Phineas' Rainbow

My little Phinney saw me making blankets for all of his older siblings and started asking me when I was going to make one for him.  I hadn't necessarily planned on starting another so soon after finishing Ibby's, but he was so earnest that how could I refuse?  He really likes rainbows, so I chose to do this one from The Purl Bee.  They sell a kit, but it was $1 million, or $780 to be exact.  Either way, prohibitive.  So I set out to find 42 colors of yarn -- not merino wool, not hand-dyed -- being different colors was pretty much my only requirement.  I soon found that this project was not achievable using only local sources so I carefully perused the colors available at the Wool Warehouse in the U.K. and hoped for the pixellated, internet funny colored, best.  I ordered everything on Dec. 23 and I can't remember exactly when the very large parcel arrived, but as soon as it did I got right down to business.  It is actually a bit embarrassing that I was able to finish the whole thing in about a month -- I truly did manage to make dinner most nights and keep up with laundry!  I just tried to have it on hand to work on some squares wherever I may be -- except church.  I still refuse to crochet there, even though I am just sitting there... hmmm.  Maybe someday.  I get so impatient when I'm working on things -- I just want to finish as quickly as possible!  I refuse to comment on the number of korean dramas consumed during this time.

::rainbow in embryo

 ::rainbow in stacks

 ::rainbow grid

 

::together at last

 

 ::happy boy with his rainbow!

*update I thought I should add which stylecraft colors I substituted for the ones offered at Purl Soho.  I also have a chart that I made if anyone is interested.

✽ candy floss ✽ fiesta ✽ bright pink ✽ fondant ✽ soft peach ✽ pomegranate ✽ raspberry ✽ shrimp ✽ lipstick ✽ matador ✽ claret ✽ gold ✽ spice ✽ copper ✽ camel ✽ saffron ✽ sunshine ✽ citron ✽ lemon ✽ bright green ✽ lime ✽ meadow ✽ petrol ✽ sherbet ✽ spring green ✽ aspen ✽ turquoise ✽ aster ✽ teal ✽ cloud blue ✽ royal ✽ denim ✽ silver ✽ grey ✽ graphite ✽ bluebell ✽ lavender ✽ wisteria ✽ violet ✽ plum ✽ magenta ✽ clematis ✽

The yellows and the greens were the most difficult to match, I thought.  And some of the ones I thought I would use with the pinks I ended up using with the purples.  

Magic 8

Happy Groundhog Day!  Did the groundhog see his shadow where you are?  It is very sunny here today with a balmy temperature of 7˚!!!  So we have six week left of winter.  Which is how it usually is.  It is 7 weeks until the Spring Equinox so that sounds about right. Often it is still chilly in April, and Matthew always always always complains, but it is like in the 40's and I patiently explain that that is Spring weather!  Silly man.  It snowed all Saturday night and all day yesterday so they declared a snow day from church and we enjoyed the beautiful falling snow.  It was also the superbowl, but we didn't watch it because we don't have t.v. AND we don't really care.  

This morning Phin found a magic 8 ball in Lucy's room so he came down to ask me how it worked.  I told him that you ask it a question, but he couldn't think of one so I suggested asking if it would snow tomorrow.  It answered with a simple yes.  Then he looked at it and asked, "Is Jesus real?"  That's the only question he could think of?  So I hoped for a good outcome as he shook, and then looked and it said, "It is certain."  So great!  I then explained that, of course, it is just a toy and that we shouldn't take it too seriously.

I've been studying Spanish every day with an app on my phone.  I guess I'm getting pretty good, because Lucy did a trivia challenge (another app) all in Spanish and I got all of the questions right and totally won!  Whoop!

Sunday Speculation -- pain in the neck

My neck has been hurting since last Wednesday.  I twisted my body really strangely while I was cleaning the bathroom and spied a spider behind the toilet and suddenly my neck just started spazzing out!  The pain comes and goes and actually this morning is feeling much much better, but it made me realize all the amazing things our necks do so I wrote a poem:

Ode To My (aching) Neck

Bow to accept the warm embrace
Of tiny arms, so fair of face.
Bend for prayer and meditation,
Feeling deeply, and submission.

Turn to hear the cadence joyful
Of my life, the flowing cupful.
To catch a glimpse of fleeting beauty
And watch for danger, as my duty.

Arch to give laughter ample space
And welcome sunlight on my face.
To kiss my love so long and slow
And search for stars that blink and glow.

