The Big Apple Would Taste Great With A Piece of Wisconsin Cheddar

Wow. Things have been a tad bit crazy here in the last few days. On Saturday we put my mom on a bus for Pittsburgh, where she would spend a day with her sister, before heading back home to Utah. On Sunday, I spent most of the day trying to finish a big sewing project (which is still not done – see the events of Monday) and then spent the evening relaxing with friends in celebration of Porter’s birthday. Monday was supposed to be my get-ready-for-our-trip day – something that should have happened much earlier, except I have a giant hole in my brain where information magically disappears. Information like the actual date we are leaving, as opposed to the made up date I was absolutely certain of. So I had a bunch of laundry to do, and cleaning, and hopefully, if there was time, sewing.

But then at about 7 am on Monday morning, our neighbor’s tree, which was uprooted by the wind storm we’d had that night (which also uprooted one of our large shrubs and scattered Oak branches across our property) fell over on to power lines and caught fire. We had no idea this is what happened until about 2 in the afternoon – and at that point, they were estimating the power would be back on at about midnight. So although I had done what cleaning I could (no vacuuming, and no laundry) and pulled out all the clean clothes to pack, we still had a fair amount to do as we prepared for darkness with a seance-worthy amount of candles. And then just as the last of our daylight was disappearing, the electricity came back on. We managed to get all the laundry done, be completely packed and in bed right before midnight.

Not too bad, considering. But I didn’t get any sewing done, and definitely couldn’t blog about my mom’s trip, or upload photos (which are still sitting in the New Pictures file on my desktop). And I’m currently sitting in a hotel room, in South Bend, Indiana (home of Notre Dame – Rudy!Rudy!Rudy!) – with no means of accessing those photos, and a very full week ahead in Kenosha, Wisconsin. We’ll be celebrating Tom’s grandfather’s 90th birthday – and it’s an extra big deal because Alyssa is flying in from Utah to share in the festivities.

I don’t know how often I’ll be on the internet at all, let alone if I’ll have time to blog. I’ll try to keep my twitter feed updated, so you can keep up on all the events – after all- who wants to miss out on knowing about our trip to Mars Cheese Castle? That’s right. No one.

As for the time I spent with my mom – it went by too fast, as these trips tend to do. She was here for 2 weeks, and I wish I could have kept her for 2 more. We talked, we cooked, we knitted, we tried to force Sophie to crawl (seriously, what is her problem? That kid is stubborn!) – we just enjoyed each other’s company.

We did get some unexpected fun in – who knew the farm show was such a big deal in Harrisburg? Well, probably everyone, but I didn’t – we couldn’t even get off the freeway for 20 minutes because of backed-up traffic, and when we finally made it, we had to park in BFE and get herded to the show like a bunch of cattle (ironic, or fitting?). It turned out to be almost exactly like Utah’s state fair – just all indoors. We got to see hundreds of animals, bought some fantastic yarn from locally raised alpacas, shared a potato donut (so yummy), checked out useful and useless gadgets, and sampled, sampled, sampled.

Our trip to New York City was more on the lines of expected fun. We had specifically planned to go, so we could visit my cousin Ruth, and also my cousin Rachel, who recently moved to the city from Idaho. Despite the persistent backache I’ve had from schlepping Sophie around the city in her sling, we had a lot of fun. A few memorable moments:

• Sitting on the steps of Ruth’s Harlem apartment, knowing that city life is completely unpractical for our family, but enjoying living vicariously.
• Sophie’s reaction to the city. She was in love at first sight. And she couldn’t stop looking, and looking, and looking. She’d impatiently push her hood off her head, over and over, as she tried to soak it all in despite the cold. She loved New York, and New York loved her. Lots of smiles and coos from strangers on the subway, in the shops, and on the streets.
• Balkan food with so much family that I felt deliriously happy. We had to squish 3 tables together. 3!
• Ella’s melt-down ON THE FLOOR OF THE SUBWAY TRAIN. WHILE IT WAS MOVING. And then again, later, ON THE SUBWAY STAIRS. As if Target’s dirty floor wasn’t bad enough.
• The nice lady that helped me get her down the stairs and out of the path of foot traffic.
• The coos and flirting from strangers, only 5 minutes later. She knows exactly when to flip that switch and wind the city around her little finger. And once Sophie joins in? Forget about it. (Say it with the accent – you know you want to.)
• Making it to the Met, on the subway, without Tom or Ruth as a guide. We are masters of the underground! (Google maps may have helped a little.)
• Another family dinner – Peruvian food this time. Dinner with family that bullied me in to trying beef heart and seafood. So not cool. Mushroom quinotto with asparagus started to make up for it. The post-dinner gelato and walk through the west village wiped the slate clean.
• Silly, exhausted, giggling back at the hotel.
• Our last day. Stopping at a street vendor for lunch on our way back from a yarn store – sitting in Herald square, waving goodbye to Broadway.

