My Bit of Earth

Bartering Rocks

A few months ago, Nice Friend and I did a barter, wherein she got a knitted cowl and I got a lovely new ceramic water mug for work.  This is not terribly uncommon for me.  I often pay for things in eggs and knitting, and often am paid in yarn and art.  It's fun for me, and less awkward than trying to put a price on what are essentially favors between friends.

A bit after our initial exchange, my friend's Nice Husband texted me:

Nice Friend's Husband:  The neck warmer you made...She is simply in love with and adores

Me: yay

Nice Friend's Husband: So much so that it has far exceeded an outdoor cold weather accessory and now has become a fixture in her daily wardrobe

Me: does she need more colors?

Nice Friend's Husband: . . . .You read my mind

Again, this is one of those situations where I would have knit for nothin'--encouraging men who want to surprise their wives with presents is a fine thing in my book--but when it was suggested that payment would be in the form of bottles of wine...my friends, bartering rocks!

From top (the pink one) clockwise...an easy stockinette cowl...a speedy cabled cowl...and a cap'n crunch.

What My Boys Did

Earlier this week, the Kid had a little bout of the stomach flu--the kind where he was basically feeling good, but couldn't go to school.  Sweet Husband and I split the time at home with him, like you do when you both are depended on at work too.

While I get to spend many Saturdays alone with the Kid, Sweet Husband doesn't get as much one-on-one time.  Of course, all three of us would rather the Kiddo be well, but I think both my boys enjoyed the excuse to hang out.  Apparently they spent part of the afternoon practicing walking outside, because I found these pictures on my camera when I got home that evening.

(All pictures by Sweet Husband.)

I was also informed that they watched an episode of Wallace and Gromit and had a poopsplosion and ensuing bath.  (Yes, "poopsplosion" was the official term.)  But I don't think I needed photos of those parts--the best was obviously right here.

Oatmeal and Eggs

The Kid eats an egg for breakfast every morning.  Or, he did, until our hens decided to take an extended Christmas vacation and just not lay eggs for the month of January.

We could buy him eggs, of course--and to some extent we have been--but part of trying to eat seasonally is living with the off-season.  And, although you wouldn't know it from the grocery store, in January, eggs are off-season.

So Sweet Husband--the morning chef around these parts--has been trying to get the Kid used to eating oatmeal for breakfast instead.  Oatmeal with a little frozen strawberries or other fruit.

Only, the other morning, Sweet Husband made too much.  So I dutifully took the extras out to the hens for a treat.

They were very excited about it, yet confounded at the same time.  I could almost hear their little chicken brains, "It tastes so good!  But it's stuck to my beak--help!  But it's tastes so good...."

In any event, I believe it was well-received, because each day for a few days after that, I found one of these in the coop:

The Kiddo's Crib-to-Floor-Bed Transformation

Prior to a few weeks ago, the Kid's crib was in our room.  He always began the night in the crib, but would often end up in our bed as the night went on.  It worked well in fits and spurts, but the bigger he was getting the less often it was working well.  So we decided to set him up in his own room with a new floor bed.

Initially, we just put his crib mattress on the floor.  However, that wasn't completely safe because (with our hardwood floors) the Kid could scoot the mattress around.  Also, with no ledge at all, there were a few nights that he rolled out of bed onto the rug--not a big deal, but not comfortable either.

We decided that just a teeny bit of a frame was necessary.  And, lo and behold, we had a base that was the perfect size--the bottom of the Kid's crib.

To make the frame, Sweet Husband cut the side pieces (which are 8 inch tall boards) to the correct length, then attached them with screws.

He used fairly nice poplar boards so that there would be less sanding.  However, even then, he spent a lot of time getting the edges rounded off and everything perfectly smooth.

We finished it off with a few coats of "spoon oil", which smelled yummy.

The Kid is enjoying his new bed so far.  He likes to get in and out and in and out of it--like, look at me, I can do this!  

That's exactly the point, my dear one, exactly the point.

We Love School So Much, We're Bringing It Home!

The Kiddo and I went to a fun day at his school on Saturday.  

I didn't talk about it here at the time--because I half thought I was just being a crazy, nervous new mama--but we switched to a Montessori daycare as early as we could last Summer.  We were all of two weeks in at the first place when I knew it wasn't going to work.  They were very nice people, but he spent a lot of time sitting in baby holders, being entertained by lights and gizmos.  I could hardly concentrate enough to work for worrying about it, which defeated the purpose entirely.

And Saturday I was reminded, not for the first time, that my gut feeling was so right.  Kiddo loves his school, and I love it too.  

I'm not generally one to jump whole hog into an educational philosophy--just the words "educational philosophy" sound overly precious, don't they?--but this Montessori stuff just makes so much sense to me.  Without even getting into the parts that apply for older children, at his age it's all about making a safe, interesting place for him to explore and then letting him do it.

We spent about a half an hour in his soon-to-be room. (He moves up next month after his birthday...*sigh*.)  He crawled all over the mats and hopped in and out of the ball pit as his teachers and I talked.  He was completely happy to be playing in a space made to his size and where no one had to constantly be hovering behind him to say, "No, no."

It's all actually made me rethink our house a little bit.  We can't make everywhere like his school, but over the past few weeks I've been tweaking things here and there to make at least a few spaces just for the Kid.  And my goal is to make his room pretty much exactly like school--completely safe, his size, and a lot of fun.

In that vein, I was going to show you his new bed tonight.  However, since I've already gone on a bit, I think I'll save it for tomorrow.  It ended up gorgeous--Sweet Husband's doing, not mine--so you'll definitely want to come back!

