Five or Ten Things

I have five pictures, so we can start there, and if I think of more things to add, then so be it!

1. Already thought of one!  My cousin is getting married today, so at four o'clock this afternoon, let's all send them prayers of happiness.

2. I am so glad that the first two weeks of school are four-day weeks.  The packing-lunch routine is already wearing thin.

 3. The paperwork...the five dollar contributions, the checks for field trips...did I mention the paperwork?

 4.  A pleasant side effect of reading Leslie's blog is that you notice hearts everywhere.  This was ranch dressing that I'd dumped out after the kids abandoned it and the carrots.

 5.  Embroidery...hard to make personalized Christmas gifts on the sly around here.

 6.  Go ahead and blame this on Jodi.  My granny square itch just had to be scratched.  I rationalize this by saying that it's a great way to use up all the stray balls of yarn that I have, and yet I find myself thinking that I need to buy just a few more colors so I can finish it up...it's not really stash busting if you are simultaneously adding to the stash.  I have 18 out of 81 squares done, so this will be a while.

7. We went to Trader Joe's last weekend.  We don't go there all that often--usually only when we go out to eat at a restaurant that is in the TJ's shopping center.  And Rob usually buys mostly snacks.  This time I bought the dark chocolate covered espresso beans.  Yum.  The kids couldn't understand why I wouldn't let them eat any.  Really.

8. I have jumped on the pinterest bandwagon.  I had to open a twitter account in order to get into pinterest, so now I'm on the twitter, too.  I don't tweet, but if you're on there (or pinterest), feel free to friend/follow/tweet me (whatever the lingo).  All I've really done on pinterest is just re-pin others' pictures.  I haven't put any original things up there.  It's a nice inspiration board, I guess, and another potential time-suck.

9. My youngest child will be turning eight on Tuesday.  Eight!  Where did the time go?  And why has returning to school made him so wild and out of control?  Is it because he has to be well-behaved all day at school?  So that when he comes home he's just used up all his self-control for the day?  He really has me yearning for a return to the 7:00 bedtime.  Eight years old.  Wow.

10.  Hey, I made it to ten!  This week Erin wrote a post about how busy she's been in the kitchen.  And Tsh at Simple Mom has a meal-planning chapter from her latest e-book available for free download.  I took both ladies' posts to heart, and I have planned our menus for the next 12 days.  I entered the meals in my google calendar, and I am going to make double batches of some of the meals to freeze them for later.  Once the scouts/dance/baseball train starts rolling in a couple of weeks, I'm going to need some easy meals!

All over the place

I really admire those of you who can continue to post regularly through life's busy seasons.  Even though I may not post for a while, rest assured I'm still reading--even if I don't comment.  When life gets crazy, something has to give...so we've been busy.  The birthday weekend was full of just about everything.  There was even a parenting lesson that became painfully obvious while watching our now-nine-year-old crash and burn at her birthday dinner.  There is such a thing as too much stimulation, even at that age!

 The family celebration on Sunday was a low-key affair.  The time change really did a number on me this year!  Last week I splurged at the local fabric store--I bought a couple of the pricey Echino half-yard cuts and I made a new spring bag:

 And another tote-type bag, too.  Because I might have some knitting or reading to haul around once baseball season begins.

 Last Friday our temperature went up to 70 degrees.  We had windows open.  The kids wanted to grill dinner.  The kids also wanted to get on their bathing suits (I vetoed that one).  And yesterday it was snowing.  I told Caroline that it was the last snow she'd see for the year. Until this morning, when it was lightly snowing/sleeting/raining again.

 This weekend, the boys are going to work on their rockets for the next scout derby.  I think I'll be working on the garden.  This is my first try at sowing seeds indoors.  Wish me luck!

I wish you all a relaxing weekend that is full of whatever you need!

Evans Family March Madness

It's here--Evans Family March Madness!  This Friday is Rob's birthday, and Saturday is Caitlin's birthday.  There is a Father-Daughter dance on Friday night (this year it's a luau theme), a birthday party at our house on Saturday afternoon, and a large family celebration here on Sunday, complete with turkey dinner!


Last weekend we went to an outlet mall.  I bought a new salt pig!

 I'm also going to paint our downstairs bathroom this week.  It's all good.  I should add that it's a very small room--like 5' by 5'--so I'm confident I can finish this in a couple of days.

Ordering supplies for Caitlin's party was the perfect excuse to finally buy this baker's twine.

