Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Maybe Get a Blister on Your Little Finger, Maybe Get a Blister on Your Thumb

I just got inside from deadheading the roses and watering Aaron's garden tubs. (Amazing! I know! With two kids and a mending broken foot! I also to the boys with me out the chiropractor and the pharmacy today. Why do I do these things, you ask? Because I'm insane, internet. Just plain, batshit crazy I am!)

Anyway. Just got in from doing some garden chores and I notice this on the side of the house.


Do you know what this is? Do you? DO YOU?

It's a fucking volunteer pumpkin patch. Oh, no. Not just a volunteer pumpkin vine, but a whole god damned patch. On the side of my house.

Do you know how many hours I spent last spring cleaning that garden bed out? Do you? Well over 20 hours. And I was going to plant some zinnia seeds but the Aaron got sent out of town for a month and then I broke my foot. And now I have a damn pumpkin patch on the side on my house.

And do you know what the worse part is? Aaron's trying to grow two pumpkin vines in his garden tubs and he can't get them to do shit. But the volunteer patch already has a damn pumpkin.

In other news around my house, I forced (yes, I said forced) my children to make some artwork today...


Griffin only makes artwork if stickers are involved.


Darwin's spending some quality time with the love of his life, Dora.

Speaking of Darwin's obsessions, I got a lovely package in the mail this week from Ali...


I made the mistake of opening it when the children were awake (obviously, locking myself in the bathroom wasn't enough to keep it secret). Darwin promptly saw the two activity books and started screaming, "Charlie! Lola! Chhaaaaarrrrrrrrlllllllleeeeeeee!!!! Looooooooooolllllllaaaaaaaaaa!"

Honestly, you would have thought he was at a New Kids on the Block concert he way he was losing his shit.

In addition to the two books, Ali sent a set of wonderful dishcloths, a bar of yummy soap and a candy bar that may or may not have been consumed within 15 minutes.

Ahem.

And this is for Lera...


... who, I do believe, has already made 20 of these. This is my first one. Yes, it took almost two weeks. Yes, I spent over two hours last night trying to figure out how to make a fucking french knot and finally came up with my own unique alternative.

See? I've been crafty! Oh, yes I have! And I have a project that I'm working on, which I'm keeping secret. I'm hoping to have it down in two weeks. Or maybe two years. We'll see. But I will give you a hint... it has something to do with thanking everyone during my Stupid Fucking Foot period.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

My kids have to be forced to stop doing art. The kitchen table is covered with their latest project ... replicas of Dexter's Laboratory, made almost entirely out of popsicle sticks. So see, you are lucky. ;)

Anonymous said...

Well you have been busy woman! Eureka.
That pumpkin patch cracked me up.
Cool package and groovy artwork. Your stichette looks really good. I once mastered the french knot and now I just can't do a decent one. sigh.

Kim -today's creative blog said...

that cracks me up that you just now noticed a pumpkin patch on the side of your house! When life gives your pumpkins, throw em.

Anonymous said...

Free pumpkins? Art? Needle work? Everything is coming up roses over there!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Amy!Growing pumpkins and stickers my girls would be in heaven!

Anonymous said...

Hey, you'll be glad to have those pumpkins in October. Your needlework is very pretty.

Anonymous said...

well isn't that just like a pumpkin.

you'd better slow down there, twinkletoes, don't be doing too much now that you're bootless.

my kids start out crafting and drawing, but by 3p.m. they're sacked out in front of the glowing blue box.

kirsten said...

Two weeks well spent, I reckon! Your embroidery is really cute. Man, we laughed at that recalcitrant pumpkin!

Cathy said...

That is a luverly pumpkin you have growing in your patch! How come these things only happen when you don't want them to? And, my, you are a force to be reckoned with without that dammed boot!

Anonymous said...

I love her! I'm so glad you finished her!! She turned out great! (I can't wait for the "boy" versions!!)

And I'm lauging over your pumpkin patch! Isn't that always how things work?????

Marshamlow said...

While reading your lovely blog this morning, my sweet little one was painting. I was so captivated by your prose I wasn't watching. The paint magically slipped from paper to child. Arms, face, legs and a couch all painted.

Anonymous said...

A pumpkin patch! Yay... armchair gardening is good!

The little stitchette girl is perfect. What are you going to make with her?

Anonymous said...

So will you be charging admission to your pumpkin patch come October?

The fact that you are now bootless is no excuse to go all crazy productive on us!

LLA said...

wow - so much goodness to comment upon, where to start...

* I think the volunteer punkin patch is kind of cool. Besides, when life hands you pumpkins, don't you get to make pie or something???? Besides, I'll trade you punkins for the crap growing along the side of my house... anyday...

* Love the kids' artwork! So industrious!

* And I love Charlie and Lola so much, it's kind of embarassing. Schecky will watch it with me, to humor me - even though he's too old for it. I wish I had a best invisible friend named Soren Lorensen...

* Your little embroidered girl is gorgeous! I am so impressed...

PamKittyMorning said...

I swear, what is not to love about you. The story about being locked in the bathroom.. it was like a flashback to maybe like 15 minutes OH WAIT I MEAN YEARS ago. I'm sure my family thought I had some serious problems. Well, possibly I did but they had nothing to do with the bathroom.
Love you!

Anonymous said...

Love, love, love the embroidery project. I so want to learn to do these. What are you going to do with it? Frame it, make a little doll?

I also come running where Charlie and Lola are concerned. Something about them makes me so happy. Them and Daniel Cook, whom I'd like to adopt since I've no boys.

And I know your pumpkins are making you crazy, but I'm a little bit jealous. I want a pumpkin patch too. Whine.

Paula Adams Perez said...

Hello! I found you from a comment you left at Happythings ("stupid gluten"). Sister! I'm with you! Except I can't have dairy either, even an itsy-bitsy little bit like one single chocolate chip! Stupid milk, butter, yogurt, cream, whey... Anyhow, I'm laughing hard at your blog - you say what I am only thinking... And I have 2 boys too, but mine are a bit older and not so time-intensive (Except J. puked in the hall last night, couldn't make it 2 more steps off the carpet into the bathroom). So hello, and I'll be back!

Anonymous said...

Come on! My five year old can make a french knot! But Anna looks lovely - and you can really tell tha you spent two weeks on her.

As for the pumpkins, now you can skip the pumpkin patch and their price gouging. Oh, yeah. I forgot. You LOVE the pumpkin patch. Well nevermind.

And what's not to like with Charlie & Lola? I would have been screeming for them too. Acutally, I have that in my Amazon cart at the moment for the next time I buy something and need a $3 purchase to get the free shipping.

vintagechica said...

What...youve got something against pumpkins?!?! Too funny! And Im loving all of the stitchettes around. Have you seen the boy she did??? I might just have to steal that idea and do one for my guys. Lovely work!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey - that embroidered little girl is really good! It would take me longer than 2 weeks, I assure you.

And art, well, art is good for kids, right? Good job making them do art. :o)

I try to hide my packages, too, but it never works.

Anonymous said...

Pumpkins? wild ones? How cool is THAT??? LOL. LOVE your little...needle thing. What on EARTH is a french knot?!?

julie said...

Your embroidery is lovely and Dora is also a current fave of Shellys!!! I wouldnt mind a couple of pumpkins growing on my balcony!!!