A little hello

(looking out my dining room window)

I've all but abandoned this blog.  Mostly, I've been following that rule that all our mothers taught us: "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all."  That must sound terrible, but it's mostly how I feel. Keeping things real.

This has been an unexpectedly hard winter for me.  I keep hoping that the warmer weather and a "lightening of sorts" is just around the corner.  I'm not sure if I can totally pinpoint what is going on in my heart-- there just seems to be a heaviness, a slight sadness, a pesky grey cloud that keeps hanging around.

Motherhood requires an insane amount of endurance. The lack of sleep alone (nope, he's still not sleeping through :) is enough to provoke dimentia. Add in all the cooking, and cleaning, and laundry, and homework, and discipline, and financial strain, ...it can be very overwhelming.

I long for some free time in my day. I long to take photos, and write, and sew, and crochet, and cook for fun, and exercise, YES EXERCISE. Heck, I'd even like to shower and brush my teeth on a daily basis. It simply isn't happening right now.

I'll get there I know. Life is a series of seasons. But for right now I'm sort of finding my way. Please bare with me.

Pants problem

What do you get when you add the following?

A giganitc cloth diaper booty that rarely fits into any store-bought pants (except for these)

Cold weather and a need for warm bottoms

A desire to have comfortable, soft clothing

A MAJOR PANTS PROBLEM!

I decided to make some.   I used this pattern, but I lined them, so I followed the directions for the lined quick change pants in this book. Does that make sense?  I used the big butt pattern, but I assembled them according to the directions in Ana Maria's book.  Got it? I was so pleased with how easy these were.  I plan to make more.  Lots more. 

I know it is hard to see in this photo, but there is this extra little gusset fabric on the back.  It really helps house those BumGenius dipes. We use prefolds and wool too which can be so bulky. 

These particular pants are made with fine wale courdoroy (very soft) and lined with flannel shirting. Warm and soft.  Problem solved!

Next problem: drool. Massive quantities of drool. I was changing his soggy t-shirts several times per day! Who needs that extra laundry?  Enter this little kerchief- AKA the drool catcher.  Simple little pattern here.  I was lazy enough to just zig-zag the edges wrong sides together. Micro terry on one side, flannel on the other.  Wa-lah.

Isn't he getting big?

YOU = "double rainbow all the way"

Great, great stuff you left behind here last time. I just really loved reading all of your comments, and reading them again, and again.  You had some well thought-out stuff to say. Really, I've been chewing on them the last 7 days. Thank you to those who have been longtime readers and commented for the first time! (wink wink AUNT CHRISTIE). All of your opinions are so valuable to me- even the opinions that I don't share.  What a rich treasure it is to be able to draw upon the experiences of so many different people. Thank you for your encouragement, your ideas, your challenges, just wow.

I took the above picture in the parking lot of the fabric store the other day. I can hardly look at a rainbow anymore without giggling a little.  The weather has been weird. Snow, rain (lots of rain), and today: 50 degrees, sunshine and a massive meltdown. I can see some of my grass for the first time since mid November. I can't keep up.  I mean how do you dress for that?  Speaking of dressing.  I am at a total loss.  A complete fashion block.  I have no idea what a 30ish woman who lives a mostly casual life is supposed to wear! Do you know what it is? I am out of practice!  I've been wearing maternity clothes and nursing shirts for 18 months.  I have no inspiration. I know what I like when I see it put together, but to do it myself? Nope. Total anxiety in Old Navy the other day (whining 4 year old and fussy baby didn't help). Normally, I love shopping for Spring clothes.  I always feel relieved to see that fresh palette of colors.  I don't naturally tend towards the deeper darker colors of fall and winter.

I just spent 45 minutes over at polyvore and this was all I could come up with:

Eh. I don't know.

Come back tomorrow. I've been sewing.