I hate this stocking.

What stocking, you ask? This one: 

Last year, around Thanksgiving I decided that I was going to knit Lily a stocking. That's what crafty moms do, right? I'm a knitter, I thought. I got this. I had the yarn, I found a pattern online, and started working on it. And then Christmas stuff got in the way, and it turns out it's hard to knit with a 4 month old around that only sleeps while sitting on your lap. So it never got finished. Yes, my daughter spent her first Christmas without a stocking. I'm a horrible mother. 

Then I forgot all about it until a couple of weeks ago. So I dug out the half finished stocking, the rest of the yarn, and the pattern. I've been diligently working on it in the evenings after Lily goes to bed. And now it's finally finished. Well, the main part. There was going to be a cuff with a different color, her name, and some stars or snowflakes as decoration. But it's too ugly to live. 

I have no idea what went wrong. I am NOT a bad knitter. I know how to follow a pattern. I've made sweaters, scarves, mittens, hats, cat toys, baby toys, blankets, and a bunch of other stuff I'm too angry to remember right now. The pattern was not written well, but I also wasn't paying attention enough to realize that it was not working. Ugh. I loathe this stocking. 

My plan is to use it as is this year so she at least has a stocking with presents in it, even if it looks like a moray eel. Then I will probably pull out the stitches so the yarn isn't a waste and make a pretty scarf from it or something. I don't know what I'll do about a stocking next year for Lily, but I have a strong feeling it may be purchased. 

The Day After

The day after Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the whole year. Well, the whole weekend really. I've done the crazy Black Friday shopping thing, but that's not it. After having a big family get together, it's nice to come back to just our little family. Usually this is the weekend we put up the Christmas tree, start thinking about gifts for everybody, and eat lots of leftovers. I like the overlap of the two holidays as well. While still thinking about how grateful we are for things, the excitement of Christmas is really starting to build. It feels festive, yet relaxed. I love it. 


I didn't realize how much I actually loved it until it's very existence was put in jeopardy. Originally, I was scheduled to work at the bakery on Friday, and Joe had a ton of school work to do on Saturday and Sunday. I was unexpectedly really upset. We don't have that many traditions yet, and I was crushed. It wasn't even like we could just push it back one day. The whole weekend was ruined. Ruined, I say! But then the clouds parted, and the sunshine returned. I didn't have to work after all, Joe was able to do some work, and we got to play! 


One of the things we really like to do is go to the Art Institute of Chicago's Annual Wreathing of the Lions. Last year it was bitterly cold. This year it was 60*F! There's music, and crowds, and the actual wreathing is rather anti-climactic, but it makes for a great photo op. And THEN if you have kids, you get to go inside the Ryan Education Center and make a wreath. Each year they have a different theme. I forget what last year's was, it was something like classical painting. Or something. This year it was the Chagall Windows. So lovely. And Lily actually helped this year! So fun. 


Here we are in front of the lion. The light is a little funny, it kind of looks like a light shining down on us from the heavens or something photo-shopped, but it was just the sun. 

We brought the umbrella stroller, but Lily couldn't really see what was happening so I carried her on my shoulders. There was a gospel choir singing Christmas carols on the steps behind us. She thought it was fantastic. She was bouncing and clapping, and when they stopped singing she shouted 'Yay!' and clapped her hands loudly. At one point she did that and the whole choir shouted 'Yay!' and clapped back at her. So then, encouraged by this response, Lily did it again. This time a significant portion of the crowd turned and did the same thing. We clearly have the cutest baby ever. 

And finally the crafting. Personally, my favorite part. Lily thought it was hilarious to look through the blue cellophane and she loved crinkling up the tissue paper. She was less of a fan of sticking it on the wreath, but we did it. 

If you look closely in all of these pictures, there is masking tape holding my glasses together. Classy, I know. Lily broke them last week. But I just picked up a new pair from Costco! Hooray for new glasses. I don't have a picture of the finished wreath because we hung it in our window and it is completely backlit and does not photograph well at all. But it doesn't really matter. It was the process that was important, not the end product, right? 

We actually did not end up putting up our Christmas tree because we all got sick Saturday evening pretty much through Monday morning. Family colds are miserable, but family stomach flu is my own personal circle of hell. But it's done now, and we survived. We will definitely be putting it up sometime this weekend though. This week I got a good chunk of present shopping done and I'm excited to start wrapping them and putting them under the tree. For me, that's half the fun. 

Now if only there were a little bit of snow to really make it feel like Christmastime...

