7 Reasons for Blog Neglect in 7QT

So. Hi there. It's been a while, amirite? I have lots of lame-o excuses totally legit reasons for going AWOL, so here they are in Seven Quick Takes:

1. Well, this happened on July 2nd.

Little Irish debuted at 10lbs 5oz and hasn't stopped growing yet. He's precious and mellow and brilliant and the snuggliest baby ever who gives hugs JUST BECAUSE. And by hugs I mean that he slams his forehead into my face or body and vigorously shakes it back and forth. He's our favorite little boy in the world and we love him so much!







2. See these?

They are just a small sample of the tissues my family massacred during our eleventy billion colds from September to four seconds ago (ah-CHOO ah-CHOO WILL IT EVER END). It seems that Ninja Girl is a kind of strep throat Mary who brings all sorts of fun diseases home from school while avoiding infection herself. Thanks, sweetie.






3. School! School happened too! No-longer-wee Ninja Girl started kindergarten in September and is doing great. It's one of the few half-day programs left in our state, thank goodness, and she is thriving. Not that I'm surprised, she is a real social butterfly, unlike her mother. And her father.

Look how much they've grown!

4. All hope of my social life is not lost, however, as I did manage to find and join a local Catholic mom's group, through which my kids and I have made wonderful friends. It's been inspiring to meet other moms facing the same challenges as Catholics in our society. I have learned a lot already!

My lonely, socially awkward self, but with awesome boots.

5. Oh, that? That is my new piano. Because I needed another hobby...

6. Guess what is outside in my front garden right now. A rosebush? Nope. Gorgeous perennials I tenderly planted in the Fall that are now blooming beautifully? Uh uh. Half dead azaleas? Well, yes, but NEVERYOUMIND. My snow shovel? Why, yes, it is still sitting outside the front door. Yes, it's May. But after the winter we had, I am not taking any chances. Nope, nope, nope. Besides, if I take it inside and then it snows EVERYONE WILL KNOW IT WAS ME and I just don't need that stress in my life.

7. Our most recent project: Little Irish into the girl's current room, girls into the former guest room. it involves dealing with piles of junk, buying/making new furniture, sheets-into-duvet projects, canopies out of old curtains, painting, removing closet doors, Pinterest, and so very much dust. I hope to have a post in the future detailing some of the projects I undertook to maximize storage in a small room and make it extra fancy on a budget.

And there you go. Ten months of insanity in Seven Quick Takes. I'd figure out some sort of mathematical equation for that, but English Major, so...



Thanks to Jen @ Conversion Diary for hosting!

Seven Quick Takes Friday

1.  So, it's been a while since I've posted.  Since my last post, I've driven the girls to Albany and back to serve as slave labor paint my parents' bedroom and visit family, made two Halloween costumes, and....

Okay, so that's about it for big things, but I somehow tumbled into a veritable abyss of busywork that's kept me occupied most of the time. 

2.  Things I have not yet managed to do: weed the gardens, rake/compost/bag the leaves, vacuum out the cars, mow the lawn, sweep the deck, ready the potted plants for winter, make rice crispy treats with WNG, clean out the girls' closet, clean out my closet, clean out any other overcrowded closets, undungeonify the basement, locate-purchase-paint-set-up a bookshelf for the girls' room, brown-betty some apples, carve at least one pumpkin, make my bibliofairy costume, and nine kazillion-florillion other tasks that must—MUST!—be done before the winter.

3.  Wee Ninja Girl's secondary Halloween costume: 

The shell is made from two 22"x11" red felt half circles with fishing-line-spool-diameter black felt spots hot glued on, then sewn with a zigzag stitch to a black "youth cut" t-shirt. 

The wings are made from a single piece of black netting cut in the approximate shape of ladybug wings, knotted in the center, and sewn onto the t-shirt just under the spot where the half-circles meet.  Those were sewn through the red felt with more zigzag stitching.  The wings are tied onto WNG's wrists with black yarn threaded through two 1/4" grommets on each wing.

The headband is a cheapo plastic thingy with black pipecleaners wrapped around it and fed through two holes punched in a strip of black felt that was hot-glued to the plastic.  The giant pompoms (chosen by WNG and way too heavy for the double pipecleaners) are hot-glued onto the pipecleaners.  Easy-peasy, minimal sewing, and one very happy ladybug!

4.  I should clarify: WNG has two Halloween costumes because last year I made her a satin and brocade princess dress (hot pink, her choice!) and while it still fits her this year, she was supposed to dress up for preschool today and I didn't think satin/brocade + preschool was a stellar idea, so I whipped up the ladybug for her to wear to school. 

5.  Little things that make me happy:

 This rather plain butcherblock microwave cart has CHANGED MY LIFE.  My awesome-in-laws don't need it in their new kitchen, so they offered it to us, and even though my kitchen is puny, it fits in the breakfast nook and gives me 50% more food storage.  Yes, folks, 50% more!  No exaggeration, I promise!  My kitchen has a grand total of six cabinets, including the under-sink cleaning-chemical wasteland.  I used two for food, and now I have three!  I was also able to move the wine rack off the refrigerator and make it much more accessible, because, well, do I even have to justify it?

These little salt and pepper shakers belonged to my dad's father's mother, and may have even belonged to her mother.  I don't keep salt or pepper in them, but I keep them out because there's something so sweet and cute about them without being too kitschy. 