Pictures to be posted when we get back home from the trip. Here’s to a week filled with more family, and hopefully, lots of cheese.

Dear Porter,

We invited friends over today to celebrate your 4th birthday. I think they were a little surprised that I actually stuck a candle into your pile of liver-paste-goo and sung Happy Birthday to you – little did they know we normally force you to sport a birthday hat as well. We’re getting ready to leave on a trip, so the hat was only omitted for time constraints. But we still managed to pull together a celebration, and because I let you sit under the table during dinner (something I normally don’t allow when company is over) you got lots of extra scratching and I’m sure a tasty dropped morsel here and there. Judging by your current passed-out-state, I’m guessing the party was a hit.

I think this year has been tough for you. Sophie was born in March and all of a sudden you were the last in line for attention. We tried to make sure you had face time with both me and Dad, but a newborn is incredibly demanding, and Ella was needing extra time as well. I think you’ve been bored a lot, ever since we added to our family, and I’m hoping to make it up to you this year. We took you on a hike this Fall, all strapped in to a doggie backpack and everything (carrying our water bottles). You did fantastic, although we had both kids with us, so we weren’t exactly climbing Everest. Hopefully we can keep it up and have lots of new adventures.

And speaking of Sophie – you’ve really taken to her. I don’t know if it’s because you’re older, or if it’s just because you were on tour when we first brought Ella home, but things are different this time. You are incredibly protective of her, and we’ve had to stop you several times, when you’ve jumped up in front of her, barking like a mad-dog because a visitor takes a step in what you think is the wrong direction (namely towards the baby). Sweet, yes – but also not something we encourage – threatening to eat family members who want a baby snuggle. You, of course, seem to have no end to the snuggles and kisses you’re allowed to give – and she loves it! Both Sophie and Ella duck their heads and giggle loudly any time you decide to clean their faces, hands, or feet. And you’ve continued to be extremely patient with hair-pulling and ear-tugging from little hands.

One bad side effect of less attention, combined with your “intact” status, is that you’ve been having territorial issues. Dad and I have threatened to sell you to the gypsies more and more this year, and almost made good on the threat each time (oh yes, it’s been more than once) we found marking in the basement. It got so bad that 2 weeks ago I called your vet and made an appointment to have you fixed. It was my last resort – I felt like we had no other choice but to get rid of the hormones running rampant in your body. I only felt a little guilty as I watched Dad take you to the vet – after all, you’ve sired a litter of puppies and obtained your AKC championship – it was time to stop working and just be our loved pet.

And a loved pet you are. With everything we’ve been through these last 4 years, we’d have to be head over heels, otherwise you’d be living in a wagon, learning to play the tambourine.

Maybe He Just Needs Some Practice

Ella: Where are we going, Momma?

Momma: To the fabric store. I’m going to make some pants for Sophie.

Ella: Oh. Daddy is good at sewing.

Momma: He is?

Ella: Oh yeah….but he is not good at doing my hair.

Cone Of Shame

Miss me? I’ve been busy. My mom is here, and I’m trying to soak up all her mom-warm-fuzzy-happy-goodness. I just can’t tear myself away from the comfort of knitting on the couch next to one of my favorite people, to think up something clever about our most recent trip to Target. At some point I need to share our Farm Show Adventure, but not right now – leftover mom-made tamales are calling my name.

But I hate to leave you completely un-entertained, so here’s what Porter has been doing lately:

He’s significantly lighter in the, uh – personal area. He marked our couch one too many times. Hopefully he learns his lesson because I’m not exactly sure what we can do to make our feelings more clear – maybe we should have started smaller with removing his squeaky toy?

Hers

When I made my sister’s fingerless gloves, I really wanted to do something that had a pretty design, but felt too inexperienced, and needed the simplest option available. Now that Christmas is over, and I was able to get a confidence boost from my knitting club, I decided to just go for it and try the pattern I wanted, knowing I could put it down and get help when I needed since there was no looming deadline. The pattern was recommended by a friend, and is simple enough to not really cause anxiety, but still feel special, as opposed to functional only.

