It was 45 degrees here today! This was definitely cause for celebration. After the seemingly unending cold we've had the past couple months, it seemed positively balmy out today. There was melting going on all over the place. Kaylee made another snowman this morning, and I took both kids out for an hour this afternoon. Of course the first thing Miles wanted to do was wade through the water puddles. Kaylee thought it looked like so much fun that she joined in. Then they slid down some snow piles, picked up sticks, and played with Mocha, who was thrilled to have her people out playing again. They came in drenched but happy, with eyes sparkling and cheeks glowing with fresh air and exercise. Some hot cocoa finished off the afternoon. I wish I would have thought to bring the camera out, but I was busy getting some fresh air of my own!
Tomorrow's forecast calls for high 30's, and they're predicting warmer temps all week, with highs in the 40's Thursday and Friday again. We might just get rid of some snow yet.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Random Kiddo Pictures
Here are a few pictures from the past couple weeks.
Kaylee with her snowman: she made him ALL by herself. No help at all from Mommy, who just watched her through the window. Doesn't she look pleased with herself?
Here she is doing her other favorite thing these days. She looks so grownup in this one. Where did my baby girl go?
Miles wearing Daddy's "mittens". He's into mittens since he got new knitted ones. Look out for those big hands!
Kaylee with her snowman: she made him ALL by herself. No help at all from Mommy, who just watched her through the window. Doesn't she look pleased with herself?
Here she is doing her other favorite thing these days. She looks so grownup in this one. Where did my baby girl go?
Miles wearing Daddy's "mittens". He's into mittens since he got new knitted ones. Look out for those big hands!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Crafty Creations
As promised, here's a (belated) update on my knitting and sewing projects.
-Miles' mittens knitted up quickly and easily, and he does keep them on better than his others. I made a string to connect them, which I made WAY too long....the mittens touch the ground on both sides when strung through his coat! But it works...no more lost mittens. They're so nice and soft and warm. I think I'll make some for me.
-Rich's hat is done too, but it turns out he didn't like the striped pattern I did on it. He thinks it looks too girly. Plus it's a bit too long, so it doesn't hug his head the way he thinks it should. The hat fits me though, so I guess I'll make yet ANOTHER one for him. Maybe the third time's a charm?
-The cloth baby wipes turned out great. It took a couple of tries to get the hang of keeping the terry and flannel even and rounding the corners when doing the zigzag, but I like the finished product. I made some with terry and flannel together and some with just 2 pieces of flannel. I sewed the layers together and then zigzagged the edges for a more flat, finished look. They work really well. The terry side is perfect for getting the "yuck" and the flannel for simple changes or finishing up. They're also perfect for washing dirty hands and faces!
So in the works now...
-I cast on for Miles longies yesterday. They're barely begun, so no pics yet. I'm knitting them on size 5 standard needles, which takes some getting used to since I"m used to knitting with larger needles or on circulars. We'll see how it goes. So far I've made enough mistakes to have to start over twice!
-Sis's scarf, still waiting for more yarn.
-On the sewing side, I've been working on my denim rag quilt sporadically, but nothing major to show for it yet. Mostly just cutting blocks when I have a spare moment.
And in the planning stages....
-Mittens for myself. I just knit a gauge swatch with my bulky yarn to decide on needle size, but I think the size 10 1/2 will work, so I"ll probably work on these some this week. I plan to make a matching hat as well at some point.
-Rich's hat, take 3. At least now I know what NOT to do with this.
-Kaylee's sweater, hat, and mittens. I have a great pattern, just need the yarn. This may have to wait a bit due to budgeting constraints.
-Miles soaker. I may do this along with the pants, but haven't started anything yet.
I love the weekly knitting sessions Jenni and I have been having. 2 whole hours of uninterrupted knitting and girl talk. Hopefully we can keep these going for a while!
-Miles' mittens knitted up quickly and easily, and he does keep them on better than his others. I made a string to connect them, which I made WAY too long....the mittens touch the ground on both sides when strung through his coat! But it works...no more lost mittens. They're so nice and soft and warm. I think I'll make some for me.
-Rich's hat is done too, but it turns out he didn't like the striped pattern I did on it. He thinks it looks too girly. Plus it's a bit too long, so it doesn't hug his head the way he thinks it should. The hat fits me though, so I guess I'll make yet ANOTHER one for him. Maybe the third time's a charm?