WNG cut these leaves out of construction paper a few weeks ago (I drew the shapes and hoped for the best!) and she did a great job for her first ever try with scissors.  They kind of blow out the door every time we open it and three of them ripped off today, but I think they are festive and beautiful and she is so proud of them!

6.  So much for the "quick" part of this...

7.  Happiness is...

Thank you to Conversion Diary for hosting!

Seven Quick Takes Friday!

1.  So... that running thing... that Couch-to-5k endeavor that was going to make me like—nay, LOVE—jogging and open new worlds of competitive exercise... that little thing...

Yeah, so it turns out that I really don't like running.  At all.  I've made it to Week 4 and it hasn't grown on me one barnacle.  It makes my hips and knees hurt, aggravates my asthma, and it's too darn cold to be outside in the mornings. 

PLUS, I can't seem to find good earbuds that cost less than $10.  The ones I swiped from EP Dude's iPod every morning (well, they are actually mine but his wore out and he uses them every day at work so he swiped them first) don't stay in while I stagger jog.  I got some new-style ones that are apparently supposed to connect directly to your brain, but they hurt like the dickens.  I even tried some over-the-ear ones, completely forgetting that I WEAR GLASSES, and they also hurt like the dickens.

Therefore, I think I quit and will look for some other, indoor, non-earbud-requiring exercise videos I can get on Netflix.  I may even use the Wii fit for more than the fun games, but not until it stops groaning every time I step on.

2.  I still have not made apple brown betty with those Galas, but maybe I will tomorrow.  I'll have to use them soon, I think.  EP Dude would prefer apple crisp, but I'm not a big fan of the oaty texture of those.  I'd rather have the buttery, brown-sugary, cinnamony crumble topping of a brown betty.

And now I'm hungry again.

3.  Which I shouldn't be, because JUST LOOK at what I had for dinner:

That's right, baby.  Homemade chili, made-from-scratch cornbread, and a Saranac Oktoberfest Ale.  Perfect for a cold, windy, occasionally rainy Friday!

4.  Thankfully, the Oktoberfest Ale wasn't pumpkin flavored at all.  Am I the only human in the United States who doesn't like pumpkin?  I don't even like pumpkin pie, let alone pumpkin-flavored anything.

It kind of makes me think of the people who like to deep fry everything at the state & county fairs.  I mean, oreos?  Kool-aid?  Really?  I'm sure there will be pumpkin oreos and Kool-aid before we know it.

Pumpkin ALL THE THINGS!

No thanks.

5.  Yesterday kicked off the Year of Faith, marking the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the Catechism.  I've bought the companion book for my Nook, but I'm still working through the intros.  I also will be getting a portion of the Catechism emailed to me daily so I can read the whole thing in one year.  (And... I'm already two days behind in that too, so...)  It will be good for me to focus on this, though, and try to clear out some extra space in my day for the Lord and His Church, because who doesn't need that?

6.  Wait, I'm only on 6?  Sigh.  Um... Oh, I know!  Happy I Love Yarn Day!  I'm sure there are all sorts of witty sayings typed onto pretty pictures of yarn that I could find and post, but I think I'll keep it simple here. 

I do like some good, natural fiber yarn, though.  Since we bought our new-to-us van, I am on a yarn buying freeze until I use up my stash.  I think I'd like to make myself a new winter hat, maybe a knitted slouch style from some KnitPicks Wool of the Andes (bulky) that I bought last year.  And maybe I'll finish up all the other projects I started, like my sister's fingerless gloves or my brother's scarf.

I will, you guys, I promise!

7.  Whew!  Here's some more awesome recorder music, although it's not me this time.  Please enjoy the Loeki Stardust Quartet:

 

Thanks to Conversion Diary for hosting!

Seven Quick Takes Friday!

1. I've always loved reading these from other people and thought I'd try to start.  It's a good way for me to remember to acually write something rather than convince myself that whatever I was going to write was pointless and aimless.
2. Since Wee Ninja Girl has never gone to daycare or preschool (until now, once a week), I asked her preschool playgroup head teacher how WNG is interacting with the other kids.  Thankfully, Mrs. B. says that WNG is very social and friendly, participates vocally, and is helpful to any struggling kids.  Whew!  Must be doing something right!
3. On the other hand, Sillypants thinks it's HILARIOUS to wander around wearing a dishtowel on her head in various drapes and angles.  Sometimes she looks like a nun.  Sometimes she looks like a boxer. 
4. 

   

   One of my favorite shots of WNG at Lake Erie this June.

   
5. I stopped biting my nails. (Yay, me!)  I was hoping to set an example for WNG, who has picked up the habit (Boo, me!), but she still peels her nails (yes, finger and toe) anytime she thinks there is a "hangnail."  Which is always.  But, I have been trying to paint my nails to keep them strong and feel a little more girly.  Although the color I'm wearing today is called "Gunmetal," so...
6.  What's that?  What about the crafts?  Well, I did finish a cute Autumn decoration, but I have yet to take pictures of it.  It looks really nice when the sun is shining, even though it's indoors, and it's been gloomy and rainy all week.  I promise to post it as soon as I get a good shot!
7.  And now, some flauting!  This is a duet with two Alto recorders, played by yours truly and my sister The Queen of Musicke: "Affettuoso" by Telemann.  See?  That wasn't so bad!

Ciao!