Social phobias go to Storytime

Today I renewed my efforts to socialize our monster son. As we climbed into the car together, I turned on the cheer. "Adam, this is going to be fun! Just you and me!"

Adam, from the back seat, "When we get back home it will be more funner."

Yes, I had to silently agree. That's exactly how I feel. Let's go, get this done and get back home. Quickly. Preferably before anyone sees us.

I'm here to tell you there just isn't much of anything more tedious than Storytime at the library by the time you are attending with Child #3. It's like having to repeat Kindergarten three times. Who wouldn't get bored? Right?

Adam and I reluctantly joined the circle of fresh-faced young moms with their designer diaper bags, stilettos (yes!) and their precious offspring. These mothers ooze enthusiasm. Every utterance of their child is greeted with wide-eyed coos and delighted laughter. Every movement celebrated. I always marvel at their energy.

I grew so weary of trying to involve Adam on any level that we both sat and stared grumpily at the carpet. Mothers and newborn babies performed elaborate dance steps all around us and placed their beanbags appropriately on their heads. Adam growled and kicked me.

We stuck it out.

When the last repetitive page was wrung dry and the goodbyes handed out, we fled to the toy section of the library before the other horrible human beings could follow.

Adam played happily for about two minutes until a little boy wandered over. We moved away to a nearby mirror. Our new friend, apparently without a guardian, joined the shot.




"He keeps FOLLOWING me!" was Adam's outraged cry.

Oh, boy after my own heart. Why do I need to change you?

Friday Foto

He's four!

Today is his birthday. This week he starts preschool. I'm keeping expectations very low. It's going to be a crazy ride.

What I'm loving right now

The color that is coming:






















My recently completed Monteagle bag:






















It expands to hold a large amount of objects and is deceptively strong. I used some yarn I'd had in my stash forever (Berroco linen flax) but ran out on the handle. Only then did I discover this yarn has been discontinued. Thanks to a kind soul on Ravelry who was willing to sell me a skein from their stash.

This top-down bonnet for Sadie:















I made it a little big, remembering that this pattern tends to run small. Little heads grow so fast. Used Paton's silk bamboo which is nice and soft but terribly unforgiving yarn. I dropped (and fixed) a couple stitches and it looks like a Tasmanian Devil had a party in the dead center of the hat.

Ethan's schoolwork: (I love that soccer has become a coping skill)






















Finding the perfect color for Sadie's room. And making some progress there. (More to come on that soon...I hope.)






















Beautiful weather and a nature walk with Adam and Sadie: (with Sadie asleep)

















It's rare that I have any quality alone time with any of my kids these days. I'm trying to make it a priority. With Ethan and Drew in school, for a few mornings a week, I'm able to give more attention to Adam.






















We had fun searching for little bits of nature to bring back home with us.

A year of Adam

My little Adam is an intense creature. Like a southern summer day, all light and charm, then suddenly, thunder. The most affectionate of all my children and the most violent. Angry, stubborn and determined, with a smile that swallows you.

He dismays and delights. At times, despite my best intentions, I'm left panting in the wake of his will. I can't keep up. I understand his instincts because I recognize them as my own. He is so much like me.

How to help this boy learn to focus his determined spirit for good and not for monstrous selfishness? It's a tall order. I hope I'm up to it.

In the meantime, I'm going to treasure the prize of every single, chubby hug he has to offer.



"Baby you've got the sort of laugh that waters me
And makes me grow tall and strong and proud and flattens me."

(Sort of, Ingrid Michaelson)

Adam

A little bit obsessed with Poladroid of late.

Turning 2

In this house, "the terrible twos" refer to the first two years of life. All of my kids are monstrous for that time and gradually, in the months leading up to their second birthday, things improve. Sleep becomes more regular, whining, screaming and frustration decrease.

On Saturday, Adam turned two. True to family form, he is friendlier, and happier. He is sweetly affectionate and doles out kisses freely. He hasn't outgrown a fearful temper but its frequency is less.






















Happy birthday, Adam!

A playsuit...for playing

I often catch myself drooling over various handmade garments for girls. All those sundresses, swirly skirts and projects which appear both charming and doable. Following the links from one such post, I found this delightful site, Oliver + s and begin to look around for patterns for boys. That's when I spied the Tea Party Playsuit which claimed to be a unisex outfit and which I found intriguing in a vintagey sort of way.

I found a similar pattern on ebay for a fraction of the price: a true vintage treasure. Look how much fun those little girls are having. Wait...girls? Oh well, I figured the playsuit works for boys as well. I discovered one of the happy benefits of buying a barely-used pattern: the pieces were already cut out for me.




















I have to say I am very happy with how this came out. For the most part, my sewing ventures have been largely confined to silly little toys and useless objects. This, being an actual garment for a real live person, made me a little nervous.















Lucky for me, this pattern was fairly simple. No darts or waistband. I used some linen I've had in my stash since idealist-I will make curtains for this cell room-intern days. Perfect fabric for those hot days to come.















