Lost duckling..

I'm revisiting the picture archives today, to find a suitable picture. And I found this little duckling, swimming in Sognsvann. (We went walking around Sognsvann three years ago, when P was two, and came upon a mother duck and her ducklings swimming. This little one was having some problems keeping up with the rest of the family, but I think everything ended well in the end.)

I haven't lost a duckling, but I am willing to say that, when it comes to crafting and sewing in particularly, I'm feeling like a little, lost duckling at the moment. Things rarely go past the planning/dreaming stage, and although I'd like to do so, so many things, I don't.

The little crafting I have been able to do these past few weeks, are finished knitting a blanket (which I started about a year ago) and a cloth. And perhaps the last ear on a bunny hat (which I'm not entirely satisfied with, but I hope it will change once washed). And buy yarn for a new project.

But my point is, I want to sew. I dream about sewing. I really, really want to sew. But I don't. Everything is still packed down in boxes up in the attic, and I honestly don't feel like dragging everything back down again (and, well, back up again) seeing as this is the final week before we're off for our vacation.

You might suggest that I fix a project I can work on during our vacation? Well, yes, I could do that. It's just that I will also be the substitute for my substitute at work for three weeks this summer (I'm imagining an hour or two in the afternoons, after the kids have gone to bed) and I'm just not sure if a crafty project will work with that.

I still have the NJ (Nature's Journey) which hasn't seen any progress since the last time I wrote about it. Which would've been late April-early May. I'm still one block from completing the April batch. I could cut some more backgrounds for some new blocks and get a bit of work done on those, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow - A's sleeping with my stash.. (and that sounded incredible bad) that is, she's sleeping in our bedroom, which is also the current residence of my fabric stash. And any mother would say that nothing's worth possibly waking up a sleeping baby. One simply does not wake the baby. (Unless the Earth is collapsing. Or possible a fire.. but that's not happening tonight.)

I think I'll consider my opportunities a little more, and get some sleep (haha, I'm having great hopes tonight!).

When we nap..

Of course, we use quilts or knitted blankets when we nap. 

This is A's quilt. Pattern from Quiltegården, sewn by me - and quilted by A's grandmother. 

A and P both have special quilts made for them when they were babies (well, A still is one) - and I hope they will treasure them when they are older. Perhaps their children will use them too?

Wednesday evening

Well, here I am, both kids sleeping, hubby's at the Foo Fighters concert with his brothers, the window's open and one of our neighbours is sitting on her balcony smoking. *..blergh..* I should probably just close the window, but.. nah, too lazy. She'll go inside again soon. I think she's done talking on her phone (with speakers..). There's a creepy show on the tv, The Whispers, which I probably shouldn't watch. I'm seeing about half the screen above my laptop at the moment. 

Although August seems so far away - I mean, we've just started June, and then comes July and vacation time - there are so many things that must be done before everything calms down again. Two days ago I put a bunch of quilting books up for sale in a group on Facebook. To be honest, the books are great, they are nice and easy to follow - with fun projects - but I haven't used them for years. They've been sitting on a shelf collecting dust. Which is really bad. Books aren't supposed to do that. Books (no matter which type of book it is) are supposed to be used, read, loved - and not collect dust. So I went through my books and sorted out a rather big bunch. Instead of moving them with us to the new house, where they will continue to collect dust, I'd try to find a new home for them. That includes the Elm Creek Quilts books. All 20 of them. I'm tempted to do the same with all my quilty stuff. I bet I've got tons of things I've never used and probably will never make or use. But first, I'd like to take care of the books. 

Trysil, mid-Christmas.

The past couple of days have been chaotic and long.. Yesterday I think A and I were in and out about four times before picking up P from kindergarden. Went downtown to pick up a tomato plant from a coworker, went home, had some lunch, went back outside and to the health centre (breast feeding advice) and back home again - and then out again.. Today was a little calmer, but still.. Went to the photographer with A (we had some great pictures taken by P when he was little, and wanted some of A too) - she hated it, by the way.. - went home, took a looong walk (getting some stuff done, amongst others a christening gift and new shoes for me *yay!*), came home, took a short nap (mostly A.. mostly, that is..) and then went to pick up P. Ended up staying outside until hubby came home from work.

Tomorrow.. what will we do tomorrow..? Well, I guess a trip to the post office to send a couple of books (I've sold four already, which isn't too bad, in two days - or is it?) off to their new owners.. Maybe a trip downtown to get some shorts for P (I think he has one pair that fits..), and if I'm in a good mood, I'll stop by Outland to see if they've gotten the individual Ninjago LEGO characters they said they'd get sometime this week. (P loves that show, and have all the characters - except the white one, Zane.)

Well, the neighbour's back on the phone.. I wonder if she's aware the whole building can hear both sides of her conversations - or if she even cares.. I'd better close the window - I don't like it when it smells like cigarettes here. (But I do like the fresh air..) *Haha* The neighbour on the other side of the wall (from our living room) just slammed their window shut.. I'd better take the hint.

Friday sky-day

On Friday P's kindergarden was closed - the staff had a planning day, where they plan the next few months or take some courses or something like that (at least that was what we did when I last attended a planning day, was back when I was a school librarian, in 2004?). Anyway, P spent the day with A and me, and we just couldn't stay inside all day. I mean, look at the sky!

Not a cloud in sight  - and just a mild breeze.

These were taken on our way back home, after going to the gas station for ice-cream (we figured that the gas station might have a bigger selection than the small grocery store around the corner). (P had a raspberry cream cone and I had an oreo cone.)

Yesterday was a wet and grey day, but today's been much better. Sunny and quite warm. P's been to a friend's birthday celebration and I guess he managed to burn off most of his energy. The day literally blew past, and now both the kids are sleeping. (Nice, for as long as it lasts..)

The first week of June is already over. Four more weeks until the vacation - and it looks like I'm going to have a busy one..