Doing what? Starting up a baby stuff business. Putting my love of making things to good use by selling them.
More specifically - my teaching partner Kristina and I (who between the two of us have 3 kids under 3!) have a decidedly crafty bent. I got her going on her sewing machine a while ago, and we did a great little project for her nieces. We will both admit that we are not "artsy" but we are "crafty" and we've been toying around with this idea for a while to make stuff and sell it at farmers markets locally.
This last weekend we actually decided to really go for it... no more hypothetical. We decided on a name, we bought a URL, a business license, signed up for etsy, decided on a bank to go through (I still have to actually set up the account), designed a label for our stuff (and ordered the stuff to make the labels), came up with a general stall concept decor and we are figuring out what items we want to really go forward and make (10-15 different things we think).
Kristina has done this stuff before - she used to sell jewelry with her mom at the farmers markets, so she's definitely the expert in that area and I'm following her lead. We have a lot to figure out still, and we won't really start selling for a few months (we have to make things first after all - and report cards are due at the end of this month) but we are excited. We both needed something like this to really spark us. Plus it gives a purpose to the summer. Last summer was all about little baby time and getting used to mommy life - this summer will be lovely in a whole new way.
I think it'll be good for her boys, and for Kate, to see their moms following through with their dreams, even if they don't really understand it yet.
Look for more information when it becomes available!
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Friday, January 02, 2015
At the start of 2015
Miss Kate, you are almost 8 months old and if I don't write these things down I'm afraid I won't remember them. Things like:
- you are almost cruising. You want to walk so bad.
- you army crawl very well. I wonder if you don't crawl on your knees because we have so much wood flooring. You try and get on your feet but are still using your hands (bear style?).
- you've been rolling back and forth for months now- you used to roll across the floor until thanksgiving or so when you really started army crawling, but you haven't figured out how to get from crawling position to sitting up position.
- once you are sitting up though, you can pull yourself up to a standing position, so we've lowered your crib because it's coming soon.
- your first word was maaaaaaam. Then bye-bye. Lots of babbling going on these days.
- you are a good eater, even eating broccoli and cauliflower which you get from dad, certainly not from me. You aren't big on meat though- puréed chicken was a no go, shredded chicken you'll eat if it's on your tray with other things. You wave your hands, or bang them on the tray when you want food and I'm. to fast enough for you.
- you have just two bottom teeth, you've had those since five months or so, and those two top teeth are just about to arrive, I felt a sharp one poking through a week ago, but then it went right back up. Even without teeth you are good at gumming your food up. You really like feeding yourself and you are getting better at it, the pincer grip is getting there, with both hands,
- you feed Shaylee, but you haven't figured out just dropping food on the floor for her yet. You sometimes hold food in your hand over the edge of the tray and she eats out of your hand. I think you'll be in cahoots once you figure out dropping food on the floor on purpose.
- you've just started getting some separation anxiety, but it comes and goes, it's not consistent.
- you still are a great nurser, but now you make huffy noises if I'm too slow for you, which apparently is all the time. I like to play with your hair when you nurse - it's so fine and straight and light. I don't think it will last. You will move my free hand (the one that isn't supporting you) where you want it. Usually you move it down to your side / hip region, you don't like it in your hair usually. Sometimes you want to hold my hand. When you are done nursing you arch your back and lean back and make a big content sigh, sometimes you babble a little, or you start to doze off if it's a night feeding. If it's day time sometimes you play with your dinner after eating by squeezing with your fingers, and usually you don't bite, but you get sad when I scold you when you do bite.
- you get really excited when you see me after a day at daycare. You squeal and wave your hands and smile real big. It's the best. You usually do the same thing when you see dad when he gets home from work, but sometimes you are fickle.
- you love when dad throws you up in the air and catches you. You squeal and laugh.
- your laugh is the best. I love to kiss on your tummy and face and make you laugh. Peek-a-boo can make you laugh too.
- you love remote controls and cell phones and the iPad and the computer keyboards and mice and dad's headset and anything we don't really want you grabbing / smashing on.
- you like to run your fingernails on the fireplace grate. So we are keeping the fireplace off.
-you love to splash and play in the tub and chew on the bath toys.
- you are a people watcher, you enjoy going to the stores and seeing things and you don't like being ignored - you want people to pay attention to you.
- you like playing with the older kids, at daycare or other places, because they like to play with you. You haven't figured out sharing yet - if you want a toy you go and grab it.
