Small Adventures

April is racing by (but I should stop marveling about the rapid progression of time, because really, will it ever not be that way again?) and it has been lovely but also I'm longing for the pace to slow down just a little bit.

K is growing and changing so quickly and it is a wonder to watch but I also want to save little moments and keep them just as they are. She is really loving her main two activities (soccer class with her Bapa (grandpa) and gymnastics) and she is getting some real skills down at this point and she is so focused and determined in both. She talks up a storm all the time and can easily say anything she wants. We have started in on the whys - usually she'll ask "why?" 3-7 times or so, accepting a short answer each time before responding to that one with "why?" too, and then at the end she'll say "oh, yes, that's right mommy - penguins are birds but they don't fly" or whatever the last thing we were talking about was. She's pretty articulate with most of her words (for a 2yo) most of the time, but I love her special versions of certain words - balloons are "baloonies," zebras are "zeebies," pumpkins are "punkas" (she's still talking about Halloween), umbrellas are "brellas" and are VERY exciting right now (a little one just for her should be arriving Saturday and I'm sure we'll be out in the rain for ages to celebrate).

I've got a little bit done on my Time of Flowers kit (pattern only, here) and am almost ready to start the next design block (the light pink flower arch), but it's been a bit tricky for me because I am not skilled at cross-stitch and I mostly get a chance to work on it at night, and even with a lamp, it's easier if there is also daylight coming in the window.

Yarn Along

Well, I am still knitting the Fisherman’s pullover and it’s starting to go slow. I am through most of the cables and down to just three cables down each sleeve (this is the first sleeve) but I got a little burnt out on cables. Must finish it anyway! 

It has been a busy month, so reading has been limited to what books K wants read to her, but this current favorite is so sweet. It’s a little fable about the Easter bunny, and how all the other bunnies in the village work with their own special talent to make the most beautiful egg for Easter because the winner gets picked to be the Easter bunny’s helper that year. The little bunny, Hoppi, doesn’t know what to do and tries a little of everything but can’t finish because he finds a robin’s egg that fell out of the nest so he sits on it day and night to keep it warm. In the end, self-sacrifice and caring for others creates the most beautiful egg of Easter – the broken shell after the robin Hoppi saves hatches, and of course Hopi is the Easter bunny’s helper. 

The little side-stories in the boarders of Jan Brett’s books are always one of the best parts, and in this one, at the end, the pussy willows in the boarder turn into little bunnies and hop off – it is so precious. 

Knitting and reading with G. Sheller.

Easter 2018

We had a really lovely Easter morning of cozy family time inside, with hot coffee for us and much delight and excitement for K. She ran all over the house exuberantly searching for eggs stuffed with stickers and balloons, and out in the rain with an umbrella for the eggs we dyed together a few days ago. She had so much fun helping me make pancakes, fresh whipped cream and “bunny ears” – cut marshmallows in half and dip in pink sprinkles, but then she didn’t want to eat them and happily went down for nap at 12:30 (uh-oh). Shure enough, she woke up from nap sick and we spent the rest of the day (and the next few days) snuggled  up on the couch watching Curious George and Llama Llama, and trying to keep her hydrated and eating a little bit. She is feeling much better now and we are all so relived. 

Her Easter basket was assembled over the last year from clearance, sales and the dollar store and came in at just over $25 total which was more than intended but she loves everything. She got: new jelly shoes for summer, bubble bath which we were out of, bath crayons (she hates the bath but loves drawing, worth a try!), mini-pool float birds – these are meant for drinks but they are perfect for little toys to ride around in for the wading pool this summer, a wand, ladybug stickers, and a little bag of play makeup.

I struggled a lot with whether the play makeup was a good parenting choice, but ultimately decided that it is not the use of makeup itself that fosters insecurity or gender stereotypes, but the language we use around it. I only wear makeup a few times a week but she is all over mine and tries to take it to play all the time, so I decided to go with it. She LOVES this little kit and has been having so much fun carrying it around and asking family “excuse me, would you like your face painted?” then very gently pretending to brush on the pretend paints. When she gets a little older we’ll get her a kids face paint kit and this is great pretend play to practice. She also loves carefully brushing the pretend nail polish onto her fingernails and mine and that has been a great fine motor skills activity.

Happy Easter and happy Spring to all!