I have to open briefly with this: I am somewhat nervous about starting this week thing, since my follow through on this blog is spotty at best. But, well begun is half done and every journey of a thousand steps, etc, so I am starting this and hoping to finish. We'll see.
Saturday: After a late night crafting and not being able to unwind, we are awakened at 5:30am by the little guy, who has a full diaper and more energy that is really necessary at that hour. After a pants change and a sippy cup, I lay down in his room and let him do his thing while I try to catch another hour or so of sleep. At 7 it is clear that he is not going to settle so we all get up. The mister and I take turns showering and watching the Nums; I load the dishwasher and feed Saoirse and Matt gets the little man ready for Saturday breakfast. We usually have Saturday breakfast at 8:30 with J and B, but they are camping for the weekend so it is just the three of us. We grab gifts for our friends A and A, who are very new parents to baby M and whom we plan to stop in to see after breakfast. We got them the Numa's favorite book, Listen Listen, and I made them a DIY ribbon-edged comfort blanket (super cute, with a quilt-square front in oranges and aquas and a chocolate brown fuzzy back). We wait a while for a table because apparently the secret is out about our hole-in-the-wall diner, but once we are seated a waitress realizes we are regulars and our order (tomato, spinach and feta scramble for me, eggs benny for the Mr. and scrambled eggs and berries for the little guy) comes out right away.
After breakfast we head to A and A's to meet M, who is oh so tiny and delicate and delicious at 10 days old. I get to hold him for a while and I remember what I loved about having such a little person to spend my days with. We don't stay long, as we don't want to interrupt their day, and the Numa falls asleep on the way home around 10:30. I take the down time to clean off my desk...finally. It has needed sorting and filing for months and for some reason, I have been really unmotivated most of this summer. In the last few days, though, I am starting to recover some of my desire to do more than pin things and read blogs. This must be a good sign.
The Numa wakes from his nap a little after 2pm (go little man!) and we have a cup and some crackers and play until the mister gets home from having his hair cut. Chipotle for lunch and then packing ensues for our trip to a cookout in Plymouth. We finally leave (with like 5 bags...seriously, some people pack less for weekend trips to Europe) and get to the middle of nowhere around 5. Tons and tons of people came out for the annual Carl and Kirsten fest, and we finally get to meet their little guy, X, who is mellow and adorable. One of the guests has brought not only bubbles for all the little kids, but also a bouncy tent (!!) which the Numa loves. He bounces and runs through the sprinkler and hits on the darling Gina who is close to his age and very sweet. We eat and chat until around 8:30, when the Numa is really done (it being an hour past his bedtime). We bundle him into clean pants and pj's and hit the road. I am in and out the entire trip (thankfully, M is driving) and we get home just after 10. We transfer the little man with no issues and I fall into bed at 10:30.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Craftiness.
Unbelievable though it may be, I am actually going to post about the craft projects I have recently completed...AND tell you (or no one, as it were) about the two I just completed tonight! Well, it is actually 2am but let's call it tonight for simplicity's sake.
The craft projects I hinted at in a previous post were very different from each other, sharing only a use of thread of some thickness. Before a recent trip, I made a stuffed rabbit for my niece. Why I failed to take pictures is beyond me, but maybe I will ask my sister-in-law if she can snap one. The bunny was long of legs and arms and her body was made of some thin-ish, dark, stretchy denim I had in my stash. I gave her a purple organza under skirt with a floral cotton overlay that was permanently attached and a hand-embroidered face done in yellow floss, which contrasted nicely with the dark denim. I still struggle with stuffed animals, mainly because I loathe hand sewing (except embroidery, I am oddly drawn to embroidery) and if you have ever sewn plush toys, you know it can be difficult to avoid that final step. The really sad part of all of this is that hand stitching would have been faster. Sigh. Anyway, she was really darling and I hope that my equally darling niece is enjoying her. I promise to request a pic so I can post it here.
The second project I tackled was making a friendship bracelet. On another recent trip I was traveling alone, which leaves me with so much free time that I constantly worry I have forgotten something. Getting on a plane with one bag has become less freeing and more disturbing, leaving me with a vague sense of unease a-la the mother in Home Alone. Except that I knew the Numa was safe with his dad and I really was just being neurotic. What was I talking about? Oh, right, friendship bracelets. I found and pinned this tutorial from honestlywtf a while back and surmised that the knot tying involved in these cute accessories was probably like riding a bike and would come back to me as soon as I started it. Luckily, I was right and after my second row I almost didn't need to look. I started with a bracelet that proudly displayed the colors of my alma mater - Go Hokies! - and was planning to work on an ombre fade peach to natural bracelet on my way home. Instead, I fell asleep on the plane, which is also a luxury that is impossible to enjoy when traveling with little people. I will get back to my other planned bracelets at some point and will take a picture of my orange and maroon one as soon as I can find it in the wasteland of our house.