- shaylee doesn't mind sharing her toys, but she doesn't share her food treats. We are working on that, and her not stealing your toys.
- you have so many clothes and shoes (even though we aren't really putting you in shoes yet). I haven't bough you hardly anything, you are quite spoiled in that, and I am so grateful for it.
- you are on the high side of the percentiles, 70th something percentile for weight, 80th something for height and 90th something for head size, you are currently about 19 pounds, and 29 inches tall.
That's what I can think of right Joe. I can't believe it's been almost 8 months, and how much you've grown already. It makes me sad and nostalgic. But I am excited to see what you will become.
- you are almost cruising. You want to walk so bad.
- you army crawl very well. I wonder if you don't crawl on your knees because we have so much wood flooring. You try and get on your feet but are still using your hands (bear style?).
- you've been rolling back and forth for months now- you used to roll across the floor until thanksgiving or so when you really started army crawling, but you haven't figured out how to get from crawling position to sitting up position.
- once you are sitting up though, you can pull yourself up to a standing position, so we've lowered your crib because it's coming soon.
- your first word was maaaaaaam. Then bye-bye. Lots of babbling going on these days.
- you are a good eater, even eating broccoli and cauliflower which you get from dad, certainly not from me. You aren't big on meat though- puréed chicken was a no go, shredded chicken you'll eat if it's on your tray with other things. You wave your hands, or bang them on the tray when you want food and I'm. to fast enough for you.
- you have just two bottom teeth, you've had those since five months or so, and those two top teeth are just about to arrive, I felt a sharp one poking through a week ago, but then it went right back up. Even without teeth you are good at gumming your food up. You really like feeding yourself and you are getting better at it, the pincer grip is getting there, with both hands,
- you feed Shaylee, but you haven't figured out just dropping food on the floor for her yet. You sometimes hold food in your hand over the edge of the tray and she eats out of your hand. I think you'll be in cahoots once you figure out dropping food on the floor on purpose.
- you've just started getting some separation anxiety, but it comes and goes, it's not consistent.
- you still are a great nurser, but now you make huffy noises if I'm too slow for you, which apparently is all the time. I like to play with your hair when you nurse - it's so fine and straight and light. I don't think it will last. You will move my free hand (the one that isn't supporting you) where you want it. Usually you move it down to your side / hip region, you don't like it in your hair usually. Sometimes you want to hold my hand. When you are done nursing you arch your back and lean back and make a big content sigh, sometimes you babble a little, or you start to doze off if it's a night feeding. If it's day time sometimes you play with your dinner after eating by squeezing with your fingers, and usually you don't bite, but you get sad when I scold you when you do bite.
- you get really excited when you see me after a day at daycare. You squeal and wave your hands and smile real big. It's the best. You usually do the same thing when you see dad when he gets home from work, but sometimes you are fickle.
- you love when dad throws you up in the air and catches you. You squeal and laugh.
- your laugh is the best. I love to kiss on your tummy and face and make you laugh. Peek-a-boo can make you laugh too.
- you love remote controls and cell phones and the iPad and the computer keyboards and mice and dad's headset and anything we don't really want you grabbing / smashing on.
- you like to run your fingernails on the fireplace grate. So we are keeping the fireplace off.
-you love to splash and play in the tub and chew on the bath toys.
- you are a people watcher, you enjoy going to the stores and seeing things and you don't like being ignored - you want people to pay attention to you.
- you like playing with the older kids, at daycare or other places, because they like to play with you. You haven't figured out sharing yet - if you want a toy you go and grab it.
- shaylee doesn't mind sharing her toys, but she doesn't share her food treats. We are working on that, and her not stealing your toys.
- you have so many clothes and shoes (even though we aren't really putting you in shoes yet). I haven't bough you hardly anything, you are quite spoiled in that, and I am so grateful for it.
- you are on the high side of the percentiles, 70th something percentile for weight, 80th something for height and 90th something for head size, you are currently about 19 pounds, and 29 inches tall.
That's what I can think of right Joe. I can't believe it's been almost 8 months, and how much you've grown already. It makes me sad and nostalgic. But I am excited to see what you will become.
Monday, October 13, 2014
My Little Pumpkin
I was planning on taking the kiddo to the pumpkin patch, but, that just didn't happen. So my friend Kristina and I took our littles over to the nursery and plopped them in the pumpkin display and took some pictures.
