A peek into the studio

As I have written, Kate has been busy working away in her studio just about each night this week. We had to schedule time for her to not work so that I would get a chance to hang out with her. She has been gathering fabric all around Portland from three different, but equally awesome fabric stores. She has also been going to a place called scrap to get leather samples for cheap and using those to make baby shoes. She has turned old t-shirt into new baby outfits and made a couple of birthday and baby shower gifts for friends and family. She has been a whirlwind of creativity and activity. I would like to thank all of those to contributed to her birthday present. She has used the serger and the fabric money literally every day since she got them. Your generousity is paying dividends in our home

All Chores are not created equal

While Kate is working hard to put chicken on our grill and books on my shelves I am working hard to keep Finn alive and our house relatively clean. These are both easily measurable tasks that we have and since there are 10 new books and a perfectly healthy baby boy I'd say we are doing pretty good. Well Kate is definitely, but some of my daily house cleaning tasks sheets have been a few check marks shy of complete. The thing is that it's mostly Kate's fault not mine. I mean it is my fault for sure, I'm the one that is responsible for the tasks it's just that Kate is easily fooled into thinking I have done a full days work. Let me give you a little example with the list below. On the Left is the accomplished task and on the right is Kate's response to said accomplishment (or lack there of):

• Not doing anything Highly agitated
• Cleaning the front room only Agitated
• Cleaning the front, library, dining Mildly agitated
• Making the bed Happy
• Doing the dishes Happy
• Making bed and doing dishes Ecstatic
• Cleaning the whole house+dishes+made bed Ecstatic
• Doing the laundry What's better the ecstatic?

So as you can see by the list Kate's approval or disapproval of my house cleaning centers around the bed being made and the dishes being done. If I do those two things, and keep Finny alive then she is just as happy as if I cleaned the whole house. If I fail to do those two things then it does not matter what else I did during the day, she is not impressed. Makes me think of the Brian Regan comedy bit about half game-whole snow cone as seen here acted out by Simba from the Lion King. Why clean the whole house if I only get credit for the dishes and made bed. I'd rather play half game.