So I missed a few days and then got disheartened. It's not that I lost interest, I was just bummed that I couldn't keep it going more than what, eleven days? Gesh. That said, I still took the pictures most days - using a mix of my cell phone and cute little (new - thanks honey!) pocket camera. It is (one of many) of my goals tomorrow to get them off both and posted here. I am also going to attempt to restart it. We'll see. I may lift an idea from quite a few others: take a picture a day but post it once a week. Project 52, if you will. We shall see.
So, what's been going on this last week? Not much. Unpacking, but not near as much as I should. Instead ... I've been stitching! Oh gosh, I've missed it so. When we first came home with Emi there just wasn't the time. I put it away, hoping to return to it soon. Then the big move, or rather the big wait to move. I did start a project last summer that was supposed to be a wedding gift and then we got our travel dates to South Carolina! Eeps. Yeah, that gift didn't get done. However, since Christmas I have been stitching up a storm on it and I am SO DARNED HAPPY! It's almost done, maybe another week or so at the rate I am currently stitching. As soon as it's mailed (ha - and received) I will post the picture. I am quite pleased with the way it's turning out. I have also found a new stitching shop (well, new to me) and they have twice monthly get togethers. I have already been once! They are a great group and I look forward to more stitching with them.
So, that's about it. Nothing earth shattering, but I am again finding my happy place. I can't believe how much I missed stitching. I just need to find a balance between that and unpacking (oh, and laundry, the house, cooking and groceries, and .... Jeff & Emi!).
Showing posts with label Counted Cross-Stitch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Counted Cross-Stitch. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Monday, December 15, 2008
BooMama Christmas Tour of Homes '08 - Our Home
Little Bit is happily watching Noggin so I have 15 seconds of uninterrupted time to try and finish this post. We shall see.
We didn't go crazy this year, but still wanted it special for Miss Emi. We did put up our tree
, no real trees for this gal, we live in a desert and can you even begin to imagine how many times I'd have to water a tree in any given day?? I'd need one of these. Which, come to think of it, why hasn't something like that been invented for trees by now? All you inventor types, I gave you the idea, I expect my royalties check! Oh, and the vacuuming of the needles. Yeah, that's going to happen. NOT. So, fake trees are what happens in this house. And I'm okay with that. It will be noticed (sorta hard to miss) that the angel is a bit, well, tilted. No, she hasn't been drinking (although it might come to that, the poor gal). It seems Miss Emi cannot not touch the tree (the one finger thing? only when mama is watching it seems). Also, for some reason I have yet to figure out, the tree spins around in it's holder. Something that took Miss Emi 13 seconds to figure out. Of course, the cord tends to hamper things, but she's up to the challenge. The question is, are Jeff and I? But she is seriously enjoying the tree, which is the reason it's up. (Oh, and see the presents under the tree? No? That's because Miss Emi has figured them out, at 22 months. We don't think she realizes that there are goodies inside, she just wants the paper off. So, now they are up on the bar to the left of the tree. Safe, for now.)
We did make the decision to not put any breakables on the tree this year. There are wooden, felt/cloth and tin decorations. It's pretty in a not-over-the-top decorated way which tends to happen as I love buying Christmas ornaments. Every year I have to decide what to not put up. Actually, in years past I have had as many as four trees up scattered throughout the house. This year, just the two. The family tree and Miss Emi's in her room. She loves it and wants it plugged in every morning. Very sweet.
The tree skirt on the family tree is one my mom cross-stitched for us a few years ago. It's one of my most favorite Christmas decorations and prized possessions. Also every year since the first year Jeff and I were married (1993, wow, a looooong time!) she has given us (and Drew when he was little) a special ornament. Usually she would find them in little shops or at an arts and crafts fair, usually handmade and always with our names and the year. I love decorating our tree each year as unwrapping each year's ornament and hanging it on the tree brings back memories. It's a wonderful tradition that I hope she never ends. This year, my mom out did herself (not something that's easy to do!). See those little stockings pictured below on the right? She stitched those! Complete with gold thread, something that I flat out refuse to use as it's such a bear to work with. And she did it THREE times. She even made them into stockings. I so love them and had to call her the moment I opened the box to thank her.
(Hmmm, maybe I should have broke out the iron for that skirt. Ah well, next year.)
We have started that with Emi, so she gets two new ones each year, one from us and one from Grandma. By the time she is ready to move out (when she's 35!), she will have many ornaments for her own tree. This year has been the year of the penguin for Miss Emi, so I have been searching and searching for just the right one. Finally, I found one but because it's so glossy/shiny I just could not get a good picture so, use your imagination!
My love of all things autumn has been well documented but I also love and adore Christmas decorations too. I didn't put up a quarter of what I have, but mainly as I didn't want the stress of trying to keep things in one piece as Curious Girl (Danger Girl's alter-ego) loves to touch and hold, and ultimately drop. But I love the pieces I put up. I am not done with the mantle. I decided I need some red and gold balls to nestle into the greenery, but for now it works. The stockings I made one year when Drew was small (yes, Emi is getting Drew's hand-me-down stocking, that and a stuffed animal he selected to pass down are her only hand-me-downs, poor kid!). They are HUGE and no, we don't fill them. :)
Make sure you check out all the other spectacular displays, starting with BooMama herself. So far, there are already 445! Wow.
