First Sock

As a mother, I remember many firsts with my kids.  First word.  First night away from home.  First tooth.  First day of school.  As mother of a teenager I am seeing my first son grow his first mustache. 

Creating things with my hands also inspires me to remember my firsts.  I'd like to share my first knitted sock.  It's not great, but it fits.  It is comfortable, but I may change my mind after wearing it a few hours. 

Finished product

First time on foot.  Look, Ma!  It fits!

Close up of the heel and gusset. 

This is the looking down on the toe.  I actually used the grafting method!

I made plenty of mistakes.  Some I fixed.  Some I tried to fix.  Others I didn't want to fix and didn't.  Yay me!  (There is a small hole where the gusset and heel meet the leg and toe.  A common problem.  I was glad that it was small!  I also picked up my knitting from the wrong direction at some point and the heel is inside out and I didn't realize it until halfway through and then saw that it carried over to the foot--that is the raised band around the ankle.  You can see all of these easily in the photos above.)

As other crafters know, our crafts and designs become our babies and we overlook "imperfections"  (all our babies are precious!) so I am very pleased with this sock.  Now, just pray that the SECOND sock is better.  I can't decide if I want to try to duplicate the errors (minus the hole) or just try to do it the "right" way.  I think that I want to try for the "right" way this time.  My first pair of socks won't match!  I will always tell right from left.  Tee-hee!

My mother is an avid sock knitter.  She also quilts and makes dollies.  Here are some photos of her designs of Sock Dollies.  Enjoy!

Orgami Party

The cold winter night kept us from venturing out for fun, so we decided to create some of our own.  B and I called C in to help us choose what to do.  After coming up with several great ideas, we grabbed some hot subs and a salad from some local restaurants.  While we ate we decided as a family to have an Orgami Party.  Here are some of the photos of our evening at home. 

Miss KR made several things, but I loved this photo of her demonstrating The Cup.

I made The Helmet.  I also made a sailboat and penguin.

H invented his own patterns--the bunny tie fighter and rabbit star ship. 

B and C working on a starfish which was DIFFICULT!  

 

A fun night in.  It was our version of a one-night stay-cation.  We topped it off with hot chocolate and homemade pineapple upside down cake.  Yum!

Encouraging Creativity

As a mom and homeschooling teacher, I always want to encourage my children to be creative in whatever form they wish.  Pictured above are the two snowmen the two younger children made from foam balls while they listened to me read aloud, The Cay by Theodore Taylor.  The snowmen appear to be a bit chilly to me and sparsely decorated, especially since this was all that was done over the course of having listened to three chapters!  But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?  And if the kids are pleased with their projects then who am I to discourage that? 

My pledge this year is to spend more time with my kids individually and to encourage their creativity.  During journal time for school this morning, I asked them to write about their best or favorite creation and to tell why it was their favorite.  H wrote that he liked a drawing he made of Tom and Jerry because it was realistic.  (I have to giggle that a drawing of cartoons is "realistic".)  KR wrote that she liked her stories because it was like putting together the puzzle pieces in her mind.  No surprises out of either of them.  Often times I find them giggling with their heads bent together over a piece of paper.  H drawing cartoon characters and KR filling in the thought bubbles.

I ran across some interesting thoughts in a book entitled, Mom's Everything Book for Sons: Practical Ideas for a Quality Relationship.  In a particular chapter the author shared stories of her boys as they grew up and some of the ways they decided to be creative.  She included some quotes from The Creative Spirit by Daniel Goleman, Paul Kaufman, and Michael Ray.  Now I'd like to share them with you!

Creativity flourishes when things are done for enjoyment.  When children learn a creative form, preserving the joy matters as much--if not more--than "getting it right."  What matters is the pleasure, not the perfection.

Creative people often have a compelling sense of mission that drives them forward even when the odds are against them.
 
Creativity entails taking appropriate risks, and courage allows you to use your intuition and will.

Compassion, when extended to yourself helps quiet the voice of self-judgment that discourages risk-taking.

There is a paradox:  Although creativity takes hard work, the work goes more smoothly if you take it lightly.  Humor greases the wheels of creativity.

Now, I think that I may create some scarves for those poor snowmen!  

In front of the museum

Guilty--can't remember who this is.  :0)

Capturing our outings and happenings and sharing them with you is the highlight of my day--when I actually get the time to sit and blog.  It reminds me of when H was a baby and I had to ask myself if I wanted to spend my time taking pictures so that I could remember that time or if I wanted to spend quality time without a viewfinder blocking him.  I still haven't fully figured that out yet, while I know that the answer probably should be "without the camera".  Perhaps the old adage regarding balance and moderation should be my guide.  Either way, I get to show you some of our best times. 