-The cloth baby wipes turned out great. It took a couple of tries to get the hang of keeping the terry and flannel even and rounding the corners when doing the zigzag, but I like the finished product. I made some with terry and flannel together and some with just 2 pieces of flannel. I sewed the layers together and then zigzagged the edges for a more flat, finished look. They work really well. The terry side is perfect for getting the "yuck" and the flannel for simple changes or finishing up. They're also perfect for washing dirty hands and faces!
So in the works now...
-I cast on for Miles longies yesterday. They're barely begun, so no pics yet. I'm knitting them on size 5 standard needles, which takes some getting used to since I"m used to knitting with larger needles or on circulars. We'll see how it goes. So far I've made enough mistakes to have to start over twice!
-Sis's scarf, still waiting for more yarn.
-On the sewing side, I've been working on my denim rag quilt sporadically, but nothing major to show for it yet. Mostly just cutting blocks when I have a spare moment.
And in the planning stages....
-Mittens for myself. I just knit a gauge swatch with my bulky yarn to decide on needle size, but I think the size 10 1/2 will work, so I"ll probably work on these some this week. I plan to make a matching hat as well at some point.
-Rich's hat, take 3. At least now I know what NOT to do with this.
-Kaylee's sweater, hat, and mittens. I have a great pattern, just need the yarn. This may have to wait a bit due to budgeting constraints.
-Miles soaker. I may do this along with the pants, but haven't started anything yet.
I love the weekly knitting sessions Jenni and I have been having. 2 whole hours of uninterrupted knitting and girl talk. Hopefully we can keep these going for a while!
Update
Here's my weekly resolutions update.
1. Prayer/Reading Time: This is going well. It's getting to be a bit of a habit now, picking up my Bible right after breakfast, and the kids are getting used to playing without Mommy then, so that's good too. It's helped along by the fact that the internet connection has been working sporadically at best in the AM. I'm thankful for all the help I can get!
2. Kids: Bible stories continue to be popular. Kaylee has wheedled me into 2 each night rather than one. Her favorite is Jesus' birth. She's taken an interest in her Scholastic Kids' Bible as well and looks at it daily. I'm not so sure about it, since it's condensed to story lines (no Leviticus or minor prophets, New Testament is mostly the gospels, for example) and has illustrations but I guess any exposure and interest is good.
3. Menu: Meatless Monday (which we actually had today, due to meat needing used up yesterday) was better this week. Campanele pasta with tomato cream sauce: YUM. The kiddos enjoyed their noodles with butter and parmesan cheese.
Last week was supposed to be no shopping week, but I ended up doing a grocery shop on Friday. I did stick with meals from our stores for the entire week though. So I guess it was at least a partial success. I'm not sure how much we actually saved, since we had to stock up again the next time we went shopping.
4. Plants: Still on hold until spring gets closer. I plan to do my seed ordering in a couple of weeks.
5. Crafts: I finished up some projects this week! I"m doing pretty good at keeping this under control. More on that and pics of the finished projects in a later post.
1. Prayer/Reading Time: This is going well. It's getting to be a bit of a habit now, picking up my Bible right after breakfast, and the kids are getting used to playing without Mommy then, so that's good too. It's helped along by the fact that the internet connection has been working sporadically at best in the AM. I'm thankful for all the help I can get!
2. Kids: Bible stories continue to be popular. Kaylee has wheedled me into 2 each night rather than one. Her favorite is Jesus' birth. She's taken an interest in her Scholastic Kids' Bible as well and looks at it daily. I'm not so sure about it, since it's condensed to story lines (no Leviticus or minor prophets, New Testament is mostly the gospels, for example) and has illustrations but I guess any exposure and interest is good.
3. Menu: Meatless Monday (which we actually had today, due to meat needing used up yesterday) was better this week. Campanele pasta with tomato cream sauce: YUM. The kiddos enjoyed their noodles with butter and parmesan cheese.
Last week was supposed to be no shopping week, but I ended up doing a grocery shop on Friday. I did stick with meals from our stores for the entire week though. So I guess it was at least a partial success. I'm not sure how much we actually saved, since we had to stock up again the next time we went shopping.
