This morning's excitement and why not...a new to do list

This morning Ellie got up at 5:45! Ugh. We went into the kitchen. I started coffee. Ellie wanted to nurse. I sat down at my computer and checked my email while feeding her. It was still pretty dark in the kitchen. I heard a noise. I thought, "oh, dear Lord, what ARE the cats doing??" I thought I should look as soon as Ellie was done. Then I heard something else. A squeak? Surely not. I looked over and the cats were just sitting there. The next noise sounded like a squeak too. Not really wanting to look, I told Ellie we were done and I got up. Sure enough, under Ellie's high chair sat a mouse. Blech. Ick. Okay, there were two cats staring him down. I figured I didn't need to set a trap or anything. Hattie gently got closer.....set to pounce.....and ever so softly batted it like a toy. Damn cat. Well, Momma Cat was sitting right there too. She lived outside for years. We made her a house cat when we moved here from Evansville. She was ready. She was set. The mouse ran right by her! She.......smelled it. Really. She sniffed it as it went by. Really, Momma Cat? How did you live outside all those years? Well, the poor mouse was under the chairs in front of our fireplace. It would dart from one to the other....cats smelling it and gently patting it as it went by. John woke up. Mary woke up. John tipped the chair up, and there sat the mouse. Eating an old goldfish cracker. The cats looked excited....I think Momma Cat smelled it again. Or John said it ran into her trying to get away. Our breakfast was over at this point. John went to change Ellie's diaper. I went into the hallway and saw our massive (23? 25? pounds?), lazy cat Simon. I told him to get into the kitchen and help. Well, he went to the kitchen, saw that John had built a fire in the fireplace, and settled in for a nap. His head was still perked up, but he was relaxing. I think he was trying to figure out what the other cats were doing. I'm fairly certain he did not know about the mouse. I'd given up on the mouse and was going to set some traps. Simon's head was near one of the chairs. All of the sudden, the mouse darted for the other chair. Right in Simon's path! Simon didn't even stand up...he just whipped his head around at lightning speed and CHOMP.....sorry little mouse. Simon got up, went to the basement and enjoyed his breakfast. I've never been so proud of Simon in my life. Slow, fat, lazy Simon. He killed a mouse without even standing up. Darn Momma Cat and Hattie. They kept looking for the mouse. They didn't even know it was gone.

This is Simon. He's actually much bigger in real life. Maybe he was having a skinny day. The picture is also over a year old. Maybe he was smaller back then.

In other news, we are snowed in. Not technically snowed in, but who wants to go out in this weather? I think we have 6 or 7 inches. The girls and I went out and played yesterday, but I think it is too cold today. Ellie gets cold really fast out there.

Being snowed in makes me think of projects I wish I had time to do. Mainly, paint stuff. But it's too cold. The first day it hits 50 degrees, I'm going to be out there painting like a mad woman. In the meantime, I have plenty other stuff to do.

1. Finish granny square baby blanket (8 of 11 rows done and assembled)
2. Make pillows for "green room" aka the room where we change Ellie's diapers. There's a futon in there and I want some pillows on it. I wanted to make 3 colors--pink, green and red. I went to Jo Anns and they were out of red flannel. How?? I even asked. The lady said someone had just come in and bought all the red they had. (I wonder what she was making?).
3. Repaint the green room closet. It's too damn pink. I'm going to use the pink I already have a mix it with some white we already have.
4. Make some Valentine's crafts. I already have some salt dough hearts made. I need to paint them. I also want to make a Valentine's bunting/banner thing. I have the fabric for the fronts, just need some RED FLANNEL for the back. Hmm.


I think that's it. Everything else involves spray paint or painting furniture which needs to happen out in the garage. Come on spring! Or even a nice day--maybe next month?

I need new camera batteries!

