Notre Dame

My husband has been accepted into the Ph.D. program for the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Notre Dame. As of today he has accepted their offer. I won't go into specifics, but their offer is phenomenal. Combine that with his current employer's desire to retain him (as we desire) and willingness to cut down on his workload for the next few years, and we consider ourselves richly blessed.

God has guided us in this whole process; God has made this all possible. While The Professor (who has a Masters in physics) has long wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in such a program, and has applied at several different programs for the past couple years, we didn't know how we could practically make this work for our family. A few months ago we would have never believed something this amazing, this impossible could happen. We would have never believed it could come together so seamlessly, all the details falling into place, despite how infeasible everything looked to our limited eyes. When S first got the call a few weeks ago that he had been short-listed for a weekend of interviews, we both agreed that this was a wonderful, far-fetched opportunity that would only happen through the intervention of Providence.

Well. It's worked out. Beautifully.

What does this mean for us, practically? Well, it will mean difficult times for all of us for a few years, as The Professor will continue his present job while also pursuing full-time graduate school. The Professor works full-time teaching at our alma mater, a private Christian liberal arts university. He also directs the planetarium there. He loves his job, his colleagues, and his university, and we knew that, for a host of reasons, we couldn't just uproot our family and move to South Bend for him to completely concentrate on graduate school. As it turns out, Notre Dame doesn't mind if he continues teaching and living here, as long as it doesn't interfere with their requirements. (One of their requirements is full-time graduate work, so pursuing the program part-time was completely out of the question.)

When The Professor met with some higher-ups at his university, he continued to get good news: they were supportive of him and very pleased with his offer, and they agreed to cut down on his class load while he attends graduate school. Again, I won't give you the details, but they are very good.

So he will drive 2 hours each way several times a week beginning in the fall. He will teach full time and learn full time. He will stay up late, read thousands of pages of text, take copious amounts of notes, continue to learn French, and immerse himself in the history and philosophy of science. He will lecture his astronomy students, direct labs, and oversee the operation of the planetarium. He will father our children and be a strong, loving husband to me. He will probably be exhausted. But if there is anyone driven enough, anyone independent enough, anyone ridiculously intelligent enough, it is my husband. I assure you.

I am so proud of him, and I am so excited to embark on this crazy adventure.

Fabric Love

Yesterday my fabric came in, and I practically kissed the UPS man. Not really. But I was waiting on the porch for him, arms outstretched, since I had been tracking my package's progress all week and knew that it was, in fact, set to be delivered sometime that early afternoon.

I was, you see, stalking fabric. 100% knit cotton, to be exact.

Well, it came, it was beautiful, I hyperventilated, blah blah blah. I was so in awe of my fabric's loveliness that I didn't even unfold it or sully it in any way--I simply gazed at it lovingly, occasionally rubbing my fingers against the various smooth patterns, letting my mind imagine just what this fabric would become.

That was yesterday. Today I sucked it up and got down to business. These wares aren't making themselves.

And I wanted to share my first batch of fabric with you, so you can be excited along with me!

I should again give credit to Raechel, who pointed me in the direction of some good, solid designers. I took her advice, purchased some fabric from a couple of her suggested designers, and then went from there. Fabric.com is good about prompting patterns and designers based on your searches, and I found a few others I really liked just by searching far and wide. I wasn't able to buy everything I liked, but I bought some, and of course I bookmarked other favorites for later.

Without further ado, the fabric! First up, three patterns by Kaffe Fasset. Here is some of his Suzani design in red, already measured and cut and pressed to become a nursing cover, complete with chenille pocket:

I always admire people who can successfully pair pinks and reds. Pink and red are two of my favorite colors separately, but apart from fabrics/curtains/rug in Baby C's nursery, I usually fail to make them work together.

(If you want to claim this nursing cover as yours and just can't wait for the craft show, then go here and get in touch with me.)

Next, Kaffe's (I can call him by his first name, right?) Floating Flowers in green:

That background color falls somewhere between chocolate brown and dark plum. I'm really befuddled by this, which thrills me.

My last bolt of Kaffe Fassett material is his Paperweight pattern in pumpkin:

I never really go for the orange/yellow palette, but I know plenty of you out there do, so I wanted to include you. I'd hate to lose you in all the bold reds, greens, browns, and purples.

