endings, beginnings … and through it all, the rain

The kids’ summer vacation begins today, and looking at their weary little faces, I’d say it’s not a moment too soon.

I’m a little tired, today, too, I must admit. I put off the “last few stitches” on Country Cat till after the kids were in bed. Basically, those last few stitches were half of the cat, and I am a slow stitcher, so I was up till nearly 2 am. But it came out so great! Sorry for the less-than perfect photo (I took it before I went to bed, so I wouldn’t forget to do it this morning).  This chart is also for sale in my etsy shop.

Of course, it could just be the weather that’s making us all feel tired. What a lot of rain. And more rain. It’s not like a Noah-style deluge, but just rain every single day. I’m mildewing, I swear. The waterfowl, however, are glad they came to the Netherlands for summer holidays. LOL! Our apple tree has been a very popular gathering spot (watch where you step - swans may look pretty, but what they leave behind is not!) and last night I went out in the drizzle to get a few pictures of this big guest. There was also a tiny cat hiding in our bushes while I took these photos that had the most astonished, round eyes I’ve ever seen. No idea if he was more scared of me or of the swan, but he wasn’t budging from his hidey-hole!

The weather hasn’t gotten one of us down, though. Here’s my jolly pal having a good laugh in his playpen.

Rightio, off with the kids to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer. I think a spree at McDonalds is called for! Wishing you all a wonderful Friday!!

(Oh, I will be doing another giveaway during the weekend, so watch this space! )

chesire cat

Can you tell if this cat is appearing, or disappearing? It puts me in mind of the Cheshire Cat in Alice’s adventures. This is a quick daytime photo to show the colors a little better (or so I hope). I’m stitching away like mad on it to have it done tonight so I can begin with Max’s other teacher’s gift. Someone remind me next year not to wait till the last week to make gifts, please!

The mailman came by and made me very happy with Jan’s (no known blog) gift of a chart from my wishlist. Jan, thank you so much! Before long, I’ll be able to start my CHS Virtues sampler, in which I’ll stitch all these charts together in a long, narrow sampler for a section of wall in our hallway between two doors.

Arden finds it all very humorous - this rushing about that his mummy does - and his chubby smiles make me smile in return.

And because of all the speedy stitching going on here, I was much later collecting names for the Her Sampler giveaway. Everyone who expressed a desire to be included made it into the drawing through and including Hazel’s comment. Rather a long list!

And the winner is … Patti!
Congratulations!! Patti, you’ll need to refresh my memory on your postal address. I’m pretty sure I had it at one time, but …

slow-down sunday

Today’s been lived at quite a slow pace. Though my neck is improving, it’s still far from ‘right’ and it’s hard to sleep comfortably … but if you’ve got to slow down for a day, isn’t Sunday just the most perfect day for it? It felt really good, to be honest. I may have to mysteriously sprain my neck more often. (Just joking!)

The only stitching I’ve done has been to continue with the Prairie Schooler project for Max’s teacher. I’m posting a picture even though there’s embarassingly little to show. This is Country Cat from leaflet six, Barn Cats. I’ve  modified the color scheme because I’m using a much lighter fabric than the model. As a matter of fact, this lovely linen (32 ct Jache ”China Garden” linen) is my birthday gift from Annemarie last year. It’s gorgeous stuff and perfect for this design - but unfortunately, it doesn’t show up too well in night time photos. Hopefully I’ll get a better one tomorrow when I finish it. (I hope!)

I’ve also decided what to make for Max’s other teacher and hope to stitch and finish that on Tuesday and Wednesday. Since I have till Friday, who says I’ve put things off till the last moment again? LOL!

Thanks so much everyone for your helpful advice on the safest, best way to display Cathi’s Dear Jane quilt. I will go to the LNS on Tuesday (it’s not open Mondays) to buy some muslin and make a sleeve. If/when I ever have a larger quilt to display, I’ll most certainly get/build/commission those fascinating wooden clamps to affix to the wall. You guys know everything!!

