LaMamacita: June 2009 Archives

Another easy-p crochet pattern. These look so useful! I throw apples in my bag and then just give them to my children all the time. Just like that. All bag germy and banged from cohabitating with whatever else is in there. I think an apple cozy per child will help build my crochet muscles to a hat per child, as well. Or at least embellish some knit hats with crochet...

The pattern is a free download here at Ravelry. You need to be a member, but if you knit or crochet or like patterns and aren't on Ravelry, you need to do that anyway.

Of course, if I had to pick, I'd be true to Ella and Billie, but Janis' version is pretty swell. It, along with her Bobby McGee and Piece of My Heart brings back North Georgia Waffle House in the Middle of the Night Memories from 9th grade like whoa.

Here's Bobby so you can close your eyes and smell the memories too:

Other than knitting patterns, homeschool materials, and children's books!

Yesterday I finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I'm pretty sure I'm the last person in the world to read it. Smock and MamaT recommended it during a convo that somehow turned to creepy, taking-over-the-country sects. It was awesome! I was spiky-backed and couldn't put it down. Looking forward to the movie.

Saint Francis de Sales' Introduction to the Devout Life has been downloaded to my phone and is my reading material while nursing the baby down. This is my calm time for spiritual reading and prayer. I fall asleep with her only 25% of the time or so.

Today I pulled Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights down for a re-read. I adore Bronte. I know many find her work hopelessly dull, but I like it. The grayness.

I know I said other than children's books, but I've got to add Georgie Porgie's Nursery Rhymes! I read it 14,000 times a day to my 16 month old Camila. She is obsessed. The pictures, the rhymes, she can't get enough. It's had tape-up surgery and was even found under the couch cushion one evening after a day that was particularly full of Georgie and Andy Pandy and Mrs Hen and all those guys. I'm totally certain in 20 years that the sound of those rhymes catching me off guard will reduce me to a pool of tears remembering her bright face and chubby hands bringing me The Book yet again. This I remind myself when I pull her into my lap for the 5th just once more.

What have you downloaded or checked out or is waiting on your nightstand for you?

Pretty rad, eh? From this gothish book. I'm adding it to my library requests to attempt an Immaculate Heart of my very own.

Where do you buy sword toothpicks?

At the library last week, somebody grabbed Raffi's Animal Songs CD. An instant car favorite.

Here's my little Jude's picks from it for you:

Tingalayo's lyrics have been substituted in our daily life to fit with everything from baths to lunch. "Come little sandwich, come!" It's June's theme song.

The boys sing Baby Beluga to their baby sister, and she tries to sing along. Pretty wildly adorable.

I love that Netflix recommends movies for me. I've seen the best movies that way. I'd like to thank my children for making Netflix irresistible as opposed to Blockbuster trips.

Last night we watched Turtles Can Fly, a beautifully made, beautifully acted, Iran/Iraq collaboration that's won 14 of the 18 awards it was nominated for. It was lovely, aggravating and sadsadsad.

The movie focuses on 3 children among a gang of children at the Iraq/Turkey border led by a brave and relentless young leader, centering on survival.

It's pretty much a downer from end to end, the husband and I were both bawling through most of it, but it's riddled with hope and goodness, as good movies always are.

Go put it in your queue, but stock up on tissues!

Already viewed? What did you think?

Check out my first-ever crochet project! MamaT taught me the crochet ropes a couple of Sundays ago (she didn't laugh or roll her eyes at me once. True proof of her virtue). This pattern was the perfect first project. Quick, easy and fun. Try it!

I'm loving the patterns on this girl's blog. I've queued this and these and have my eyes on a few more. Free pattern makers, I salute you.

Things have been wild and busy 'round here. Super, but wild and busy.

I've been trying to beef up on mellow music this week (twist my arm!), to even out the wildness a bit.

A favorite is The Postmarks. Here's their "Let Go":