One designer that Rae suggested and with whom I fell in love was Anna Maria Horner. Here we have her Receiving Line in both magenta and turquoise:

I LOVE this pattern and wanted to buy it in every color possible. Those wobbly little flowers look like spiky, summery limes to me, and I can just see them lining up together, chattering and giggling. And please do not try to make any sense out of that last sentence. I just go with what comes to mind, okay?

Anna has a lot of great stuff, but I limited myself to just Receiving Line this time.

Last up, Amy Butler. I stuck to some of her older stuff (it was cheaper), and I tried to pick out some gender-neutral tones. On the left is Lotus Lacework in brown and on the right is Midwest Modern Floating Buds in sage:

Those rosey-type flowers on the right are very subtle and very lovely; they're done in an olive green. I love green and could use it in fifty different shade in my home and my life if I were allowed. I think that's why I have so many plants.

So! That's what I currently have to work with, along with some scraps from my stash I've had on hand. My craft table will probably look crazy and might induce seizures, but that's okay! I love all these fabrics individually and also as a group. I think we all work well together.

I'm off to sew and maybe say a few curse words under my breath. I never said sewing was a holy affair.

Little Miss Fat Bottom: My Etsy Shop, Revealed

See that teeny, tiny image that I don't want to work on resizing just for my blog reader's eye comfort? That teeny, tiny image is the banner for my Etsy shop.

Little Miss Fat Bottom. Follow that link to see it in its bare-bones glory.

(And if you ever need to get there without the aid of my helpful links, it's fairly easy to remember: littlemissfatbottom.etsy.com)

I have no actual merchandise in the shop, since I'm literally building an inventory. Plus most of that inventory will go toward my upcoming craft show, and I can't post things on Etsy I plan on selling somewhere else. SO. If, by some miracle, you're interested in a nursing cover or a hand-embroidered baby shirt (the two items I'm willing to admit that I'm making, so far), send me an Etsy conversation or email me (casemama (at) keepingupwiththecases (dot) com) and we can set up a custom Etsy order just for you and discuss pricing and styles and whatnot. You do need an Etsy account to order through Etsy, but I'm personally of the opinion that everyone on Earth should have one already, due to the awesomeness that is Etsy.*

Who is Little Miss Fat Bottom? Well, Little Miss Fat Bottom is our home's local princess, the gal who runs the show and calls the shots. I am talking about none other than Baby C, who went by that nickname as a little baby lump, before she began walking and thinned into her skinny, pixie-like self. I thought it was unique and fun, and it lets me remain fairly anonymous on Etsy, since I can hide behind the identity of Little Miss Fat Bottom. I don't care if everyone thinks I'm some wide-bottomed gal churning out baby gear. That's fine by me.

And that's all I have to say right now. I might have to go have some Nervous Throw-Ups. Excuse me.

*What is Etsy? Basically, it's a marketplace for all things handmade and vintage. If you are someone who, say, makes your own jewelry and you want to sell it, Etsy is a great place to do that. You don't need to set up your own website or even an actual storefront--you simply get a free Etsy account, set up shop, and start selling. Etsy does take a small cut of each listing and of your profits, but it's well worth the security, the ease, and the hipness factor. And Etsy is a great place to find cool, handmade things. If you don't want to just buy your baby's bibs and other things at Target, then visit Raechel's site. And if you want a custom knitting order from a professional knitter, then say hi to Janie. Okay, plugs are over!

Big Reveals (and The Nervous Throw-Ups)

I've been working up the courage to show and tell here on the blog, and I think the day has come.

I think. You know, I could just write this post in its entirety, then run away and never publish it.

(You should know that I'm not normally a cowardly, shrinking-type of person. Normally I have confidence in confidence itself and face unfamiliar situations head-on, laughing at those shrinking violets who melt at the slightest bit of pressure. Normally. But these circumstances are not normal for me.)

