Today I blog.

In color! Today has been a good day. I started out my morning with my daughter telling me that her "clothes had grown up" because she had a growth spurt this Winter and has shot up out of the 12-24 month outfits she was wearing. While she's whining about it I hurry her off to her room.

Me: Do you want to go shopping in your room?
DD: (Whining badly) I don't want to go shopping in my room.
Me: Come on let's go shopping in your room.
DD: (near laughter from my silly behavior but still whining) I don't want to go shopping in my room.

Once in her room I start going though her dresser. As that's where I stash all of the "when she grows clothes". Poor me, she hasn't done much growing so it had been a while since I'd been digging in there. Then it happened, my fingers touched the bag.

DD: (in awe) What's in the PRINCESS BAG mommy?!?!?!?! (packing something away in a Disney Princess bag is a sure fire win no matter what is in it!)
Me: (Dumping it out on our laps) I don't know, let's see! (I buy what is cute and whatever hand-me-downs that aren't so ugly that I climb the walls (there was one dress... Hounds tooth... oh it was awful but that is another story) Most of the time what I have put up and away is as much of a surprise for me as it is for her. After going through (and passing over a beautiful purple hoodie with flowers for "later" she settled on this mock tank and dress. Not what I'd have picked for her, but she added a necklace and I'm here to tell you I spent the rest of the day thinking how pretty she is. I know I'm biased, but I only get one child so I'm allowed.

Then she wanted to work in her dearly beloved "workbook". My child loves working in her workbook. She makes sure we do one page a day, but sometimes demands a second one in the afternoon. We've been working out of her preschool book for about a month now, and I am really surprised at her progress. Today we started the "Get Ready to Write" chapter (I skip around depending on where she is at, and what looks good at the time). This chapter begins with those dashed lines and progresses to curves, ect. all for tracing. When we started it was a war trying to convey what "to trace" even meant. Today she buzzed through it like the wonderfully smart child I know her to be.

Then my sister and I tried to run an errand and failed, but still had a great lunch with an AMAZING waitress, at one of our local haunts. A mom and pop place called "Gringo's" where the food is yummy, the service comes and goes, and doesn't cost much.

When we arrived home Jessica wanted to play outside and it was so beautiful outside I couldn't resist her. I took care of my roses and had Sunny out on the leash. There is nothing funnier than watching a 12 pound - nearly five year (OMG!) old Maine Coon Cat with one eye PLAY. He looks like a kitten trapped in a huge furry cat body. After a while daddy came out and joined us, doing a bit of "housekeeping" around the yard. When he found a volunteer tomato plant from last year. It might look scrawny now, but with a bit of love and care I'm certain I'll me photographing it's tomatoes for you this summer. I even picked up a little sun while we were outside. On the craft front, I read that when a knitter is very poor they can go to Good Will and look at the sweaters. Picking carefully they can find a yarn that they like and take the sweater apart for the yarn. Well I found a maternity sweater that I just loved (super nice cotton) with a stain, and started attempting to take it apart. I didn't have much luck, so before to long DH took it from me. Once he found out that I had started taking it apart from the wrong end (FYI start at the top) he made short work of my beloved sweater, and it became 14 oz of yarn! Since DH has taken all of my Christmas yarn to make a mat for the cat water bowl, it's nice to have a bit of yarn for myself to work with. Since it's white yarn I wasn't quite sure what to do with it at first and have settled on another scarf for Soldier's Angels. I will make it as white and then dye it later into a nice co-gender color. Most likely green as I have a pair of curtains in the front bedroom that used to be Sage green and have "sunned" to a strange peach. There is just the right nip in the air. My shorts fit and aren't riding up, my $5 Sam's Club organic (I know! Who knew you could buy organic cotton for $5?!?!?!) tank top makes me look cute, and it's an all around nice day.

Tomorrow is Valentine's, and DH will be working. I don't have any plans, shoot I don't even think I have any chocolate in the house. I did not get the top of DH's surprise apple quilt done. In fact it's so far from done as to still be mostly pieces. I tried working on the last blocks the other day, and I'm finding it quite hard to get motivated. Perhaps I'll just email him the photo and say "Happy Valentine's Day" I know, I'm such a shlub!

While the quilts aren't talking to me the wheelchair bag I'm making is coming along swimmingly. This bag is made up of three canvas bags that I have taken apart and sewn back together - once again on my reusing mission. One was a Disney Trademark bag so it will have the Disney date emblazoned on it. I'm even planning on making it with a little something special so it will be able to hold shopping bags. A nice feature I'm sure I'll be glad I included in years to come. I'll post that when it's completed.

So get out there and have a great Valentine's Weekend!