P.S. In all the decorating and snow shoveling (okay, I didn't but I was out there in spirit with Jeff!), I neglected to make any goodies to share while you all are here visiting. Darn. I would have made some yummy Christmas cookies like we made for the firemen, had I remembered. But I am sure, like Santa, by now you are all so full of yummy goodness that you are wishing you had reindeer to share the treats with.
We didn't go crazy this year, but still wanted it special for Miss Emi. We did put up our tree
, no real trees for this gal, we live in a desert and can you even begin to imagine how many times I'd have to water a tree in any given day?? I'd need one of these. Which, come to think of it, why hasn't something like that been invented for trees by now? All you inventor types, I gave you the idea, I expect my royalties check! Oh, and the vacuuming of the needles. Yeah, that's going to happen. NOT. So, fake trees are what happens in this house. And I'm okay with that. It will be noticed (sorta hard to miss) that the angel is a bit, well, tilted. No, she hasn't been drinking (although it might come to that, the poor gal). It seems Miss Emi cannot not touch the tree (the one finger thing? only when mama is watching it seems). Also, for some reason I have yet to figure out, the tree spins around in it's holder. Something that took Miss Emi 13 seconds to figure out. Of course, the cord tends to hamper things, but she's up to the challenge. The question is, are Jeff and I? But she is seriously enjoying the tree, which is the reason it's up. (Oh, and see the presents under the tree? No? That's because Miss Emi has figured them out, at 22 months. We don't think she realizes that there are goodies inside, she just wants the paper off. So, now they are up on the bar to the left of the tree. Safe, for now.)We did make the decision to not put any breakables on the tree this year. There are wooden, felt/cloth and tin decorations. It's pretty in a not-over-the-top decorated way which tends to happen as I love buying Christmas ornaments. Every year I have to decide what to not put up. Actually, in years past I have had as many as four trees up scattered throughout the house. This year, just the two. The family tree and Miss Emi's in her room. She loves it and wants it plugged in every morning. Very sweet.
The tree skirt on the family tree is one my mom cross-stitched for us a few years ago. It's one of my most favorite Christmas decorations and prized possessions. Also every year since the first year Jeff and I were married (1993, wow, a looooong time!) she has given us (and Drew when he was little) a special ornament. Usually she would find them in little shops or at an arts and crafts fair, usually handmade and always with our names and the year. I love decorating our tree each year as unwrapping each year's ornament and hanging it on the tree brings back memories. It's a wonderful tradition that I hope she never ends. This year, my mom out did herself (not something that's easy to do!). See those little stockings pictured below on the right? She stitched those! Complete with gold thread, something that I flat out refuse to use as it's such a bear to work with. And she did it THREE times. She even made them into stockings. I so love them and had to call her the moment I opened the box to thank her.
(Hmmm, maybe I should have broke out the iron for that skirt. Ah well, next year.)
We have started that with Emi, so she gets two new ones each year, one from us and one from Grandma. By the time she is ready to move out (when she's 35!), she will have many ornaments for her own tree. This year has been the year of the penguin for Miss Emi, so I have been searching and searching for just the right one. Finally, I found one but because it's so glossy/shiny I just could not get a good picture so, use your imagination!
My love of all things autumn has been well documented but I also love and adore Christmas decorations too. I didn't put up a quarter of what I have, but mainly as I didn't want the stress of trying to keep things in one piece as Curious Girl (Danger Girl's alter-ego) loves to touch and hold, and ultimately drop. But I love the pieces I put up. I am not done with the mantle. I decided I need some red and gold balls to nestle into the greenery, but for now it works. The stockings I made one year when Drew was small (yes, Emi is getting Drew's hand-me-down stocking, that and a stuffed animal he selected to pass down are her only hand-me-downs, poor kid!). They are HUGE and no, we don't fill them. :)
Mom also stitched more ornaments for the little wooden tree (remember the birthday post?). They turned out so pretty and cute, and Emi was so excited to see them. She really gets a kick out of this little tree. I wonder what mom has planned for January, February and March (no pressure Mom!). Also here is the window over the kitchen sink. I used to collect angels and Santa's (some of them are pictured above on the mantle). I also used to collect snowmen (some are on the kitchen windowsill, pictured below). Now, I don't collect anything, unless it seriously catches my eye. I have six boxes of decorations, a bit over the top? Jeff seems to think so. :)
And, that's all the decorating we did this year. We did do a bit on the front door, but that is waiting for Barbara's Front Door Decor - Christmas Edition carnival. Which, a little bird told me, is happening next week. Make sure you come back for a visit!
Last, but certainly not least, someone must have told Mother Nature that BooMama's fun and games were happening this week. She arrived sometime in the wee hours of Sunday morning. So much for living in a desert. We had snow last year too. I think we were lead down the path in regards to "it rarely snows here" and last year's "this is a fluke, it so rarely ever snows here". Yeah, sure.
And, that's all the decorating we did this year. We did do a bit on the front door, but that is waiting for Barbara's Front Door Decor - Christmas Edition carnival. Which, a little bird told me, is happening next week. Make sure you come back for a visit!
Last, but certainly not least, someone must have told Mother Nature that BooMama's fun and games were happening this week. She arrived sometime in the wee hours of Sunday morning. So much for living in a desert. We had snow last year too. I think we were lead down the path in regards to "it rarely snows here" and last year's "this is a fluke, it so rarely ever snows here". Yeah, sure.