Let's do the easy reveal first. Last post (Has it already been almost a week? Geez.) I alluded to having sewn something for my sister. Well, this is what I did:

It's a nursing cover, so a mama can nurse her baby anywhere without fear of condemnation or, more importantly, a big embarrassing reveal. (That second picture is of the small scrap of chenille I sewed into one of the corners and fashioned into a pocket--you can use it to wipe a baby's mouth or store things like nursing pads or a couple wipes.) I used one with Charlotte and will rave about it to anyone who stands still long enough. Ages ago my sister mentioned wanting one of these for her impending nursing baby, and I said, "Goddess. I could make that." She was like, "Are you sure?" And I was like, "Totally." So I put it off for awhile, mainly because my sewing machine wasn't working, until she started getting a desperate, I-need-baby-things look in her eyes. So last week I hauled out my old nursing cover (featured in this Favorite Things post), studied it, and made one up as I went. And it turned out pretty well. I was even able to include boning in the top hem so that Mama Goddess can look at Baby Goddess with ease.

So. That's my first reveal. Not so big, right? Well. You know that story about giving a mouse a cookie? It applies here. As soon as I realized I could, you know, actually make things, and make them well, my hands started itching. I made another nursing cover. It turned out better than the first. I started thinking about other baby-related things I could shower upon my sister. I made a few bibs; some turned out to be doll-sized, some turned out to be actual-baby-sized. I was undeterred by little failures and bumps along the way, because I was having so much fun. I even went to my basket that holds unfinished sewing projects and pulled out a few hand-embroidered baby shirts and onesies that are all finished apart from needing tags. (Think hand-felted wool cut into cute shapes and then embroidered on shirts. They're time-consuming, but pretty darn cute. See an example of a monster design on this post.) I looked at these shirts, looked at the things I had sewn on the machine, and went hmmmm.

This is where it's hard for me to tell you things. You need to know a little back story so you understand: I'm a creative person, I'll admit that. But I've never felt like it's oozing out of my pores or anything. That would be my sister-in-law, who can do any art- or craft-related things that comes her way. I can draw fairly well, but not like I need to be an artist!! I have an above-average eye for decorating and can put together a cute house, but not like my mom, and I didn't major in interior design like two ladies I know. (Janie again. And Rae.) Speaking of those two, they both took sewing classes (plural? or just one?) for their major, and would bring home the cutest creations. They both really know how to sew, and they do it well. And I? Well, between my mom and my grandma I was taught the basics years ago, but I've never consistently stuck with it for months at a time. I've had to re-teach myself how to thread my machine so many times over the years that I've lost track. I love going into JoAnne's, but there is a lot of stuff there that I don't know about, and I'm prone to buying unfamiliar things, bringing them home, and trying them out, usually to very comic or tragic results.

So that's my back story. I'm not a seamstress, like my Grammy. I just really like doing it, and I've recently discovered a few easy-to-make things that have general appeal that I can sew well.

(This reveal is very long-winded. I'm sorry. Blame it on my lack of courage.)

When I realized that I can, you know, sew, I went on Etsy and started randomly searching baby-related items, wondering what else was out there that was within my level of expertise. (On a scale of 1 to 10, my level would be somewhere around a 4. Maybe higher? I don't really know. I made up this scale, and it doesn't even make sense to me.) (Oh, and I'm concentrating on baby things for a few reasons: a) they're small and easy to sew up quickly; b) I know lots of people who are having babies, so easy gifts!; and c) they're popular, quite honestly.) Using the findings of my Etsy searches, the advice of my mother, what I've seen flying off the shelves in Target, and my own meager stash, I decided on about 4 or 5 things that I'm confident I could make easily and quickly and well without a pattern.

And then you know what I did?

I entered myself in a craft show.

I'm sorry, that was probably hard to read. I'll try it again. (deep breath)

I entered myself in a craft show.

Yup. I sure did. A local church is having a craft show/bazaar for no entrance fee, so I entered and committed myself to selling baby-related items. The show itself is in about a month, so I have a lot of work to do.

I don't really know what possessed me to do it, honestly. I'm riddled with all types of insecurities regarding my sewing ability, and then I went and said I'd SEW up lots of HAND-SEWN items to sell at a craft show. Did I mention the SEWING?

