Sewing for Cherubs

{this moment}

This Friday I am inspired to play along with SouleMama's "this moment" theme. Happy New Year! 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 

In My Chair

This week, I have been spending an inordinate (and perhaps inappropriate) amount of time doing ... Nothing.

 

Now that it is after Christmas but before the resumption of school and all the activities, the rhythm of my days has had a nice simplicity to it. I get up, make breakfast, get the kids started on something fun, and settle into my favorite chair by the fire.

 

Oh yes, the chair. It's not much to look at. In fact, I am fairly certain some of my friends consider it an eyesore. It is a circa 1998 genuine swiveling, rocking La-Z-Boy recliner. It has no style whatsoever and it is worn and stained. But you know what? This chair has memories. I spent many a late night in this chair nursing my babies back to sleep, and I still spend many an afternoon snuggled in it with a child or two or three, reading stories.

 

So... Here I sit. I know reality will very soon interfere with all this nothingness, but I'm just going to enjoy it while it lasts.

 

Wordless Wednesday: 7-Year-Old in Motion

 

Ten for Tuesday

Well, here goes again... a stream of consciousness of ten random things, let's see what happens.

1.) Of course the big event of this week has been Christmas. The Bossman and I were a little worried that the kids would complain about things they didn't get (even though there was PLENTY under the tree), or that they would compare the relative sizes of their loot piles. Thankfully, neither of these scenarios came to pass. The kids were so excited and remarkably well-behaved all day. Whew!

2.) Disregarding the obvious problem of excessive consumerism, I sort of wish Christmas could happen every week. My kids have been so happily occupied every day since Christmas with their new toys. I've had lots of time to do things, like write Ten for Tuesday posts.

3.) The definite highlight of Christmas morning was seeing Superman's reaction. At age 4, the magic of Santa is still very exciting for him. With almost every present he opened, he exclaimed: "COOL!" or "AWESOME!". I got some video of these moments because I do NOT want to forget what it sounded like.

4.) I've been thinking about New Year's Resolutions. I suppose I'm going to try the "Get the house organized" one again. I've tried it (unsuccessfully) every year since I've had children, why stop now? Hope springs eternal.

5.) Maybe while I'm organizing the house I should organize my blog. I noticed that my blogroll over there on the right sidebar is hopelessly out of date. But Typepad went and changed their interface, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to edit my content modules. I may just have to delete the blogroll and make a new one. In the meantime, I apologize to anyone who has followed a link to a blog that doesn't exist anymore!

6.) Speaking of New Year's Resolutions, I keep hearing about people who are trying a "52 week challenge". For example, prepare 52 new recipes, one per week, in 2011. Other possibilities would include reading 52 books or completing 52 sewing projects. I am trying to pick one. Suggestions?

7.) I went running in the cold again this morning. It was 22 degrees outside. I do not know what has possessed me to make me want to do this to myself. I do feel really great now though.

8.) As I write this blog post, Superman and The Princess are both sitting at the kitchen table adjacent to my desk working on their new Lego sets. Radar is playing a game in the family room next to us. It's a very cozy feeling. As an added bonus, no one is fighting. So yeah, I'm good.

9.) On these chilly days, I am thankful for our gas fireplace. For the first couple of years we lived here, I was afraid of it. But once I finally realized we were NOT going to explode, I have come to really appreciate the peaceful feeling of relaxation it provides. After the kids go to bed, my favorite thing to do is curl up on the couch by the fire and read a book.

10.) Speaking of books, I am currently reading two. On my new iPad, I am reading The Help. On my nightstand, in actual book form, I am reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. They are both great reads, although The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not for the faint of heart. I'm not sure I'm going to continue with that series. Read any good books lately?

A Few Kawaii Creations

Oh, yeah. The sewing.

As previously stated, I've been in a bit of a sewing slump. But I'm trying to break out of it and start stocking my Etsy shop again. I did get hit with a little inspiration recently with some small bits of adorable Japanese wovens in my stash. The Japanese word for "cute" is "Kawaii", and that is definitely what these bibs are! These infant bibs will find their way into my shop sometime in January, either at Etsy or Universal Mama. Details to follow. Thanks for looking!