The sandbox, the (covered) back patio.
The evergreen pretty with snow.
The evergreen pretty with snow.
Make sure you check out all the other spectacular displays, starting with BooMama herself. So far, there are already 445! Wow.
P.S. In all the decorating and snow shoveling (okay, I didn't but I was out there in spirit with Jeff!), I neglected to make any goodies to share while you all are here visiting. Darn. I would have made some yummy Christmas cookies like we made for the firemen, had I remembered. But I am sure, like Santa, by now you are all so full of yummy goodness that you are wishing you had reindeer to share the treats with.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Birthday Gifts
While Emi and I were in Michigan visiting my folks (before/after the Shop Hop) my 
mom gave me my birthday gifts. Whoa, did I rake it in this year!
Last year we both fell in love with a particular chart. Not only did mom stitch it this past year, she stitched it for ME! I loved the chart, but the finished product is even more special as Mom stitched it. It turned out perfectly, the photos does not do it justice at all. Computer Wizard just cracked us both up. NOT that either of us have any delusions that we are, in fact, computer wizards. But if we were, we'd look just like this gal! Too cute and too sweet. I am looking for just the right place to hang her in my little office area.
Besides counted-cross stitch, my mom and I both share a love of all
things autumn. We love love love the colors most especially. Years and years ago I stitched a project for her for her birthday. It was a simple little thing, a witch's hat that said 'if the broom fits, fly it'. Jeff couldn't believe I'd send it to my mom, but I did and she had the exact reaction I was expecting. She loved it. That simple, goofy little thing started her love of all things witches (she now has a witch wall in her office, it totally rocks - I need her to take a picture of it so I can post it here, it's awesome!). While she is far more into witches than I am, I still love all things autumn, Halloween and Thanksgiving. So with that in mind, she stitched this and gave it to me. We both love banners, as we always seem to have houses that need more vertical things than horizontal. I love this!
Last, but certainly not least, the tree. We both have been looking for a tree so that we can stitch seasonal cuteness and hang them on the tree. It needed to be a tree that could be used year 'round, so not an evergreen. She found one, and it rocks! I have been drooling over it for sometime but it seemed silly to get one for myself (seeing as my stitching time has taken a backseat to a certain sweet little gal). Well, unbeknownst to me, she got two and proceeded to stitch both Halloween and Thanksgiving ornaments. Her plan is to continue to stitch seasonal goodies and send them to me. Oh my!
Now, what makes all of these even more incredible (if that is even possible) is that while she was stitching each of these things for me, she was also stitching them for herself too. Not an easy thing to do, it ends up being quite boring to do that. But she did, several times without losing her mind. THAT is amazing to me. I don't know if I could do that. But I love knowing when I look at these things that she also has them and is looking at them. Extra special.
Since the trip and getting all these goodies from my mom, the stitching bug has seriously bitten me. Oh, it had been gnawing away at me but I kept swatting it away. I was too busy, too tired, too ... you name it. Added to the fact that with my hearing problem (something I don't talk a lot about) I can't hear the TV unless it's L.O.U.D. If Emi is sleeping (the only time I can reasonably stitch) the TV would have to be so loud that it could potentially wake her. Not good.
I tend to watch/listen to the TV while I stitch, something I learned from my mom. I can't just
seem to stitch without something else going on (my mom, I think, was the founding member of Multi-Tasking, Inc.). So, Jeff figured out a solution, and it's so SO wonderful. I can stitch and watch TV, and actually HEAR what's going on. I didn't realize until the first time I used these that I hadn't heard every single word in a program for years. Probably ten, without exaggeration. Wow, it was so incredibly amazing. Not even with my hearing aids can I hear like this. Jeff is a very popular husband right now. He has brownie points, oh boy does he!
So now, as many nap times as I can, I stitch. Two nights a week Jeff puts Emi down and does all things Emi that night (and two other nights I do the same so he can work on his projects). And I am stitching, again. I knew I missed it, but I really didn't realize how much. I am a very happycamper
mom gave me my birthday gifts. Whoa, did I rake it in this year!Last year we both fell in love with a particular chart. Not only did mom stitch it this past year, she stitched it for ME! I loved the chart, but the finished product is even more special as Mom stitched it. It turned out perfectly, the photos does not do it justice at all. Computer Wizard just cracked us both up. NOT that either of us have any delusions that we are, in fact, computer wizards. But if we were, we'd look just like this gal! Too cute and too sweet. I am looking for just the right place to hang her in my little office area.
Besides counted-cross stitch, my mom and I both share a love of all
things autumn. We love love love the colors most especially. Years and years ago I stitched a project for her for her birthday. It was a simple little thing, a witch's hat that said 'if the broom fits, fly it'. Jeff couldn't believe I'd send it to my mom, but I did and she had the exact reaction I was expecting. She loved it. That simple, goofy little thing started her love of all things witches (she now has a witch wall in her office, it totally rocks - I need her to take a picture of it so I can post it here, it's awesome!). While she is far more into witches than I am, I still love all things autumn, Halloween and Thanksgiving. So with that in mind, she stitched this and gave it to me. We both love banners, as we always seem to have houses that need more vertical things than horizontal. I love this!Last, but certainly not least, the tree. We both have been looking for a tree so that we can stitch seasonal cuteness and hang them on the tree. It needed to be a tree that could be used year 'round, so not an evergreen. She found one, and it rocks! I have been drooling over it for sometime but it seemed silly to get one for myself (seeing as my stitching time has taken a backseat to a certain sweet little gal). Well, unbeknownst to me, she got two and proceeded to stitch both Halloween and Thanksgiving ornaments. Her plan is to continue to stitch seasonal goodies and send them to me. Oh my!
