Entries from March 1, 2009 - March 31, 2009

Tuesday
Mar242009

boys have birthdays too

and eve knows that because her daddy has a birthday and she remembers when charlie came out of my tummy, and that was his first birthday ever. but he was zero, which is a little funny. 

so, because they have them too and because i believe in the glory of two-in-one, we now celebrate birthdays with this banner. one side for the girls. one side for the boys. or if the kids decide to break free of the gender-specific color regime, they get to choose whichever side they like the best. either way, this thing is going to be around forever. i love thinking of hanging the banner up 10 years from now when these exact shades and designs are decidedly out of fashion and the kids think it's so ugly, but love it still. because it is tradition, and you can't help but love tradition. 

if you don't already have your own and are thinking of the awesomeness of reversibility and segregating colors, this is a fun project. great for using up fabric already in your stash, in fact, i like this so much more knowing i used only what was on hand. and even though it sat in the "almost finished" pile nearly a year, it really is quick. especially if you sew the triangles, wrong sides together, and use pinking shears on the edges rather than spending the time turning each right side out, which i'm happy with, but am not sure was worth it when pinked edges are fun too. and faster. 

. . .

things are most likely going to be calm around here for the next week or so. i've got my hands full watching over little charlie as he recovers from a terrible burn on his left hand. my chest is tight with guilt just thinking about his sad bandaged hand. i will never doubt his determination or strength again. nor will i assume that trains and a chair barrier are enough to distract him from the heat pipe of his desire while i wash my face. as i was waiting with him in cornell's burn unit, clowns came in to cheer the room up. people laughed. a lot. but i couldn't look at them, it was too sweet and right and made me want to cry for little charlie, that we were in a place where clowns come to cheer up the sad and broken. but i was so grateful all the same. people are awesome. 

(and so were your treat suggestions! it's almost scary how many delicious things there are to shove in my mouth. . . i haven't stopped dipping my apples in honey since jackie suggested it and i can't wait to get going on all the other favorites. but slowly. because charlie and his paw need more attention than my belly. . .) 

Wednesday
Mar182009

i wanted banana cream pie

so, lately the law around here has been: have a craving, satisfy it as quickly as possible. really great in some ways. really not great in others. happily for me, i don't own a scale. but i do own skinny jeans. which, come to think of it, are definitely scarier than a scale. i should really considering changing the law soon. . . 

i digress.

last week i wanted banana cream pie. but didn't have patience for the 10+ hours of time the pie requires. so, this is what i ate intsead: 

a pretty great substitute. it isn't pie, but it's something sweet and fast. graham cracker, slices of banana topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream. i think we've eaten it two or three times since and everyone is a fan.

and then there was the time when i wanted cheesecake. or chocolate. clearly a cheesecake wasn't happening, and the chocolate just wasn't doing it. so, i melted the chocolate (70% cacao bittersweet. i like dark.) and beat in cream cheese. berries to dip and, oh my word. it really was like eating chocolate cheesecake. but maybe even better because it took two minutes. the blueberries were especially awesome with the super dark mixture. it wasn't sweet enough for the girls, maybe a 60% cacao would have been a better bet for them, and chip isn't a big chocolate fan. but i loved it.

the time will soon come when i care about fitting into my pre-charlie skinny jeans and these quick, sweet treats will have to be forgotten about. but now is not that time. in fact, now i'm very very interested in your quick treats, because your old favorite just might become my new favorite! (and for you good souls who have only quick healthy "treats" to share, don't hold back. heaven knows, i need those too. . .)  thanks for sharing, i'm excited! 

...

unrelated business:

some of you have mentioned bloglines (and other feed readers) not keeping up to date with my blog. that's my fault. kind of a long story involving me jiggerring with some things that had more impact than intended. if you happened to come visit even though your reader tells you it has been five weeks since i updated, i'm so glad, it is great to have you here! in order to be kept up to date you will need to re-subscribe, and everything should be good . . . now,  back to the good stuff: what are your favorites? 

Friday
Mar132009

five! five! FIVE!