The kids begin their final week of school … this afternoonwe had a trial run of what I hope to do with Nicky and Rowen during the summer to see if they actually could work on different projects at the same time without it turning into a screaming match. Hooray, it worked! I hope my little program works….

Arden’s got the right idea - it’s nearly bedtime in my little corner of the world. Take care, everyone!Oh, don’t forget, you still have a chance to add your name to the drawing for the OOP Her Sampler drawing (mentioned at the end of my previous post)!

let them eat cake

Oh my gosh. Can I continue blaming the early arrival of Easter for my ongoing tardiness with birthdays, anniversaries, and other Big Days? Or do I have to admit that … it’s my fault. I’m simply unable to keep up with the fleeting passage of time.

I stitched Vonna’s birthday gift early so I could avoid being late, but I managed anyway. To be late, I mean. Don’t you dare tell Vonna, but I still haven’t mailed her gift! Shame on me.

I decided some time ago what to stitch for Carol’s birthday, and have changed my mind about six times, but this time I really think I have the perfect design (thanks to Maria S.!). But … I haven’t even kitted it out yet, let alone begun stitching it.

And now I see that Jennifer’s birthday is all but here and although I set aside a few small gifties to send, I haven’t stitched a thing. Oh my heavens. I’m impossible.

I do hope you’ll all stick with me despite my shortcomings!

Another VERY big birthday today for a VERY special lass … who has received absolutely nothing from me (yet!) … my niece Morgan turns one year old today. Happy wishes to Morgan and her mommy and daddy and big brother Cameron from all of us here at Chateau Chaos!!!

Today was as busy as yesterday, as Max’s best friend always comes to play on Thursday. It was raining  (again!) so all the kids were stuck inside. My head is still ringing from the noise. But at least the kids were in school till 3 pm. Speaking of which, I have also goofed on the date of the school year ending. It’s next Friday, not the week after that. Both Niek and I got that one wrong - we were 100% certain that school ended on the 24th or 25th, but the joke was on us. I got busy today trying to put together all the bits and pieces I’ve been bookmarking for cool crafts and whatnot.

Somewhere in between all the happenings of the day, I have managed to set needle to thread. Here’s my current progress. Luckily there are a couple more hours before bedtime. Oh, this fabric is 32 count Vintage Pear from Lakeside Linens, and it is so much lovelier IRL!! I’m using the suggested DMC floss.

And to close with a really sweet picture of Arden enjoying some Daddy time. When we are home together, he’s happy as a clam to be with his mummy, but as soon as Daddy comes home, Arden has eyes for no one else!

a little of this and a little of that

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful solstice and is enjoying a very pleasant weekend. We’re keeping it fairly low-key here at Chateau Chaos and that suits me just fine.

Yesterday Arden and I wound up wearing matching socks, which we both thought was pretty funny. You may remember that Rachael knit us matching socks. I’ve meant several times to get a picture of us both wearing them, and I finally managed to do so.

I have been stitching but as it’s all gifts for people who read this blog (at least now & then, they do), I can’t share any real pictures. I can share the mistake I made last night … I’d been stitching on 40 count linen during the day (I’ve shown an early WIP shot below), but as the light faded, I switched to a new project on 32 count. Obviously my mind was still on the 40 count project, however, as I arranged the new project … with far too little space to finish it. By the time I discovered my mistake, I’d already spent over two hours stitching! Sigh. The new project is a Schoolgirl Sampler by Blackbird Designs that incorporates a four-sided stich all around the border. It was my first time doing this, and I fell in love with how pretty the back side of the linen was. Honestly the back side is much prettier … but I had to unpick it all this morning and begin again on a larger piece of linen.

Tomorrow, I’m off to the Immigration department so they can determine whether or not, after 11 years here, I’ve assimilated enough to Dutch culture. Believe it or not, they may make me take tests in order to continue living here. It has nothing to do with my legality in the country, simply with whether or not I’ve mainstreamed sufficiently. There goes a whole afternoon, not to mention however long it takes me today to track down all the paperwork they want me to provide. In true bureacratic fashion, the letter arrived too late for me to do anything about changing the time or making any adjustments to the appointment. Gotta love red tape…

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and cheery start to the new week!

