SUNDAY

It's cold outside, Daryl has gone to the farm until Monday, I have five kids. I'm tired. We had a lovely night last night at Ange and John's eating all things North American. Shel's six layer dip was a sensation! But today I'm tired, and cranky, and although I've had thoughts about taking the girls our for a drive to the country side, I actually know that's not going to happen. And so I stupidly, like I don't know myself at all, suggest we all do some sewing!!!AM I INSANE?  Let me give you some background. I'm a control freak, AND I'm tired. But what the heck, let's throw caution to the wind and dust off the Janome.

The picture above of dear little Hazel doing something to a piece of hesian, is by far only a snippet of what is really going on. In the background I am asking ( read screaming) at Ailee "Have you read the instruction manual? The bobbin has jammed, there is cotton bunching. Those two words together make my blood pressure rise..bobbin and bunching!!! I have a friend who always reminds me that the reason sewing machines are so heavy is so that you can't hurl them across the room, but I reacon I could give a fair go. And so, swearing under my breath ( yeh right, they heard), as I dig away to recover the tangled mess from the guts of this horrific creature, I stop for a moment only to realise that Ailee is standing behind me, tears running down her face. Oh dear. Memories of similar horrid sewing moments from my own childhood (my mother standing behind me weeping as I have a total meltdown), come flooding back. The warning signs were there, I AM TIRED, and under no circumstances should I be allowed near that sewing machine, particularily when it involves one of my children! At least I had the good sense to stop. Pack the damn thing up, apologise, and suggest that perhaps it would be lovely to book into a little sewing class at the sewing shop at Highpoint (look out Gwen, I'm coming back!), and learn to sew...together. Ailee agreed and is now happily sitting on the couch hand sewing her bunting and watching some crap on the Disney Channel, which is in fact what she wanted to do from the start but oh no, I was determined....will I ever learn.

Tobie and I made some lovely bread for lunch which everyone smothered in avocado, cheese and tomatoes, yum. But then I had to go an wreck it with bloody craft! I love craft but I just do not have the patience to teach my own children. It's so frustrating but when there are five of them all needing assistance, well I just can't do it. I think I need to make a rule, one at a time, give each of them patience and time. And so Ailee and I will head up to Highpoint for our sewing lesson, I'll sit with Lucinda and work out her crochet pattern, I will search for that calico that Tobie needs for her project and I'll sit with Hazel while she learns to hand sew, giving her the time and focus she deserves. But right now, I'm going to hop into bed with my own knitting and watch a movie. And that's OK. Fortunately for Phemie, she's not that into craft, or maybe she's just so scarred from me teaching her to knit! She is actually in the kitchen baking some lovely chocolate tarte, she is completely confident in the baking department and I haven't really taught her a thing...hmm...there is probably something to that.