Two years late, with funny corners.

My daughter finally has her own (completed) doll quilt. With matching pillow.

Yes. I am quite proud of all 18 inches of it, and she’s at a great age for actually using a doll quilt, which is always nice. Although I am still a sucker for the wall of doll quilts decorating technique. There must be 7 work-in-progress doll quilts lying around the sewing room just waiting to be enjoyed by some friends daughter or cousin… but this is the first one actually finished. Slight problem (okay, maybe a big problem…I had to rip out 3 corners) with the binding however. See below:

That’s what happens when I try to complete the binding on a quilt without this handy dandy continuous binding tutorial from Heather Bailey

At least the pillow turned out alright.

Lately my mind has been looking like this:

• Call Grandma on Mondays, because that’s my assigned day (but remember to quickly pick up the phone at 6:30 a.m so the kids don’t wake up… because she calls nearly every day, thinking it’s been weeks since we’ve talked. I’m still trying to figure this Alzheimer’s thing out. Do I pretend like everything is normal? Remind her about every overlooked or forgotten detail? Just the important ones? Prob. just the important ones that are upseting her, right? I just really miss her.)
• Remember to bring back the plastic tub (freshly washed) when we pick up our new CSA produce basket. I love this local food… and the drop off couldn’t be closer. Just a few blocks away really. So why am I worried about forgetting this small detail?
• New shoes for Lauren. That she’ll actually wear without tearing up (very sad sight). No clue where to start.
• Present for my parents upcoming big anniversary. Seriously. I need to get them a good present to make up for the ten years or so I haven’t gotten them anything. Which makes me feel like the most terrible of daughters. Somehow anniversaries mean alot more to me this year. I’m going on 9 and it seems like a really big deal at this point. And 39 years of marriage. Wow.
• Our local home school support group has us sign up for the county (one charge) and the city/community (another) before we get the updates on classes and park days and the like. So I’ve been stuck in the middle without even knowing it (I just signed up with the county). And now that I’m all properly signed up (I think)I have so many socializing/fieldtrip opportunities, I’m actually having to say no occasionally (alot actually), just to get some schooling done on a regular basis. That feels weird.
• This weekend is our home school EXPO. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. But I’m putting myself on a very tight budget (promise honey!) since theoretically I have all but 2 subjects covered for next year (kindergarten/1st). And this makes me nervous. I can save money all day long if I stay close to home and never pull out of the driveway. It’s only when I go out into the world that the money starts to run away from me. I’m a sucker for a sweet talking sales person and good marketing. Glycolic facial peels (”Honey, those crows feet age you 10 years… you’ve got to do something.”). I’ll take one. (But isn’t 33 a pretty normal age to get lines around your eyes? I think so. Or I remembered that I thought so once I got home from Nordstroms that day.) Bath and Body works 2 for 1 deals? I’m in. GapKids shorts: Buy 1 get one at 50% off? Yup. Give me a sales person with a nice smile and a pitch, and I’m a goner. So lately, like so many other Americans (since the gas and grocery bills are completely unpredictable these days) I’ve tried to keep things nice and lean around here. If we don’t really need it, it can wait. So for me, that means I can’t leave the house. Except for groceries, and gas, and parks, and playdates and doctors, and Jamba Juice. And maybe the occasional trip to Antique Alley. I’m in for a big test this weekend. The biggest temptation for me, bar none, is books (and bookcases). I think I’ll have to leave my wallet and checkbook at home and go cash only to play it safe. I’m weak! (This was written last week and although I didn’t go cash only… I was much more selective than I have been in the past. I truly wish I could claim my character has suddenly taken a much welcome frugal bent… but I’ve a feeling every housewife in America is watching her pennies with all the bad news out there right now. I don’t care what Bernanke says!)
  
• My sweetie wants some new pictures of the kids for his office. (no big deal, right?). Framed. (Big deal.) For some reason getting pictures framed is making me very anxious. (Where to I go? What style? How much?) Such a simple thing really.
• Why is my 2 year old daughter not going to sleep until 10pm? This worries me. Already tried naps, no naps, cut out sugar, lots of daytime play, solid bedtime routine, etc. Still no sleep until 10. I think she just wants to watch all the Jane Austen movies I’ve ordered from Netflix with me. Persuasion is on tonight. (Mansfield Park) With earphones.
• My orthodontist was supposed to call me a week ago to set up my big appointment to put on real, hones-to-goodness, braces. Now, I could call myself. But they said they would call me with available days, and I’m getting ornery in my old age and fully expecting them to follow through. Whew. They called, and I have an appointment on the 21st of May.

I still have nobody to vote for this year, and I’m seriously considering sitting out this election. Or hoping Ron Paul runs as an Independent.