about last night

That was not fun. My poor baby was so miserable and just begging me to feed her. To turn her away like that..... ugh. All night long she asked for milk. I would offer her a bottle in various forms but she won't take it. Nor this morning. While i pump and dump milk. And now this morning she's mad at me. Ignoring me, won't look at me, going to my husband instead. I feel like crying. I'm miserable. Bad headache, arthritic bones and nauseas. My poor baby. Please say some duas/prayers for us.

2 needle mittens

I love this pattern. Mostly because i don't like double pointed needles. I just lose track of where i am etc with two kids and a husband that need me all the time. I can knit for about 3 minutes before i have to put it down to do something else. I really wanted to knit mittens though so i was very happy when i found Bev's two needle mitten pattern and have used it twice now with good results.

The first time i was a new knitter so i just did one mitten at a time but this time i did both (until the last part) and really loved it because i find you get a little bored after that first one. I'm sure there's a lot of people with one mitten sitting around waiting for the second to get done. Same with socks i imagine. I was very happy to find this pattern and hope someone will find it useful too.

Happy happy joy joy

NOT. I went to the doctor a week ago because i felt funky. Old. Like my knees were aching. Feet too. I chalked it up to one of three things 1) colder weather 2) getting older 3) residual from meningitus i got from West Nile Virus years ago in Colorado. I hadn't been to the doctor forever. Funny once you have kids, you only go for them and forget about yourself. But i figured after years of this knee pain increasing I better go. They drew my blood and i just got the results. I have Lyme's Disease. Not a surprise living in NJ, deer outnumber people here it seems BUT what is really really bothering me is that i need to go on meds for a month, two weeks minimum and they told me i can't breastfeed. This put a pit in my stomach. I nursed my son until he was 21 months. I may just pump and dump for the course of the antibiotics. But my daughter is NOT going to be happy and neither am I. Sucks bigtime. This is our time together. Damn tick. Now i'm thinking that i do need to get both kids blood drawn. I was supposed to do it a month ago but it makes me cringe. I won't even be able to nurse baby girl after that horrible experience. God this sucks.

I was going to post today that my inlaws are coming on Tuesday for 6 weeks so that means you may see more of me or you may see less...i'm not quite sure which.

I was also going to post a very cool two needle pattern for mittens that i've used twice now and love

but that'll have to wait while i figure out how formula works and dig out a breastpump and get some meds etc.

sleep

Will i ever sleep again? My God I'm tired. I'm a person that can go without sleep for a long time. I normally sleep from 12-6 and that's considered good sleep. I'm sleeping an hour here, an hour there these days. I pray to God her teeth finish coming in soon and this goes away. I feel like a zombie.

Stick bug!

We've seen stick bugs in our bug books and in nature centers but never on one of nature walks and yesterday we were lucky enough to find one. Really cool to watch and really hard to see. I just happened to see a twig walking and thought it was strange. It was about 4 inches long. So cool!

Image is from funkman.org/animal/insect/stickinsect.html and you can read more about them here. They really are hard to find because they blend in so well.

Busy!

The last two weeks i've spent at the preschool tagging stuff for the consignment sale. It's been a good way for me to socialize...something i'm not so great at. I've also seen what has come through the doors. Unbelievable all the new donated items. I'm excited to go to the presale. I never go to these sales but this year will be nice i think. It's a huge sale and i've got my eye on a few kid treasures now that i've seen what's come through the door.

I also volunteered for the Halloween party so it's been busy but the nice thing is that after October i can relax a bit. I plan on staying home while the kid is in school (i've spent the last three weeks not running errands during that time which has really put me behind on some things). I never saw myself as a PTA kind of mom but i think i'm heading in that direction lol.

The other thing is that LD actually said to me today "I love school!" What?!?!?!? What kind of drugs did they drug him with? That's not my kid! I like that he does like it. I think it's the girl he makes goo goo eyes with at school. Seriously. My son swoons over her according to the teachers. Homeschool it will be if he keeps that up lol. I've been looking through homeschool resource books too and really mulling over it all.

What else?

