Little Man's Wisdom - My, How He's Grown

Little Man had a tough day on the bike yesterday. On the way to the Bike Rodeo at the Y, he took a tumble and scraped his leg up. We came back home, patched him up, and darned if he didn't ride his bike all the way back to the rodeo.*

He got his bike inspected by the bike shop mechanics, had his helmet adjusted to fit properly (bad mama), saw a demonstration with an egg about the importance of wearing said helmet, and rode the obstacle course about 10 times (with the proper hand signals). He had a blast.

On the way home, he fell again. As I came up to the scene of the accident, he was laying flat on his back, attempting to push the bike off of him with both feet, muttering "Oh, well, I'm okay. It wasn't too bad."

When I told him he did a great job getting back on the bike, he informed me: "Well, mom, that's just the nature of bike riding."

So wise.

* He has had this bike and ridden it on and off for two years. Before yesterday, he had fallen off it twice. On his first weekend riding it, he fell and wouldn't get back on it for over a year. About six months ago, he tried riding to the library, fell, and just started riding again about a month ago. So the quick recovery from two falls in one day is... priceless.

I love giveaways...

but I never seem to win. Here's hoping this will change. Simple Mom is having a great gift basket giveaway. Such cute things - a ruffly apron and fabric sandwich wraps. Fun. One of the items is a lifetime subscription to Pear Budgeting, which is so sleek and user friendly.

I simply love her site. It has helped my start my organizing journey.

Let's see if this works...

Quote for the Day - Put off

Me - Okay, baby, I want you to count the ladybugs in the book with me as I read, okay?

B.B. - No, you can do it. You're a big girl now.

Quote for the Day - Growing Up

"Well, I used to like artichoke hearts, when I was little, when I was 2. But things change as you get older. Right, Dad?"

--Little Man

Quote for the Day - Responsibility

"No, Dad. It's your responsibility to make the chocolate milk."

Yes, Dad puts in much more chocolate syrup than Mom, and yes, we've been talking about responsibility.

Shaggy Story - Batman and Superman

Little man is quite the storyteller. He could sit for hours looking at books or with his dinosaurs and tell very detailed, involved stories (and he's teaching his little brother to do the same thing - yeah!)

His favorite type of storytelling, though, is more interactive. My mom calls them Shaggy stories, and we each take turns telling a little bit of the story.

Today he suggested a story about Batman and Robin (big surprise - he's superhero crazy at the moment).

Starts with the setup:
I ask, "What story would you like to tell?"

"Batman and Robin are driving around in the Batmobile looking for bad guys and people to save"

I repeat what he says (he gets his storytelling abilities from his dad), and pass it back to him with "they're driving around, and they see..."

"Superman picking strawberries!"

I love this boy. The story went on from there. Many bad guys were caught, many people were rescued, all is well.

Five

My baby turned five recently, and it really hit me.

Very clichéd, but I realized he's not a baby anymore. In the past few months, his fears have slipped away (well, most of them), his energy has increased (is that possible?), his boyishness has increased (wow - has it ever), his thirst for knowledge has increased exponentially and my boy is a reader!!

My sweet angel baby, you are such a wonderful little man, with a gentle, giving soul. You take such good care of your little brother, and you are his best friend. I love that your biggest wish for when you grow up is to have children of your own. I am as proud of you as a mother could be, and can't wait to see those children of yours (far, far in the future, if you please).

I love you.

how do you spell...

H. O. T.

I'm really not good in the heat. Other people take off for snow days. I take off hot days. I can't think, I'm grumpy - it's just not pretty.

Speaking of taskmasters

We've been talking about having another babe, and man alive, I can't even look at babies right now without wanting to grab one (no, not really!)

expect the impossible

Why do I do this? I start something four days ago for my niece, whose birthday is one week from now, and truly expect to finish it in time?!? I'm making her one of these, but in pink - she's a pink girl. The lace takes forever.

No other knitting will happen (sorry Fifi - oh, and SKB) until this is done!!!!!!!!

Just went to the homeschooling convention, and got some good information. I did expect something different, but I think that was me, looking for the well laid plans.

moving on

I'm all finished with the little man's turkish slippers. He loves them, and has requested his next pair (before he even tried them on, he was talking about his next pair) be pink - like the book.