This weekend, after taking Mom II to the airport, we drove to downtown Indianapolis so that we could visit the Eiteljorg Museum.  Mom II suggested this destination as they have a model train display at Christmas time that she felt sure that we all would enjoy.  She was right!  The kids also were able to earn a Scouting patch for tracking some Native American displays.  Fun!

KR learning how to weave a basket.

H standing in front of a wigwam.

 After visiting the museum, we wandered toward the center of the city to walk the mall.  I am not a shopper and since having been in Belize we all have become less enchanted with the commercialism of the holiday season than we were prior to leaving.  At any rate, I have been enjoying the differences between the two countries and one of those is the density of people and buildings. 

One of the Marriott hotels downtown. 

The Artsgarden

We watched "A Christmas Carol" here last year and loved it.  Our homeschool group visits here frequently.

Under a Cloud

Can you see the snow?

 My camera does not do justice to the snow falling.  Big, beautiful, wet flakes swirl outside the windows.  The ground is not yet warm enough for the flakes to stick and cover the ugly brown, dried grass yet, although from the picture at the lower right, you can tell that the snow is just starting to form on the plants off of the ground where the temperatures are colder. 

B is arriving in Belize any moment now.  He was called down to give a presentation about the company's projections for 2012 and a recap of 2011.  Funny how he is enjoying sun and 70's and we're having snow.

Snow build up on hedge.

Last night before drifting off to sleep as we listened to the rain hit the skylight, I said that sometimes I hear the rain like that and think back to when we were courting and how there was a particular evening we were on the phone and we were both having a storm.  We were under the same cloud even though we were 80 miles apart.  Somehow being under the same cloud, even though it was rain, brought comfort to both of us.  Last night and today I feel rather alone knowing that there is no way he'll be under the same cloud today.  I am glad that he gets to have some sun and warmer weather though.  Yay! 

Snow and cold weather make a good combination for great inside activities.  Last night I finished my Christmas exchange gift previously previewed on my blog.  This morning I started a new project.  When we returned to Indiana, we all needed winter clothes, so I spent a day rotating everyone's closets and grabbing totes from the attic.  Lo and behold, all of the kids grew taller.  KR the most I think.  She had few pants that fit at all and some of the leggings fit everywhere but the length.  I justified my buying new yarn to make legwarmers for her to cover the gap between the tops of her pants and the tops of her feet. 

The yarn is Bernat Mosaic in Psychedelic. 

I'm knitting in the round to avoid seams.

The project is still secret since we are in the holiday season and these very well may end up with a bow and nestled under the tree come Christmas morning. 

I'm aggravated with the photos I've been taking lately.  My camera is not the greatest.  We have new phones on order that should be delivered to my door today and they have wonderful cameras.  Perhaps my next post will have pictures that are in focus.  :0)

Thanks for the Week

Giant stiletto chair

We survived our first week back in the States.  Wow!  What a difference between Belize and Indiana--and not just the weather.  One of the differences is the shopping and what is available.  On our way home from the airport, we noticed a new store was added to the "strip".  Since we have officially entered the Christmas season, we decided to stop in for a peek.  These chairs are sooooo tacky, but that is why we like them.  All we need is a leg lamp!  (from the movie, A Christmas Story) 

B has been burning the candle at both ends and needed a break, so we took the kids to duck pin bowling yesterday.  This was my first time to duck pin bowl.  Miss K and I tied as winners!  This section of the alley reminded me very much of the Jaguar Lanes in Maya Beach. 

Notice the wires that are attached to each of the smaller pins.  The wires are used to reset the pins between frames.

The bowling balls are smaller and lighter.  Maybe that is why I did so well.  

This week B is heading back out to Belize to give a presentation.  Next he'll breeze over to Dallas.  The kids and I will be attending our homeschool group's Christmas program.  It will be nice to catch up with some friends there, but we'll miss seeing B. 

Back Home Again In Indiana

Yesterday I found myself singing the Jackson 5 song, I'm Going Back to Indiana.  This morning I am singing Jim Nabors's rendition of, Back Home Again In Indiana.  Few appreciate Indiana, but it has been my home for all my life and I have an affinity for it.  I look beyond what others see as lacking.  As with all places, I suppose that you either love it or hate it.  You can live in it or you can't. 

My Indiana backyard as seen from my back deck looking Northeast.

From back deck looking North.