Perhaps you’ve already seen this guy from Enchanted Gypsy over on my flickr.  i love him and he fits in well after the laundromat post.

that’s it, that’s all. no words to add.  i continue to better my health…

Thank you!!! it’s so great to have this feedback to my lethargic complaints (last post). i would normally like to respond to your comments individually but i am indeed more than fatigued from my coffee overconsumption though that remains an issue to which i am addressing - i’m aiming for 1 a day and certainly no more than 2 on those especially cozy days. Something came on fast yesterday afternoon. We were at the laundromat with our friend and neighbor (our washer is cranky this week) and i suddenly had a sore throat and my limbs felt heavy. it progressed to chills and by the time Little A was put to bed i was due for some miso soup and a hot bath and then 2 rounds of hot lemon, ginger and honey, some modified Yin Qiao San and zinc lozenges. Today is daddy day so i get to mellow and rest easy. Already i’m feeling pretty great and i’m having a coffee. ha.

Some shots from the laundromat;

Hope you all are enjoying a lazy Sunday as i am.

i have been struggling with a lack of energy more than usual these past couple weeks. In spite of getting more rest i am just feeling dull and uninspired to feed the creative play. i feel guilty that i should pressure my 3 year old to come up with something interesting for us to pass the day away. Yesterday he did well, suggesting a trip to the aquarium which was fun and fantastic for us both but mostly when i ask what he wants to do he would rather that i come up with the plan. And so it should be up to the adult to find and follow an easy rhythm in the day. I have several theories to my recent moods and fatigue but the only one i’ll share here now is coffee. i have been drinking too much coffee that it is having an adverse affect on me, exhausting rather than stimulating. i do love it so. i enjoy it by the bodumful at home and then a cappucino (sometimes 2!!) at the cafe. For me that is too much. i know some of you crazies out there function on far more than that but for me 1 should be more than enough. Better yet switch to decaf.

Despite recent moods, low energy and a craving to hibernate, my toddler keeps me going. He just wants me to join in his play and have fun all the time. Sometimes we lose our groove but that smile and laughter puts all things back into perspective for me.

Earlier this day we visited Auntie’s studio where i felt slightly uneasy about all things white and fragile but nothing was broken even when bouncing around a giant ball and making music with glassware. The space is looking beautiful L. Griffin also had a fun playtime with Tate.

watching the train from above;

i never thought i’d say this but there’s something simply beautiful about concrete;

i’ve been daydreaming of making my own felt playscapes and dolls for puppet shows but i am a true beginner having made nothing more than a ridiculous amount of felted balls (easy peasy). Jane & i got together this morning/afternoon to try out a felted soap project. it went pretty well with little effort and our boys were totally great at self entertaining and popping in now and then to “connect”. It was a great play date. Some may wonder why we would want our soap felted? Well it looks pretty cool and attractive to little ones and it never hurts to inspire them to wash their hands more frequently. It also makes the soap less slippy in the tub and apparently the soap will last longer. We shall see before i felt any more bars. If i do attempt this again i will thin out the layers of roving a little more so that the fibers mesh together more smoothly and evenly. i’m not sure what Little A is attempting with the roving but he was having a good time.

Our sweeties;

Here’s another super cool project that C made with/for Arlo on the weekend. He digs it.

Ah and i got a day to myself to sew, photograph and post in the shop. It rocked.

i’m not really into Valentine’s Day as i say about most commercial holidays but since Arlo received some awesome cards in the mail i had some explaining to do. The day before we set up a very red “nature table” together - the highlight being the empty mailbox awaiting a surprise the next morning. We also pulled out the craft paper and glitter pens and made our own cards to post and deliver. He was pretty thrilled.

The red and pink are now put away and the nature table is vacant for forest finds, that is if the rain will let up so we can go exploring and find things that are not completely covered in mud. i’m digging Jane’s roaming photos right now. They’re so beautiful it makes me want to go for a walk right now. We’ll have to roam the more beaten track since Little A insists on wearing only slippers everywhere. (He was a sling babe but we’re sure getting stroller use now).