This post is getting long...but who cares? It is late and I am going to finish this dammit. (Okay, so I lied. I typed out the project description and a quick tutorial and it was way too long. So I will add a second post. This is a rare event for me and should not be considered to be indicative of a long-term change in my MO.)
Be well,
Me
The craft projects I hinted at in a previous post were very different from each other, sharing only a use of thread of some thickness. Before a recent trip, I made a stuffed rabbit for my niece. Why I failed to take pictures is beyond me, but maybe I will ask my sister-in-law if she can snap one. The bunny was long of legs and arms and her body was made of some thin-ish, dark, stretchy denim I had in my stash. I gave her a purple organza under skirt with a floral cotton overlay that was permanently attached and a hand-embroidered face done in yellow floss, which contrasted nicely with the dark denim. I still struggle with stuffed animals, mainly because I loathe hand sewing (except embroidery, I am oddly drawn to embroidery) and if you have ever sewn plush toys, you know it can be difficult to avoid that final step. The really sad part of all of this is that hand stitching would have been faster. Sigh. Anyway, she was really darling and I hope that my equally darling niece is enjoying her. I promise to request a pic so I can post it here.
The second project I tackled was making a friendship bracelet. On another recent trip I was traveling alone, which leaves me with so much free time that I constantly worry I have forgotten something. Getting on a plane with one bag has become less freeing and more disturbing, leaving me with a vague sense of unease a-la the mother in Home Alone. Except that I knew the Numa was safe with his dad and I really was just being neurotic. What was I talking about? Oh, right, friendship bracelets. I found and pinned this tutorial from honestlywtf a while back and surmised that the knot tying involved in these cute accessories was probably like riding a bike and would come back to me as soon as I started it. Luckily, I was right and after my second row I almost didn't need to look. I started with a bracelet that proudly displayed the colors of my alma mater - Go Hokies! - and was planning to work on an ombre fade peach to natural bracelet on my way home. Instead, I fell asleep on the plane, which is also a luxury that is impossible to enjoy when traveling with little people. I will get back to my other planned bracelets at some point and will take a picture of my orange and maroon one as soon as I can find it in the wasteland of our house.
This post is getting long...but who cares? It is late and I am going to finish this dammit. (Okay, so I lied. I typed out the project description and a quick tutorial and it was way too long. So I will add a second post. This is a rare event for me and should not be considered to be indicative of a long-term change in my MO.)
Be well,
Me
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Promises, promises.
I am starting to like this blog thing. Not because I am particularly good at it (readership = 0) but because right now, it is just about me and if I promise to write something in a day, or a week, or even a month and don't get to it, I have only myself to disappoint. How many things in life can we say that about? Not many, if you are me.
With that in mind, I am going to talk about my two craft projects and the recipes...and fail to post a single picture of either. That's right, I have no pictures to show for any of these things. I meant to take them and, at least in one case, really thought that I had. But now, the recipes turned into food which was eaten (enthusiastically, I might add) so no pics to take there. And the craft projects, well, one is here somewhere. The other was a gift to my niece and she lives halfway across the US which means that I am going to write this post and not include pictures. So there.
First, let's talk about the recipes. I made the Lemon Scented Pull Apart Coffee Cake that I pinned forever ago on Pinterest (see recipe and pictures here) and, in the same weekend, made another pinned recipe: Inside Out Carrot Cake Cupcakes (see pin here). They were both FANTASTIC and didn't last long. The coffee cake was time consuming to prepare and, as usual, I had to live through the 5 minutes where I am sure I have killed my yeast before the bread starts to rise and all is right with the world. I let it rise too long during the second rise (after the cut squares are in the loaf pan) so some of the end pieces actually cooked out of the loaf pan, but not to worry, they were just as delicious as the rest of the bread. Next time I may make more of the glaze, as it definitely added a great kick of citrus flavor.
The cupcakes were, well they just defied description. The carrot cake itself was really good, but when they were just out of the oven and the cream cheese was all melty and gooey...oh my. Really, really good and pretty easy to make. I think that I will definitely try filled cupcakes again as these were really simple and worked out fine. I can recommend them.
This post is getting super long, so I am going to do a separate post on the crafty stuff. Till then, check out the recipes and whip up something amazing.
Be well,
Me
With that in mind, I am going to talk about my two craft projects and the recipes...and fail to post a single picture of either. That's right, I have no pictures to show for any of these things. I meant to take them and, at least in one case, really thought that I had. But now, the recipes turned into food which was eaten (enthusiastically, I might add) so no pics to take there. And the craft projects, well, one is here somewhere. The other was a gift to my niece and she lives halfway across the US which means that I am going to write this post and not include pictures. So there.