Now, what makes all of these even more incredible (if that is even possible) is that while she was stitching each of these things for me, she was also stitching them for herself too. Not an easy thing to do, it ends up being quite boring to do that. But she did, several times without losing her mind. THAT is amazing to me. I don't know if I could do that. But I love knowing when I look at these things that she also has them and is looking at them. Extra special.
Since the trip and getting all these goodies from my mom, the stitching bug has seriously bitten me. Oh, it had been gnawing away at me but I kept swatting it away. I was too busy, too tired, too ... you name it. Added to the fact that with my hearing problem (something I don't talk a lot about) I can't hear the TV unless it's L.O.U.D. If Emi is sleeping (the only time I can reasonably stitch) the TV would have to be so loud that it could potentially wake her. Not good.
I tend to watch/listen to the TV while I stitch, something I learned from my mom. I can't just
seem to stitch without something else going on (my mom, I think, was the founding member of Multi-Tasking, Inc.). So, Jeff figured out a solution, and it's so SO wonderful. I can stitch and watch TV, and actually HEAR what's going on. I didn't realize until the first time I used these that I hadn't heard every single word in a program for years. Probably ten, without exaggeration. Wow, it was so incredibly amazing. Not even with my hearing aids can I hear like this. Jeff is a very popular husband right now. He has brownie points, oh boy does he!So now, as many nap times as I can, I stitch. Two nights a week Jeff puts Emi down and does all things Emi that night (and two other nights I do the same so he can work on his projects). And I am stitching, again. I knew I missed it, but I really didn't realize how much. I am a very happy
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Shop Hoping with a Toddler
Kiy Note: Instead of the many posts from the Portland trip, I made this trip into one post. Grab a cup of coffee or tea or your beverage of choice. It's going to be a looooong read! (Portland: 1, 2, 3, 4)
So, where to start, where to start. I guess ... on Day 1!
Emi and I boarded our train on my birthday, October 5th. It was supposed to leave at 9pm, but was late and we didn't leave until closer to 1130! She really was a trooper, but flat out exhausted. Add to that, it was dark and the train whistle scared her. Every. Single. Time. Poor baby, for what seemed to be the first few hours it blew all the time. She slept on top of me most of the night, clutching at me, sometimes whimpering or crying out. It just tore at my heart. By early morning she had settled down enough to finish the night next to me in her seat. True to Emi-form, the rough night didn't seem to affect her daytime hours (wish I could say the same!). She woke up pretty happy, we ate breakfast in our seats, she loved the little picnic. (For details on this, see my tips post.)
Bathroom breaks for mama were interesting but since she likes to sit on my lap (too graphic? hehe), it ended up working as well as one could expect. There is a pretty large (by train standards) handicap accessible restroom and we used that, so it helped. We also used the dressing room for diaper changes and my clothing changes. Emi's clothes I just changed either there or at our seat depending. That's something I would seriously suggest to anyone attempting this. Bring clean sets of clothes, and separate stuff to sleep in. While I couldn't exactly shower and do my hair each day, I could clean up and put on clean clothes. It really made a difference. Of course, it also added a full extra carry-on, so it depends on what's important to the travelers.
Emi was in full Emi-mode by the end of breakfast. She went around the car, meeting and greeting. Everyone was very kind and seemed to enjoy her. Emi tends to collect grandmas and grandpas where ever she goes. It's pretty cute to see her in action. Actually, you could have, had I had the mind-set to dig out the camera. Seriously, I need to start carrying my purse camera ALL the time.
We colored, played with puzzles, played with bracelets and necklaces, had picnics, tore pages out of magazines (that I brought for this exact reason), went up to the Observation deck (rarely, she wasn't really into sitting - imagine that) and watched WAY too many dvds. However, had Emi not been a dvd gal I would have never attempted this trip. She tends to play while watching/listening though, something that I do also, so it's not all bad. We also saw animals, and for Emi this was a huge step. When in a car, she will look out the window but never seemed to exclaim over anything. This trip, we saw cows (tons and tons of them) and horses. All of a sudden, the cows became something she couldn't get enough of. She'd actually stand in her seat, watching for cows and then get all excited when she saw them. I loved it! We (okay, I) also saw a small herd of elk (awesome sight) and deer a couple of times. We also saw a couple of cowboys herding/moving (or whatever cowboys do) cows. This trip opened up looking out the window for Emi, now she does it constantly, exclaiming over everything she sees. It's so amazing, watching this little person grow.
We finally arrived at the stop where my folks live, and I was so happy to see the end of the train ride ... and a real bed! Both Emi and I dropped the minute we hit their house and slept like zombies. Ahhh, bliss.
The next two days were just catch-up on sleep, try to move our internal clocks ahead three hours and unwind. (BTW, Emi never did move her clock - she just stayed on West Coast time! She slept until 9-9:30 every morning we let her, and didn't go down until at least 9-10 most nights.) It felt nice to just sit and chat, and try to keep Emi from dismantling my parents house. We didn't do much those two days, knowing that we were going to be cooped up in the car for four days.
