Summer Music

Yes, she loves the Wiggles. However, my girl loves Blondie too. We will rock this summer!

Wordless Wednesday

Haircut

I am not a stylist nor have I ever played one on TV. I have tried cutting hair on friends when they tell me "just cut a straight line" and they don't believe me when I say I can't. However, my daughter currently only allows me near her head with scissors. She'll barely sit still for me, but she will sob if someone else does it. So, armed with a comb, scissors and the promise of a lollipop, I cut Buttons' hair outside with her in a diaper. I think it turned out pretty well for such a squirmy worm...

Before

After
(with blue raspberry lollipop tongue)

Memorial Day

My thoughts today will be with the families of the soldiers who have died serving our country. May we all find peace.

Movies: The Bad, the Really Bad and Breasts

I love movies...crazy about 'em. Drama, comedy, documentary, animated, subtitled (preferred over dubbing), chick flicks, suspense, some horror, action...even many "bad" movies. A friend of mine once said that there is a purpose for every yarn and critics be darned, I think there is a purpose for every movie. Some purposes escape my understanding or taste, but I'm open to those possibilities. I will see panned movies if I like the actors or I'm interested in the story and I just go in with low expectations. I also like very good and critically acclaimed movies others find boring. At my best, I'd say I'm ecclectic and at my worst I'd say I don't filter my choices as well as I should. That being said, lemme just fill you in on my latest movies from Netflix, a service that makes it easy for me to choose any movie, watch it in part or in full and return it mostly guilt-free.

Last Days, directed by Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho) and starring Michael Pitt (little movie crush) loosely based on the last days before Kurt Cobains suicide. I knew this wouldn't be a happy movie, but between the director, lead actor, and the story of a talented musician who I actually saw in concert, I thought it was a no-brainer. Still, I went in with low expectations because I hadn't heard too much enthusiasm about it. I was so underwhelmed, I think I watched less than a half hour (very unusual for me). There was virtually no dialogue, just M.P. roaming around a house and grounds in the country looking very drugged. Turned it off sent it back.
Someone told me there's a surprise at the end of The Illusionist. Well, I tried watching this movie and just couldn't get into it. I kept thinking "it has Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Rufus Sewell as a bad guy and the cinematogrophy is interesting" and I sat and watched. I guessed the surprise about 40 minutes into the movie and thought "this can't be the surprise". Yeah, it was. I thought this movie was kinda lame.

I thought the DVD of A Prairie Home Companion that I received in the mail was going to be the one with Meryl Streep and since she's one of my favorites, I was looking forward to it. This was instead the 30th Broadcas Season Celebration. This is the kind of thing I think I should watch because it's on NPR and everyone talks about how good it is, but I just haven't found it to be that entertaining to me. I watched about 20 minutes of it thinking that it seemed more like a taped show than a movie. I mean where was Meryl? Duh! It was a taped show. I'm a mid-westerner, but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe once I see the movie version, I'll enjoy the show more.
Then there's Breasts: A Documentary. I put it in my que on Netflix not knowing too much about it. I hoped it would be funny, thoughtful and interesting but worried it would just be salacious. It was intensely intimate, funny and profound as the cover claims. I was pleasantly surprised. If you get it, make sure you also look at the "extra footage". I wasn't exactly sure why that didn't make it into the movie, but I'm not a director.

So, there you have it. A few movie reviews. There is a purpose for every movie, but some of these have me stumped. If you saw any of these movies and would like to share an opinion of the movie, I'd love to read about it in the comments.

Thanks Secret Pal 10!!!!!!!!!!!!

My SP10 package arrived yesterday during Buttons' nap. The postman must've known this box had great goodies in it as he rang the bell frantically and knocked. (No Buttons didn't wake up, she was out cold.) Ok, this bag with the guide loop on the inside, the drawstring, and the attachable loop on the outside is great! A few years ago I went to Anaheim, CA with hubby who went to a conference while I went to Disneyland with my knitting. Let me tell you, I got the looks standing in line with my needles and yarn. This bag would have been perfect for that and I think it will work well sitting outside with Buttons as she wades in her pool and plays in her sandbox. Thanks so much!

This book is one I have coveted for a long time. I took it out from the library. I put it on a wish list. I've almost purchased it on several occasions. It's the perfect gift for me! Thanks Secret Pal!