Well, I don't have pictures, but I do have a project done! I am so excited. It's just four wooden picture frames I painted white. I have no idea why it took so long. Oh, yes I do. First, I primed them. Then I gave them a coat of paint, then another. Well, I should have used a better brush or something. Or maybe they were fake wood that refused to be painted. So, I hit them with spray paint. I didn't like the color. So back to brushing layers on. I think I did three more. Then I gave them a couple coats of wipe on poly. I was feeling good! Woot! I went and got the mats I'd purchased for $1 each on sale. They were white, and would take my 8x10 frames and make them for 4x6 pictures. The plan was to hang them with pictures of the girls. But then I realized I haven't printed pictures for a year! Ugh. I looked down at the mats, and realized they needed to go vertically, not horizontally as I had planned. Ugh. The holes for the pictures aren't in the center. They are a bit towards the top. I can't believe I didn't notice that when I bought them. But, I was going to finish the project! I hadn't given up. I decided to just stick some cute scrapbook paper I already had in them instead of waiting to print current pictures. I gathered my papers, tape, mats and frames. I got them all set. I was feeling good. I'd had this project going for at least two months. I was so close to being done. BUT the backs wouldn't fit on the frames. The mats were too thick. No matter how I tried, it just wasn't working. I (we) began to think of how else we could secure the matted pictures in the frames. John said he'd try. I guess he tried too hard--- the glass broke. I was starting to think that I should just quit. But I didn't. I dug up another 8x10 frame that I'm not currently using and took the glass out. John cut down the backs of the frames and we used glazier's points to hold the backs on. I had John hang them for me in the guest bedroom. Finally. A project done! Pictures to come when I get some new batteries.

Until then, I'll be crocheting on my baby blanket. I've got 5 of 11 rows done.

I can't believe 2009 is almost over

First of all, we survived Christmas! Mary got a piggy bank from Santa. She was so happy. She got a dress from Grandmother and of course wanted to wear it right away. She wore it for 3 days straight I think. Ellie was less excited about her gifts, but really liked unwrapping them. I got new flannel sheets for our bed! I love them. I got a cool book on making sock animals. I need to find some funky socks and then make some of them. Not for toys but for me to keep!

This year flew by. I'm already thinking about planning Mary's 4th b-day party and it seems like her birthday was just a couple months ago. I can't believe my baby will be 4! We're trying to figure out what school we'll send her to next year--either back to pre-school for 3 days a week (she currently just goes 2) or if we'll start her in a multi-age pre-k/kindergarten which would be 5 days a week.

Ellie's currently (well, in this moment she's sleeping on my lap) having a word explosion. Not much we can understand yet, but she's very into identifying things. And playing a game we call "where's your fork?" while we eat lunch/dinner. She takes her fork, hides it behind her, waits and if we don't notice she says "fork? fork?" We have to ask her where it is, then she produces it from behind her back with a HUGE smile on her face. And speaking of things I can't believe, in three weeks Ellie will be the same age Mary was when we moved here!!! How crazy is that? The first 16 months of Mary's life took 5 years and the first 16 months of Ellie's life have taken just a couple months, if that.

After Ellie's nap, the girls and I are going to take the Christmas stuff down. I didn't even put much out this year, but thinking of taking it all down and packing it away is overwhelming. I'm ready for it to be gone though, so I can go back to some of the decorating projects I was working on in November.

Speaking of projects, I finished my Christmas knitting at 7pm on Christmas Eve. Time to spare! Now I'm crocheting a baby blanket. It's a fun project. I really hope the recipient loves it.


That's 27 of 143 squares done.....plus sewing them all together and weaving in what will be 572 ends. It goes quickly though. I'm hoping to finish it this month (errr, I mean January!) IF I don't get sidetracked by other projects.

Santa's coming

For 3/4 of our family! I got John's stocking (right) done and blocked. So the girls and John are set. Guess Santa will just have to leave mine in a paper bag or something. Or maybe he'll just knit me a stocking?

