Baby Quilt #2

I have been making some progress on baby quilt #2.  The center section of the quilt top is pieced. I pieced the thirteen butterfly blocks in the evenings after the girls were in bed.  Sewing them together was quick and easy after I had gotten them all made. 

This is a photo of baby quilt #1 which I finished before the girls were born.  I decided to follow the same quilt layout for baby quilt #2 except instead of pinwheels, the pieced blocks are butterflies.  There are twenty five main squares that alternate between a solid block and a pieced block.  The center is surrounded by some sashing, contrast rickrack and then the border.

It was my first quilt and took me a long time to do and get it right.  I think it took me close to eight months, working on it little by little.  Here is the proof that they were still in my belly when I completed the first one.  That was my goal, having one finished by the time they were born.  I really liked how it turned out.

I machine quilted the straight lines of the pinwheels and bars along the border.  But I hand quilted designs in the solid blocks.  Hand quilting did not take me as long as I had anticipated because I had to rest a lot by that point in the pregnancy.  I laid on the couch for hours at a time and needed to keep my hands busy.  Hand quilting portions of baby quilt #2 may take a bit longer now that the girls are out of my belly and crawling all over the place!

There are eight small pieced pinwheel blocks around the border, which helps the quilt border really pop.  And right now that is where I am currently stuck on baby quilt #2. 









The pattern I took the butterfly squares from made a 6 1/2" block only. I need to resize it to a 4 1/2" block.  It shouldn't be too hard to do, but I keep putting it off. I would like to have the quilt top completely pieced by the time the girls turn one, but time is slipping away fast and I'm busy with other projects.  So we'll see if I make it.

Blueberries!

On Friday, we went blueberry picking at Bobrook Farms.  I had wanted to go last year but was very pregnant at the time and in no condition.  Luckily, a very nice friend picked some for me then.  This year, we brought the girls for their very first berry picking and picked a gallon of blueberries!

The girls didn't help us pick any berries, lazy babies.  They mostly sat and looked around at everything there was to see.  It was a warm morning but we were still in the shade most of the time.

Dara discovered there were berries in the buckets and any time we set them down to pick more from the bushes above, she would crawl over and 'pick' some berries out of the bucket . . . silly girl.

Mmmm . . . nothing like fresh picked berries.  They both love blueberries!

After we got home from picking them, I made frozen blueberry pie filling.  It took two quarts of berries but I now have two blueberry pie fillings sitting pretty in my freezer waiting for the day they will be baked. 

You freeze it in a pie tin, then wrap it and store it in a freezer bag.  Then pop it into a store-bought pie dough and bake it still frozen.  Will save one for when we have company this summer.  Yum!

On Saturday, I decided to make jam for the first time.  I learned I need some more equipment next time I try to make some.  First, I need a larger pot for cooking the berries because it almost boiled over about three times.

Second, I need a wire rack for cooking the jars evenly after they are filled with jam.  Third, I need tongs with the rubber ends so I can pick up the jars without dropping them back into the boiling pot of water and burning myself.

It was a success though.  I have eight 8 oz jars of fresh picked, home made blueberry jam!  Now I need to decide whether I should go black berry picking tomorrow or not.  I really want to and make some blackberry jam just like my grandmother used to make.  But we will see if I can make it out of the house early or not.  Tomorrow is going to be a hot one.

First Family Vacation

We took our first family vacation this week.  We spent two nights at the Retreat at Sky Ridge in Eureka Springs.  It was wonderful; a nice break from the routine and very relaxing.  By very relaxing, I mean as relaxing as a vacation gets with two 11 month olds. We didn't really get out to see the town; a couple stops at the grocery store, a quick drive through the old town when it was too hot outside to stroll, and a failed attempt to eat out at restaurants that were closed when we went was all we experienced of Eureka Springs.  There were times where the girls were both screaming and Kevin and I took out our frustration out by snapping at each other.  But there were also wonderful moments where the four of us were happy and at peace. 

The first thing we did on arrival was set up a baby proof area for the girls.  I'm so glad we brought the superyard.  We were able to enclose a large area on the rug so they didn't hurt themselves as much falling when they try to stand.  They loved the feel of the wood floor though and both ended up lying on the strip of it next to the couch at one point, smacking it with their hands.