4. Plants: Still on hold until spring gets closer. I plan to do my seed ordering in a couple of weeks.
5. Crafts: I finished up some projects this week! I"m doing pretty good at keeping this under control. More on that and pics of the finished projects in a later post.
Monday, January 26, 2009
"Eat Candy"
Kids have some interesting versions of songs. I remember one little kid who thought the line of the grace went "To thee who dusts the raven's feet" rather than "doth the ravens feed", and wondered why the raven had such dusty feet! Here's a couple of our own versions of popular songs.
One of Ian's favorite bedtime songs is "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean", but in his version, it goes, "My Mommy lies over the ocean, my Mommy lies over the sea. My Mommy lies over the ocean, Oh bring back my Mommy to me."
The other day Kaylee was singing "Yankee Doodle", which she heard on her Wee Sing America CD. "Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy, mind the music and the step and with the girls eat candy." When I laughed and told her it was "be handy" she said, "No it's not! Listen to the words Mommy!"
I let it go at that.
One of Ian's favorite bedtime songs is "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean", but in his version, it goes, "My Mommy lies over the ocean, my Mommy lies over the sea. My Mommy lies over the ocean, Oh bring back my Mommy to me."
The other day Kaylee was singing "Yankee Doodle", which she heard on her Wee Sing America CD. "Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy, mind the music and the step and with the girls eat candy." When I laughed and told her it was "be handy" she said, "No it's not! Listen to the words Mommy!"
I let it go at that.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A Good Day
Today was crafting/knitting mania at it's best. Jenni and I met for a knitting session at our local yarn shop, where we gabbed and knitted and browsed cool yarn and patterns to our hearts' content, sans kids. It was so much fun. We talked about doing it on a regular basis, which sounds wonderful, if I can keep from buying too much yarn. I can never go into that store and come out empty handed. Today I bought some yummy new wool for Miles' soaker and longies.
I also stopped at Hobby Lobby on the way and picked up some cute clearance flannel and terry for cloth wipes, plus new shears and flannel backing for my denim rag quilt I have planned.
So I'm well set for projects again! The only thing on my project list that I don't have materials for is Kaylee's sweater, but I can't start that until I get a few other things finished anyway.
Here's a peek at what's currently in the works.
Rich's hat - second draft. This one looks much more like it will fit him!
Miles' mittens: One done and the second barely started, made of double-stranded 100% fine merino wool on size 7 needles. Turning out pretty good for my first mittens, I think.
My sister's scarf is still on hold until the back-ordered yarn comes.
Yep, I had a good time. Friendly (adult!) conversation, new crafting supplies, and uninterrupted knitting. The kids enjoyed spending some time at Grandma's And the day was topped off with perfect sunshine and temps above freezing. What more could I ask for?
I also stopped at Hobby Lobby on the way and picked up some cute clearance flannel and terry for cloth wipes, plus new shears and flannel backing for my denim rag quilt I have planned.
So I'm well set for projects again! The only thing on my project list that I don't have materials for is Kaylee's sweater, but I can't start that until I get a few other things finished anyway.
Here's a peek at what's currently in the works.
Rich's hat - second draft. This one looks much more like it will fit him!
Miles' mittens: One done and the second barely started, made of double-stranded 100% fine merino wool on size 7 needles. Turning out pretty good for my first mittens, I think.
My sister's scarf is still on hold until the back-ordered yarn comes.
Yep, I had a good time. Friendly (adult!) conversation, new crafting supplies, and uninterrupted knitting. The kids enjoyed spending some time at Grandma's And the day was topped off with perfect sunshine and temps above freezing. What more could I ask for?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
So Far
Update on my Resolutions: I'm going to try to do this every week if possible.
Prayer/Reading Time: The plan is working well so far. And paying off too!
Kids: Bible story time is a hit. Even Miles listens. And Kaylee begs for "just one more, pleeeeease? "
Menu:
-Meatless Monday was a bit of a flop. Rich didn't care for the chili, and the kids wouldn't even try it. They ended up with cheese sandwiches. Maybe next week.
-After working on the weekly menu and the bank balance, it turns out this week is going to be no grocery shopping week. So far so good, with only a few minor changes. Rich did buy some dog food, but does that count? ;-)
Plants: On hold until later. I"ve got my list made, and I'm saving newspapers (for pots) and milk jugs (for setting out protection). I need to get some bulbs for my grow light sometime here too.