Knitting is my rediscovered love. i aspire to knit better. Anna’s knits and woolen projects rock! The longies WIP are complete, there was wool leftover for wee leg warmers and now i’m in need of some 12″ 5mm circulars so i can get started on a pair for myself - leg warmers that is, though i would love to have a pair of longies my size.

Berroco yumminess;

i love wool in skeins.

How come i’ve never been here before?! What a fantastic farm right in the middle of a residential area in North Vancouver. We spent a good couple of hours walking around, feeding ducks, chickens and bunnies, petting goats and getting sniffed out by some rather large and intimidating horses (Clydesdales?). i look forward to the sheep shearing in May.

As you can see the stable is coming in to play in the re-enactment titled “Maplewood Farm” - i love it.

The sun is shining still and i’m being called by the wee one to get going again!

oh dear. i indulged in 2 glasses of red wine with a friend last night and i felt rather dehydrated this morning. i just can’t drink like i used to. Does everyone say that at some point in their life? Anyhow, we had fun and it was a relief to engage in adult conversation without constant interruptions from our boys. i am sooooo very happy that Carolyn was able to get me through a stump in my knitting which, until now, has left these wool longies as a work in progress for 2 years! Yikes. They won’t fit Little A now but i’ll be relieved to complete them. it drove me nuts to have this gorgeous wool nearly all knit up (minus 1 leg).

It seems a little late to be getting into knitting but it’s actually a perfect time for me - i just might have some things finished for the next Winter season. I’ve pulled out the old trunk and rifled through the stash. There are some delicious things in there. i’ve got socks on the brain. i want to know how to make some. Have you all seen this and this? Sock heaven. sigh.

On the topic of wool, i am absolutely in love and ever impressed by the work of frogs and fairies i scooped up this set on her etsy site as soon as i spotted it. Oh the sweetness and the colors. It’s very inspiring but i am not at all set up for needle felting myself (not yet).

Other sweet play things… i ordered this stable for Little A for Christmas but when it didn’t arrive in time i had to come up with plan B. We finally went to Bellingham and were able to pick up the stable and i can tell already that it will be a well used toy. Yes it’s a stable but it’s also the the local fish and chip joint. Endless possibilities and creative plays and puppet shows. (The cat is from Jalu toys. The rooster and other blurry animals came with the set).

Health update; Little A is doing well and even after being exposed to another round of flus we have remained well. Whew. The foot is not healed. He limps, favors it and after a day of being out and on it he needs 2 or 3 days to recover. My body is tired of carrying his 30lbs. He’s frustrated with the limitation. We need to know what’s going on and to remain hopeful for a recovery soon so i opted for follow up xrays. We shall soon have some results. Once again George has been a trooper, taking the first turn.

Every time we go into a store where they sell Curious George Little A wants to carry one around while we browse. When it’s time to go he gives him a hug, has a little chat and tucks him in with his other lookalike friends. Every time we visit my sister and her boys in Bellingham, Little A borrows their George who is otherwise neglected to other favorite toys. This visit we returned home with a new friend for keeps! Oh the pleasure. Thank you sis. These past couple of days George has been everywhere with us. i’m beginning to feel a little left out of the conversations as these 2 bond. it’s pretty sweet actually. i think this is the first “Disney” toy in our home. i don’t even know if it is Disney but you all know what i mean right? He’s not my first choice but the smile on my boys face sure is and i’m practicing to say “yes” to his choices. George came in mighty helpful in appeasing the anxiety at the dentist yesterday. It really helped to have a friend go first.

Other things that i am saying yes to recently are requests to watch Maisy tv, read lots of Maisy and Charlie & Lola, let him wear crocs in Winter, leave forts and play scenes set up for days despite our increasingly shrinking living space, buy red fruity soap, eat potato knish and poppy seed rugeleh almost daily, play with outside trucks inside… the list goes on in effort to be less controlling and to empower his choices and hopefully to put more meaning in the important No’s.

edit; i thought i would add this morning’s impromptu birthday party. George is turning 4!