prepare for party

This coming weekend, my baby turns 11. On the teetering edge between childhood, and that hormonal miasma of preteen. We have filled out the application for the science magnet for middle school. Sometime next month, she well get to go tour the school with the other fifth graders. She's looking me in the eye, people, and probably taller than me, now. She's still interested in getting and having toys, but doesn't play with them as much as she used to. She's growing up.

summer vacation 2012

I'll miss the child, kind of like I miss the baby, and the toddler, and all those younger stages, but I'm interested to see just what she will become, and how she will become it. She doesn't seem as shy or socially awkward as I felt. So I hope she won't have such a hard time transitioning friends, as I did. Of course there will be struggles, and many of them will be with me. Its that mother/daughter thing. I'm not looking forward to them, either, stubborn child that she is, but it is part of the deal. I hope she is as thought full as she seems, and as good of a soul. I hope she won't be led too far astray, and will find some new kindred spirits to complement the friends she already holds dear. I hope she can find herself, and is happy with who she finds.

2006 - back when spiders were her favorite.. and mischief

But for now, a birthday party to plan. Presents, invitations, cake (icecream cake, yes, please), goodies and all.

2008 - she may be older, but she's just as silly.

getting some love, and giving it back

This week has passed slowly, and through a haze of coughing, sneezing, using a box and more of tissue, and generally feeling pretty rotten. Yuck. I explored the line between sleep and awake, not always quite sure which side I was exploring from. I watched an episode of Downton Abbey, and then dreamed it over and over and over. When nothing else would do, I pulled out my Grannie quilt to snuggle under.

My Grannie made me this quilt when I was in my early teens, and every winter, from then on, it would go on my bed to snuggle under all winter long. This went on, winter after winter, until Ron and I got married, and moved to Colorado. Actually, the last time it was on the bed was the winter after we moved to Denver. I was pregnant with Raine, and we had only had Dixie a few months, and she chewed on the edges a bit, like a(n almost grown) puppy will do. I had no hard feelings. Much. But it did make me take a look at my beloved Grannie quilt. The years had taken their toll, and the fabrics had become thin and fragile in places. One square was rather shredded, and others had worn through her or there. So I carefully folded it up, and put it away. In Denver, we needed more serious quilts anyway.

Still there are times, like this week, when I pull that quilt out for a little extra love. We all have times like that, don't we? I even got to talk to Raine about how that quilt felt like snuggling in the love from my Grannie. It was a good moment, in a when-will-this-be-over week.

my Grannie quilt

The worst is over, though, and today I felt more - MUCH more - like myself. I didn't mind doing the laundry. In fact, after feeling like contagion for almost a week, laundry sounded like a wonderful idea. In went the sheets, and the towels, and all the regular stuff. And I really wanted to put that quilt in a load, too. But I just wasn't sure how well it would survive.

It was time to give some love back to it. I got out a needle and thread, and between loads, I mended here and there. I found a piece I could patch on top of the shredded square, which I did. There was, truthfully a lot of mending to be done. I know many people would have given me the opinion that it wasn't worth the time. The thread I used to mend was stronger than the fabric it was holding together.  I know it is. Still, I stitched, and finally got it done, and then washed, and dried. Then, I looked at the backing side. Ooops! still a little more mending to be done tomorrow. I don't mind.

I guess we do need some stinkin' patches...

Then my Grannie quilt goes back in the closet for me to pull out the next time I really need a little extra love.