Pink or Blue

Though I am a poor excuse for a blogger lately, I have been crafting it up in my spare moments. My latest creation--two pairs of sweet little baby booties. One pair in pink and one in blue, because this mama won't know which pair she needs until February.


The big news in our world is that we are adding one more to our family, and couldn't be more excited. This time around I'm less nervous, less anxious, but just as irrational and overly emotional. It comes with the territory. I've decided not to find out the gender of the next little peanut, though my husband knows. I am looking forward to the surprise, while he's glad to know what's coming. Many people we tell think this seems like an impossible situation--how could he not accidentally tell you? Won't you bug him til he tells? No way. I just don't want to know until I meet him or her. Until then, I will have to create two sets of everything. It's only logical.


For these booties I found some free patterns on Ravelry and each pair took about 1.5 to 2 hours. It's a fun little project and you can think about baby while knitting!

That Sweet Face

Of the hundred or so pictures we took to celebrate the little one's 18 months, about five turned out. Pretty good ratio, huh? My husband played photographer for these. I played silly and ridiculous, which elicited zero smiles. I am learning more about lighting and shadows as we play around with our camera, but have got a long way to go. Doesn't hurt when your subject is this dapper, I suppose. The learning curve for photography seems to be a little steep for me....my husband keeps recommending practice. Novel concept for one who teaches kids every day. Better get to taking some more photos.

Summertime Snacking

What's summer without a little watermelon on the deck? We can't get enough of this summer staple. I think I might start keeping track of how many we buy this season. I'm thinking it will be double digits. Any favorite summer treats at your house?

Go Green Baby!

We are always working to be more eco-conscious, and our little guy is no exception. We have lots of room to grow in this area, but we've got the diapering thing down.

Here's a low-cost solution to the wipe conundrum: homemade wipe spray and flannel wipes. We already wash our cloth diapers regularly, and these can be thrown in the wash. They work great for sensitive skin. Plus, there's no waste. We used hand-me-down flannel blankets and also some flannel from the fabric stash--both work great. As far as the amount of wash and oil, we're on our second bottle of each in fifteen months.



We spray the solution on to the flannel wipe, and have a small hamper to store dirties in before laundering.

This recipe, along with all necessary ingredients, would make a great gift to a cloth-diapering or frugal mama.

All my best,
Robin

Take a Look....It's in a Book

I am a teacher, so naturally I'm an advocate for reading. I read all the time: blogs, magazines, and picture books. These count as reading! Trust me, I'm a teacher-- I know these things. I read real grown-up books too, just not as much as I'd like.

To pass on the love for reading and the patterns of speech, we have been reading to Button Boy nearly every day since his birth. At first he didn't notice what was happening, and this was fun. He was an excellent listener, and we felt like awesome parents, exposing our wee one to literature so early in life. As the months went by, he became less interested. When I say less interested, I mean let's chew on the board book until the pages are dilapidated and have expanded to three times their normal size. Or how about we turn this into a fun game of "drop the book on the floor, look surprised, then in the cutest voice possible say 'uh-oh.'" Needless to say, he wasn't an avid reader.

Until now! We have now turned to a new chapter in his reading adventures. Pardon the pun, I couldn't resist. My son now enjoys books! Mostly just the ones where you get to touch different textures, but a book nonetheless.

We are reaching lots of fun milestones as he ages, and this one is exciting for us. We may just put away the singing frog now that we have a new hobby.

Nifty Thrifty Pancakes

Weekends around here don't get too wild. Well, not in the traditional sense anyway. We like to keep it low-key, stress free, and messy. That messy part isn't really intended, it's just how it ends up...constantly. I apologize to visitors as they enter my disheveled home, but I'm beginning to think having a toddler is a good enough excuse for them to overlook all my housekeeping blunders. Works for me.

I wanted to share in pictures a glimpse of our weekend:

Hit up some garage sales with Mama Pear and the girls. My best buys of the day: a box chock full of zippers, seam binding, and rick rack for $1.00. FOR THE WHOLE BOX! I was pumped to say the least. My shopping companions were a little wary of my purchase, but I have big plans for these. Real big plans, and you'll get to witness it all.
I couldn't pass up some vintage division flash cards for a quarter. My students don't care what they look like and may not appreciate the aged look, but I adore them. I might have a hard time bringing the stack to school.
After numerous trials and bottles of syrup, the Andersons have settled on a pancake recipe. We are working on starting some traditions, and a weekend pancake breakfast seems like a perfect and tasty place to start. These are thick and fluffy, so if that's your pancake style, give them a try.

Clearly enjoying the meal. This kid latches his feet like that for every meal. I can't get enough, so I had to photograph it. Those little toes are irresistable .

We hope you had a great weekend as well. Come back and see us soon!

A Track to Enjoy

I stumbled upon this Mindy Gledhill video while "getting lost" on the Internet one weekend. "Getting lost" is the phrase we use at my house when one of us zones out on the computer screen for an exorbitant amount of time. This video proves that sometimes, getting lost can be a good thing.



My musical taste is all over the map. I love all types and styles, and finding a new artist is always a joy for me. I especially enjoy finding the ones that aren't mainstream yet, or maybe never will be. Helps me feel sophisticated....or maybe a little chic. It gives me something to enjoy while I use the computer anyway.

Now that you're relaxed and enjoying the new tune, let me get serious. Not serious, just sentimental. I think my heart-not the organ, the metaphorical heart, grew by three sizes tonight. I was snuggling my little guy (who we'll refer to as Button Boy from here on out) before bedtime. I looked down at him to check the status of the eyes--open, closed, or drowsy. They were drowsy, very drowsy.

So I gulped down the metaphorical lump in my throat to keep from bursting with love, gave him a smile, and he returned the look. The kid was seconds from sleeping, and gave me the sweetest smile ever. Of course this is not a smile I could have captured with a camera. I couldn't--no lighting, full hands, and it was bedtime. I had to tell you about it, not only because you already know a ridiculous amount of information about me, but to catalog this into my memory bank. It was sort of one of those "aha" moments, except without any logical conclusions. Just that I love being a mom. So, in honor of my cheesy, mommy-love, gooey post, enjoy some pictures of the button boy. Because what's a post without pics?

A Welcome Sign

Bridger attended a birthday party on Sunday, where he was all smiles and giggles. He must have used up all his positive energy on the relatives, because he had nothing but scowls for us.



Here is our new entryway rug. Polka dots are quite possibly the most welcoming sight upon entering someone's house, right? Well in my house that's true. I have a few dots scattered throughout, but am working on "editing" my choices as to not go overboard. I thought this one, which we purchased at Target, was still mature looking. I have visions of a bench on the right side of the entryway, where guests can sit while they take off their shoes. More to come on that....it's in the works.

You now know all about my polka dot obsession. Surely you have your own decorating "polka dot." What is it? I'd love to know.