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Friday, October 30, 2009

7 Quick Takes Friday, #38



1. How many weeks ago was it that I wrote about not getting around to making the pumpkin shaped sugar cookies? 3? 4? Well, now we've gotten them made. Yesterday - 2 days before Halloween - we made our cookies. But still no frosting. It's like I can only accomplish one thing in a day: baking or decorating, but not both. There's a time warp in my kitchen or something, not allowing the two to be had on the same day. True story. BUT! My butter is sitting on the counter, ready to be whipped into frosting today. And no other baked goods will be attempted, so we should be okay.

In addition to the pumpkins, Mia decided she wanted flowers, triangles, and stars, so we really could have done this any time and not worried about getting them in before my self-imposed Halloween deadline.



2. Last year at Halloween, I made Mia a super cute red and white striped shirt for her Strawberry Shortcake costume. (Okay, I helped my mom make it. I'm still learning how to sew - by watching attentively.) The big day came, and my 2 year old Mia wouldn't even try on the shirt. She didn't want it - wouldn't wear it - and screamed at the sight of it. I was a little crushed. All that hard work and loving attention to detail, and she didn't care. I was about to force her into it, when my mom (apparently I can do nothing right without her) suggested just not making a big deal out of it and finding her something else to wear. It was supposed to be fun, after all, and if a 2 year old doesn't want to cooperate, that's no fun for anyone. It all worked out in the end, and now I can laugh at Mia's stubborn streak that year. Kind of.



3. This year, mom and I are making tutus for Mia and Lauren's ballerina costumes. I had intended to have Lauren be a lamb out of consideration for her love of her lambie, but that was proving to be more trouble than I could handle. I put off pattern and fabric searching for too long and then got overwhelmed with the whole thing and had to retrench. So I asked Mia what she thought Lauren should be, and without a moment's hesitation, she said 'ballerina!' It sounded perfect to me, simple and sweet, and the same thing Mia was going to be.

Keep your fingers crossed that Mia - at almost 4 years old - is more appreciative of her costume than she was last year. I have a feeling she'll love it, though. She helped pick out the fabric and she always loves dressing up in frilly, fluffy, shiny things, so this should be a slam dunk. KNOCK ON WOOD.



4. I'm sure many of you know this by now, but Pioneer Woman's cookbook is officially available to be purchased. And it is officially on my wishlist. Is it on yours?



5. Last week, I mentioned I was uploading about a million photos to purchase online. Would you believe I just completed the order on Wednesday? It was a nightmare. This photo site (I hate to mention the name of it because I don't want to be mean...) was terrible to work with. The uploads took forever. Putting photos in my 'to buy' list took double-forever. The whole thing took WAY too long, and I will never use that site again. Well, unless they send me more free money. But the point is, next time, I'll find somewhere better. In my comments last week, some of you gave me some good sites to try, so I think I'll seek them out next time. Seeing as how my pictures are now on the way though, I'm feeling better about the whole situation. Sarah, thou art fickle.



6. I'm pretty sure Lauren is done nursing. She hasn't been interested for 3 days in a row now, so I think the deal is sealed. There's no going back after 3 days with no activity, right?

How bad is it that I'm sad? She's definitely old enough to be done with it, and she just wasn't interested much anymore so I didn't push the issue. But I think if I would've kept offering, she would have kept taking. She would have kept falling asleep for naptimes while I got to snuggle her cheeks to my bare skin. I would have gotten to feel her relax in my arms like a baby - which she is clearly not anymore. For those few moments each day, I could have pretended she was still tiny and needed me to sustain her. My arms feel bare. My body feels empty. It's been so long since I've not used my physical body to grow or feed a life, and now I just feel - singular. Not alone, but - apart.

Have I lost you?

Here - the next QT will be more followable:


7. At school this week, Mia did a cute little activity I thought some of you might be interested in. It's a picture of a house with a straw taped to its side - a water spout, if you will. And on the water spout is none other than the Itsy Bitsy Spider - climbing up, if you will.


The spider is one of those plastic Halloween rings, and it's strung on the straw so it can climb up and down as needed in case of a stray rain shower. Mia loved it, and it doesn't have to be just for Halloween - the Itsy Bitsy Spider is timeless. And undaunted by the rain that keeps wiping her out. She's got spunk.


