PD Eastman and Limbing Trees

hello.
hello.
do you like my hat?
i do not like that hat.
good bye.
good bye.

Been feeling very creatively challenged since landing at my parent's house. It's hard to just get in my zone here, we have to be very careful not to sprawl out much here. wouldn't want to get finger prints on the armchairs. So instead of knitting, I have attempted to become a weaver. Lenorre over at the Mendocino Yarn Shop had a knitters loom she wasn't using and when I told her my spinning wheel was all packed in storage in Las Vegas for real, i'm still sorta crying about it, she told me I could borrow it! yay! But, that hasn't been as inspiring as I'd hoped. I've already finished one huge ass scarf for one of the grandma's and I started a bit of a smaller scarf for my mom, who likes to complain that I never knit her things. And even though it is easy, and it is playing with yarn, it still hasn't been enough. 

Which brings me to the solution of the last few days... I've been clearing redwood suckers and under brush from the property. Starting with the trees and stumps that make the best forts, I've been going out for a little while every day with some heavy-duty clippers and my little hatchet and cutting limbs. I like to tell myself that by cutting the low branches and clearing away some of the dry(ish) sticks and bushes, I'm helping prevent a fire. in north-coastal california. in december. But really, I just need to be out of the house. When Huz is not here, the kids come with me. Everyone gets their own tool, a little rake or shovel, and the wheel barrow and we truck off to the day's target area. But then my man comes home and likes to say awesomely helpful things like: "it's too cold" or "it's raining" or "he's only 2! i think that a double sided hoeing tool with prongs is not safe for him and i'm taking it away!" And so lately, I've been out on my own. I don't like work. I don't like manual labor or jobs that make me sweaty or itchy. But for whatever reason, cutting the branches back has been exactly what I needed.

Pray for some yarny action soon, though, my shoulders hurt.

Also, the sand dunes at my phone.

bitches.

Happy Birthday, ManChild

My son just turned 2. He officially ended his second trip around this sun. He came out of me and is still nourished at my breast. His expressiveness and happiness impress me every day. He loves his big sister and wants to be everywhere she is and she does amazing with him for the most part. This little boy, my ManChild, is one of the best things about waking up every morning. Actually, I think the silence before he wakes up is the best, sshhhhhh.... I want to right about the things that have been important to me in the past, I even just listed them out, but even that felt like too much. But I feel this year, I am just so happy he is mine, well ours. I love him. I love him and his father and his sister and our unit. We are so blessed.

I love you, my little ManChild. Happy Birthday.

He's absorbing the knowledge. Education thru osmosis. Resting under to books works the same way the Fibonacci Baby Blanket will make that baby good at math. 

I know he looks asleep, but he actually told me that Lighting McQueen needs boobies. And also that McQueen likes boobies.  

And apparently, Tow Mater really likes boobies too. 

Best conversation all week when Huz came home from a shoot,

ManChild, "Hi Daddy!!!! Hiii!!!!!"

Huz, "Hey kiddo, I missed you, what did you today?"

MC, in the most excited 2 year old voice you ever heard, "Got BOOBIES!!! Daddy, GOT BOOBIES and switched SIDES!!!!!!!"

Huz, not as excited but still a lot excited but not enough, "You got Boobies?" 

MC, kind of disappointed in Daddy for not being properly stoked but still personally thrilled, "Yeah, Daddy, Boobies, switch sides. and Mater and Queen boobies, too."

My boobies are great fuel it seems. 2 years, going strong.

Walking with Kids

I have to remember that even in this heat, these kids of mine think everything is worth stopping for. Every rock on the ground and airplane in the sky. Every bird call requires speculation as to how big "that eagle was..." regardless of wether or not there was actually an eagle. usually not. I have to remember that it isn't about me, it's about them and how I hope they'll see the world when they start making their own decisions. It's about showing them that they can trust me. That I know they want whatever it is and chances are that I have a plan in place to get it for them and 'now would you please hold my hand so we can cross the street to get to the playground where you want to go?!' The point of putting cut up fruit low in the fridge is not to save me the trip of actually putting the knitting down to feed them (ok, maybe a little) but to give them the feeling that they have power over at least some parts of their day. A well supplied art drawer where they can get to their projects helps keep the house well decorated them feel like they can create whenever they want. Nursing The ManChild whenever he needs it keeps me on his time... and now they are pulling me upstairs for bed, and he is very upset... boobies out!

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens are, in a word, Awesome. They are beautiful and fun and now, they even have a kid trail. Nice. These are just a few pics from our last trip there before we left. I love this place, one of my best friends parents were married there, then years later a different BFF was married there. So beautiful. You go from beautiful, manicured heather, succulent, and dahlia gardens, thru a mini-wetland, wild and hybrid rhododendrons, into a totally native (maybe, i don't know enough about plants... ) pine (again...?) forest, then out onto the headland... You can look out at the ocean and see prehistoric pelicans, the whales on their migrations... There is a nursery and vegetable garden and a kid trail. Paved trails for strollers and wheel chairs with wide, smooth bridges and enough side trails and rickety stream crossing for the mild adventurer. I could go on and on... go to their website, then go. Go to the Gardens, you wont regret it.

Day 11, or Clean Porch

There are no befores, just imagine this same porch covered in bags of stuff for goodwill, bags of recycling, a stroller and other random crap, all covered in a layer of dead rose bush stuff... Ok, it wasn't that bad but it would have been soon if I hadn't been inspired to clean it.

ps- The BEST possible thing you can do to your cloth diapers is to hang them in the sun. Even if they won't dry because it is cold and damp, as long as they are wet and in the sun they are being cleaned. We're talking smell- gone, germs- gone, diaper rash- gone. and it is super free. Well, I guess it cost me as much as the rack I use... The one in these picks was like a bajillion dollars new, lame. and the thing I use to dry my covers is just the side of my old drop side crib. works.

posted from Bloggeroid

Misunderstood...