Craft Craze: I've only got 3 things on the needles right now:
1. Rich's hat (second try: the first one was way to big around. I sent it to Grandpa to try on!)
2. Miles' mittens.
3. Sis's scarf: on hold until my backordered yarn comes.
I want to start a hat and sweater for Kaylee and wool pants for Miles, but I'm waiting until my new needles get here (and I finish something else!).
So far so good!
Prayer/Reading Time: The plan is working well so far. And paying off too!
Kids: Bible story time is a hit. Even Miles listens. And Kaylee begs for "just one more, pleeeeease? "
Menu:
-Meatless Monday was a bit of a flop. Rich didn't care for the chili, and the kids wouldn't even try it. They ended up with cheese sandwiches. Maybe next week.
-After working on the weekly menu and the bank balance, it turns out this week is going to be no grocery shopping week. So far so good, with only a few minor changes. Rich did buy some dog food, but does that count? ;-)
Plants: On hold until later. I"ve got my list made, and I'm saving newspapers (for pots) and milk jugs (for setting out protection). I need to get some bulbs for my grow light sometime here too.
Craft Craze: I've only got 3 things on the needles right now:
1. Rich's hat (second try: the first one was way to big around. I sent it to Grandpa to try on!)
2. Miles' mittens.
3. Sis's scarf: on hold until my backordered yarn comes.
I want to start a hat and sweater for Kaylee and wool pants for Miles, but I'm waiting until my new needles get here (and I finish something else!).
So far so good!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Resolutions
I'm not much for New Year's Resolutions, but there are some things I want to try to work on this year. Yeah, I know, it's a little late, but hey, better late than never, right? I'm also going to try to do periodic (maybe weekly or monthly?) reviews to keep myself on track. I figure if I detail them here, it will hold me a little more accountable. I'm keeping my list to 5, so that it will be easier to manage and keep track of.
#1: Prayer/Reading Time
This is something that, I'm ashamed to admit, gets cut short more often than not. I've tried getting up earlier (Miles 5:30 wake-up time makes that difficult), staying up later (I end up falling asleep) and even using Miles' naptime (I invariably get busy doing other things and never get to it). It seems like I'm so busy, but in reality, I'm not that busy at all these days. I seem to waste a lot of time on the internet, or looking at garden catalogs, or even knitting. So I thought I'd try limiting my OTHER activities until I've gotten that vital time in. Here's my new idea: I'm not going to even sit down at the computer, pick up my knitting, or read anything else until I've spent at least 30 minutes with God in the AM. Non-negotiable.
#2: More spiritually oriented kid activities.
Kaylee is getting to the age where she where she understands things better. We've started singing a grace at lunch each day, so they can learn the graces. This is going well. We've done Bible stories time before, but somehow it keeps getting dropped. I remember when I was kid, Dad used to read us Bible stories before bed. New step in the bedtime routine: one Bible story/discussion every night, right after teeth-brushing.
#3: Menu Improvements.
I've been trying to cut down our grocery bill lately, so I've decided to make a few changes to my menu. The first, and probably the most easily implemented, is to have Meatless Mondays. Our biggest grocery expenses are meat and dairy, and I won't give up dairy. It turns out that there's a whole healthy eating campaign for Meatless Mondays: they even have a website with recipes and such. Anyway, I thought we'd try it. If anyone has any great meatless recipes that they'd like to share, please send them on over. We're always looking for tasty new recipes. Today I'm going to make some slow cooker vegetarian chili from All Recipes. It got good reviews so we'll see how the family likes it.
The next thing I'm planning to do menu-wise is to have one "no grocery shopping" week per month. That is, I'll try to plan our meals and eat entirely from the fridge, pantry, and freezer. There is one small caveat to this however: I'll make an exception for milk. We just can't go a whole week without buying milk unless we really stock up the week before! Luckily we usually have a fairly well-stocked pantry. Maybe this will give me the incentive to use up some of those ingredients that have been lurking in the back for who knows how long. Next week will be the first try at it, so I'll let you know how it goes.
Finally, I'm going to try to put more fresh, home grown and/or preserved foods on the menu and depend less on packaged food and on the grocery store in general. We do pretty well at this, but we can do a lot better. Hopefully I'll get my chickens this spring, so we will have eggs sometime this year, and maybe even a few extra to sell/trade to friends and family. I'm also expanding the garden and planning to can/freeze more produce this year. This will make more work in the summer, but it'll pay off next winter when we're snowed in for days at a time. Plus it's healthier.
