Baby Boy's Quilt

I’m a little behind schedule, but did finish Baby Boy’s quilt this week. This one is similar in style to the one I made for Little Guy before he was born (2008). My original intent was to have this new one done before Baby Boy was born this past summer, but reality smacked me around a bit, and that is why he’s only now getting it when he is four months old.

The inspiration for both quilts is one that was made for me when I was a baby by a dear family friend. It featured an arrangement of squares, each with a whimsical painted animal, and those squares were all bordered by a print fabric. I wanted to do something a little different for the backing on these, so both of the quilts I made are backed with vintage white chenille (think bedspreads from the 1960s). I know it's a little unorthadox, but it turned out pretty great.

For the animal paitings on both, I used Aunt Martha’s brand iron on transfers to affix the designs to white fabric squares. My Mom used Aunt Martha’s brand fabric paint to color them, and then I pieced the fronts. I quilted the pieced layer to the chenille backing (using my Brother sewing machine and a low loft batting). I embroidered a label for each quilt which details the full name, birth year and a special Bible verse for each. The Bible verses were selected by my Grandma (for Little Guy’s) and my Mom (for Baby Boy’s). The labels are sewn to the backs of both quilts.

Aunt Martha's Note... the quilt made for me in 1974, and the ones I made for my boys all share a few of the same animals. Clearly Aunt Martha knows not to mess with a successful design!
The end result is a nice little family memento in addition to being a cozy and warm quilt, perfect for cuddling or spreading over a toddler’s bed.

When I started taking pictures of Baby Boy with his quilt, Little Guy drug his out for pictures too…which is why both are shown below.

 

Calgon, Take Me Away!!



no time to relax....



When I was pregnant with Little Guy, I remember hearing detailed stories from seasoned parents about things like: never-ending labor, sleepless nights, ear infections and potty training.

Although usually told under the guise of friendly advice, it seemed that sometimes the intent was more malevolent (think Mr. Burns from The Simpsons… “Excellent”). These types of stories usually started with, “Just wait until [enter bizarre previously unknown event here]”.

Examples:
“Just wait until your baby projectile vomits!” one Mom of four screeched (with glee?).
“Just wait until your toddler says something wildly inappropriate about the person in front of you in the checkout line!” chortled a kind faced grandmother. “Just wait until your baby refuses to sleep through the night for eighteen months!” said a tired mother of (oh wait a minute – that one was me long AFTER Little Guy was born).

You know what NOBODY told me? That I would never EVER have another private moment in my bathroom for the rest of my life. Okay, that “for the rest of my life” part may be an overstatement, but it certainly sums up how I’ve been feeling lately.

There was a time (not so long ago), when my bathroom (and the tub in particular) was my refuge. It offered me the comfort and solace that I needed if life was at all stressful. My idea of a relaxing way to unwind after a rough day? A long soak in a bubble bath with some Miles Davis or Billie Holiday playing in the background and a stack of Martha Stewart Living magazines stacked beside the tub.

The steam filled room (smelling of jasmine and vanilla) became my very own Fortress of Solitude – a place where I could rebound and recharge, before emerging a brand new woman.

Calgon, did indeed, ‘take me away’ from it all.

Sadly, this is no longer the case. All privacy went out the window as soon as Little Guy became mobile. He doesn’t for a minute understand that Mommy might want a bit of “alone time”. A door is made to be opened. If I am lucky enough to be in a bathroom with a functioning lock, he stands outside, relentlessly pounding on the door. “MOM, what are you doing NOW?!!” he yells over and over. Calgon doesn’t make bubble bath potent enough to make that a relaxing environment.

My dear hubby does offer to take the boys and give me time alone, but even that doesn’t work anymore. If I have a half hour to myself at home, I feel obligated to clean the house, empty the dishwasher, or put away laundry, etc. Laying in a bathtub (when unfinished household chores are lurking just beyond the bathroom wall) would be the opposite of relaxing, no matter how many magazines there are to flip through.

This past Saturday was rough. Little Guy is potty training, and we were having a battle of wills regarding that. In addition, Baby Boy was cranky with his first ear infection. I was behind with housework (typical these days), and just having a frustrating day all around. Hubby could tell things were rough, and so he took matters into his own hands. He hustled us all into the car, drove to a nearby bookstore which I love, handed me some cash and (with a genuine supportive smile) said, “I’m taking the boys to the toy store. We’ll be back in an hour.” You may be thinking that an hour isn’t much…but you’d be wrong. It was exactly the break I needed, and it allowed me to clear my head in the same way that those long bubble baths did years ago.

When my men returned, I was able to greet them with a big smile of my own, feeling refreshed and recharged (and with a few new books tucked under my arm). So maybe I won’t get any alone time in my bathroom for a decade or so… at least I’ve learned that Calgon isn’t the only thing that can take me away.

My message to expectant mothers everywhere:

“Just wait till your husband shows you how much he loves you by braving Toys R Us with a three year old and an infant, just so you can have an hour in a used book store”.

Cootie!!

When I was a little girl, I would visit my sweet Grandma and we would play games like Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders.  My favorite though, was always Cootie!  I don't think we ever actually played by the rules (rolling the dice to earn a chance to add parts to your Cootie bug), but we always had a lot of fun building our little creatures and giggling.

A few summers ago I came across the same version of Cootie we'd played with when I was little (circa 1949).  It was at a garage sale, and probably cost more than the brand new version would have been at Wal Mart.  I didn't care.  Seeing that yellow and red box just made my heart happy.  Memories of happy afternoons with my Grandma came rushing back, and I knew I had to have it. 

Our Little Guy has just gotten to a point where he too, enjoys board games.  We play Candy Land, Memory, Elefun, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, and of course Cootie!  Cootie (called "the ladybug game" by Little Guy) has quickly become his favorite too.  We don't follow the rules either (and if you've ever played games with a toddler, you know why), but we do take turns and have a lot of fun building our little Cootie bugs.

Grandma would be so proud! 

Halloween 2011

Monday marked both the end of October (can you believe how quickly that month passed?) and Halloween. It's not my all-time favorite holiday, but it can be fun, and it certainly was this year.

We dressed the boys up as a cowboy and cow, respectively. Our Cowboy enjoyed his costume. Our little Baby Bovine...not so much.

And imagine my surprise when Little Guy received a surprise package in the mail from our friend Miss Zoe of Pennyblossoms (you are really spoiling us over here, by the way). An adorable little lunch box filled with all sorts of yummy candy and treats that we don't see here in the USA. Thank you Miss Zoe! You are such a sweetheart, and you made our Little Guy very happy! 

We took the boys through our neighborhood for 'trick-or-treat' time, and then also went to an event at the local mall. The below pic is of Hubby and Little Guy as we were getting ready to leave. Note that the cowboy hat is not on the cowboy's head.