 

Eyes on the Prize

 

I have started running again. It's been a few months now, and I am hooked. I hope I never let go this time. I have embraced my designated running days and have not let ANYTHING intervene. I have run while sick, in the dark at 5:00 a.m., and in the freezing cold (one day the wind chill was 11). I even ran in falling snow yesterday, on Christmas day. When I got home I had a lot of snowflakes piled up on my running vest and even a few in my eyelashes. It was great. 

The Bossman is training for his first marathon, and I have no such aspirations. A few miles here and there is good enough for me. I completed a 5k on Thanksgiving and my next race will be an 8k in March. I do have a dream goal: There is a big "Ten-Miler" race here in the fall. I have wanted to do it for many years but have never managed to train successfully. I am hoping this will be my year.

Why do I run? Growing up, I was NOT an athlete. I was the tiny little kid who always got picked last for everyone's relay race teams in Phys Ed class. No matter how hard I tried, I was always the slowest one, and it was a constant source of embarrassment to me. Although I excelled in school and had plenty of friends, I always wished that just once I could be the one who came in first in a race. Now, I know I will never finish first or even place in a road race, but every time I cross the finish line and meet my own personal time goal, I feel like I have won that victory that I always wanted as a kid. That's what keeps me going.

December 25th, 9:55 p.m.

The presents have been unwrapped.
The family and friends have been visited.
The Christmas dinner has been eaten.

The house is a mess.
The children are sleeping.
The snow is falling.

And I am cuddled up on the couch with The Cat and The Bossman, playing with my new iPad while he catches a few Z's and pretends to watch football.

All is calm. All is bright.

Christmas Biscuits

We have a fun tradition in our family. On special mornings, I bake biscuits (from scratch, yes!) and after I roll and cut out a couple of pans full, I give the leftover dough to the kids. They get out the sprinkles and the cookie cutters and have fun! Here is this year's installment. If you look closely you might see some trees, an angel, and a gingerbread (gingerbiscuit?) man or two.

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours! 

 

Wordless Wednesday: Joyful Noise

 

Ten for Tuesday

I thought it would be fun to try something I've seen on a few other blogs. On Tuesdays, I will write about ten random things that are on my mind that day. Should be interesting! So, without further ado, here is this week's installment of "Ten for Tuesday".

1.) Hey! ONLY FOUR MORE SHOPPING DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

2.) I am eating an apple while writing this post. I am thirty-eight years old, and I still feel the need to cut an apple into little slices before I eat it. At least I don't peel it.

3.) I have three children in three different schools. I am going a little crazy from holiday parties, concerts, and luncheons. Which leads me to #4:

4.) I love Christmas, but I must say I am also looking forward to December 26th, when I can breathe a sigh of relief. I think December 26th should be declared a national holiday (With apologies to my friends in Canada). On this holiday all Moms would be required to spend the whole day doing nothing productive.

5.) Superman has become quite a Lego expert. At the risk of sounding like a bragging Mom, he can take a set intended for 7-year-olds (he's four) and use the instructions to assemble it all by himself. He also likes to create his own designs, which are as he says, "from my 'magination."

6.) I am seriously thinking about putting out a jar and collecting money from my children each time they say "It's not fair." Last night I told them about my plans, and The Princess looked aghast and immediately said, "It's not..." and quickly realized her mistake and clammed up. We had a really good laugh about that!

7.) I am trying to understand the point of a one-hour delay for the schools. At 8 a.m. yesterday, our driveway was icy and it was very cold and windy outside. At 9 a.m., our driveway was icy and it was very cold and windy outside.

8.) It's hard thinking of ten things to write about, especially when you are in a hurry (see #3).

9.) I am really bad at the whole "Elf on the Shelf" thing. Our elf has forgotten to go back to the North Pole quite a few times this year. He must be a little lazy.

10.) We went caroling with our youth group this week, and a sweet little old lady told us: "Thank you so much for brightening my day. I was starting to feel a little down and this really helped." That's what it's all about, isn't it?