It may take me a few days to move everything over though, I’m kinda slow at figuring out tech stuff. As far as I know the posts will stay here also, but be copied over there.

This week for Tot School Blu did quite a few things. I’ve realized that he loves the workboxes SO much that he’ll go and get them without me even doing the things with him. Even in his free play time he seems to do workboxes more then anything else. 

This week he did a wonderful flower craft, I pulled it from the internet somewhere, and suddenly cannot find the bookmark anywhere! I couldn’t manage to print the online templates at a good size, so I randomly drew them and cut them out. Here he is coloring the flowers:

And here is the finished craft. I had to lay it down to dry, because of that giant dollop of glitter glue. Turned out I STILL stood it upright to soon, and now half of that lump is in the egg tray! To sum up the craft, you cut a section of 3 egg sections from a tray, and push in some balls of playdough or air dry clay. Then shove in three straws, then tape flower tops on top of the straw. The original instructions used construction paper, I used craft foam. If anyone knows where I pulled this craft from PLEASE tell me, I really want to give credit where credit is due. This IS NOT my original idea!

After that he just loved sorting and playing with his crayons.

Another activity we did, that he loved, was taking cut up straws and stringing them onto pipe cleaners. Notice the influx of straws in our crafts? I bought this REALLY cheap bag from the dollar store, and apparently 99% of them start out with a hole in them! So a tip, only buy Dollar Tree straws for crafts.

After he strung them I twisted them into bracelets, a necklace and a small ring (with a tiny scrap of straw for a gem) and he only seemed to like the ring, and making me wear the necklace like a crown. 

We also played his favorite, Duplos. Now don’t think this is actually a workbox, simple fact that he plays with these on a daily basis, they are no doubt one of his favorite toys. On this particular day however I took pictures and we particularly sorted them, and played giggly games. After I built a house he loved that you could turn it on it’s side and the window/door combo made it a shape sorter. He learned about shapes when he realized the dinosaur doesn’t fit inside, and that no amount of shoving makes it fit.

Here’s him when he dug out his own workbox to play with, bead stringing. 

And just to share his amazingly cute level here’s him in an outfit he picked out this week. And to show his gigantic size keep in mind he’s not quite 2 1/2 and those are size 5 pants! slightly baggy, but not falling off!

Now, if you’re only here to read about tot school, technically you can stop now. I’ll probably share some links, but the rest of this post is crafts and personal stuff that I just never seem to find time to post. 

First I want to share Spirit Jump, and a spirit jump I’m working on. Spirit Jump is a very neat charity I found where they simply share information about people who have a serious illness, cancer, debilitating disease, etc, and help to find people to boost their spirits, give their spirit a jump. You volunteer as you want, meaning as much or as little as you can, and send whatever you deem appropriate, anything from just a card to a whole care package. And you don’t “adopt” the person, meaning you don’t have to continually give them care packages over and over, it can be a one time thing. It’s nice because you send what you feel the urge to send, that fits within your budget.  Recently I was working on a quilt for a friend’s baby and it was decided not to give it to them (for various very good reasons, not just being petty) and I had an unfinished quilt top just laying there. so I decided to send a Spirit Jump to Little  Miss Hannah. Now please keep in mind that just because I personally am sending a whole quilt, you would never have to, so please do try to become a Spirit Jumper.  After much debate, input from others, and contemplation I finally decided to quilt it with one giant spiral, and I LOVE it! I need to trim it up a bit and bind it, but here it is. Enjoy the picture because I doubt I’ll remember to take one of the finished item! I never do, I just pop it in the mail and send it away to it’s new home.

I also made these throw together pot-holder recently. I made three, one with pink trim was sent to a better place, ie it was sent for a swap!

One last personal thing, I’ve fallen in love with a snail. Not the gooey little creature! Oh no, something entirely different and much nicer to look at. The blog “The Snail’s Trail.”  It floods me with wonderful ideas, for school, for life, even just things to thing about. Her links have sent me on a blog visiting journey that no exaggeration has changed my thought process on a lot of things. How I want to live, how I need to get back to myself, how I want to raise Blu, how I want to teach Blu. I’m in love. If she had new posts every 5 minutes I’d never leave my computer again!