#4: Keep the "spring plant craze" under control.
This one will be difficult unless I stay completely OUT of greenhouses. I love plants, and spring makes me a little crazy when it comes to ordering and buying plants. So I'm going to try seed starting for my annuals and vegetables . And no new perennials unless they're on clearance. Hopefully.
#5: Keep my craft projects under control.
With this new knitting craze, I'm starting to get half-finished projects again. To keep this under control, I'm going to try to keep my "on the needles" projects to a minimum of 3. I'm also going to try to buy quality yarn on sale, maybe online, so I don't overspend. If I have a list of upcoming projects, I might be able to find the yarn cheaper in advance, and I won't be so tempted to pick something up just because I like it. Maybe. Notice that this is last on my list. I have a feeling that the knitting will slow down considerably in a couple of months when I'm busy outside again.
So there's my list. Wish me luck!
#1: Prayer/Reading Time
This is something that, I'm ashamed to admit, gets cut short more often than not. I've tried getting up earlier (Miles 5:30 wake-up time makes that difficult), staying up later (I end up falling asleep) and even using Miles' naptime (I invariably get busy doing other things and never get to it). It seems like I'm so busy, but in reality, I'm not that busy at all these days. I seem to waste a lot of time on the internet, or looking at garden catalogs, or even knitting. So I thought I'd try limiting my OTHER activities until I've gotten that vital time in. Here's my new idea: I'm not going to even sit down at the computer, pick up my knitting, or read anything else until I've spent at least 30 minutes with God in the AM. Non-negotiable.
#2: More spiritually oriented kid activities.
Kaylee is getting to the age where she where she understands things better. We've started singing a grace at lunch each day, so they can learn the graces. This is going well. We've done Bible stories time before, but somehow it keeps getting dropped. I remember when I was kid, Dad used to read us Bible stories before bed. New step in the bedtime routine: one Bible story/discussion every night, right after teeth-brushing.
#3: Menu Improvements.
I've been trying to cut down our grocery bill lately, so I've decided to make a few changes to my menu. The first, and probably the most easily implemented, is to have Meatless Mondays. Our biggest grocery expenses are meat and dairy, and I won't give up dairy. It turns out that there's a whole healthy eating campaign for Meatless Mondays: they even have a website with recipes and such. Anyway, I thought we'd try it. If anyone has any great meatless recipes that they'd like to share, please send them on over. We're always looking for tasty new recipes. Today I'm going to make some slow cooker vegetarian chili from All Recipes. It got good reviews so we'll see how the family likes it.
The next thing I'm planning to do menu-wise is to have one "no grocery shopping" week per month. That is, I'll try to plan our meals and eat entirely from the fridge, pantry, and freezer. There is one small caveat to this however: I'll make an exception for milk. We just can't go a whole week without buying milk unless we really stock up the week before! Luckily we usually have a fairly well-stocked pantry. Maybe this will give me the incentive to use up some of those ingredients that have been lurking in the back for who knows how long. Next week will be the first try at it, so I'll let you know how it goes.
Finally, I'm going to try to put more fresh, home grown and/or preserved foods on the menu and depend less on packaged food and on the grocery store in general. We do pretty well at this, but we can do a lot better. Hopefully I'll get my chickens this spring, so we will have eggs sometime this year, and maybe even a few extra to sell/trade to friends and family. I'm also expanding the garden and planning to can/freeze more produce this year. This will make more work in the summer, but it'll pay off next winter when we're snowed in for days at a time. Plus it's healthier.
#4: Keep the "spring plant craze" under control.
This one will be difficult unless I stay completely OUT of greenhouses. I love plants, and spring makes me a little crazy when it comes to ordering and buying plants. So I'm going to try seed starting for my annuals and vegetables . And no new perennials unless they're on clearance. Hopefully.
#5: Keep my craft projects under control.
