{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Just When I Think My Heart Can't Melt Anymore...

...THIS happens:

Photo Strip, in Orange

Dressing her in all this orange is probably not the best idea, since we are just recently not looking jaundiced...but I couldn't help myself.

Our Little Star, Again

Corinne received this new star sleeper with "little star" monogrammed on the front...sweet girl loves it. Thanks Heidi for the sleeper!

Our Little Star

...and after the camera's flash:

{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Welcome to the World!

We welcomed sweet Corinne Elizabeth Erickson to the world this week!

Henry and Svea were up early for school, dressed and ready for the big day:

We got some good snuggling time with her before school was over, then...

...big brother and sister couldn't wait to meet her:

Now comes the fun part...

...loving her and learning her and teaching her about the world!

Happy Pumpkin Patching for Svea!

Dear Annabel,

You are now fifteen-ish months old!
So I thought it was time to get you your present that was started when you were born.

Here's the lowdown:



Svea helped pick the colors. Her favorites are pink and purple, of course, and she wanted you to be pink- and purplicious too.
The solid pink is from a sheet, as is the white.
The sparkly pinkish one was on clearance.
And the purple was a gift from my parents from one of their travels.



None of the seams are straight, and most of the lines do not match up. But that's kinda like life. The quilt will still keep you warm, or be a great tent, or picnic blanket when the weather warms again. Or have a tea party inside during those long winters! There are very few rules with this one.

We love you and are so glad you were born.

Enjoy,
Mollie

Mariner's Compass

A few months ago, I tried paper piecing for the first time. It was fun...kinda.

Just not the sort of quilting that I am used to, you know, with rules and seams that have to match up and all.



It was a good introduction though and I learned a lot. Mostly I learned that I'm not very good at it, but it didn't defeat me. Oh no it didn't.



Instead, I just added a skulls and crossbones patterned piece of fleece as the backing and can't wait to lay this baby down to play on it.



I'll definitely try it again, maybe another go 'round with a Mariner's Compass pattern. But the next few attempts at piecing I think I'll resort to my make-it-work-and-use-what-you've-got style.

Productive Nesting

While the past 38 weeks have felt very long at times, there have some spurts of productivity in this house.

First, I finally finished Svea's Christmas 2009 blanket:

What a Supergirl. Sweet Stacy gave Svea a notepad with that Super S on it about a year and a half ago, then we picked out a bunch of scrap pink and purple fleece from our stash from Kristin and Reggie, matched it with a soft flannel back (Svea is ALL ABOUT soft textures. I mean, won't even wear some acrylic blends) and we've got us a blanket!

Then there was the time I pulled all the toys out of their rooms for Inventory Day.



That felt good.

I also got my first pillow commission from the Lite Box Exhibit last Fall and made two pillows:









This baby is going to love the hum of the sewing machine...

{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Chicago vs. L.A.

This year, Henry is #5 for the Chicago Wind.

He is clearly loving it and is such a nicer kid after practices and games. What's even better is that I think he actually understanding the game and how to be a part of a team.

In this league, there are still no goal keepers and the only rule of soccer I remember, offsides, does not apply. The learning curve for the parents continues.

Now if this heat would break, all us spectators could sit and watch without the umbrellas, coolers, ice packs and water bottles. I can't imagine a Saturday morning hike to the field without carrying all the cool-down equipment with me...I'm just a sherpa for that oldest child...just living the dream, living the dream.

{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Adding to the Previous Post

We have been hanging out in Alabaster, enjoying wedging our superheroes' feet in between bricks and hanging princesses upside down by their hair.

That's the kind of end-of-the-day play I can really handle lately.

I have heard the term Helicopter Mom the past few days for the first time. Apparently, this is a common term. I totally understand the inspiration behind and labeling of that kind of parenting.
I'm not a Helicopter Mom, however. I am more of a C130 Mom.

My problem with my new title is that I am not sure if a C130 can hover appropriately. Uncle Brad, a little help?

Uncle Brad flies C130's in the Air Force so it happens to be the only plane I can call by name. I know it is huge, it holds tons of cargo, and it's kinda old.

I jive with all of those things.

I like to think that I can carry around a lot of cargo in case anyone needs anything (wipes, tissues, Tic Tacs, Altoids, screwdriver, notebook, black pen, granola bar, CapriSun, etc.), or have room to pick up any extra kid to come home with us or to drop off somewhere. I also like to think I can hover in the necessary position until reassured that all are safe. This is all normal, neurotic parenting, right?

So it's okay that while we were sitting outside balancing our toys in the bricks, we were watching about 8 neighborhood kids race down the hill in a plastic car whose battery had been removed so they sped assisted by gravity, making the 90 degree turn they pulled at the bottom of the hill - the turn that made the car screech sideways on 2 plastic wheels - the thrill of everyone's life. Except mine.

I watched Henry and Svea wondering when they were going to ask about getting a turn in that car. I seriously had to pop some antacid chewables while we watched and listened, wondering if my C130 self would be able to move fast enough, calling 911 on my cell while running to stop the bleeding of the multiple head, face and body injuries that were sure to come.

They never asked to participate. No neighborhood kids were hurt on my "watch."

Henry did say, "They are making good decisions by taking turns in that car, but maybe they are making a bad decision going down that hill."

Hooray for already instilling fear! Hooray for delaying our talks on self-destruction and wild play and how it scares his mom so he has to wait a little longer for that freedom! Hooray for calm play at the end of the day when I am 8 months pregnant! Hooray that we can work all this out in a few years with a therapist!

Until then, I'll continue hovering, C130-style.

Just Hanging Out...

...Alabaster style:

Hannah Kate says Roll Tide

Ha! Not really...Hannah Kate says War Eagle too...sometimes.

Last week a friend of ours who works for Hannah Kate children's clothes came over to take pictures of Henry and Svea in the new line of Alabama clothes. Luckily we found some sweet stand-ins to wear the Auburn gear.

You can see more photos here and here!

Roll Tide today!

or whatever.

{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Neda and Anis Came to Visit!

We had the most wonderful visit with our dear friends Neda and Anis.

Of course, we had to try out some Beatles Rock Band...

...which they totally rocked...

And we visited the Pepper Place Farmers' Market and had a little Cantina for lunch:

They've only been gone since Sunday, and we miss them terribly already. Thanks for coming to see us, y'all!

June Dancing Beauties

My mom just sent me these photos from the Princess Ballerina Camp performance. I can't stop staring at them...

Back to School...Again

Henry came home the other day with a headache, which led to a fever, which led to a sore throat, which led to him having strep throat. For the first time.

If I needed any reassurance at all that public school is the best fit for this child, it is in the past two days of him and me being home together. I want to be clear here that I am NOT knocking home schooling a bit; I am just clear that Henry responds very very well to public school at this point in his life. If that changes, we will dig deep and figure out how to school from home. For now, thank heavens he is going back tomorrow.

When he first wanted me to play with him, I just wasn't funny or captivating enough. He would stare at me when my characters voices did not sound right. If I wanted him to hear me about anything at all, I had to include the words "booger" or "armpit" and then he was right there with me. Seriously.

Anytime, and I mean anytime I asked him to do something today, he would tell me that me asking him was, "like, a total nightmare."

Tomorrow is a new day, with hopefully no sore throats in this house. Thank heavens...