Isola's Letter Writing Club: Get To Know Each Other

Hello again letter writers!  Welcome to the first month of Isola's Letter Writing Club!

I just finished my first letter to my penpal, Liz.  Just for fun, I went old school and used this glass "dip pen" Sweet Husband bought for me years and years ago.   I think I'm going to start writing all my letters that way.  It was hard to decide what color of ink to use--I settled on "Tobacco"--but once I got going I think the result was fairly legible.

But I promised you all a writing prompt.  

This one's easy actually--introduce yourselves.  Who are you?  What do you do?  What's your family like?  What unusual hobbies do you have?

Have fun writing!

What Am I Going to Do About Emily?

This is Emily.  She was my bunny growing up, and one of two stuffed animals I've saved to pass on to the Kid.  

But Emily was always a very proper bunny.  She would be distressed, for instance, if I forgot to sit her upright in bed before leaving for school in the morning.  And that being the case for such a minor indignity, having the stuffing coming out of her head is, I'm sure, truly horrifying for her.

I pulled her out on New Year's Day to just consider her for a bit before I get to work remedying the situation.  I know she's going to undergo a gender and name change--from Emily to Edward in homage to The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.  And obviously with that will come a much needed set of new clothes.

But the part that keeps giving me pause is what procedure and material I should use to patch her head up?  Should I at least somewhat try to match and use muslin?  Or just embrace the fact that she's going to be patched and find some awesome plaid or print?  Should I just tack on the patches?  Or do I dare take her entire head apart?

If anyone had ever attempted anything like this before I'd love to hear about it.  I've set myself an Easter deadline, so I probably need to get started soon...but I'm just not sure where to.

One of Those (Awesome) Weeks

Do you ever have those weeks when you just feel like you're "on"?  Like, everything is getting done at work and the laundry is put away and your child is happy and healthy and "oh look, I got four inches of knitting done".  

I used to shy away from acknowledging those times, even to myself.  Listening to my own inner monologue say, "Hey there, I'm pretty awesome!"  feels inappropriately egotistical.  It triggers my inner Marmie March voice re: how a polite woman should think and act--in a word, humble.

But, here's the thing, I have no problem listening to that voice when I've mucked something up.  In fact, it's hard to get it to shut up at those times.

So if I have to live with it at it's worst, why shouldn't I get to enjoy it at it's best?

So, I'll say it.  It's only Tuesday.  And I've had some lovely help.  But so far this week...kicking ass, taking names.  Off to get s'more done while this productive streak lasts!

A Few Moments I Want to Remember

The Kid and I were hanging out in his room late this afternoon.  (It's the place to be these days; all the cool kids play there.)  Me on the floor pillow, him on his bed, both looking up at "his birds".  (That's what we call his origami bird mobile.)  And he turned to me, pursed his little lips, and blew air out, "Phoo, phoo, phoo!"  Which--in the Kid language--means "blow really hard so that the birds will flutter".  So I did.

We went on like that for about twenty minutes.  Him:  Phoo!  Phoo!  Me:  Phhhoooooo!  With lots of giggling and bird fluttering in between.

***

Sunday morning we went for breakfast with our Dear Friends, and decided to go for a walk afterwards.  Just on a lark, we decided to let the Kid walk a bit rather than putting him in his stroller.  

So far, walking for him has been more "party trick" less actual useful mode of transportation.  He only made it a block or so, but he was so proud of himself.  And I have to admit, my mama-heart was a little proud too, to see him walking so big and tall.  (Tall is relative, yes?)

 

(Edited to Add:  And Nice Friend got a video of a little bit of it!)

***

But all of these new activities are tiring.  I remember the days when we would feed and sing and walk him to sleep, and then--barely breathing as we did--very gently lay him in his crib so that he wouldn't wake.  

The past few nights I've been able to, comparatively, almost flop him down.  His arms spread wide and his breathing quickly evens, with only the slightest of whimpers of protest.  I believe "plum tuckered out" is the appropriate term, and--for this sleepy mama--it is a good, good thing.

Crocheted Rag Floor Pillow

We've been "evolving" the Kiddo's room this weekend.  

Truth be told, he hadn't slept a night in there until earlier this week.  But all of a sudden we all just needed a little more space.  While he's still spending about half the night in bed with us--and will be welcome to, pretty much as long as he wants--he's starting out each night in his own room.  

I have just a few more touches to make before I post pictures of the changes, but today I wanted to share this little floor pillow I made this weekend.  

After putting the Kid to bed one night, Sweet Husband came downstairs and requested that we add some firmer floor seating to the Kid's "new" room.  I had a few balls of rag strips and a crochet hook, so I just kind of started playing.

I sewed together some of the strips, and just knotted others.  The whole pillow took about four balls of rags, each the size of a small cantaloupe. 

Then I started to crochet in a circle.  It's hard to give you a pattern, but generally speaking for whatever row you're on you need to do that many stitches between increases.  (So on the fifth row, every five stitches, for example.)  If the circle starts to look bumpy and wobbly, do increases less often.  If the edge starts to curl up, do more.

Once the pillow is a bit wider than you want it, stop doing increases altogether to make the sides go straight up.  I kept going for about four inches or so--that was when I ran out of rag strips.

There are many ways you could finish this.  We had a couple of old pillows lying around, so I double stuffed one into the cover and threaded a cord through the last row of stitches.  A little pulling and cinching, and we were in business.