Michael's Birthday

Yesterday I taught class at the Art Center, it was fun. While I was gone Arabella helped Michael clean the house. Poor Michael was so tired that he fell asleep watching Fairly Oddparents and then was groggy and crabby while we put Arabella to bed. Today is Michael's birthday, maybe we'll go to IHOP for Pancake Day.

Arabella is talking more every day. She has started counting: "two, two, two, two" I know its counting because she points to each thing in turn, or holds them up. And when I tell her to smile for pictures she bares her teeth and closes her eyes.

Knitting -- Carmilla Mits

This is my newest design, Carmilla Fingerless mittens. I was planning on making fingerless gloves with a velvety washable wool, but the fancy part was the silk ribbon lacing, which would be hidden by a coat sleeve, then I saw a pair of double ruffled wrist warmers called Mrs. Beeson's on Knitty.com, and I adapted the idea. I call them Carmilla for the original Victorian lady vampire. The outer ruffle is crocheted (2 rows dc, then chain3, c1)and then sewn onto the knit mitten (worked flat in stockinette to wrist and then in a knit3, purl1 pattern). When worn with a jacket it looks like my ruffled sleeve is poking out, very romantic.

Progress

Yesterday Arabella went to play with Graham and Cole at Dawn's house and I spent the day in the garage, putting up shelving in the giant cabinets Michael installed (MDF, but no shelves) and then stacking them with the plaster molds that I intend to sell (cheap). Even after stacking molds from floor to well over my head I still had molds on the floor, but at least now Michael may be able to finish drywalling, and not stumble over piles of molds. I was quite liberal with my decisions, putting almost every mold on the "sell" shelves, since anything I decide to keep I will be taking to the basement, a heavy and tiring proposition. Last time I counted the molds I lost count at over 200. Some are very small, smaller than a pack of cigarettes, but some are very large and over 40 pounds.

Arabella had so much fun at Dawn's that she didn't want to leave. They all got to play outside, since the weather was sunny and mild for February, about 48 degrees. Bella of course found every muddy spot with her knees, so she had to change her pants. Arabella helped Dawn put lotion on Cole (he's 3 months old, so cute and wiggly).

Busy Day

Yesterday Arabella and I went to MOPS, and she spent 2 hours in the nursery. When I returned, two of the caregivers told me how wonderful she was, playing nicely, no fighting or crying or rough or mean behavior. Again, all I could think is 'my child? You're sure it was my child'? After, Arabella and I went to the downtown mall to buy a birthday gift for her Daddy (which will not be published here, since Daddy reads this too). Bella helped pick it out.

Arabella helped make lasagna for dinner, sorting the portobello mushrooms slices and shepherding them gently before big bad wolf mamma put them in the sauce. She also helped by trying to eat all the cheese before it could go into the lasagna.

She has been identifying hearts lately, and this morning I made her a heart to carry around, a red felt heart zigzagged onto a piece of black felt.

Sick

Arabella is feeling better, but I'm very sick and I fear Michael is coming down with it, too. I don't know if anything can be more miserable han being sick and having a toddler to look after. On Friday Arabella made her first meal -- a bowl of muesli. She mixed it herself, oatmeal and cinnamon almonds, after having closely watched me mixing a bowl earlier.
I am wrenched with guilt over missing class today, especially since I just found out that class two weeks from today has been cancelled for a Malcolm Davis Shino workshop. That means my class will have less time to get ready for the hallway show I scheduled for them. As sick as I am, I keep trying to figure out ways to make it to class.

Knitting Night

Last night I hosted the second knitting night, and it was fun, even if it was interupted by the tornado siren at 8:45. We kept knitting, but Dawn left early, saying she had been planning on leaving early anyway. Chris, knowing that I am trying to get pregnant again, brought a book of baby bootie patterns and some itty-bitty booties she has made. So cute. I showed Anne-Marie how to knit and gave Carrie a refresher course. By the time everyone was heading home I could feel the pricklings of a cold taking over my sinuses. Today I have a full-fledged cold.

First picture

This is a picture of Arabella taken at the State Museum in December 2005. She was coloring a picture of Santa and trying to make a crayon collection. The dress and tights were a gift from her Fairy Grandmother Nancee, and Kim and Holly. Arabella likes this picture and is pointing at the screen and saying "it's Bella". I haven't taken any pictures lately because she rarely holds still long enough.

Arabella and I are staying home today, but with the weather being so mild (40s and 50s today) we may walk to the library to return some books. Arabella has a nasty sounding cough (not chesty), but seems otherwise to be feeling fine. For Valentine's Day Michael went shopping and brought home: two doors, romex, and other hardware for the studio, and a vase of the most gorgeous roses. The roses are so perfect they look like wax. I asked if he got the roses at Home Depot too, he said no.

First posting

This is my first blog. I'm planning to use my blog to post updates on my family, my artmaking (currently my studio-making), and other projects.

As I work on this Arabella is playing with my knitting (a little piece I was making to finish off the yarn left over from making a hat) and having a great time trying to finish it for me.