Luckily my mom and my sister and my husband are really, really supportive, and I'm sure once my Grammy, the seamstress, finds out, she'll be over the moon. Luckily I'm really, really excited to do this, and this excitement almost acts like bravado, so I can shove any insecurities or worries down to the bottom of my stomach, where presumably they will stay until the day of the craft fair, when I might have a major case of The Nervous Throw-Ups right before showtime.

Hurrah for The Nervous Throw-Ups!

So where am I in my progress? Well, right now I'm kind of twiddling my thumbs. I wanted nice, vibrant, soft fabric, and our town really only has a JoAnne's, which carries, you know, okay-fabric, but all in JoAnne's quality and selection. A couple weeks ago I had asked Raechel for some good designer names she would recommend, as well as where she buys them, and she happily and kindly obliged. She recommended looking at Etsy to buy my fabric, which is where I started, but once I had settled on a few designers I really liked, I realized I could actually get better prices and free shipping on Fabric.com. (Sorry, Etsy!) So yesterday I ordered about 7 yards of gorgeous designer fabrics (just thinking about these fabrics makes my heart go pitter-patter--no one in our town has ever seen these sorts of designs), and I'm now in a state of nervous anticipation waiting for it to arrive.

I know! It's not even here! I have so little time! Luckily there is another facet of my stash I can be working on in the meantime, and today the kids are going to accompany me to our shared favorite stores, JoAnne's and Hobby Lobby. (Seriously, anytime we get anywhere near the Hob-Lob, Baby C starts chanting "Hobby. Lobby." from the back seat. They like playing with pirate hats and, oddly enough, floral stems.)

I'm staying purposefully vague about just what I'm making for this fair. Just be patient with me while I sew and get better and gain confidence.

Oh, and yes, I've opened an Etsy shop. But I'm not telling you anything about it, mainly because it's bare-bones in every sense of the word. I have no banner or message or avatar or anything or even any MERCHANDISE, since, you know, I'd like to sell what I make at the craft fair first. I'm mainly making this Etsy shop, not because I really want a business of sorts, but because I envision all of the people in raptures over my merchandise at this bazaar, wanting to know WHERE CAN WE GET YOUR STUFF, OH SWEET MERCY, WE LOVE IT AND WANT ALL OF IT AND MORE, and then I could just say, "Go here. It's like a store, only on the interwebs."

A girl can dream, after all.

ps: Here's something you need to know about Midwestern craft shows: the majority of the ladies (yes, ladies) there are still selling things that were popular in the late 80s and early 90s, namely hand-made outfits for their outdoor concrete geese (those geese make me see red) and hand-crocheted towels that hang on one's stove handle. You know the ones. So. I'm hoping that I'm the ONLY person in town who has moved into this millennium, the ONLY person selling baby items, and the ONLY person using patterns that aren't John Deere-themed. I'm really hoping for a lot.

Water Babies, Crackers, and Play-Dough Balls

I have things I want to tell you all, but they are all disjointed and unrelated, so I'm going to pull a Raechel and list them out. Hope that's okay. If not, feel free to wander away. (Although I love you, really I do!)

• First off, enjoy this short video of my funny kids:

(Things to know about this video: Both boys are on their tummies, pretending to be mermaids. They refuse to be mermen; they are mermaids, "like Ariel." Baby C is making everyone laugh because she is pouring water out of a purple cup. And what B says to the camera is something along the lines of "I'm so funny with Baby C and J.")

• I haven't knitted in a week or so, mainly because the project I started is now stalled (blah, blah, the details are boring, I assure you.) BUT. I have busted out the sewing machine again, with magnificent results. You may recall that my mother's on-loan ancient (seriously, like 35 years old?) Singer is on the fritz; my friend Gina graciously lent me hers, and I have been using it quite a bit this past week. And I'm so excited to share my big completed project with you. I really am. But it's a present, and I'd like to actually gift it to the giftee before posting about it here. SO. This bullet was kind of a let-down. I'm sorry.

• I found a shower curtain for our bathroom for $5. I KNOW. You can feel free to hate me a little bit. Just know that I love you very much. Let that weigh on your conscience.

• I like the following political cartoon, and I will let it speak for itself:

• I'm kind of obsessed with Mary's Gone Crackers. They taste like human bird food, and I just can't stop eating them.

