Weepy Mama

That is the best way to describe me right now. Well, really for the past few weeks.

Our yearly trip to the Pediatrician's office resulted in an ADHD diagnosis for The Shmoo. I have known since he was just hours old that he had more energy than most, but the label brings tears to my eyes. It's not " that" label that makes me sad, but rather any label. To me, he is the most perfect, loving, kind, angel. And, one on one, he is just that. But, throw him in a class with 19 other pre-schoolers, and he loses all ability to self regulate his behavior. He is not a mean, or viscous kid, but he struggles ( on a good day) to stay focused, and calm.

Today has me down right lost. His current pre-school has waited until today, a month after our parent teacher conference, to tell us that they are not sure they can " support" him there. That it is very hard to have him in class. Really, just today? Now you think is the right time to tell us? I have my ear to the ground for a new place for him, but mid year is hard, and we are on a shoe string of a budget.

I am not a home schooler, but I told J today that I might have to be. It would mean boxing up all of my fabric, and diving head first into teaching. And not just teaching, but teaching my lovely boy all the important things while reminding him how wonderful he is. What a good person he is.

I dropped him off today and almost couldn't let go. He was so excited to see his friends, and I just wanted to grab him and run.

Like any parent, I want him to be loved, challenged, appreciated, and most of all to feel as if he is an important part of the world, and that is not happening for him at school right now.

I have piles of work to do, but I cannot seem to keep the tears at bay. Maybe a cup of tea and a good long cry will help. Maybe!

It's Halloween Season..

or so says The Shmoo! We spent the day with a good friend doing " Fallish" things. That included visiting 2 local farm stands looking for the perfect pumpkins and feeding a few local pets. We took only back roads, got lost twice, and had the loveliest day!

J and our friend carved pumpkins while I cleared off the table so that we could actually eat dinner at the table! We all ( even the wild 4 year old who would rather be playing than eating) gathered together, and enjoyed a hot meal of pot roast, mashed potatoes, and fresh asparagus. We finished it off with locally made pumpkin pie!

The weather was beautiful, the leaves were well worth peeping, and the company extraordinary! I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such beauty, both in the place we live and the friends we have.

These are the outcome of today's carve-a-ton. We have a mama and another baby that need to be carved, but that will have to wait for another day.

May the beauty of the season bring you peace!

4!

On Monday my baby turned 4! I can hardly believe that it has been 4 years since he was born. Most days it feels like just yesterday, and then others I'm sure he's 20 :-) His big present his year was a bike from his Grandmother ( mother-in-law). This picture was taken at around

7:45 pm ( way past this time he would usually be up and about). He was so excited that he ended up in the driveway riding with his same outfit on!!!

We ( I mean I) decided that this year we would have to move the party away from our house. Our new " cabin" is much to small for a party! So, we ( I ) made a reservation at Chuck E' Cheese! Now, for anyone that knows me this is the most off the wall plan. But, I have a wild little boy who loves games, the chance to run around, and be as loud as he wants to be!

So, with my mom ( GG), his two Godmothers in from London and DC, and my dear friend NayNay we hit the round running. The Godmothers and his Dada were game playing machines, and ended up winning us well over 1,000 tickets! Here is just the beginning of the stash.

And here he is in all of his glory. The glare is towards the person dressed up as a giant RAT! He was not a fan of that part of the day. He is SO my child!

And this, is him the NEXT day all decked out in his Chuck E' Cheese glory! The soccer ball was purchased with all of this tickets, and rounded out a wonderful day.

He was wearing his crown again is morning just to make sure it still fit his 4 year old head! It was a great weekend surrounded by family and friends. I feel so lucky to have him as a son, and honored to be his mother!

DQS9

This is my 4th round of the Doll Quilt Swap, and I've yet to be disappointed!

My partner loves bright colors, birds, and underwater creatures.

So, I made her a quilt titled: The Grass is Always Greener..." ( on the left)

In return, I received the most lovely quilt from Viv. Each square if unique, and the birds are perfect in their simply forms! It's hanging in my living room so that I can admire it everyday, and I do!!! Thank you for the time and energy you put into my quilt, Viv!

I was much quieter this round, but it felt right for me. The threads of discussion were so active that it would take me hours to catch up to even comment. So, while I did follow the discussions my comments were kept to a minimum!

The last few months in photos...

I've been MIA, but I am ready to make a come back!

My sewing machine has been humming, and I've ironed so much I had to purchase a new one a few weeks ago! So, I've been:

Quilting along with Tia

Playing virtual and in person scrabble with my DH! Yes, he wins every time. What can I say, he was a Business/ HR major, and I was an Art Education major!

