Wasn't yesterday Monday?

I can't believe how fast this month has gone. I am feeling jipped here. How am I supposed to groan about February like all the other bloggers when I don't even remember it? Joy#2 turned 11 on Tuesday. We had a nice family party and he got some cool gifts. Tomorrow I will take him skiing again probably for his final time this season. Maybe I'll make some progress on my sweater. I am doing good to get 2 rows a day knit. No more progress has been made on Joy #1's bedroom. I think it's done being painted but nothing else has transpired. The chances of getting her out of my room before next weekend is slim to none. I've just been walking or stepping over her junk to make it to my bed pretending it doesn't bother me. One upside is that we keep each other warm and she doesn't steal my blankets.

Joy #1 Has Been Busy

Monday she cleaned and emptied her room out in preparation to paint.

Thursday I bought paint. And Friday she did this while I was at work.

Sunday evening I finished some hard to reach places and I think she's done. And none too soon because when she cleaned out her space she moved it all into my space! My room is a huge mess to say the least and I am ready for her to be back in her room. I hope she hasn't used up all her motivation and energy! I sure don't have any to spare.

I could get used to this!

Phone call mid-morning:

Joy #1- Do we have any laundry at MeMe's?

Me- Yes, I forgot the load over there yesterday.

Joy #1- Is there more to do?

Me- Yes, all that laundry in the hall.

Joy #1- Oh, OK.

Me-Why?

Joy #1- I was going to go over to MeMe's to work on my scrapbooking and thought I'd finish up the laundry while I'm there. By the way, I made a grocery list for you.

Me- I'll be right there!

Phone call this evening.

Joy#1- How late are you working?

Me-Around 6 pm. Do you have the laundry done?

Joy #1- Yep, I'm ready to go. Can we go by the grocery store?

Me- I'm pretty tired. Can I just push the cart and look pretty?

Joy #1- Sure.

Conversation 3 seconds ago.

Joy #1- Hey mom, the pizza I made is done. Do you want me to bring you some?

Me-Yes, that would be great!

Like I said I could get used to this! Hmm...I hope this is just love and she's not planning on hitting me up for something.

He's Got Skillz!!

This song has been running in my mind all day. Well, except for the fact that the song's words are actually she's got skills. Anyways, it popped into my head when I came down for coffee this morning. Joy #2 was putting the final touches on the cupcakes he was decorating to take to school.






See he woke up at 6:25 am this morning, got himself dressed and went on down to the kitchen to finish up the cupcakes that we baked last night. He was taking them to school for a bake sale. Now, I am pretty sure that most moms take care of these things but not this mom. It is tax season and all I can be responsible for are the basics. In my book last minute cupcakes are not the basics. Therefore, if you want cupcakes you make them. This is no big deal around here. However, when I came down for coffee I felt a surge of pride watching my guy ice his cupcakes. And no mess to boot! I don't know where the feeling came from. Probably initally relief that I didn't have to do anything out of my normal routine and then pride because he just did it without even asking for help. It was a good feeling to have. As you parents know you have many feeling and stresses while raising your kids and every once in awhile you see a glimpse of what the child may become. Here my glimpse was responsible, self sufficient, and happy. I like that.

Then i got the look. Glimpse gone, why in the world do you need to take a picture of me making cupcakes at 6:45 am??

Help me. She is singing some song from the 90s and gushing about how wonderful I am.

Craigslist Success

Sunday after finishing the baby sweater and discussing it with Joy #1 I casted on for this hat. It is the umbilical cord hat from the first stitch n bitch book. I knit it up while waiting for Masterpeice Theater to come on. I think I am going to skip matching booties though for something else. Something sewn on my craigslist find!

Yes, after checking craigslist for months I finally found a sewing machine I could afford and the person who sold it lives in my town too! She bought it a couple of years ago, took a class, and never sewed again. It has been used less than 10 times and I got it for $75! So now Ms. Bonnie can get her machine back so she can finish her quilts and I can whip up some baby bibs or something.

Elizabeth Zimmermann February Sweater

I finished the baby sweater. Now I need to add some kind of closure since I left off the buttonholes. I hope to get it to the recipient soon! Joy #1 thinks I now need to get work on a hat and booties or something for the other baby born to this family. She said that I cannot give one handknit gift and one store bought. She is right of course. Good thing I have another week to whip something up. I really prefer giving handmade gifts to store bought. Maybe I will sew something for the other gift. Hmmm...