I'm (finally) ordering the yarn to finish the SKB, although I have this sinking feeling that it's not fitting right. I keep trying it on, and it does fit, but, as I've learned from past experience, merino tends to spread out after washing. We shall see...

I just can't stop myself

Finished the Turkish Slippers in about 5 days - you just can't beat that! Then my little man wanted a pair just like Dad's. Except he wanted to choose his own yarn. So he picked this, which as you can see, is not blue or cotton. Olive green merino. I've adapted the pattern to fit his little feet (by trying them on as I go), and I'm almost done with number two. Love, love, love the speed!!!!!

Hooked

I have tried to teach myself how to crochet since... well, very soon after I taught myself to knit. For some reason, I could not do it. Eight years. Completely blocked. But, now, consider me unblocked. I love crochet. I doubt it will ever replace knitting (my first love), but it is fun and goodness gracious - it goes so fast!! I finished one in two days, and am almost done with the second. No second slipper problems here.

For the first project, my man asked for these slippers (and he didn't even care what color, since they're for his feet!). As with my first knitting project, I'm using cotton. I found some Rowan DK in the stash - after abandoning some way-too-scratchy wool.

I've never used the DK before, but I really like the way it feels and looks. The stitches came out nice and even, until I stopped working in the round and went back and forth. Then, I got a little uneven. It couldn't possibly be because I'm working on these while laying down feeding the babe... I'm not too upset, because that's the part that goes under the insole, so no one will see (except me).

Oooh! I got invited to Ravelry too. It looks like fun.

Time flies

Happy anniversary my love -

Time has flown and we are having fun! Thank you for all the wonderful times and most especially for your loving kindness and support. Our boys are amazing and are thriving. As I'm writing this, little man is washing the dishes. I love our boys. I had wonderful picture in my mind of what life would be like when I was married with children, but it pales in comparison to this. I am truly blessed.

I love you and here's to sixty more (hey - I can hope...)!

Love that Magic Schoolbus

Little man is so into Magic Schoolbus right now, and it is just too cute. Every conversation is we have is about blood cells and platelets and bacteria. We started with the books, and checked out every one we could find at the library. Since he stuck with it, we started showing him the videos. He is just so excited. I love this.

well shoot

Long time no write. When I was little, I used to beg and plead for journals and diaries, to keep all my weighty young thoughts in. I would start them full of grand intentions, and after a month, a week, a few days, there they would sit, never to be opened again. I still find myself buying blank books and journals (and stationary for all of those letters I never write).

So, it's the same with the blog. I had those grand intentions again - I would write at least once a week... and two weeks go by, and three weeks. Well there you have it. But I wanted to write tonight because I'm FRUSTRATED and when I tell my man about knitting frustrations I can see his eyes glazing over.

I've been working on the simple knitted bodice (in orange, natch) and I'm loving it. I didn't make the neckline so deep, and I knit a bit before I did the lace, which I really like. I even bound off the bottom, but then ripped it back to make it longer. So now I want to start on the sleeves, and I CAN'T FIND THE LAST SKEIN OF YARN. AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I know I plopped it in the bag last week because I was coming to the end of one ball. Then I switched project bags, and now it's not in either bag. I was going to wind it into a ball while listening to Cast On, just a lovely little evening. So now I'm writing instead of winding or knitting, which is unfortunately not nearly as satisfying...

A Stash Story

I love continuity. I love that I like the same colors over time. It turns out to be a very good thing. There will be more on that later.

First things first - I have stash. I have a lot of stash. Said lots-o-stash doesn't necessarily stop me from buying more yummy yarn, but I have really tried to tone it back in the last few years, and I have been, for the most part, successful (only one or two yarn-is-on-sale-so-I-have-to-get-it-now purchase).

