Filed under: creativity
Peter needs a haircut.
Filed under: creativity
Ella’s wearing her new hermosa "dress" and really insisting on taking her baby for a walk in 18 degrees outside…not happenin’
Filed under: creativity
Ella likes to place her baby in the basket under her stroller.
First this:
Then this:
Most definitely engaging in some of this with Peter.
and this:
even if I have to pack it up and take it here to finish.
Ella loves to read.
Here she is, reading with daddy:
Here she is, reading “to” daddy:
Notice the stacks of books by the hearth? Usually those are spread all over the floor because she brings them one by one to read in our laps. She “docks” by backing up toward us and sitting in our laps, book in her hands, ready to read!
Here she is, reading to her baby:
Last night, she brought the baby to our bed. I let her “visit” but the migration is supposed to occur in the opposite direction – back to Ella’s room, not into ours! Ella and I put her baby back in Ella’s bed, and kissed her goodnight.
Tonight, while Peter (who is not feeling very well) was soaking in the tub, Ella and I were playing “head, shoulders, knees and toes”, then I sang pat-a-cake to her. She clapped along for a couple claps, then went to her book stack, throwing off the smaller books as if looking for something. She was searching for her nursery rhymes book! She turned to the pat-a-cake page and pointed to the cake!!
Then, saying goodnight to everything outside, (trees, stars, etc.) we went through our most popular animal visitors and I said, “Goodnight deer, goodnight woodchuck, goodnight fox.” and paused. Ella pointed outside and added, “Bird!” I said “Goodnight bird,” and she nodded in approval.
Who could forget bird??
(clue: he’s the brightest red on the tree of reds 
Ella has been “teething” since she was 4 months, old but the first teeth just appeared at 11 months. No she has a mouth full of molars and various teeth (out of order) that just don’t seem to give her a break! Once again, my poor baby has a mouth full of swollen gums, but she’s in good spirits. She did have all of her siblings here to entertain her today while J and I took turns working and making travel arrangements. She even insisted on going outside in the weather (snowing in the ‘teens!) so that she could hang out with daddy and Jack instead of boring old mom.
Just 2 more weeks until San Francisco and J is losing his mind neck deep in work. I feel for him, and I’m not far behind. At least I have my visit with Tracy to look forward to, and keep me excited about going.
I had to take a sewing break today. I cannot believe how long it’s taking me to make myself a shirt, but I am pleased with how it’s coming along. I needed the handwork to calm my senses. I can only illustrate tiny software icons of car parts for so long in one day without going cross-eyed!
yippee, a muffler.
Just a little update for now. More tomorrow once the icons are done and I move on to brochures.
I don’t know why I forgot that I knew how to sew when Peter was a baby, but making these clothes for my nephew-on-the-way was a wonderful experience! I found some lovely fabric from my Japanese fabric co-op and looked for a few tiny baby designs from ottobre to make for him. Since my sister in law is stylish and unique, I knew her son would need something out of the ordinary for his first time with us.
The Velveteen Rabbit is one of my favorite stories of all time, so velveteen and bunnies was a natural combination. And, every kid needs some black to match their mommy, in my opinion. In fact, making this outfit reminded me that Ella looks lovely in black, too, and I’d better sew some new things for her soon!
I have a double-sided minky fleece blanket I’d like to bind in the bunny fabric, as well. I think I’ll do it by hand. I keep waffling whether to hand stitch or machine stitch the binding, but I think time is going to dictate the machine does my heavy lifting. I have to remind myself that each stitch is still filled with love, whether machine or hand-done.
I was also able to get my hands on some double-sided pointelle knit Japanese fabric from Kokka’s Trefle line, and I made some sweet layette items for the little one as yet to be named.
I made my favorite types of clothing, but only one of each, so that my sister-in-law can tell me which she likes best. I wish I’d have made some tiny things for Ella before she was born…
Next, I have a few things for Ella in the works, some more pants for Peter, and possibly another shirt, and next- something for ME! I just wish someone would start a sewalong, so I could get motivated. Maybe I should?
Boys will be boys, and sisters will tattle.
Tonight, Peter had a friend over. They wanted to play in the basement (the “spaceship” is down there), but since J had conference calls almost all evening, they were relegated to the upper 2 floors. This means that everything they did was likely in plain view of their little sidekick, Ella. Being boys, they thought wrestling would be a fun way to pass the time until the spaceship area was unoccupied… I, on the other hand, don’t find wrestling to be a wise choice for a time-passing activity, but I’m not 10, and I’m not a boy. Something like “it’s all fun and games until someone gets their eye poked out” springs to mind.
Ella wanted desperately to join the boys, but all her efforts to join them were thwarted, so she and I played nearby, moving clothes piece by piece from her new armoire to her old dresser and back again, reading to her baby, and laughing about nothing and everything.
