all buttoned up.

Origami Wrap and Other Things I've Done (not done)

 
I made gingerbread today and it is NOT GOOD.  I used one of the Martha recipes and I think I did something wrong along the way and then overbaked them for good measure.  The boys decorated some anyway and then we put them aside for Santa and PHEW!, there are enough for the reindeer, too.  More truth from this week:

• There has not been as much sewing as I had hoped because, among other things, I have not felt like doing any.  I have ordered a good number of books this week.
• The babies stayed in disposable diapers all week because I was pretending that we don't have a basket full of cloth ones. 
• I let August eat as many oranges as he likes every day.  After all, they are only this good for so long.  I let myself eat all the nutella I liked. 

I need a little full-proof gift making and Martha (the other one!) has come to the rescue with her free wrap pattern.  Initially, I was not sure if it would work on different body types, but I consulted with my people and decided to try it out.  It is really lovely.  It is hard to find something like this that is so simple and so structurally sound.  I made mine out of a lightweight Merino Wool Jersey-- that's it above.  I got it at Bolt (they had 10 colours/weights, I think) and it was all between 18 and 23 dollars/yard.  You need more than two yards BUT you get two full wraps out of each cut.  In my case, each wrap was 20 dollars a piece on the dot and they are both gifts. 100% soft, soft wool!  That is hard to beat.  It took me a whopping 15 minutes to cut and sew-- WIN!  Check out the one Jen made for her sister-in-law.

We Are Warm

 

I am in charge of desserts for our Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, which means I'm going to make, like, 10 of them.  I have to cover the pie lobby (Not I) and the fruit contingency.  I don't want to leave my boys out so I'll have to go straight up vegan for at least one item.  Then you need something snacky and something chocolatey and something that keeps well so that when I come to my senses and realize that I've made too much, I can stuff it in a ziplock and put it in the deep freeze.

Starting this weekend I'm going to start posting this year's handmade lineup.  My family shouldn't be reading this blog during the month of December so there won't be any ruined surprises.  And if they DO check in then they are either going to have a month to get excited or a month to resign themselves to the fact that this stuff can't be returned. 

It has taken two months for us to all be healthy and well and I am so grateful that we have a few days off together.  I'm not much for this holiday ("Geez, Scrooge, what holiday do you love?") but I do love a good meal, good will towards men, and the fact that we are loved and taken care of and in return are able to love and take care of others. 

Mom and Lizard Boy Time

  

Thank you for the Birthday Cheer.  We are happy to be family.  For sure.  I took Sam up to B.C. for a 24 hour (or more like 36) visit, mainly to hold a tiny baby.  I told Paul the other day that (with many, many disclaimers) I felt like we should be getting ready for one of our own.  He was all, "I KNOW... I thought I was going crazy".  Apparently it only takes two years for something to feel like tradition. 

Sam put on this lizard costume he found at my mom's house sometime on Saturday.  On Sunday morning he put it on instead of his coat and wore it all the way home.  This included a brief stop in at the border patrol while we had our car searched for agricultural contraband.  

Gifts I am thinking of Giving and Receiving:

• Today is Awesome print by Ms. So-and-So.  And while you're at it-- please check out these Labels and Stickers from Chronicle (I think you also get 20% off when you sign up for their newsletter through their website). 
• I am getting this cash register for the boys-- it's solar powered!  Fantastic. 
• Also, Walkie Talkies. 
• I am a huge fan of Susan's earrings and necklaces.  After many years of being jewelry free, I have been trying to make a concerted effort to do something with the many holes I have in my ears.  These are especially rad (and shipping is included in the price!).  
• Oh, here's two more prints for good measure.  I feel so good about giving prints-- they don't take up much room and they bring so much good into a room. 

 

 

And This Baby Turns One.

 

What??!! 

He was our tiniest baby.  I think he was only in the 7lbs when I flew back with him at 2 weeks. 

 

He has been walking for two months.  He's the first baby who has figured out how to open up all the cabinets, the dishwasher, the toilet and the flour bin quickly and quietly (I'm sure my other two could have figured it out, but he's the first one that cared enough to try).  Otherwise, he's very, very loud. 

Sometimes I take the two little boys out for toast after we drop Sam off at school.  The boys are familiar with the procedure-- try to stay at the table, no spilling and if you start yelling or pooping we are OUT.  The last time we stopped in, Manny got straight off my lap and waddled over to one of our friends (and our server). He doesn't know her very well but (as is his custom) put his arms up.  When she picked him up he immediately hooked his arms deep around her neck and burrowed in for a hug.  He held on.  She was so surprised she started to cry a little.  

I knew exactly how she felt.  

