this is how it goes.

this is how it goes, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

this is what typically happens when i try to take a picture of the boys. lots of movement, lots of grabbing - which used to be andrew, but now, christian has an affinity for reaching out and taking anything in his near vicinity, specifically, andrew's glasses. there is lots of crying, lots of smiles, lots of mommy's voice getting louder-Louder-LOUDER, encouraging them to just look at me. christian has a great focus, and so it is usually andrew that looks away.

and for sitting still - there is usually a treat afterwards. for mama, too.

my love is strong enough.

earflap hat, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

christian needed a hat. one of my biggest regrets, maybe a silly one, is that i never knit andrew a hat when he was a baby. i had aspirations to do so and my knitting skills weren't as good as they are now, and i never got it done. truthfully, i was working full time up until the day before he was born, so i did not have a lot of time.

earflap hat, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

however, i was determined to change that for christian.

i really loved knitting this double-stranded - it made for a thicker, firmer hat with the wool. one of my biggest pet peeves about ear flap hats is that the ear flaps don't stay down, and they curl. because the ear flaps are done in garter stitch, they stay nice and flat. just ignore the knitting jargon and act like you know what i'm talking about.

earflap hat, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

brown bear baby hat, or plain old ear flap hat, as i like to call it.
knit on size 8 dpns
Lion brand fisherman wool

free pattern can be found through ravelry

come and give me your hand I'll take you far away.

key elements to a perfect afternoon:

-freshly popped popcorn (on the stove, not the microwave kind)
-my version of an arnold palmer - iced tea to increase breastmilk with a touch of lemonade... surprisingly good
-children playing nicely and watching word world before nap time
-freshly folded laundry waiting to be put away, so that i can enjoy a clean living room during nap time
-the sun shining in through my window.

what makes you feel peaceful?

little blessings.

hannah's hat, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

my sister jenn just had a baby girl. i had big aspirations that i would get some large knitting projects completed by the time her girl would arrive, but that definitely didn't happen. so, last minute, i decided to whip up a little hat for her baby girl, so atleast she had something knitted special just-for-her right away. i'll get to work on the rest of the project later on.

this is the most simple, easy baby hat ever, but every time, people are impressed with it.

umbilical cord hat
knitted on size 6 dpns, using paton's classic wool merino in woodrose heather. (fancy name for pink.)

family pic, minus 1.

family pic (minus 1), originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

i have been chastised enough for not blogging. here i am, making an attempt.

christmas passed by like a whirlwind, but it was an amazing end to 2009. we served christmas dinner at our house, and celebrated with different parts of our family several times, making the christmas celebration a month full of food and gifts. which is not too bad, in my opinion.

what's up for my family in 2010? hopefully lots of new adventures, and living life in the moment. my desire is to live the life i want as it is happening, and not look too far into the future for the things i want or wish to be. i want to eliminate alot of wasted time and cherish the moments i have my with my family.

what's new for you in this new year?

give it a try.

i was jumping around on the internet the other day and got the idea to try freezer paper stenciling. i'd heard of it before, but never saw an in-depth tutorial to tell me what to do.

armed with my joann's 10% coupon, i bought some fabric paints this weekend to give it a try.

tools, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

you've probably seen the tutorials on how to do this all over the internet. buy freezer paper, fabric paints, (i was told to use matte finish), and a straight edge knife to cut your template out.

template traced, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

trace your picture onto the flat, non-shiny side of the freezer paper. i chose mickey because andrew loves mickey, and it would be easy for my first try.

stencil created, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

using your straight edge knife, carefully cut out your shape. you want to carefully do this so that you don't cut into the template. your paint will come through if you do.

old shirt made new., originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

i found an old oneside with a screenprint that i didn't mind covering. this project is great if you have a shirt with a stain on it. i knew the screenprint would cause the paint to look a little different in some spots - but since this was my first try, i didn't mind.

painted, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

iron the stencil onto the shirt, shiny side down. if you have an intricate stencil, place the iron down instead of moving back and forth - you'll lift the edges of your stencil if you do that. then the fun part - paint inside! careful or you'll make my mistake and paint outside the stencil.

time to dry., originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

let it dry as the instructions on your paint allow - mine said 2-3 hours. i was impatient and lifted the stencil sooner. next time i'll make sure to wait. the paint bottle did not say this, but i read online that you should iron over your finished product with a towel on top to set the paint so that it does not flake off in the wash.

praying hands., originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

this little guy is growing so fast that this onesie won't fit him for long, especially with a big cloth-diapered bottom. and he's into his hands lately, so most of my pictures have his praying hands pose.

best shot i could get without the hands in the way., originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

here's the best picture i could get without his hands or andrew's big head in the way. you can see the previous screenprint in this picture but it's not too bad. i wish i hadn't gone outside the stencil, but you live and you learn.

little people on a move.

roll out, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

this baby rolled over at 2 weeks old. then again a week later. then again. then he took a little break and then rolled over again last week. unbelievable.