25 Days, 18

When we bought our first house a pig just like this one came to live with us.

We would use his chalkboard to announce birthdays and holidays or just proclaim our love for one another. The only rule was that every entry had to start with "Pig says:".

As we began our in vitro journey we started noting significant numbers on Pig's board. Number of eggs, number of embryos, number transferred, blood HCG numbers. Pig eventually became a talisman to protect the pregnancy. That was in June of 2005.

We've since sold that first house and bought a new one and Pig came along, unchanged, to live in the window above the kitchen sink. I then had a baby and proceeded to raise him for 20 months before I felt safe enough to erase the numbers, which were barely even visible anymore.

There was an expected moment of bittersweet when I wiped the last number away, but I was truly surprised at the relief I felt, too. It had never really occurred to me that those numbers, though the best and luckiest numbers of our lives, were also a daily reminder of the desperate fear and pain of two years of infertility and loss.

I realize now that I was moved to erase those numbers because something rearranged itself in my heart and head to allow me to finally consider us a normal family--no longer a miracle of science, just a regular family of three.

Although I will never take for granted the gift that we've been given in Dash, I don't have to spend every dish-washing moment in remembrance of what almost never was.

So now we are, finally, blessedly, back to this:

25 Days, 17

Is it too soon to start with the Halloween stuff? Yes? Then I won't mention the Christmas stuff I'm almost halfway through already. Anyway, lookit what Mama made last night:

I started with a pack of doll pins I picked up at the craft store (20 for $2.99; nice).

Add a little paint and a little wine and we have this:



The ghost's "shroud" is made out of a used Mrs. Meyers dryer sheet (Josh was folding laundry while I was doing this). The witch's hat is just some black paper rolled into a cone and secured with double-sided tape, then glued onto another piece of black paper cut into a circle. Eventually she'll have a cape. When we're ready to display them, they'll be wired to hang from branches I'll steal from the back yard and stick in a bucket.

I made two of each, but Dash took possession of a couple this morning so we'll see how many are left when it's time to hang them.

I love this project so much I can't tell you. I have big plans for all sorts of Christmas ornaments (unbreakable is the way we're going this year) and farm animals for Dash and--oooohhhh, I just thought of this--I could do one of each of us! And the cats! The Engel Family Doll Pin Puppet Players. We could make a puppet theater out of a shoe box and I could sew mini curtains.

OK, I need to go lie down. The possibilities are overwhelming me.

25 Days, 16

First rain after 150 days.

25 Days, 15

Here's something that provides me a disproportionate amount of pleasure.

When Dash started bring home artwork from school, I bought a couple of pre-matted 8"x10" frames meant to hold photos and hung them near the entry. The backs are hinged, so I can just pop them open whenever the mood strikes and swap out the art.

beforeafter

25 Days, 14

We have Gnomes.

25 Days, 13

Wow. Took a little break there, huh?

Anyway, the Santa Monica Pier has a program called "Wake Up with the Waves" every Saturday morning starting mid-September. It's a kids' concert series on the pier that begins at 9am. When I told Dash's Godmother that we were planning on attending this past Saturday she marveled that we'd be able to get a toddler out of the house and a good 40-minute-drive away so early in the morning. "Cake," I declared. "I'm one organized motherfucker."

We were almost crushed by the stampede of strollers on their way home for snacks and naps when we finally rolled onto the pier at 10:45am. We had fun anyway.

commentary: "No, no, no, no, no, down, down, no, no, down, please, down."

the Tub Toss got OWNED by Daddy. (also, see that pink clog? mine. awesome.)

running the stairs

triumph!

the carousel went a little fast for his taste

singing "Like a Virgin," accompanied by her laptop

is it weird that Yankee Doodles is, like, my favorite restaurant?

Edited to add: Hey! It's my first blog anniversary. Know how I know? 'Cause it's Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Here: How did the pirate quit smoking? He used the patch.

Also: What has eight arms and eight legs? Eight pirates.

Or how about: What do you call a pirate who poses for Playboy magazine? A Playmatey.

25 Days, 12

I started asking for a sewing machine for my birthday in December. My birthday is in July. I got it on schedule (thanks, Baby!) and it took me another two months to take it out of the box and figure out how to load the bobbin. But I did. And look!

during

after (side 1)

after (side 2)

Now it's just a matter of time before I start making these:

photo by superemee.