J says “no blood, no foul” but suddenly there was blood. I hear, “Peter, your fingernails aren’t even nails, they are CLAWS.” Since I know this to be true, I go to investigate. Ugh, Peter accidentally scraped along his friend’s arm with one of his talons. I was mom the medic and bandaged/antibacterialized up the friend, remembering that we had some ice cream in the freezer to make it all better. Fortunately, being boys, this sort of thing is expected as a part of play, and so there were no tears, name-calling, pouting, accusations, drama, none of that girly-stuff.
J came up to release his hold on the spaceship docking area and little Ella, without any actual words, told on the boys. She told J the story of Peter’s friend’s scraped arm and the antibacterial lotion, and the bandaging. She used her arms and hands and facial expressions, nodding for yes or no, and pointing to convey the story. J understood completely.
You don’t need words to be a tattle tale!
I made another Olivia top from farbenmix, only this one fits. I downsized drastically, removing some length from the sleeves and the bodice by folding the pattern pieces across the middle. I removed some of the fullness from the skirt portion, but none in the sleeve. I also removed some size in the hood, but kept the tail as designed.
The knit was so soft, I didn’t want to add the pocket as in the pattern. I narrow-hemmed the sleeves with the serger, but I guess I didn’t need to finish them at all, because I left the bottom hem cut and it looks very nice to me.
Ella had other ideas about what would work well to accompany her new shirt…The jeans weren’t doing it for her today, I suppose. She brought me these tights and pretended to put them on herself, indicating that I should help her change. She seems happier. I should have known today is a polka-dotted day!
We packed some layers on and headed to Maybury State Park with the boys for a walk in the stroller on the paved path for a change. Ella held out fine for about 30 minutes in the stroller and then wanted to be held. J carried her to the play area where the boys went wild and Ella chased after them as a little sister should! I dressed her for the stroller with the sleeping bag, but not enough layers for the progressively chillier day, so we went home for a nap with our little ice cube earlier than planned. We must have worn her (and me) out because we napped until it was almost time to meet our new friends at our favorite restaurant.
Peter’s friend T’s family are so much fun. T’s little sister *loves* Ella, and made her a lovely little bracelet. They also brought a beautiful fleece-lined sweater that was C’s – exactly what we needed during our walk today. How perfect!
Ella was right; polka-dots and smiles were most definitely on the agenda for today.
Filed under: motherhood
it started out sweet enough…little monster awakes, happy to see big brother, and enjoys getting him off to school. we come home and have fabulous pumpkin (and chocolate chip) muffins for breakfast. 
we play, read books, sing and spin around until dizzy and laughing, we collapse on the floor (ella can do this more often than i – so i watch many of the repetitions from nearby on the floor). we have our tickle time, and change various diapers and clothing.
then after a delicious lunch, including a new word (juice!) nap-time ruined everything.
sometimes ella will sleep if i have her strapped into her ergo carrier and bounce on an exercise ball while we watch project runway. today, once i sat down she grabbed my face and, making her “eeeeeeeeee” is for effort grunt generally reserved for opening packages, tried to rip the skin off of my face. i switched to “Martha’s Sewing Room” because ella seems to enjoy Martha Pullen’s sweet southern accent on most days. she bit me. i am bruised. not only my ego, but my arm. purple and black in the shape of a tiny, violent mouth.
i was crying. i had to cry. i went in the bathroom (a place i’m not usually “allowed” to go alone) and shut the door. she pounded to come in, but i couldn’t take any more of her pinches. the little hands (usually so adorable) came reaching under the door like tentacles in a horror film, where the victim is doomed in her tiny hiding place because she was too stupid to leave the house when the monster appeared. i couldn’t leave the house. i’m the monster’s mother.
finally i emerged, at a loss for what to do next. we went into ella’s room and i sat on the floor and thought of what i must have done to raise such an aggressive child. i started crying again and she began opening her armoire drawer. i didn’t even want to think about what i’d have to tidy up once she finally did fall asleep, so i didn’t even look.
she brought me a pair of shorts (put away for summer) to dry my eyes. i thanked her and she went back to the drawer and reappeared with a pair of bloomers and tried to wipe my eyes for me. i thanked her again. once i had seven articles of clothing-kerchiefs in my lap, i asked ella if she wanted to hug me, since she was clearly trying to communicate something.
she hugged me so tightly, it could only have meant an apology. we climbed into her bed to read some books. i asked her if she wanted me to hold her and she nodded her head in assent. i picked her up and strapped her into the carrier again. within a minute she was sleeping.
i don’t know if i’ll ever understand what that violent interlude meant, or if it’s simply something toddlers “do,” but i hope it never happens again. she awoke from her (our) nap around 6 when her other brother came over for the weekend and was her usual, happy, silly, lovey-dovey self. i butted the highchair up against the sink while i made chocolate chip cookies (for J’s return, to surprise him) and she played and watched, and chatted the entire time. se was so happy to be included in my cooking. daddy the traveling hero arrived around 7 for dinner after his long day away in new york, and she was thrilled to see him.
she even went to bed “on time” around 10 with no fuss. she has clearly forgotton her 3-hour outburst. i haven’t, but i’m relieved my sweet girl is back.
how could this be the same child?