 

This Baby Turned 2.

 

We celebrated August's second birthday last week. 

  

I bought him a small baby doll and a disappearing bottle.  Actually, I bought it for Manny (who has a birthday very soon, too) but Augie found it and would not let go.  That's sort of his deal-- once he gets a hold on you, he will not let go. 

 

We have all been taken down with various degrees of sick, with little mr. getting the worst of it.  I'm not exactly sure if it was the flu, but whatever it was, it was terrible.  He spent a lot of time on my lap and I thought of tiny August from two years ago.  He had thrush and the ladies at the motel told us to swab his mouth out with a little bit of his urine to take care of it (we didn't).  I could not wait to get him here... home.  It was cold and dark the day we got back.  It was a world away from the Miami light and heat.  I was hoping with every part of myself that we were doing the right thing for this teeny tiny baby.  

  

So far, so good. You are loved by many, baby boy.

BOOM!

I have been doing a very good job of this whole school starting, everybody up and washed and out the door thing.  We've been riding the bike (mostly) and I've been getting dinner ready and everybody fed by 5 (mostly).  This is going to sound absolutely ridiculous to most of you, because, duh, none of those things are very hard, but sometimes that kind of routine (or monotony) becomes the hardest thing to do-- let alone do it well.  I started volunteering a little bit in Sam's classroom and while I don't think I'm too much help most of the time, it has been a great reminder to cut the kid a lot of slack once we get home.  He holds it together so well in the face of so much distraction and um, strong personalities.  I'm *still* really proud of him. 

All this to say, that Hey October!  My love for you has not diminished, I've just been distracted!  Some of the best things happen in this month and for whatever reason, I always feel my year resetting at about this time.  Screw you, New Year's Day.  Anyway, the whole month (and this whole winter) was made 100 times better with a phone call from my friend Beth yesterday-- she called to tell me that all my baking dreams had come true.  Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson have just come out with their Grand Central Baking Book.  (How did I not know this was coming?  I'm talking to you certain in-the-know peeps of mine.)  Grand Central Bakery is among many great bakeries in town, but as far as I'm concerned they are hands down the best at certain things-- like Cinnamon Rolls.  They are the cinnamon rolls of my dreams (quite literally) and I've tried several times to recreate them at home and have been completely lost.  My friend dropped off her book for me to copy down the recipe (I have one waiting for me at Powell's but I couldn't freaking get down there today-- see above blah, blah about routine) and no wonder I couldn't figure it!  Molasses!  Currants!  8 grain cereal!  That sound you heard this afternoon?  That was my mind blowing. 

They take about a day and a half to make (I'm almost not joking) and I'm right in the middle of the process.  So you're going to be hearing about this again.  Besides, the rest of the book is beautiful and full of greatness-- really, I'm sort of terrified about what this is going to mean for my waistline.  I thought that Rustic Fruit book was going to do me in, but I had no idea.  There's a section in there called "Every Day Fruit Desserts", which I'm taking to mean that I should be making them EVERY DAY.  See you tomorrow.  

A Good Boy

 

Done.  You know what I did?  I cried when I got into the car because I was so happy that he did such a freaking good job when I dropped him off.  It was all thumbs up, no worried eyes, follow the directions and I'll see you later.  No problem.  Apparently the day was not as good as I'd hoped it to be.  When I picked him up he just stared at me and said, "that did NOT go very well".  In fact, some of his worst fears had come true (lost lunch, no seat, and big kid chaos).  I also know that it wasn't anything he could control and his teacher said there were absolutely no tears and lots of go-with-the-flow.  Most importantly, there's been no talk about not going back, just about how the day was too long.  Again in his own words-- "it wasn't a bad day, just bad thing happened".  I want to cry again just thinking about it.  He did so well.

Still, I wish things had gone better.  Kindergarten is supposed to be fun and safe and full of good thing.  We'll get there, I just hope it happens very, very soon.  

He would want you to know that he's wearing his new Flash shirt and his new skateboard shoes.  Also, that's his new lunchbox and PSSST, there are goldfish crackers in there (but don't tell Augie because he can't have cheese).   

Tomorrow is the Big Day and Putting This Summer to Bed

Tomorrow is the first day of Kindergarten, making this the longest summer ever.  EVER.  It's not an unhappy thing but I think the anticipation is making things a little difficult for Sam.  And I.  But mostly for Sam.  Things will be much better when we're all having celebratory tater tots tomorrow night.  I am excited for him. 

That boy up there on the end, however, is not excited.  He is going to be a world of sadness when he realizes his "Pam" is gone all day, all week.  Sad, sad, sad. 