Thanksgiving

What is it about Thanksgiving that inspires such procrastination in me? Maybe because I'm too busy doing things, baking things, buying things, seeing people, and then just sitting. But at least I got this post done in the right month this year. 

Earlier in November, when it was still really nice out, Lily and I went leaf picking. We ran around in the parks picking up all different kinds of leaves and putting them into a paper bag. Then I promptly forgot about the bag underneath the stroller so the leaves all dried out and got crunchy. Read - pretty much useless for crafting. So I let Lily crunch those up and do whatever she wanted with them. I also gave her a brown colored pencil to draw with. Add in some mama-directed glue stick, and ta da! She's clearly a baby genius. 

The original impetus for collecting leaves was to press them and then make a leaf turkey. So on a much crappier weather day, we went out again and while Lily snoozed I scavanged what was left of the good leaves and found a couple of pinecones as well. After pressing for about a week, they were ready. And ta da! I'm clearly a genius as well. The colors are a bit muted in this picture, but the leaves are really beautiful reds, golds, and different shades of brown. 

And of course there was cake. On our trip to Springfield, IL in October, we found a dish towel with a recipe for 'Abraham Lincoln's Favorite White Cake.' How could I pass that up? So I decided to make it for Thanksgiving dinner, and I was determined to make it look like the picture on the dish towel as well. This is what I ended up with. 

There are so many problems with this cake, I'm not quite sure where to start. My first mistake was trying to follow a recipe, a historical one at that, on a dish towel without cross-checking it with anything. The cake part turned out fine. It's an almond cake and I made a filling out of candied pineapple and dried cherries. It was the icing that was a disaster. Boiled sugar icing is supposed to be light and fluffy. Mine ended up more like a glaze that hardened into a semi-sweet crust. I didn't have the ingredients or patience to try it a second time, so on I went. My second mistake was trying to make it look like a drawing on a dish towel. I made the bow out of fondant and edible markers. I didn't think about the cake being curved and domed, so that's why the tails look funny. The Lincoln silhouette cameo made out of fondant turned out pretty good. The picture doesn't show it well, but I actually sculpted the silhouette on the fondant. If you squint you can sort of see it. Some of the detail is lost because of the luster dust. I wish it was a little more penny colored, but I like it. And the toothpick adds a touch of class, no? It was just there to support the bow during transport, but I didn't get a picture before or after it was in.`All together, it tasted better than it looked. 

I also made mini pumpkin cheesecakes with gingersnap crust, whipped cream, and chocolate leaves. But after dropping a few, and sitting out for a while before serving, they did not photograph well. So you'll just have to imagine them. They tasted fabulous, though. 

All in all, it was a pretty great Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for family, good friends, and a job. And I'm grateful for the time to enjoy them all. Now onto Christmas!

Mama Envy

For the first time ever, I was the object of Mama Envy. Usually, I'm the mom struggling with a screaming, belligerent toddler, dropping/spilling things, looking totally overwhelmed. People ask me if I need help a lot. I am equal parts impressed by and jealous of the moms that manage to be so put together in public. And I'm even more envious of the idyllic mommy bloggers talking about just being 'present'. Just being present? I'm just trying to keep the stinkin' kid alive most of the time. 


But today, all that was different. Lily and I had lunch at the Morton Arboretum, one of the best places in the world. It's totally kid friendly, and there are always a ton of kids in the dining room in various stages of meltdown. Today, Lily sat in her high chair, crossed her little feet, and said "Hi!" to everyone that walked past. She happily munched on some goldfish in between bites of chicken and spinach tortellini soup. And when she was thirsty she calmly pointed to the milk carton with a straw and didn't try to grab it out of my hands while she neatly sipped some milk and didn't spill a drop. In short, she was acting the perfect child. 


There were two moms with five kids seemingly all under the age of three between the two of them sitting within earshot. The table was covered in baby food jars, food packets, sippy cups, various types of puffs, and cookies. And the kids didn't want to eat anything. Not a single one of them. Amidst the chaos, I hear one of the moms say to the other "That baby is eating spinach. None of my kids will eat spinach." It was all I could do to not ask Lily for a high-5 right then. (She totally would have done it, too.)


Don't get me wrong, we have our terrible days for sure where all Lily will eat is cheerios and applesauce. And I have nothing against baby food and puffs. The thing is, Joe and I are lazy. (We ended up co-sleeping for the same reason.) It takes a lot of planning and effort to pack up food for your baby every time you leave the house. I'm just not that with it. So from the very beginning, we've been giving Lily basically whatever we eat in a form that she can handle. And so far, so good. I know the day will come when she rebels and won't eat what I want her to. But until then, Lily, you keep lovin' that spinach. 


