Finally Cool

Today it is finally starting to cool off outside. Actually it's a normal temperature for the time of year, according to the weatherman. I'm especially excited because I bought a few new sweaters this summer that I haven't gotten to wear yet. Also, Jonah is growing out of his summer stuff and it hasn't been cool enough for him to wear long sleeves.

I love Fall. Fall is leaves and pumpkins and spice and sweaters and fires in the fireplace.

Birthday Eve

I'm up baking a cake for my birthday- pathetic? Maybe, but I really like cake.



This time last year I was still pregnant, looking forward to the birth of my child, and looking forward to my maternity leave. Last summer was so peaceful and happy for me. Not that this year is not peaceful or happy- it's just very very different. The picture above is awfully out of focus, but it's a lot more like my memories of last summer than anything else. Me in a hammock, huge and happy. Oblivious to the changes- or maybe not caring so much because I was enjoying the moment as I should have been.


My Mom was 32 for two or three years- not because she was ashamed of her age, but because she genuinely forgot how old she was. I always thought that was SO bizarre, but now I understand it. I don't feel 29, so it's hard to remember that that's how old I am. Years are passing so quickly and I don't feel like it's been as long as all that. I'm measuring them in the gifts I've been given- which is not to say that I've been given very few gifts- quite the contrary.
I feel like the time that has passed has blessed me in so many ways.


And even the storms- I've even been blessed by the storms.

Surprises all around

So the most recent news is that Jonah did NOT have Chicken pox- it was apparently Roseola from the fever he'd had. That's great for me because it means that I can go to the ladies bible class tomorrow without being afraid that I'll infect someone's child, but sad because vengeance is mine, saith the chicken pox. Anyway- I may have caught whatever bug Jonah had because I've felt like all day. However, I did manage to actually do something today.


Yesterday I went to Target and Lo and Behold! They had some gloves in the dollar aisle. I had intended to make Jonah a little fox glove animal, but the pattern wouldn't adapt well and I had a hard time dying the gloves to a dark orange... basically I ended up butchering the poor creature.
Part of my problem is that I tend to be a little too much of a perfectionist, and I am also not the best seamstress. So I made Jonah a bunny out of the gloves I found at Target. On the first try.
The picture isn't the best, but I finished late and I didn't want to wait until morning to take a picture. The thread I used is white, so it stands out against the black gloves, but that's okay. Jonah threw it down like just about every other toy right now- he prefers my hairbrush and pens to just about anything. We let him play out in the yard this evening and he decided to dismantle Daddy's solar lights.
Also, I got a new haircut recently. It's a little layered so I don't have to work really hard to get a little style, and I got to keep most of my length.

Tricks and Chicken Pox?

These are pictures of Jonah's chicken pox. Or at least I think they're chicken pox. He hasn't itched much at all and now the spots are starting to fade- not scab over. Also, he hasn't been running a fever for two days now. If anyone recognizes these as anything else, please let me know.

Sorry the pictures are so bad- Jonah wouldn't hold still. I only got a few decent shots even when I tried to use the sports mode. Oh well.


This is Jonah's new trick. Very clever, my little Monkey!

Sunshine

Ha

We were at the mall playing on the big squishy playground. Jonah can fall on his head and I don't worry about it. It's a great place to be. There were several other kids there- most of them were a lot older than Jonah and therefore ignored him. Jonah didn't care.

A grandma and grandpa brought their Little Sweetums into the playground. He stood and watched all the kids for a minute and then he went directly to the giant baseball glove where my child was crawling and decided to sit right in front of Jonah. No matter where Jonah went, Little Sweetums was there trying to stop him. I was patient. Surely grammy and Grampy would tell him to act nice to the small child who can't even walk??

Maybe they had really bad eyesight?

I was helping Jonah into the big squishy boat and Little Sweetums reached over to shove Jonah. I gave him the stink eye. "Don't." I hissed. He backed off. For the moment.

I sat down and Jonah kept playing. Little Sweetums shoved my child off the Frog. Grammy and Grampy said nothing. NOthing.

Did I missed that they were blind?

I got the last laugh. Jonah has Chicken Pox.

Of shoes and ships and sealing wax

It's been a busy week, and yet not much has happened.

I tried out Laura's Baked Oatmeal, and it is really good. I'm thinking of making some for Jonah using the oatmeal cereal that you can buy for babies as he doesn't seem to like the texture of mine.

My Twin is now officially a nurse- YAY TARA!

Jonah may have Chicken Pox- YAY... wait. urgh.

Josh has almost got my new kitchen sink installed. We're just trying to get the plumbing all tight. YAY!! I'll post pictures later.

So I've been a little lax on the creative endeavors, until today. This is actually a little lame and I'm sort of forcing myself to post this. I've been looking at patterns online for handmade dish scrubbers lately. I've only got a couple of sponges at the moment and they don't scrub well, and who wants to pay $4 for a sponge with a rough side? So I crocheted my own scrubber out of cotton yarn and plastic grocery sacks. The actual crocheting was a little rough, and the sacks were a little harder to work with than I had thought they would be, but it's dish scrubber... it doesn't have to be perfect. The best part is that the grocery sacks aren't going to scratch the teflon and the cotton part will hold water and soap if I need it.

Here's Josh and Jonah playing. Josh has been assembling kitchen cabinets. This is the sink component without the top on. We haven't hooked up the plumbing yet, so it's sitting in the back of my kitchen storing things I don't want Jonah to get into right now.

Merry... Uh, September

I was browsing the Interweb this morning and realized that people are already starting to get ready for Christmas. Then it occurred to me that it is September. Yes, Silly me, I was only born in this month!

Soon my Mother will start asking for my Christmas List. You assume I am jesting, but I am not.
So- HA! Here it is!

1. Fiestaware: Shamrock, Scarlet, Cobalt. I probably need place settings for 8 to 12 and serving dishes. Our Dishes are looking terrible and I would like something a bit more cheerful.

2. Books and/or movies:
Dan Yashinsky's Risky Stories"
"Living Outloud", "How to be an Explorer of the World", or "Wreck this Journal" by Keri Smith Any of the Buffy DVD's after the first two seasons.

3. It has come to my attention that I don't own much adult jewelry, so that would also be good.

ha!

Dear Home,

I apologize- not for being lousy at keeping you neat this week, but for resenting you. Yes, I admit I have resented you. You must admit that your front door tends to get very dirty from tracking in dirt, and your windows are old and drafty. You kitchen is just bones, at best and should I even mention the bathrooms?

I am not saying these things to make you feel worse. Really I feel very guilty about my attitude toward you. I tried my best to find any excuse to get away from you last week, but I won't do that again. You know, if I spent just a little time with you we could get to that good place. The place of comfort and solace. I want that with you. I want to smile when I think about you and feel compelled to come back to you. You are such a good, quiet, private place. I know all it would take is a little effort on my part.

So here is my promise to you: No more running away at every opportunity. I will commit to spending time with you, even if it is just a little a day. In return I hope you can find it in your heart- and hearth- to cradle me and my family, and protect us.

Sincerely,
Chara