Viking Tea Party

New Book Addiction

Ginny gave me a great book recommendation last week.

I'd never heard of The Hunger Games and I'll admit I was a little leary - young adult fantasy/sci-fi isn't really my thing - but I trust her recommendations without question and went out with Little E to buy the first book. I promptly devoured it in two days, bought the rest of the trilogy and ate the second one up in three or four days. These days I really, really, really have to like a book to take the time to read it and forgo the million other things I need to be doing while Emmett's napping so that really says something about these books. And, surprise, surprise, they're making the first book into a movie. Not sure how I feel about that.

I was happy to see that Christopher Pike books are back. Alhtough I just checked his Wikipedia page and I guess he's never really stopped writing. I loved those first few books. Gimme a Kiss sticks out in my mind even though I can't really remember anything about it. I should check the charity shops when we're looking for Emmett books because I wouldn't mind reading one of his books again.

These are the books that aren't quite good enough to glue me to the couch or that I haven't even started. I've been reading Major Pettigrew's Last Stand since just after Emmett was born and I'm closer to finished with it than not but just couldn't bring myself to pick it back up. I've also read bits of Guilty Pleasures, Any Human Heart, Burning Bright, and Behind the Scenes at the Museum.The last two I've not really read enough of to form any opinion but someday I'll give them another try.

Any Human Heart was made into a miniseries here with JIm Broadbent and I really wanted to watch it but it was on during Emmett's first month and every time I'd play the first episode on the BBC iPlayer, I'd fall asleep. Granted, it was usually late at night while I was sleeping on the couch because this was before we could get Emmett to sleep in his cradle. I've read another of Boyd's books and like the way he writes so I'll actually read it some day.

Gulity Pleasures is the first in a trashy vampire hunter series I read about on Ravelry. I have the second book as well and while they're a little too trashy for me and I feel a bit like I've been dumped into the middle of the series rather than the beginning, I'll probably read them.

I just bought Room and Great House and have read a few chapters of Room. As a girl in my knit group said, it's a bit too real. It might get put away for along time. Until Emmett's a teenager or something. I listened to History of Love by Nicole Krauss a couple of years ago and loved it. It was rich and interesting - one of those books that makes your whole body feel full after reading it. I haven't really heard anything about Great House but they were buy one get one half price (but actually ended up being buy one get one for some reason) and I was feeling splurgy so I thought I'd give it a chance.

Oh and I'm one story away from finishing the short story book - I should take a Hunger Games break and finish that off....

So that's what I'm reading/not reading when I get the chance. How about you - what are you reading?

 

I Love Being A Mom

Happy Mother's Day!

Have You Seen the Little Piggies?

My favorite project in the My Space, My Time class that I took over the past few months was the pinch pot piggy project.

I haven't played with clay since high school and had forgotten how much fun it is! His a very imperfect little piggy but it was pretty amazing to see him come out of that ball of clay. I especially like the tiny little tilt of his head.

His trotters are pretty cute, too.

Some made them into tiny banks but I thought a little figurine for Emmett's room would be nice.

I really enjoyed the class and wish I had more time to do more creative things. While the class was on, Mondays were a guaranteed great day - getting to play with paints and clay and things and talk to grown ups just made the rest of the day easier to get through. Thankfully, a few of us are still getting together for coffee and I've met with a couple at play group as well. 

Now if I just had room for a kiln somewhere in this house....

N'Orleans, Dragon Slayers and Babies

Vacations with babies are not really vacations.

I learned that on my trip to the states last week. If anything, it's the complete opposite as it's just that much harder to get ready for the day when you're either in a hotel or somewhere that's not your own home. I forgot something every single time we left the house - sometimes they were almost crucial things ("almost" because I never forgot food or nappies)

Regardless, we saw lots of family and Emmett met lots of people that love him very much. My parents packed in several months of grandparenting in two weeks. I cried a lot - felt stretched thin, tired and more homesick than I do when I'm away from home. I laughed a lot, too, and caught up on places and things to eat that I missed. One week in New Orleans for my brother's wedding, though, meant only one week in Dayton and that was just not enough time so I missed out on a lot of people and things. I'll be back soon, though. Emmett is a good traveler and both Matt and myself feel really good about my flying back alone with Little E in a few months. I hope that works out but I've already looked at tickets and it's just painful how expensive they are in the summer.