Friday morning, our plan was to be on the road no later than 0630. Ouch. My alarm went off
at five and I snuck off to the shower as quietly and quickly as possible. I got all of our stuff gathered and ready, and then went in and woke poor sweet Emi up at 0545. She wasn't overly happy, and I thought that maybe I'd just carry her upstairs and load her into the car. I'd worry about diaper changes, breakfast and clothes once she woke up. Problem is, once upstairs I think she remembered where she was ... and woke up, ready to play! So, back to Plan A - diaper/clothing changes and breakfast.
We didn't get on the road until closer to seven, but we were okay with that. Dad snapped the picture on the right just before we got on the road. First decent pic of both mom and I together in a long time, and Emi would NOT look at dad/the camera. Toddlers, sigh. But then, it was early in Emi's world. Note the firm grip on both her penguin (dubbed Brutus, 'cause with Emi he has to be able to take tough love!) and her sippy of milk (closest thing to coffee that gal is getting!).
For those not familiar with why we made the trip, here are more details. Oh, and the Tour de Stitch in held in Northern Ohio.
We finally arrived in Toledo, our first stop: Something Extra. Brilliant owner,
Bridget, had a few toys by the cash register that Emi found quickly. Sure made it easy for us to shop and spend money, but I am sure that wasn't Bridget's intention at all. Nope, not at all. {smile} We enjoyed our stay, but she started to get busy, so we checked out and got back on the road. These three gals had ground to cover!
Next stop was in Vermillion, Riverbend Stitchery. Unfortunately, they
have a shop cat, so I could not linger with my horrible allergy. Mom and I took turns, as we didn't want Emi in there. She touches everything and could (and most likely would) transfer cat to me in a heart beat). So when mom went in to shop, I got Emi out of the car and let her run around in the grassy area next to the shop (btw, yes, that is Emi in nothing but a diaper and a tee-shirt ... in Ohio ... while Jeff at home in WA was having our underground sprinklers blown out because we were having frost and below freezing temps being forecast - love it!).
Since the fist day was a long driving day, we decided to call it at this point. We drove the hour or so to the next shop so we'd be at the shop bright and early when they opened. Planning, we are all about the planning!
One of the things we did was make sure that all the hotels had indoor pools. We figured if Emi rode with us to shop all day, three to four days running, we could take her to the pool every day! The first night Emi and I ran down to the pool, it was crowded (surprisingly) but we still enjoyed it. Danger Girl reared her head and learned how to jump into my arms. The second time ever being in a pool (and the first time was the trip to Portland this
past summer).
First stop on Saturday, the Red Apple Frame & Stitchery. The shop owner also had a basket of toys that Emi enjoyed playing with, so Mom and I were able to shop with just a bit of help from Emi. We really enjoyed this store, and wandered around quite a bit this time (last year we were not able to). Then Emi and I went out to change a diaper and get a snack while Mom finished up her shopping.
Our next stop was Inn Stitches in Canton. We really like this shop but it
was quite challenging with Emi. By now she was used to going into shops so wanted to touch and feel everything. I didn't get to shop as much as I had in the other stores but that's okay, I didn't expect this to be much of a real shopping trip anyway. While Mom shopped, Emi and I went outside and walked around. There was the most delicious smelling bakery a couple doors down, it took everything I had not to wander in and buy the place out! Oh my.
Back in the car, and heading for lunch ... Emi fell asleep. So we decided to head to our next stop and then find lunch there. We had a quick lunch in Broadview Heights
and then went into the Crafty Ewe. This is one of our fav shops, and these gals could not wait to see Miss Emi, who was remembered from her photo of last year (she was in many of the other stores also) but the exclaims of Miss Cuteness were so sweet. While no toys were available, they showed her the (I think) handmade stuffed animals that sent my mama's heart skittering. I could just see Emi loving on them so much and limbs go flying. But, thankfully she lost interest before that could happen. Mom and I shopped and explored and really enjoyed ourselves.
We were making good time so decided to head on to our next stop, Just Stitching in
Strongsville. This is also one of our favorite stops on the tour. We love this shop, the gal who owns it and her staff quite a bit. We always spend more here than we think we are going to, as her displays are wonderful and there is just so much to see. Emi was, of course, exclaimed over and was offered little Halloween bags of pretzels which she snapped up in a hurry. There were also all kinds of shelving displays where she could run and hide, allowing a somewhat frazzled mama to chase and find. Emi thought it was great fun, thankfully the gals in the shop thought it was cute. Had they not, we would have been taking a walk again while Grandma finished her shopping.
Emi 'shopping' at Just Stitching
After this shop we realized, we had done FOUR shops in one day! No wonder we were pooped. We headed to our hotel, ready to drop. We did drive on over to Findley so we would be ready to start hopping the moment the shop opened on Sunday. Since they opened at noon on Sunday, and we were only going to do that one store we decided to get a late checkout and take our time.
