Knit Devotion

I was reading another blog that a friend of mine introduced me to (although she doesn’t know it..Thanks Rocky) Knit and Tonic. When I first saw the name I thought, “Man, I have to read this just because of the name!”  And it did not disappoint.  The writer of Knit and Tonic is a knitting pattern designer. She has a few books published with some amazing patterns. I like her writing, she seems to be a “very down to earth, say it like it is” type of person.  She brought up a subject that I have thought of quite a bit. Especially since I am considered this type of person. Here’s the link to her blog. 

She talks about being what friends call “crafty”.  The being called “crafty” is not the part that bothers me. It’s the connotation that comes along with it. Sometimes it’s even the turned up nose when people ask you what you are doing.  Yes, I craft. I like to do things with my hands. It calms me, it energizes me, it keeps me skinny because you can’t exactly eat when you have needles or fabric or metal in your hands.  It even helps me solve problems. If I’m doing a task that I can’t quite get or figure out. If I take my mind off of it and start say knitting or sewing or even painting, the answer usually comes to the surface.  It gives my mind something to do. They say knitting and some crafts in themselves stave off Alzheimer’s disease.  It’s a way to keep the brain active, solving problems, doing complex tasks that include using both hands that do different movements at the same time.  So call us “crafty” and be jealous when we are still in our right minds and you are telling the same story over and over.

Which brings me to another point. Because people do things with their hands, this does not make them JUST crafty. Would you call Michelangelo crafty? No, he is an artist. Would you call Ralph Lauren or Yves Saint Laurent crafty? No, they are designers.  How about Franklin Lloyd Wright? Would you call him a builder? No, he’s an architect.  Do you get my point? Someone doesn’t have to be dead or worth a million dollars or even published to be in one of these categories.  They just have to work with their hands.  We are all artisans, artists, designers, architects. Above all we are all CRAFTY!

Here….you decide for yourself….

  Real Octopus Tentacle      Sea Bowl 

Wood Screen     Knitted Glove Pattern

All of these things are handmade by “crafty” people. Respect the Craft!!!

Later

These are the words that came out of monster boy’s mouth the other day. I was in such awe that I didn’t know what to say.  He’s been doing this lately.  He asked me today, “Mommie, how to you lay it down?”  I replied, “Lay what down?” To which he replied, “Lay it down.” O.k. unless you have been listening to some old rap music, I have no idea what you are talking about.  I have no idea where he’s getting this stuff. Granted I don’t listen the “Disney” radio channel. (Yes, we have the Disney radio station here in Orlando. And YES, it’s as annoying as the programs that they have on their TV stations except for Finneus and Ferb)  He’s been trying to break dance for a while now. He’s getting better at it for a 4 year old. Some day he’ll be on So You Think You Can Dance. Just not as “SEX”.  I wouldn’t mind that considering I LOVE that show.

Father’s day is tomorrow! Happy FATHER’S Day to all Daddies!!! I love my Hubby, and my Daddy. I love Hubby’s step father, Papa.  I have even grown to like Hubby’s father. He’s an odd sort and takes quite of figuring out. (If you know what I mean)  I did the “food” thing this year for the Fathers. To my DAD and Hubby’s Dad went Green Tea Shortbread and Cornmeal Lime Shortbread cookies from Fancy That Cookies  on Etsy (of course).  They sound so good. I wish I had sent them here first, I guess I’ll have to order some myself. Shortbread is my all time favorite. But how could it not be…sugar and butter! YUM!!!!  For Papa, I made sticky buns. They were good and sticky!!!  For Hubby, well since he’s my main reader, you’ll just have to wait for that bit of news.

Again, to all my “Fathers”….I love you all, be good to your wives, they keep “this boat” afloat, and of course, be good to yourself.  You deserve it.

Later

I spent the Thursday before Mother’s Day with Pinkilicious (more about that) in her karate class taking a “Bring Mom” class.  I had such a good time. I haven’t been to a karate/kickboxing class in 10 years. It is like riding a bike, you just don’t forget!  We goofed off probably more than we should have but we were still working. We just put a little more into our kias and our movements than was necessary or than others did.   The class felt good and fun but I’m 10 years older. I had a kickboxing career before. I had one sanction fight which I won. My coach wanted me to go on but work and my brain got in the way. I used to love boxing and watch it nonstop.  I also followed the boxers new and old as much as I could back then.  It’s very scary what happens to a boxer after repetitive knocks to the head.  Add kicks to that and it will tear you apart quick.  As a matter of fact, I won my match because my coach did some research. He found out the girl I was fighting had a bum knee. She was 15lbs heavier than me so we had to find something.  I beat her by continually hitting her knee whenever possible.  That and staying away from her right cross…deadly!
I think I could get back into karate but maybe I’ll just go back to yoga instead!

