be. And then the added benefit of learning new skills through play and brushing up on manners.

From yesterday:


And this morning Lily requested another tea party. This time, Eric got to attend. He really enjoyed it too. I was demonstrating to them how to make conversation as they enjoyed their tea...and since it's morning, afew minutes later I heard him say to Lily:

"What did you dream about last night?"

She answered "Chik-Fil-A!"

Then she asked him the same question. It made me smile.

babywearin' love

So I love to wear my babies. All the way back to Grace. I had a ring sling with her but I never really got the hang of it and didn't know there were other options. With Eric, it was a 'hip hammock' and with Lily it was a hotsling, now with Calvin it's a mei tai and a moby wrap. I made the mei tai, though for some reason the body of it is too short so I need to re-work it. I'm pretty sure I followed the instructions for it, unless I mis-measured or something. But I love it and it'll be good with some tweaking. I don't know how one does a back carry with it though!

Mei Tai

My little brown bear in the Moby Wrap