Get your craft on.

It seems that lately I have been simply thirsting to do creative projects. I have a list called "Want to Do." Unfortunately, I seem to be stuck in some strange gear between desire and ability. Ability: covering the areas of time and in some cases money. Getting my craft on with my little guy hanging around is a big challenge, though I did manage to cut out some fabric for a big boy church suit today. Whew. I feel a small need has been met in my being. At any rate, I did manage to get this done a few weeks ago (I'd been working on it since February):

Please ignore, or rather excuse since I'm pointing them out, the untidy nightstands. It is rather difficult to keep up. I am very happy with how this quilt turned out. It looks just like I wanted it to. However, its too small! It barely covers the sides and when two people try to sleep under it, well tug of war has taken on a whole new meaning. So very soon I'm going to have to put a white border around it. I really don't want to, but I usually win the tug and I want my husband to get a good night's sleep.

And because I know most of you log on just so you can get a peek at the super-cute kiddo, here's a little video of him going down the stairs all by himself, and with a sippy cup in tow, no less. Enjoy.

I hope you won't think less of me.

And I hope you pork-lovers will even come to forgive me someday. But I bought Turkey-bacon. Yes, I know. I can hear you now: "But that's not even bacon. It's turkey disguised as bacon. Come on!" I know. But when real bacon disagrees with a loved one's tummy, something has to be done. I mean, I can't give up the idea of bacon all together. That would be absurd! Let's all just calm down and look at the facts. This isn't a permanent switch. I'm not going to swear off succulent, fattening pork products for the rest of my life and have my son grow up never knowing the taste of real food. I'm not going to pretend it isn't some fowl meat ground up and shaped to look like an important ingredient. And I'm not even going to substitute turkey-bacon for the real thing in recipes. (At least not right away.) But when breakfast rolls around, and you can easily microwave (yes, yes, I know) a few slices and do without that heavy smell of fat in the air and forego the tummy ache later the day, I think this purchase is excusable once in a while. There. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Life around here...

Well, I can see that its been a while and of course, I know all Charlie fans are wondering-- how IS that awesome kid? Well, I'll tell ya! He's awesome. More details? Ok, he walks everywhere now. And Keith and I just sit around and watch him in amazement. He can also now say "Mama" with much certainty and clarity. We know he knows what he means. He loves to look out the window (he's doing that right now). Even more, he loves to play outside, so much so, he can say it: "Ow sigh?" That means, "can we puh-lease play outside now?" Unfortunately, its been raining a lot, so not much ow sigh time. He can't say "Papa" yet, but looks hopefully at the front door everytime I say "Papa." Oh yeah, and we walks right to Papa when Papa gets home from work. That makes someone very happy.

Charlie's sippy cups have built in straws, so he'll bite down on the straw and wrap his little arm around the cup so he can walk and drink at the same time. Sometimes, if he needs both hands, he can just use his teeth to hang on to his cup. He loves his sippy.

The other day, Charlie saw me washing windows. He picked up an extra rag and started wiping the window he was closest to. Then the next day, at a babysitter's house, he used up all her kleenexes wiping down whatever surfaces he could reach. If he spills milk, I hand him a napkin and he wipes it up. He also helps me load the dryer (he gets to put in the dryer sheet and press "start"). I haven't taught him to iron and vaccuum yet, but we're definitely on the right track. Oh, and he takes to resetting Keith's alarm clock almost everyday. Wants to keep us on our toes, I guess.

He's still blond, still has a sweet, generally cheerful disposition. We like him.