Later

I found this Etsy shop, Bela Brazilian Designs, when I was looking for 3 mother’s day gifts for my “moms”.  These are real flowers and they are gorgeous!  I couldn’t imagine the amount of work and time it goes into making one of these. Plus all the screw-ups that I would do just to make one.  I haven’t received the flowers yet but I am so excited about them.  Again I am just amazed at the people and their work on Etsy.  This couple is one of them. I plan on getting one of their designs once I sell some of my stuff!  Oh and be sure to check out their other stores also. They have one for little girls (what a great keepsake for your daughter or granddaughter). I plan on getting one of those for the Monster Girl.

Check them out! It’s amazing!

Well, with one more item crossed off my list (mother’s day presents).  Another one was crossed off today.  In case you don’t follow me on Twitter or Facebook, (You know you really should Rockamababy on Twitter and Cheryl Colbath Drake on Facebook) I volunteer at my daughters school. I was over zealous last year when I decided to take on the Acceleratered Reader Store and Field Day.  Well, I also helped a friend doing the dances for the boys and the girls, and I let myself get talked into doing the Food for Basket Night.

Basket Night is our huge fund raiser for the PTA. We usually make over $19K when the night is over when all things are counted and subtracted.  With the ecomony being so bad, this year we were going to be happy with $10-13K.  We did over $16K.  Just amazing. I am fortunate to be a part of a great school with a wonderful set of parents. Lots of them are my friends and come to my aid when I ask.  (Thanks again women! I do love you!!!)  Well, that day (Basket Night) nearly killed me. Doing the Food for over 1500 people is more than I thought. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, chips and drinks. Keeping them all cold or hot, serving those people, having volunteers help me serve those people (about 40 wonderful people to do that) as well as keep vendors happy that come to serve ice cream, candy, cotton candy, snow cones, and fudge.  It was a wonderful night but so much work.

One item checked off!

Today was Field Day. It was again a great event. But lots of planning because we had a new set of PE teachers who wanted to do new games (can’t blame them).  What a learning curve for all of us. Yesterday 4 of my glorious friends and I popped 900 bags of popcorn so all the little kiddies could have  a snack after Field day.  3 hours in a concession stand with 2 commercial poppers going and 5 women talking….Man, it was hot and lots of work but it was fun just being with everyone.  Today went off really without a hitch.. We had a few hiccups but that is expected.  So many people said that it was the best time they have had and the games were great (most of them were teacher’s comments). We did a very wet theme. The kids loved it and were soaked by the end of the day. 

One more item checked off!

Now onto my last Accelerated Reader store. It’s all done except for a few last items I need to get and of course the volunteers.  I have a few weeks rest before I need to get to that.

Whew…now I just need time with my son. I haven’t been home much lately to be with him. Plus time to work on some new items for my store and my other one . One day I will be caught up….right? Nah!

Later

Yes, it’s time. Time to turn 40! Yesterday was my birthday and  yes I turned the BIG 40!  It’s a strange birthday. I don’t feel 40. In fact, I have never really thought of my age. Well, that’s not exactly true. When I was younger, before 21, I always thought about my age. Wanting to be older.  When 21 hit, I just never thought about it. I don’t even think about it when I look in the mirror.  To me 40 is just  another year.

Now my oldest sister will turn 50 in August.  She has been sending me birthday cards for the last month.  What I always tell her (and she never gets) is that I have 4 months to plan my revenge. That’s just the way I am.  We went to my nephew’s (her son) wedding a couple of weeks ago. It was beautiful and my sister has lost a ton of weight and looked fantastic.  When we were leaving this is the conversation we had…..

Sister: “So how do you feel about turning 40? I was devastated when I turned 40!”
Me: “Actually I don’t feel that bad. You know they say 40 is the new 30.” (said matter-of-factly)
Sister: “Then that means that 50 is the new 40!” (said sassy)
Me: “So how does it feel to turn 40 again?” (said sarcastically)
Sister:”You need to leave!”

And that’s the way I roll!!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Later

BTW…Wii Fit says I’m 31! I think that’s more like it!
 

Free your heart from hatred

Free your mind from worries

Live simply

Give more

Expect less

Enough said

Later

I put some new things up on my site.

Here are some pics.

Enjoy

Later

I had a thought the other night. Yeah, I know, that could be dangerous and no, the house didn’t burn down.   Things that I remember from growing up.  I don’t remember much. There are certain flashes or glimpses that I see in my mind’s eye.  Most of the memories though are from pictures.  My parents were always good about taking photos of the things we did. We had movies also, mostly of my older sisters, a few of my brother and I think one of me.
My mom a couple of years ago decided to go through the pictures and make not 1 but 5 scrapbooks for the 4 kids and herself.  This was a major task as there were so many pictures.  That Christmas was fun. Looking at the pictures and remembering how much fun we had as a family. And still do as a matter of fact.
Back to my original subject..things I remember.  Here is a list. It might not be all encompassing but it’s from the early years. The memories are in yellow. The explanations are in parenthesis.

1. A sheet with a cut out being laid over my face.  ( I had to have stitches in my eyebrow from falling off my bed in the middle of the night and hitting my brother’s bed.)