 

this little love is FIVE today. i can remember being five. i got a tea set, loved my rainbow-sleeved shirt-tails shirt and had my first official friends birthday party. what will eve remember from this day? will it be riding daddy's shoulders to school? waking up with the birthday banner (finally) finished and displayed in her honor? ruthie shouting over and over and over "it your birthday, eve! it your birthday!!"? maybe she'll remember her baby brother swatting at the shower curtain, trying to get in with her and soaking himself in the process. she might remember me sewing her birthday shirt seconds before she needed to leave (and minutes after). possibly she'll remember sitting on our bed opening birthday cards (cards in the morning, presents at night) from her dear family. she might remember her own disbelief "am i really five now? really? five?" or she may remember none of it. but i will remember. i will remember rushing and sewing her shirt to help make her special day just a little more special. i will remember ruth and charlie and chip slowing our usual morning routine to celebrate. i will remember looking at this big, beautiful little girl and feeling about her now the way i felt the moment she was brought into view and placed on my chest. absolute amazement. i will remember sitting here typing, my eyes stinging as i think of how much this little one is to me, to our family. she is our first. the protector, the encourager, the comforter. she has so much growing to do, so much to learn and be. but for now i will not think of that. i will freeze time and sit in awe as i think that she has been ours for five years. . .five years. . .

and then i will get busy. because this one is also a taskmaster. banana cupcakes to bake, crowns to cut out, goodie bags to tie for our class celebration this afternoon and then there is the dinner to prepare, rainbow cake to assemble and gifts to wrap for our family celebration tonight. we'll see how much happens. regardless, we'll be having a fun day. the perfect day. just like five years ago. 

the birthday shirt with the number eve is now thrilled to claim as her very own, thanks to my recently re-united best friend; freezer paper. disregard non-ironed back. and wet, messy hair. there's only so much a sentimental procrastinator can get done on a great morning like this. . . happy friday the 13th! (clearly, always a lucky day around here).

Monday
Mar092009

this girl

 

she is so funny and so very loud. so crazy and free. she spins and falls then spins again. she climbs and jumps and would swing all day if you let her. she can never choose, but when she does she will change her mind exactly five seconds later. she tries to ride on her baby brother at least once a day. she covers her ears when she is nervous and giggles and laughs the happiest laugh when her world is right. she will threaten to "never ever play with unicorns again" when you've wronged her. she lays down on banks of snow and daintily pretends to be a mermaid. she talks to herself in quiet, high voices and booming low ones. she wishes she could vote for eve for president. while getting ready to cross the street she tries to hold her own hand for safety. she is sneaky and fast and stubborn. she does what she wants to do and when questioned always has a sound explanation. rainbow, snowflakes and pink are her three favorite colors. she wears her blue tutu everyday and is startlingly good at shaking her hips. she will put almost anything in her mouth, or at least give it a good lick. whatever the group, she's a part of them but when she's done, she's done and moves on without a care. she is terrorized by the sun in her eyes and tortured by the cold of winter and heat of summer. she sneaks the phone and tries to watch episodes of backyardigans during church. she is charming and almost always loved instantly. she growls and bares her teeth when fighting with eve. she whispers secret plans and (three-year-old) naughty words. when she gets big she wants to be a doctor and then a mommy and then a princess named cinderelly. she loves her sister and her daddy. and charlie and mommy too. she makes us laugh and shake our heads every day. she is our little three-and-a-half-year-old ruthie. and today she learned that rats make nests too. 

 

Friday
Mar062009

art shirt/ failing my daughter

sometimes the things i make don't work out the way i have planned, which is great. in fact, it's the way i prefer to operate; the unforseen adjustments and even mistakes are a part of my process. a different fabric is chosen, a piece is added here, a cut, a pleat, a stitch or a button there. . . or it is all eliminated and simplicity reigns. in the end, the result is so much better than the original idea, than the original sketch. 

this is not an example of that happening. . . a cute little white shirt with gathered sleeve, tiny orange ribbon to tie in back and - to make her love it - a tansfer of eve's very own artwork. perfect idea, right? i thought so, but it didn't work out. my floor is burned (i'm an idiot), the transfer is weak. so weak that i pulled out the sharpie to fill in some of the most glaring gaps- a desperate low. and for the first time since the apron i made her when she was two, eve doesn't like it. she saw it and decided she doesn't want to wear it. ever. "it's supposed to be blue at this part, but it's white! where's the green i colored, mom?! i think you didn't do it right!" i agree. 

but, despite my apparent lack of iron-on transfer skills, i'm really good at reverse psychology. and bribing. the shirt was agreeably worn to school and at the end of the day eve reported that both julian and brody liked it. and if julian likes it, everyone likes it. especially eve. first he introduced pokemon, then "dude!" and now he has restored my daughter's faith in me.

i might put a proper hem on the shirt after all. and then experiment with the iron-on transferring, it shouldn't be that hard, should it?