When we moved two years ago, I reduced the stash some. I was able to disguise/camoflage the rest, so that when anyone asked, I was able to call it clothes, sweaters or kids toys. Then, I had a nesting phase in my last pregnancy, where I sold yarn to my knit group. I believe I brought 9 full (large) shopping bags of yarn - it covered (and then some) the large conference table we sit around; I sold 5, donated 2 to a friend who knits for a local children's shelter (Encore=washable), and still have 2 in my son's closet (hidden over on the side... sigh). Those two bags were destined for ebay, but alas, I had the baby, the hormones that created that nesting phase are gone, and so it sits in the closet (not even in the yarn closet - banished to a different closet altogether!). During that same nesting time, I reorganized the yarn in my yarn closet so that they (the wools) were sorted into different bins by guage, and the cottons are also all together in two large bins. The bins are plastic, but they all have holes so they breathe, and I put in little lavender sachets to keep the buggies away. For some reason, I didn't think to do this before, and so I lost some yarn (tears are appropriate here), but it did help in the destashing before the move...

So now we have the yarn closet:

I still tend to put things in front to hide/camoflage exactly how much there is.

The blue boxes up top there are the UFOs, also sorted (kids, scarves, sweaters, socks and/or sweater).

New purchases or inherited yarns (Baby yarn - in the bag on the floor, next to shoes/camoflage - from my mom, who never knit it into second son's blanket) are on top or outside, waiting to be sorted into the bins.


Looking at the pictures, I realize I probably should have cleaned up a bit. Hmmm.

So, this story is really about Daisy. Finished the body. Finished a sleeve. Realize I'm not going to be able to finish second sleeve. Search for yarn online. Think about calling yarn shop where I bought the green Cotton Classic, search online again. Think about getting creative and making it a color block type of sweater, with one sleeve in a different color. Or stripes... stripes are good. Remember late at night, just before I fall asleep, that I had a lot of CC from a yarn-is-on-sale-so-I-have-to-get-it-now purchase from that same yarn shop. Next day, I pull out the large bin on the bottom left (of course it's on the bottom), pop the top, et voila - right on top is one skein of the exact same green. It is a different dye lot, but I hop outside (yes, I hopped), and it doesn't look different to my desperado eyes. Hooray!

Now Daisy is finished; I have her mostly sewn up, and I don't have any buttons. All that stash, and literally no buttons (beyond the spares from shirts and so on). I guess I'll have to go button shopping now...

happy happy happy

Happy birthday C!!!

I was so excited to be taking the man out to a yummy dinner, as originally requested, but he came home and just wants to go to a movie instead. Sigh. We had such plans before the kids: absolutely one date night every month, go here with them, do this with them. But the reality is we're worn out by the time the babe falls asleep (if he falls asleep... well, he always does eventually, but some nights are later than others). Last night we watched 1/2 a movie. Impressive.

I would never in a million years give them up or go back to life before, but sometimes, well, I remember the before fondly.

Knitting wise, Daisy's moving along; I've split the fronts and back and am almost done with that, then it's quick sleeves and we're done, done, done.

Yum

When it comes to cooking dinner, I seem to be three on, three off, with one night out for good behavior (read: to save my sanity!!!!). I get three good meals going every week, and then the rest of the time I do a simple simple pasta salad or pasta with sauce from the jar. What will be, will be.

I made the most wonderful dinner last night and then topped it off with red beans and rice today. So tasty, and the babe can, and does, eat everything!! For dinner last night, I made the chicken tagine recipe from this month's Sunset magazine. We made it with rice instead of cous-cous, because it was what was in the pantry. I think my favorite way to have chicken is with apricots and prunes... oh, sorry, dried plums in a marketing change-up. I guess prunes sound like grandma's food (which, by the way, she had with milk every morning for breakfast). Although the little man would be quick to remind me that his favorite is the chicken with garlic confit or the beer-can chicken (2 different recipes). He likes to help cook. Tomorrow we're making Ka-bam Kabobs from his Emeril cookbook since the weather is wonderful and we can barbecue!!!

Still going on Daisy - must finish, must finish.

Remember Bill the cat?

ACK!!

I went out of town for the weekend, and come back to find a whole week+ slipped away from me here... Oy.

A friend just had a little baby girl, so I finally get to knit for a baby - both of my guys grew way too fast, and were in toddler clothes by the time they were 9 months old (or sooner in the little one's case). Another plus - I can do frillies and lace and girl things and little dresses. So much fun!!!

I've already started Anouk. I was going to go for different colors, but then I put the called-for colors together (in cotton - fun, fun, fun), and I was hooked. I'm just a sucker for the bright greens and oranges (C calls it Honda orange, but really, I'll go for any orange). I brought the yarn home and noticed that little man's sweater is in exactly the same shades of green and orange. Huh.