With this new knitting craze, I'm starting to get half-finished projects again. To keep this under control, I'm going to try to keep my "on the needles" projects to a minimum of 3. I'm also going to try to buy quality yarn on sale, maybe online, so I don't overspend. If I have a list of upcoming projects, I might be able to find the yarn cheaper in advance, and I won't be so tempted to pick something up just because I like it. Maybe. Notice that this is last on my list. I have a feeling that the knitting will slow down considerably in a couple of months when I'm busy outside again.
So there's my list. Wish me luck!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sticker Shock
I got quite the reality check this afternoon when I added all the items I thought I wanted from my seed and garden catalogs. Who would have expected that I thought I'd need nearly $650 worth of seeds, plants, and such. Whew. Time to pare down the list to the essentials. I probably don't need 3 varieties of cantaloupe or cucumbers. I can do without a compost bin and a kitchen compost pail. Another rosebush and perennial bed can most likely wait. (Those rosebushes and perennials would also make good gifts though...hint hint:-)
At any rate, I had a good time looking. Never hurts to dream, right? Being practical can wait until tomorrow. Between the garden planning and the past 2 days of sunshine, I'm feeling much more like myself in spite of the -30 degree weather. And now I'm off to bed. 'Nite all.
At any rate, I had a good time looking. Never hurts to dream, right? Being practical can wait until tomorrow. Between the garden planning and the past 2 days of sunshine, I'm feeling much more like myself in spite of the -30 degree weather. And now I'm off to bed. 'Nite all.
Random Things
Here's a few random thoughts and pictures since I don't really have anything big enough for a whole post.
Yet another (slightly blurry) picture of baby Evan, and his mother the day before he was born.
The finished baby hat for Evan. I was really happy with the way this turned out.
Kaylee and Laura playing game after game after game after game on Saturday afternoon. Laura has great patience!
Yet another (slightly blurry) picture of baby Evan, and his mother the day before he was born.
The finished baby hat for Evan. I was really happy with the way this turned out.
Kaylee and Laura playing game after game after game after game on Saturday afternoon. Laura has great patience!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Winter Blahs
I've been feeling moody and out of sorts the past couple of days. I'm not sure what's going on. It could have something to do with the fact that it's snowing and blowing and I"m stuck in the house for the week. Or the fact that the kids can't get outside either, and they're hyper and fighting and whiny by turn. Or that I won't be babysitting until April, which means hard-to-entertain kids (no Ian to play with) and reduced income until spring: so no shopping therapy either. So, I'm sorry for the lack of posts. I'm just not motivated to do anything but mope around and eat, neither of which are very good for me. I did knit a bit, and finished Rich's hat, but that only added to my moodiness because it turned out way to big around for him. Grrr.
Anyone have tips for getting out of the doldrums?
Anyone have tips for getting out of the doldrums?
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Introducing... baby Evan
A great big welcome to our sweet new nephew, Evan Thomas. He was born yesterday Jan 10 at 11:43 AM and weighed in at 8 lbs 12 oz and 20.5 inches long. Here he is, wearing the hat I knitted for him. Check out those adorable chubby cheeks!
Everyone was anxious to meet him. We all showed up at the hospital as soon as we could and passed him around and around. Luckily he (and his tired mother!) tolerated us pretty well. Kaylee in particular thought he was neat. She's interested in babies these days, and this one holds a special interest because we'll be babysitting him after a couple months. Even Auntie C. was on hand for the big event.
As for me, I admit to a pretty strong surge of baby fever with an armful of sweet soft adorable newborn. Good thing I have babysitting to look forward to.
Proud Grandmas.
Ian was pretty impressed with the new arrival as well, especially when he got to share Grandma's lap.
Everyone was anxious to meet him. We all showed up at the hospital as soon as we could and passed him around and around. Luckily he (and his tired mother!) tolerated us pretty well. Kaylee in particular thought he was neat. She's interested in babies these days, and this one holds a special interest because we'll be babysitting him after a couple months. Even Auntie C. was on hand for the big event.
As for me, I admit to a pretty strong surge of baby fever with an armful of sweet soft adorable newborn. Good thing I have babysitting to look forward to.
Proud Grandmas.
Ian was pretty impressed with the new arrival as well, especially when he got to share Grandma's lap.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Dreaming of Spring
About this time of year, I start getting gardening catalogs in the mail. A few more seem to come every year, to the point where I'm wondering who on earth these companies are and where they got my name. I guess if you order from one seed/plant catalog, every other company finds out about it. They sure have the marketing angle figured out. There's nothing more appealing in the middle of a cold, dreary January than pictures of green leaves, beautiful flowers, colorful vegetables, and perfect fruit.
