Looking for my easy button (your mom's easy!)

Ever since posting my dream list, I keep coming back to the gaping disconnect between many of them in terms of importance. Short-term is one thing, but come on. Something about mentioning "Organizing my filing cabinet" in the same breath as visiting a foreign country or, saying, ADOPTING A CHILD didn't sit well with me. So on Tuesday night, once the kids were in bed and the dishes were done, I lugged out my Huggies box full of paperwork containing receipts, bank statements, household documents, and other randomness dating back more than a year, and got to work. Two hours later, I was done. Done! Finished with a project I've been obsessing over for months, bitching and moaning about never having enough time for things like filing, what with all the clothing and feeding and bathing and general erranding I do in my role as mother. I just need to hole myself up for one afternoon and let Luke play point with the kids, I'd say. An entire afternoon, when really all I needed was one night away from the damn TV. Why do we make things so hard for ourselves? Or, more appropriately, why am I so lazy?

Anyway. All of that to say that it only took four day to cross off my first dream from the list. And Jen sent me an e-mail over the weekend outlining how to turn off the stupid box that appears next to Typepad comments, so that's two. At this rate, I'll need a whole new dream list for 2010.

Moving forward, my goal is to refer to this list and conquer new action items as I'm able to take them on. In fact, I'm already hard at work on a new one--"Relearn to crochet"--as Luke and I are taking a more creative spin on Christmas this year. To be honest, we'are still adjusting to the loss of my Parents income, and when we examined our proposed budget for the holiday season, we realized it just wasn't possible. In this new age of financial transparency, it's all about keeping things real and not being ashamed of the limits you have to set for yourself. It doesn't mean that we're "in trouble" or that we can't pay our bills or we don't have anything left over for savings. We're not, we can, and we do. We are fine. We just can't afford huge expenses that fall outside of our normal day-to-day spending without running up a balance we can't pay off at the end of the month. So hi, my name is Frema and I can't (read: won't) blow $700 on Christmas this year.

ANYWAY. A few of my coworkers were meeting during lunch to work on their knitting (shockingly, they are younger than 80), so at first I thought I would take the opportunity to just do that. But after one session, I was throwing my hands up at the chore that is navigating two needles and pulled from the depths of my closet my not-touched-in-years craft bag, which, when I say "craft bag" I mean "outdated tote containing two half-started crocheting projects back from the year 2000." I was a sophomore in college in 2000, and rooming with a certain domestic diva willing to divulge her secrets. She taught me and another friend a simple stitch, and we'd spend hours every week watching old movies and zoning out with our needles and yarn. I started with a blanket and then got bored and moved on to a scarf and then got bored with that and eventually put everything away, "until I was feeling inspired again." That was nine years ago.

Understandably, I'm a little rusty.

Now that I'm a couple of weeks into it, I'm learning more and more about what I don't remember and what I never actually learned how to do. There's a crocheting 101 classs at the local Joann Fabrics that I thought about taking at the beginning of November, but in reviewing our expenses I realized I could either take the class or get my hair cut, so now the new plan is to visit my local library and grab some reference books until I can take the class when it's offered again in December. I learn best when there's a physical teacher around to show me the ropes, but I'm willing to broaden my horizons a little and see what I can accomplish on my own. I don't want to flake out on this again. I want to make something of my half-assed blanket and scarf and also create something completely new. I added a brand-new category and everything! So this will not be the last time you are subjected to craft talk from me. (Crosses fingers)

My sad little blanket and Winnie the Pooh tote. College Frema was really into Winnie the Pooh back then.

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Since the last entry was all about Kara, I thought I would share a few photos of the other scene-stealer in our house. I'd tell you about all the things Nathan's been up to lately except that then I won't have anything left for his nine-month update. I will say that his baptism is this Sunday and that we decided to go with a spiffy sweater-corduroy pants combo for his ensemble, and as part of the most perfect surprise ever, my sister Ryan will be joining us from Germany! My brother-in-law, Jason, is in Russia for training, so Ryan will fly into Chicago on Thursday and hang around for the next few weeks. She and Nathan share the same birthday, and she hasn't been home for a visit since Christmas, so she hasn't even met him yet. I am super psyched to see her and introduce her to my beautiful boy.

Nathan's excited about it, too.

Is Auntie into sippy cups? Because I totally dig ladies with a working knowledge of sippy cups.

 

 A favorite pastime: Holding onto furniture for dear life.

When did my widdle tiny Boo Boo graduate to a full-fledged blend of baby and toddler with a dashing young smile to boot? Do you see the tooth parked on his bottom gum? It's like he's a real live boy!