We arrived at the hotel on the late side, so decided to hold off on the swimming for the night. One of the things I think Emi really enjoyed about the trip was that she and I shared a bed. Didn't start out that way, we had requested a crib for each hotel, but ended up just using it as a bed rail/guard so she wouldn't roll off the big bed. She loved snuggling each night and interestingly enough, except for one night terror night (yuck), she slept straight through each night. I have to wonder if it was warmer, or if she just liked sleeping with someone (me). However, Emi tends to take her half of the bed out of my side (not even just the middle!). No matter how many times I would move her back to her side, she would gravitate to me sooner rather than later. She's been a toucher and cuddler since the day she was placed in our arms. If anything, that has just intensified, which is just fine and dandy with me. I just love our little snuggle bunny. I have to say, I miss sleeping with her now that we are home. That was a very special time.
We did swim, right after breakfast the next morning. Mom went down to the pool with us, but since the water was SO cold, she decided to play photographer instead of swimming. Note that there are extremely few photos of me here, there are a lot of things I will share on my blog. Me in a bathing suit is not one of them!
Our last stop on the tour was the Craft Gallery in Findley. This continues to be one of our
favorites (okay, we like all the shops but some have a special place in our heart). The owners loved on Emi, which was so cute. Of course, Emi ate it all up ... including the little treats they gave her. There was also some cool toys in the front of the store that she really enjoyed playing with, most of which I have to wonder where they ended up. The little vintage tractor she carried all over the store, I was wondering how we were going to pry that out of her little fingers but fortunately something else caught her eye and I was able to stash the tractor out of her eye sight.
So, where to start, where to start. I guess ... on Day 1!
Emi and I boarded our train on my birthday, October 5th. It was supposed to leave at 9pm, but was late and we didn't leave until closer to 1130! She really was a trooper, but flat out exhausted. Add to that, it was dark and the train whistle scared her. Every. Single. Time. Poor baby, for what seemed to be the first few hours it blew all the time. She slept on top of me most of the night, clutching at me, sometimes whimpering or crying out. It just tore at my heart. By early morning she had settled down enough to finish the night next to me in her seat. True to Emi-form, the rough night didn't seem to affect her daytime hours (wish I could say the same!). She woke up pretty happy, we ate breakfast in our seats, she loved the little picnic. (For details on this, see my tips post.)
Bathroom breaks for mama were interesting but since she likes to sit on my lap (too graphic? hehe), it ended up working as well as one could expect. There is a pretty large (by train standards) handicap accessible restroom and we used that, so it helped. We also used the dressing room for diaper changes and my clothing changes. Emi's clothes I just changed either there or at our seat depending. That's something I would seriously suggest to anyone attempting this. Bring clean sets of clothes, and separate stuff to sleep in. While I couldn't exactly shower and do my hair each day, I could clean up and put on clean clothes. It really made a difference. Of course, it also added a full extra carry-on, so it depends on what's important to the travelers.
Emi was in full Emi-mode by the end of breakfast. She went around the car, meeting and greeting. Everyone was very kind and seemed to enjoy her. Emi tends to collect grandmas and grandpas where ever she goes. It's pretty cute to see her in action. Actually, you could have, had I had the mind-set to dig out the camera. Seriously, I need to start carrying my purse camera ALL the time.
We colored, played with puzzles, played with bracelets and necklaces, had picnics, tore pages out of magazines (that I brought for this exact reason), went up to the Observation deck (rarely, she wasn't really into sitting - imagine that) and watched WAY too many dvds. However, had Emi not been a dvd gal I would have never attempted this trip. She tends to play while watching/listening though, something that I do also, so it's not all bad. We also saw animals, and for Emi this was a huge step. When in a car, she will look out the window but never seemed to exclaim over anything. This trip, we saw cows (tons and tons of them) and horses. All of a sudden, the cows became something she couldn't get enough of. She'd actually stand in her seat, watching for cows and then get all excited when she saw them. I loved it! We (okay, I) also saw a small herd of elk (awesome sight) and deer a couple of times. We also saw a couple of cowboys herding/moving (or whatever cowboys do) cows. This trip opened up looking out the window for Emi, now she does it constantly, exclaiming over everything she sees. It's so amazing, watching this little person grow.
We finally arrived at the stop where my folks live, and I was so happy to see the end of the train ride ... and a real bed! Both Emi and I dropped the minute we hit their house and slept like zombies. Ahhh, bliss.
The next two days were just catch-up on sleep, try to move our internal clocks ahead three hours and unwind. (BTW, Emi never did move her clock - she just stayed on West Coast time! She slept until 9-9:30 every morning we let her, and didn't go down until at least 9-10 most nights.) It felt nice to just sit and chat, and try to keep Emi from dismantling my parents house. We didn't do much those two days, knowing that we were going to be cooped up in the car for four days.
Friday morning, our plan was to be on the road no later than 0630. Ouch. My alarm went off
at five and I snuck off to the shower as quietly and quickly as possible. I got all of our stuff gathered and ready, and then went in and woke poor sweet Emi up at 0545. She wasn't overly happy, and I thought that maybe I'd just carry her upstairs and load her into the car. I'd worry about diaper changes, breakfast and clothes once she woke up. Problem is, once upstairs I think she remembered where she was ... and woke up, ready to play! So, back to Plan A - diaper/clothing changes and breakfast.We didn't get on the road until closer to seven, but we were okay with that. Dad snapped the picture on the right just before we got on the road. First decent pic of both mom and I together in a long time, and Emi would NOT look at dad/the camera. Toddlers, sigh. But then, it was early in Emi's world. Note the firm grip on both her penguin (dubbed Brutus, 'cause with Emi he has to be able to take tough love!) and her sippy of milk (closest thing to coffee that gal is getting!).