Asian Ladybugs have hatched around here and it's so crazy to see. The windows of our house are covered in ladybugs and there are many that cling on to us and end up in the house. It's such a crazy thing to see.

need advice

I'm sinking over here and very tired. Baby girl will not sleep in her crib no matter what i do. I wouldn't mind so much except that she's getting exceedingly hard to get to sleep in the bed and Little Dude loses patience waiting and then they both don't end up sleeping and i go nuts. For you cosleepers, what did you do when you have two? She's so active and just doesn't settle down to sleep...takes a long time.

I feel horrible that i let her "cry it out" two days and yes she did fall asleep after 20 minutes but it was horrible. And yesterday i went to check on her after she finally quieted down only to find her with one hand up on the ledge asleep sitting eyes half opened looking through the slits waiting for her momma. Broke my heart. I just can't do it again. Little Dude took to his crib much easier than her. She has refused since birth and i didn't push it but now that she's so mobile i'm scared she's going to fall out of bed and it also traps me in the afternoon. I can't get on the treadmill, i can't take a shower, i can't do much.

It's just not working. I've ordered a sling for my back (because the one i'm making is apparently never going to get finished) to see if that maybe helps, at least let her fall asleep in there and then transfer her to the bed but that still leaves me trapped. I've given up on transferring her to the crib after falling asleep because she wakes up every single time i begin to lower her in. She's got one heck of a sixth sense. I've tried placing a piece of clothing of mine with my scent but that didn't work either.

Help!

too fast

Everything is happening too fast right now. I feel like we are in overdrive over here. Ever since Baby Girl became mobile it's been crazy. She's growing too fast! 9 months and already on the move. The other day she scaled the stairs. I can't leave her alone at all anymore and it seems like i get absolutely nothing done yet the days fly by. You probably won't see me much. Between Sunday School homework, preschool programs i volunteered for (too many! but fun ones. fall consignment sale, halloween party, etc), and playing defense against Baby Girl and her tactics, there's very little free time which i'm filling with fall cleaning and a tiny bit of crafting (which i'd love to share because i've made some cute things). See you...albeit sporadically. I'll post a few projects over the next few days.

I never showed you the feedsacks and the quilts!

As i was folding and finding a place for all my new vintage quilts i realized i never showed a picture. Here is the stack of feedsacks (and a tablecloth and miscellaneous linens) i found.... (and for those who didn't know what feedsacks were when i meantioned them...look here for a little history. I love the history of them as well as the sweet prints...all of the quilts here in these pictures except the bottom pick are feedsack quilts...feedsacks become insanely soft after washing and washing).



some a little closer up...



and a stack of aired out quilts. They are as cutty as cutters get but i love them all so much and can't wait to breathe new life into them.







I also got some beautiful tins. I seem to have a thing for tins lately. It's a good thing they are handy to have around because i keep running into insanely pretty ones...





This set of scores has kept me in the nest for over two weeks. Now with the vintage swap going on, i must get out on the hunt once again. Good thing the huge rummage sale is this weekend.

School and sewing.

I actually got a little sewing done the last few days. Made little dude's pajamas, a felt crown for his birthday party, 2 pairs of pants cut and ready to be sewn and two pairs of pants cut and ready to be sewn for baby girl. And finally i braved the zipper.



I have been afraid to do a zipper forever but i did it, and without instructions which kind of screwed things up just a tad but now i know for next time. I like this pillow cover. I took an old sweater, cut it into a square, sewed and then put the zipper in. It needs a firmer pillow inside but i think it's cozy.



I'm able to sew because Little Dude is accepting school and i'm so happy for him. He still doesn't play with the other kids but i think school is a good thing for him. I see him changing a little already.