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Okay, okay, since you twisted my arm, here's a little Kara goodness for you. Presenting: Greetings and Salutations, toddler-style.

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Finally, here are the two monkeys side by side. What fun they have, exploring the world together.

Comments

[Bren]

I took up knitting a few years ago and have knit a blanket for my mom (several years ago) and a new one for my dad last year (in his favorite football team colors). It took a lot of hours but it's so much better than one I could have bought at the store. Now if I could learn to knit something like a computer or new TV (ha ha!) Good luck with your project and knocking those items off your list!

[Erica]

My 10 year old taught himself to crochet via the best teacher evah (according to him) youtube! Gah! So if you can't find anything at the library there is always that! I would love to learn how to knit but can't find the time. Good luck with your list. You are inspiring me to write one of my own.

[eva]

I took up knitting when I was on maternity leave. I made a change purse, then started a scarf. Annnnddd...that's that. So yeah, I can relate:)

And I totally hear you about Christmas. My husband's family doesn't do gifting, and mine barely does, so we're lucky. Megan doesn't know the difference, so she's getting some used (but new to her!) toys I picked up at a flea market. We are in no financial distress, we just abhor conspicuous consumerism. Unless it's shoes for me or something:)

[Dannielle]

I am going to second Erica's comment about learning on YouTube! I would suggest maybe getting a book, and then when they tell you to "cast on" or "knit" or "pearl" or "cast off", that you just enter that in Google. Sometimes a video is much more helpful than a book!

[Trilby]

Oh my goodness, Kara and Nathan are both beautiful!

I was going to learn to knit a while back. Bought a couple "How To" books, but never even cracked them open. Knitting seems like a good way to relax in the evenings and I'd like my boys to have something I made them with my own two hands. :)

[Julie]

I get what you are saying about Christmas...This year I have decided I will turn my kitchen skillz and time (no kids!) into Christmas gifts. Homemade fun! I will be canning orange marmalade, making chocolate truffles, and hopefully some bread (for the marmalade to go on, of course!) And also making up little jars of hot chocolate mix...kind of a hodgepodge of stuff, but I figure I can make a cute little basket of all the stuff and with using cute fabric and ribbons and labels, be good to go. For not all that much money. Just time and energy.

Good luck with your crocheting! (or as I like to call it crotch-it-ing.) (looks dirtier when I type it. sorry.)

[Jen L.]

Death to the TypePad boxes!

Gah, with the cute children! That video made my day. At the end, it sounds like she says "Don't work!" That's awesome that your sister will get to be there for Nathan's baptism!

Thank you for the reminder that WOW! craft stores offer classes. I need to get my butt to Michael's. I am the opposite of crafty unless it ivolves icing.

We're feeling the holiday crunch, too. We spent nearly $500 on airfare alone last year to visit my in-laws and there is NO WAY we can do that this year, especially since my husband is in two weddings this summer, both really far away from where we live. I'm dreaming of a quiet Christmas at home, just the three of us, that won't break the bank.

[AJU5's Mom]

I am crafty, but I don't remember one lick of any knitting beyond the cheater type (which is now popular - you can buy the rings to make hats, etc almost anywhere).

And that video of Kara - I am surprised she is so well behaved with the phone1 AJU5 is all about pushing ALL of the buttons!

[katie]

oh my gosh, my son does the same thing with the phone, he usually hands it back to me when he wants me to talk and says "thank you" in that adorable toddler talk :) I am currently being taught how to crochet (sp?) ive heard knitting is alot harder, maybe give that a try??

[Molly]

I'm loving the color, and can't wait to see it finished. Also, I'm loving your child and all the fun he is. How much he has grown in the last month!!

[Danielle]

My college self was really into Eyore. LOL!

[Cookie]

Can't believe how big Nathan is getting. Wasn't he born like yesterday? He's adorable. Also, that sippy cup was Nick's favorite until he discovered cups with Elmo on them.

I really want to learn how to knit. I'd love to be able to make scarves for my boys instead of buying yarn and asking my MIL to make them because I don't know how. It's on my list of things to do.

[daddyd]

There is sadly no easy button. However, once a project is started there is a certain momemtum that comes into play. That then makes the whole thing seem more productive.

[Jenny]

"An entire afternoon, when really all I needed was one night away from the damn TV. Why do we make things so hard for ourselves? Or, more appropriately, why am I so lazy?"
HOW TRUE, HOW TRUE (for myself, I mean!)

So glad my computer is home from Best Buy Geek Squad so I have time to read you again (it's been miserable these last 3 weeks)!

[Parsing Nonsense]

It's funny how daunting those little projects can seem until you do them and realize they never had fangs at all!