That's it for me, y'all. Have a treat-full Halloween weekend and visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes.

18 comments:

  1. Sarah,

    Breastfeeding is the single biggest part of babyhood I miss the most. There is something about the closeness, the intimacy, the knowledge that they are getting their nourishment from your body, the PURPOSE of it all that makes it so special.

    And have you tried Pioneer Woman's lasagna yet? I make this all the time, especially when making meals for people in our church and it has become "my" specialty.

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  2. Tutus, how cute! And yes, Pioneer Woman's cookbook is on my wishlist.

    Also, I just noticed you posted this at 6:23 a.m. and I am impressed.

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  3. Jenn - I feel the same way about breastfeeding my babies! It's been one of my favorite things. And I haven't tried PW's lasagna yet - I'll put it on my list.

    Elizabeth - Oh, don't be impressed! I write my QT's on Thursday night and let them post early Friday mornings. I'm not impressive :) My beauty sleep is too important.

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  4. Hayden hasn't hit the stubborn streak yet, but we got his costume out last weekend to try it on him--it's the same as last years {for the record it was HUGE last year}, anyhow...he was TERRIFIED of it and cried the entire time. So all week long I kept saying to him, Hayden you get to dress up like a LION and wear a HAT...by last night {our trick or treat night} he was loving life.
    Do you wanna send me some of those cookies...my address is 555.....haha just kidding. sort of ;)

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  5. Mmm, sugar cookies :)

    Oh my, I cannot wait to see your cute girls dressed up as ballerinas!!! My boys are going to be a pirate, tiger, and cow, and Son #2 completely freaked when we did the trial run in his costume. The fall festival at church is tonight, so we'll see how it goes...

    I got very nostalgic and sentimental after I weaned both of my boys, so rant away- I'll read every word :) Or perhaps have another Heavenly baby?! Then you can nurse again and we can trade Club-of-3 stories!!! See, it all works out! Hooray! :D

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  6. that is the cutest spider drawing

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  7. I can't wait to see pictures of your little ballerinas!! I don't have kids so I'm living through all of my blog friends!

    I am hoping someone will give my PW's cookbook for my birthday. I have to have it by Dec 5 when she comes to Houston for the signing!!

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  8. I haven't heard of Pioneer Woman's cookbook! I'll have to look it up.

    Halloween costume decisions are always interesting. This year, my daughter is a tiny ninja, which is pretty cute. :-)

    With nursing, I didn't feel the same way. Perhaps it was because my husband was travelling and I was a virtual single mom much of the time that first year, but I was relieved when I stopped! It gave me more freedom and stopped my weird hormonal surges that made me "not myself." But whatever works for each mom is good.

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  9. I know your #6 post is still a ways off for me, but it is one of my biggest fears. And one of the biggest reasons I don't try harder to get my daughter to take a bottle. I know it can't last forever, but I think it's normal to be sad when it ends.

    I hope you & your family have a great Halloween weekend! I know your girls will make the cutest ballerinas!

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  10. Last year, my 3-year-old had been fully attached to the idea that she would be a purple hippopotamus for Halloween. She had been consistent with this for months. So we went to the fabric store together and selected the perfect shade of purple fleece, then in the car on the way home, L decided announced that she had changed her mind. Inspired by all of the tulle we saw at the fabric store, she wanted to be Angelina Ballerina. I tried to convince her otherwise, but in the end, Angelina Ballerina it was--and very cute, too. She even won a prize at a costume party for "best literary character."

    This year we're using the unused fleece for all sorts of random sewing projects.

    And the nursing? I felt the same way with both children when they weaned. I felt a little free, yet abandoned. Some comfort comes when I peek at my slumbering babes at night and often see them making that sucking motion with their mouths. It reminds me of that special time we had together.

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  11. Yep, the PW cookbook is on my wishlist!

    And as for photo sites, I'm not sure what you're using, but at least for me snapfish has been great.

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  12. My youngest self-weaned a little too early for me and I was very sad. I don't have many parenting regrets but one is that I wish I had gotten a picture of me breast feeding my kids. I have none and wish I did. So, I hear you.
    I LOVE that spider picture. I am totally doing that with the boys. They'd love it.