As you can see, we were really roughing it.  The cabin had central air and heat, a nice little kitchen with everything we needed (although we avoided using the one frying pan because it was in sorry shape with its Teflon coating flaking off).  There was also a jacuzzi hot tub in the bathroom.  What a romantic, warm and relaxing soak Kevin and I could have had if we had come here before babies.  But instead we had a lot of fun turning into a swimming pool for the girls.  We filled it up a couple of inches more than their usual bath level.  They were splashing and pulling themselves up to look over the edge at the surrounding mirrors and crawling around through the water.  It was so cute to watch naked babies having fun.  I took pictures but I think I'll draw a line at posting nude photos of the girls for all the world to see.  I'm sure they will thank me later.

Probably the nicest part of the cabin was the porch swing.  The porch remained shaded and relatively cool with a nice breeze even during the warmest part of the day.  We spent time swinging with the girls on it, which they thought was great.  Once they were napping or in bed for the night we got to relax swinging back and forth and listening to the rustling leaves of the surrounding trees.

 

We went fishing at a little stocked pond on the property.  Our dog, Anna, enjoyed the walk down and even got her feet wet chasing insects around the pond.  There was a small dock to fish off of.  We didn't catch anything but it gave the girls a chance to sport their new shades.

Anna loved the trip.  The Retreat is very pet friendly; a horse and ducks roam free around the office.  They left a bag of treats in the cabin especially for Anna.  She had so much fun running around, chasing butterflies and sniffing all the new things.  It's a great life for a dog. 

The girls are growing so big.  Although there were a lot of moments on this trip when we wish we hadn't come, I'm very glad we did go.  We have a few good pictures and a lot of great memories with our babies while they are still babies.

Mommy Wish List

I found a post by Kara Baskin on her blog The 24-Hour Workday called Am I Mom Enough? A Motherhood Wish List.  In it she discounts the importance of Time magazine's attention grabbing extreme parenting story by making a wish list of things she thinks are important when raising a child.
To view her post go here Am I Mom Enough? (and yes, I figured out how to add a link without just copying and pasting the whole address . . . I'm starting to get the hang of this blog).

Some of the gems on her wish list:

. . . I hope I raise a child who gets what he wants just often enough to keep him optimistic but not enough to make him spoiled.
. . . I hope I raise a child who is open-minded and curious about the world without being reckless.
. . . I hope I raise a child who realizes that his parents are flawed but loves them anyway.

Thinking about the big picture of what kind of people I want my children to be, makes all the time I spend worrying about whether they go down at the right time for their naps seem completely inconsequential.  I know I will always worry about small things that do not matter in the long run--that is part and parcel of being human and a mother--but I need to at least put it in perspective.  Will it matter to them 20 years from now if they skipped one nap because we went to the zoo instead of staying home during nap time?  Probably not.  But in concentrating on the small stuff, does it keep you going so you can impart those more important life lessons?  Or does it interfere?  I suppose it depends (like most things in life).

For my children, I wish them to be kind, honest, honorable, optimistic, polite, gracious, open-minded, strong, happy, confident, beautiful in and out, knowledgeable, not afraid to get their hands dirty, healthy, resilient, determined and loved.  These are all qualities I hope and wish they have.  These are all qualities that I hope and wish I had, although I know I fall way short.  Are these qualities I can teach?  They will learn things by example, both good and bad, I know.  I hope everyone who is a part of their life contributes to them becoming better people, me especially.

Family photo

We took family photo's for a Mother's Day present for my mother and my mother-in-law (and for me!).  I love the photo of all of us.  Both girls are smiling--never a guarantee--and it is still so exciting to get family photos of my family that includes more than my husband now.

I made the girls' outfits using the little girl's crossover pinafore pattern over at Smashed Peas and Carrots.

It is a super simple pattern, looks adorable and can be worn as a shirt when they get bigger.  What more could you ask for?  Plus, even though you can't really see it in the picture, one dress is the reverse of the other so the girls' coordinate nicely.  The diaper covers are also the reverse of the dress which gives it a nice contrast when you see their bum.  I got the diaper cover pattern from http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-the-perfect-diaper-cover.html.  (Did I mention how much I love tutorials on the internet!)

