Monday, May 16, 2011

Tiptoe through the tulips

Remove wooden shoes

Last summer we went to Europe with some friends and their daughter, my birthday buddy.  She was seven months old at the time.  In honor of her, for Peter Potamus’s seven month birthday, we took my mom to Holland.

Holland, Michigan, that is.  The Tulip Time Festival.  Etched in our imaginations from childhood readings of The Bobbsey Twins in Tulipland, Mom and I have been making plans ever since we learned that A. and I were moving to Michigan.  So, despite the fact that she’s barely been home, between tax season, heading to Florida immediately afterward, she came this past week to see the tulips, and as a tiny little bonus, get grandson snuggle time.

Mom and I went on Wednesday, toured Windmill Island with all of the retired people on bus tours, went to the quilt show, and found a spot on the sidewalk next to the bucket filling station for the Volksparade.  You see, before the official parade, there’s the streetcleaning.  Families who apparently have been the streetcleaners for generations walk down the street in costume with buckets of water and brooms, ostensibly sweeping the street clean.  The bucket filling station was a center of action.  We got a little wet from overenthusiastic bucket fillers, but it was hot, so we didn’t mind too much.  All the excitement got to Peter, and by the time we got back to the car, he looked like this:Tuckered out 

A. didn’t want to miss out on the fun, so we headed back on Saturday.  Unfortunately, the weather was not nearly so nice, so we got wet again, but this time it wasn’t so exciting.  But we did get to see the Dutch Dancers.  And another parade.

Watching the dancing

Now, just because this post would be incomplete without them, some tulips.

Not sure what I think of the black tulips

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

I’m joining a knitalong

It’s really startling to me to count back and realize that I learned to knit 7 or 8 years ago.  Really?  Crazy.  And despite being aware of knitting blogs and knitalongs all this time, I’ve never joined one.

When I talked about my plan to no longer attempt to keep this as a craft blog, my friend pointed out that this was the reason we have slashes— a mom / craft / geeky / etc. blog is pretty fun.  And she’s right.  I like it when other people’s blogs cross those lines in the sand.

Case in point, this Baby Surprise Jacket knitalong.  Administered by Elizabeth Foss, an inspiring Mom/family/faith/homeschooling blogger if ever there was one, and who has just learned to knit in the last couple months.  And I love seeing her dive into it with her daughters.  So I’m diving in too.

I need to pick up the book from the library and swatch, but hopefully Peter Potamus will come out of it with his first knit-by-mommy sweater.  Yay!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

This is what I do for fun

Starry Dodecahedron

But really, the finished product (or, actually, draft), is nothing if not accompanied by this.

Math for fun

I was attempting to make the biggest pentagon possible on my tracing paper.  In the middle of the night.  While my child was crying.  Yes, this was the distraction/relaxation I chose when Peter Potamus was going through a rough sleeping patch and I sent his father in so I could take a little break.

Eleven tracing paper pentagons, some wire, fishing line, and complicated glue stick maneuvering, and we have a starry dodecahedron lantern.  It doesn’t light up because I haven’t found my paper lantern cord, and I think a second draft is probably in order.  But I’m still pretty happy.  Especially because I got to whip out SOH-CAH-TOA.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Unintentional bedtime catechesis

On Holy Thursday, the procession from the sanctuary to the “garden” (apparently properly called the altar of repose) was accompanied by a meditative chant.  It was a beautiful procession, and as short melodic phrases accompanying sentimental moments are wont to do, it wormed its way into my mind.

Since that time it has become part of Peter Potamus’s bedtime routine.  Soothing, calming, repetitive.  Good, right?

It wasn’t until last night that I actually thought about it and realized that maybe using the words “Stay with me, remain here with me, watch and pray, watch and pray” to lull my son to sleep wasn’t exactly the best message.  Oops.