There were, however, buttonholes and snaps to conquer. Sadly, my machine does not have a buttonhole-making setting or even a buttonhole foot. Good ol' youtube helped me with that one, although they are a little rough. And, no, he's not hailing a taxi from our driveway:















I had some of those hammer-on snaps on hand. I'm not kidding when I say it took me hours to decipher the world's worst directions and actually get those things to work. Strangely satisfying when completed.















So there. Sewing for boys: possible and even fun.

Shearing the lamb

It was a sad day. The time had come to cut Adam's scraggly mullet.


















There's just something about that fuzzy, soft baby hair. Once it's gone...it's gone.













Where is my baby?

My music man

My Grandpa S played a mean harmonica, at least that's how I remember it. Somehow I managed to inherit the heavy wooden and stainless steel instrument he stored so carefully in a cloth case. Adam discovered it several days ago, picked it up and began to play. That is, he began to breathe in and out and move it back and forth. I was nevertheless impressed.

He is at that music loving age. He hears a tune and runs to me, saying, "Up!" so we can dance. He plunks on the piano, he nods his head and twirls around and hums loudly. I hope that it lasts. And I hope Grandpa wouldn't mind the slobber on his harp.





Music: from "Just Like A Woman". Because there aren't too many earthly things as good as a Dylan harmonica solo.

Baby steps

Just (another) one of those days

I finished up these 'longies'(pattern here) for Adam a while ago but last night finally got around to weaving in all the many loose ends and making an i-cord drawstring for the waistband. So, in spite of the lack of natural lighting on this dark, rainy day, I thought I'd try to snap a few pictures of the finished product. I love the way they came out; soft and warm and just a little big. Big enough to last the winter.















Yeah, I need to work on my manual camera skills.
















Things degenerated in the usual way right into a Tantrum of No Apparent Reason.















Or maybe Adam was just trying to show off the pants from every possible angle?

One year ago. I remember it well.

A scheduled C-section.
Such a strange feeling to walk in to the hospital, knowing the exact hour little Adam would be placed in my arms. The easiest way, including recovery, to acquire a baby, in my experience. Sometimes I even fantasize about checking back in there for a little R&R and heavy medication. Minus the incision, of course. Ah...

Adam. He's not easy to please but he sure is cute and I can't imagine life without him.

Happy Birthday, little beast!




Music: Happy Birthday by The Innocence Mission

Adam is nine months

My mind starts to wander when people discuss their child's developmental milestones in great detail. So briefly: TEETH (almost!) and CRAWLING (just beginning), CRYING (constant) and a whole week of sleeping through the night!

He's also at that stage where babies find the most miniscule, crumb-sized treasure on the floor and work and work to pick it up and, if no one intervenes, eat it. The other day I wondered aloud, "Why do babies always reach for such tiny objects?" Ethan answered, "Probably because they have such tiny eyes."

Making good food choices

Day 5: Milestones

Adam's becoming pretty adept at sitting up. It helps him stay happy a little longer which is always good. He's also learning how to sleep on his stomach. And he's not going quietly. He rolls onto his stomach in his crib, wakes up and cries in indignation. It makes for a long night but eventually it'll help him sleep better I'm sure. In the meantime he wakes up looking like this.

AnaDAMa!

Another snow day today. A good day for baking bread, something I mean to do a lot more than I ever seem to manage. I figured though, if I can knit a square creature who is of no apparent use to anyone, I can make some bread. Surely.

I pulled out this old recipe of one of my favorites. I think it is one of Grandma M's. The making of this bread was probably the only time we came close to swearing right OUT LOUD in my childhood household. An occasion made even better by the taste of this warm, fresh molasses treat.

Recipe for anyone interested:

Anadama! Bread

Bring to boil: One and a half cups water, one teaspoon salt, one-third cup yellow cornmeal. (Stir constantly. Remove immediately from heat and pour into large bowl.)

Stir in and cool to lukewarm: One third cup molasses, one and a half cup shortening (shudder...I never have shortening around so I just use butter which works ok I guess).

Dissolve one tablespoon yeast in a quarter cup of lukewarm water. Blend into molasses mixture when it is cool enough not to kill yeast. (I'm not sure if I paraphrased the original recipe or what but it makes sense to me.)

Mix in Four/Four and a half cups flour (I used one cup wheat), knead and let rise til double. Punch down and turn into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Let rise til double (well, not quite double). Before baking, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with cornmeal and salt. Bake til dark brown at 375 for 30-40 minutes. I find forty minutes a little safer. Makes one loaf.

And, today is a milestone day for Adam. As Ethan proclaimed with glee, "Adam you are six month years old!!"
Six months! Can it be?

A slice (or two) of Adam's life

My growing is showing

Move over, Fatty Mcbutterpants...

















There's a new kid in town.

All I want for Christmas...

...a nice round head.
















(and a glimpse of my cousin. He's on his way!)