We're Real Party Animals Around Here

Mmmm, New Year's Eve. Isn't this supposed to be a night to "par-tay?" Yeah, well some party at my house.

It's 10:10pm. I'm not kidding you when I tell you that my husband is snoring. Yes, s-n-o-r-i-n-g. I'm dressed in old-as-dirt, mismatched flannel pajamas. My children are coughing up a lung in their sleep, feverish with strep throat.

I'm wide awake. And bored.

I suppose I could turn on the TV and ring in the new year with Ryan Seacrest and 10 million of my closest friends in Times Square.

I wonder if I can find some streamers and kazoos in my party stash and at midnight, host a celebration for one. Or better yet, jump on the bed, blowing the kazoos and send my snoring husband through the roof. I'm laughing even now at the possibilities.

Although, if I go that route, perhaps I should at least find some clean pajamas that match.

PS: I can think back on all the new years parties I've been to over the years and you know what my conclusion is? I'm getting old. Very old.

Pinky Minky

One of the most interesting and exciting presents I got for Christmas was two bagfuls of fabric hand-me-downs from my grandmother. There were piles of scrap fabric, some as big as 3/4 of a yard. All kinds of fabric, all the way from cheesy character fabric to some gorgeous stuff!

At about 7:30 last night, I set my coffee pot to automatically brew at 7:00a.m. But I pushed the wrong button. Never being one to waste a fresh pot of coffee, I poured myself very strong, fully-caffienated coffee. Needless to say, I was set for the night. I wasn't going to be any time soon.

So I broke into the fabric scrap bags to see what I could work up. I found hot pink minky dot calling my name. Oh, it's just so soft, I love that stuff.

A couple hours later, here's the result!!

The Aftermath

I am loving all the lazing (can that be a verb?) around that goes on after Christmas. We have just been basking in all the Santa Claus stuff for the past couple days. Everytime I suggest that we go somewhere, both children ask to stay home. I am loving it. So, since Wes has been hunting, I have been taking vacation, too. At least today, I changed sheets and started some laundry.

This picture was one of the few we got on Christmas morning. For some reason I decided to watch my children with my bare eyes, not through the lens of the camera. And while I'm thinking I might regret it later, it was most pleasant and perfect on Christmas morning.

We had our annual Christmas brunch around 8:30 with our family, and the kids played and played. Jack ate a Hershey's kiss for breakfast and then decided around 10:00 that he wanted some cereal. Fine, it's Christmas! After breakfast, the kids opened presents from mom and dad (a pink smocked dress for JA, a cowboy shirt and pants for Jack and brochures for a springtime trip to DisneyWorld!!). That afternoon during their nap, I knitted and watched Legends of the Fall with Wes. What a perfect Christmas day.

I hope your Christmas was very special and filled with goodness. Celebrating the birth of Jesus with a two year old and a four year old has been magical. I can only imagine what next year will bring.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

My Last Few Hours

Welcome to my last few hours, child-free until after the first of the year. JA is at preschool until 11:30. Jack's at playschool until 2:00. And I'm here in the quiet of my home, trying to decide what to do first. Do I want to scramble around getting 100 things done, not really enjoying anything? Or do I take my time, focusing on only the fun and enjoyable?

I have a few more projects left to finish. (Next year, by the way, my deadline for projects will be December 10. No exceptions. I'm not doing this again. Please remind me of that around Thanksgiving.) But they are the fun ones. Plus, I haven't wrapped a single present. Not one. The pretty packages under my tree are fake, just for decoration. And believe it or not, they haven't been touched by four little hands belonging to two young children.

So, back to my tasks for today. I know I need to finish my grocery list. And when I pick up JA at 11:30, I told her we would go grocery shopping together, since she doesn't normally get to go with me anymore. She was beside herself this morning. Oh, the joys of being four.

Aside from the grocery list, I think I'm going to use my last few hours to focus on me. No one else. Finish my coffee. Take an unrushed, uninterrupted shower. Shave my legs and pluck my eyebrows. And then maybe, just maybe, I'll start a load of laundry and empty the dishwasher.

I Have A Pull String

Jack and I were standing in line at the post office yesterday, trying to mail Christmas cards. (I feel like it's so late, it's almost like "what's the point?", but nonetheless, they're in the mail!) I think I may have chosen the wrong time to visit, as the line was fairly long with only one teller working. So, we waited. Jack was pretty much all over the place, playing with a baby Buzz Lightyear up and down the partition posts, on the dirty, nasty post office floor, and through my legs...you know how two-year-olds do. Some of the other people standing in line were mildly amused watching him goof off, while some of the other more cranky types appeared annoyed. I was just hoping the line would hurry and move along.

