Someday...

Someday I will be able to start and complete a project without interruption.

Someday I will no longer have tools adorning my living space (like the air compressor that has lived in the landing upstairs for over a year) and I won't have to pass it off as 'reno chic'.

Somday my husband will work a nine to five kind of shift and we'll see him more.

Someday this house will be done. I might not be living here by that time, but it'll be done.

Someday my daughter will understand the concept of 'I'm on the phone.' Probably not until that becomes important to her though. I think when she's a teen, I'll stand by her and pester her with questions, insist I need to use the washroom THISVERYSECOND or, ya know, just scream for no reason.

Someday she won't shove the last wedge of her banana in her mouth all at once only to spit it out again seconds later in a choking panic. Seriously, how many times does one need to do this to realize maybe I shouldn't do that anymore?

Someday I'll read a book again.

Until then, I'll satisfy myself with getting things done at a snails pace. Remember this dresser? Well, I didn't end up taking an axe to the whole thing, just the drawers. No seriously. It sat in our shed for the longest time, then finally, in the spring, when we were doing a big clean-up, my husband brought me the sledgehammer and said 'It's time.'

By then, my rage had quieted and I thought to myself, 'well, it ain't all bad.' We stood there, contemplating, discussing, and suddenly, an idea dawned. So I took the drawers out and off to the burn pile we went, sledgehammer in tow. I smashed the hell out of the drawers and man, did that ever feel good.

I got out the orbital sander one afternoon and went to town. I wasn't overly concerned with getting it right down to being totally bare, but just wanted to rough up the finish enough that it would take a coat of paint. I managed to get most of the finish off, except for the really fine, tricky spots.

Yesterday I did manage to get two coats of primer on it (in between potty breaks and lunch and filling up the water table and chasing after an AWOL toddler on deck and getting out her own paints so she would be less fixated on 'helping' me paint) and I think it's really starting to take shape. Now I'm just waiting on the constable to cut me some plywood shelves to fit into the drawer slots and I can put a couple of finish coats on it and it'll be done. The master plan you ask? Toy storage. Small house + livingroom x complete toy takeover = loss of sanity and visual clutter. Bins and baskets on the floor were a good solution when she wasn't as mobile, but now that she's up and about and much more able to get things out on her own, I think this is going to work well. Shelves, with some baskets or boxes, will, I hope, be much neater and more efficient.

Speaking of painting, here is the artist at work.

These were just cheapo-filipo paints I picked up who knows where. I think it's time for finger paints.

She really immerses herself in her work.

OH, and in other exciting news (well, exciting to me), I grew a cucumber :)

Of the four tomato plants and one cuke plant I have on the deck, this is my first harvest. We had some last night...very tasty. Much tastier than the ones from the supermarket. I've got lots of tomatoes coming now, and about a dozen more cukes on the vine, so I'm looking forward to an August full of fresh veg. This gardening experiment has gone rather well, so the constable and I are planning a plot for next year.

Well, I should go figure out something to do on a rainy day. Anyone else panicking that it's practically August and that means summer is almost over? No? Just me? Alright then.

Until later...

'A' List Crafts...

We've had a few rainy days around here this summer and on those days, I've been trying my hand at doing a few more crafts with miss A.

It is with a bit of shame that I must admit that I've been very lax on the craft front with her. In my defence though, really, up to this point, I think she's been a wee bit on the young side. I couldn't see much point in delving into a craft project where she wouldn't be able to at least partially participate.

During the school year, I take her to Storytime at the library, a free program for pre-school aged kids. There's stories, songs and a craft. While A is kind of hot and cold about participating in the first two, she's adamant in her enthusiasm for the latter. We've brought home untold pipe-cleaner/paper bag/paper plate/construction paper creations. It was sort of eating at me though, that here I am, a self-proclaimed craft enthusiast myself and yet I wasn't holding my own when it came to crafts with my wee girl.