I started this post nine days ago! Ridiculous. Why I didn't just post it as is, I have no idea.

Anyway, this is Emmett looking uber cool in his sunnies.

This is us at Jackson Square.

And this is some cool graffiti I happened to catch. It was hidden behind a shutter.

It's Easter Monday here in England which means another day off. Between Easter, bank holidays and the royal wedding, there are more holidays than work days this week. Alas, not for Matt. He had to work so Emmett and I headed off to the St. George Festival on our own this morning. Here he is with his little flag, fresh from a bottle break...

I cannot believe he's going to be six months old on Friday. It doesn't seem possible that he was ever anything but what he is now - the memory of him as a tiny baby is already so distant. I kiss him and tell him I love him a hundred times a day and I mean it more each and every time. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful family.

Shh...the Time Eating Monster is Sleeping!

I don't know why I thought having an hour or so once a week to "work" would, well, work. I can't take an hour for myself. Not when there is always laundry to be hung, washing up to do and a million other things. Last Sunday morning I took twenty minutes to go upstairs to bed with a cup of hot chocolate to read a few pages of a book but the need to do something else brought me back down.

Thankfully, we're heading to New Orleans and then on to Dayton in less than a week. I've never really needed a vacation but now I know exactly what those words mean.

Warmer weather, good food, family...fantastic. 

And maybe I'll even a chance to blog - who knows? 

 

Going to Work, Using My Hands

The other day I asked Matt if he wouldn't mind if I "went to work" once or twice a week. I wanted at least an hour where I could go into the conservatory, sit at the table and blog without interruption - as if I weren't in the house at all. I'm not actually in the conservatory because right now it's as far as the folded laundry gets so the table is covered with piles of clothes (although Emmett's always gets carried upstairs and put away - his room stays tidiest as well) and I'm really only blogging because Emmett's napping on Matt. Still, it seemed like a good opportunity.

On Monday I started a class called My Space, My Time for mothers with post natal depression. Considering that I struggled with depression before I was pregnant, I wasn't surprised when it smacked me in the face a few months after Emmett was born. On top of it all, I'm horribly homesick - so much so that going to visit any of Matt's family really got me down. Then a little over a week ago my papaw died and it absolutely broke my heart that I couldn't be there. I'm happy with the things we said when I saw him last summer and when we last spoke on the phone but not being able to be there to say goodbye...I still cry at least once a day.

Even after one class I felt better. It's a small group that gets together over an art project and coffee, tea or hot chocolate and cakes to talk..or not talk. It's the art project part that got me interested. I really, really miss being creative. During this class we painted little boxes.

 

I know this photo is terrible - sorry. I wanted to take one earlier when the sun was still out but things don't work that way anymore.

I actually stuck the stickers from my sticker stash on the yellow one when I got home because I ran out of time in class. They're far from perfect but it felt to good to make something. Next week we're making little pigs out of clay - I'm really looking forward to that even though I'll be in the states when they'll be glazing them. We're also going to paint tote bags, a mug, a frame...and make a couple of other things I can't remember. Simple projects but immensely rewarding. It's a great way for me to meet other moms/mums, too. I'd run into one of them at the doctor's office and at the library so we kind of already "knew" each other but this meant we finally got to talk a bit which was nice.

For the first class Matt was at home and could stay with Little E but he'll be at work next Monday so I'll have to bring him and put him in their daycare for the hour and a half. I'm super nervous about that but they have three carers and there are only eight or nine of us in the group and we're one door down so they'll bring him in if he starts fussing. I've never left him with anyone but Matt so this will really be something for me. I'm ready to try, though.

And now for a little gratuitous Emmett. This little man is my world. No matter how bad I feel, I can always find a smile for him.

