Cozy Hats & Mittens

A few weeks back I posted a bunch of random tidbits about life. One of those things was that I was making Edwin a winter hat and mittens. I've finished them and he's been able to wear them in this cold weather. It took me a while because I made a lining for the hat and it took a few tries until it fit correctly.

What's funny is that I have a kid who's in style. I like to be aware of fashion, but I'm not always the most trendy person. And now that I'm not teaching and around high schoolers all the time, I'm a little out-of-the-loop when it comes to what's en vogue. Most of my things come from thrift stores, so I'm usually a little behind the times. But it seems that Edwin's winter hat is one of the trends for this winter. I think it makes sense for a little baby to have a hat with ear flaps, so I wasn't style-watching when I picked out this pattern. It just so happens to be what's "in" now.
We were walking past a bunch of middle-schoolers yesterday while on our walk and one of them saw Edwin in his hat and commented to his friends: "The baby has a hat like ours!" Maybe he just doesn't realize that he's wearing a baby hat. Now all he needs is some mittens with a string!

Thanks to this site for the basic hat pattern and this site and this pattern for the mittens.

8 Months

Edwin is quite the busy little boy these days.

He often insists on at least partially feeding himself at lunch and supper. I guess he's hungry enough at breakfast to not worry about it.

If it's paper, plastic, crinkly and unsafe, he wants it.

He gets excited when I pull out my scissors and sewing needles.

Watching cars drive by outside the window could be hours of fun if he was big enough to stand on the couch unattended.

De, da, ma, ba and ga are is his current vocabulary along with various yells and hollers.

The army crawl is his preferred method of locomotion.



He has discovered my earrings and laughs delightedly while trying to get them.
(Thankfully, they pull right out!)

One of his favorite things to try and get is the blue light on the computer.

He has 7 teeth: 4 on the top, 3 on the bottom.

Pies, laundry, coffee and a sleeping baby

I baked some pies this morning for my family's Thanksgiving meal, and as I was cleaning up I savored the aroma of baking pastry mingling with coffee Dan made this morning, sun shining on the diapers hanging on the line, the hum of the drier and the knowledge that Edwin was snoozing peacefully (after a restless and early morning) in his bed.

I sighed and thought: "I like this stay-at-home gig."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo Shoot

I think most of you who read this are also my friends on FB, so these pictures aren't really new to you. But I like them, so I thought I'd just post a few that aren't on FB.


The big guys is currently working away helping to save lives, the little guy is snoozing in his crib, and I'm trying to finish the gazillion projects on my list. I have a habit of starting projects, getting great ideas for other ones, beginning those, and then ending up with a lot of unfinished projects that all cry out for my attention at the same time.

We Would Be Dans

I was using a cake pan today that once belonged to Dan's grandmother Susie. Every time I use it I notice the initials written on it in permanent marker. The interesting thing about this pan (that she baked cakes in, used for fellowship meal casseroles, etc.) is that the initials on it aren't Susie's. They're her husband's.

I don't know if this was just a common thing in that generation in general, or if it was just common among the Mennonites, but it's not a tradition we've kept among my generation.

Another tradition we did away with is calling families by the husband's name. My mom's generation did this (or at least my mom did and sometime still does - no offense, Mom!) Growing up the families we often hung out with were Dons, Roys and Marshalls. We got to see Mervs sometimes during the year too. And we were Marises.

Just some of my random thoughts today...

Pre-Bedtime Cuteness

The Pink Ribbon and Other Things

Blogging has been on my mind, but I just haven't gotten around to it. Part of the reason for that was that I didn't feel like writing about what was really on my mind so much last month.

October was "breast cancer awareness month," but it may as well have been called "breast cancer fear month" as far as I was concerned. That fear seems to have dissipated, thankfully, after some journaling, praying and meditating on the truth of not being able to add an hour to my life regardless of how much I might worry. (Just FYI, for those who don't know, I'm considered "high risk" in relation to breast cancer since a close family member had it, and for some reason last month, I was thinking about it so much and fearing it, although it's nothing I've feared before despite a family history of it.)

In other news, of the more cheerful kind...which I may, or may not, expound on later:

...Dan has only 1 week left of this grueling rotation

...I've started a new braided rug with wool from some great stores a friend introduced me
to recently (thanks, J!)

...I'm going to be a sewing instructor 1 day a month this winter at a cute, cute fabric store

...Edwin has begun pulling himself across the floor on his belly

...I've ordered a new Keeper (size A) and am excited to see what cute fabric it'll come in this time (google "The Keeper", if you're curious)

...I've had to return more of my bumgenius diapers b/c of faulty velcro but I've been able to get them replaced with snap-closure diapers

...I've crocheted Edwin a wool hat with ear flaps and am going to try and make mittens too

...I'm going to experiment and make Dan a reusable, washable lunch bag - using my own pattern (which is yet to be created)

And now I hear a little boy upstairs, so it's time for me to go!