 

how to celebrate a half-birthday

Today is Arden’s half-birthday. Am I the only one who can’t believe that six months have flown by already? Naturally a half-birthday deserves some sort of special celebration, and Nachtegaal, Max’s bunny, was thoughtful enough to provide the structure for our day by breaking loose from (and in the process, destroying) her cage in Max’s room yesterday. Max apparently didn’t think we’d notice a loose rabbit running around upstairs, but the cat (or rabbit) was soon out of the bag and my Friday plans were hastily scratched to make time to go off in search of an indoor rabbit cage that was large, sturdy, and affordable.

After a bottle and a short nap, as well as a bit of necessary playing, laughter, and general cuteness, Arden and I were ready to hit the highways and byways in search of the perfect home for Nachtegaal.

It took us three tries to find the right store selling the right cage - we wound up a good half-hour’s drive away, but it was worth it. Not only did we find what we needed for Nachtegaal, but we also found extra large bags of food for her, Spin, and Rigby and some new toys for Gilbert. I think they were all pretty happy with the fruits of our shopping trip.

(Nachtegaal, who is quite shy, extends a timid if heartfelt hello to Pink and Elvis, whose adventures she finds positively titillating. I suspect I’ve told her too much of Pink’s antics, leading up to our recent cage-busting activity. )

Cake was obviously out of the question, but Arden did celebrate with a bowl of pureed fruit. Yum-yum! And a milk chaser to wash it down.

The kids got into the spirit of the thing by dressing up and getting totally silly - Rowen dressed up as a tiger, Nicky as a cowboy, and Max as a strange sort of be-wigged person. Because all that could be seen of Max in costume was his eyes, I took another picture of him after he was back in his regular clothes.

Naturally Arden got a lot of kisses and cuddles and hugs and hoorahs from us all, which made him even jollier than usual.

So although needle has not touched linen today, and probably won’t, it’s been a totally terrific day over in our tiny corner of the world. Hope your day was also full of happiness.

back to normal - whatever that is!

I’m very happy to share the news that Arden seems to be his usual, jolly self again. He’s still not drinking his bottles like he should, but for the rest, he’s happily himself.

Today we were at the foodbank, then rushed home for a brief phone call with my mom, and then picked up the kids from school. Rowen had a friend over to play for the first time - she was so excited, and her friend was such a sweet little girl - and Max always has his best friend over on Thursday; it was my first time with six kids here. It went fine, but boy, six kids is a handful!

No stitching to show yet. But soon, I promise! Thanks for stopping by to visit with me!

it worked!

Thank you all so much for your get well wishes for Arden - it obviously worked, as he slept better last night and woke up feeling much more like his usual self. I can’t claim he’s 100% recovered, but he’s certainly on the mend. After breakfast, he gifted me with one of his jolly smiles that make my heart feel too big for my chest. (The red spots are mosquito bites - all the kids have a mild allergy to them. And no, he hasn’t been teething. Yet!)

Arden’s improved health meant I could spend a little bit of time stitching and I’ve finished the border for my Goode Huswife piece. I can’t show any more pictures, though, because it’s a gift. What a tease, huh?

Breakfast was a particularly fun affair this morning as the kids were dressed up for Teachers’ Day. Rowen wanted to be a pussycat, so I made some ears and sewed them to a headband and also made her a matching tail. Luckily I still had some fuzzy pink “fur” that I used to make her an Easter bunny in 2007. See, it does pay to be a packrat. LOL! Nicky dressed up in a Spider Man outfit that my mom gave Max about five years ago, but which looked nearly new after a trip through the washing machine. (The bookmarks I made for the teachers were received with great curiosity and delight. Phew!)

