Snow Day

Today was yet another snow day for Ruby. The girls spent the day playing with play dough, making art projects, watching Mary Poppins and playing "TV" with this box.
I hope they remember days like these when they look back on their childhood.

Week 49

tubby time

Airport sketches

I found this page while skimming through one of my old sketchbooks today.

These were the faces of some of the people sitting near me while we all waited for our delayed flight out of Chicago O'Hare. The year was 2003, I'm quite sure.

It's always awkward when someone realizes you're sketching them so I did these at lightening speed in case I ended up sitting next to any of them.

"You were drawing me, weren't you?" I had imagined any one of my subjects saying.

"Yah," I would have replied sheepishly.

Then they would have demanded to see it and I would have shown them.

And then they would have turned indignant. "My nose isn't that big!"

"Uhhhh...yah it is. Sorry."

I'm Going to Do It. Once and For All.

And I'm not talking about streaking down my street in the snow. I'm opening an Etsy shop. For reals this time.

A Most Random Post: Drew Barrymore, Country Music, GLOBES

A couple of things happened when I watched this movie two weeks ago:

1. A truth was manifested. While I think Drew Barrymore is a very interesting and fun gal, I think she's a horrrrrrible actress. Despite only having like 7 lines, Whip It only further solidified this opinion. And it furthered my love for Kristen Wiig. And Ellen Paige. And Marcia Gay Harden. And of course, my Jimmy Fallon. But especially Kristen Wiig.

2. I discovered Dolly Parton. Though I abhor modern country music, there's a part of me that likes old country music--it's folksy. In the movie, there's a great scene with Dolly Parton's Jolene. How rad is this song? It's like old country meets disco.



3. I decided to start collecting globes. During a scene that takes place in a school, off to the side there's about a dozen globes clustered together. I jumped up from the couch and yelled "Oooo! Look at all those globes!" Go burst out laughing, sighed and said "Oh, I love you." If he thinks I'm weird now, just wait until dementia hits in about 60 years. It was then when I decided that I needed to start a collection of globes. Vintage ones, because things are cooler when they're old...like country western music. You like that? Eh? Eh? You like how I brought that around full circle? And did you like THAT? Full circle? Like as in globes? I really out did myself that time.

So I've mentioned this before, but we don't have the expendable income for me to just be, you know, out buying vintage globes or whatever, so I put it in the back of my mind for a rainy day. A day when it be rainin' cash, ya'll!

BUT today, TODAY! we were driving though the country side to pick up the girls from a birthday party. We passed a farmhouse that had a bunch of trash bags and junk sitting out in front of it by the road and what did I see? A blue sphere.
"AHHHH!" I shrieked.
"Wha! Wha! Wha!" Go yelled back, looking around like we had just run over somebody and he hadn't realized it.
"That was globe! On the side of the road!"
"Ohhhh," he said with relief. "You scared me."
"This is so weird! I've been thinking about nothing but globes for like two weeks! This is meant to be! That's my globe! We have to go get it!"
And we did. We flipped a U-ey, talked to the owner and walked away a free vintage globe. I am in love. Not only with my 1954 Replogle globe but with my husband who loves me for my quirks.

Here is my short, cute, and squatty beloved, as opposed to my tall, strong and lean beloved.

The 1954 version of Russia: Union of Soviet Socialist Republic:

"Everything you want to know about your Globe--and how to use and enjoy it."

Week 48

Happy Heart Day

A New Pump Case. Made Outta Leathah.

If you've spent much time with our family or are a very observant bloggy person, you might notice that Ruby's insulin pump is loosely slung about her waist and hangs down in between her legs. Not a good look, especially on a little girl...

There aren't many options out there for insulin pump cases. Boys usually slide them into a plastic case made by the pump company that has a clip and clip them to their belts or pant loops like a pager. Since Ruby prefers skirts, she has to wear a belt around her waist and hangs it from there. We usually use CaseLogic MP3 cases that fit her pump great, but they have been discontinued. Since then, I have a great pal who sent me some cases and I found some on eBay and we've been using those. But, like I said, they hang down vertically and flap around and it gives me all kinds of heebeejeebees, so last week I set out to make her a new pump case and a new belt. I'm kind of surprised I didn't do this before.

We wanted it nice and sturdy, so after purchasing some leather, Go and I came up with pattern inspired by my beloved Moleskine books, with an elastic band closure. I've never sewn on leather before and was sort of dreading it but our Bernina is a champ. Leather was a totally fun material to work with. We bought several different kinds but Ruby was drawn to the ox blood because it was "smoooooooth." She's a very tactile child.

Here they are together, her new belt and case. Nothing fancy, but I think they turned out pretty good. I'm thinking of adding some sort of embellishment since they're for little girls and then selling them on etsy...we'll see. I've been talking about selling things on etsy about three times a week since its launch years and years ago and still haven't done a single thing so...yah.

Week 47

Her first tooth!

Blizzard #2

We were given even more snow last night and today.
Well, aren't we lucky.

A Quilt and Snow

This is the quilt my Mom made Olive.
Isn't it cool?


And this is Ruby and May enjoying the snow.
Good for them.

My Mom circa 1981

Week 46

Today's Song

Paying our taxes is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Paying our taxes is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Changing a diaper is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Changing a diaper is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Switching to Geico is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Switching to Geico is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Awkward talks with State Farm is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Awkward talks with State Farm is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Scrubbing the tiolet is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Scrubbing the tiolet is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Folding the laundry is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Folding the laundry is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Changing a diaper is fun to do again, fun to do, to do, to do-
Changing a diaper is fun to do again. To do, to do, to do.

Scrubbing out mascara on my duvet cover is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Scrubbing out mascara on my duvet cover is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Putting May in time-out is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Putting May in time-out is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Scraping dried baby food off the high chair is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Scraping dried baby food off the high chair is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Dusting ceiling fans is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Dusting ceiling fans is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Coughing on dust bunnies is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Coughing on dust bunnies is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Vacuuming under the couch is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Vacuuming under the couch is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Finding old string cheese is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Finding old string cheese is fun to do. To do, to do, to do.

Changing a diaper is still fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do-
Changing a diaper is still fun to do. To do, to do, to do. And do and do and do.

Just Shut Up and Clean My Teeth

I had started this entry a couple of weeks ago but got distracted and never finished it. I found it in my drafts today:

Dental Hygienist: So are you from here originally?
Me: No. California.
Dental Hygienist: Really? Well, Pennsylvania is far from home.
Me: Yep.
D.H.: What are you doing out here?
Me: My husband is a resident at the medical center.
D.H.: And what do you do?
Me: I stay at home with my kids.
D.H.: Oh...so do you have any hopes of going back to school yourself? What about your dreams?
Me: Um. I don't know. Maybe I'll get my masters someday.
D.H.: That sure sounds like a long road.
Me: A masters? Not really.
D.H.: Well, how much longer do you have until you have your undergrad?
Me: I graduated college.
D.H.: Oh. But I thought you said you stayed at home.
Me: I do. I just also have a bachelor's degree.
D.H.: ...Oh...

Heaven forbid there be an educated stay at home mother just wondering about.