This mercerized cotton yarn is Lara from elann.com and it feels wonderful. I'm not certain what I'm going to make with it, but I can't wait to get it on the needles. It's got a great feel. The recommended gauge is 24-26 stitches over 32-36 rows makes a 10 x 10cm (4 inch) square on US size 3 or4 needles. I have 3 balls of each at 138 yards (127 m) and I'm certain I can get more in the same dye-lot if needed. Any suggestions knitters?

These scissors are perfect for a mama with a toddler. She can't get them open, but when I do, they're nice and sharp. This tape measure? Click on the picture and maybe you can see the little teapot at the end of the tape. So cute!

Then in a note she tells me to get ready for my next package! Wow SP10, you've been busy. Thank you for truly spoiling me. I brought everything to my knitting group last night and there was drool. That bag almost didn't make it home with me. Thanks!!!!

Pictures of F.O.'s (from last post)

I'm not sure why these pictures didn't show up on my last post, but I'm too lazy/tired to fix it, so I'll just add another post for the day. (Soon to be posted: pics of my SP10 package.) Thanks Secret Pal!

Less U.F.O.'s at My House!

Actually, I mean unfinished objects of the knitting variety.

I just finished this market bag for my secret pal using dish cloth cotton. I think it turned out pretty well.

This Jester Hat comes from The Yarn Girl's Guide to Kid Knits: Patterns for Babies and Toddlers which I made for baby S. born this past Sunday. Buttons has the same hat with some different colors and jingle bells. Believe it or not this was done on Red Heart Sport! It's not the absolute softest yarn, but it's very washable and knits up very nicely. See those pom poms? I wasted alot of time trying to do them with this pom pom maker. Then Marsha brought this pom pom maker to our knitting group the other day and I'm sold! (I bought it two days later.)

The bib is from Mason-Dixon Knitting. It's easy, quick, fun, and only takes about 3/4 of a ball of Lily's Sugar & Cream cotton "washcloth" yarn and a button.

Ok, time to knit again. Buttons wants a bib just like the one for baby S. and from my stash she chose the first yarn I ever purchased to learn crochet before knitting. (Still don't know how to crochet.) This washcloth yarn has lived with me for at least 8 years in three different states. I'm very excited she chose this yarn because it was around the time of its purchase that hubby and I started trying for a baby. Now I get to make our baby a bib from it! I can't wait to finish...

Happy Referral Anniversary!

Our "China Family" has been e-mailing back and forth to get ready for the big party we celebrate near Family Day (some call it Gotcha Day) at the end of July. One of the moms just e-mailed me and reminded me today is the 2 year anniversary of our referrals. Here are the pictures we received 2 years ago today. I prepared myself before I looked at the pictures because I knew it could take time to make a connection. However, I saw Buttons and fell head over heels immediately. Look at that sweet face. For all those who are still waiting, I promise it does come and as I'm sure you already know, is well worth the wait.

(I had to interupt Wordless Wednesday for this. Sometimes I just don't play by the rules.)

Wordless Wednesday

Knitting Meme

I copied this meme from The Mirthful Menagerie. I have many more things to explore in the knitting world, but knitting dog or cat hair ain't on that map. If you're a knitter and would like to join this meme, consider yourself tagged. Just post a comment below and let us know you're participating.

By the way, does anyone know what thrummed knitting or two-end knitting means?

Bold for stuff you’ve done,
italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and
normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket (baby)
I-CORD
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up (a current project)
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up (2 needle)
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL (maybe)
Sweater (if baby sweaters count)
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting (?)
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding (Like a dress?)
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO ( I think so)
Freeform knitting (I hope so!)
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting (?)
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair (no, nay, never)
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

SP9 Thank You Pics (Long Overdue)

I had posted a while ago a brief picture of a box I received from my Secret Pal a while after SP9 was finished. She had been a great Secret Pal going above and beyond what was called for and then she sent a wonderful box of goodies after SP9 was over. Well, here are pics of the goods. Thanks Kathy!

She sent this lovely cup and saucer along with 2 wonderful teas. The one on the left may now be my favorite tea and the one on the right is not only yummy, but is a flower that opens in my teapot!

