32

It is finally May, and Ruby has reached 32 weeks. At my doctor's appointment yesterday she measured 34 weeks, but she has been a bit ahead since 17 weeks. What is a centimeter or two? The doctor was even saying that she could end up weighing in the eight pounds range, and that sounds lovely to me.

ella::right

ella::right, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

city improvisation

city improvisation, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Ella's creative movement class had their final program this morning. The girls did a nice job in the "big girl" dance studio. I have no ideas about how to take a picture in there, a dark room with a bright stage.

author's tea

author's tea, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Ella's class studied bookmaking, and each child wrote and illustrated their own book to read at an evening author's tea. Ella's was about two fairies and a unicorn at a sleepover.

pink

pink, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

backwards sun hat

backwards sun hat, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby's blanket

ruby's blanket, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

I finished one little project.

banana::dirt

John was just crying because Ella was explaining the process of composting to him. He did not want his banana to turn into dirt.

gemini

Ruby's birthday will most likely be June 12, and that seems so far away. The doctor thinks that is the first day of her thirty eighth week. I thought she would be induced the first week of June, but this is the week later. Yesterday she was measuring normally again after seeming to be three or four weeks ahead at my last visit. Apparently she was doing some yoga moves at my last appointment and poking her little self out as far as possible.

John put his sheepskin back on his bed last night and crawled in. I think we have achieved toddler bed success. Tonight, however, he fell asleep at the dinner table.

big boy bed

Tonight is John's third night in the toddler bed. He has some definite ideas about the change. The crib went into storage until after Ruby is born. John tossed out sheepskin, pillow, and blanket declaring them "for a baby". He made the fleece into a rug and proceeded to sleep on it on the floor after looking at three books in his big boy bed the way that Ella does.

Whenever we say "big boy bed" he points out that it is actually quite low to the ground. It also has a door and a gate.

We got a few canvasses today to do some fabric collages for the walls in the children's room, and I'm making them some fabric leaf mobiles. I'm making John a stuffed fabric owl, green and brown polka dot with button eyes. When we got in the car to head home this morning John said, "Home all day--make art!"

Amana 22, almond

I've recovered from the refridgerator. I just had to tear up our thirty year old almond colored Amana 22 and scrub all it's grimey parts and throw away some yucky old food. Then I hit the freezer and purged it of it's freezer burned lima beans. I wiped it down with some lavender spray, got a new box of baking soda, and I'm over it.

stunningly quiet

This week has been a big load of crap. I thought that I had allergies, but when the allergy medicine did absolutely nothing I realized I had a head cold. Of course. I have no immune system. John has been working twelve hour days most days this week, and I feel like all I do is make the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drive the carpool. It is like Groundhog Day, over and over again.

So here we are on Saturday morning, and John has taken the children to town--to the farmer's market, the grocery store, and out to lunch. I'm going to clean the house, but at least it is quiet.

...

I suppose I'll continue with this disgruntled housewife post while I rest before I start my next project. I think I'm feeling slow and pregnant. I don't usually use the hormonal excuse, but I think that has to be part of it. Early in the week John was wondering when I planned on going back to work. Honestly, I find that humorous and sad at the moment. I'm eight months pregnant, have a two year old and a six year old, and honestly I can't think of a way to make a blessed cent at the moment. That question threw me into a funk that was later magnified by a visit to a new house with a friend of mine who was house shopping. The house was pretty ugly, a Brady Bunch tri-level thing that offends all my basic sensibilties, but the inside was completely redone, beautiful furniture, glowing hardwood floors, and the piece de resistance, the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen. Of course they all matched. The kitchen also had a tile floor and nice countertops. So, for days I've been on the verge of crying over a stranger's stupid expensive refridgerator.

Big Boy Unpants

We've talked about underapants before, but today John saw something that gave him a little thrill. Elmo Big Boy Unpants. He wants to wear them.

He is talking up a storm. He still has a baby owl in his belly, and hopefully we are setting up his big boy bed this weekend.

stick and dotty

stick and dotty, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

afternoon

sand::box, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

smoochie

smoochie, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

He loves her so much, even though her incessant singing has been driving him crazy. Today she was watching a documentary on Dr. Seuss, and he set up two stools right in front of the television and started singing at the top of his lungs because he wanted her to turn off the television and play Legos with him.

When asked where he learned so many words so fast he responds by saying, "Ella's Head".

The Eight Week List

1. paint bedroom. a great chocolate brown.
2 print photos on camera

4. fix closet doors
5. stitch 2 simple curtains

7. make leaf and bird mobile out of fabric
8. fabric wall art for children's room- leaves and birds

10. sew porch chair seats
11. wax bath and kitchen cabinets
12. John's photo album
13. Ella's scrapbook

15. spread mulch




20. Clean and organize laundry room.





Come on over! I honestly believe that I can do all of this before Ruby is born. I just need to start knocking them out, and I thought that posting my list here would be a nice kick in the pants.

I started the crocheted blanket yesterday and ended up working on it for seven or eight hours. John wanted to play outside so I sat in a lawn chair most of the afternoon. I'm addicted. I can take the blanket with me and work on it while John is napping before we work at the school. I haven't crocheted anything in decades so it took me a while to get the hang of it again. I kept accidentally decreasing by not chaining at the end and was making little pink triangles. I've already change my original pattern choice, but, well, it is just a square. The body of the blanket is the pale green, and the edging is either going to be a ruffled pale pink or pink crocheted flowers.

John just took the children to the farmer's market, so I have to go face my room and it's piles.