Month: October 2009

Halloween is nearly here!

I brought the sewing machine in to the family room so that I could start sewing H’s lion costume while we watched TV. (We’d been holding onto a Netflix DVD since March, and finally despaired of ever being in the mood for it and sent it back. Now we’re watching season one of Mad Men — it’s such fun to have an “active” Netflix account again!) Putting the sewing machine on the side table while I sat on the ottoman worked surprisingly well, even if it doesn’t promote perfect posture.

Lots of little paws, a tail, and then cutting and sewing the body and fashioning a hood. I winged it instead of using a pattern which generally turns out reasonably well. (Not professional by any means, but close enough for a Halloween costume). I used a sleeper as a rough guide for sizing on the body. Unfortunately, though, it seems that all of the nursing and sleeping craziness in the last few days must have been a growth spurt (the well known 9 week one?? He must be on his own schedule) since all of the three month clothes are suddenly too small. Lion costume included. I have thoughts on how to add length and girth, but it’s going to be several more hours of sewing and won‘t be ready in time for the parent baby Halloween class. Luckily, Kevin’s parents and grandmother are arriving in two days so there will be plenty of hands to hold H while I finish his costume.

Autumn gardening

I took an afternoon trip over to Molbak’s (the enormous nursery and garden center in Woodinville) since all of their bulbs were 25% off. They have a café, so I got H to sleep in the Moby wrap while I walked around, then I had a Salmon Pesto Goat Cheese Pizza (yum), and then I did a second pass to actually collect my purchases.

I’d been vaguely hoping to do some winter vegetable container gardening, but it seems like most of the things I’d be most interested in eating should have been planted in the summer. Oops. I’ll do some onions and garlic, and I got some pretty ornamental cabbages to fill the remainder of the space.

I am so, so excited about the bulbs. There are more daffodils to add to the patch outside the kitchen window, since those were so cheery and happy last year. I‘m going to put the pink and yellow Blushing Beauty tulips in a container along with the Pink Frosting tulip/daffodil mix. They‘ll go on the patio. The purple crocuses will go with the purple tulips and white mini daffodils in small groups around the patio and possibly in our rock wall. And then the bright Early Spring bulbs can go in groups under the pines outside our bedroom window. I‘m not sure how they‘ll like the acidic soil, but it‘s worth a shot.

I’m always better at buying bulbs than actually getting them into the ground, but my goal is to have them in sometime in the next two weekends. The daffodils are supposed to be relatively squirrel proof, and then I just have my fingers crossed on the tulips and crocuses — if they ever make it, it will be a gorgeous welcome to spring next year.

Cute in the handknits

The sweaters I knit are starting to fit, even if the shoulders are still way too big and make him look like a little linebacker.


We joked that he looks like an old man in it – all he needs is a pipe and an armchair by the fire. Also too cute from the back:


That collar is something of a mixed blessing. When we have him in the moby, it folds up and keeps his neck warm. But when he’s hungry, it’s practically cruel to have something that tantalizingly close to his cheek.