I just got a call that started like this, “What the hell? WHAT THE HELL? ” It was my friend Olinda. We’ve known each other for 30 years so I knew exactly what she was talking about without her having to say another word.

She’s jonesing for Isabelle pictures. So why the silence for a week? Well, I’ve had my hands full. On Friday I went to San Francisco to see my sister (Helen) and her friend Christina. Christina was interested in hiring me to sew up a prototype for an idea she had. So Isabelle tagged along and got to play with her cousin Ebow.

We were at Helen’s work. Downstairs they have a day care and that’s where the kids played with this little kitchen.

The kids had so much fun. There was only one unhappy moment where Ebow wouldn’t share a chair. He pushed Isabelle away saying, “go away!”, which made Isabelle cry. But beyond that they had fun throwing balls, playing with window shades, driving little cars around, and playing make believe. Ok ok. I know, Olinda. That’s a blurry picture of Isabelle. That doesn’t count. So here, they were pretending to drink tea and eat pizza:

So, have I been sewing the prototype and that’s the explanation for my absence? Well no. I turned down the work. I decided Christina deserved to have someone with more sewing skills who could do a better job.

And I guess that’s a good thing because I’ve had my hands full with Isabelle. It was noticeable the very next day, on Saturday, when we went to the store. She was so cute in this picture: sitting on the little kiddie lawn chair and wearing kiddie sunglasses.

Then she turned and became a terror. She threw a tantrum over I cannot even remember what. Alan took her crying out of the store. She’s NEVER done that before.

The past few days she’s been difficult, hard to please, and short tempered. Alan notices that she gets this way whenever she sees Ebow. Maybe that’s just a coincidence…

So yeah. Hands full of temperamental toddler here. Oh wait. Hands full of temperamental toddler and tissue paper. My allergies are kicking my butt. What am I allergic to? The outside! I’m allergic to trees, flowers, and grass. So yeah, allergic to the outside.

With the combination of these two things, I’m just worn out. No sewing. No drawing. I’ve read my favorite blogs but I haven’t even looked at the rest of them. I have 856 unread items. I have had no energy for writing. But today’s call, “what the hell?“, has made me get off my tired butt and post some pictures. And oh my gawd it took me over two hours to write this between Isabelle’s whining.

So, will that last you another week Olinda? or until whenever I feel like posting again?