So far this year I have a six-inch stack of catalogs to look through. I've been saving them for a time when I can curl up and and browse to my heart's content. I think tonight's the night. Even though I've got a list of what I'd like to plant in a few months, it can't be complete yet. Besides, I haven't decided whether I should plant grapes or pears or something else for my fruit perennial this spring. 2 years ago I did strawberries, and last year we got raspberries started. Someday I'd like grapes, pear trees, cherry trees, currant bushes, and maybe blueberry bushes if I can get the soil amended right. Oh, and a plum tree. And maybe some hardy peach trees if I can find any that will survive this far north. Mom has all the apples anyone can use, so I probably won't plant those. But any other fruit is an option.
I want to start some tomatoes, peppers, herbs, etc. from seed this year, so I need to pick varieties and order seeds and such. And there's always a few new perennial flowers to flesh out my flower beds. It'll take some time to narrow that list down.
So I'm off to make some tea and settle in with my catalogs and my list. The knitting projects can wait for a night. I've got gardens to plan!
So far this year I have a six-inch stack of catalogs to look through. I've been saving them for a time when I can curl up and and browse to my heart's content. I think tonight's the night. Even though I've got a list of what I'd like to plant in a few months, it can't be complete yet. Besides, I haven't decided whether I should plant grapes or pears or something else for my fruit perennial this spring. 2 years ago I did strawberries, and last year we got raspberries started. Someday I'd like grapes, pear trees, cherry trees, currant bushes, and maybe blueberry bushes if I can get the soil amended right. Oh, and a plum tree. And maybe some hardy peach trees if I can find any that will survive this far north. Mom has all the apples anyone can use, so I probably won't plant those. But any other fruit is an option.
I want to start some tomatoes, peppers, herbs, etc. from seed this year, so I need to pick varieties and order seeds and such. And there's always a few new perennial flowers to flesh out my flower beds. It'll take some time to narrow that list down.
So I'm off to make some tea and settle in with my catalogs and my list. The knitting projects can wait for a night. I've got gardens to plan!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
On the Needles
A little knitting update tonight.
I finished the booga bag before I left for Missouri. It turned out pretty good, for a beginning project. I did make a mistake counting stitches on the bottom piece, so I ended up making it twice the size it was supposed to be. Since I didn't get back to the class and taught myself the rest, I had the bag almost finished before I found out it was wrong. Needless to say I didn't take it all out and start over. It just has a slightly puckered bottom. But it holds my knitting, so it works for me! It was done in 100% Galway wool on size 10 1/2 circular needles.
I started the scarf for my sister on the way down to see her, but I didn't get it nearly done before we left. Plus, I ran out of yarn. So I"m at a standstill on this until I can get back into the yarn store and pick up some more of that color. And no, it isn't really more narrow at the top, it's just that the circular needles holding it make it look that way. At least that's what I"m hoping! Isn't it a gorgeous yarn? It's a wool/microfiber blend: so soft! I'm using a size 7 circular needle, from my great-grandma's knitting basket! I love the way it's knitting up. I may have to get some for myself a scarf too!
Yesterday I cast on Rich's hat. It's going along pretty well. I"m not sure about the size, but hopefully it will come out alright. I'd say it's about half finished. The lighting doesn't do the colors justice at all: that brown looks much different in natural light. This is an 85/15 wool/mohair blend. It's the nicest yarn to work with, plus it's wonderfully soft and fuzzy. Should be warm and comfortable. It's on my 10 1/2 circular needles.
Today since I had a lot of time on my hands, I decided to practice small circular knitting with double pointed needles. So I started a little newborn hat for my new nephew (who has yet to make an appearance, despite our worry that he was trying to come early). It's taking some practice, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. This is a cotton super soft baby yarn that I had on hand from my attempts at crocheting a baby blanket several years ago. I'm using 2 strands, one white and one baby blue, with size 7 needles. So far I've only got the edge done. I'll probably finish this one tonight after the kids go to bed while I'm waiting for Rich to get home from work.
