Domesticity

My arms are pleasantly aching after a good long kneading of my first ever homemade whole grain bread.

My fingers are sufficiently pricked after sewing up Drew's new dress.

I will share (brag) about both later.

foot-note

Drew's Valentine we made for daddy, complete with handwritten note.

Candice, you gave me the idea with the feet valentines you made at mutual. Except for some reason I thought painting her foot would be easier than trying to get her to stand still and trace it. It was a good idea until I stuck her in the dry bathtub to clean her off and she stamped all over the place!

Happy love day!

Bad Idea

My fortune cookie last night said, "YOU ARE NEVER SELFISH WITH YOUR ADVICE OR YOUR HELP".

So here is my unselfish advice. Don't ask your husband to go pick you up Panda Express as your first post-sick meal of the week. It may sound strangely delicious at the time, but I promise you orange chicken does not sit well on an already queesy stomach.

Our Little Nerd Alert

This picture illustrates what I'm talking about. For some reason Drew is obsessed with letters, numbers, and counting. A day at the rec center Tot Lot is not just a time to play and run around, but a chance to point out letters she finds. I think it was a Sesame Street Alphabet movie she got for her birthday from the Rixens. For a while there we were watching it every day (Big Bird's song still jumps into my head at most random times). Now she sees letters everywhere we go.

In the parking garage at the library we park on level B. So we get out of the car and Drew points at the sign and says, "B!"

In the bath Drew picks out the foam letter Y, makes the letter with her arms in the air, and says, "Y!" (it's what they do on Sesame Street).

Every time I change her diaper she must first show me, "4" on her new diaper, because that is the size she wears.

The really fun part (sarcastic) is when we read books, we rarely look at the pictures anymore. She points at every letter and I must tell her what letter it is. Our reading sounds like this, " B, A, B, Y..."

I don't know why she is more interested in letters and numbers than in more normal things for a one year old. But I must say that she is a dream child for a retired teacher. Can I call myself retired? I like the sound of it.

What day is it? October?

Three colds and three influenzas later, the Patterson's are still alive and tickin' after last week. Sort of. I'm still on a diet of blue Powerade and all Drew wants to do is watch Spongebob all day. We are a sad bunch.

By the way, does anyone know how to get the smell of vomit out of the carpet?

Black thumb, revisited

Remember this little beauty? And remember how I said it probably will not make it to see 2009? I may have left it right there on my windowsill neglected while I was out of town for five weeks. My other houseplant was a little parched when I returned home, but after a good watering, it was as perky and happy as ever.

This orchid though was unforgiving. It is supposed to go three weeks without watering. What is just two more weeks? Was it really necessary to go all black-leaved and mushy-rooted? A little dramatic, I think. I do not want plant drama in my life. And since no amount of my love and care could return it, it got dumped. I am very sad.

And my heart aches a little to see all the green that used to be outside my window.

a lot

Drew and I go to the library A LOT. I usually get very ambitious and check out a bunch of non-fiction books about things that I am interested in (which is A LOT). Then I get very busy and A LOT of the books don't ever get cracked open. These are my current picks:

I wish I only liked to do one thing. Then my life would be A LOT more simple.