Here's a book I had asked for entitled "No One Cares What You Had For Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog" which is fun and hopefully is helpful for my peeps out there reading my blog. The peppermint vanilla candle smells so great, I wish I had "smell-o-vision". Yeah, those chocolate Easter eggs (with caramel, raspberry, peanut butter, coconut and java)? Gone and might I say delicious! Kathy, you were right about the shortbread. Awesome, buttery goodness.

Here's a lovely handwritten note between some EO Lemon Verbena body lotion and shower gel which I had never tried before, but I'm now a fan. Thanks for all the wonderful gifts, the thoughtful e-mails, fun e-cards and your comments on my blog. You were a great Secret Pal and continue to be a great blog-bud. Perhaps we'll meet at a festival someday or when I'm in your neck of the woods. I sure hope so. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

(One thing I forgot to include was a picture of the wonderful Lantern Moon tape measure she included as well. I'm already using it in my knitting and it didn't get in the photo shoot. I've always wanted one of these! Thanks!)

Tails Tale

Scene: First thing in the morning, the parent bed.

Buttons: Mama, does my doll have a tail?

Mama: No, dolls and people don't have tails honey.

Buttons: Do cows have tails?

Mama: Yes.

Buttons: Why?

Mama: Well, tails on animals help with balance, swatting flies and other things too.

Buttons: (Laughing) Do you have a tail?

Mama: Are you making a joke?

Buttons: Ha, ha. YES!!! Do sheeps have tails?

Mama: Yes, sheeps have tails too.

My daughter is teaching me to say sheeps. I enjoy learning from her, but I hope "sheeps" doesn't find its way into my everyday vernacular.

M.I.L.F. Update (Aka Hippo Update)

I've been off the MILF program for a while and gained 4 pounds. This is what I feel like today. I'd like to look a bit more like the orginal M.I.L.F., Jennifer Coolidge . Yes, yes, I want to be healthy too. I'm still working on being comfortable in my skin, but there seems to be so much of it and it's all so full. I need to be happier with less. Less chocolate, less worrying, less stuff, less money, less TV, less stress. We've all heard less is more. I see truth in that, but getting there is tough. I do know in this society, more weight seems to make a lesser person. There are many times when I feel invisible to strangers. Is that why I can't seem to lose this weight that keeps me down so much? Do I want to be invisible? Am I scared to join the ranks of the "norm"? I think I need to start meditating, quieting myself and listening to what's going on inside.

Verbosity

Buttons is a talker. Where does she get that from? Uh...yeah...I resemble that. She amazes me with her use of words and phrases. Most of the time I can understand her but other times it's like playing Mad Gabs. "Aye wan bull crap" becomes "I want Pooh cup". (Seriously, it took a long time for me to not hear "bull crap" when Buttons asked for that sippee.) Then after playing Mad Gabs, I swear we play the dictionary game, as in "where on earth did she learn THAT word...is she reading the dictionary"? No, I'm not talking about bad words. It's stuff like "Mama, my paper is ruined" and "those goggies (doggies) are getting into mischief". Ruined? Mischief? She's two and a half. I know kids are sponges and I definitely try to use the 3 dollar words around her as much as possible, but brilliant right? Ok, yeah I know we ALL think our kid is the smartest, but man she is amazing to me.

She can also remember lyrics to songs so well, which is something that is right up Hubby's alley. We were in the grocery store the other day in the cereal aisle and she starts singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" song outa nowhere with words, rhythm and music. I wonder where her inspiration came from and when I ask her she points to a box with Spider Man on it. You couldn't even see the spider that's on his chest and she knew. Ok, she watches a little TV, but it's usually PBS or cooking shows with me. Maybe she asked me before, but I still find it amusing and a little scary. Sponges I tell you, sponges. So, I'll try to have her soak up the good stuff.

Wordless Wednesday

Rocco & Rita in the Blogosphere!

Rocco and Rita now have a blog called Our Vietnam Adoption Journey and are allowing me to share with you. I've mentioned them before in past posts and we're very excited for them as they get ready for the long wait. They're approximating sometime around a year from this June to meet their baby. If you're so inclined, stop by their blog and give them a little support. And welcome to the blogosphere, Rocco and Rita!