So that's the projects I'm working on now. Stay tuned..... :-)
I finished the booga bag before I left for Missouri. It turned out pretty good, for a beginning project. I did make a mistake counting stitches on the bottom piece, so I ended up making it twice the size it was supposed to be. Since I didn't get back to the class and taught myself the rest, I had the bag almost finished before I found out it was wrong. Needless to say I didn't take it all out and start over. It just has a slightly puckered bottom. But it holds my knitting, so it works for me! It was done in 100% Galway wool on size 10 1/2 circular needles.
I started the scarf for my sister on the way down to see her, but I didn't get it nearly done before we left. Plus, I ran out of yarn. So I"m at a standstill on this until I can get back into the yarn store and pick up some more of that color. And no, it isn't really more narrow at the top, it's just that the circular needles holding it make it look that way. At least that's what I"m hoping! Isn't it a gorgeous yarn? It's a wool/microfiber blend: so soft! I'm using a size 7 circular needle, from my great-grandma's knitting basket! I love the way it's knitting up. I may have to get some for myself a scarf too!
Yesterday I cast on Rich's hat. It's going along pretty well. I"m not sure about the size, but hopefully it will come out alright. I'd say it's about half finished. The lighting doesn't do the colors justice at all: that brown looks much different in natural light. This is an 85/15 wool/mohair blend. It's the nicest yarn to work with, plus it's wonderfully soft and fuzzy. Should be warm and comfortable. It's on my 10 1/2 circular needles.
Today since I had a lot of time on my hands, I decided to practice small circular knitting with double pointed needles. So I started a little newborn hat for my new nephew (who has yet to make an appearance, despite our worry that he was trying to come early). It's taking some practice, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. This is a cotton super soft baby yarn that I had on hand from my attempts at crocheting a baby blanket several years ago. I'm using 2 strands, one white and one baby blue, with size 7 needles. So far I've only got the edge done. I'll probably finish this one tonight after the kids go to bed while I'm waiting for Rich to get home from work.
So that's the projects I'm working on now. Stay tuned..... :-)
Gifts
Just before Christmas, I went to town and did a little shopping for myself. Here's my new yarn stash, for all those projects I've got planned.
I also got the kids a little something on sale. Kaylee loves her puppy (Miles' too, since she plays with it more than he does), and she's excited about the yarn I picked out for her hat and mittens.
Speaking of gifts, here are my 2 best gifts ever. Aren't they just the cutest? But maybe I'm just biased.
I also got the kids a little something on sale. Kaylee loves her puppy (Miles' too, since she plays with it more than he does), and she's excited about the yarn I picked out for her hat and mittens.
Speaking of gifts, here are my 2 best gifts ever. Aren't they just the cutest? But maybe I'm just biased.
He Missed Me
We ended up staying in Missouri a couple days longer than we originally planned. Those few days, Rich called me more times than the previous 4 days put together. We've been separated more than our share during our almost 10 years of marriage, but usually it was me at home alone while he was traveling. Rich has been the one at home only a handful of times, and most of those in the past couple years. So while I missed him, I had family and kids and catching up with my sister to keep my happy and occupied. But Rich was here alone.
When we got home, the house was tidy, the dog was bathed and brushed, supper was planned, and fresh flowers and scented candles were waiting on the table. Aren't they beautiful?
Then he played with the kids and made supper while I took a shower and rested. You never saw such happy kids to be back in their familiar world with Daddy. While we were gone, all we heard every night at bedtime and all the way (7 hours in the car) home was "I want to see my Daddy!" from Kaylee. They literally wouldn't let him out of their sight.
I'm so glad to be home. And so thankful for my husband, who loves me.
When we got home, the house was tidy, the dog was bathed and brushed, supper was planned, and fresh flowers and scented candles were waiting on the table. Aren't they beautiful?
Then he played with the kids and made supper while I took a shower and rested. You never saw such happy kids to be back in their familiar world with Daddy. While we were gone, all we heard every night at bedtime and all the way (7 hours in the car) home was "I want to see my Daddy!" from Kaylee. They literally wouldn't let him out of their sight.
I'm so glad to be home. And so thankful for my husband, who loves me.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Home Sweet Home
We, the kids and I, that is, are back from Missouri. It was a nice vacation, and it was great to see my baby sis, but I was more than ready to come home. I'll try to get some pics up of our week away in a couple days, when I can get them uploaded from Mom's camera. I brilliantly left mine home.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
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