But he’s getting better every day, and I’ve been cracking down on the school stuff. Now don’t get me wrong, we’re not sitting at the table and doing workbooks all day. Mostly we read, play with puzzles and toys, and have dedicated educational fun.  I’ve started “Tot School”  which is essentially dedicated time each day for toddler education.   Here’s some of our week:

We did this puzzle shape match several time, Blu fell in love with it the first day we did it, (not that we’ve never played with it before)

 And  we went to the zoo on Saturday. In true homeschool fashion we took a magnifying glass, incase there was anything cool to investigate. He doesn’t quite understand how it works but he enjoys it. 

We’re doing the workbox approach, with about 3-4 workboxes each day.  Some things we’ve done already is puzzles, reading books, building ramps for cars, shape stackers, and wipe off workbooks. 

Stay tuned for more school every week!

And on a different note, these are my gorgeous gerbera daisies, well were, I’ve killed them already. I have quite the black thumb. 

I’ll do the most basic first, my little guy will be 2 in just 12 days! I can’t believe it! This is the day two years ago that I went into labor, and stayed there! My gosh has it been that long?! It feels both like it just happened yesterday AND that surely that was at least 5 years ago! Know what I mean? It doesn’t help that he is the size of a 4 year old.

Here’s a picture of when he fell asleep in time out. Yes you heard that correctly, he fell asleep in time out. I guess that shows the cause of the behavior that put him there huh?

So for his birthday he’s getting this, which I ordered yesterday as his main gift. One day in the craft store I saw a small combo pack of art supplies on Clearance and grabbed it since it was such an obvious small gift! It’s some Crayola gift set, and to be honest I don’t even remember everything that is inside. It has a paper tablet, some Color Wonder stuff, some paint pen things, and more. I pulled a classic though, I lost it! Now as I write this I have since found it, but earlier this morning it occurred to me that I need to find it to know where it is to wrap, and I couldn’t find it! I checked all my regular hiding spots. Turns out it slipped from an obvious spot to a less obvious spot. I think he’ll love it though. The whole theme this year is arts/crafts. Besides those gifts his party is at the local craft store (yes you CAN do parties at them sometimes) So we’re just really Arting it up here!

I had Blu’s Birthday announced over at the new tot site, and I wanted to make sure I posted about it for anyone who may follow the link over here.   And for any visitors that the link may bring, welcome to my composition!

So what else do I have to share? I did some MAJOR stash enhancement. As in a whole bag full of half yards and fat quarters. I have pictures to share either tonight (if Blu actually sleeps) or tomorrow (if he actually allows me to type two days in a row.

I also have several items finished, a quilt top that has been in planning for months, some small objects, and maybe I’ll disclose how far along I am on the block of the month.  I’ll give you a hint on that one, it’s embarrassing. BUT I stand behind my slow progress with the simple statement that I have a toddler.

So lots to come!

1. I’m 25, but feel like I’m 40.

2. I only have one child, a son, and can’t decide if I want just one or 5 total.

3. I love to cook.

4. I named my sewing machine.

5. My first car, and my favorite car ever,  was a 1963 Corvair 4 door.

6. I want to be a designer (of fabric, patterns, and such) but personally feel like my stuff isn’t even very good.

7. I recently discovered I TRULY AM addicted to coffee.

8. I’ve been jokingly saying I am for months.

9. I’m trying to quit and switch to tea, coffee alternatives, and coffee only on weekends.

10. I had my son at a birth center, and adored it.

11. I fell in love with my husband the very first second I saw him.

12. I fell in love with someone else once at first site, I literally heard music like they do in the movies, he did to.  Even though we were at a battle of the bands. He was a jerk.

13. I’m addicted to swaps.

14. I have one tattoo, but want 7.

15.  I’ve been writing the same novel for 12 years.

16. Every time I start it over I lose it in some way, computer crashes, notebook gets lost, etc.

17. My dream in live is to own a shop.

18. I love eggs, from my head down to my legs.

19. I love Bacon even more.

20. I once was addicted to shopping. Luckily I only racked up about 1,500 in debt not 15,000 like some addicts.

21. No matter how much I try I simply cannot seem to pick just one craft to do regularly.

22. I do, have done, or want to do, just about every craft known to man.

23. I spend probably 8 hours a day on teh computer, and it isn’t for work.

24. even though my son isn’t even two I know we’re going to homeschool him, and have known since before he was even born.

