Ch-Ch-Changes ...

Early in October, my daughter needed surgery on her foot to repair a broken heel and a torn tendon. I spent two months helping take care of her--cooking, doing laundry, driving the boys to school and to their daycare provider. She's fine now and back to work, but has now lost her sitter. I made the decision a week or so ago to move in with her and my grandsons to help take care of them. And her. I'm still her mom, and kids still need their moms, no matter how old they may be.

Fortunately, I'm not working a "real" job now, so I have the flexibility to do this for her. I still plan to go to market in Pennsylvania twice a month and to exhibit at local craft shows on the other Saturdays. I might even find a local market down here that needs handmade artisan soaps!

It's a little bit scary, this taking on the mom role again. I have to remember that my daughter is the mom in charge of the household, and defer to her rules so that the boys aren't confused with two sets of instructions to follow. She's stricter than I was in some areas and more relaxed than I was in others, but I think our parenting styles mesh nicely. She's a single parent, and I'm so proud of the strong, confident woman she has become. She's a good mother and tries to provide her sons with a great life while working a full-time job. My oldest grandson has Downs Syndrome, and she advocates for his education and keeps him involved in activities that stimulate his mind and body.

I have a large room in her basement with two big windows that let in both the morning and afternoon sunshine. The Chihuahua Brothers will have a little more room to roam, and I have a door with back yard access so that I can let them out without having to leash them. I have a feeling they'll be spending most of their time snoozing in whatever sunbeams they can find, though!

This is a positive change. I'll have to work a little smarter to squeeze in as much crafting as I need to get done in less time, but I don't usually work very smart, so anything I can do smarter is going to be an improvement.

Not much done on the crafting front. Nothing at all done, actually, but year is new and I don't feel behind since I still need to move all my supplies here from Pennsylvania. Still big plans in my head and I still plan to report here weekly about what I've finished for shows, market and the big show in November.

Finished Crafts 1/5/14
Amigurumi: 0
Soap: 0
Soap dishes: 0
Greeting cards: 0
Jewelry: 0
Miscellaneous: 0