kidding around

Now that Lulu has gone home to Ohio to be with her family (sniff), I am busily working on Penelope’s birthday gift. In January I thought I was so ahead of myself with these blocks and I sort of put them off. But now my little babe will be 2 on April 9th and I’ve got to get busy! Here is my work in progress and I really must paint these in the day light. I get so tired in the evening that painting little letters and figures is probably not the best thing for me.

I hope to make a little drawstring knapsack for her to carry her blocks around and all the other treasures she finds around the house. And then I need to make her a birthday crown out of felt and that should be good! Oh- besides her cake of course!

Last week while Penny and my niece Lulu were napping, I was able to make these fun pants for Ellie. They are widelegged and sort of cropped…the best part is they fit her tiny waist perfectly! I plan on making a few pair for her, Simon, and Penny and just need to find the time! (Sorry for wrinkles…)

Today, Ellie and I spent one of the most fun days I’ve had since becoming a mother! She and I took a train down into the city and just meandered all over. Our main destination was the Art Institute of Chicago. I absolutely love this place and had a great time exploring it with a 7 year old. We’ve taken our kids a few times, but today it was without a sleepy baby or mishchievous little brother!

Once we arrived to the city, we decided to visit millennium Park first and snack on some cheese and caramel popcorn. Here we are above, reflected in “Cloud Gate”…Ellie with the pink purse. The weather was spectacular, the first warm day we have had in months and it just made everything perfect.

We enjoyed visiting the museum’s miniature collection. The photo above is a representation of a Shaker kitchen. No joke, this is all miniature…like the chairs were no bigger than 4′ and everything was so intricate. We were fascinated by all the eras and designs, but loved the Japanese and Shaker rooms the best…oh, and the California modern room too. Anyway, if you ever visit the Art Institute, this is a fun place.

Of course I had to visit the Joseph Cornell room. He is one of my favorite artists…I remember seeing his work in person for the first time at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum) and was so smitten by his work, techniques, process…everything. Ellie thought it was cool too…I love this girl.

The Art Institute is full of very well known work. To me, it is “heart pounding” excitement when I see Van Gogh’s brush strokes or even a 600 year old suit of armor. This is what I want my kids to get excited about! Not the newest Lego set or American Girl doll, but things that really make up our culture. I just felt that every step I took in the museum was full of such reverence and wonder.

Above, is probably one of the most well known paintings around…”A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” by Seurat. Ellie was insistent we visit the “pointilist painting” and so we did and were in awe all over again.

And of course, here’s my girl in front of the famous lions.

In my other life, I would have loved to be a Museum Educator. I got my degree in Art Education, but upon graduation it was clear to me that I was not interested in the classroom. I dabbled in this interest with an internship and applying to Graduate School, but never really followed through and started a family (no regret there!). My husband is an outstanding high school art teacher, and so I still sometimes vicariously live through him. But what I really want to do is expose kids to the Masters and get them excited about history, expression and culture. Anyway, I bought a fantastic workbook from the Museum for kids and their families and I intend to use it for my little class (Ellie, Simon and Penelope!).

We also enjoyed strolling around and basically visited the touristy Michigan Avenue. Ellie requested a visit to her favorite chocolate place (Vosge…she is a conisseur). I also introduced her to the Hello Kitty store and we were both squealing with delight! She walked out of the place with a fun necklace and ring. It took everything for me to restrain myself.

We also visited the American Girl Place and my girl made me proud. We just looked and she was happy with that! I was so proud of her. A place like that is so crazy and expensive too. I don’t know, it made me sick to see these girls walking around with boxes of “stuff” and I am just enjoying my girl having fun “just looking”. Don’t get me wrong, with birthday money we checked out the place last summer and she had fun but within reason and restrain.

Anyway, thanks Ellie for such a memorable “mama time”. I was proud to have you as my daughter and I can’t wait for more times to come.

I was able to steal a few minutes today and work on the waistline of a pair of pants I started on Monday. Last night as I was nearing the time to try on my pants, I noticed that the crotch seemed really long. I felt a sense of dread before trying them on and my fear was confirmed. I could pull the pants all the way up pass my boobs! Now that wouldn’t be too bad if I were in the 70s wanting to wear a sexy pantsuit…but really, I’m not in the 70s and I don’t have the body for an off the shoulder get up anyway!

At first I was discouraged because I really wanted to make a pair of pants that replicated the yoga pants I wore all winter. You know, slip on pants that are cute but not dowdy. So I started to THINK like a sewer and altered the waistband and I am so pleased. I took off more around the waist band so it is between low rise and just right! PERFECT! I now have pants I like!