I learned a few things, made a few mistakes, and needed help a couple times, but it was pretty easy. Once I figured out how to do the cable and knitting in the round, things started flowing. It took me about 2 weeks to finish them but that was with a little knitting here and there – I’m sure they could be a weekend knit once I get a little faster, and if I had the time (those kids are always wanting attention and food…go figure.)

Being my first pair, and having one or two mistakes, I’m keeping them for myself, but will be repeating the pattern for at least one sister (start your requests for next winter now – I might actually get them done) as a pretty companion to her basic pair. Before I get started on those though, I’m doing a more manly pair for Tom. None of that twisty cable womanliness – just some ribbing on both ends. I’ll add a few grunts and sports-related trash-talk while I’m making them, for extra manliness, less the knitting become too estrogen filled.

No Better Way To Spend Your New Years Break Than Experimenting On Your Baby

I decided to take my cousin Colt’s recommendations, in response to the post where Sophie is super excited about dancing to Wham, and see if she would prefer her Christmas a little more hard core. I made sure she was well-rested and well-fed before each viewing, and just watched – no Mommy choreography this time (although, come on – mine was pretty awesome).

Here are the results…

I guess the next sign we’ll teach her will be this:

Only 362 Days Left!

These last two months have been, oh, a tiny bit stressful as far as Christmas presents were concerned. I had decided back in February that I would make each of my nieces a doll quilt, just like the one Ella got for her Valentines Day present. My two nephews would get simple lap blankets. I started buying fabric here and there, looking for the best prices, hoarding them away in my craft closet, getting ready for the time to start sewing. Tom gave me a really hard time about starting so early – that it was ridiculous to even think about Christmas yet (even in October). I’d have enough time – no worries.

And then all of a sudden, summer was over and Fall was hitting us in full force. By that time, I’d also decided to crochet and knit the gifts I’d give my sister (we started drawing names this year, so at least it was only one sister, and not 4) and I was nowhere near completing one single project. A few weeks later, after several late-night sewing marathons, and what felt like a hundred hours on the couch – head bent, feet tucked up, needles going as fast as my novice hands could make them – I finally finished everything. Just in time to box it up and send it off for the holiday. I was pretty happy with how everything turned out, and am already thinking about next year’s projects (not one word, Tom!)

(More pictures, with more details, on flickr.)

A Very Burgh Christmas (Eve)

This year we decided to crash my aunt’s family Christmas in Pittsburgh, since we’d get the chance to see her entire family, including the newest member – my cousin’s six week old baby. We packed up everyone (including the dog) and drove across the state to spend a few days visiting, exploring The Burgh, and participating in the traditional Swedish Christmas Eve dinner that is practiced on my mom’s side of the family.

My one request for the entire trip was to visit The Strip – a shopping district in the city that will make you insanely jealous, because you don’t have anything like it at home (at least we don’t).  I was not disappointed. Meat, seafood, clothing, mini-donuts, street vendor pastries, Steeler paraphernalia, and an Italian market I’d like to hug and take home with me. By the end of the excursion my left knee was killing me and I was feeling every pound of the chubby baby attached to my hip, but it was worth it.

For the rest of our short visit? Tom had a bit of much deserved man-time in an afternoon filled with sports, ridiculously absurdly large sandwiches, and (I assume) manly grunting – possibly some scratching – I wasn’t there. Ella and Sophie were adored, and we joined in returning the adoration to a beautiful, alert, delicious 6-week-old girl. I had several veklempt moments, including watching Ella help my uncle decorate the Christmas tree with ornaments made by my mother when I was a child. We ate Dip In The Pot, lingonberries, cheese, cheese, and more cheese (the only thing that Ella ate for dinner, in fact). We caroled, rhymed for our dessert, and delayed our departure until the last moment possible.

I didn’t know my aunt’s family very well growing up, simply because they lived so far away. Now that we’ve started to rectify the situation, I’ve come to the conclusion that we were seriously missing out.

Catching On

Tom: What are you doing?

Britta: Designing the girls’ new monster-shirts.

Tom: Huh. They look a little like Ella and Sophie.

Britta: Yep.

Tom: It’s as if you’re saying our children are monsters.

Britta: Yep.

And Yet Somehow I’ve Managed For 30 Years

Ella: Momma, can I ride in the stroller?

Momma: No Birdie, Sophie needs to use it because she can’t walk.

Ella: But I can’t walk!

Momma: Why not?

Ella: Because I’m SHORT!