Straw Bale House

It's a lot easier to be video free video light in the Springtime — we're giving it another go. Winter was tough. As soon as the kids got sick I caved in and the videos trickled back downstairs until there were huge piles of them. Straw bales help — they might be my favorite kid toy of all time. Lots of creative play has been going on, around, on top, underneath, and inside of them. And, when stacked they are slightly dangerous, which makes them even better. We're thinking of getting some for a friend for his fifth birthday.

What's that on your butt?

While walking around in a bottom-half girdle today, my older son said, "What's that on your butt?" Thinking something was stuck to my bottom, I brushed away — but, nothing was there. Then, I realized he was talking about the black girdle I was wearing. I don't usually wear girdles with my ancient maternity yoga pants and such, but today I was wearing a dress! And, it was sticking to my regular undergarments because I didn't have a slip, hence the smooth girdle. Quickly I came up with a white lie, "It's like bike shorts." His response, "It's a butt holder."

Ain't it the truth, man. Ain't it the truth.

How do they get so smart?

I promise some crafty photos soon. I'm close to finishing my first sweater! My goal is to take an Anthropologie-worthy photo of it that doesn't make me look feel like a wurst.

P.S. Thanks for the bra info. In the pre-internets days I would have only had a few friends to get quality info from. Who would have thought a b**b song and bra question could garner 21 comments. I love it. :)

How Do You Hold a Moonbeam in Your Hand?

Minkee1
Originally uploaded by Green Kitchen.


Minkee2
Originally uploaded by Green Kitchen.


Chiweenie
Originally uploaded by Green Kitchen.

I think a lot about this line from the Sound of Music, especially as my "Maria" gets closer to school age — a topic for many future blog posts, I'm sure. Right now, I'm working on figuring out ways to help my son relax, to learn how to be calm.

Somewhere in this blog I mentioned that the fabric Minkee helps my little whirling dervish settle down. He's taken to carrying around an unfinished length of it like a blankie. Kristin from Sew, Mama, Sew! remembered this and included some Minkee scraps along with an order that I placed. I thought I would use them to finish the blankie, but I made up these pants and poncho instead.

As you can see, the Minkee trick doesn't always work. When it doesn't, we can always play the "Will You Buy Me?" game — possibly his favorite game of all time. In the bottom photo you can see my latest purchase, a Chiweenie, trying his best to be a good dog. He cost "none." A pretty good deal, I think.

Things Kids Say

Yesterday:
Grandma likes whiskey, I presume.

Awhile back:
Dada, you don't want people to see you naked. Nobody wants to see your balls.

Mother's Little Helper

demetrie1
Originally uploaded by Green Kitchen.
demetrie3
Originally uploaded by Green Kitchen.
demetrie2
Originally uploaded by Green Kitchen.

As a stay-at-home mom my drug of choice has been the television. This is as surprising to me as it is shocking to my close friends. I grew up with the TV on all the time and at some point decided it was all wrong and tried to talk my family into getting rid of it, which was not a popular concept—we continued with the low drone of constant TV chatter. When I moved away from home I felt refreshed by my no-TV-havin' life. I used to say, "Doing *anything* else is better than watching TV." It was a pleasant fourteen year reprieve, then, I moved back home.

In the last four years I have fallen into the easy habit of letting my son watch TV so that I can have a break from my 60-hours-a-week mom's-in-charge-job. First, it was just videos (which are, by the way, a gateway drug) and, then, onto the good stuff, cable TV (I heart Noggin). I feel guilty as all hell. One day my mom says, "When you guys move out I'm going to cancel the cable." I say and think "What? You've been keeping it for *us*? For the kid? I thought it was *your* security blanket. You've *got* to cancel it!"

That was a few months ago, at least. On brave days I would remind my mom to cancel the cable. Then, I would start to panic a little, wondering what the hell I was going to do without TV. How would I blog? How would I knit, crochet, do dishes, fix dinner, go to the bathroom?

So, yesterday, we came home from preschool, which was a workday for me (always a tiring proposition), and my mom surprises me by telling me she cancelled the cable. Yikes! I hadn't even eaten yet, my baby was tired, and my preschooler wanted to relax with a little TV. I quickly had to explain to my son why we think too much TV is bad and that our new family motto is, "Less TV, More Fun." Cake helped stop the tears.

Today was a good day. No tears and lots of activity and books. I think I'll do OK with the making the kids happy part, but I wonder when I'll get to do anything for me. Got any pointers, Amanda, others?

------------

These paintings are by my very talented friend Demetrie, who moved away to Brooklyn a couple years ago and left all sorts of his cool art with me. He did this series in 2000. In a future life I want to make a stuffed animal based on the guy with the long neck.