I am ready to get this show on the road, though.  We made the best of this summer.  After Sisters, I headed straight to Seattle with Sally to see Blair for the day.  It was good.  GOOD.  We ate at Delancey.  Brandon and Molly are doing something really special and if you're in Seattle you might try stopping in for dinner.  It will be worth any wait (though we didn't have one) and frankly, I think I've been ruined for the ordinary (Portland, why is your brick oven pizza so soggy?).  The best part was spending time with friends who have become really important to me and my family.  We spent a lot of time with people like that this summer-- I cannot tell you what a relief it is to spend time with good people or how satisfying it is to meet people that you know (hope) are good and kind and that is exactly who and what they are.  

Autumn is going to be good.  We have the raincoats all ready to go!  If it weren't going to be 90 degrees tomorrow, I'd wear my new socks in honour of it.  I'll settle for tots. 

We have a ways to go

Labour Day weekend is late, late, late this year, making the march towards Kindergarten seem long and foreboding.  It's All Day, People.  How is he (am I) going to deal with this?  For starters, he bought a Transformers lunchbox today.  I, on the other hand, might take up mid-morning cocktails.  We are taking one more little trip next week and not least of all, trying to jam all the work we'd hope to get done on the house earlier this summer into these last few days. 

Sew, Mama, Sew posted a tutorial of mine this morning-- I put it together a while ago, but I realize it has happily coincided with Alicia's on the same topic.  There are loads of ways to paper piece... call mine the Travel Scrabble Version.  Best of all, I betcha you have everything you need to get started right. this. minute. 

I need to load up the IPod with last minute traveling stories.  Our favourites for the moment (and for all time, really) are as follows:

• Paddington and the Darkest Peru.  My favourite, too.  "Please Look After this Bear".
• Ramona the Pest... I wanted so badly for him to read this before he memorized it off the tape, but there are others.  We have the Stockard Channing version, which is very nice.  He giggles so hard and honestly, Ramona and the whole Kindergarten thing is very timely.  He also likes The Mouse and the Motorcycle, though slightly less so.

• And finally, Boomerang.  I'm guessing you've heard Blair talk about Boomerang before, but I have to say how much this program is becoming a part of our lives.  I wasn't sure that Sam was reading for it, (do all five year-olds get down with Tesla?) but he was and is.  He's an NPR kid through and through and this fits the bill perfectly.  Paul is loading up some of podcasts for his classroom this fall-- his kids are not used to seeing or hearing people their age create something like this.  He's thinking it might inspire them to create something similar as a class project.  He has high hopes-- maybe he can convince Dave Schmave to do a little urban collaboration...?  Anyway.  It's good stuff.  Our dear Blair writes for the blog and they are starting an affiliates program which I fully support.  

But before we go anywhere, though, I've committed myself to tiling a shower and piecing a quilt.  And more pickles.  I spy with my little eye a Coping Mechanism: Distract myself with a growing list.  It's probably better than drinking.  Updates to follow.

(edit: Paul thanks you all for the bday wishes and wants you to know that he sits like that all the time.  Just like they do in the movies.)

I Didn't Tell Him to Sit Like That. The Hoodie.

It is Paul's birthday this week and we got him a gift certificate.  That's right.  I bought him a piece of paper with the money he makes so that he can go and "spend" said piece of paper.  He'll be okay with it.  I'll make him a nice cake.

Earlier this summer I attempted to use up a bunch of the knit that I bought at last year's Outdoor Sale.  It coincided with Mariko's Craft Book Buying Bender, which was handy.  This is a great, great book.  The measurements are reasonable (finished measurements are often on the how-to page, in metric, and the "size" measurements are usually at the beginning of the book).  The ease on this pattern was huge and while I used the pattern pieces to put this all together, it looks nothing like the picture without the drawstring at the bottom or beautiful woven fabric (I'm saving all that for mine). 

Instead, I used a very lightweight dark brown and cream knit-- it's almost tissue weight, but I think there's some synthetic in there so it should be sturdy.  I hemmed the bottom edge and took in the sides a bit, so that it would fit properly.  It's just the right weight for autumn evenings.  Again, I don't use a serger or coverstitch machine for knits.  I'd like both of those things, but for now I put everything together using a long straight stitch. 

I'm always scared of making clothes for Paul because he uses a lot of fabric and what if it doesn't work?  Wasteful.  So I'm especially happy that he's happy with this. 

People that know Paul usually like him.  I mean, really like him.  Usually they like him more than they do me, and I don't blame them.  He's largely unflappable, generally funny, and he loves his family-- the boys and I-- more than anything in the world and he shows it.  He is unassuming and kind.  We are a lucky bunch.  Happy Birthday, Mister.