Happy Mother's Day

For all the birth mothers, mothers, and waiting mothers.
Happy Mother's Day

Wordless Wednesday

Important Jobs

I don't work outside of the home. I am a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) and sometimes I worry Buttons won't see that women can do anything. They don't have to be super heroes and do everything, but they can be scientists, doctors, teachers, chefs, mechanics and yes, SAHMs too.

When she "goes" somewhere, she'll tell us she's going knitting (me), to work (hubby) or grocery shopping (both). I know she watches us because when she "goes knitting", she gets all of her purses, bags and anything else she can carry imitating me when I traipse off with copious amounts of projects. For grocery shopping, she has her very own cart. And when we were in H&M the other day, she wanted to try on the belts. I didn't know why until after she was wearing it and she declared she was going to work. (The only time hubby puts on a belt is in the morning before he goes to work.)

So yesterday, my girl is with her daddy and is teaching her doll to walk. She tells hubby "I have a bery impotant job to do. I have to stay home and teach my baby to walk." Me? Yeah, I'm melting. So, I'm glad hubby and I have imparted that mamahood (and daddyhood) is an important job. I also hope she knows that working outside the home is a wonderful and important job too. Someday I will work outside the home again and I will miss these days of watching my baby grow and learn to walk, talk and think. Sigh. An important and blessed job to be sure.

(The picture is from about 6 months ago. I can't believe how much she's grown!)

Shell and Cheese

Mmmm, Midnight Moon cheese. Ever had it? Go get some now. I'll wait...It's my favorite cheese and I bought a little today with apricot and cumin preserves. Click on the above picture and you'll get the info on this goat cheese gem.

So the blogging has been a bit slow lately. And posts about knitting? I've been very lax in that department. However, I have been knitting and am hoping to have an FO (finished object) soon. It doesn't look that fabulous in the above picture, but I really like it and since it's my oldest UFO (unfinished object) I'm really happy it's almost done. I only have to knit a few more rows and make sure both sides are even, do a three needle bind off on the shoulders and do 2 sideseams. Whoohoo! (Yes that's our little fluffball cat who loves this shell and would really like it for a blanket. (Click on the shell picture to find the pattern.)

Another reason for a small amount of knitting posts? I don't think I write about knitting very well. Sorry Secret Pal.

Why?...Why?...Why?

Scene: It's bedtime for Buttons and we're reading The Big Red Barn.
Backstory: Buttons is very interactive with story reading.

Buttons: What's that Mama? (Pointing to the cow's udders.)
Me: Remember when we talked about how some mommies breast feed babies and some mommies and daddies give their baby special milk from a store?
Buttons nods.
Me: Well, the baby cows drink from these and they're called udders.
Buttons: Why?
Me: Because that's how the mothers give milk to their babies. (I'm thinking to myself "was she wondering about why they're called udders?")
Buttons: Why?
Me: Um, because their milk is stored in there.
Buttons: Why?
Me: You ask very good questions Buttons. I think we should finish the book since it's bedtime now.

Notes: This scene was actually condensed. I'm so excited that she is interested in everything, but it hurts my brain sometimes. I hope I can keep up with her. A friend told me she will turn the question back to her daughter by saying "what do you think" and that has worked pretty well for me on many occasions. However, I have a feeling she'll be asking more in depth questions about babies soon since a couple of friends are having babies and she's very interested. I'm not into stork folktales and I label body parts with appropriate names but it will be interesting when I try to give the 2 year old version of the birds and the bees and I'm met with a thousand why's.

Update: I was reading over this post again this morning (May 4) to check for spelling errors. Buttons saw the cow picture and became very excited.
Buttons: Look mama, cows!
Me: Yes, cows.
Buttons: There are two cows.
Me: Yes there are.
Buttons: What are they doing mama?
Me: Just standing there.
Buttons: Why?

Pictures of F.O.'s

These are the pictures to go with my previous post. Not sure why they didn't show up, but here they are...

Wordless Wednesday

Happy May Day!

May Day in Czechoslovakia, 1968 in National Geographic Magazine.

In Catholic school, I remember taking part in at least one Maypole dance. What are your memories of May Day? I'm gonna try to celebrate a bit today even though it's rainy. I think this is the day you're supposed to leave flowers anonymously on doorsteps. Hmmm...