Tuesday This'n'That

Just some little snippets of life going on right now...

~I knit a pair of socks. They are awesome and may possibly be the first pair- homemade or commercial- that really, truly fits my size ten feet! I am hooked. Pair #2 is well underway!

~Another thing I've been making lately are embroidered felt hair clips. They whip up so quickly that it satisfies both my need to be artistic and my resignation to getting interrupted every five minutes. Some of these were for Cici, some went towards a baby shower gift, and some went to my cousin's daughter. And I still have so many ideas!

I am actually considering packing up my sewing machines for the time being. I'm not selling on Etsy these days, and at this season of life, I just don't have the time or mental power to devote to sewing. When I get interrupted as often as I do, I make too many mistakes. So that's why things like knitting and embroidery, that can be dropped and picked back up easily, are my crafts of choice these days.


~ Cici is full-blown toddlering right now. Walking off with things she shouldn't have, escaping to Grandma's house, climbing chairs and tables, dropping to the floor like a sack of potatoes when you tell her"no". And biting, Lots of biting. Unlike the boys when they were at the toddler age, Cici is incredibly socially intelligent and knows just how to twist the knife when she is displeased! On the flip side of the toddler world, she is learning all sorts of new words every day and creating funny new games and jokes with us all. She is just so friendly and curious. I get such a kick out of her! Right now, according to Cici, just about every animal says "Moo".


~ I am teaching a couple of high-school-aged sisters voice lessons in exchange for an hour or so of babysitting each week. BEST. DECISION. EVER. Usually, they just hang out with the kids on the yard and make sure they don't die while I tackle projects around the house. Today, I installed a closet rod in our bedroom closet. I can hang my clothes up for the first time in a year and a half, folks! I am thrilled. My kids just love the girls, and they are real sweethearts.


~As a birthday gift to myself, I decided to cross one thing off my bucket list and take a belly dance class! That has been a lot of fun, and I will be sad after the series of lessons wraps up this week.


~Another fun thing I've been doing is making fancy Sunday dinners. I got really tired of being in a cooking rut, so I started cooking through Martha Stewart's What to Have for Dinner cookbook.



It's been really neat to learn new cooking techniques (Mortar and pestle! Scalding milk!) and try ingredients I never cook with (Fennel! Fresh herbs! Jicama!) and expand the palate a bit (turns out I hate eggplant a far sight less than I did when I was nine).


~We kept a few of my cousin's kids overnight last night while he and his wife were out of town. Here is a picture Adam snapped of us as we were reading bedtime stories.

So life is getting busy. Music lessons are picking up, and I'm gearing up for both starting a new school year and superintending at the fair next month. Adam started a new job at the sheriff's office a few weeks ago, so we're adjusting to his crazy schedule. Who knows what all we'll be up to next month!