Jack stood right beside me for a minute. He reached over and pulled the string on the fleece vest I was wearing. At first, I didn't think anything about it until I heard him say, "Hey. My name's Woody." He quickly pulled it again and said, "You're my favorite deputy." And again. But this time, he shouted as loud as he could, "THERE'S A SNAKE IN MY BOOT!" At this point, I was so tickled at him, but was trying to hold it in. Others in line were still not amused. I thought it was hilarious, as I wiped the tears off my face, and looked around for something to distract him quickly. Fortunately, that one post office worker said loudly, "I can help the next one in line."

Christmas

I can't believe Christmas is getting so close! And even more, I haven't blogged the first thing about our Christmas season. I was starting to feel bad about it, but then stopped.

And then I got a FB post from a friend (of a friend that I wished lived closer so I could see her every single day!!) who was wondering what I am cooking, crafting and sewing. I think that was the nicest thing someone said to me all week long!!

But it's because I've been cooking, crafting and sewing that I haven't been feeling too bad about neglecting this old blog. So here's what I've been up to.

Cooking
1. pork tenderloins, prepared several different ways. I think my husband would eat pork tenderloin for breakfast, lunch and supper.
2. vegetable soup - I love, love, love this soup. I'm in the minority at my house. I've even tried to think like a child and come up with creative ways to present it. Didn't work. So I've also been making chicken nuggets and mac & cheese. Throw in some applesauce and it's a meal, don't you think?
3. amish friendship bread - my husband WAS eating this for breakfast, lunch and supper. I had friendship bread coming out of every corner of my house. I feel bad wasting all the ingredients and starters, but finally just had to give up. But it was de-lish!
4. banana pudding. it's amazing. And even though I'm out of bananas, I'm about to make some banana-less pudding tonight, in the cozy and quiet of my house. If only I could type faster...

Crafting
1. Knitting scarves to give as Christmas gifts. And one day, maybe after Christmas, I'll do one for me.
2. Does playdoh and paint-by-water count? Needless to say, I'm not doing too much crafting, because I am...

Sewing (Lordy, lordy am I sewing!!)
1. I finally constructed a smocked bishop dress. Like, bought the yards of fabric, cut it out (after I figured out the monster pattern!) had it pleated, smocked it, and finished the dress. I thought I was going to scream several times, but once I finished it and Jordan Ann loved it, I wanted to make another one that very day.
2. Several, several jumpers. But that might taper off, as I was recently informed by my four-year-old fashionista, "I don't prefer jumpers. I would rather you make me smocked Sunday school dresses." Ahhh, I see.
3. Britches & bloomers - britches for Jack, bloomers for JA
4. A pink and brown damask smocked bishop dress for JA. I was determined to get it finished for to wear on Thanksgiving and now she calls it her "Thanksgiving dress" even though there is nothing "thanksgiving-y" about it.
5. Pillows for my sewing room and playroom. Haven't finished it them all yet. Believe it or not, I'd rather make clothes.
6. Super-hero capes for a handful of super-heros in my life. I can't wait for my two to see them for Christmas!
7. Another bishop dress with some serious smocking on it. I'm hoping to get it finished without JA seeing the finished dress and give it to her on Christmas morning. After waiting for me to finally make something with the fabric she picked out, I think she'll be just as excited about this as her Bitty Baby from Santa. You think? Well, maybe not. We'll see.

After Christmas projects
1. Knit hats with crochet flowers
2. Easter outfits - oh, how will I decide on that? And how do you dress a three-year-old boy for Easter? Glad I don't have to decide that tonight.
3. Pillows for my bedroom with leftover fabric from the bedskirt I had made three years ago.
4. Piping. I want to figure out how to sew piping for those smocked piped insert tshirts. That way I still get some "matchy matchy" without the boy john john.

Okay, so that's it. I wish I could post pictures. But that's another reason why I haven't been updating. My computer had a major virus and had to be re-built. I'm working on Windows 98 now. Talk about old school. This is what I had in COLLEGE, people! Needless, there is not a program that can read my pics, much less upload them to the internet. So, you'll have to use your imagination!

Off to make the banana-less pudding. Wish you could come over for some!