A True Friend and Saint

While I was on a last minute trip to Ohio (more on that another day), my friend Kim did something really neat and rather ambitious on her blog - she matched her friends to saints. Over twenty of them. That's a lot of work!

I was lucky enough to have been given Raymond, Mothers of Infants which was especially apropos as Emmett and I travelled solo to the states and it was really a challenge to my motherhood. A good challenge and one that wasn't as tough as I thought it would be (it helps that I gave birth to an angel) but a challenge never the less.

Kim is really amazing and I wanted to return this favor in kind. And I tried. I looked at lists of saints by name and by subject and nothing really encompassed everything that she stands for.

So I made one up.

Kim's saint is Saint Hyer...

 

Saint of the Cowboy Boot

I chose this saint not just because Kim loves her boots (and was even married in a pair) but because there really is a bit of her in a good pair of boots. For one thing, she's as colorful and quirky as the really unique kind - like the ones above that she mentioned on her blog some time ago. The past year and more has been difficult (to say the very, very least) but she remains sturdy, standing as tall as she possibly could in these circumstances. And, to continue this little bit of cheesiness, she's reliable. Always there with a comment or a quick email that just brightens your day - seemingly when I need it the most. 

I'm very fortunate to have met her all those years ago when her love of handsome celebrities (another thing she's really good at: posting eye candy on her blog) led her to put together the Knitter's Hunk competition. We may not have met up before I left for the UK but I think a night in Nashville for some music and unending chatter will happen some day, I really do.

P.S. Kim, I did an extensive search for a photo of Hugh Laurie in cowboy boots - alas, I couldn't find one. :)

Got My New Shoes On

I'm a Croc fan. My pregnant feet loved them and they are about all I've worn for the past year.

This is my latest pair, bought for me by my Dad while we were in Ohio. My mom and dad both love them, too, and we tried a pair on Emmett but he's a bit too small. He can have his first pair next trip. And when he does he needs one of the cool new 3-D Jibbitz like this one.

I've never been one for charms on my Crocs but when I found this little squirrel, I had to have him. While Dad was paying, I was going to the car to get a cooler outfit for Emmett but Mom told me later that he also bought a squirrel for himself and one for Emmett...and he choked up a little bit. He does that a lot now and has since he turned fifty but still - it's really sweet. He also bought E a crazy Croc toy that's a shoe with arms and legs since he's too small for his own pair. It's creepy but kinda cute.

I just searched the Croc store for a Jibbitz using the word "yarn". Yeah, they're not quite that cool yet.

Old Man Hat for Little E

Before we left for New Orleans and Ohio, I crocheted Emmett a little bucket hat.

I thought this pattern was so cute, I had it planned before he was even born and had Mom bring the Sugar and Cream yarn for it when she came to meet him for the first time.

My husband has a big head. Literally. It runs in his family and it terrified me a little while I was pregnant. Emmett's big noggin wasn't the reason that I had to have an emergency c-section (he was actually turned the wrong way and wouldn't budge), thankfully, but it is pretty big. I started with the infant circumference and it was way too small so I continued on with the toddler size. Nope. I had to use the children's size to make the top and then finish it with the infact size. Poor kid. His dad can't really wear hats (although I don't think he would if he could) and forget about the paper crowns that come in the Christmas crackers. My child is doomed.

But he looks pretty cute in his bucket hat!

Rav link - Bucket Hat.

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.