Go-Go Mommy

Go-Go's School of Knitting

I've always loved to work with my hands.  Even in my high school art classes, my favorite projects were those that were 3 dimensional - the ones that I could really get my hands into like sculpting, wood-working, and weaving.  I'm also obsessed with patterns, in language as well as visually.  I love creating them, following them, or noticing them in architecture or wherever they catch my eye.  When it comes down to it, I tend toward the asymmetrical and love to create objects.  I guess that's why I love knitting so much.  I get to feel the yarn as I work it into various loops, twists, and turns until one little string becomes an object that shows the love I put into every single stitch. 

I just finished a few projects I thought I would share them .  Here is a photo of a metallic multi-color scarf I made for Poppy's Kindergarten teacher.  Just a quick slip-stitch pattern I created on my own:

 Next is a single cable scarf.  I was looking for a skinny scarf that Poppy's other Kinder teacher (the pm teacher was like a teacher's helper in the am class) could wear from the fall through the spring months.  I love the color and made it with a 3-ply linen which was interesting to work with but the pattern made the sides of the scarf turn in on itself so while it was a hit with the teacher (thank goodness), I probably won't be repeating this pattern until I modify it a bit.    

 Finally, I just finished a vertical striped scarf for myself that I made with some left-over stash.  Years ago, I taught myself to knit while I was on bed rest while pregnant with Sweet Pea and since that time, I've never kept anything that I've knitted. So finally, after all the baby hats for friends, the scarves and hats for parents and in-laws, and hats for Sweet Pea and Poppy, I finally have something to call my own.  Now I just have to wait a few months for the cold weather:)!

 

Mommy Knits for Poppy

It turns out that I like to create and I like to work with my hands.  While I would love to be able to paint masterpieces or produce sculptures to rival Rodin, I have found that it just isn't in the cards for me.  At the same time, I found a medium that is... knitting.  

Knitting challenges me to decipher code, it lets me work in a strict pattern so I know exactly what I will create or I can choose to improvise my own combination of patterns so I can be surprised at the result. Knitting let's me refocus my mind - taking me away from any craziness going on around me (and with Poppy and Sweet Pea that can sometimes be a lot) and narrowing my thoughts to the task at hand. And finally, at the end of my project, I can then share the fruits of my labor with those I love most.  I find comfort in the fact that a piece of me will be with the person who will be wearing or using something I made even when I cannot be there with them.

Here's a little something that was going to be a baby gift but turned out to be big enough to fit Poppy.  Looks like I'd better get back to actually knitting something for the baby!  If you like this hat, the pattern is in a book called Oneskein by Leigh Radford (shown below).  Happy knitting!

Getting Back Into the Groove

I'll be the first to admit that my mojo has been thrown off a bit this summer. For those of you who know me and those who don't, I can, at times, be a little clutzy. Okay, maybe more than just a little.

You see, part of my blogging routine is taking and posting photos that relate to my blogging topic. And this summer I seem to have lost my digital camera during my trip to Michigan, purchased a new camera when I returned home, broke the new camera within 2 weeks of getting it (by dropping it on the sand while I was taking pictures of Poppy building sand castles at one of our new local parks - note to self: ALWAYS wear wristband while taking photos), found out that repairing the new camera would be 1/2 the cost of the camera and hence, half the cost of just buying a new one, finding my original camera that I thought was lost only to find that it, too, is broken and will not take photos. EEEK!

My saving grace...KB is taking me this weekend to get my very first iphone! Look out everyone...I feel my mojo coming back!!

My Life in Tidbits

You know you've been in a hotel too long when...

- You slather body lotion all over your just-washed hair thinking it's conditioner.

You know your hubby has been traveling/working too much when your 4 year old says a little too excitedly..

- "You mean daddy's coming here to have dinner with us?!" OR
- "YEAH! Daddy's coming home today!"

