.growing.

Growing. She and I both are. Me, into this role of Mommy. She, into this spunky little girl. Where'd the time go? I'm still trying to get used to mommyhood. I love it, and yet at times I still struggle with it. Am I paying her enough attention? Too much? Is she just being a kid or should I have scolded her for throwing all the crayons all over the floor? Am I too hard? Too soft? Did she just say what I think she said? Did she get that from me?!

Where did my little baby go? Wait, there's that smile. There she is. Walking up and down the steps in her little white shoes that are quickly getting too small for her growing feet. She doesn't seem to mind. She just wants to skip, to jump, to fling her doll into the air and then pick her up when she falls, squeezing her so tightly as if she was afraid, just for a moment, that she would never come back down. She doesn't need help going up and down the stairs "Mama, I do it." She sings We're off to see the Wizard over and over, laughing each time she gets to the end, all the while she is still going up and down the stairs, occasionally stopping to stare out between the posts. Just when I think she doesn't even seem to notice that I am there, she stops at the top of the stairs, holding on to her favorite doll, she looks back and says, "C'mon Mama" holding out her hand to me.

Yes, we are growing. Me, into a more confident and thankful mother. She, into a most beautiful and carefree soul.

.helping a child...one stitch at a time.

From the moment I found out I was to become a mother, I have always had the desire to want to create things for my child. The kinds of things that have meaning and purpose. One evening, restless, I put my novice knitting skills into use and began to make a wee cap for my little newborn's head. A soft, dusty rose, rolled brim cap. It was a pattern I followed from a book titled Itty Bitty Hats by Susan Anderson. The hat I knitted ended up being just a tad too big for her at first (remember. . . novice) but after a few months, she was finally able to wear it. Soon, life would get busier. Much busier. I found myself back to work, not by choice but by necessity , pulling anywhere from 50 to 60 hours a week helping to manage a very large craft and decor store. Needless to say, I had very little time and energy to spend in making anything, sometimes, that meant even dinner! What time I did have, I wanted to spend with my daughter. Now, let's fast forward to the present. There was a move, a job change, and my daughter has turned two. Life is getting better, and I think I can finally get back into the creative mode.

Amongst the projects I have in mind for my little one, I am also anxious to start a project for a group called Craft Hope. I came across their mission during a visit to Zee's blog. In the last project, the goal was to receive about 30-40 dolls to bring to an orphanage in Nicaragua. A whopping 405 dolls were actually received! You can read more about this story by reading Eren's post here. Project #3 is already underway, this time, the goal is to provide blankets, beanies and booties to newborn babies in India. The projects can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn. The deadline to submit a finished piece, or several, is July 25th. If you are interested in helping out, follow the instructions listed in this post: Project #3. Don't forget to sign up for the emails!

Knowing that there are communities out there that seek to provide children, who they will probably never meet, with a gift of something handmade for them, warms every inch of my heart. A simple act of kindness can help to restore one's faith in humanity. And we're going to do that, one stitch at a time.