I particularly love Kate's little orange hat courtesy of my cousin Beth. It just seems so fitting for the season and location.
I particularly love Kate's little orange hat courtesy of my cousin Beth. It just seems so fitting for the season and location.
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Determined
Dear Kate,
You are very determined, and I dare say stubborn. You get the stubborn thing from both your parents. You like things the way you like them. In your mind milk comes from nursing and while you vaguely accept it from a spoon you'd rather not if you weren't forced to. You know when the bib comes towards you you're about to be fed milk and you start complaining. You love eating big girl food. You are trying to feed yourself- you try and grab the spoon from me when I feed you and you put it in your mouth. You don't particularly care for peas, though you seem to like them better when they are mixed with sweet potato. We tried green beans last night, you seem to like them more than peas, but not nearly as much as anything else we've given you (thus far avocado, sweet potato, butternut squash, bananas, peas and green beans). When you were being fed green beans you seemed to say you were done with mom feeding you and you wanted to feed yourself, but you still made the same faces when you realized that it was still green beans. You like to watch people, and see what is around you. You get bored at home with the same toys and people around and you do well out and about including at school. You love grabbing your feet (and putting rm in your mouth). This makes changing your diaper easy and difficult. Easy to clean you and nice because you don't put finger or feet in the mess. Difficult because I have to attach the diaper which is hard with legs in the way! You enjoy your excersaucer - now you are trying to put things in your mouth, probably because you are getting your first tooth poking through. (Actually on second inspection you have one tooth already poking out and one almost there). You've started to complain as soon as I sign you into daycare, and complaining might be too gentle a word for the head back, arms out, screaming that happens. But you almost always need a nap at that point or if you don't you stop screaming when I've left. But you make the biggest smiles and reach for me as soon as I show up to pick you up. And that makes me feel pretty special - like I'm your favorite person. I'm certain that will change, especially when you're a teenager. You can roll over, back to front and front to back, but you don't do it often. You really want to crawl. Those legs get going but you haven't figured out how to lift your belly off the ground. I wonder if you'll walk before you crawl. You've loved standing for a months now, and you've had amazing head and neck control almost from the beginning, I feel like you didn't really have that newborn neck thing. You certainly have your own timeline. I'm curious to see how it changes, but I'm a little sad about how fast you are growing and changing., you aren't my little baby anymore.
Love, mom.
You are very determined, and I dare say stubborn. You get the stubborn thing from both your parents. You like things the way you like them. In your mind milk comes from nursing and while you vaguely accept it from a spoon you'd rather not if you weren't forced to. You know when the bib comes towards you you're about to be fed milk and you start complaining. You love eating big girl food. You are trying to feed yourself- you try and grab the spoon from me when I feed you and you put it in your mouth. You don't particularly care for peas, though you seem to like them better when they are mixed with sweet potato. We tried green beans last night, you seem to like them more than peas, but not nearly as much as anything else we've given you (thus far avocado, sweet potato, butternut squash, bananas, peas and green beans). When you were being fed green beans you seemed to say you were done with mom feeding you and you wanted to feed yourself, but you still made the same faces when you realized that it was still green beans. You like to watch people, and see what is around you. You get bored at home with the same toys and people around and you do well out and about including at school. You love grabbing your feet (and putting rm in your mouth). This makes changing your diaper easy and difficult. Easy to clean you and nice because you don't put finger or feet in the mess. Difficult because I have to attach the diaper which is hard with legs in the way! You enjoy your excersaucer - now you are trying to put things in your mouth, probably because you are getting your first tooth poking through. (Actually on second inspection you have one tooth already poking out and one almost there). You've started to complain as soon as I sign you into daycare, and complaining might be too gentle a word for the head back, arms out, screaming that happens. But you almost always need a nap at that point or if you don't you stop screaming when I've left. But you make the biggest smiles and reach for me as soon as I show up to pick you up. And that makes me feel pretty special - like I'm your favorite person. I'm certain that will change, especially when you're a teenager. You can roll over, back to front and front to back, but you don't do it often. You really want to crawl. Those legs get going but you haven't figured out how to lift your belly off the ground. I wonder if you'll walk before you crawl. You've loved standing for a months now, and you've had amazing head and neck control almost from the beginning, I feel like you didn't really have that newborn neck thing. You certainly have your own timeline. I'm curious to see how it changes, but I'm a little sad about how fast you are growing and changing., you aren't my little baby anymore.