The other charts I won on eBay - to spend my birthday bucks - came in today. Meg’s Bunny is as adorable as I knew it would be, and I think the other chart (Sarah E.A. Hunter) is perfect for something like a box top, especially if I do it over-one. It was only 99 cents, so I’m not too worried about finding just the right application for it.

My better half is out tonight at a work-dinner - coincidentally, it’s being held at the very same Japanese grill bar that I wanted to go to for my birthday. Some days, I do wish my current job came with those kind of perks. Not that the smiles don’t outweigh the spit-up (most days, anyway), but it would be nice to dine out in luxury on someone else’s dime. So I have my xth night in a row of kiddie bedtimes, which means the wee beasties and I are roaring through our Adventures of Pinkeltje stories. Pinkeltje is a very tiny gnomish creature who can talk to animals and has the loveliest adventures - like going to visit the Easter Bunny, falling asleep, and getting closed up in a (hollow) chocolate egg. Fortunately for little Pinkeltje, the egg is bound for the house that he lives in, behind the walls with a small family of mice.

My other reading is also very compelling - I’m enjoying Middlesex enormously. Mr. Eugenides can tell a story with best of them! I’m only a few dozen pages into the novel, but I’m already a fan. What a treat to read such consummate story telling!

around the clock, twice

Usually baby illnesses are here and gone in about 24 hours, but Arden is stubbornly keeping his. After more than 24 hours on my feet with him, I was pretty done in yesterday evening and staggered off to bed at 8 pm after giving Niek strict instructions to wake me at the  midnight feeding if Arden was still unable to rest comfortably. I woke up around 3 am to an empty bedroom and found them downstairs - Arden had continued to to toss and turn and cry and Niek was trying to give me a chance to sleep (even though he had a very busy day at work today). So I took over and around 5 am, Arden finally managed to drop off for a solid two hours’ worth of sleep. Poor fella is still not at all his usual jolly self, though he tried to give me a smile.

Fingers crossed that tonight will turn the corner and he’ll sleep well and wake up healthy. On the positive side, his fever has not risen high enough to call the doctor. Whatever he has, it doesn’t appear to be serious. Just stubborn!

I have tried to put a stitch or two in when he lets me put him down, so here’s a rather sorry little WIP shot of a design by The Goode Huswife that I’m doing. It’s a schoolgirl style sampler with lots of deliberate mistakes, and I’m discovering that making a mistake on purpose is not as easy as it might seem. LOL.

A true bright spot in my day arose when the mailman delivered an ‘unbirthday gift’ from Dianne. Thank you so much, Dianne! What perfect timing! These are so cute - I’ll have to hide them from Max!

I also received the Prairie Schooler leaflets I won on eBay - Farmer’s Alphabet and Kitchen Table. Lotsa plans for these …. There was also an old JCS magazine that I’d bought with some interesting Shaker-style house designs that really caught my eye. I get such a kick out of looking at the really old cross stitch magazines - and I always go away very happy that charts are printed so much more legibly nowadays!

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me. Hopefully some exchanges will arrive soon and I’ll have some more interesting pictures to share.

 

bitten by the bookmark bug

Although I’d hoped to get all six bookmarks done for the kids’ teachers this weekend, I can’t say that I’m unhappy with having five of them done. Especially as Sunday was Father’s Day and not a whole lot of stitching went on. The top two you’ve seen in a previous post. Below that is a bunny and flowers taken from a DMC book, then an alligator taken from a Noah’s Ark pattern and “Here Guard I” written beside it (it’s the same sign that’s displayed at places that use a watchdog - LOL) using an old alphabet freebie downloaded years ago from this website before it became necessary to be a member, and finally an excerpt from The Prairie Schooler’s Barn Cats leaflet.

Max came home yesterday evening and took great delight in giving his gifts to Niek. In addition to the T-shirt, he’d made Niek a small cross stitch design of a boat on the water and a handmade bookmark from the kit that Nic included in our recent swap.

I’m keeping it short and sweet today as Arden was literally up all night last night with a fever, cramps, and a stuffy nose, and I was keeping him company. Poor little critter. Not to mention Arden! LOL!