Momartfully

To Etsy or Not to Etsy

To Etsy or Not to Etsy, that is the question.

 

I've been busy in the last few weeks knitting and crocheting.I'm still cranking out hats and seriously considering starting a "give away" contest of some sort. A free hat to a reader... or something.

I haven't worked out the details yet.

I'm also contemplating some other major changes in the next month or so;

      - going "public" on my blog
Almost everyone I know well knows of the my blog and it's not a secret or anything - but I am considering "going public" and using my Real Name. It would help my previous blog readers can find me again. Maybe act as a portfolio. Who knows? I'm still considering the implications it might have.       - Starting up advertising or reviews on the blog
...otherwise known as going over to the "dark side" (kidding!)

     - Opening up an Etsy shop
I am contemplating my own Etsy shop mostly due to Natasha's  prodding/support/enthusiasm, but she's right*, I should think about it.

I'm not sure why I'm reluctant to jump on the Etsy bandwagon - except that in some way I feel I haven't paid my "dues" yet as a knitter - let alone a crocheter - because I've only been at this for a short time. To me expertise in an art or craft is honed over years and years, painstakingly learning a skill, methods, aesthetics - absorbing expertise into your skin by immersion in an art or craft for decades.

...and then I see some of the web newbies who call themselves "social media experts" (or whatever the latest get-rich-quick scheme is) and I realize I shouldn't feel bad. If three months of Twittering and not knowing Apache from Apple makes some online neophyte an expert at being all "down with the weeb" - why then I am practically a Goddess.

Has expertise really changed, though? Are experts made in small periods of time or over years? Or does expertise matter any more?

* That happens a lot.

Warrior Girls and Eyebrow Pencil Mustaches

've never been too busy to live... but I have been too busy to blog - like the past couple weeks.

Birthday Warriors

 

 

My youngest had a "Mulan" themed birthday party last week. We love the story of Mulan in this household; "Mulan is atypical to previous female roles in Disney films; she's braver, more self-reliant, and shows little interest in romance." (Wikipedia)

My kids love anything from the pacific rim. While we're surrounded by a lot of Japanese culture (some of my family lives in Japan) they also love Chinese and Korean stories, myths and legends.

Also as an aside - YAY for a decent female/feminist figure in ancient history (the kids like the original Hua Mulan story in addition to the Disney version).

While my daughter is certainly interested in being a brave, independent, decisive, determined, smart, outspoken girl like Mulan - she was all about the sword. Cutting figures in the air, slicing through imaginary Huns and flailing like her life depended on it.

My son, however, was completely entranced by makeup - it was his first test drive of facial hair - a big, luxuriant mustache in eyebrow pencil.

That wasn't quite what I was expecting, but we went with it.

Creating costumes for the party was surprisingly easy - the kids were very happy with their costumes from "found" supplies in our house. Some of the guest's moms went all out with gorgeous, silky mini kimonos, wee little traditional Chinese dresses, one adorable set of silky Asian design pajamas... and one little boy came with a dragon cape and hood.

If you ever have to dress a kid as a 6th century Chinese warrior (and really, don't well all?) here's a short tutorial;

How to Dress a Child As A Generic 6th Century Chinese Warrior (aka Mulan)

• 1 short bathrobe (to mid-shin on the kids)
• 1 wide sash
• 1 narrow sash
• 1 pair black leggings (or long underwear or pajama bottoms)
• 1 black long-sleeved shirt
• 1 coloured adult's tank top (probably mom's)
• 1 coordinating belt or sash (for the sword)
• 1 large hair elastic (the terrycloth ones work great)
• 1 small hair elastic (for the warrior ponytail)
• white socks
• flat, black shoes with a strap (if needed)
• a sword (the favourite part)

1. Bottom layer: white socks, shoes, black leggings and black long sleeved shirt
2. Second layer: coloured tank top (should be long enough to reach mid-thigh)
3. Middle layer: bathrobe, overlapping in front, tied with the wide sash, knot in back
4. Top layer: narrow sash on waist, tied in front, ends hanging down
5. Sword belt: diagonally across body, tie the large hair elastic to the middle and place on shoulder (this is the sword scabbard belt-loop for the back of their shoulder). Tie the sword belt at the opposite hip, hidden under the wide sash.
6. Warrior hair: a ponytail at the very top of the head

Optional: a sweatband around the forehead and a generous eyebrow pencil mustache (boys love sporting fake facial hair).

Other great accessories:

• a folding fan (Mulan has a great fighting scene with a fan),
• a red, small toy dragon (also in the movie)
• a small bug toy (the cricket from the movie)

Bonus tip: first aid supplies - like back therapy belts - make great wide sashes. And back support.

Hospital, hospital, jiggity jig (and 1000 days)

M and I have been dating for 1000 days today.

I wished him a happy 1000 day anniversary last night, just after midnight as we were driving home. I told him that I wished it could have been a more romantic evening out for us.

Real life tends to laugh at our plans.

We spent the day (and night) "out" at the Childrens Hospital. After a day dishing out Advil and Vapo-rub and serving up chicken soup and Jello, we became alarmed as the youngest took a turn for the worse.

My kids don't do anything half-way.

We walked in to ER with the youngest working up to a full-blown Asthma attack. With O2 saturation at 92-93 when we arrived and her pulse rate was 110, my child wasn't critical - yet - but was close (90% usually indicates probable admission as an in-patient for treatment, not just ER treatment).

After a wait in Triage (2 hours?!) we were transferred to the assessment room to wait for the resident. M plugged in his phone and plugged the parking meter. Again. The oldest was happy to play the DS games (in Triage) and read his Harry Potter book.

Eventually the Resident came in and did the assessment - and didn't like what he saw (ears and throat) or heard (chest). I pointed out the child's facial swelling and a new broken blood vessel (eye) due to overstraining to breathe.

The Resident left to get the Attending.

At this point the youngest was showing pronounced signs of hypoxia euphoria and confusion. I was starting to get angry - the delays were going to cause after effects (muscle soreness, broken blood vessels) and compromise recovery. I did not want my child to end up on oxygen just because of the hospital's delays.

The Attending walked in and looked at the younger and declared "That child is working MUCH too hard to breathe". He pointed out to the Resident "Look at the posture, swelling in the face... that child is in trouble." He totally "got it" when I said "virally triggered Asthma" and declared that the youngest is "a cougher, not a wheezer". He asked about corticosteroids and I responded that Dex usually helped immediately.

I think the fact that we were presenting a "cougher" and not a "wheezer" confused some of the staff (like Triage and the Resident) - but the Attending got it. "You've done this before, huh?" with a knowing grin. (Although why objective criteria like pulse/O2 didn't make a difference is beyond me).

Then we were off to wait in a second room for treatment (Dex and inhaled meds). We cobbled together a couple midnight snacks (we'd been there since before supper - thank you Ronald McDonald House for packed lunches for families - wonderful idea) and we all watched waaaay too many hours of Treehouse TV.

Thankfully the youngest started responding to treatment and once everything was stabilized we were sent home.

We headed home on deserted roads in the early morning, picked up a snack, got home at an ungodly hour, emailed work (to take a sick day), fed the cat, tucked the kids in and fell into bed.

Anniversary night at the Children's hospital. We are SUCH parents.