Love, mom.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Baby Kate
Dear Baby Kate - you are four months old! (4 months and one week to be precise). You're a funny little thing. You were born a big girl - those almost two weeks of extra cook time might have something to do with it - at just over 9 pounds. (That sure surprised your mom). And you were long - 21 inches. You are still quite long, 25 inches at your last check up, and you have a very large head - I think you must have a very big brain - you certainly are too smart for my sanity right now - more on that later. Your check ups are always good - but, they prove you are stubborn. You were stubborn when you were born - we had to force you out with an induction (you were supposed to arrive on April 28th, you didn't show up until May 9). And you are stubborn still - mostly when it comes to eating. You have been a great nurser since day one - for which I am very thankful for - we've had no issues whatsoever in that arena - but when it comes to other people feeding you - no way, uh uh, nope. We've tried so many bottle / nipple combinations, all of them met with screaming - OH the screaming. We tried mom giving them, dad giving them, people who were watching you giving them. All with no success. It's probably my fault - I should have started introducing bottles sooner, but I didn't want to jeopardize the great nursing you were doing. And you were starting daycare, which stressed me out. You went 11 hours one day without eating at daycare. You weren't unhappy at all - unless you were given a bottle - then you were VERY angry. Take the bottle away - you played and napped and were generally happy. So we tried sippy cups. While you don't hate those, you mostly just play with them, and we haven't had much luck with you drinking milk from them. We've discovered that you will take milk via spoon. Which confounds me. But at least you are getting something. Not enough to make the doctors happy, because your weight percentage keeps dropping, now you're at the 33 percentile. My long lithe girl. So we are starting you on solids - just at daycare (except when we introduce them first at home). I'm dubious about rice cereal, so we started with one of mom's favorites - avocados. You actually don't seem to mind them. It's a messy business - we've just decided to put you in a high chair in a diaper and bib. You make the most ridiculous faces when we feed you, and half the time you spit some of it back out (am I giving you too big of bites?) but you keep opening your mouth for more, and you eat what I consider quite a good amount. And you ate it at daycare too, which makes Ms. Sylvia happy too. So with your avocado and milk diet I hope you will gain a little more weight, because then I won't worry as much. It just amazes me though - because you are hungry - but you are willing to wait for mom to come and feed you directly. Hence the stubborn. I think mom and dad are going to be in for some interesting times in the future, because we are both stubborn in our own ways - wish us luck, we're going to need it. It's time for me to get ready for work now, so I can wake you up and get you ready for your day.
Love - Mommy
Love - Mommy
Monday, September 15, 2014
So... it's been a while
It's been a while since I've blogged, and a lot has happened (in no particular order).
I had a baby.
There was other stuff too, but that's the big one.
Other people got married, got engaged, had life drama, moved, had babies too.
I taught a lot. I sewed some.
We had to put Solomon down. That was really sad.
I got a new (to me) car.
The cat went on a six-week plus adventure. We thought he was gone. But then he came back,
Our yard is a weed patch disaster, but we did build an awesome gazebo.
I had some adventures with friends.
I switched grade levels to fifth grade this year after years in sixth.
My gallbladder had to be removed.
In having that baby, I also had some serious morning sickness and gestational diabetes.
But I think the big one was having that baby. :)
I had a baby.
There was other stuff too, but that's the big one.
Other people got married, got engaged, had life drama, moved, had babies too.
I taught a lot. I sewed some.
We had to put Solomon down. That was really sad.
I got a new (to me) car.
The cat went on a six-week plus adventure. We thought he was gone. But then he came back,
Our yard is a weed patch disaster, but we did build an awesome gazebo.
I had some adventures with friends.
I switched grade levels to fifth grade this year after years in sixth.
My gallbladder had to be removed.
In having that baby, I also had some serious morning sickness and gestational diabetes.
But I think the big one was having that baby. :)
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Another try with a pen
I used to be a big journaler . I have a shelf full of written pages, full of angst, drama, hopes, dreams, puppy love and unrequited love. Sometime around my mid twenties, when I started working full time maybe, it all but stopped. I think it might be time to go back to them. The online blog is great for certain thing, but, maybe it's time for a private one too. One that will last when web blogs go defunct. Besides, it cathartic to just let the words out knowing that they may never be seen by anyone else.
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