2. Christmas eve and my mom was trying to keep an ice pack on my nose.  (I was 2 1/2. I had tripped over something and hit the hearth with my face. I broke my nose but at that age you can’t do anything about it because your bones are still growing. My nose still pops when you press on it.

3. Opening the front door and getting run over by our big black full size poodle named Blackie. (Blackie loved to run the neighborhood any chance he got.  I couldn’t stop him because I was so little.)

4. The Christmas tree being so big.

5.  Playing tag with the neighbors kids. (This however lead me to being attached by a dog. I was the youngest of all the kids and always last or it. Easy target for tag or the dog, I wouldn’t let him in the bathroom because I thought he would be mad at me for getting hurt on his birthday. He wasn’t mad….Dads are so cool. Mom however was very upset!)

7.  The pain of torn ligaments in my ankle because I hit the bag too late. (When my jerk of a softball coach said slide you had to slide no matter if you were right on top of the bag or not. Hence, the torn ligaments in the ankle but I was safe)

8.  Sitting in the front door watching kids walk home from school.

9.  Being able to throw the football better than all the boys in the neighborhood.  (I was the only girl till I was 13.)

Most of my memories are of accidents. I wonder if there is something that happens with the brain when it goes through a trauma that imprints a memory more clearly than any other emotion.  There are other things I remember but they are more general, like feelings of joy or hurt, not specific events.  As you might have guessed I have had more than my fair share of accidents. The ones above don’t even scratch the surface on that side of me.  There is usually one specific period in time in an accident that I remember and then everything else is general feelings.  It’s very strange the way the brain works and not knowing how much of it we actually use is the scary part to me. If we were to use all of our brain capabilities, what would our world be like….for the good or destroyed?   All I can think is Terminator….
and on that note….

I’ll be back

(sorry had to!!)

Later

It’s been a while since I last posted. A little something called LIFE got in the way. Don’t you hate that when it happens?!
My DD is an amazing little girl who is smart beyond her years.  She’s quick, lively, beautiful and full of compassion and love.  What mother doesn’t say that about her daughter no matter what her age…right?!  Even with all these attributes, she was lacking.  There was something in her brain that just would not make the connection. Not from A to B or B to C but from C to D and on… I had just thought that her age was the problem, she would “grow out of it”. Over the last year it was getting worse. She has a fantastic teacher this year who has been very patient with her, redirected her back to her work, and showed her more care than anyone in the past.  We talked with her teacher and knew that it was time. 
My DD has classic ADD. She is smart and can do the work but she can’t sit to do the work. So she falls behind in school.  At home, she has to be timed to do anything. Otherwise she gets lost in her head, in her thoughts and forgets what she had to do.  At karate, she’s uncoordinated.  She can do two of the steps but when it comes to the third and fourth, she can’t complete it. In the car, it’s a constant stream of thought coming out of her mouth.  Her brain can’t tell her to shut it off and think it to herself.  It’s very frustrating for her and for me.  It feels like a constant battle between us.
That’s where the medication comes in and what a difference it makes in her and in me.  Just a side note: my family is not one to run off and take drugs for every little thing that goes wrong.  When we get a cold, we let our immune system fight it off.  If I get a simple headache, I drink water to cure it.  It’s know that when you get a headache, it’s your body telling you it’s dehydrated.  But if medication will help her, we were all for it. 
So now to the good news. We have our same quick, lively, beautiful, full of compassion and love daughter but she can complete tasks that you give her.  She’s not all over the place, she’s coordinated, and she can get dressed in a normal amount of time. We have conversations in the car. She can tell me what she did at school.  She even won an achievement award for demonstrating good work habits, enthusiastic attitudes, and a cooperative spirit.  Way to go sweetheart!
It’s even made a difference in my attitude.  She loves crafts (like me). I now let her craft before she goes to bed. Before medication, I would not let this happen because I knew it would be a 45 minute fight to get her to clean up. Now, all that comes out of my mouth is YES! Because I know that when I tell her she has 5 more minutes and when that time is up, she’s says ok and puts her things away.  No fights, no whining, no crying.
I am amazed and so happy. She’s happy. 
To a new world…..

Later

I think now is the time to let her have her pink streaks in her hair! She deserves it!!!

I have decided that my kids have rubber necks. The way they sleep in the car makes my neck hurt.  I have been trying to think of something for the car that would help them be more comfortable when they fall asleep.  I had a lot of designs. They had function but not cuteness. I found this pattern and thought..this is it!  And the Travel Neck pillow was born.  I did a few design changes for younger children and made it more comfortable.  I get a big high five from my kids! They love theirs (can you tell?)

I have two more designs, a lion and a monkey. If you can’t tell, the pictures are of a cat and a dog.
I embroidered the eyes so there would not be anything hard against their heads or have anything to chew on (for younger children). The nose on the cat is leather instead of fleece. I thought it looked better and gave it a little different look.  I’m thinking of doing something different with the stuffing, maybe finding those little pills that feel so good in the fom pillows.  I have some searching to do!

Later

P.S.  you can find these on my website Rocka-ma-baby . They also can be monogrammed with a name or initials. Just ask!