25. I would reallllllllly love to be able to draw, but no matter how hard I try just can’t seem to get it. I tried to draw a horse once, it looked like a dead cat!

So everyone came, and I use “everyone” loosely (less then half of the really really invited came) and we crafted, and chatted, and just had a great time. At least I did. I worked as steadily as I could while playing hostess, especially since one lady brought her lovely daughters who wanted to learn to sew and needed a lot of assistance (but gosh I’m spreading the craft!) So what was I busy working on??? Wellllllll, have you seen this?!!?!?!? The Basket theme Block of the Month over at Bunny Hill?? I stumbled upon it after several hours of blog reading (over the course of daysssss) and decided I HAD to do it! Then I got my mom in on it! My friend might join to. The challenge? We are dedicated and  have sworn to do the applique sewing ENTIRELY by hand! So tonight I stitched the best I could, and my hand sewing is dreadfullll, so I was going very slowly to make it wonderful. I got up one side of the basket and about 1/2″ into the handle stitched up. Not to bad I think. The stitches are tiny and great, and so far I’m really proud!

Another awesome thing? Today I ordered needle tatting needles! I’ve tried shuttle tatting dozens of times and just don’t get it, but I saw needle tatting in my new favorite book and simply said,  ”Man I CAN do that! It looks so easy! It’s really not all that different then how I knot my thread!” so I ordered needles as soon as the catalog came. For some reason I was determined to order through the catalog, even though I would have had them already if I had just ordered online the day I found them.  And just like my life, I ordered from the only place I could find them when I searched, then today I no more then ordered and decided to search for free patterns and found a place that is cheaper! Ugh.

So next time the craft circle meets I’ll hopefully be tatting away! Or at least finishing my basket square. AND the other ladies liked it so much we’ve agreed to meet every other Thursday! So I get TWO good crafty gabby days a month! Hopefully next time hubby will be home before midnight and I don’t have to play the mommy role at the same time.

And on top of the crafty goodness today, yesterday I made two of these, one block inspired by this, AND finished a quilt top I’ve had on the burner for almost a year! Not even on the back burner, just the burner. I’ve been collecting fabrics, and picking a design, and finally started this week. Pictures to come, my camera is annoying me lately.

Little Man doesn’t talk yet, but he signs, and his most used sign is eat/drink, because for him they are the same. If you don’t respond quick enough he does it not just to himself, but to you. He touches YOUR mouth to sign eat/drink. It’s also a fall back sign for him, if he doesn’t know a sign for something, doesn’t know how to ask he signs eat/drink. And yes it DOES get confusing.

Today he wasn’t just signing, he force fed me a booger!

We had a nice, “We do not eat boogers! We ABSOLUTELY DO NOT feed them to Mommy!” talk.

From now on when he signs eat/drink, I’m going to ask if he needs a tissue.

It’s been just WAY to long since I posted. Things are crazy these days. Little man is almost 2, and every day has been interesting since we was born. I’ve taken way to many blog breaks (from this and my review blog, my business) and really want to change that. I feel really inspired lately to change the general stuff I do with my life, and one big change is the blog, handcrafting instead of buying, and I hope to start a podcast!

Part of my crafty life (and  doing my own thing sometimes to keep my sanity and avoid mommy-brain) is swapping. I’ve taken a break because of illness, and life, but recently found Swap-Bot and am super excited! As one of my first swaps there, and part of my inspiriation theme, I decided to do this swap, The List to Inspire or Admire. What I do is post this very long list of items to do in life, one’s I’ve done I’ll mark green (there will no doubt be few) ones I’ll never do/don’t care to do will be italic, and ones I really truly pray to do someday will be aqua. If you do swap-bot today is the last day to sign up, but I think it’d be awesome to do anyway.

