How to pack for 6 kids

First dig out 6 suitcases because, even if you'll only be gone for a weekend, no one will share and everyone has to have "theirs".

Instruct bigger kids on what to pack.  Find the bag your preschoolers packed every last article of their clothing in yesterday.  Tell the middle kids to wait their turn.  Pack the smaller kids bags.  Answer bigger kids questions because they apparently didn't listen to the instructions.  Remove all the extra stuff the smaller kids added.  Start helping the middle kids pack.  Ask the, now supposedly finished, big kids if they packed pajamas.  Send them back to pack some more.  Repack the smaller kids.  Teach the middle kids to pack themselves.  Chase the smaller kids away from the suitcases.  Negotiate suitcase size with the bigger kids.  Finish the middle kids.  Chase the smaller kid running away from you with their suitcase.  Negotiate appropriate number of stuffed animals with the girls.  Clean out the van that you cleaned out yesterday.  Put 4 suitcases in the van.  Find the smaller kids playing hide and seek with their suitcases.  Feel accomplished that all 7 suitcases fit in the van.  Remember your husband hasn't even packed yet.

What exactly do childless people do all day?

Ok, so I read this blog that rants about the childless people thinking those with children have lost their life.  http://www.renegademothering.com/2013/06/11/public-service-announcement-to-the-childless-people-wondering-why-were-such-losers/

And it portrays quite the picture.  I'm sure it's mostly true even.  Including the picture at the end that shows why we wouldn't trade it for the world.  Usually I wouldn't write about 1 person's opinion. But I've read it on associated press sites.  I've seen it on CNN.  Yes, I really do still read and watch the news.  More and more people, not just in the US, are opting for one or no kids. 

Those childish people are ranting about everything from kids in restaurants to strollers on city sidewalks.  They don't think about how loud they are conversing in a restaurant.  Do you think we enjoy going to dinner and having to listen to you?  I mean we have kids, and you've said it yourself, we don't get to go out as much.  We take the kids to a family restaurant (so as not to disturb you and yours), yet you chose a family restaurant too (expecting there not to be any families?).  While enjoying our one family dinner out per month we then have to endure, your not only loud, but colorful conversation that my kids can completely hear.  Instead of enjoying dinner we're trying to distract our kids so as not to have to endure a week of them repeating or asking about things they heard.  I'm so sorry my daughter's excitement over ketchup is disturbing you, you seem to be the only one because the neighboring family is just jealous mine isn't throwing food and the older couple have already said "how adorable".  But maybe I should go home, and like you, rant about the loud and obnoxious group of childless couples I had to endure through my dinner.

Maybe you aren't thinking about the fact that these kids will grow up to be the ones that keep this country running, since you didn't have any.  I mean, unless you plan to pick your own food in your 80s.  Maintain all the water, sewer, and electrical systems.  Oh and that precious cell phone tower to power that new smart phone your bragging to the whole restaurant about.  Or make your own Viagra.

There are a lot of childless people who can't go out either.  These are the people too busy spending their life savings on Clomid, or international adoption.  These are the people too busy perfecting their house before their home study.  When they go out to eat, they just long for a baby to have to take outside and walk around.  I'm guessing if people "long" for these "babies" there must be something good about them.

Yep, we don't have the newest smartphones or designer clothes anymore.  We can't afford to go out every weekend night and spend half the next morning recovering.  

So, what do we do on weekends then.  We go to a soccer game and get to watch a 3 year old score a goal.  She's so proud of herself that her smile lights up the fields.  She runs over to give you a high five because you not only taught her how to make that goal but you taught her how to high five.  You brag to the teammates parents that it's your kid that made that goal, that you can't believe at only 3 she was able to remember that move.  A few minutes later her kid makes a goal and does a cute little dance move in excitement and it's your turn to listen to a brag.

