Pants for Alyx

 

Erik decided he wanted to make a pair of pants for Alyx for Christmas.  Last year he made a skirt for Anna and did almost all the work; not with this project.  He picked out the fabric and pattern and I pretty much took it from there.  These are the “Baby Bloomers” from the book Making Children’s Clothes by Emma Hardy.  The pattern and instructions were easy and this project would normally have taken me a couple of hours – tops.  But not this year – not with this back.  This project took a full month working in five or ten minute increments and was not finished until after the big day.  Oh, well.  This year has been full of “good enough”.  The lemonade we have been making from our lemons is a little bit off, but not bad.  Enough about life – back to these cute pants!

 

I like a lot of things about all this flowery fun.  I like the pink ruffle at the hem, the contrasting lining.  I like the pants equally well with and without elastic at the cuffs.  The next pair I make will have a contrasting waist and be elastic-free at the hem (keeping the ruffle, though).  Another great thing about this pattern is that it is roomy enough for a diaper-clad bum.  My very favorite part of the pants is the fabric flower on the right pant leg.  I originally made the flower as a hair accessory for the pants, but it looked so cute on the pants I had to stitch it in place right then and there.

 

One of the things I whiled away the hours on the couch doing over the past two months was hand-sewing.  Here is a little doorknob hanger I wanted to create for quite some time.  It was nice to finally get it done.  I keep meaning to put together a little sewing basket with all my hand-stitching projects, mending, etc. so I can work on it while I’m sitting on the couch.  I sure enjoy doing it when I take the time to do it.  I still have a pillow on a chair in my living room that has been waiting to be stitched up for a year – it’s inner pillow form spilling out from time to time.  Oh, my needle is calling . . .

Christmas

Christmas Eve

Christmas Morning

Christmas Day

I hope yours was as wonderful as ours!

 

First Recital

Our darling little Annabelle had her very first ballet recital a couple of weeks ago.  Ballet had turned into a bit of a nightmare over the past two months as rides were constantly having to be arranged and then rearranged since I was not able to drive her myself.  Little angels in the form of my mother, husband and sister-in-law kept swooping in to save the day.  The day of her recital was no different.  Anna had a rehearsal at two in the afternoon and our schedule did not have a hole big enough to fit it in.  Our angels from heaven arrived in the form of some dear friends, one of them being home from college on Christmas break with a strong desire to hang out with my kids (don’t you just love people like that???)  So, our wonderful friends, the Franzen’s saved the day, allowing Sean to Christmas shop in the only time slot left before Christmas.  We love you guys!!!

Anna’s recital was darling.  Because of my back we had to make some special arrangements.  Sean had to be there an hour early with Anna.  There is no way I could sit or stand for that long waiting for her performance to start, so my in-laws  picked me up, I watched Anna little number and they drove me immediately home.  I was so grateful.  There is no way I could have seen my daughter dance in her very first recital with out the help of these wonderful people.  Thank you! 

 

This is Anna’s curtsey.  Thank goodness my silly back did not keep me from seeing her first one of those on stage.

Djeryd’s Gingerbread House

Yea, me!  Two whole blog posts in one month!!!

Last Thursday Djeryd got home from school and asked when we were going to make gingerbread houses.  From my prostrate position on the couch, I sort of laughed and told him if he wanted a gingerbread house he would have to make it himself.  So that’s what that boy of mine did.  I handed him a Martha Stewart book that had a recipe and house template, and he did the rest. 

  

I took him a few days to finish it – one step at a time – but I think he did an outstanding job.  (Don’t you love that sweatshirt mess?  The funny thing is he actually attempted to wear it to school the next day without it going through the wash.)

He finally got around to decorating the house on Sunday after church.  He had to rig up some Lego supports to keep the roof in the right place long enough for the icing to harden.  Djeryd and Anna made two different kinds of frosting and reveled in all that sugar.

I loved hearing Djeryd continually telling Anna “This is a lot of fun, huh?”  After about the fifth time Anna said, “Why do you keep saying that?”  It made me chuckle.

I am so proud of Djeryd for seeing something he wanted and going after it, even when it got frustrating.  Djeryd, you are one amazing kid, and so much fun!

I’m Baa-aack

In an effort to stem the tide of the thousands of letters, phone calls and emails I have received from fans wondering where on earth I have been for nearly two months I am writing an explanatory post  for the world in general (because I know the world really cares).  Here’s my big news, my big excuse for not bothering to sit at my computer and share details of my life on the world wide web.  Are you ready? It’s big.

I hurt my back.  I know what you’re saying, “So what? My back hurts all the time.”  Without making this post too miserably long and detailed I will simply say that having recently experienced the pain of childbirth with a faulty epidural, I spent two weeks with pain of heavy-contraction-intensity radiating down my left leg.  The good thing about contractions (I bet you didn’t know there was anything good about contractions) is that they last for one to two minutes and then you have a rest.  My leg was not so fortunate.  You see, my 23 pound hunk-of-love baby bulged a beautiful, but unseen disc in my lower back.  That excited my sciatic nerve to a level of inflammation that the spine specialist staring at my MRI (a very interesting experience in itself) told me that “any surgeon in the Pacific Northwest would operate without question.”  Considering back surgery is a big deal and most doctors try to avoid it if at all possible, that’s serious. 

At present I am going through a series of injection shots until the inflammation subsides and I can get back to living a normal life.  I go to physical therapy twice a week to learn how to do normal household things without causing further injury to my now fragile back.  I have been on the couch, basically not functioning in any useful capacity, for a month and a half.  I can count on one hand the amount of times I have picked up my beautiful wee babe over the past six weeks.  Yes, that makes me cry.

So you’ve heard the sob story, but the good from it has been so good.  And since complaining rarely makes things easier to deal with I have decided to list the blessings that have come our way as a result of this experience.

:: watching the teeny, tiny day-to-day, moment-by-moment process of my daughter learning to crawl

:: coloring endless pictures side by side with Annaliese

:: learning to love my ward on a whole new level as meals have been brought in, floors have been vacuumed, laundry has been washed and folded, my children have been played with, dishes have been washed and bathrooms have been cleaned

::  hearing every single coo from my baby’s lips

:: seeing the hand of the Lord in so many tender mercies – prayers answered before they were finished, friends knowing just when to call and just what was needed

:: cuddling with my littles – I am usually far too “busy” to enjoy them

:: knowing I have the most amazing kids in the world as they help and help and help without question and without complaint

:: being able to sit at my sewing machine, even if it only for fifteen minutes at a time every few days

:: recognizing the sweetness of hugs and kisses – they often cause pain and so are rather scarce

:: reveling in every glorious moment of family time (life can feel very lonely when there is so little that distracts)

My husband, moms, sisters and sweet friends have been life-savers.  I have been so humbled by their service and so grateful for their love.  I could seriously make a laundry list of all the trips to the store, chauffeuring of my children and cleaning that has been performed in my behalf.  I don’t dare list names for fear I would forget someone.

I have no idea how long this will last when it is all said and done.  The good news is I can blog again.  And the best news is I know there is so much love around me.  Thank you all.

 

Love, MyLiege