Lordy, Lordy, what a fun 40.

 

Greeting me first thing on the morning of my 40th.  That girl worked hard to get this house clean.  Not sure how she does it, staying up so late since I turn into the wicked witch at 6 pm.  

 

My cake.  Are you sensing a theme yet?  I got exactly what I wanted, from my dearest.  Over 3 months of piano lessons.  I hope my talent lives up to the generosity of my family and friends.

 

 

Melissa came with gift in hand for the little green girl...a beautiful spring leaf hat.

 

 

Several days ago, my girl said to me "Mommy, let's put beautiful things in the wagon."  Sweetness, I would be happy too...let's start with you.

"When the red, red robin comes..."

With a few tips and pointers from my dear friend Melissa, I am in the processes of making the Stella Pixie Hat from Vintage Baby Knits. While I have mastered the basic knits, I'm rather amateur when it comes to yarn gauge. I am slowly learning, with patient tutoring, that you can't just pick a yarn that's thicker than the pattern calls for, and compensate by using thinner needles. Well. At least, I can't do that yet. I'm just not that crafty a knitter. Yet. I am terribly tickled, though, that I made an entire row worth of mistakes, but that I was able to correct those mistakes. This is new for me. Normally, I'd be on the phone saying, "I did it again! You have to help me!" Not so this time. I saw the mistake, figured out how to undo it stitch by stitch, and moved on. Earlier yesterday, I realized there was one mistake on a stitch about halfway through the row. I'm still not entirely clear what I did. There was a knit stitch that looked like maybe I'd picked up an extra stitch, or got distracted and twisted the stitch somehow. Nonetheless, I was able to figure out how to fix it without wanting to put it down or even curse. That's big progress for this impatient gal.

Another marvelous treat for me...I got a package in the mail a few days ago from
my dear friend Julie, chock full of cds that I haven't heard before. Once upon a time, I used to have music playing around me all the time, all the time. But as life has gotten away from me, I haven't been able to focus on it the way that I used to. I have been listening to "Poisiden and the Bitter Bug" non-stop for days now, and next on tap is Jason Mraz. I'm familiar with a few of his songs, but I'll be able to sit down at this veritable feast after years of famish. I am salivating at the mere thought of it. (I have the cds at work, and I put them on the computer and crank it while I'm working on paperwork. It makes the tedious that much more bearable.) Thank you, Julie.

Lucy and I started our HooteNanny music class with Nerissa and Katryna Nields on Thursday. It was interesting to see my very-outgoing daughter turn into a shy kid who clung pretty closely to me. She's so used to having so many people around, and she loves other kids. But it was a lesson to me to see that she requires a certain level of familiarity to be that outgoing kid. She was interested in all of the people that we met, for certain. But she sat on my lap for most of the class, and usually she is far to busy to be that close for that long. She warmed up toward the end of class and I'm sure she'll come out of her shell the more we go.

(image copyright of the Nields)
I, for one, very much enjoyed the class. It's nice to be able to have the flexibility to go to a 9 a.m. class in the middle of the work week, but even better than that...I quite enjoy the music. I seem to be comfortable enough in my own singing abilities to actually sing loud enough to be heard (unlike how, once upon a time in church, I would sing so low I may as well not have bothered mouthing the words), and even chill enough to be able to ham it up a little for Lucy. She only sang 3 words during that class. We sang "When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbing along." Lucy sang "bob, bob, bob." It was enough for me. I get that she's really young for a class...

Lucy is learning so much, so fast that I can hardly keep up with her. Her language skills are exploding tenfold each day, her walking and balance are coming easier and easier with time. Of significance this week: She's popped out 2 new teeth in 3 days. (It's been a little tough on her.) Absolutely everything makes it into her mouth, and no wonder. Additionally, she can turn the water in the bathroom on and off, and does so when she's brushing her teeth. All 3 of her new teeth. My baby is a toddler now. And I didn't realize how thrilled I would be to see that happen, and how sad it would make me to realize my baby is already growing up.

I am grateful for time and skills to knit, for friends who know just what music I need to feed my soul, for songs, for singing, and for the awe I feel watching Lucy grow.

Good Morning, Starshine.

LJ has recently become fascinated with my knitting bag. Perhaps that's because I'm toting it around more often than I used to... this afternoon, after we returned from getting haircuts, she sat on the sunroom floor and systematically took each set of needles out of my bag, used them to drum or simulate knitting, and then exchanged them for the next set. It was truly endearing. I'm looking forward to teaching her how to knit, though Melissa assures me that she will be the first to teach her! I'm okay with that...Melissa has mad skills!


Lise informed me that LJ woke up this morning, sat straight up in bed, pointed to the bedside table and said "Book." When I slipped back into bed, both my girls were reading The Everything Book by Denise Fleming. I turned on my side, and when Lise was done reading, she turned on her side, and LJ sat there in the middle, reading aloud to herself. I don't know why this should surprise and thrill me as much as it does; after all, she's been watching us read in bed from the moment she was born. For that matter, I was using her in my belly as a prop for my books!

After we got out of bed, I made the coffee while LJ explored shoes, mosied around the kitchen and eventually ended up in the sunroom, headed straight for the book basket. One of her favorite things lately is going to the book basket, picking one, then bringing it to me or Lise and pointing to our laps. "Up," she'll say. Pick me up and read to me mommy.

I am grateful for sunny morning personalities, natural curiosity, kids imitating life, dear friends, and a spouse who recognizes and points out some of the coolest things about life.