Afterwards you go out to celebrate by getting shaved ice.  Yes, you'll have to clean up the mess but the purple nose is amusing enough to be worth it.  You go home and start raking the yard.  A kid steals your rake and takes over.  Another one pitches in and soon there's a pile.  They start jumping in it as you sit down on the deck to watch and reminisce about doing that in your own childhood.  Soon you have leaves being dumped on your head and your involved in a full fledged leaf fight.  

Now you need a shower so plop the kids in front of the TV with a movie and sandwiches.  After your shower you sit down.  Within 2 minutes you're bored of just sitting so you start playing a game on your old smartphone.  Within 5 minutes you're bored of that.  Your spouse sits down with you and you discuss what childless people can possibly do all weekend.  Games get boring quickly.  The same old clubs with the same old people doing the same old stupid stuff every weekend has got to get old.  They get to watch the bouncer throw people out around 2am.  I get to be a bouncer when that precious smile takes down her brother.  Isn't the newest video game just like the last one, when you beat it you'll have nothing to do with it until you spend another $50 when the new one comes out?

Yes, I do go to the same soccer game every weekend of soccer season.  But that kid grows and learns every week.  Every week the trick is different, they're better at it and they're prouder.  The whole teams get better so each week the game is more competitive and more exciting.  

Soccer season is only 8 weeks.  After that there's flag football, baseball, swimming, dance, tennis.  Sometimes there's nothing and you get to be a kid.  You go to the park, the amusement park, the water park, and the beach.  In the winter you're suckered back into roller skates and realize you seem a lot higher up than when you were a kid.  You go bowling and get your but kicked by an 8 year old.

At the end of each day you read all your favorite childhood books.  You try to wrap your tongue around Dr. Suess.  You give bubble baths, wearing a bubble bath beard and taking pictures of their bubble bath hats.  Finishing, you get slobbery toddler kisses and sweet big girl bear hugs.  Those are things I can't even describe to you.  You have to experience them from tiny hands, soft lips and big, innocent, blue eyes before you can even begin to imagine what that's like.

Tutorial Tuesday-crocheted simple bucket hat

This hat is perfect in a cotton for the summer and can be easily adapted to boy or girl.

 

Simple Bucket Hat

hook size I

2"x2"=7 hdc x 5 rows

I used I love this cotton for the pattern, the bigger hats shown were made in Peaches and Cream and turned out to be 6 hdc x 5 rows and ran a little bigger than the pattern calls for.

 

 

size 0-3 months

 

beginning ch 2 counts as 1st hdc throughout

1) 8 hdc in magic circle. join

2) ch 2, hdc in same stitch, 2 hdc around, join (16)

3) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next st, *2 hdc, hdc* around. join (24)

4) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2 *around. join (32)

5) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 3, *2 hdc, hdc 3* around. join (40)

6-12) ch 2, hdc around. join (40) **optional stripe, change to color B for rows 11-12

13) ch 2, hdc in same stitch and next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2* around. join (52)

14) ch 2, hdc around. join (52)

15) ch 1, sc around. join (52)

finish off

 

 

size 3-9 months

 

beginning ch 2 counts as 1st hdc throughout

1) 8 hdc in magic circle. join

2) ch 2, hdc in same stitch, 2 hdc around, join (16)

3) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next st, *2 hdc, hdc* around. join (24)

4) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2 *around. join (32)

5) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 3, *2 hdc, hdc 3* around. join (40)

6) ch 2, hdc in same stitch and next 9. *2hdc, hdc 9* around (44)

7-13) ch 2, hdc around. join (44) **optional stripe, change to color B for rows 11-12

14) ch 2, hdc in same stitch and next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2* around. join (56)

15-16) ch 2, hdc around. join (56)

finish off

 

 

size 9-24 months

 

beginning ch 2 counts as 1st hdc throughout

1) 8 hdc in magic circle. join

2) ch 2, hdc in same stitch, 2 hdc around, join (16)

3) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next st, *2 hdc, hdc* around. join (24)

4) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2 *around. join (32)

5) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 3, *2 hdc, hdc 3* around. join (40)

6) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 4, *2 hdc, hdc 4* around. join (48)

7-14) ch 2, hdc around. join (48) **optional stripe, change to color B for rows 12-13

15) ch 2, hdc in same stitch and next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2* around. join (64)

16-17) ch 2, hdc around. join (64)

19) ch 1, sc around. join (64)

finish off

 

 

size 2-5 years

 

beginning ch 2 counts as 1st hdc throughout

1) 8 hdc in magic circle. join

2) ch 2, hdc in same stitch, 2 hdc around, join (16)

3) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next st, *2 hdc, hdc* around. join (24)

4) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2 *around. join (32)

5) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 3, *2 hdc, hdc 3* around. join (40)

6) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 4, *2 hdc, hdc 4* around. join (48)

7) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 5, *2 hdc, hdc 5* around. join (56)

8-16) ch 2, hdc around. join (56) **optional stripe, change to color B for rows 13-15

17) ch 2, hdc in same stitch and next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2* around. join (74)

18-19) ch 2, hdc around. join (74)

20) ch 1, sc around. join (74)

finish off

 

 

size 6+ years

 

beginning ch 2 counts as 1st hdc throughout

1) 8 hdc in magic circle. join

2) ch 2, hdc in same stitch, 2 hdc around, join (16)

3) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next st, *2 hdc, hdc* around. join (24)

4) ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2 *around. join (32)

5) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 3, *2 hdc, hdc 3* around. join (40)

6) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 4, *2 hdc, hdc 4* around. join (48)

7) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 5, *2 hdc, hdc 5* around. join (56)

8) ch 2, hdc in same st and next 13. *2hdc, hdc 13* around. join (60)

9-18) ch 2, hdc around. join (60) ** optional stripe, change to color B for rows 15-17

19) ch 2, hdc in same stitch and next 2, *2 hdc, hdc 2* around. join (80)

20-21) ch 2, hdc around. join (80)

22) ch 1, sc around. join (join)

finish off



Embellishments

belt bow

size up to 24 months

ch 16

1) hdc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across (15)

2) turn, ch 2, hdc across (15)

meet last row with first, ss together. finish off leaving a very long tail. fold the bow with the connection as the center back. wrap with the tail multiple times, do not cinch bow as you wrap. sew to hat with rest of tail.

2+ years

ch 21

1) hdc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across (20)

2-3) turn, ch 2, hdc across (20)

meet last row with first, ss together. finish off leaving a very long tail. fold the bow with the connection as the center back. wrap with the tail multiple times, do not cinch bow as you wrap. sew to hat with rest of tail.

standard bow

up to 24 months

ch 11

1) hdc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across (10)

2) turn, ch 2, hdc across (10)

finish off. wrap yarn around center cinching it in the process. sew to hat with yarn left from the center gather.

 

2+ years

ch 16

1) hdc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across (15)

2-3) turn, ch 2, hdc across (15)

finish off. wrap yarn around center cinching it in the process. sew to hat with yarn left from the center gather.

 

Sport Band

replace 1 hdc row of stripe with an sc row before and after the other hdc

 

Wordless Wednesday -Daylight Savings

Wordless Wendesday-Youngest or Oldest

 

Mondays <motivational> musings, on a Tuesday

Well, yesterday I had blogger app issues so last nights musing is being posted today. It's a good thing because I don't have time for a tutorial today.

So, my own husband was the one who would throw the pity party every time he had to travel. "I feel bad leaving you home alone". And my response would be "well, I figure all these projects are just job security". Then we had the flu this season, not one strain, but both (months apart). We also had ear infections, sinus infections, repeated croup, bronchitis, and strep throat (complete with vomiting). Did I mention I was battling chronic headaches through all this? I didn't become pessimistic, but that optimism deflated a good bit.

