Cabin Fever and Sanity Saving

The plague and crazy weather-conditions have forced us to be homebound this week. We've had none of the usual, sanity-saving distractions for eight entire days ... no playdates, no trips to Target, no library storytime, no walks to Starbucks, no Tuesday at Sahara's house, ...

So what does a 17-month old do for an entire week while stuck inside the house?

She gets a serious case of Cabin Fever, and she ...

• spends time on her new laptop; checking emails, updating her blog, BabyBrain ... in reality, she's just watching some silly monkey dance around, but the idea of her blogging is hilarious to me :)
  
• catches up on a little light reading - Eric Carle is fascinating!
  
• yells excitedly at the "big kids" playing in the snow outside her bedroom window.
  
• gets into all sorts of mischief and finds some pretty interesting places to "play." Just this morning, while I was trying to catch a few seconds of the local news, she threw open both cabinet doors and proceeded to climb in and empty the contents all over the floor.
  
  
  
  

  
  

Natalie has also grown obsessed with a video called "Elmo Saves Christmas," a DVD her cousins Caroline and Emily were so thoughtful to send her ... "when they were done with it." I have a feeling mom and dad had something to do with prompting that little "gift" because let me tell you it's on my last nerve! And like them, I am plotting a way to get it out of my house, too! Don't get me wrong, it's a cute little Sesame Street production with a delightful message about keeping the spirit of Christmas in your heart all year long. BUT enough is enough ... at this point, I am reciting lines and fast-forwarding through the creepy Christmas Bunny scene! Here's the second BUT ... but it has given me a few precious 10-15 minute chunks of sanity in the past eight days, and that dear friends, is why I must thank Elmo for not only saving Christmas but also saving my sanity!

Double Ear Infection

My sweet baby girl hasn't been too sweet these past few days ... and rightfully so I suppose. She woke up with a fever late Saturday night and cranked her way through Sunday. But Chad took her to see the doctor on Monday ... while I worked. After waiting an hour and a half to be seen - aaaarrrgggh - he left with the bad news of infection in both ears and a prescription for antibiotics and ear drops.

Santa's Little Elves ... a Wish Come True

If you haven't read my "wish post," it's probably a good idea to start there ...

So my complete and total lack of craftiness has seriously been semi-depressing me. I just can't let it go. Everywhere I look, I see craftiness. Craftiness that I can't have because well, I suck when it comes to all things craft ... except Mac and Cheese, I make seriously delicious Mac and Cheese ... but that's spelled with a K, so I don't think that counts :)

Anyway ...

As I sat nimbling my peanut butter and jelly sandwich the other day, I idly flipped through my Parents magazine, an issue that's been sitting on the table for weeks.

(Am I hungry or something? Hold on ... snack break ... )

When what to my wondering eyes should appear but an adorable holiday craft that seemed ... well, somewhat "doable" to me! Even just looking at the photo, I could feel my confidence, perhaps naively, growing. But when I flipped the page and found a list of materials and a set of clearly written directions ... well, the only way I know to describe it ... it was like the Grinch's heart - at the end of the movie - when it grows and breaks the little magnifying frame thingy. You know what I am saying, right?! This was my craft. The craft I had been wishing for. The craft that could potentially make me a little bit craftier.

And so, I gingerly tore the page from the magazine and high-tailed it on over to Michael's. That's where crafty people shop, right? My immediate response was ... "What the heck am I doing here?" And I almost turned right around and went back home to read a good book or type up a blog post. Who really needs to be crafty anyway? But a friendly employee must've spotted that look of defeat, and she offered to help me find what I was looking for. Well, I quickly explained that I am "craft illiterate" and I would need more than a little help. She graciously agreed to my terms and off we went to track down the beads, pipe cleaners, and felt I would need to make my very own troop of ... Santa's Little Elves.

In fact, I made 16 in all. The felt and hot gluing almost put me over the edge, but I persevered.

I gave them as Christmas gifts to a few of the little ones in my neighborhood. And each of my nieces and nephews will be getting one, too. For my nuggets who are old enough to read/enjoy a good story, I printed personalized story to go along with their elves.

I think it's safe to say that I am feeling a little bit craftier ... and believing in the magic of Santa's little elves :)

I wish ...

I wish I was little bit taller
I wish I was a baller
I wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her
I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a batand a '64 Impala

This is Skee-Lo's simple Wish List.

Mine is, well, even simpler ...

I wish I was a little bit craftier.

I peruse all these delightful and oh-so-crafty blogs out there, and I am green with envy. Overcome by the desire to take raw materials and produce something out of them. Something that won't produce giggles and snickers or pity-inspired, "oh, that's nice." I want ooohs and aaaahs and "oh, you're so clever." I want the kind of satisfaction I imagine must come from a craft well-done.

I have no idea how to use a sewing machine. My art supplies consist of glue sticks, colored pencils and a stack of neon paper left over from a classroom project. I do own a glue gun but I avoid using it if at all possible; there's something about me and hot, stickiness that doesn't get along. I once tried to paint a large canvas ... just black and white ... I projected an image and traced it ... and it is now "decorating" my attic. I would love to be able to whip up a cute little curtain or throw pillow ... in my spare time.

But, alas, I am not crafty ... not even a smidge.

MommyDaze

Yes, I am alive and ... no, I did not run off with Nelly! :)

I have like 5 posts in-the-works ... hoping to finish at least three of them at some point today ... but in the meantime, occupy yourself at MommyDaze, the fabulous mommy message board / chit-chat forum of my dear friend and fellow blogger, Debby. First of all, Debby is SUPAH ... if you read her blog you get what I'm sayin' ... you're picking up what I'm throwin' down ...

And secondly, she has persuaded all these supah-fabO sponsors to GIVE her stuff so she can give it away ... but you've gotta visit her site and introduce yourself ... she'll explain the rest :)