Headlights in the Fog

Update

Here is Kitty bouncing on Rody. Rody needs to be filled with more air... but I am having trouble trying to figure out how to get his plug out in order to insert air. It doesn't help matters that the plug is where his bottom is...  making me squemish to go after it with needle-nose pliers.
Yesterday, we spent a good part of the day in the backyard. Thom and I assembled a new storage bench (so that all the toys have somewhere to go) and moved the sandbox to a new location.
In creative news... I finally settled on a color pallete for my mother's wall hanging... here's one of the roses done (I have 5 done so far.)

Thursday I took the train in to the city to see Art Quilts at the Sedgwick.
It had been recommended to me by both Lonni Rossi and my friend Jennifer. It was a beautiful day for the walk from Suburban station to Rittenhouse Square where the quilts are being shown at the Philadelphia Arts Alliance. I enjoyed the show quite a bit... what it did for me was give me confidence in my own work... that perhaps I could enter a contest one day. My favorite quilts had to do with texture... texture of fabric, thread and color. I'm glad I got a chance to see them.
My mother-in-law, Gretchen, is here again... she's helping out while I still struggle with my depression. Last week my mother stayed with us for a few days... also a huge help. I am still waiting to see if my new medication is going to help or not (it can take 6 weeks or so to kick in) and if I will have to start all over with a new medication. I am just thankful that I have so many people around me that care for me and understand what a struggle post-partum depression is. I feel as though it has zapped my life-force. That's the best way to describe it.

Goings-ons

Here is a typical scene of Kitty and Jack in the backyard. I've been pleasantly surprised by the nice weather this week... as I thought it was going to rain, rain, rain. My mother has been here since Monday, helping out while I try to get my depression on the right track... it's been great having her here. Kitty has been doing the funniest thing lately: when you go to put her down on the floor, she makes her little body as stiff as possible so that you can't let go of her. The only two options are to pick her back up (which is what she wants) or to lay her flat on her back which will then be followed by a mini-Kitty tantrum.
Yesterday morning, Jack said, "I throwed the ball." Thom corrected him and said how you say it is "I threw the ball." Jack thought a minute and then said, "That's just like last night with blowed and blew!"  Wow... and one of the questions they'll be asking us at his three year well visit is if he can talk in sentences of 4 words. Uh, yes.

Creative Decisions

So... this was my first attempt at using the fabrics I got at Lonni Rossi to do a demo rose for my mom's wall hanging. I loved each of the fabrics seperately... but together I feel like it is hard to read it as a rose. This morning I got out my colored pencils and tried a different pallate:

I'm not quite sure what direction I am going to go in from here... but I am certainly enjoying having an artistic challenge to think about.

Then and Now

This is Jack in June of '04... here he is last Thursday on that beautiful day we had in these parts:

The pool I actually bought for Kitty for this summer... but Jack got the idea somewhere that he wanted to 'get in a pool.' He was perfectly happy with the small-sized pool. Lots of splashing and water play ensued.
Today when I was out and about I happened in to Lonni Rossi. It is a fabric store where 1/2 of the fabrics are designed by Lonni. It is an amazingly inspiring space... and her studio is in the back of the store front. She does fabric painting and silkscreen and then her work is made in to fabrics. I went in because 1) I was curious and 2) I'm about to start a wall hanging for my mother and I am having a mental block about the color pallete. Lonni and I talked for some time and when I came out I had a bag full of amazing fabrics for my mother's quilt and a lightness in my step from talking to an artist about something I am passionate about. (sigh) I really wish I had more time to sew... it sooooooooooo centers me.

Mom and Babe

Full Disclosure

Here is Thom wearing a Kitty Hat. We also took a picture of Jack on top of Thom's head... but in current Jack style, he covered his face when the picture was being taken.
Friday I took Jack to Smith Memorial Playhouse while Gretchen watched Kitty. It is part of Fairmount Park. It is a house that was designed to be a playground. Inside was very cool... but they also have a huge wooden slide outside as well as a brand new futuristic playground. Here is a picture of Jack on that playground:

We had a lovely Easter weekend... Lots of beloved relatives and food... laughter and Jack antics.
The only issue we had was with a new medication I'm on... in the interest of full disclosure I should say that I've been having issues with Post-partum Depression again (it can hit anytime in the first year after a baby is born.) I was put on a new medication and Saturday I couldn't stop crying. It was an awkward situation as we had weekend guests... I felt like I was totally falling apart. Sunday and today I've felt better... and I'm happy to say I'm lucky to have great care when it comes to Doctors.
This week is supposed to be just beautiful... hopefully the kids and I can get out each day and enjoy the sunshine.

Dress

I started a new sewing class yesterday. It is a project class... where you bring something of your own choosing to work on and you have a teacher there to help you with the details. Well, I made the dress Kitty is wearing in the picture above... pretty cute, eh? I thought it would take longer than it did... but is was really easy and so very cute. I'm pretty well outfitted for Kitty for the summer... but as she gets older I will definately make her more dresses. Hopefully, she will want to wear them.
Jack has turned part of the livingroom in to a washing machine. It's the area behind the sofa, between the sidetable and the window. The livingroom looks cleaner than usual because Jack has been throwing everything he finds 'in to the wash.' This includes blankets, magazines and my library books. Yesterday we took some washable paint and went outside. I thought it was going to be a paint on paper affair... but it quickly escalated in to a paint on sidewalk, trashcan, fence, driveway, stairs, side of house and car affair. Jack said at one point, "I'm having so much fun painting!!!" I think I will get him a bigger brush and a bucket of water and he can 'paint' with that. The boy is energy central. One disappointment is the fact that he doesn't like the new game that I bought for him and myself to play. I love the game... I think it is really, honestly fun. I keep pestering Jack to play it with me... but he won't. He wants to play firefighter. As long as I don't have to play Candyland again anytime soon... I'll be happy.

Party/Sleepy

This is what happens when you take your children to a birthday party: they conk out in the car. Kitty was able to be transferred to her crib and continued sleeping... Jack woke up re-energized.
Here is a picture of Jack painting at Brendan's birthday party:

I was really impressed with how long and how intensely he painted... the dinosaur magnets he did now have a place of honor on our fridge!

Pictures

Jack in his 'firemask' he made yesterday.

Kitty clutching one of her favorite new toys: roll-a-rounds

Mary, Mary QUITE contrary...

My parents came to visit yesterday. Of the 10 pictures I took, this one was  flattering of two out of three people... I think in this picture you can see Kitty's resemblance to my mom... I can see it, but then, I've also seen my mom's baby photos.
Today when I got home from errands the sitter tells me this story: Jack was swinging his rabbit, Mary, around by her tail. The sitter said, "I hope that doesn't hurt Mary's tail." Jack said, "That's not her tail, that's her PENIS." Our sitter said she didn't quite know how to respond, so she let the subject drop. I bring the topic up with Jack:
B: Is Mary a boy or a girl?
J: Girl.
B: Well, Jack, girls have a vagina and boys have a penis. Mary is a girl, so she has a vagina. That means this (I point to her tail) is her tail.
J: Mary is a boy.
B: Mary is a boy?
J: Yes, Mary is a boy.
In that case, Mary may need an operation because her penis is woefully misplaced.