Well, the adoption papers were submitted to the court today. In quadruplicate. Is that a real word?
Now we wait for a court date for them to be approved. For probably about 4 or 5 months.
Don’t worry, we’re used to it by now. And she’s worth it!
Hold the lunch, Mummy
I left Miss Stitch playing with Piglet on the rug in the sitting room. I was away just long enough to put some pasta on the stove to cook. I came back to find her thus:
- Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
That’s what playgroup does for a girl. She’s now snuggled up in her blanket on the sofa. I’ll hold the lunch order.
A new normality
The last few weeks have passed in a blur of tears of both joy and sadness. However, slowly but surely a new normality is settling in Chez Stitches.
Little Stitch is slowly meeting all her new friends and family. She is totally winning them over. They are spoiling her rotten. She loves it! Thank you all for your lovely, generous gifts.
I am so tired. I find myself falling asleep in front of the TV. I wake in the middle of the night because I’ve dreamt I heard a cry. I’ve lost 4 1/2lbs in weight despite not giving up one single thing. I’m having the most fun.
My washing machine is on pretty much constantly and I’ve discovered that patterned clothing is my friend and pockets are essential.
I’ve learnt that my little girl loves pasta and curry, flirts with waiters, has one hell of a temper and the cutest giggle in the world. She thinks bath-time is simply the most fun, and is trying her damnedest to walk.
As we find our way in this brave new world its time for me to pick up the stitches again, so to speak. So we’ve moved the sewing table and added a playpen to the workroom. Now all I have to do is sort everything out so I can actually work up there. At the moment it looks like this:
Eeeek! It’s enough to give a girl hives. Must stop typing. Must start cleaning!
Black tulips
Secondly….the finished kitchen blind:
The pattern match was a pain in the behind on this one, but I think it’s worth it. I absolutely love this fabric and it makes such a difference to the room. The light is softer and the room feels warmer. And I’m glad it’s something a little different from the usual check that I put in kitchens. There will be a matching curtain for the patio doors but that can wait a while. I’m busy with a blind for the baby room. (Words I never thought I’d hear myself say!)
Cupboard Love
It never ceases to amaze me just how much difference a few coats of paint can make to an otherwise uninspiring and, frankly, dull piece of orange pine furniture. After a week of painting the wardrobe is finished:
and, although you may not be able to tell from this picture, we’ve finished decorating the room, too. Hence why it’s taken a week.
I have to admit to being slightly perturbed by just how much I’m being drawn to Duck Egg blues in this house. I’m convinced it’s to do with the northern light, but two rooms is enough I think. Although I’ve seen the most perfect fabric for the hallway………(you’ve guessed it…duck egg blue..but let’s not tell Mr S because it will mean repainting the hall…ssssssssssh!)
The reasoning behind choosing this colour for this room is that, hopefully, it will end up being a children’s room. However, we don’t know what variety of child, and in the meantime it has to be a usable room, so a reasonably neutral shade is called for.
Now, I know I could have gone for cream, or some other such safe choice, but Tiffany boxes win me over every time – so Duck Egg it is. And I’m pleased with it. Not only because it looks great, whether the weather is grey or sunny, but also because it’s another room off the list! And I’ve chosen some fabric for a blind and curtains that are the next things to go onto the workroom table.
In other news, the kitchen blind is sewn and ready to be hung. Just needs Mr S to put up a cleat for me (there is no way on God’s green earth that I’m putting a drill into the kitchen tiles) and then it’s good to go. It should be up in the next couple of days so I’ll post a picture then.
And, as a last, but by no means least, word – thanks to everyone who’s sent me messages about Pa S. He’s back in hospital again, since last Monday, which is probably the best place for him at the moment. He’s scheduled for a CT scan and an MRI tomorrow. Hopefully they’ll get to the bottom of what’s causing all the pain (the money is currently on arthritis in his spine) and then can sort out a pain management regime and get him eating and home.
WooHoo!
I can’t believe that the sitting room curtains are finally finished. I’m rather pleased, not only because they look quite spiffing…
but also because the weather here is back on form and it’s howling a gale and bucketing down with rain. Plus ca change.
Now, I can see the errors, and I know that they need dressing, but still, they do finish the room and are well worth the effort and bloodied fingers. I’m going to set the pleats tomorrow and am playing hunt the tie-back, but to all intents and purposes they are finished.
Also finished is Mr Stitches Maille vest from knitonthenet.
This is a super easy pattern, but did give me pause at the shoulders, which are shaped with short rows and then the seam is created with a three needle cast off. Well, there’s another skill learned. I do love it when these things creep up on you and you have to get to grips with something quick.
Ramblings of a fevered mind
I CANNOT get rid of this bug. It’s driving me slowly round the bend. I sound like I’ve inhaled too much helium and I feel like roadkill. And all the time there is in my head the constant litany of things that need to be done and projects I want to complete.
Frankly, not much of anything is going here on except lying around eating cake.
In the last week I have:
- finished the back of Mr Stitches French holiday sweater, and cast on the front;
- made a further arm and leg for the doll I’m making my great-niece for Christmas (I’d rather stupidly only cut the poor creature one arm and leg initially)
- baked two batches of cupcakes for friend’s birthdays
- tidied the workroom
- started stitching birthday cross stitches for next year (too organised, but they do take a while to complete)
- had a lovely supper with Rick and Julia (just the loveliest people – and Charlie is besotted with Julia and pined for her all day Saturday after they left)
- spent 4 hours trawling the Internet trying (unsuccessfully I might add) to locate the last few Christmas presents for the difficult family member (you KNOW who you are!)
- made the Christmas pudding.
All fairly mundane and innocuous and uneventful. Indeed. Except for the making of the Christmas pudding.
Now I realise that Stir up Sunday was last weekend, but I couldn’t stir myself, never mind a pudding. So this Sunday I gathered Ma and Pa Stitches-in-law in person, and Ma and Pa Stitches via webcam, and commenced the annual ritual of the Making of the Christmas Pudding.
Normally this is a charming event which heralds the beginning of the fun of the Christmas festivities. We all gather together for tea and cake. We all stir and make a wish.
This year didn’t go quite according to plan.
Firstly, the webcam software was doing weird things, taking 30 minutes or so of Mr Stitches’ genius (and some inventive cursing) to resolve. As he was busy with this I was measuring ingredients into a bowl.
And attempting to make breadcrumbs.
Attempt number one resulted in the catch on the lid of the food processor snapping sending the lid and the bread within spinning into the air and across the room. It’s amazing how much breadcrumbs look like snow when you’re laughing till the tears flow.
So out came the blender. In went more bread. On went the switch. Out came a horrible noise and a huge puff of black and pungent smoke. End of attempt number two and much more hysterical laughter.
Third time was the charm. The blender worked and lo, there were breadcrumbs that we could use. And (if you ignore the exploding packet of suet) Seasonal goodwill was restored.
I just wonder if virtual stirring counts?????
Today is no better. I’m writing this at 12.52pm and all I’ve done is some post, some emails, two loads of laundry, and put the pudding on to steam. I’m supposed to be making Christmas cards, but then they were supposed to be done yesterday.
And I’m feeling flatter than a pancake as Social Services have closed submissions for the 7th January Panel date, so the earliest we’ll get now is the 14th January, and this won’t be confirmed until the New Year. The only blessing on this is that they are focusing on getting children through the system, which can only be a good thing, and we really don’t mind waiting if it means they are safe and happy. But a date would be a good thing.
So enough of these ramblings….I’m off to think about doing something. I shall report back when I have done so. I wouldn’t be holding your breath!