I Made This ...

Here's a little kimono I finished sewing up the other night. There are a couple of candidates for this, but I haven't decided who it's going to just yet.

There's a swag of other nifty stuff people have made over here, if you like.

When Sweeney was teensy, I made him a lovely little garter stitch jacket in this wool. I loved that jacket, and the matching hat. Strangely, the hat was enormous and still fits him, but the jacket was handed off to Harper ages ago. It looks glorious on Harper, too.

I'm knitting up a storm, still. Had lunch with a friend today who asked me if I was still into making food, and I realise I've kind of ... neglected the food side of things around here. Really want to put that right ... I bought a copy of the new revision of Aunt Daisy more than a month ago, and I've not made a single thing from it yet.

In other news, it's stopped raining so heavily, I guess to make room for the big kickass southerly that's due in about ten minutes. Sweeney's gumboots are getting a little snug on him, but they're getting a tremendous workout these days.

And Mum, don't be shy about cranking that electric blanket up ...

Stomp

I've not posted about Sweeney's burgeoning football career, because it's hardly burgeoned at all. He had two weeks of Little Dribblers and was quite anti the whole thing. Happy to have a kick around, but absolutely no way was he going to stand on a line with the others, or kick the ball into the goal, or run down the pitch ... or even stay on the pitch, actually.

Then we rocked along on Sunday, and the team uniforms had arrived. Bliss!! Sweeney was transformed into a dervish in a teeny Portugal strip. He wanted to be with his team. He wanted to run and kick the ball into the goal and through Grandad's legs.

Okay, he kind of lost the plot when it came to playing an actual game, but it's Progress. Big fat significant progress.

In other news, it's raining. It's going to be raining for some time. There may not be football this weekend. Stink.

Look Away Now

I had a tooth taken out on Monday, and it's forced me to spend most of the week looking like this. Not really, I was reading a different book until yesterday, and I've been drinking Coke Zero as well. But I've been wearing these pyjamas, and there is swelling ...

It's taken me by surprise, let me tell you. I've had all my wisdom teeth out and never before has there been anything to report afterwards. No swelling, no residual Panadol-resistant pain after the injections have worn off, nothing.

My face is still large, and I need to prepare mentally to eat anything, but I feel much better now, thanks. And I can actually smile again. Yesterday was the most feeble I've felt in a really long time.
Dad's been great, making cups of tea and rustling up victuals. Thanks, Dad!!

Although if you could stop that skillsaw noise from the neighbours, that'd put the top of my head back in place. More healing, I think ...

Orange

We're loving orange in our house right now. Here's how ...

In other news, thinking about Sweeney's birthday. I've got a few weeks to sort out his party, wondering if there should be a theme. Thinking cowboys, thinking pirates, thinking cheetahs. He's very into cheetahs right now. Although last year I just about lost my mind simply vacuuming before everyone turned up, so maybe I'm overreaching ...

Mother

Some of you may have noticed that yesterday was Mother's Day. I know I led up to Mother's Day with a lot of "it's just the same as every other day" hooha, but do you know what?? It was actually rather splendid.

For a start, Kimberley and I were at our Mum's, with her two Precious Boys in tow. As it turned out, it was Kimberley and me who were in tow. The three of them seemed to revel in us being elsewhere, which was awesome. Highlights include:

• the three-hour (!) nap I had;
• bread and butter pudding;
• watching Sweeney wrangle Nana's wheely bin to the kerb in time for rubbish pickup;
• Nana's 21-year-old neighbour emerging in his tshirt and boxers to retrieve his girlfriend's bag from her car, to find himself getting the Full Freeze and Stare treatment from Sweeney and Harper;
• watching Sweeney trip over a guy rope, realise it was really quite fun, and do it again and again with increasing flourish;
• watching Harper take it in as Sweeney goofed off with the tent, then have a tentative go at it himself;
• listening to Nana instructing the boys in just the right way to pop a fuchsia bud;
• waking up to a cup of tea in bed, and a lovely card and present from my little guy - thanks, Nana!!;
• Kimberley's eggs Montreal; and
• hooking into Mum's medicine cabinet.

Okay, that last one was a bit of a lowlight. I've been not bothering dental professionals too much since Sweeney was born, and it caught up with me yesterday. Toothache took me to a place beyond ... any pain since Sweeney was born, I guess. So maybe it's appropriate to have had a sleepless night ...

Long story short, we got back today and I went to the dentist. The tooth is now safely despatched to hell, and my face is sore from keeping all food and drinks out of the right hand side of my mouth. Doesn't help that I was really hungry before I went in and came out gasping for food.

But, and I never thought I'd say this without sneering, it did give me the opportunity to see the Lady Gaga / Beyonce video over the dentist's shoulder. I couldn't hear it, over the whirring and grinding and screaming, but it looked amazing.

Because

Why is that car red??

Why did Aariz's dad talk to us??

Why are you in the shower??

Why did that bus go past??

Why do I have to put my shoes on??

Why do those cars have their lights on??

Why, Mum??

Because. That's why ...

*sigh*

I Would Rather Go Blind

Here's what I've been doing with most of my evenings. My friend Girlie had her baby Gian Matthew - Gio to his new fans - last Saturday, and this is a bunch of stuff for the little guy. Will deliver these later in the week.It doesn't seem to matter how many of these things I push out into the world, there's still a ton of wool in this house. Anyhoo, Gio's going to look splendid. And be warm, which is pretty important, what with plummeting winter temperatures and all.

In other news, we had a Harper-tastic weekend, what with Harper being here for a sizeable chunk of it, then Sweeney hanging out at Monty Ave for another chunk of it. Loving Harper's chatting right now. Feel kind of sad that I can't remember what Sweeney sounded like at that age anymore.

While Sweeney was gadding about with KimberleyJoeHarper, Dad and I mulched garden stuff like no-one's ever mulched before. Hired a mulcher for it, and everything. Nothing was safe. Except for the bit of wood that the mulcher chipped for just long enough to make it all pointy and sharp, then fired back out of the input bit, missing my good eye by about 1mm. Thank all the gods I was wearing Harper's goggles.

Speaking of which, those goggles are a terrible hazard. They fog up almost the instant you put them on, so you find yourself holding them off your face as you peer into the bowels of the mulcher to see what's making that infernal noise.

And when you put them on top of your head to see your way into the house to get a drink, you catch sight of yourself looking like Professor von Drake. Actually, you catch sight of yourself after you've come back in from talking to people on the street in front of the house, who now give you a really wide berth, what with the business of you being the crazy dame covered in sawdust, with the goggles on top of your head.