Every morning he still says he doesn't want to go and I don't blame him. I don't want to go either but I do think it will help him with his social skills. There's a huge part of me that wants to homeschool him and i think i would if he was more comfortable outside the home but he just hates leaving the house and i really want to help him be comfortable around other people and the only way to do that is to provide a safe and comfortable place for him to get the practice and to learn. I think his interests are so different too that it's hard for him to relate to kids. Kids are volatile and unpredictable. That's hard for him. He's also interested in older kid stuff (he's having us read 4th grade science books and encyclopedia's to him). That's his interest. And machinery and mechanical stuff. I tell you, i've learned so much about the world since having this boy in my life. He can tell you what's inside bugs, the walls etc. This is what he likes talking about and the poor kid can't find a kid his age to talk about this stuff to. I just hope he can make a few friends.

Maybe one day he'll actually want to leave the house to go to the playground or library. Maybe not. I do hope i'm doing the right thing for him. I think i am but as a parent we never know, do we.

Eid Mubarak!!!

Patience...

Things are getting better. It was a really rough couple of weeks there but the storm is passing and Little Dude is doing better. He is even tolerating preschool which started this week, dare i say almost liking it even. What a relief. If he didn't take to it, i wasn't going to force it, i'd just keep him at home but this is better. It gives me time to do my Etsy/Ebay/thrifting stuff. I'm having a good spell that way.

Two weeks ago I remembered there was an estate sale of a quilter. A good quilter. I remembered a few hours into it and when we arrived people were scurrying out with the things i like...vintage tablecloths, quilts, jars of buttons etc. I figured it was pointless but made my way through up to the sewing room. I should say that we live in a nice part of New Jersey so these quilter's estate sales are a treasure trove because they always have the best supplies, machines, etc. We also live in somewhat of a farm area so I know there are feedsacks lurking around although I never once ran into any. Welllll, i found a room stacked with quilts. Quilts I'd love to buy but can't/won't shell out the money for. While the diggers were in there digging i went to the room next door for space and breathing room. Dragging two kids through a packed house with gobs of people is not fun so i found the quiet room and everything i bought that day came from that room except Little Dude's vintage train set. What I found is what I've been waiting for... piles of feed sacks. Lovely old feedsacks. I slowly built a pile not believing my luck. I went back the next day and bought a few cutter quilts. There's not much to salvage but i'm gonna find a way because these lovely soft feedsack quilts are just priceless in my eyes.

Well that was half the house and today the sale began for the rest of it. I again showed up late because LD did not want to leave the house. After some bribery we got there around noon. I didn't get much but what i did I'm very happy with. Two more beat up quilts, odds and ends buttons and knitting needles galore. Some of the tools in there i don't even know what they are. Something else from this sale...they were collectors and had lots of primitives which i'm not really into but some of it was dang cool like the wooden baby walker from the early 1900's. Amazing contraption that was. Looked a little dangerous for little Johnny but it was adorable. I should have taken a picture but with Baby Girl poised on one hip and LD at my side, there's no time for that kind of stuff. It was so cool though. I didn't realize they had baby walkers in the early 1900's.

You should see me around a bit more. Once i get Etsy updated with some items and Ebay listings done.

I'll post more pictures soon (some are already in flickr) but this is my absolute favorite find.



It's a very very old book and you can barely open the book but this cover.........this cover just won me right over. I think i'll put it on some pretty scrapbook paper with the book in a 12 x 12 3 dimensional frame for baby girl's room. I just think it's adorable. Here's a little closer up...



I don't want to alter the book because it's obviously an antique. The cover is almost woodlike. Just adorable though isn't it?

The old quilts are a close second...i'll have to take some pictures of the others. They are truly beat up cutters though.

Embarassing moment of the day...

Walking to the playground Little Dude excitedly yells out "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Look what I found!"

I'm praying with all my might he's talking about a tree, or the tennis court, or anything.........but indeed, he's talking about what I was afraid he was talking about.

"Look Mommy, it's an Indian!!!!"

LOL.LOL.LOL. Like he's never seen one before. OMG, embarassment. It was a stone cold auntie and she gave no expression so I'm hoping she didn't quite get what he was saying because everyone within 500 feet heard him.

And two minutes later (two quiet minutes later- an oddity) he looks at me with seriousness and says "Mommy, we're Muslims right?"