BlogHer '08 - The San Francisco Blogging Adventure

What happened at BlogHer '08?:

Received incredible swag bags (they even look good all piled up and waiting to be distributed) from the awesome sponsors of the Silicon Valley Mom's Blog:

Great drinks (cheers!), food and friends at the Silicon Valley Mom's Blog pre-BlogHer night party at Slide.  And yes, I did go down the slide (twice)!

Hanging with hip and cool mommy-blogging friends who I want to be just like when I grow up as a mommy blogger: (Robyn aka Who's the Boss, Lia from Freitas Family Follies, me, and Nicole who is Not Just a Working Mom.)

Getting all set to take notes at my very first BlogHer conference:

My, doesn't the chandelier look pretty?:)

And finally, meeting and making NEW friends:  (Don't worry, Poppy and Sweet Pea aren't jealous.  They got to meet them too!)

BlogHer '08 Conference - Questions Answered

Yes - it's finally here. Yes - I'm actually going! Yes - it helps that it's in my backyard (San Francisco). Yes - I'll have stupid silly photos to post. (As Poppy tells me after watching The Game Plan - we don't say "stupid" mommy because it's a mean word.) And YES - KB is babysitting!

Look out BlogHer, here I come! :)

Time to Beg for Fitness Torture!

Okay, so I'm entering the Citymama Wii Fit contest and I only have 10 mintues to do so, so this is going to be brief - which is saying a lot coming from me!

Here goes:

Most of you know I had 5 months of bedrest with Sweet Pea (aka dear daughter #2). Well, fast forward 16 months and I'm still trying to lose the last 10, make that 15 lbs that supposedly comes off when your done breastfeeding. Well, I'm mostly done (darn that nighttime routine!) so while I'm still waiting for those last few pounds to come off I realized that they probably wont magically fall off and glom onto someone else (preferably the many 40ish in-shape actresses I see on tv) so I thought I would do an "assist" and actually sign up with Stroller Strides to work out.

Here's the funny part. I've never in my life been a runner so what the bleepity-bleep was I thinking? I took my "city-sidewalk-only" jogging stroller and tried to push Poppy (4years) and the aforementioned Sweet Pea along with the other moms as we made our circuit around the park.

"The embarassing part?"; you ask. That would be when Poppy started to unbuckle herself and get out of the "moving" (barely) vehicle and announce "Mommy, I want to go faster so I'm going to run too." And then she was off. Off like the wind. Off like the girl who is living somewhere inside me (again, 15 lbs lighter AND in shape) and left me in her dust - literally. In fact. she glommed onto one of the moms at the head of the pack and stayed with that mom until the end of the session (yes, she is very social).

Maybe she wanted to pretend that was her mom who was in shape and could actually run, yah think? Anywho, apparently I NEED A WII FIT!

My Pre-Mother's Day Anxiety Attack

I'm sitting here not knowing what to do and almost literally "wringing my hands". No, tiny droplets of glistening dots are not forming above my upper lip and around my hairline because I live in Florida and it's 85 degrees with 110% humidity. And no, it's not because I forgot to pay the Comcast bill and I'm afraid that my DVR will be cut off from recording this week's American Idol shows (besides, I've forgotten to pay before and the only thing that happens is that I get double the bill the next month - no worries).

Give up? Okay, I'll tell you. It's because apparently Mother's Day has visited our household a week early and I was not prepared for it. Well, I know it's not officially Mother's Day at the Go-Go Mommy household because I didn't get breakfast in bed (which was my request for this year) and I didn't get any homemade cards from Poppy and Sweet Pea. But it feels like Mother's Day because this morning KB put all the dirty dishes into the dishwasher (and there was a pile from last night that I just didn't get to) and took the girls to the park so I could "have some alone time."

Oh I enjoyed about the first twenty minutes or so of it. I decided to be lazy and lie on the couch with a cozy blanket and watch an old black and white Dorsey Brothers movie that was playing while I knitted my Mother's Day gift for my mommy. Then, I started getting restless so I thought that I'd better get up so I would have time for a shower followed by a pampering bath before everyone got home.