For those not familiar with why we made the trip, here are more details. Oh, and the Tour de Stitch in held in Northern Ohio.
We finally arrived in Toledo, our first stop: Something Extra. Brilliant owner,
Bridget, had a few toys by the cash register that Emi found quickly. Sure made it easy for us to shop and spend money, but I am sure that wasn't Bridget's intention at all. Nope, not at all. {smile} We enjoyed our stay, but she started to get busy, so we checked out and got back on the road. These three gals had ground to cover!Next stop was in Vermillion, Riverbend Stitchery. Unfortunately, they
have a shop cat, so I could not linger with my horrible allergy. Mom and I took turns, as we didn't want Emi in there. She touches everything and could (and most likely would) transfer cat to me in a heart beat). So when mom went in to shop, I got Emi out of the car and let her run around in the grassy area next to the shop (btw, yes, that is Emi in nothing but a diaper and a tee-shirt ... in Ohio ... while Jeff at home in WA was having our underground sprinklers blown out because we were having frost and below freezing temps being forecast - love it!).
Honest, I was going to post just two. But seriously, how to choose? :)
Since the fist day was a long driving day, we decided to call it at this point. We drove the hour or so to the next shop so we'd be at the shop bright and early when they opened. Planning, we are all about the planning!
One of the things we did was make sure that all the hotels had indoor pools. We figured if Emi rode with us to shop all day, three to four days running, we could take her to the pool every day! The first night Emi and I ran down to the pool, it was crowded (surprisingly) but we still enjoyed it. Danger Girl reared her head and learned how to jump into my arms. The second time ever being in a pool (and the first time was the trip to Portland this
past summer).First stop on Saturday, the Red Apple Frame & Stitchery. The shop owner also had a basket of toys that Emi enjoyed playing with, so Mom and I were able to shop with just a bit of help from Emi. We really enjoyed this store, and wandered around quite a bit this time (last year we were not able to). Then Emi and I went out to change a diaper and get a snack while Mom finished up her shopping.
Our next stop was Inn Stitches in Canton. We really like this shop but it
was quite challenging with Emi. By now she was used to going into shops so wanted to touch and feel everything. I didn't get to shop as much as I had in the other stores but that's okay, I didn't expect this to be much of a real shopping trip anyway. While Mom shopped, Emi and I went outside and walked around. There was the most delicious smelling bakery a couple doors down, it took everything I had not to wander in and buy the place out! Oh my.Back in the car, and heading for lunch ... Emi fell asleep. So we decided to head to our next stop and then find lunch there. We had a quick lunch in Broadview Heights
and then went into the Crafty Ewe. This is one of our fav shops, and these gals could not wait to see Miss Emi, who was remembered from her photo of last year (she was in many of the other stores also) but the exclaims of Miss Cuteness were so sweet. While no toys were available, they showed her the (I think) handmade stuffed animals that sent my mama's heart skittering. I could just see Emi loving on them so much and limbs go flying. But, thankfully she lost interest before that could happen. Mom and I shopped and explored and really enjoyed ourselves.We were making good time so decided to head on to our next stop, Just Stitching in
Strongsville. This is also one of our favorite stops on the tour. We love this shop, the gal who owns it and her staff quite a bit. We always spend more here than we think we are going to, as her displays are wonderful and there is just so much to see. Emi was, of course, exclaimed over and was offered little Halloween bags of pretzels which she snapped up in a hurry. There were also all kinds of shelving displays where she could run and hide, allowing a somewhat frazzled mama to chase and find. Emi thought it was great fun, thankfully the gals in the shop thought it was cute. Had they not, we would have been taking a walk again while Grandma finished her shopping.
Emi 'shopping' at Just Stitching
After this shop we realized, we had done FOUR shops in one day! No wonder we were pooped. We headed to our hotel, ready to drop. We did drive on over to Findley so we would be ready to start hopping the moment the shop opened on Sunday. Since they opened at noon on Sunday, and we were only going to do that one store we decided to get a late checkout and take our time.
We arrived at the hotel on the late side, so decided to hold off on the swimming for the night. One of the things I think Emi really enjoyed about the trip was that she and I shared a bed. Didn't start out that way, we had requested a crib for each hotel, but ended up just using it as a bed rail/guard so she wouldn't roll off the big bed. She loved snuggling each night and interestingly enough, except for one night terror night (yuck), she slept straight through each night. I have to wonder if it was warmer, or if she just liked sleeping with someone (me). However, Emi tends to take her half of the bed out of my side (not even just the middle!). No matter how many times I would move her back to her side, she would gravitate to me sooner rather than later. She's been a toucher and cuddler since the day she was placed in our arms. If anything, that has just intensified, which is just fine and dandy with me. I just love our little snuggle bunny. I have to say, I miss sleeping with her now that we are home. That was a very special time.
We did swim, right after breakfast the next morning. Mom went down to the pool with us, but since the water was SO cold, she decided to play photographer instead of swimming. Note that there are extremely few photos of me here, there are a lot of things I will share on my blog. Me in a bathing suit is not one of them!
