The Crocheting Mom

As a crocheter, I bring my current wips (works in progress) almost anywhere I can.  Usually it's quick trips while my kids are at their sports, or just being able to do a few rows while I'm waiting to pick them up from school.  Those trips do not require much thinking though, because if I forgot something, I'd be back home within the hour usually. Taking long road trips are another story.  I check my stash over and over again to make sure I have everything I'll need.  My husband does the driving, so I have plenty of time in the passenger seat to crochet.  Well, in between making sure the kids are entertained enough.  Our trips are usually to go to visit my husband's grandmother, who lives about 8 hours away.  That's a long trip, and you better believe I'm going to take advantage of all that time sitting there to get some inventory completed.  

Father's day is right around the corner and before we know it, we'll be scrambling around to find that perfect gift!  Now, I'm not a guy....obviously....so I asked my husband for some help on this post.  What do dad's really want for Father's Day?  I asked him to find items on Etsy and he came up with a great list!  He even picked something for every "type" of dad!  Perfect.   I think he did a great job picking out items, so I stand behind his suggestions.  Dad's are great, right?  So let's make sure they get what they want.  In no particular order, let's begin! 

If you're kids are anything like mine, then they LOVE freeze pops .  And if you are anything like me, you LOVE them as well because they are the cheapest summer treats out there! My children, including my 2 year old, all love these pops, and would eat them all day long in the summer.  I don't let them, because, yes, they do have sugar in them.  They are great though, on hot days, or after a long walk with the kids, to send them outside to have a pop. The only problem, is that they go through so many paper towels, because they pops, are well, frozen, and too cold for their delicate hands to hold onto for that long!

I love summer.  And, for the most part, I love spending summer with my kids!  LOL.  As long as the bickering stays to a minimum we'll be good.  I usually try to plan a lot of activities to keep the kids busy and active, mentally and physically, through out their time away from school.  Back when I was a kid, my summers consisted of staying with my cousins and swimming in their pool, or staying with my grandparents, and going to the beach down the street.  I was pretty busy, and I loved it. One of the things that we do every summer is: Summer Reading Programs.  We find all the ones we can, and my kids have fun tackling them, eager to earn their prizes.

I am so excited about my newest item in my crochet shop!  I don't usually do posts on just one particular item, but this one is such a game changer, and so much fun, that I just had to write about it. What is the one question you dread to hear during the summer? "Mom/Dad, can you fill up water balloons for us?"

I'm sure you've seen them.  You're scrolling through FB, Pinterest, or whichever social media you prefer and you have to stop, and take a second to look at that picture.  It's a crocheted item you've never seen.  One that makes you smile and laugh, and love it all at once. Crocheting is my job these days and therefore I love all things crocheted.  They may be "different" to some, but I enjoy the uniqueness of the creativity of whoever made them.

When people find out that my children have chores, they seemed surprised.  Actually, it surprises ME how surprised they are.  Chores are important for young children as it helps them get a sense of ownership in the house that they live.  They are part of the family, and more importantly part of the mess, so they should have cleaning chores as well.  I'm a stay at home mom, so yes that is one of my responsibilities, but with 3 children living in this house, (and ahem, a husband), this house would be EXTREMELY messy without their help!  

When my husband and I were just still dating, we used to talk about the future a lot.  One of the topics included how we would raise our children.  Our biggest hope for us as parents, was that we would encourage our kids to be part of something.  It could be sports, music, art, drama, scouts, or whatever else they wanted, but they had to be in something. Once we had children, and they started getting a little older, we let them try out a multitude of activities.  Especially our oldest, who is almost 9.  She has done gymnastics, softball, basketball, piano, cheer, volleyball, and probably some more things that I can't think of at the moment.  My husband and I want to give her all these options, so that she can find what she truly loves.

I love making things that my girls love!  When I started creating animal purses, they seemed to really take to them, as did everyone else.  They are hot sellers at the fairs, and they are fun to make.  I have been creating different ones, each one being more unique and fun. So far, I've made an Elephant , Owl , Puppy , Mermaid and Basic purse .  Clicking on each name will bring you to their pattern, or, you can purchase one in my Square Market . I have some more in mind, but my newest one that I've created is a Flower purse!  This one is circular and quick to make up.  Don't let the ease of this pattern fool you though, just look how cute it is!  You can really change it up by using different colors, and even using a variegated color (which I love!)

How did I lose 27 pounds and 14 inches in 4 months?  I ate everything I wanted and sat on the couch all day! HAHAHA,  we wish don't we?  No, I did not eat and watch television all day, but I wasn't miserable these last 4 months either.  I actually lost more than I intended (originally my goal was 20 lbs) and I still enjoyed myself!

I "work" from home.  There are lots of people who do it, Moms and Dads.  I give each and every one of them credit.  Working from home, as a parent, is not an easy task.  That being said though, it's my most favorite job that I've ever had.

In a previous post I mentioned how much I love the story "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie", and all the subsequent ones that were made.  I had then made up my own version called "If You Give a Mom a Coffee", which you can read here .  I decided it would also be fun to do one for croheters.  So here it is:

Our children are our favorite people in this world.  We try our best to raise them right and to show them how to behave properly, but are we really SHOWING them or are we just TELLING them what's right from wrong? Children listen and watch every word and movement we make.  They look up to us.  They want to act older than they are so they pick the closest adult to mimic, which is usually us, their parents.  We are their first teacher in life.  We are the start of who they become and what personalities they will take on.  Children learn so much in the first 6 years of their lives and we as parents need to remember that "actions speak louder than words".