God I love this kid. He's a wild card and you never know what you'll get from minute to minute but sometimes he just makes you laugh. And so much of what he says is so out of the blue that it stops you in your tracks.

hiatus

I'm taking what I expect to be a semi-long computer break. Little Dude and I are having some issues and I need to work them out and focus solely on him for a little while. Be back later.

A good thrifting day.

I was heading home from a hectic morning out with the kids. Library visits, park, etc etc. On the way home i saw a sign on a church board advertising a garage sale. It looked desolate but i drove around to the back and there were a few cars there but each one was carting away boxes of stuff. Lots of stuff. Good stuff. I drug the tired kids out and headed in. What a treasure trove. Part of me is glad i missed the opening part because i would have been like one lady, filling my car to the gills. On the other hand i know i missed the things i truly enjoy finding. Vintage linens, quilts etc. Here is what i came home with regardless. More detailed pictures to follow. Guess how much i paid for this pile o'junk... that Joovy Red Caboose Stroller included.








The only thing my husband was truly happy i came home with. We have a double stroller, a travel system and a strollee and use them all but it seems like my car always has three strollers in it and it gets tiresome. This works for both kids - stand on and sit for LD, the front is for BG and that tray comes off and an attachment slides on if you want to use it for the baby car seat. LOVE this. And to think i walked right past it at first. This stroller works for everything and now i only need one in the car unless we are going someplace both kids may fall asleep or need more resting. They do love to hold hands in the side by side double but now at least i don't have to worry about lugging two strollers while out if LD is in a tired mood. It's not in perfect condition but it's good enough.

Look what's coming....slowly but surely...

Ramadan Mubarak!

May you all have a blessed month.

30 Days of Ramadan

I've started a new blog for the month of Ramadan, 30 Days of Ramadan. It's a craft oriented blog for a Ramadan craft a day for kids. Let me know if you want to submit a craft for one of the days.

Rice Flea Market - New Hope, PA

So we made it to Rice Flea Market last weekend after all. The birthday party was cancelled. It wasn't worth it though. Overpriced junk is just junk that is overpriced. Weird how they think they can sell it. I did pick up a few things though so it wasn't a total bust.

I got a vintage tea towel (new with tag). Love that old linen and those colors suit my kitchen. A vintage embroidered pillowcase which will become a bag or other repurposed thing or be sent to my mother. It's quite beautiful. Also an embroidered table runner. Also doomed to be repurposed. The vintage knitting spool was made in W. Germany. Debating on whether to list it on ebay/etsy or let the kid learn to knit on it. Probably the latter. The paint is peeling a little on the face but it's still very cute. The picture is bad because my flash hasn't been working the past two weeks. It's not as rough in real life as it is in the pic.

Those two bottles of sauce rock. Delish. She had a tasting station. Yum. We also got some fresh baked Italian goods I forgot to put in the picture. In the brown paper bag is Baby Girl's prized purchase...homemade Italian style pretzels - boy did she love knawing on that throughout. You should have seen my shirt after (because she of course had to be held by mommy throughout the market). I still can't believe the things i let her do. Chewing on all kinds of breads, pretzels, pizza crust. I didn't give that junk to Little Dude until he was nearly two. The corn husks came from a Mexican shop in New Hope (lovely little town). I've been looking for these FOREVER to make homemade tamales.

I can't wait to go back to New Hope in the fall when it's not so hot and we can actually slowly walk the streets instead of trying to keep Baby Girl out of the sun.

gotta love the 60's

I found this book a year ago at a rummage sale. I love the pictures and the price but never took the time to go through it. I finally did and it's got a wealth of information in it and written in a groovy style. :-)

Look at that cover...



and chapter 1...



chapter 3. Look at those bolts of fabric. And that purse.



Don't you love the rick rack at the cuff of those pants? I'm so doing that to a pair of Baby Girls. I'll skip the fringe part though. Ick.



back cover...



And how groovy is the fabric underneath... Peter Pan fabric. I sold a yard of this last year because i didn't know what to do with it but i kept a yard for myself because i love the funkiness of it. I'm glad i did because it's going to become a part of many soon to appear projects...robot...knee patches...etc.

Peace love and hair grease!