I really wish we had gotten one of the two of them both smiling but this turned out to be the best one.  They are at least not crying and both girls are looking at the camera. 

I made the felt flowers for their headbands using the tutorial over at Jones Design Company, http://jonesdesigncompany.com/tutorial/flower-pin-tutorial/.   I cut the felt out while watching the girls and then glued them really quickly with the glue gun during nap time.  They are easy to do and look so great.  I plan to make more in a variety colors and for me too. 
It is so fun making things for them!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe titled "The Only Chocolate Cookie I Ever Need to Know for the Rest of my Life" from Kate Miss' For Me, For You blog is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have made.  The cookies are delicious.  Cookie dough anyone?

That said though, I think it needs tweaking to really be what I'm looking for. You see, I like a chewy chocolate chip cookie, not a hard cookie. Although these cookies were so large that weren't crisp through like the normal recipe chocolate chips cookies, the outside was definitely hard and crunchy. 

According to Alton Brown, in order to get a chewy cookie, you need to melt the butter in a sauce pan before creaming it with the sugar. Alton's recipe also calls for one egg and one egg yolk instead of two eggs. So next time I make these cookies I will try these alterations and hopefully get the perfect chocolate cookie recipe.  In the mean time, these cookies are calling my name.



Blueberry Pie and Turning 30

We went to the River Market farmers market on Saturday for the first time this year.  Kevin carried Tess in the Snugli on his back and Dara rode with me in the Baby Bjorn.  We got a quarter watermelon, strawberries, radishes, an eggplant, mint and a quart of blueberries.  The strawberries got eaten right away as we sat on the grass near the pavilion feeding the girls their breakfast.  They had oatmeal and cantaloupe for breakfast but got to nom on some fresh, delicious strawberry too.  Nothing like delicious fresh fruit.

At home I diced up the watermelon into chunks while Kevin rough chopped the mint leaves in the food processor.  Mixed together they make the perfect refreshing dessert for a warm day (and it was hot and humid over the weekend).  The mint gives the watermelon such a depth of flavor.  I wish we hadn't eaten it all so I can eat some now. 

The blueberries, beside being eaten as a snack and over my morning cereal, went into this:

I never tried blueberry pie before living in New York and never wanted to try it because it didn't seem appealing.  Boy, was I wrong.  I love blueberry pie!  It is probably my favorite.  This one turned out delicious except the edges were a bit darker than I was hoping for.  This was also the first time I made a lattice top for a pie.  It was easy to do and just looks neat. 

Today I plan to make the dough for chocolate chip cookies that I found on Pinterest.  Apparently they are supposed to be the best cookies ever and since I have yet to find a chocolate chip cookie recipe I like, I thought I'd try them out and see if it is what I'm looking for.  Here is the website for the cookie recipe:

http://forme-foryou.com/2011/08/the-only-chocolate-chip-cookie-i-will-ever-need-to-know-how-to-make-for-the-rest-of-my-life.html

I'll let you know what I think of them and if they are worth purchasing cake flour and bread flour.

Oh and it's my birthday today.  I'm 30 years old.  How did that happen?  No big plans today, just continuing to transition babies to one nap and visiting a friend who I didn't tell it was my birthday. Last year she baked me a cake because I had mentioned that I always bake my own birthday cakes.  It was really sweet of her but she's a busy mom of three and doesn't need more things to do.  So today I will tell her that it is my birthday and she doesn't have to do anything except wish me a happy birthday (well, and gossip with me, and give me baby advice on naps and feeding).   

Kevin is on call today, so I don't get to see him until tomorrow.  Bummer.  But when I checked my email this morning I found a gift certificate for a day spa from my loving husband.  So I will be celebrating my birthday at some point with a facial and massage, and maybe a pedicure.  Love it!  and I love my husband. 

Lion Brand Story Contest

This is the story I entered for the Lion Brand story contest.  I actually first entered because it was really nice to share something about my grandmother.  She passed away in August of Alzheimer's.  For the most part I grieved for her loss while she was still living, as I saw her lose pieces of herself.  There was little grief left when she actually passed.  But every once in awhile memories of her pop up and make me miss her very much.  She was a very sweet and loving grandmother and it is nice to share this memory of her.