Bought everyone in the bar a drink
Swam with wild dolphins
Climbed a mountain
Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
Been inside the Great Pyramid
Held a tarantula (my brother had a pet one, despite a strong arachnophobia, I forced myself to touch it)
Taken a candlelit bath with someone
Said “I love you” and meant it  (several times a day!)
Hugged a tree
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
Seen the Northern Lights
Gone to a huge sports game
Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
Grown and eaten your own vegetables
Touched an iceberg
Slept under the stars
Changed a baby’s diaper  (oh yeah I do this!)
Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
Watched a meteor shower
Gotten drunk on champagne
Given more than you can afford to charity
Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (Oh man, in highschool drama class, these two guys found this spot where I am insanely ticklish, then they’d tickle me until I was just squeeling!)
Had a food fight
Bet on a winning horse
Asked out a stranger
Had a snowball fight
Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
Held a lamb
Seen a total eclipse
Ridden a roller coaster
Hit a home run
Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
Adopted an accent for an entire day
Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
Had two hard drives for your computer
Visited all 50 states
Taken care of someone who was drunk
Had amazing friends
Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
Watched whales
Stolen a sign
Backpacked in Europe
Taken a road-trip
Gone rock climbing
Midnight walk on the beach (technically it was closer to 2)
Gone sky diving
Visited Ireland
Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them (technically it was the pavilion at a state park)
Visited Japan
Milked a cow
Alphabetized your CDs
Pretended to be a superhero
Sung karaoke
Lounged around in bed all day
Played touch football
Gone scuba diving
Kissed in the rain (and even underwater!)
Played in the mud
Played in the rain
Gone to a drive-in theater
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business (I’ve had one before, technically do now, but my dream is to open a particular store, that I haven’t been able to do yet)
Fallen in love and not had your heart broken (is that possible?)
Toured ancient sites
Taken a martial arts class
Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (technically we also ate, joked, etc, does it still count?)
Gotten married
Been in a movie
Crashed a party
Gotten divorced
Gone without food for 5 days
Made cookies from scratch (a few times a week!)
Won first prize in a costume contest
Ridden a gondola in Venice
Gotten a tattoo (just one so far, hopefully more to come!)
Rafted the Snake River
Been on television news programs as an “expert”
Gotten flowers for no reason
Performed on stage  (church and church talent shows, they count though!)
Been to Las Vegas
Recorded music
Eaten shark
Kissed on the first date (more then once back in the day. I was such a floozy! lol)
Gone to Thailand
Bought a house
Been in a combat zone
Buried one/both of your parents
Been on a cruise ship
Spoken more than one language fluently
Performed in Rocky Horror
Raised children (in the process)
Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
Passed out cold (one a family vacation of all times!)
Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
Picked up and moved to another city to just start over  (I’d have to question if it was JUST to start over, but we have moved and started all over, I actually kinda want to again)
Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
Had plastic surgery
Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
Wrote articles for a large publication
Lost over 100 pounds
Held someone while they were having a flashback
Piloted an airplane
Touched a stingray (at an aquarium)
Broken someone’s heart (sadly more then once)
Helped an animal give birth
Won money on a T.V. game show
Broken a bone
Gone on an African photo safari
Had a facial part pierced other than your ears (used to have my tounge pierced)
Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
Ridden a horse
Had major surgery
Had a snake as a pet
Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
Visited all 7 continents
Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
Eaten kangaroo meat
Eaten sushi (ohhhhhh yeahhhhhhhh)
Had your picture in the newspaper
Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
Gone back to school
Parasailed
Touched a cockroach
Eaten fried green tomatoes
Read The Iliad – and the Odyssey
Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
Killed and prepared an animal for eating (do fish count?)
Skipped all your school reunions
Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
Been elected to public office
Written your own computer language
Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
Had to put someone you love into hospice care
Built your own PC from parts
Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
Had a booth at a street fair
Dyed your hair
Been a DJ
Shaved your head
Caused a car accident
Saved someone’s life

Wow! I’m surprised at how many greens my very boring life has! I hope this list inspires some of you too! Maybe you could make your own list. It’s suggested on Swap-Bot to read it again in 5 years, and see how many you have done then!

Man! It is GOOD to be back in the writing saddle again! Now, to find readers!

I can’t even find time to clean up my house every day, but these ladies do it all. Is it because they are older then me? Richer then me? Just more together then me? Is it because their kids are older? Is there just something wrong with me? I constantly wonder, am I doing something wrong? Or if they had my kid would their life be just like mine?

For example right now I could craft, clean, bake, but instead Blu must nap, and apparently today he must nap in my arms.