• Really funny story: The Professor and I had agreed to forgo Valentine's gifts for one another since we've spent so much money on our bathroom. (And also since Valentine's Day is slightly JUST SLIGHTLY overrated.) But I ignored the agreement and got him a few little somethings, including an amazing Vespa coffee mug which I promptly claimed as my own. When he saw these things Sunday morning, he thanked me and then apologetically said, "I'm so sorry, but your gift won't be in until tomorrow." (He thought he was being all smooth and lie-y, but I was immediately suspicious.) Sure enough, Monday mid-morning he shows up at home carrying a box of chocolates and a bouquet of flowers. He grinned sheepishly and admitted that he hadn't gotten me anything at all--he had taken our agreement to heart, as it were. Hey, I'm not complaining. I still got a box of chocolates.

• I most certainly have not eaten all of those chocolates already.

• Speaking of not eating an entire box of chocolates, I've been working hard (well, hard for me, anyway) to lose babybabybaby weight, and I've noticed small victories and all that. In the meantime, my woefully sad wardrobe has suffered, since I haven't replenished or updated it in a loooong time. You know the routine: why buy new clothes, even cheap ones, that fit now if I'm going to lose weight? Because you know I will. Uh-huh. Well, picture the scene last Thursday, when my friend Katie pointed out a fantastic rip in the butt of my corduroy pants. This was the second pair of paints to tear in less than two weeks. AND my third (and final!) pair of pants developed a hole in the knee just last night. (Feel free to shake your head at my ridiculously meager wardrobe. It's okay. I realize how pathetic it is. But please remember that I'm a stay-at-home mom who chooses to spend her stretched budget on, say, the kids' clothes. Or hospital bills. Or organic, gluten-free bird seed crackers.) The final straw occurred this morning, when my husband confronted me on my return from a grocery shopping trip. He had been folding laundry, and he said, "Christine, we are getting you new clothes next budget. Yours are pathetic and quite literally falling apart. They are full of holes." You know it's bad when your husband demands that you buy new clothes. And I am a little embarrassed by this.

• While the Western Church is celebrating Fat Tuesday today, the Eastern Church has already begun Lent. (This year and next the Orthodox Easter (Pascha) and the Western Easter are on the same day.) I am so excited! I know that, technically, Lent is supposed to be a serious time, a grave time, a time of fasting and abstinence and dwelling on Christ's sacrifice, but really, I love it. I love the Orthodox emphasis on Easter. I love the anticipation. I love the challenge of our fasting and abstaining. (Ask me about that in another month. Beans can only keep me excited for so long.) So. Excited.

• Our children are feeling 100% better, thank you. It's amazing what a difference feeling well can do to our attitudes and our levels of patience with one another. Right now I'm just enjoying my kids and my home and trying not to go stir-crazy with this cold, snowy, unending winter.

• I know it's only February, and I live in Illinois, so I can't really complain about winter yet. But seriously. I'm done with it.

• While B continues his obsession with The America Puzzle (we all say it like that, like it has an official, trademarked title), J has recently discovered the joys of Play-Dough. We've had some for awhile, but no one ever showed an interest, so I hadn't brought it out recently. My mom got some for the boys as a Valentine's gift, and I guess her timing was perfect. J cannot stop talking about his Play-Dough. He gets out as many colors as I will allow, asks me to help him shape them into balls, and then goes to town. He carries said Play-Dough balls around like little friends. He flattens them on the table and cuts out shapes with cookie cutters. He cries when I put his "balls" away, and he won't stop talking about his Play-Dough until I relent and get it back out again. We seem to be a rather obsessive family.

• My sister the goddess is in week 34 (I think? Possibly 35?) of her pregnancy, and THE EXCITEMENT, IT NEVER ENDS!! She's pretty uncomfortable at this point in time, and she has a high-stress job, so the poor thing is usually rather pooped. She and her husband are as yet uncertain about their future (he graduates this May, and from there...?), which only adds to the stress, but the thing that I like to dwell on is the prize: A SWEET BABY GIRL OH MY WORD SHE'S GOING TO BE HERE.