Tonight though, Baby L can't seem to fall asleep. Usually I leave then and come back to find her settled down or asleep, but sometimes she's just restless and when I leave she cries. Like tonight. When hubby's home he takes a turn then and she usually falls asleep. Tonight I'm doing it alone. I got a text a while ago that he's now in Atlanta, that perked me up, as usual. Somewhere in my brain, the idea that he's now only a few hours drive makes everything better. If all the airports closed or some other disaster happened, he's close enough to drive. And then I sat and sat and sat some more, waiting for this toddler to settle down and I started to get restless again. I'm trying to distract myself with Facebook and came across this story. What a wonderful example of the power of positive thinking. And it's so personally fitting, reminding me of my own optimism.

http://www.chickensoup.com/newsletter.asp?newsid=article-daily-130225&utm_source=CSS_Email&utm_medium=Bulletin&utm_term=20120619&utm_content=css-main&utm_campaign=daily

Tutorial Tuesday-Crochet Carrier Cover

If you live in the South, I suspect you have a baby carrier that has a panel of solarveil, kool nit, mesh or some other material to keep it cool.  When Winter comes, that panel is not so useful.  You could buy another carrier, I'm sure that would be more fun, or you could crochet a cover.  The reason I crocheted one (in addition to my fleece one) is that it gives it that "sweater" look too, which I think looks nicer at mass.

This is sized for a toddler kinderpack so will be a bit big on a sandard kinderpack but will still work, it should work on other structured carriers and mei tai as well, the angles just may not meet up exactly.  This pattern can be adjusted for different sizes by adjusting the starting chain.  I personally would make the toddler size in case you ever have to get a bigger carrier, it would still be usable.

approximately 10 oz worsted weight yarn, I used Simply Soft because that's what I had on hand

H hook, I crochet loose so be sure to check gauge

gauge 2"=8sc by 7 rows

ch 74

1) sc in 3rd chain from hook and in each chain across ch 1 turn (72 sc)

2) sc in bl only across ch 1 turn (72 sc)

3) sc in each chain across ch 1 turn (72 sc)

4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14) repeat row 2

5, 7, 9, 11, 13) repeat row 3

14-68) sc in each sc across ch 1 turn

69-80) sc dec over first 2 sc, sc 68, sc dc over last 2 sc, ch 1 turn (row 80 is 48 sc)

81) sc in bl only across (48 sc)

82-112) sc in each sc across ch 1 (48 sc)

113-123, odd rows) 2 sc in first stitch, sc 46, 2 sc in last stitch, ch 1 turn (row 123 60 sc)

94-122, even rows) sc in each sc across sc 1 turn

124) sc 4, dc 23, sc 6, dc 23, sc 4, ch 1 turn

125) repeat 124

126) sc 5, dc 21, sc 8, dc 21, sc 5, ch 1 turn

127) sc 6, dc 19, sc 10, dc 19, sc 6. finish off.

fold upper portion in half and stitch closed from the beginning of row 124 up and across the top and down the middle until stitched closed to form hood.

On wrong side attach yarn at bottom corner to the bottom of first stitch of foundation chain, ch 20, sl st in first fl of row 14, sl in next bl of row 14, sc down the ch 20, sl st into bottom of next stitch in foundation row. sl st in next stitch in foundation row. sc in each sc in the ch 20. sl st into next fl of row 14, finish off. Repeat for opposite corner.

Sl stitch into the first fl of row 81, ch 15, sl st around the first stitch from row 69, sl st around next stitch, sc in each ch 15, sl st into the next fl of row 81, sl st into the next fl of row 81, sc in each sc from the ch 15, sl st around next st of row 69, finish off. Repeat for opposite side.

The waist strap loops are loose allowing the bottom to adjust to seat darts if using on a carrier like the Kinderpack or the stretch of a carrier like the stay cool. It is also wider at the waist strap to make up for the seat darts or stretch so it still covers everything in the middle of the carrier. The shoulder strap loops are pretty snug but will stretch to accomodate. It needs to be snug to support the hood.

You could also add similiar loops for the webbing to hold it in place even better. You could also add loops to the hood for the straps of your hood to slip through so you could still use the hood for support.