After getting about 1/3 of the way up the front, and making life a little more difficult by trying (and failing) to change the pattern a little, I realized the little 6 pound part-Asian baby is not going to get very big very fast. And this little dress was looking big (for a baby). So I'm also going to start Daisy, using the not yet, but soon to be leftover yarn from Anouk. I love Knitty.

I'm going to get the zipper for the little man's sweater (yes, the green and orange one) and should have that finished this week, if I can get past my procrastinating ways.

N-I-C-E

I'm still knitting away, and I can't believe it's been more than a week since I posted. Time flies baby. I've got to say I'm very happy I signed on for the february is for finishing knit along. While I still haven't finished everything - although I'm so close on little man's sweater - at least it got me knitting (and finishing) again.

I realized this morning that I hadn't knitted more than a row here and there for the entire first year with baby boy. I also had a flash of deja vu, a feeling I got when little man was about this same age; that I could rejoin the rest of my life . So, while I still haven't been able to get back to my knit group (YET! I predict it will happen in March), I am knitting more again, which is so... nice is just too tame a word... but, yes, nice.

I'm also managing get a handle on the babe's dietary restrictions (although it still boggles my mind how a little baby can be allergic to almost everything), and am able to get dinner on the table most nights, as opposed to dumping it in poor hubby's lap. No, no, no - not literally.

So nice (there's that word again) to feel competent again.

downright balmy

Not me - this time it's the weather! Cold and rainy for weeks (I shouldn't really complain. Last year it rained for months and months - ick) . Then, all of a sudden, the bright yellow orb is out and it's in the mid 70's. I couldn't resist the picture as I was driving along. Reminds me of England... well, okay, not nearly as bright a green, but pretty still. Ever the anglophile.


Still (forever and a day) working on UFOs. Spending far too much time looking at patterns online and in magazines and books. Another sigh.

sweets for the sweet?

While I can sort of understand the connection between valentine's day and chocolate, I have to wonder when it became a second halloween! Little man went to his class yesterday and came home with a truckload of candy (okay, not exactly a truckload). There are eight other kids in his class and each of them (yes, I know it wasn't the kids) felt the need to give at least three pieces of candy. Not only candy, but pencils and stickers all bundled up in little gift bags. It was all I could do to get the cards for the other kids, and that I did the morning of class, scribbling in the names right outside the door!!!

Back to knitting...

I'm trying to stick to finishing some projects in February, but it is HARD. I keep jumping from ufo to ufo, which is obviously why nothing is getting done. I have been reading pattern books like mad, dreaming of the days when I can move on. Silly me.

Oh what a feeling!

The baby boy is feeling better, or at least his mood is improved. Little man still has a cold, but he's always the sweetest thing ever.

I was prowling around the yarn closet last night, and pulled out one of the (four - ouch) boxes of UFOs.

I FINISHED TWO HATS!!!

The cloche is made out of Blue Sky cotton



and this hat... is made out a very soft yarn. It's been years since I started it (shame, shame), and I set it down because it was puckering and I didn't know how to fix it. I can't find the original pattern, and I have a tendency to modify every pattern I use (which I vaguely remember doing with this one).




I'm not a big frogger in any case. I like the planning and starting out parts best (hence the four (ouch) boxes of UFOs).

So so so so

]So one of the reasons I created this blog was so it could be a place to think and talk about knitting, since I don't seem to get to do that very often nowadays. Well, I think about it, but that's about it. I have two young sons, and they just suck up the time. In a good way, in a good way - there are times (read: today, yesterday...) when I have to remind myself of that.

My littlest man is very sick at the moment. Really, when hasn't he been sick? Nothing life threatening, thank God, except when he was in the hospital with pneumonia at three months. But it feels like it's one cold, flu, a bout of excema, another breathing problem after the next. He's so healthy looking though, and is generally such a happy little guy. He just doesn't know any different - it's always been something. Good lord, it's a pity party.

Not really talking about knitting here... I keep reading over my magazines and books, and planning new projects. Soon, soon, soon.

first post

Never done this before - interesting test...