A while ago I had the revelation that parenting was like taking care of someone in a natural disater. You don't want FEMA showing up with guns, barking orders, making the situation worse... you want someone to come in and speak with calm authority and a gentle plan. But now that my Girl is going to be 4 I find that not everything that upsets her is because of some major crisis or disaster. Sometimes it is the result of me not choosing my words properly... The other day, she was sorting some awesome magnet toys by color when we had to get in the car to go to grandma's. She got her magnets on their board and climbed into her car seat. Here is a close re-telling of how the conversation went:

"ok, please put your magnets down on the seat so I can buckle you in."
"ok, not yet, i'm finishing."
"sweetheart, you can finish later"
"noooo nowwwww!!!!!" and so the tantrum and the struggle to get buckled began. About half way thru trying to strong arm her into her arm straps, it hit me. She thought that when I said later, I meant, well, later. So I stopped what I was doing to her, she yelled and was angry for a bit and then I began again.
"Sweetheart, do you think I will not let you have your crispy-cookies (that was the game with the magnets, i guess) back?"
"mmmmm"
"Well, what I meant to say was that as soon as you are buckled you can have your magnets back."
"mmm"
I went on to explain to her, after she was buckled with her magnets back safely in her lap, that sometimes mommy might say something that is good but it might not come out sounding like that. I told her that if she didn't like the sound of what I'm saying to ask me what the plan is. She seamed satisfied with that and then let it go. When we got back into the car to go home, she put her magnets on the seat next to her and said "I can have them back later when I'm buckled, right mommy?"
This morning, she asked me for a morning cartoon and I said no, not right now, maybe after lunch. She looked at me and said "What's the plan?" so I explained the simple version of my very busy day and came to the part where she could watch a movie after lunch. Well, she thru her fit anyway, and I sat with her and held her hand while she was upset. When the crying ended, she seemed to have forgotten about the movie and hasn't asked me since.

It is hard to be new to this world. She has such a greater understanding of the universe than anyone knows, but the language she possess isn't always enough for even the simplest communications. I try to take it one thing at a time, but it is so easy to get frustrated and bossy. I just keep telling her I love her no matter what and that even if we are sad today, tomorrow will be better.

Wow! They Are Both Still Asleep...

How long will that last?
I adore being a mom(my), and even though there are days when I want to go all public-school-system and lock one or both in a padded closet, being the mother of these 2 amazing little ones has been a wonderful ride. The K Bean has taken to inserting "I love you" into just about every conversation-

"Babe, do you have to use the potty?"
"No, I'm busy. I have to get my kids out of the road!"
(She has 3 kids named Molly, Garry and Sally)
"Ok... Do you have to use the potty?"
"YESSSS! You stay here and watch my kids."
"OK"
"MOOMMMMYYYY! I need you!"
"Ok, here I come, what do you need me for?"
"Turn the light on. I love you."
"I love you too. K the light is on."
"When Daddy is a big girl, he's gonna be a ballerina."
"...?"
"All done!"

AND...

"Please don't lay on the baby, I'm pretty sure he doesn't like that."
"K. I love you!"

AND one more...

"Hey wait! Don't sit on the dog, you might hurt her!"
"Yeah, Isis is too fit to ride. She is too big. Baby could ride her!"
"Well, I think that maybe you are too big and Isis can't hold you up?"
(Not even going to address the fact that she ran in and was trying to drag Man Child off the bed to help him ride the dog. I did stop her though. He thought the whole thing was pretty darn funny.)
"Ok. I love Isis."

When the girl first met her guard dog

About a year ago.

"Me too, she is a good dog."

The Finished Frog and Pics of Kaya in the Grapes

Ok so here are the pics of the Frog Binky Strap in all it's glory!

The Frog in use...

The cute little butterfly button on the end was my idea!

 I worked really hard on that stupid frog. The one shown here is Frog Number Four. I didn't even bother posting pics of frog 3, although he was blue... Any way. Once I got the bobbles down, the rest was a snap! OK lie, but it wasn't as hard as it could have been. There are leaves under the frog's but that were hard to do, I did about 7 of those even though I really only needed 3. I had to find the best 3! I'm sorry, I don't know how Susan B. Anderson (if I knew how to create links I'd link her name here to her page [she's rad]) makes pointy knitted leaves, but mine didn't want to point, ever. So I didn't force it. stoopid yarn. I also knitted 4 butterfly leaves, more stoopid yarn. Yay frog!!!

Ok, so just so you know, I'm working on an adorable little hat for the Earth Angel Baby, Melody Sophia. I really hope it can keep her perfect little head warm. And my other work in progress project that I just started is the MoHat for Kaya. Tricky Tricky Tricky... I'll post pics and a story about the damn hat later.... ~bane of my knitting life~

Now onto pictures of Kaya in the grapes. This grape vine was a clipping from my Great Grandparents' home in San Jose. The structure Kaya is playing on is a swing set my dad built for Brian and I when we were kids... like 20 years ago. Yeah hand made stuff that survives a big move and living out doors for 20 years. My dad is hella boss at building things. The kids and I spent our day in my mom's garden, Kaya played and dug in the dirt and Zen sat in his swing in the sun and watched birds and bugs and the trees dancing or got carried around to look at things while I sat in the sun and knit Melody's Hat. or carried Zen around to show him things. This hat will have sun and love and hope and energy knit into it.

I too climbed up that ladder as a small child. Only
when I did it there wasn't a hella big grape vine
all over it...

      

Zen in his swing...