Although sharing this memory is its own reward for me, it would also be nice to win a yarn shopping spree.  The deadline for votes is May 13th.  The link below takes you to the page to vote for my story:

http://apps.facebook.com/lbstorycontest/contests/202727/voteable_entries/46989500

The theme of the contest was, “What is the most meaningful handmade gift you have ever given or received?”

Grandma's Red and White scarf

When I was twelve, I knitted a striped red and white basketweave scarf for my Grandmother for Christmas. It was my first big knitting project. It was skinny in some places and fat in others. I hadn’t yet learned to weave in the ends, so there was a knotted clump at each color change. The colors were a fire engine red and bright white; my Grandmother generally wore pink and pastels so it clashed with everything she owned. In all it was a really horrible present. I thought so even though I was still giving it to her. But when she opened the present Christmas Eve she rave about how wonderful it was and well- made and beautiful. She made me feel like a talented, special kid. I saw her wear it only once to a small family gathering. And even though I was twelve I realized all the great things she said about the scarf was her being a wonderful Grandmother regardless of my knitting skill and color choice. I knew someday I want to be a Grandmother like her, always sweet and loving. We lost my Grandmother this year to Alzheimer’s. It is nice to be able to share this memory of her.

Mother's Day Tote

This year I am celebrating my first Mother's Day as a mother.  Mother's Day has always been a bit special to me.  I was born on Mother's Day and my birthday has landed on it a handful of times since then.  So for my first Mother's Day, the girls are giving me a tote with their feet print on it (they made them for their Leila and Oma too).

I had planned to actually sew the tote my self with a square of fabric that had their feet print on it.  Then I saw these totes at Michael's and realized how much time that would save me.  They don't look as good and are not as sturdy as if I had made them myself but my time these days that is budgeted for crafts is minimal so I had to make due. 

It was pretty easy and inexpensive to do.  All you need is a tote, non-toxic fabric paint (one bottle for the feet and the other for the writing), paper towels, a piece of cardboard, and a baby.

 

I did it while the girls were in their high chairs to keep them from moving too much.  Place a piece of cardboard on the inside of  the tote where you want the foot print to go.  It will give you a firm surface for the print. 

Using the paper towel, swab the the foot with paint. You want it well coated but not too thick.  Line up the baby's foot where you want it on the tote and press it firmly all at once.   I started out placing the heel down and then rolling the rest of the foot down so they would spread out their toes more.  Unfortunately that caught too much of the heel and made the foot print longer than the actual foot is.  So press the whole foot at once, even if they curl their toes in a little.

Then write the date or how many months old the baby is with paint that has the nozzle and let it dry for four hours.  And that's it.  All done except for the clean up.  For the most part, the paint comes off easily although the girls did had black paint under their toe nails for a day or two after.

Friday Night

My husband and I have never been wild crazy party animals on Friday nights.  But this Friday night we decided to get a little crazy.   Drinks, dinner, dancing, a movie . . . not our style.  Crazy kids that we are, we spent two hours trying different strategies to get two screaming babies to bed without relying on the usual bedtime last resort method (i.e., me cuddling them separately in our bed until they fall asleep and then transferring them back to their cribs). 

It was not fun, but we were not willing to let them cry it out. Certain cries I don't mind doing that with, but when they are beside themselves screaming bloody murder there is no way I can do that.  We also don't want them to be dependent on me getting them to sleep in our bed, not to mention that it is really hard to do with two of them.  So we tried my usual routine of putting them to bed, which failed miserably, as it has for three of the past four nights.  Then we spent some time calming them down and seeing if they would get tired on their own while hanging out with us on the guest bed.  Also not successful.  Then we just put them in their cribs with the light on and sat by them and stood by their cribs shushing them when they got upset.  It took a long time but eventually they settled down.  We turned off the light and put the night light on and with more time and few gentle touches they fell asleep . . . finally.

They have been going down for naps okay for the most part although they don't seem as tired as they used to at nap time and take time to actually fall asleep after I leave them in their cribs.  Could they be transitioning down to one nap a day?  Tomorrow night we will try moving their bedtime later and see if that is the problem.  But if that doesn't seem to work I may try to keep them up past their morning nap and force them into one nap a day for a week and see if it sticks.  Wish us luck.