Tuesday, February 24, 2009

We Have a New Knitter!

A couple weeks back, before the plague hit, little Gracie, recently turned six, decided it was high time she learned to knit. And so she did.

There must needs be some more practicing, to be sure, but the knitters now outnumber the non-knitters in this house. Cool beans, eh?!

Happy knitting-

ali

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Brrrr!

Out back, a couple weeks ago.

Or as my 4 yr old said- "all the world with snow on it makes me freezing."

It's cold again. I think I awoke to temps lingering around 0 outside (we are quite a ways north of "the metro"...), and around 61 inside this morning. The fire was stoked and it took what felt like way too long to get the home up to a cozy 67. I may need to bake something to hit 68.

I had started a whiny post about how I didn't get to refuel, and how it took 2 full weeks for the tummy bug to work its way through, and how the 2 year old threw up for 7 days and shrunk to skin and bones (okay, she was a lightweight to begin with), and so on and so forth... but really, I think I've done enough complaining about the last 2 weeks during the last 2 weeks. Seriously, I have, consider yourselves lucky that all was quiet on the blog front.

At least we've been getting some sun. The warmer air will come, and before we know it we'll be complaining about how hot it is and how bad the mosquitoes are this year. I guess I'm not in such a hurry for that. *mental note- start garden planning project with kids! Get some seeds to start indoors soon!

In the meantime, Baby J turned 4 months old yesterday, and can I just say that he is the cutest thing to hit this world since my last baby...? hehe. No, seriously, his smiles are contagious. He is such a big guy, a roly poly gerber baby if there ever was one (I think he's around 17 lbs!), with such a great big, toothless, open-mouth, grin that is simply irresistible. Fun stuff. Time consuming, but fun.

I've got a super quick and simple baby hat pattern pretty much ready to go (that most of you can 'just wing it' and make without a pattern, I know, but for those of you who'd like a pic of a little cutie to refer to when knitting, and the math done for you, I've got you covered.) I just need to figure out some hosting/downloading issues and play with file sizes, so watch for it in the next few days... I have more almost ready, I'm kind of excited about that. Fun stuff, I tell ya.

Well, now that everyone is back on solid foods, and all appliances and vehicles are working properly, I'll be trying to get back into the swing of things this week. First stop- grocery store! Then I've still got laundry to catch up on, a baby gift to finish knitting, a baby gift to start knitting, and a lot of homeschooling ideas to flesh out. I've been doing a lot of reading...

Here's hoping for some warmer weather- I guess I should check the forecast... ugh, -4 tonight, but high of 23 tomorrow, ooh, Tuesday's my day, high of 34! I'll take it.

Happy knitting-

ali

Friday, February 13, 2009

Is it Over Yet?


You know how the years fly by faster each year? How we (as mothers) really do wish they "would just stay little 'till their Carters wear out"? But they don't. They just keep growing faster and faster, and we wish we'd remember to journal all of their zany antics and the cute things they say, and we wish we'd remember to take more pictures, read more stories, give more kisses and hugs...

This week wasn't like that. Well, I mean I wasn't wishing it would slow down so I could stop and smell the roses, or delight in baby cheeks and toddler toes a little more each day. This week is one I'm glad to have over. Time to refuel for next week.

On Sunday morning we discovered the brake lights were out on the van, rendering it, well, not so safe.

Monday evening I discovered that one of the memory cards for my digital point and shoot bit the dust, taking any as of yet not uploaded pics with it. (Insert public service announcement- upload your photos, frequently, memory cards do die, it can happen.)

Later Monday night, 2 year old began vomiting, which lasted through Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday. I came very close to bringing her into the doc's Friday morning, when she decided to start keeping down some fluids, and finally a few bites of supper.

Tuesday evening (in the middle of vomit week) the washing machine decided to run for 5 hours without draining. Odd. They're not supposed to do that. I began to have terrible thoughts of a week of vomit and no working washing machine- that is not something I'd care to deal with by hand. I just had to go to bed and pretend it wasn't happening, you know, 'cause that works so well in all the other areas of life.

Wednesday morning I squeezed out the clothes and tossed them into the dryer, which ran for about 3 hours before I noticed that the dial hadn't even budged, and the clothes were beyond dry, quite hot actually. Again, they're not supposed to do that.

I ran a towel through the washer, in an attempt to jolt it's memory, you know, into what a washing machine is supposed to do. This time it made it through a complete cycle (in well under 5 hours!) Unfortunately, it made some rather uncharacteristic noises for a washing machine, at least uncharacteristic for a properly functioning washing machine. So we can either by a new washer very soon, or pay almost as much to fix one that's almost 10 years old. There are 9 people in this family, and one of them goes through a couple outfits a day, and no, it isn't me.

Oh, yeah, and that load that didn't drain, and then dried for hours? It contained a colorful rug that had the misfortune of being, um, contaminated. I haven't had a red or pink item of clothing bleed in my laundry for years. The clothing industry has really made great strides in the colorfasteness arena. Not so, the cotton rug industry. 2 year old's favorite blanky is now an odd shade of terracotta-ness, and so are several once white washcloths, some previously white socks, and the white stripes on a pair of my teenage son's shorts. The purple fleece pajamas came through unscathed. I guess you can't dye fleece.

My 9 year old needs glasses. No time like the present to start working on this year's insurance deductible. A few hundred here, a few hundred there.

I think something's wrong with my wrist. Could be some more hacking away at that deductible coming up. Fun, fun.

There are tiny bits of play-doh everywhere I turn.

Oh, and last night, as I was sitting in my kitchen, at the conveniently located computer desk, out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I spring from my seat to see what was the matter, I mean, there was this deep and loud barking coming from right out my back door. Odd, as we lost our dog (dead, not missing) in November. When I turned on the light, I saw 3 very large, very unfamiliar dogs. Well, the basset hound wasn't all that large, but the mastiff and the great dane, yeah, they were like lions, and they were trying to get at our cats, right out my back door. It was crazy. I called the cops, they called animal control, who called the owner, who called me... "Um, yeah, animal control just called and said that you have my dogs." It was an odd night.

I've hardly knit a stitch this week and haven't really had the time to notice. I'm just hoping and praying the stomach bug doesn't hit everyone...

...and my "Hopie" turned 4! I can hardly believe that one. She is definitely not staying little until her Carter's wear out.

Here's hoping for some knit time next week-
ali
PS- So how was your week?
eta: that friday night supper 2 year old finally kept down, didn't stay down all night... the saga continues...

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Wordless Wednesday 5

Sunday, February 01, 2009

I Could Have Been Baking...

some World Peace Cookies, or maybe some Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies (because Leslie keeps tempting me), but I wasn't. I didn't. I did try something new for breakfast- imagine french toast meets county/state fair funnel cakes, powdered sugar and all. Definite not healthy, but does serving it with 100% orange juice make it okay? If it does, I'll get some next time... maybe I'll get a picture, too.

After a partial kitchen clean-up (you know, good enough for now... don't tell flylady) I grabbed the iron, some fabric that's been waiting for way too long to be made into something, anything, the rotary cutter and mat... and made this.

Now I need to get something to back it and another something to bind it.

Back to the knitting.

Monday's MITs:
  • Drive too far to see the chiro who does the funky allergy testing for some kids...
  • Pick up some supplies for a little unschooling venture into electricity
  • Drop off enough to clothe (and decorate) a small nation at the Thrift Store

Enjoy your Monday-

ali

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