About a week ago or so, on a rainy morning, I finally broke out all the little empty toilet paper rolls I had been saving up, the coloured pipe cleaners and the tote full of other assorted craft miscellany. We made bugs. I forgot to catalogue the experience. To sum up, there was a Mommy Bug, a Daddy Bug and an Avery Bug. Then I took a Premium Plus cracker box and made a bug house (re: cut a door in one side). She was quite content with those for an entire afternoon. Those and the Popsicle stick people I made. Here's the tutorial; take some craft Popsicle sticks and Sharpie. Draw faces and clothes on the sticks. Watch your kid go ape shit over them. Feel like a crafting genius. In that instance, there was a mommy, daddy and two Avery 'poppa sticks'.

Anyhow, today I decided to take all of the little bits of broken and de-labeled crayon and make new crayons. I have seen this on the web a few times in a few different places. So I broke up and sorted the bits.



I don't think the sorting step is actually necessary but ya know, this is just how I roll.



Spray a mini muffin tray with some veg spray and let your kiddo fill up the cups.



Take a moment to admire her handy work.



Pop the tray in a 275 degree oven for 7-8 minutes until just melted. Allow to cool for a bit and then put the tray in the freezer to help the solidifying process along. If you leave them there for as long as it takes you to do a sink full of dishes, that should be plenty.



Once the little pucks are hardened, they pop out quite easily...



...and are as much fun to stack as they are to draw and colour with.

Overall, a successful craft. Here's why I liked it; it was quick, easy, I had everything I needed on hand and little A could do it with me. I also like the waste not, want not aspect to it. It seemed a shame to throw out all those little crayon bits and now we have 24 new crayon pucks :) Other suggestions out there for doing this are to use cookie cutters or candy molds to create different shapes. I think next time I'll try and come up with an option that would make the new crayons a more crayon or pencil like shape as I think those might be a little bit easier to use. Either way, a very cool and practical idea. Gotta love those.

Until later...

She Hate Handknits...

I think it's one of my life's cruel ironies that none of the people I live with likes my hand knits.

I've been saying for a while now how much my daughter despises what I make for her. I think it's become kind of a joke, and frankly, I'm not sure anyone took me all that seriously. I would lament at knit night...well, not so much lament as just state the fact...that I can't get within two feet of her with a garment that I've toiled over long and hard. Example; I knit her a cute little cropped ballet bolero for her birthday which she refused to put on, even for a photo. Believe me, I begged, I pleaded, I bribed. No dice. I was relating this story to the other moms who came to little A's birthday party this past March with their little ones and once I was out of the room, they tried their hand at getting her into it. As I was fussing over the cake, I heard a wail come from the living room. I return to investigate, only to find three sheepish looking grown women who are giggling and admit to me they tried to put the sweater on her themselves.

One of the theories proposed for her strong opposition at my knitting group when discussion of this has come up is that I ruined her by bringing her home from the hospital in cashmere. I set the bar too high. I keep trying though.



I mistakenly thought that smooshy bubble gum pink knee socks would win her over. As you can plainly see, I was sorely mistaken. If looks could kill, etc. etc.

I have to admit, this breaks my heart a little bit. And it doesn't stop with things I've knit for her. She's actually yelled at me to take things off that I've knit for myself. I was proudly parading my most recent FO, the shawl from the previous post and she stood in the middle of the hallway, little pointer finger firmly extended and barked, 'No Mommy. You take that off.'

Did I mention she's a bit of a bossy pants? Last night at dinner she's eating her spaghetti and had eaten up all of her fresh grated parm cheese. She turns to me, brow furrowed, hands on hips and demands, in no uncertain terms, 'I want more cheese.' Oh yeah? Well, I want a million dollars. Lets see how likely either of us is to get what we want.

I shouldn't say that no one here likes my hand knits. My husband has worn the hat I've made him a few times, goes straight for the hand knit socks when he's feeling sick (he says they make him feel better) and did admire the felted slippers, but found they didn't fit very well and have since been abandoned. And I bet if Hank weren't a walking sweater himself, he would gladly and proudly wear anything I made for him. That's the story I'm telling myself at least.

Anyhow, back to the pink socks. So inspired to finish the second one at this point. I've asked her if she would help me out with modelling some recent FO's. We'll see how that photo shoot turns out.

Until later...