• I'm pretty certain that I'm very ready for a baby and that Baby Cecilia is coming at a perfect time. For reasons I don't need to discuss on the blog (at least not yet), The Professor and I aren't planning on another baby of our own anytime soon. This decision (and subsequent decisions based on said baby decision, and am I being vague enough? Good.) makes perfect sense in my head, but in my heart, a loud little voice is screaming BABYBABYBABYBABYBABY (LALALA) BABYBABYBABY. This voice is very loud, and it is evidently in direct control of my tear ducts, because I burst into quiet sobs today at the grocery store, right near the applesauce, when I caught a glimpse of a beautiful little newborn boy.

• I'm serious. I cried. In the grocery store. Because I saw a baby.

• I never cry. And I normally dislike (or am at least indifferent toward) other people's children.

• Do you think Candice will mind if I steal her daughter?

Aaannnd on that emotionally unsettling note, I think that's it for updates. Take care of yourself and snuggle down during this unusually snowy season. (Well, not too unusual for us, at least.) Pick up some Mary's Gone Crackers (original) next time you're out. I promise, you won't regret it.

And if you see me around town, perhaps you might pass me a hanky or even a gently used pair of pants. I'd surely appreciate it.

Funny (Baby) Valentine

Baby C is her daddy's valentine.

Really, she ends up being everyone's Valentine, what with her toothy grin, her sweet kisses, and her head-to-toe pink outfit.

Pictured here with her "Lammy" and

her "budgie," which is Charli-speak for "blankie."

Shoot, she's so cute her grandma thought she needed her very own strawberry-themed broom and dustpan.

Yeah, she's cute. And she knows it.

Boy, does she know it.

And for those of you lusting over those snazzy little pink shoes, here's a close-up, as requested by Baby's Aunt Janie:

They're just the icing on the Baby Cake.

The America Puzzle

My boys are smart. Really, they are. I know every parent says that about his or her child, but I really mean it. They are 2 1/2 years old, and I am daily amazed at what their little sponge-like minds soak up. And I have proof.

I tweeted about it yesterday, but I'll post this video here, too, to prove their smarts. Last summer Raechel and I found a wooden puzzle of all of the states in the U.S.A. at a garage sale for $1. Rae suggested I hold off on giving it to the boys until Christmas, and I took her advice. Christmas morning this puzzle was displayed under the tree, to the delight and rapture of all.

Well. I just wonder what new vistas of learning might be taking place now if we hadn't held off. You see, J and B are both now able, after just a few days of constant play and interaction with this puzzle, to locate and name each and every state. All 50 of them, with the occasional mix-up between, say, Vermont and New Hampshire. They really have only shown such a rabid interest in this puzzle over the past 2 weeks or so; until then, they were distracted by their other new toys and would only put the "America Puzzle" together every so often, and always with our help.

Now B quite literally plays with it all day long. He wakes up and asks for his America Puzzle first thing after breakfast. He puts it together continuously, with the occasional aid of his brother and without the aid of his mother or father, until lunchtime and subsequent naptime. After his nap he again tackles the puzzle, only stopping when Dad walks in the door around 5 p.m. At that point I usually put the puzzle away (if I haven't already) to give his little brain some breathing room.

You see, B is a little, how shall I put this, obsessive. A place for everything and everything in its place and all that. He gets angry if his little sister, who is, after all, still a baby, takes any states from him, and he alwaysalwaysalways starts on the eastern seaboard. And he would play this puzzle all day long, only breaking for rest periods and snacks, if I allowed it.

Because of this constant play, he and his brother now quite literally know their states.

(Baby C is saying "What's that?" when she is holding out Oklahoma. She likes to do that with each and every state, until you want to go insane. But then you stop and say, "Oh, yeah, you're learning. Duh." And then you're happy to name them all 637 times in a row.)

The Professor is so impressed that he plans on finding puzzles of other continents and countries for their upcoming birthday. Clearly they're ready. And I'll tell you a secret: I'm a big believer in just letting little kids learn what they want through organic play, but sometimes I wonder if I'm doing enough. I start getting all nervous, like, What else can I be doing? What sort of expensive preschool curriculum should I be following? How can I adequately harness and cultivate this obvious love of learning?

And then I snap out of it and just laugh because hey, that's not me and that's not our family. Our boys are two and they love to learn and read and figure and spell and play. That's enough for now.