First, let's talk about the recipes. I made the Lemon Scented Pull Apart Coffee Cake that I pinned forever ago on Pinterest (see recipe and pictures here) and, in the same weekend, made another pinned recipe: Inside Out Carrot Cake Cupcakes (see pin here). They were both FANTASTIC and didn't last long. The coffee cake was time consuming to prepare and, as usual, I had to live through the 5 minutes where I am sure I have killed my yeast before the bread starts to rise and all is right with the world. I let it rise too long during the second rise (after the cut squares are in the loaf pan) so some of the end pieces actually cooked out of the loaf pan, but not to worry, they were just as delicious as the rest of the bread. Next time I may make more of the glaze, as it definitely added a great kick of citrus flavor.
The cupcakes were, well they just defied description. The carrot cake itself was really good, but when they were just out of the oven and the cream cheese was all melty and gooey...oh my. Really, really good and pretty easy to make. I think that I will definitely try filled cupcakes again as these were really simple and worked out fine. I can recommend them.
This post is getting super long, so I am going to do a separate post on the crafty stuff. Till then, check out the recipes and whip up something amazing.
Be well,
Me
Thursday, July 14, 2011
New beginnings.
When last I posted, I was facing a terrible decision. Sad to say, we had to let Otis go that Friday. We agonized over the timing but by Friday morning when our vet came to the house, he had pretty much stopped grooming and was clearly telling us that he was ready. We held him and talked to him the whole time, and his last conscious act was to quickly gobble some of his favorite food. That's our boy. We had him cremated with his favorite toy, a stuffed pig he had since he was a kitten. We miss him but feel very sure that we made the right choice and are so grateful to him for that last gift.
Now we face a dilemma. We had planned to wait a while before getting another cat, but our remaining fuzzy girl is very, very lonely. She and Otis were never what you might call buddies, but their shared eye-level seemed to make them both more secure. Without him, she has started crying at night when no one is with her. The Mr is allergic to cats (yes, we knew that when we got them and no, we don't regret it) so choosing a new kitty makes him a little trepidatious. We did some research before getting our first cat and found that female cats and lighter-colored cats produce (on average) less of the allergy inducing protein found in their saliva, so we would like to play the odds on those two counts. We wanted a kitten, thinking that Saoirse would adapt better to a younger newcomer (and they to her), but with a toddler at home I just can't justify having a very young kitten. I am thinking that somewhere between 8 months and 1.5 years will be just right. I guess we'll find out...the Boston MSPCA is having a kitten adopt-a-thon this weekend (locals can see details here: Boston MSPCA Kitten Adopt-a-thon - I am IN LOVE with the little cross-eyed kitty on the page. Seriously, how adorable is that?) and we may stop by, which will no doubt lead to me falling in love with a new kitty. It usually does.
In other news, the Numa has been bitten twice this week at daycare. We completely understand that this happens from time to time and that it is typical of this age group, but twice in a week? He has little teeth marks on his hand and, for extra fun, is also fighting what appear to be allergies and has these puffy little eyes. The poor guy. He is still a happy, outgoing little man though, and seems to be emerging from the separation anxiety that has been plaguing him and us for the past two months which is really good news.
I finally got around to completing not one but TWO craft projects in the past couple of weeks AND trying out 2 new recipes! Details on the projects, recipes and how I found the time later this week.
Be well,
Me
.
Now we face a dilemma. We had planned to wait a while before getting another cat, but our remaining fuzzy girl is very, very lonely. She and Otis were never what you might call buddies, but their shared eye-level seemed to make them both more secure. Without him, she has started crying at night when no one is with her. The Mr is allergic to cats (yes, we knew that when we got them and no, we don't regret it) so choosing a new kitty makes him a little trepidatious. We did some research before getting our first cat and found that female cats and lighter-colored cats produce (on average) less of the allergy inducing protein found in their saliva, so we would like to play the odds on those two counts. We wanted a kitten, thinking that Saoirse would adapt better to a younger newcomer (and they to her), but with a toddler at home I just can't justify having a very young kitten. I am thinking that somewhere between 8 months and 1.5 years will be just right. I guess we'll find out...the Boston MSPCA is having a kitten adopt-a-thon this weekend (locals can see details here: Boston MSPCA Kitten Adopt-a-thon - I am IN LOVE with the little cross-eyed kitty on the page. Seriously, how adorable is that?) and we may stop by, which will no doubt lead to me falling in love with a new kitty. It usually does.
In other news, the Numa has been bitten twice this week at daycare. We completely understand that this happens from time to time and that it is typical of this age group, but twice in a week? He has little teeth marks on his hand and, for extra fun, is also fighting what appear to be allergies and has these puffy little eyes. The poor guy. He is still a happy, outgoing little man though, and seems to be emerging from the separation anxiety that has been plaguing him and us for the past two months which is really good news.
I finally got around to completing not one but TWO craft projects in the past couple of weeks AND trying out 2 new recipes! Details on the projects, recipes and how I found the time later this week.
Be well,
Me
.
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