Been Awhile

We're settled - once again. We've finally moved out of corporate limbo and into a little house on a hill. Boxes are all unpacked and everything is put away. I"ve finally had a chance to get my sewing machine and knitting needles out without feeling guilty...  Now that the Bean is out of summer school, I hope to build some "craft" time every day.

After a visit from my good friend Sarah, I've got the creative bug again. The day she left, I made a patchwork pillow for Bean's reading tent. Using three different fabrics the Bean picked out, I cut a series of 3" wide strips and further cut them into a wide variety of lengths. I then pieced them together into 5 long patchwork strips which I sewed together to make "fabric." I finally stitched up three sides, stuck in a pillow form and viola! Happy Bean!

 After the pillow, I started work on a dress for the Bean using fabrics she picked out -( I've also learned that it is a big mistake to take the Bean fabric shopping, I spend way too much!)  I used a pre-gathered fabric and cut it to size, added straps and a skirt (we just love owls in this house!).... hemmed the bottom and insta dress! I think it took me a whole hour.

The other little project I just completed were two sets of 8 coasters - one set for us and one for my Mom... again a super easy project that took a short period of time. I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of the finished products. Hopefully, the kids will let me continue on this productive streak. Fingers crossed!

stress is not fun

The members of this house are obviously picking up on my lack of sleep, caffiene and increasing levels of stress as move day approaches.

Bean has spent the morning running around and randomly throwing whatever she can into boxes to help Momma pack. She's obvioously stressing that her possessions will be left behind, which I can deal with. It's just that my sorting tasks have reached an exponential level, what with having to finish cleaning out the attic, garage, purging, and now, cleaning up and re-sorting whatever the Bean has decided to "pack" throughout the house.

SO, I'm not liking how I'm not fun Momma and have degraded to making the kids sit infront of the telly while I cross things off my to-do lists.

OK, pity party over. Kids abed and I need to begin re-cleaning the kitchen, livingroom and playroom.

Tranqulity will resume after the move, right?

Moving, Purging and Adventures Ahead

The Bean's dress(es) are currently on hold - yet one more project on the back burner - but this time it is not by choice. Papa Bear and I just returned from house hunting in the Bay Area of San Francisco! It was my first time apart from the kids, which in and of its self is a *huge* milestone. It was also my first time exploring the Bay Area as an adult. What a cool place! But my gosh, it is going to be a HUGE change for us all.

The short of the situation is this: I have less than a month before the movers come, the house isn't even on the market yet, and we haven't yet finished the remodeling projects we initiated 3+ years ago. Needless to say, the stress level is high here. I'm in the process of sorting through my teaching materials (which were never unpacked from our move east 5 years ago), purging *everything* and trying to prioritize what is going with us to our corporate housing (for 2 months), what will arrive in our temporary rental and what can wait until we buy a house (once our current home sells). To top it all off, our normal life is supposed to continue as normal = the Bean is getting tubes in her ears on Tuesday and our IEP meeting is conveniently scheduled for the second (of three) days the movers are here.

I'm trying my best not to think about the good friends that we're leaving behind, or my flowers, the Bean's innumerable plans she started this winter as seeds or our breathtaking property and all of its resident bears, fox, coyote, eagles and myriad of songbirds. Not to mention the heart break of finishing up my dream playroom/office, pantry/laundry room and fireplace the week before we leave.

Instead, I'm attempting to focus on all that the bay area has to offer our young family. Attempting.