Tuesday, February 23, 2010

the artist known as hazel




she just L.O.V.E.S painting and making "projects" as she calls it :) we recently began letting her use watercolors in the kitchen, and i can barely get in there to do the dishes since she always shoos me away saying, "i need privacy for my project mommy. you can't come in here right now" sheesh!

Friday, February 12, 2010

homemade potty training book

pull-ups cost 32-45 cents each! and i, for one, am totally done with my child being only half interested in using the toilet, and not interested in sitting still for a diaper change. so, i made this potty training book, with her imput, and i'll let you all know how it works. my hope is that the $40 i spent on pull-ups today is the last money i spend on diapering products for this child!

hazel and i went to target today, and she choose this notebook herself for the potty training book.

here is a pencil pouch with all the stickers hazel choose for herself at the store, all cut into 1ish inch sticker bunches (roughly 2-4 stickers a piece).

rules of the potty book: 10 squares (frames) to decorate with stickers. when all 10 are decorated, hazel gets to lift the tag and reveal her super surprise!

this surprise is a popsicle! this keeps us from buying 3 bags of m&m's a week, since mom and dad seem to eat them all after bedtime and have to sontinually replenish the supply! sometimes the surprise is a lollipop, or an ice cream date with daddy, a steamed milk trip with mommy, or a $3 train ride at the park.
here's hoping i have good results!!!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

baby shower tea party

it took me a while to figure out how to get these pictures from my phone to the computer, but here are some images from the spread i helped make for a dear friends baby shower. i made 4 kinds of tea sandwiches, and my dad supplied the depression era glass serving dishes and tea sets, as well as the rose bud china. it really turned out lovely, if i do say so myself (and the sandwiches were de.lish.ous!)




valentines


hazel isn't really in a place where she needs to give valentines, yet. but when i saw these i completely knew they were irresistable! plus, i can print as many as i want for EVER - meaning, preschool and early elementary years are all done!

anyway, since she doesn't have a reason to give these, i decided to make little bundles for each of the families hazel sees most from church, since we'll be at church on v-day. each valentine contains 12 cards printed on cardstock to color, and 3 crayons. i also used happytape to decorate the envelopes (since i only had 3 to decorate!)
i am real proud of myself for this :)

Sunday, February 7, 2010

angry day

today i had an angry day. it's okay, since i'm aware of what my anger means and that it is signaling other emotions to the forefront to be dealt with, and with which i am dealing but not in my blog because they're mine, and all ya'll readers probally have your own emotions to claim and honor. but man, i let it all get to me.
first, something that i knew might happen, did, and i wasn't as prepared for it as i expected myself to be. you know the feeling? like, you know a moment will occur, and it will be awkward and so you prepare for it emotionally, but when it actually happens, you get overwhelmed and, like, cry? yea. way to start the day, liz.
then, james wanted to take the car through the car wash, which is fine. but when he does that, he always wants to vacuum it out afterwards. that's fine, too - but today, after the above mentioned awkward morning, i really didn't want the loud noise of the vacuum in my day, so i said no - we could wash the car, but please, let's vacuum it tomorrow. he didn't get it, and i needed control of something so bad i made it a huge rediculous battle of who cares for the other more, and anyway, we vacuumed the f**king car and i was even more angry.
and tonight, i had a strange parenting struggle with a friend that, because of my angry day, made me feel like somehow, i'm a really horrible parent and i started noticing how no one we leave hazel with has left their kids with us. seriously? now i'm more angry. aren't we good parents? hazel is so polite, and she stays in time out, and she cleans up after herself, and she is always smiling and laughing. isn't that a sign of good parenting? a healthy, differentiated as much as acceptable for a two year old child? is it so bad that i don't coddle my child, protect her from ever getting pushed or shoved or her feelings hurt? that i provide opportunities for her to know how to explore her feelings without caging her from fear or anxiety?
it's days like these where i feel like just picking up my shit and moving far, far away and starting fresh. you know? lousy angry day.

Friday, February 5, 2010

burberry inspired knit cowl




i knit this over the last few days - here's the free pattern if you'd like it. super easy - just stockinette with a random cable twist every 12 rows or so. doesn't the yarn have a beautiful colorway? one of the blogger ladies i follow has a cool project going here where she cast on 220 st where she garter stitches her leftover yarn. it is making a yummy throw/lap afgan, and i've decided to follow suit (only i may add a hint of flavor to the stitches, since i don't love garter stitch). more to follow with that, but now, to cast on an adorable cowl in self striping yarn for hazel - isn't a cowl for a toddler a great idea for keeping the neck warm and the cold out? they can't easily pull an end and leave it on the playground!