A conduit for response, command
From head to heart and heart to hand.
Nourishment swallowed, breath exhaled,
My voice intoned in whisper and wail.

A pillar bearing heavy weight
Of all my thoughts, both small and great.
The pedestal of my whole being,
The noble base of all my seeing.

art art art

I absolutely love the artist Brian Kershishnik.  I still remember encountering his painting of the nativity in April of 2007 at an exhibit at the BYU museum of art.  They have since acquired the original for their permanent collection and it is exquisite!  Matthew and I talked about getting our own print, but we spent years trying to decide which size would be best.  This past year for our anniversary we finally bit the bullet and then a few months later we also bought a print called "Climbing Mother."  I kind of wish we'd gotten the next size up for the Nativity, but oh well!  We finally just had them both framed and I think they look quite nice in our living room -- the colors fit right in with the rest of my favorite things.  

Piano Recital

It is gray and snowy here today.  And I am soooooo tired!  I've been getting up at 5:45 to take Lucy to seminary and it is wearing on me.  And even if I am tired all day, I am rarely tired at night.  My hormones are all out of whack!  So I can't go to sleep very early and the cycle starts again the next day. 

Yesterday the girls had their piano recital and Matthew joined Lucy for a duet!  It was really fun and was the last piece of the recital.  It was a hit!  And Lucy played a lovely Debussy piece right before that and did really well.  If she just put her mind to it, she could be really really good!  But she keeps talking about quitting piano lessons.  I know that she doesn't necessarily want to become a concert pianist, but she could at least study it in college and teach piano to other people.  How nice would it be to have a natural talent like that?  Ibby did really well, too, but she gets so nervous!  She just hates recitals so much!  I could see the dread on her face the entire time!  Poor Ibby.  The boys were really good, but towards the end, Archie was whispering loudly about how long it was taking and when I said there were only two more people, Phin practically shouted, Yay!   And then promptly assured me that it was his crocodile saying yay, not him.  Andrea Ringer came because she is the YW pres. and super nice.  And Rachelle Simpson came because she is thinking of having her girls take lessons from Pam.  She is also the Primary Pres.  Matthew told them that if he hadn't been at the ward council meeting he might suspect that our family was some sort of project, haha!  It looked that way for sure.

There really isn't much going on here.  Lucy has had some friends over to watch movies a couple of times.  I guess rearranging the basement really made a difference!  So that is fun to have fun and laughter going on.  I've been drawing and crocheting.  I'm almost done with Phin's blanket.  It is funny how they're turning out to be all different sizes.  Ella's and Ibby's are more lap blankets, but Phin's and Charles' are humongous!!!  I just finished the 108th square for Phin's and need to start binding them together today.

how we school

The boys have been loving playing with their trains and it must be good for their brains to be concocting all of the track layouts, right?  And even though it is winter, I've been trying to make sure that they go outside at least once a day.

This pic is dark, but comes with sound effects

I've been trying to do a drawing a day, so here are a couple of them

Sunday Speculation -- yoga at church

A couple of weeks ago in church I was so restless.  And so so cold.  Why?  Why must church buildings always be kept at such a frigid temperature?  Is it a symptom of the male-centric position taken in other parts of the institution that only those wearing a three piece suit are catered to?  There are women with bare legs and babies -- babies, people!  So after sitting through Sacrament meeting there I was, sitting once again, in Sunday School.  It has been years since I haven't had a calling second hour so I'm not used to having to sit in one place for that long.  And my knees were bouncing up and down, attempting to create some semblance of warmth in the freezing tundra that is the relief society room.  I look around and see that everyone else seems to be sitting still and calmly, but then I see her -- my kindred spirit!  She's moving and contorting her body in all the ways that my body is yearning to and I watch her, fascinated, as she moves through one yoga pose after another.  She starts with a little downward dog to get things loosened up and then some squats, mmm that must feel nice.  Then she curls up into child pose for a while -- efficiently stretching and keeping warm!  Then she turns over for a perfect example of happy baby, waving her legs in the air whilst holding onto her little toes.  Perfect, because, of course, she is a baby and has license to behave in that manner in public!  I, however, do not and was left there to simply watch with envy.  And then to start imagining... everyone in the room just getting up and moving in every which way they felt compelled.  Listening to their inner voice, responding to the physical and spiritual prodding that one can only hear when the logical mind is turned off.  Ha!  It would be delightful!  And the imagery of all of the old and/or fat fuddy duddies jumping up and doing yoga poses got me through another hour of Sunday School, yay!