Spending time visiting friends. This was taken in Burlington, VT where the pool temp was a balmy 69 degrees. No, I did not get in :-) I was happily sewing hexis together while these brave boys were swimming!

Making commission quilts ( more on that later)

Making quilts for all the babies being born around me. Pattern by Oh! Fransson.

Looking forward to spending more time in this space.

Happy Fall!

Happy Mother's Day...

To all of you who are Mothers, Grandmothers, Godmothers, and Women who inspire and support others!

I plan on spending the day hugging on my sweet Shmoo, and remembering how lucky I am to be his Mother!

If you have not already, make sure you let those important Women in your life know how much you appreciate them.

Peace be with you

I'm not a runner...

But I run. I am short ( 5' 3") and I DO NOT have a runners body!

I've never been a " sporty" girl. I danced throughout junior high and high school. But, I started running in college, and never looked back. I completed my first half marathon weeks after graduating from college, my second months before meeting my husband to be, and the third, well, funny you should ask. My third will be in 4 days.

This is my first big run since giving birth, and let me tell you...everything is NOT the same as it once was. I seem to pick up speed during the last stretch in order to get to the potty ASAP.

My previous two runs were for me, to prove that I could. And, I did. However, this one is for others. I will be running as part of a team. Upper Valley Haven is a shelter/ food pantry/ transition center. Of all the teams I could be running for, I am proud to be a member of this one! My family and friends have been so generous in their monetary support as well as emotional support!

So, while I have been sewing quite a bit ( new post tomorrow on all that), most of my free time has been spent running. Hopefully all of my hard work will pay off, and I will not be the LAST person across the finish line:-)

Peace be with you

Census 2010

* Warning- this is a political rant written with the sarcasm of a mother who's been home with a sick toddler for 2 days!

So, last week I received the Census in the mail ( nope, not the letter telling me that is was coming...or the post card to remind me to complete the census, but the actual CENSUS). I opened it up, and began to complete it. Name, check. Birthday, check. Do you rent or own, rent! Blah, blah, blah. Then I get to the point of Race. Now this is where it gets GOOD. Are you Hispanic? Yes or No- No. Next, check as all that apply....

White? Well, yes, one of my parents Caucasian- but I'm going to let this one slide, as I understand that the Census needs to be accessible to everyone regardless of education.

Black? Well, no, in fact at this point in the year ( living in snow covered New England) I am more of a soft caramel color.

African Am.? Well, is that asking if I am of African Decent just in the morning time? Nope, I am BROWN all of the time. 24/7.

And this is where I really start to loose it... wait for it...

NEGRO? I'm sorry, but it is at this point that I had to check the front cover to make sure it said Census 2010 and not Census 1960. I circled the word and wrote " What?" next to it.

This is how I see this playing out in a lower socioeconomic house hold.....

Am I Hispanic? No

Am I white? Nope

Am I Black? Well, I am closer to brown, but let me keep reading that line to make sure this is the one I should check

Am I African AM? Well, no,I am brown all day long. Let me keep reading.

Am I a NEGRO? Oh, yes, that's me! Why didn't they just say so?

What is the world is going on here? Really, in 2010 we don't think that people will understand what Black means? And do we need to abbreviate African American? Do we really think so little of our country men and women that we would need to bring back a word that has been socially unacceptable for decades now?

We have a multi-racial president. I wonder what President and Mrs. Obama will be checking as they fill out their Census. Will they be pleased to see such an archaic word used to describe themselves and their lovely daughters? I sincerely hope NOT!

There are a myriad of other things I could go off about in regards to the Census, but I'm going to stick with this one point. Let's get it together people!

DQS8- Sent and received!

So, yesterday was the FINAL day to mail off our Doll Quilts for DQS8 over on Flickr! And, true to my usual fashion I was in line at the post office at 3 pm yesterday:-) However, I must say that I am very proud of this quilt. I pushed myself technically and design wise. J even asked if it was for us, as he thought it would look just perfect in OUR HOUSE!

But, it is traveling west, and should be there tomorrow!

I have titled it " Dresden Fruit Plate" even though there are veggies and even one nut in the bunch. I was so taken with how well it turned out that I have started a lap size version for my mom ( who say a picture and proclaimed me the most brilliant daughter around)!

And this lovely beauty is the Doll Quilt I RECEIVED from Erin! Erin and I have swapped before, and it was so nice to "know" who had made my quilt. A definite bonus to the whole swapping adventure!!! And, I just love it. The colors are perfect, and I am in love the fabric. It is going to be hung in the living room for all to admire.