We're all sick. I'm so tired. I still have a tiny bit to do on Mary's gift, we still need to wrap everything, and I JUST THIS MORNING started my last knitted gift. Speaking of which, I should get back to work on it.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Comparison

Mary Elizabeth, 15 months old, 28!!!! pounds.


Eleanor Ruth, 15 months, 22 pounds.

I don't have a current pic of Ellie in short sleeves. But the girl is a bean pole.

See?

I swear we feed her!

Things that keep me busy

1. Making curtains for Mary's room to replace the too short ones I made two years ago. They technically weren't too short. If I would have put curtain weights in them or not used such light fabric, they would have hung better and been fine.


Hmm, they actually look better in the picture than they did in real life. They were supposed to sit on the sill, but were about a quarter inch short.


The new ones. These sit at apron length on the window. I got them started and was feeling pretty good. Then I realized they needed to be lined as you can see the pattern on the back of the fabric. So I took down the old curtains, ripped out the side and top seams and reused them as the linings. John also moved the rods (oh, there are two windows in her room) up just a bit and onto the wall. They were previously mounted on the window frame because I reused holes left from the previous owner. I love the fabric I found. It matches the walls now, and will also look good when we get around to painting the room pink.

2. Christmas knitting:
A scarf in progress (now done) for our Christmas exchange. And matching fingerless gloves. (and a Barbie type doll trying to get under the refrigerator)

Don't mind the little bump near my ring finger. I hadn't woven the ends in yet.

3. Christmas sewing!


A diaper for Mary's doll. I'm hoping to get a few more made this week. I didn't have a pattern, so I made several before I was happy with the final product.


Outfits for their dolls. Still need to trim all the threads and embroider stems/leaves on the flowers. I made all of this stuff with fabric in my stash.

4. A new craft/obsession!!! Because that's what I need this month!!!!!


Salt dough ornaments. Mine are on the right, and the rest are Mary's. Last year she painted those wooden ornaments you can get for $1 (but I always got them on sale for 50 or 60 cents). This year we got thrifty! We made all these out of 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup salt, and a cup of flour. I want to make more. We had fun painting them today.

5. The thing(s) that keep me super busy--Miss Ellie and Miss Mary!


Ellie all dressed up and ready to pick Mary up from school. Yes, she's chewing on something she shouldn't have. But I got a picture, didn't I?


This was supposed to be a decent head shot for another project. Mary would not hold still or quit goofing off.

Kneading the dough for our salt dough ornaments. She got so into it!

So that's it, my week in pics. I guess I technically made some of it last week. But the scarf I started last Saturday and got it done Weds. Then I made a fingerless glove Thursday and one Friday. I really need to work on sewing. Christmas will be here before we know it.

Ah, the Christmas to do list

Forget the to do list of a month ago. Or two weeks ago. Whenever I posted that. Last Tuesday, we drew names for our Christmas exchange. Of course I immediately decided I'd give a handmade gift. I'd told myself earlier in the year I wasn't going to give handmade gifts this year. But then, I don't know, I had a moment of sleep deprived insanity and thought "Well, there's PLENTY time to make stuff."  So I ordered some yarn that day. It came Saturday, and I started knitting.

To do before Christmas:

1. Make scarf and (if I have enough yarn) fingerless mittens for exchange recipient.

2. Make doll diapers for Mary and Ellie's Waldorf dolls, an outfit and diaper for Big Baby (Cabbage Patch). Finish outfit (almost done) for each Waldorf doll.

3. Finish John's stocking that I started last week.

4. Start!!!! and finish John's gift without him seeing me make it. hmmmmmm

Well, that's it. It looks like less when it's typed out, but it feels like a lot to me. I also got some yarn in the mail today to make Ellie some new longies as she has outgrown all the ones I made in the fall. I think she just had a growth spurt. She's so tall and all legs. I'd love to have those done by January as I have a couple paid jobs/projects that I'd like to start then.

Back to toddler chasing!