And for ONCE, I looked like the Zenned-out Earth Mother. 

Delusions of Grandeur

I've been feeling antsy about my work situation again. I still love working as a decorator at the bakery, but I'm starting to feel guilty about not doing something that "matters". I have a ridiculous amount of education, and I feel like I should be doing something with it. I know, I know, I had a perfect opportunity at the museum and I gave it away. 


This week I found out that Hobbitland is for sale. The business, not the building. It's this cool indoor play space that I've been to a couple of times because of a Living Social coupon my mom got a while back. It's owned by two women, one going back to school and the other starting a photography studio. And for about 24 hours Joe and I seriously considered buying it. The hours are good, Lily could be there with me, and I would feel like I was contributing something. I had all sorts of ideas for changes/improvements I could make. The teacher in me went nuts planning special themes, events, curriculum. 


And then I went to work for two days at the bakery. Things went fine, but I was definitely ready for a day off. And I really liked not having to think about anything work related when I was done. That's not possible if you own a business. And it occurred to me that just because the place is open from 9-2 doesn't mean those are the only hours you have to work. So, I came to my senses and admitted to myself (and Joe) that I'm not really ready to own a business yet. 


I definitely have dreams of starting a small cake shop someday. And that dream becomes a little more detailed each week as I learn more about cakes, decorating, and baking. Eventually I'll have the time to devote to starting something grand, but for now working for two days a week and playing for five is just fine by me. 

Back On Track

I'm trying a new approach to working out. My only goal is to do something, anything, for at least 30 minutes each day. Which, when you add it all up, is more minutes of exercise per week than when I was running long distances twice a week. So far, it seems to be going well. I didn't do anything on Wednesday, and that will likely be the case each week. I work every Wednesday, then have dinner at my parents, and by the time I get home it's pretty much time for bed. So I consider that my one day off. 


It has been really freeing to be able to just go for a run when I feel like it. I don't have to worry about going a certain distance or strategize about how to fit in a super long run. When it's nice and sunny I can just put on my shoes, strap the baby in the stroller and go. And when it's dark and dreary I can just stay inside and dance. 


Also, I checked out Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred from the library because a friend has been speaking highly of it. (Hi Becky V!) I'm going to see if doing it in the evening after Joe puts Lily to bed works or if I get too hyped up to sleep. I'll also try during the day to see if Lily is amused by it. She thought my push-ups and crunches today were hilarious. 


Hooray for new goals!

Happy Halloween!

Yay for Halloween! We had a ton of fun. Last week I made a Haunted House cake.   

I decided to make Funfetti cake just because I like it and I wanted to eat it. I bought the Wilton house pan a while back because I had a Michael's coupon and it ended up being like $3 or something ridiculous. I've been itching to use it, and the box had this cute little Halloween house on it, so I decided to try it out. The 'black' frosting is just dark chocolate frosting from a can with a little bit of black icing color added to it and the purple and orange are homemade buttercream. The white frosting was from a can as well. The shutters are supposed to be made from Fruit Stripe Gum, which I of course couldn't find anywhere so I ended up rolling out some white fondant and painting it with orange candy color. The grass is shredded cocoanut with a little bit of green food coloring. I wish I had made it just a little bit darker. The ghosts are what Wilton calls 'dimensional decorating'. Basically, that means you pipe shapes with a fat tip. And I bought the little candy pumpkins. It's hard to see in this picture, but the black around the door is actually individually piped dots resembling cobblestones, just like the sidewalk in front. And the shutter is obstructing the door handle. Also, there is a tiny 'wrought iron' fence all the way around the base behind the pumpkins. This cake was ridiculously easy to do. I would highly recommend this product to anyone interested in fun cakes at home.

And of course on Saturday I ran the Half Marathon. Here's my badass finisher's medal as proof:

On Monday, Lily had a doctor's appointment in the morning, so we went in costume. 

I went as Waldo again, with a different shirt thanks to Susan's lucky find at Goodwill. And Lily was Charlie Chaplin. We got her a toddler suit jacket at a thrift store, a tuxedo onesie on sale, and a bowler hat from Target. The way she wobbles around and falls down was super cute. We tried to put a little mustache on her, but she immediately smeared it all over her face and I was worried that she would end up looking like a baby Hitler. To my surprise, she tolerated the hat quite well. Every once in a while she would take it off in sort of a 'Ta-da!' fashion and then try to put it back on. Definite cuteness all around.