Is there anyone else out there tired of low rise pants? I am tired of hating my body everytime I pull on a pair of pants and wonder where the rest of the waistband has gone. I mean if you have the body, great…but it seems like most places now are for 17 year olds and god bless those girls because many of them look so uncomfortable!

I’ll share the end product soon- not much more to do, but need to dash and take care of Penny and Lulu. Lulu leaves tomorrow and I already feel super sad.

I did not forget to post my weekly “around the house”, but Blogger has again given me grief. Much to my appreciation, my husband and his bro. will be creating something fun and new in Wordpress, so keep your eyes peeled!

It was a good week and Lulu will soon leave and go back to her home. I will miss her terribly. It has been so much fun hearing the “two little girls” (pictured above) giggling and kissing one another. There is something so sweet watching kids getting along with another and pretty comical when they are fighting!

I found these “snow drops” and had to stop the car and shoot a few photos of them. They are so delicate and pretty. Once I see these beautiful blossom reveal themselves, I know that tulips and daffodils will soon follow…and their name…come on!

I did not get a whole lot of projects accomplished, but I did manage to make myself a birds nest (above). I loved Penelope’s reaction when she first saw the nest, “cool mom, cool!”

Penny affectionately held this nest for several minutes…I love those chubby bare feet.

Here’s an easy Spring project to do for your home whether you have kids or not! I know it’s not all that original, in fact I think it is in MS Kids or something, but sometimes it just takes seeing an idea to do it (Thanks also to Amanda and Juliet at Moveable Feast for giving me the first inspiration to get my tissue paper and tacky glue out!).

Ellie did a splendid job…

This week I am submitting 2 photos to “Corners of my Home” on Flickr. It’s been a busy…and fun and tiring (due to me being sick, can I whine anymore?) so heck, let’s show two shots!

I have spent many moments of the day in this corner over the week. With my niece staying with us, I have had so much fun watching her and Penelope talk in their “baby language”. They respond to one another and eye the other up all of the time. Lulu is now calling me “Mama” and I have been trying to say “Mama Auntie”, but “Mama” is my name! It will be interesting to see her switch over once my sister returns.

Anyway, I love this shot of two high chairs converging.

My second “corner” is a shot I took last week around dinner time. I love how the sun is up longer…Alleluia! I also enjoy this shot of spontaneous play between 2 sisters. It’s so dreamlike and sweet.

What do you do when one of the babes wants to take a nap, but you want both babes to nap at the same time? You introduce your niece to your favorite place…the thrift store! Like my determined look? I swear this was not set up!

So with cheese crackers in hand, Penelope and Lulu joined me in all the fun. I love these sweet dresses. There is something that has always stuck in my head that a little girl needs a sailor dress…preferably a “vintage” Saks Fifth Avenue frock for $1.50. I’m not sure who will get these dresses since Penny is no longer that small, but I do have a few nieces around the family that will look CUTE!

I think these pillowcases will make some pretty cool pants for one of the kids. I mean check out the yellow band, it’s just waiting to be a cuff!

I’m all about encouraging Spring to arrive and have been slowly decorating the house with little treasures. This egg is so PRETTY and the colors are so dreamy.

If I have time today, I think I will start a Flickr folder of all my found treasures. So be sure to check them out!

As a kid, did you ever put “bugles” on your fingertips at lunch?

I love this shot with Penny and her raspberries she snacked on yesterday (a whole pint). This girl knows how to pack it in.

On another note, I have ANOTHER sinus infection and feel 10X lousy. I’m on a stronger antibiotic, spray, and have to have a CT scan. Anyone ever have one? After finishing another medication last week, 3 days later all symptoms came back and a few others…ugh.

I just had to add a happy photo of our sweet little Lulu! She really is doing well. I can already predict tears when it is time for her to go home to her Mama and Dad.

If there is nothing else I accomplish today, that is okay! I had to document the fact that we all got ready, brushed teeth and I even have lipstick on AHEAD of schedule. I’m still pretty sick, so it’s good I am slowing down but of course my head is spinning with projects I am ready to tackle.

She’s fine Susan…really she is!

I just had to do this for all the times you would tease me when I first wore a bra!

We all adore her and had a great time at the Children’s museum…she is a gem and will be hugged and kissed many times these next 10 days.

To all other readers…we are watching my niece while my sister is overseas. I will be posting many shots of this cutie for the next week for my sister to see that she is happy…ahem.