Erin commented today that she was afraid that I would take offense to the naked mermaids...she clearly has not been reading my blog:-) So, no Erin, I am not offended, and frankly did not even notice. I was too taken by the quality of quilting, and the flow of the design. Thank you so much for the time and energy you put into this quilt!!!

I will have more fun things to share soon.

Peace be with you!

Winter Wonderland...

Some may say, but I myself am done with the snow! This is what we woke up to on Saturday morning. Beautiful, yes. Fun to drive in, NO! So, we played outside, took long naps, and did a little sewing!

This is my Doll Quilt for Series 8. A Dresden Fruit Plate. My partner asked that I make something that I wanted to make. Something that represented me and my style. Well, the fruit and veggie line is my all time favorite, and I've always wanted to make a Dresden Plate. So, here it is. I will be quilting it today, and will hopefully have it in the mail by Friday. I'm not adding a boarder, but rather will bind it in the same polka dot that adorns the center. What do you think? Will my partner like it?

The Loves of my life...

Enough said!

Note: Someone thought that my 3 year old son's bum was inappropriate for my blog, so it I have blurred it. Takes away from innocence of it, but seems that's the world we live in! Too bad, really!

Finally!

A quilt for US! I have started a couple of quilts in the last year with the intention of putting them on our bed, but none of them have really fit the bill. However, these scrappy stars are jut what the doctor ordered.

These amazing stars are the products of 2 virtual quilting bee groups...This one, and this one. I've used the extra white fabric that was not used by each person to fill in the gaps, and I am loving it. The stars range in size from 15.5 inches to 6.5 inches square. I am in love with the 6.5 inch squares. The are just so dang cute!!!

Even J loves it, and he is not always such a fan of such scrappiness!
There are about 6 blocks that I will be using on the back, and a few more than hopefully will make their way to me in the mail soon. I've picked out a Kona cotton for the back in Grass Green- read: BRIGHT! The only question now is do I try to quilt this on my small sewing machine, or do I rent some time on a long arm and take some of the stress out of it? We shall see!

Peace be with you!

A week worth of sewing

Last week was a very productive one for me and my sewing machine...and my knitting needles. The above projects ( minus the neighborly sweater) have been sitting in piles of blocks for months. MONTHS I tell you. From left to right: Red and Aqua swap hosted by Jane. This is one of the two toddler quilts I was able to put together out of the 100 disappearing 9-patch blocks I received. The rail fence has been sitting in strips since last May. This is the first quilt along from this group of lovely quilters. The scrappy log cabins were gathered from this group, and the pinwheels from this group. All of these quilts will be making their way to various organizations to wrap children with warmth and love. I hope to spend more time in 2010 using my crafting skills for good. Being a mother, with a son who sleeps under 4 quilts, I cannot imagine my child being cold during the winters months or without a special blanket of his very own. So, I hope to use up my stash for good this year!

If you are a knitter I highly recommend the Neighborly sweater pattern. I knit this cutie in less than 2 days. The one pictured above will be flying to a good friend of The Shmoo's just because I think it will be cute on her in cold New Hampshire. The one on my needles right now is destine for a classmate of The Shmoo who happens to also be our neighbor. I promise there will be many more of the puppies appearing over the next few months.

Well, I bid you all a great week, and check back here for this weeks projects. I've been very busy!!!

Peace be with you

Welcome 2010

It feels like 2010 snuck up on me. Really! The Shmoo and I were flying home from North Carolina on the 31st, so I had no bubbly in the house, no sparklers, no snacks...NOTHING. We arrived in a snow storm, and slowly made our way home. I felt like I needed just one more day to get myself together before the New Year arrived. Well, I didn't, so I did what I do best...started a new quilt. This one was for my Grandmother-in-law. We exchanged gifts with J's family on the 3rd, and so I had 2 1/2 days to get this baby made. And, I did it!

Here she is is all of her glory ( the quilt that is). J stood on the porch while I hiked out into the yard to get a nice snowy image.

I love it. You cannot see it in this picture, but I stippled it using a variegated King Tut thread in pinks and creams. And, if I do say so myself, and I do, it turned out beautifully. The fabric is from this line, and is about as far from my usual as you can get. However, after seeing this quilt, I was inspired to step out of my comfort zone for Gram. She loved it, and told me that she would think of me each time she used it! It totally melted my heart!!!

I used this pattern, which I purchased at the LQS in Chapel Hill. And, just so you know, this pattern will be used again shortly!!!

One down, and many, many more to come.

Peace be with you!