Our last stop on the tour was the Craft Gallery in Findley. This continues to be one of our
favorites (okay, we like all the shops but some have a special place in our heart). The owners loved on Emi, which was so cute. Of course, Emi ate it all up ... including the little treats they gave her. There was also some cool toys in the front of the store that she really enjoyed playing with, most of which I have to wonder where they ended up. The little vintage tractor she carried all over the store, I was wondering how we were going to pry that out of her little fingers but fortunately something else caught her eye and I was able to stash the tractor out of her eye sight.Since we had finished the Shop Hop in Findley we decided to go ahead and make the drive up to Fenton (Michigan). We love Deb at Stitches 'N Things and really wanted to add that to our trip. 
We just didn't know if Emi would have it in her to add another three hours of driving and yet another shop. But since she seemed fine, we settled her down with yet another dvd and started the drive.
We arrived first thing Monday morning, in fact before the shop opened! We enjoyed our visit and our shopping. Thankfully Deb was very patient, as Emi loved loved loved Deb's store. Deb has all these cool nooks and crannies where she displays varies stitching goodies. Emi was sure they were there just for her. It was interesting, keeping Emi from dismantling Deb's store! Mom and I ended up having to take turns walking outside with Emi, as we both had projects we wanted to talk with Deb about that we could not accomplish with Miss Emi running around. What a wonderful way to end our stitching shopping.
We headed back to mom and dad's, about five more hours of drive time. But thankfully between lunch, dvd's, nap time and running around breaks it went quite smoothly. Emi and I spent two more days at my folks', doing laundry, swimming in their hot tub (heat turned down for Emi), taking walks in their neighborhood and playing. I also started the massive packing again, so that we would be ready to jump on the train at 0735 ob Thursday. Poor Emi, another early morning wake-up call but I think she was getting used to it by then.
This time the train ride didn't even phase her. She handled the whole thing in stride, like she's been riding the train her whole (short) life. It was pretty cute to see her running all over, chattering to folks. We had a looooong wait/layover in Chicago (about 4+ hours). Usually, I'd take the time, find a corner and a book and read. With Emi, we had lunch in the food court and then found the Main Hall. I hooked her into her harness and we walked around and around and around, stopping to visit with folks that caught her interest now and again. I was so happy when it was time to board the next (and final) train.
We settled into our seats, and really enjoyed this ride. While it wasn't the most comfortable (my back and rear end were really feeling all the sitting by the end of the ride!), I so enjoyed spending this time with Emi. She's a fun traveler, and I love watching life through her eyes. She finds joy and excitement in every-little-thing. I didn't realize how much life I wasn't seeing until Emi. We spent more time this time coloring and watching out the window. The cows became an even bigger hit, with huge exclamations whenever she saw them. She spent a fair amount of time standing on her arm rest (you guys didn't really think Danger Girl was on vacation, did you?) watching out the window. With trains, the windows are just huge, so that was another huge plus to traveling this way. We snuggled in at nap times, mama got to spend some much needed quiet time during those. Reading and listening to my (new - happy birthday from Jeff and Emi!) MP3 player.
Travel is fun with a toddler, as long as you know your's and are willing to go with the flow. At any given time, plans had to be changed or completely tossed out the window. The shopping was a side benefit to the trip, really, it was all about sharing all of this with Emi and getting her to my folks. I can't wait to start planning what we are going to do next!
We just didn't know if Emi would have it in her to add another three hours of driving and yet another shop. But since she seemed fine, we settled her down with yet another dvd and started the drive.We arrived first thing Monday morning, in fact before the shop opened! We enjoyed our visit and our shopping. Thankfully Deb was very patient, as Emi loved loved loved Deb's store. Deb has all these cool nooks and crannies where she displays varies stitching goodies. Emi was sure they were there just for her. It was interesting, keeping Emi from dismantling Deb's store! Mom and I ended up having to take turns walking outside with Emi, as we both had projects we wanted to talk with Deb about that we could not accomplish with Miss Emi running around. What a wonderful way to end our stitching shopping.
We headed back to mom and dad's, about five more hours of drive time. But thankfully between lunch, dvd's, nap time and running around breaks it went quite smoothly. Emi and I spent two more days at my folks', doing laundry, swimming in their hot tub (heat turned down for Emi), taking walks in their neighborhood and playing. I also started the massive packing again, so that we would be ready to jump on the train at 0735 ob Thursday. Poor Emi, another early morning wake-up call but I think she was getting used to it by then.
We settled into our seats, and really enjoyed this ride. While it wasn't the most comfortable (my back and rear end were really feeling all the sitting by the end of the ride!), I so enjoyed spending this time with Emi. She's a fun traveler, and I love watching life through her eyes. She finds joy and excitement in every-little-thing. I didn't realize how much life I wasn't seeing until Emi. We spent more time this time coloring and watching out the window. The cows became an even bigger hit, with huge exclamations whenever she saw them. She spent a fair amount of time standing on her arm rest (you guys didn't really think Danger Girl was on vacation, did you?) watching out the window. With trains, the windows are just huge, so that was another huge plus to traveling this way. We snuggled in at nap times, mama got to spend some much needed quiet time during those. Reading and listening to my (new - happy birthday from Jeff and Emi!) MP3 player.
Travel is fun with a toddler, as long as you know your's and are willing to go with the flow. At any given time, plans had to be changed or completely tossed out the window. The shopping was a side benefit to the trip, really, it was all about sharing all of this with Emi and getting her to my folks. I can't wait to start planning what we are going to do next!
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