Nearly ready and a little tour

Paul and I have spent a lot of time over the past few months getting the house ready for our new little person (who is due in just five weeks!)

Since we decided to stay in our little three-bedroom ranch, there were more projects than just setting up a nursery.  We had to move my office out of the third bedroom, sell and donate a bunch of items we didn't use much, and find a lot of new storage.  I'm happy to say we're almost there!  Just one more weekend, and the nursery should be complete.  (Cue sigh of relief from nesting mother.)  So I thought it'd be fun to take the next few weeks and share some of the projects we've done, and show you what our living space looks like these days.

One of my top priorities was to create spaces where A could be more independent and find interesting things to do while I'm busy with the new little one.  One place is his new craft corner.  I'm a huge fan some of the Montessori philosphies of creating independence, even in toddlers.  I notice A is so much happier if he can decide what he wants to do, then execute (mostly) by himself. 



The table we've had for at least a year.  I got it on craigslist and Paul cut the legs to kid-height.  It's a little shorter than most kid tables, but I love the fact that younger kids can use it too.  The chair is Ikea (again with the legs cut).  And the cabinet is the Ikea Helmer cabinet.  I did a bunch of research, and this was the most affordable, small-space, kid-friendly solution I could find. 

Right now, the craft corner is in the corner of our dining room, but it may slide down closer to my desk by the time we finish furniture-arranging.  (Please ignore the one leftover Christmas decoration!  I'm still trying to find something new for that space.  :)




So far, it's been a huge hit.  A has access to crayons and washable markers, paper and coloring books, some stickers and stamps and play-doh.  Our watercolor paints are also in his craft cabinet, but since he can't get the water yet, I don't worry about those.  The other paints are stored on top of my armoire, and he has to ask to use them.

Here are a few shots of the artist at work:

Picking things out

It's strawberry season here in New York - exciting for us!   My mom, Aaron and I picked 8 quarts yesterday at a local farm.  Well, my mom and I picked.  Aaron mostly ate.  For now, we have two quarts out for eating and the rest frozen for the fall and winter.  Interested in freezing berries this summer?
- Rinse them and cut off the tops.
- Lay them on a pan in a single layer, and put the pan in your freezer.
- Once they're frozen, transfer them to containers or resealable bags for long-term storage.
Yum!

I've also been hitting the garage sale scene in Ithaca.  Spring and summer mean lots of people moving to and from this collegetown, which means lots of good garage sales.  So far, I've got a Little Tykes slide for A ($15!!), a like-new North Face ski jacket for me ($10!), a bunch of kid puzzles and books from a pre-school that is closing, and a few dresses.    From the 1950s to the 1970s, they made good dresses - that you would wear without tank tops and shawls, dresses with pockets!  I think I need more vintage clothes in my wardrobe. Like this:

Caught red-handed, literally




See those pockets?  Heaven!

Spring, still happy

We're having such a lovely spring here in Ithaca - lots of warm sunny days with a thunderstorm thrown in here and there to spice things up. I celebrated year number 33 yesterday with a near-perfect day. Actually, I should say this is a pretty near perfect week. A dear friend - the crazy Candie Branch - visited for the weekend, which was absolutely delightful. Paul and I did okay in our first tri of the year, and had a big BBQ dinner afterwards. Yum! I've had LOTS of chocolate cake, baked by mother, the stupendous baker. And Paul, A and I had a picnic last night on a swing overlooking Cayuga Lake. Life is good.

A has been a little under the weather, so he's sleeping A LOT - which is good for him and a little bit good for me too. It's helped me make lots of progress on projects. Check them out:

Dining chair before


Dining chair after


Baby sweater (minus one button)


Cake


A in hardware

What we've been up to

Eating fruit:




Knitting:


Braving surprise snow squalls:

First knit

I've officially completed my first knitting project. I signed up for a class this winter after figuring out that knitting is big in Ithaca. Very big. My uncle in Michigan assures me that the reason I started knitting is because I'm pregnant, and all pregnant women begin feeling crafty the moment the concieve. He says if I would have told him when I first started kntting, I could have skipped the little stick that turns blue. Go figure. Anyway, it's pretty fun. And as long as I'm in this funny little nesting period, I think I'll make a baby hat next.

From all of you veteran knitters out there, tips and cool patterns welcome!