With summer coming to an end

So it has been a while and what a great time I have been having since last I wrote. Where to start.

I have not written because I have become addicted to FB. I have fallen in love. I like documenting our day,vacations and celebrations. The best part is keeping up with friends and connecting to new and old ones. Literally for me :).

I worked at the Bothell Friday Market, between the heat and little traffic I did not do well and the days were long. I decided that the market was not for me and I am going to have to stop playing on the weekend ( not sure I can follow that through) and do the sat and sun markets.

I have been designing new candle holders and cards. Listing once again on etsy. Which means taking pictures. someday maybe I will get the hang of it and have beautiful pictures. Ahhh to dream.

I have worked 4 tens this summer in childcare. I have a wonderful time with the kids and realized I missed mentoring teachers and having meaningful discussions on quality care and what it means for children. Not just writing it down on paper but really practicing it in the classroom.

We had an art show at the end of our quarter together and it was such a trip. Awesome work by 4 and 5 year olds, the pride they had in what they had created. The pics I took did not capture the process which was amazing. I think that is where I am going to focus my blog( that is if I get motivated) I want good hard discussions around childcare and what teachers are doing to advocate for children, projects teachers are doing and to celebrate! We will see how it goes.

I also have this very funny 3 year old granddaughter. She has done some funny things, like all children and keep dreaming of writing a picture book about her adventures. When I dream the words and pics just flow from me and as soon as I sit to write they all disappear. Toying with the idea to tell the stories to my son and have him write them down. I am a better vocal storyteller than written.

Last but not least, I have seemed to have a break in my hip. 3 months ago I thought I pulled a muscle in my back and figured it would go away, the pain just continued and was unable to sleep at night. Then the pain centered in my knee and was unbearable so I finally went to the Dr. He was sure it was my hip and I had arthritis. One xray later no sign of arthritis but he was not convinced. We treated it like it was arthritis so I continued to walk and swim. Low and behold it seems I have a crack in my hip bone. Everyone is baffled. I have not fallen. This crack happens when you fall very hard and to the side, most people can not even walk with the brake. Hmmm I am baffled too. Now I am off the leg, no swimming, just sitting. They are going to run one more test next week to determine exactly what is going on. So until then I am layed up.

What a glorious end to the summer, I think camping will be out for a while as well. That makes me the saddess. Hoping end of Sept and first of Oct we will be back on the road again.

Etsy find

This is a little late in coming but I wanted to share an etsy find! threelittlegoblins run by Pam.

My grandson is into being a super hero and according to my daughter he was wearing a too small pair of superman pajama's with a cape attached and when that was in the wash he was wearing a towel ( don't get me wrong a towel is a wonderful super hero cape) but that is not a cape a child should have when he has a grandma who shops on etsy.! My daughter called and asked if I would make a cape and of course I said yes. You see I had intention of making it. My sewing machine has so much dust I am not sure I can even find it! What is a grandma to do, etsy to the rescue. So I set out on my search for a cape on etsy. There were many but not as many as I had anticipated. So I set out on my hunt, affordable, bright,unique and loads of fun and this is what I found! threelittle goblins. Pam is the owner of the shop and she did a wonderful job. My daughter said her workmanship was terrific and she custom sized the cape for the length that I needed. She added extra touches, wrapping and a card with my own sentiments in it. Ayden has not taken the cape off since its arrival. Thanks Pam for making my little guy the super hero he was meant to be. I have shared your shop with other grandma's so they too can have super hero's in their families.

Update

The laundry room still looks like the pictures I have in my blog. I am hoping to have pics of the new floor soon!

New Baby!

A year of the new! We welcomed Beckett Ann into the world on Wednesday Jan 21. She arrived to the hospital at 7:00 courtesy of mom and dropped into her new world at 8:00. Baylor was excited to see her new baby sister. Hats off the Katie and natural child birth! Not that it was planned that way. She is a trooper. The epidural cart was ready and just in her reach and way too close to her eyesight but with Beckett chomping at the bit to meet her new family a lass no drugs for mom. Check out her pictures here. New babies and new hope, smiles, laughter and no sleep. Ahhhh new babies.

First stress of the New Year!

Here we go the remodeling show

The laundry room.

Since we are not moving I wanted one like the ones we saw in all those new homes. My hubby is so good with the tools!

The New Year!

Here we are in the new year and it will be a strange one at that. I have decided I must enjoy living in the stress. The decisions I make seem to add more and not decrease them. I had a great holiday with little fan fare. My family got snowed in, at least they were at my house, and so Christmas went on as scheduled. There was laughter and quiet and cuddles. There was the first sled ride of my granddaughter and my first in a long time. Snowball fights and challenges on the wii. There was remembering a grandfather and a dad. Sweet memories in the midst of grief. There was tea and hot cocoa shared on web cam with my daughter and grandson. Thank goodness for technology! It was a wonderful visit. They were suppose to be here for the holidays, price of tickets and a miscarriage kept us apart. We celebrated the baby who is on the way any day now and we grieved the baby we will never know. We stomped in the snow, laughed at it, enjoyed it and cursed it. In the end it was the the Christmas I could never had planned for.I will keep it close as I make my way through the coming months with turning 52, my dads death, changes at work, remodeling my home, setting my own boundaries and nurturing my marriage, friendships, building my business, keeping myself healthy and all the challenges and celebrations that keeps us living.

To all my friends: thank you for being there

To all my etsy friends, here is to a great new year!

To you who I have yet to meet, I can not wait.

Sherrie

There goes the time

Whoosh and it is gone! I have watched my granddaughter and it has been two years since she had entered this world and there is another one on the way. She will be here in the middle of Jan. In time for my birthday! I have watched my son and his girlfriend struggle with the issues of childcare and wished my hubby would win the lotto so I could stay home and care for her. I sent them to a childcare I felt was safe for my grandchild and low and behold even those who you trust can not be when it comes to children. She has been told she is bad, has been grabbed by the chin and told to stop it, and her mother only gets reports of all the "terrible things she has done during the day" She is only 2. My heart goes out to you moms who have to struggle with this issue. To top it off they are getting a subsidy from the state for care and their choices right now is this daycare. AHHHHHHHH. My sons girlfriend is on top of it and has let the center know she is not going to take this. If Baylor says she has been touched or scolded at school she will take it up with the director and the licensor. I am also going to stopping by unannounced. A good idea for anyone who has children in childcare.

Here she is in her pirate/ riding helmet/disguise from The red Ripe Strawberry. How she loves to dress up.