I Always Dreamed

...that I would be a school teacher (or a hair stylist, until my mom described how I would have to wash my clients' hair, that dirty, greasy, dandruffed hair).

I remember in middle school practicing my Mrs. _______ name. Perfecting the fancy swirl and dips of the lovely simple name (I'm still messing up my Mrs. name 9 yrs later, two Z's are tough).

After I married Mr. Blank, we were going to have two children. A boy named Jack and then a beautiful little girl named _____. Never really had a name for the girl but she was beautiful from the very seconds of her life. This is unlike me. I wasn't the most attractive baby. My grandmother used to call me Rosebud, but I think that may have been more about the inside of a tightly scrunched and squished, slightly dying rose, instead of the beautiful blossom it is in full bloom.

I have jokingly said that if there was a pill to guarantee a girl, I'd try for a third. I wanted the daughter to make dresses and bonnets for. The girl to weave braids in her long hair. The girl to go shopping with and talk about boys to. The girl to teach to sew and weave. And the girl to help plan her wedding. And to see my daughter with child. Please note that I would not miss the drama, the hoochy Halloween costumes, or the female pre-teen angst.

But that was then.

Those are things that a mother can do with a son. And I am learning, that the emotions are just as strong, if not more. The togetherness and the friendship is there. We have trust and love and creativity. We have helpfulness and encouragement.

Sam has been working very hard in school and at home to control 'things' (we don't need to get into that here...I'm having a moment). For months, when I needed to go to Joann's, he was always with me. Loving yarn and fabric and craft supplies and even zippers. He always asked to buy the round knitting looms. I always pushed them off because I felt he just wanted them because they were colorful, round, and had pegs.

On Friday, I needed an orange zipper for that purse in the last post. We had praised O for using the toilet the night before and I thought Sam needed some encouragement. I bought him a knitting loom.

He really is enjoying it. On Friday night, while Tom took O to bed, Sam sat next to me. He with his loom, I with my hook.

"It's nice to have knitting time with you, Mom. We are best friends."

I may have bought him the loom, but he gave me my dreams.

Ideas from a Five Year Old

Blogtoberfest really wore me out! Sorry about that.

Really ready to focus on my craft these days and preparing for my show in just over a month. Nervous and excited. Time for lists and manila folders and gathering of product.

I am debating on whether or not to add two new purses to Etsy, or to hang on to them until my show. After the show, I will put them in Etsy, but that leaves only three days for purchasing until I would have to get them in the mail in time for Christmas. Not sure what to do. Thoughts from my sellers crowd?

Anyway, I have one pink purse that has a strap that fits comfortably on the shoulder and a cadet blue long envelope like purse (minus the flap/add a zipper). I think I have come up with a little beading for the pink, but the blue is eluding me. It is almost too 'blank canvas'. I could really do anything and am considering embroidery, needle felting and beading.

Sam had an idea, though. A lightning bolt. All the way across the purse. In orange.

Oh, with a little thunder in the corner with three more little bolts.

Do I have any buyers?

Quote, Fitting for the Day and Life to Come in September

A Budding Photographer or Budding Clown?

This picture makes me laugh.

After I set the camera down, Big Boy decided he should take some pictures. What I found was a smattering of walls, a giraffe, stairs, light fixture, my messy hallway, a wall switch, gray, a foot, a very blurry storage bench, more stairs, and this picture above.

BB set the image perfectly in the frame and got the expression that I see from a different angle. It commences after 5 or 6 previous photos and reads a little like this:

Uh, mom. Mom, he is doing it again. He is in my face and I think I am not liking this. Mom, can you hear me with my eyes?

I love it.

Digital cameras offer a great opportunity for kids to see things in a different way, without breaking the bank on developing the entire roll of walls, a giraffe, stairs, light fixture, my messy hallway, a wall switch, gray, a foot, a very blurry storage bench, and more stairs.

And my Budding Clown? More so, the budding photographer is also a budding artist. Little Man allows BB to use him as a canvas. A friend had a 'Lady's Night' a while back where we ate, drank and 'traded' toys and clothes, except I didn't bring any. Moms with extra toys appreciate that they aren't getting anything back in return. I snagged this Body Crayon Book by Klutz and the boys love it. It comes off so easily with a wet wipe or soap and water, doesn't stain and offers hours (yes, moms out there, HOURS) of fun.

I just checked Amazon and the book with the crayons is much cheaper than just the crayons.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Sam

He doesn't really know why I call him Mister. I guess because I can't believe how big he has grown, becoming a little man. Happy Birthday, buddy!

Where Am I?

This is June.
Those are my feet (yes, the ones with the beginnings of a summer sandal tan line).
That, is hail.

We were warned, but I didn't imagine they would be THIS big. Our weather this past week was quite crazy, cold, rainy, thunderstorms with a bit of sun and hail mixed in.

It was loud, and bouncy. I have some video footage that I will attempt to post, but it was taken in large format, so it might not upload. In the video you can see the hail balls bouncing a good 2-3 feet after first impact.

Update on my fingers and head...fingers just finished the wedding gift and almost done with Heart Blanquilt (I just made that up - like it?). I also have two Sam' inspired blankcapes (I'm catching on) that need to be finalized - which is what my head is up to. Trying to figure out where Velcro or snaps or secret pockets should go.

This week is going to get crazy. My Sam is turning 5 on Thursday. Wow. Five. It was only yesterday...

Sharing an Apple is Nice

This is one proud Momma.

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Sam brought me a tablet of construction paper instead of a bedtime story book the other night. Then, he wanted to use the Craft-Lite Cutter, an "As Seen On TV" product. We don't have the one he loves to watch on TV, but he pretends that the light bulb is broken on ours. He proceeded to cut a single piece of paper into 20 or so 'schniffles'. Then, decided he wanted to make them into a book.

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What? Sam? A book? I don't think I ever jumped out of that deep couch so fast as I did the other night. String binding, glue, shipping tape, staples? Here I am rushing around trying to find the best way to make this book - my kid is being creative!!!

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Time out, Carrie, he is 4 1/2 - staples will be just fine.

He came up with the title, TRY TO BE NICE. Heart palpitations, creative AND sweet!!! Who is this kid? He has made all the pictures with a little lettering help from Grandma. It really is adorable. This will be one for the keepsakes box.

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And since we are talking about Sam, he enjoys talking on bananas.

After dialing his home phone number, he is often heard saying, "Hello, yes, a tree fell on our car, but we're covered."

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Maybe he watches too many commercials...