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  13. You had me melting to go feed my baby with that description and the knowledge that it'll come to an end way too soon!

    Well, you'll just have to get crackin' and make somebody new to share your body with! ;) ;)

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  14. This comment is from Katherine (who always asks me to read bits of your blog out loud): "Happy Halloween! I hope you like it. I hope your little girls like their ballerina costumes and get lots of candy. Your blog looks like Mommy's blog, but in blue. Tell Mia her spider house is cute. Love you all, Katherine."

    Okay, and this comment is from me: Am I a terrible mother for reading blogs out loud to my children in the morning? We should really be curled up with Curious George or something, right? But anyway...

    I can't wait to see your little ballerinas in action! Their costumes sound adorable!

    And as for number 6, Penelope self-weaned in much the same way. I woke up one morning and realized she hadn't nursed in three days and I felt sad...sort of because I'd missed it and I hadn't realized that was going to be the end...you know? Nursing is just such a special time of babyhood and bonding, and it's all too short if you ask me. Still, I'm with Lenae: this just means your ready for Heavenly Baby #3.

    Happy Halloween!

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  15. Aww, I'm sad for you that Lauren is done nursing and sad for me that I didn't see as sweetly as you did, I was like whoo hoo I weaned her! Well it only means one thing....guess you better have another baby ;)
    Thanks for the spider craft idea, I love it! Savannah loves that song...I think we will definately work on that project (even though it might be a little advanced for her)
    Oh and Happy Halloween!!

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  16. Chelsea - I'm so jealous you get to go to a signing. Are you camping out the night before? ;)

    Amanda - I never pushed the bottle either :) I'm one of the ones who breastfeeding was pretty easy for, and I loved it from the start.

    Danielle - Purple hippo? I believe I need sewing lessons from you :) Cute story! I might have to look in your archives for a picture of Angelina Ballerina - Mia would love that!

    Happygeek - I have a few shots of me nursing Lauren, and I'm so glad. Not that I want anyone to see them, but I KNOW they'll be important to me years from now.

    Diane - That's my kind of advice :) And why I think we'll not stop having babies too soon. I feel like my body was made to give and nurture life. Not always a popular theory around here :)

    Emily - This ranks up there as one of my all-time favorite comments! So sweet! Mia loved hearing what Katherine had to say. Pen pals, much? And about nursing, that's how it was with LJ, too. I didn't know the last time was going to be the last time. I missed trying to burn the image into my memory like I would have if I'd known. Sad. It was about 2 months after Mia stopped nursing that LJ was conceived. So maybe I won't have long before I'm sustaining something again :)

    Katie - I think Savannah could help do the spider page. She could string the spider ring on the straw and help you press the tape to the page. And then it's only a matter of coloring :) Which is never right or wrong - so she'd do just fine.

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  17. I saw Pioneer Woman on the Bonnie Hunt show last week while was *ahem* wasting time watching TV instead of on the computer...anywhoo...her cookbook is on my Christmas list.

    I also just quit nursing Lily -- it was actually out of necessity, I'll spare you the gory details but I had sores in uncomfortable places and it was getting to be unhealthy for the both of us. The last couple of days all I could think about was how much pain I was in and how I couldn't WAIT to just be done with it all...and now I'm sad and I miss it. "Amy, though art fickle ;)"

    Lily LOVES the Itsy Bitsy Spider song -- mentally filing that project idea away for when she's old enough to handle it.

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  18. Oh, Sarah, ((HUGS)) about the nursing... I think it's always harder for the mommy. I'm down to about twice a day with Briggs, and it's so bittersweet.

    I LOVE the spider picture!! I'll have to remember that one...

    Oh, and maybe you can just whisper in my ear which online photo service you used... Was it the same as I used? Of course, I wasn't as lady-like, and smeared their name temporarily on my blog... *blush* Everything turned out in the end, though! I just told my husband yesterday that maybe I'd suck it up and take my card to Target once a month, stand at the kiosk for two hours, and not worry about the whole online thing. Hmmm...

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Hmm...And how did that make you FEEL?