Lovey Dovey Day

Valentine's day around here are hit and miss. This year was a hit or rather we celebrated. We had a nice candlight dinner and opened some great gifts.

The beginnings of Dinner

Joy #1's Valentine's gift Trash Ties

Joy#2 Rachet set

My Valentine Gift. I love Nikki McClure

The Aftermath

I hope you had just as nice an evening as I did. Happy Valentine's Day!

Ramblings

Here is an in progress shot of the baby sweater. And ewww the ironing board looks horrible! Just focus on the sweater. That's what I'm going to do. I have about 4-5 more inches to go and then I'll be done! There is little finishing to do because I knit the sleeves in the round. I am going to use eyelet hooks instead of buttons and I think I will knit a little flower to attach to add a little color. I really like CotLin yarn for this project.

Surprised at how fast this is knitting up? Well, our evening ritual has changed once again! I have decided to let Joy #2 enroll back into public school. Many factors led to this decision and it isn't a bad one it is just different. I loved our virtual school we were a part of and that is probably why I'm a little sad he's back in public school. It was such a good community and they did such cool stuff! But now he is back to doing "school" during the day and our evenings will no longer be spent working on math & pouring over his history book. I asked him if we could still read his history book together in the evenings because I was enjoying it so much. He gave me a "Are you crazy woman?" look. On the one hand it is nice not to have to do schoolwork in the evenings but on the other hand I will miss it.

You know those mittens I keep talking about...

well, they are finally done! The yarn came in on Thurday and I finished them off Friday. I really like them and I hope my sister in law will too!

Now to get to work on that baby sweater because Miss Elaina made her appearance Saturday night. And Joy #2 needs more mittens. You know that really should be my summer project! Make so many mittens that Joy #2 couldn't possibly loose or destroy in one winter season.

Winter Wonderland

We woke up to slient white this morning. I don' t know how much snow (4-6"?) we got but it has covered everything. I still love snow. Even in February! School is closed and I am not even thinking about going into work for at least a little while. I'm waiting for the snow plows!

I finished Joy #2's rescue mittens. Just in time! They are chestnut with maroon thumbs. They look good but I could not get a good picture of them at all last night. This is the hand model shot. I was thinking of doing duplicate stitching on the hands but I don't know what of? I think I will just let these be and plan his next set of mittens.

I wish my knit picks order was here so I could finish my sister in law's mittens! I am on the top decreases and then one more thumb to knit. She could have used them on a day like today!

Graditude: Affordable wool and snow!

Waiting for yarn

Dinner went well Saturday evening. The house was clean, dinner was delicious, and the company was good. I ran out of yarn for the Norwegian Mitten on Sunday. I knew I was going to so I had already ordered a second ball of Telemark from Knit Picks on Friday. I really want to finish these. I think I may like them even more than the Anemoi mittens. So while I am waiting...I knit a Mason Dixon ballband warshcloth for a friend and started another pair of mittens for Joy #2. He cannot find his We call them pirates mittens and these are his skiing gloves.

He wants nothing other than stranded wool mittens to ski. Once we realized we weren't going to find the gloves before skiing Friday we went to buy gloves. We could not find any gloves anywhere. This is Feb in Kansas. Children still need gloves but I guess store sellers think otherwise. I finally found a pair of womens gloves. They were ok in a pinch but did not keep his hands warm. Last night I casted on a basic pair of mittens. I call them the rescue mittens until we can find his pirate mittens or I can knit him another pair of stranded. I am using wool of the andes and I think I will do a decorative stitch on them because they are really plain. Or I may knit the thumbs different colors.

In the meantime, Joy#2 needs to search his room because I know I saw them somewhere last week!

Hitting the Slopes

Joy #2 will be hitting the slopes tonight and I will be hitting the lodge. He really enjoys skiing and snowboarding. This is his second season going to Snow Creek. Last year he snow boarded and this year he decided to try skiing. He prefers skiing right now so I am trying to let him do as much as he'd like and I can afford. Luckily, I have several friends that work out there and pass along lift tickets and passes as often as they can.


What I really should be doing tonight instead of sitting in the lodge is housework! I am having my small group from church over tomorrow night for dinner. 13 people have RSVP'd so far. Saturday morning I am watching the twins so I probably won't get to any housework or cooking until 11 am. No sweat right!

I started reading Square Foot Gardening last night and it is really helpful! Between our CSA and our own small patch we should eat it up right this summer. Of course I still have tons of clearing and yard work to do but every year it gets a little better.