New Blog!

    In the last several months, I have found my hobby in making Amigurumi animals (crochet stuffed animals) I love sharing my creations, and thought it best to create a new blog with that as the focus.  So without further ado, check out my crafting blog! http://heartofacraftymom.blogspot.com/
    So far I only have my old posts, but keep checking, I will be adding some more posts soon!

Baby Binky Dragons

    So time has sorta whizzed by, and I realized I never updated our adventures with the binky dragons.  After our fun time rescuing the girls binkies from the binky dragons (story here), I found the girls randomly playing swords and dragons for weeks! During this time I worked hard on making a pair of baby binky dragons for the girls. I made a green dragon and of course pink dragon using a pattern by Stephanie of All About Ami (pattern found here ). I added my own touches, crocheting pieces that she used felt for.  I figured the felt wouldn't hold up with their rough play.

    I couldn't wait to give them their little baby binky dragons, but I wanted to do it in a fun way.  I found my plastic Easter eggs (a pink and a green one) and hid them in plain sight for the girls.  We played Binky Dragon's and chased the dragon's away, I then asked if they could see something in the mirror.  Confused they asked me why there were colored eggs up there.  The only conclusion was obvious.  The Binky Dragons had giving us a peace offering.  I explained to the girls that the eggs were not ready yet (I was still finishing the last touches to my amigurumis).  I told them to build a nest for the eggs, so they could stay nice and warm while they get ready to hatch.

They found a doll blanket and a Christmas tin and put the eggs inside.  we but them up high like a nest in a tree, and waited...  about every hour or two they checked... It was an extra pressure to get them done! Finally I had them finished and set up the "hatching".  I excitedly told the girls to come downstairs and this is what they saw:

    The Girls have been sleeping with their Baby Binky Dragons ever since.  And it has become one of their favorite toys, and one of my favorite memories.  The girls have figured out how to get to the spatulas and wooden spoons themselves.  It is now normal to find the play area with a few "swords" as evidence of their dragon adventures. 

Grieving Time Lost

 

   I was thinking about things I miss today...  Tomorrow is the 8th anniversary of my mom's death. The wound of her being gone is healed, but just like when cold weather can suddenly aggravate an old wound,  So does memories aggravate old emotional wounds.  Have you ever had a moment, where you smell, hear, touch something... and it brings you straight to a old memory? Sometimes, I'll be walking in the mall, and someone will brush past me, and I'm hit with the memory of my mom. Simply because they were wearing my mom's perfume.  My mom wore Love Spell, which is a rather popular fragrance.  Some times I don't know if that is a good thing or bad.  I actually have a bottle of her perfume, but I never seem able to wear it.  The passing fragrance is all I can handle.  The emotions I feel are almost indescribable.  Like the thrill and terror at the top of a roller coaster.  It brings in all the devastation of her lose, along with a hope that maybe that was her.  Your heart soars in hope, and your head stabs it back down.
    I was thinking of sounds I miss.  the tap of a typewriter (yes i'm that old... my mom taught me how to type on a typewriter), The hum and rumble of a Jacuzzi (I was blessed to grow up with one, and I had all my best conversations with my mom there), Her voice, Her laugh, her singing... The rusty slice of the paper cutter.  My mom was a Stampin Up demonstrator, she loved to scrap book and make cards.  She would spend hours in the cold living room slicing and stamping away.  I resented all that time she took for that hobby.  She so desperately wanted me to like stamping, but I just didn't enjoy it.
    I wish I had been into crocheting back then... when I'm creating a new amigurumi, I always think of her, what her suggestions would be, her reactions to the finished product... I'm pretty sure she would make me make her one of everything.  Most of all, I think about how I wish I was working in that cold living room, sitting by her stamping stuff, and just chatting.
    God has blessed me with awesome woman of faith.  I appreciate every last one of them.  But there will always be something about a mother's love, that can never be replaced. I am blessed with two beautiful girls that I can love just as much as my mom loved me.  I treasure that, in the way of someone who truly knows the value of a mother's love, and the emptiness once it is lost.
    Every year marks another year of loss.  For this year, I grieve that my mom missed out on my girls forming a sisterly relationship.  I grieve that she wont make Esther a pink birthday card, that she isn't a part of my crocheting amigurumi (even if only a cheerleader), I grieve the loss of her counsel while I deal with uncontrollably hyper children, her laughing over binky dragons and raw eggs on carpets.  But I grieve for myself, for I know where she is, is far better.  Far better than I can imagine or comprehend.  The lost time on earth is but a breath compared to the time I will have with her in heaven.  For my grieve on earth is temporary, my hope is eternal.  One day I will see her again, and it will be all joy, my heart will soar and nothing will destroy it.  Oh for that beautiful gift that God has giving us.  What beautiful hope.  

Revalation 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14 "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."

Otis the Otter

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The Tale of the Binky Dragons

     It had been a long day with the girls.  I felt as if I could blow up with anger and give an epic speech that they would understand about 2% of.  It was bed time, and with much effort, the girls were clean and in PJ's.  Of course the excuses start coming... at the moment they were emotionally whining about how they didn't know where there binkies (pacifers) had disappeared to.  I felt my frustration and speech build up.... took a deep breath and redirected it to my imagination...
    I gasp loudly, "I think I know what has happened to your binkies!" The girls are alarmed by my sudden change from broody and grumpy mom, to sparkly eyed and mischief mom; they respond with blank faces.  I continue, "The binky dragons took them!"  Confused, they now can't decide if they should cry over this news, or become excited.  "We must defeat the dragons and rescue your binkies! come on!"  I race to the kitchen, as the girls hesitantly follow; unsure of this scary adventure. My husband rolls his eyes and sits back to watch my shenanigans.  I grab three spatulas out of my kitchen drawer, "Here, these are our swords. We need these to slay the dragons." This finally got them excited.  Their blank expressions now burst into gleeful smiles, and giggles.  We race to the bathroom (I knew Esther had left her binky at the sink).  "Careful" I warned them, "binky dragons are invisible." They nod in complete understanding.  while they were not looking at me, I turned on the shower. "It's a water breathing dragon!" I yell, quickly wielding my spatula, and stabbing it at the water.  The girls giggle and shout as we stab at invisible dragons. "We got it! look, here is Esther's binky! Another dragon must have Bethany's." The girls nod in serious agreement.  We travel carefully around the house, and make our way downstairs.  Bethany bravely steps ahead of me, looking to rescue her binky from the dragon.  She finds her binky and bends over to pick it up. "Watch out Bethie!" Esther and I charge forward to protect Bethany from the Invisible dragon, who had lured Bethany so close.  "I got it!" Esther yells, "It's flying away!" We pretend to watch it fly upstairs.  "Lets get it!" Esther says as she charges up the stairs.
    We didn't catch up to the dragon, and we are convinced it will come back someday; but that night, we had saved the binkies, and my girls had been so brave and courageous.  They went to bed with a smile, and both asked if we could always play dragons for bed.  It sorta blew me away that I could have yelled at the girls for whining and sent them to bed feeling grumpy and annoyed. Instead, I let my imagination take over, and created a amazing memory we all will cherish.

I heard a rumor that Binky dragon babies are not born Invisible... I'm thinking we might catch a couple on our next adventure... TO BE CONTINUED

Amigurumi Woodland Critters

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**** UPDATE****

  Woodland Critters are now on sale! (HERE)

Crochet: DIY Creeper Slouchie hat

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