He amazes me with something new every day. He's using his hands a lot more now and can hold his little head up like a champ. He lights up when either of us walks into the room which is crazy rewarding. My favorite thing he does is sing himself to sleep on my shoulder. I sang him to sleep myself many nights (singing "The Pie Song" from Waitress which we played for him in the womb in hopes that he would recognise it and I think he does) and I really think his little cooing noises are his version and a real comfort. That's when I can tell he's really tired. 

I mentioned it earlier but our latest news in that we're heading to Ohio next month! Actually we're going to New Orleans for a few days first for my brother's wedding and then driving (with a five month old!) fifteen hours to Ohio. I can't wait for Emmett to meet the rest of his American family. I also can't wait to eat at a million places and browse Target and Kohls for hours (I miss Target and Kohls more than any other stores in the US)! And knit group - I can't wait to stop by the Sunday night knit group. A million things I'd like to do - hopefully we'll have time to do at least a few of them!

For now, though, it's quitting time. Glad to be back.

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'd love to get back to blogging but it seems that all free moments are filled with other things - housework, a quick email or even two or three minutes of shutting off my brain and staring into space.

I miss everyone and hope you're all having a beautiful Valentine's Day!

Dear Emmett,

My friend Kim is taking on an awesome project, 52 Weeks, 52 Letters, for 2011. It appealed to me immediately - I love collecting stationary and writing letters and before I'd even finished reading the post I was mentally compiling a list of potential friends and family that I could write to and had even come up with a couple of teachers that really deserve long overdue thank you letters.

After talking to Matt about it, though, reality struck. I can't commit to that. Not this year. But he came up with an alternative that I'm even more excited about. Believe it or not, the hardest part would be getting to the post office considering that 99.99% of my letters would be going overseas and would need to be weighed. Matt's suggestion was to write letters to Emmett and I can't wait to get started! Sure, some weeks might just be a little postcard with something special that he did that week or just to say how much I love him but I look forward to writing real letters as well. He may never feel the need to read them (but I hope that he does) but I know I'd enjoy looking at them over the years.

And if I were to write him a letter now I'd talk about this:

He's taking a nap on the couch and keeps crossing his little feet - so cute!

This post is my attempt to continue to talk about my life since Emmett is my life right now as some of you suggested in my last post (thank you!) while keeping it a little crafty as well (I think letter writing is craftly, anyway).

And I think I'm going to take advantage of this nap and get a little crafty with some crochet!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Blogging is Hard

I really don't want this to become a Mommy Blog. No one really wants to hear about my lack of sleep, how many times I've narrowly missed being peed on or how long it's been since I've bothered with make up (four - which really isn't bad). I do still want to gush and share the occasional photo - especially when I get a good one of the smiles he's been dishing out lately - but I'd like to keep it to a minumum.

That said, there's not much time for anything else which means nothing to post. I've been thinking about blogging a lot recently, though, and what this blog is going to become in the future but I haven't really come to any conclusions. All I know is that I miss it, I miss everyone I interact with here and I can't wait to get back to it in some form. 

Today I did get to crochet a little creature from a book Matt got me for Christmas so hopefully I'll have sometihng to share here in the next few days.

In the meantime, a little gratuitous Emmett....

After all, I am a mommy - and a proud one at that!

A Quick Update

As I'm sure you've guessed, my days and nights revolve around around this little guy. He'll be six weeks old tomorrow and I can't imagine where those six weeks went! We're all doing great. He had a pre-six week check up today where he was measured and weighed and he now weighs a healthy nine pounds, ten ounces. We struggled with his weight a little in those first few weeks and had to supplement breast feeding with a bottle - all seems to be on track now.

I'm ridiculously behind on keeping in touch. Pretty much anything I do now is done one handed on the iTouch which is great for reading blogs but not for commenting or replying to emails. I do want to take a few minutes between here and Christmas to pick up some yarn again. I can't let Emmett have his first Chrsitmas without something handmade! I think some kind of crocheted toy can be made while Matt gives him his nightly bottle.

I can't believe Christmas is just a little over two weeks away! 

Would like to post more but a hungry Emmett who just had his nappy changed is now in need of his mommy....