Things were going along well, I got to shower in peace without someone coming in wanting something to drink, needing to brush teeth, etc. And then I lazily settled into the warm bath water with thoughts of putting on my new hip outfit (courtesy of a Heritage 1981 shopping spree I recently treated myself to for spring/summer clothes), and lovingly slicing bananas and strawberries for KB and the girls so we could have a quick snack before heading out to our Farmers Market.

Ahhh. My world was perfect - just the right amount of time to myself to catch my breath and then get back on my white charger so I can save my family from their hunger. I was out of the bath and ready to dry my hair when the phone rang. The voice on the other end says; "Hey hon, it's me. I just got your car washed and we're heading to the park now so I hope you're getting your rest."

"What?! You're just going to the park now?" I answered. And that's when things started to crumble. "You mean I'm not going to see all of you bounding in the door soon as I'm slicing fruit and doing my best "Mrs. Cleaver" imitation?"; "You mean you were able to take my car to have it washed and cleaned from top to bottom with two little ones running around (a feat which I have yet to accomplish)?" I wanted to say all these things and more but I simply felt my lips moving as the words "Great. I'll see you guys after the park." involuntarily escaped from my mouth.

I hung up the phone and felt my heart beginning to race... where do I begin? Do I go back to working on my knitting? Do I start my birthday project for my sister, "G", who is getting a decorated felted purse that needs to be finished this month? (No one tell her please. She's not on the internet so if she finds out about it I'll know someone blabbed!) Do I get on-line and check my email or write a scathingly snarky blog about mommybloggers who are too attached to their kids? THAT'S IT! I'll be able to write a post about my near miss with an anxiety attack.

What is wrong with me?! Can I be pulled back from the world of Martha Stewart Living? Do I even want to be saved?

These questions, and more, are going through my head as I write this post and then, TA DA, salvation came to me. Not as some cataclysmic realization that I could be using this time to practice my 10 minutes of mindfullness a la Maria Shriver (although that is a good option). Instead, it came in the form of a ringing telephone with KB on the line saying; "Honey, we're here at the park but it's pretty cold and windy so I don't think we'll be here long. We'll see you in about 15 minutes."

Yeah! Mama's back in business! And yippee! I just heard the "beep" of the horn as KB locked the car and Poppy and Sweet Pea are now running up our long walkway to see me! (Ahh, a hug from them is like manna from heaven.)

Look's like it's time for me to go cut up those strawberries and bananas! BTW, I'll be ready for the real Mother's Day next week, KB, I promise!

Original version posted on Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

I Got "The Nod!"

I just found out that Amy Sleep from Graco's Blog chose my post on "Banana peels and other ways to lose "cool points"." to receive Graco's "Monthly Nod" for February.

Yipee! My first major award as a blogger! Thank you Amy & Graco!

My 30 days: 24 (Happy Birthday to Me.)

Yes! I made it another year! And being older and, of course, another year wiser - I opted for the "birthday flower" instead of plain old birthday cake. What 'cha think?

This morning's birthday memories:
I got a beautiful, retro-looking Tiffany bracelet from KB and the girls.

Sweet Pea and Poppy are again at opposite ends of the kiddie spectrum. Sweet Pea still has no idea why today is different from any other day, and Poppy cried this morning and told me I upset her because it was still her birthday since she hasn't had her friends over yet. (Poppy's party got postponed this weekend due to the lovely cough and cold virus that has been making it's second round in our household this winter.) She did, however, apologize at lunch for being "nasty" this morning and not wishing me a "Happy Birthday". How could you not love this kid?!

My mother shared a new story with me about when I was a baby. My brother, D, who is 4 years older fed me some salami when I was still a very little baby. Apparently my mother saw me gnawing at something in my mouth and found it. D told my mom; "I gave her salami because she was crying and hungry." If it's good enough for a 4 year old, why not the baby?

More memories to be made today...