In knitting news, I have set the Tomten on the back burner for now.  I had Bobby try it on to check the sleeve length (I was maybe three-quarters done on one sleeve) and we discovered that the decreases as written were making the sleeve way too skinny.  Bobby wasn't exactly jumping up and down for me to finish it immediately, so I pulled out some of my yarn stash and got to work on a springy knit for me.  I have really started to love purple in the last year or so--I don't think I'll be painting any walls purple, but it's great to wear.

My new knit--the New York cardigan.

Next week marks the first of five soup suppers at church.  I am in charge of the committee that oversees those, so the next five weeks will fly by.  For our first supper, I'm going to make the broccoli soup recipe from Apples for Jam.  It's easy, and Bobby even requested it!



On Sunday, we went to the 11:00 service, so I had time to make a Spanish omelet for breakfast.



So there's what I'm up to this week.  Maybe if we're lucky, I can post some before and after bathroom shots later this week.  I am really excited about it.

Hello

Aaaaahhhhh.

Where to even begin?

The Wednesday night soup suppers are going so well.  I feel so grateful to know so many wonderful and giving people who volunteer their time and talents to make these suppers happen.  "Thank you" just seems so inadequate.  Two more to go!

Rob's week off went quickly.  We watched four movies during the course of the week.  The only downside to this is that we ended up going to bed later each night, and I'm tired today! 

The birthdays were lovely.  I finished the sweater on Thursday night.  She wore it to school on Friday.

All the celebrations were fun.  There was laughter and wine and food and more laughter.  Did I mention cupcakes? 

Checking in

On Sunday it was warm enough to go to the park.  Without coats.

There was knitting, of course.

This crazy busy week and half is well under way.  Right now I'm trying to keep my head down and focused on everything that needs to be done this week.  Birthday madness starts tomorrow.  There are dinner menus to plan and seams to sew up.

We have been so enjoying the sun and (relative) warmth.  Spring is coming, it really is.  I have proof:

Friday!

Friday!  I'll feel more like "Friday!" by next Sunday--and I mean the 14th.  Things are still busy around here, but I'm trying not to get too bogged down in the little things--like finding a ride for the girls to tonight's Girl Scout function (anyone? anyone?).  And I am squeezing in time for some fun just for me--like my knitting date at Starbucks yesterday.  My first!  And I'll be doing that again real soon!

I am knitting the first sleeve of Caitlin's sweater.  I hope to make more progress on that today.  It is getting down to crunch time--one week to go.

Soup suppers are going really well.  Two down, three to go.  I'm really having fun with it.

Cake ball madness begins next week.  Caitlin wants to bring in cake balls to her class next Friday.  Don't know what cake balls are?  Go see Bakerella!

Thankfully, Rob is off next week, so his presence will be a great help with all the shuffling around.  We'll get to have dinner together all week, and I'm looking forward to that.

Happy weekend to you!  I'll be sneaking in some reading, what will you be doing?

Here we go...

Looking at my calendar makes me think I'm getting too cocky about my progress on Caitlin's sweater.  The back and left front are done--that leaves only the right front, the sleeves, the button bands and the finishing.  (Piece of cake, right?) 

But then I look at the calendar and I can see that it's going to be full-on crazy around here until March 14.  I have meetings at school, a kindergarten show and tell, another dentist appointment for Caitlin and a church council retreat--all in addition to the regularly scheduled fun.

Actually, make that March 19--the father-daughter dance is that day, and everyone wants to wear a costume.  This year it's a pirate theme, and even Rob is getting into the spirit of it.  I'll be sewing puffy shirts, arrgh!

I'm not complaining so much as psyching myself up for all of this.  I'm trying to internalize the schedule changes so I can help the little ones handle it.  Some of them get freaked out by changes in routine.  Or maybe that's just me...

On to the next thing

With Valentine's day behind us, now I can begin focusing on our next big occasions: Rob's and Caitlin's birthdays.  Well, really Caitlin's birthday.  (Rob's birthday is the day before Caitlin's, but he doesn't need to bring in treats to work or have goody bags.)  So I'm full steam ahead for her birthday.  Yesterday I booked her party at a local gymnastics place.  She has only ever had parties at home, so she is over the moon about this.  I can't believe she's going to be eight!

On Sunday, we were in BJ's (like Costco) and Rob bought Caitlin a pretty spring dress.  He called it an early birthday present.  Well, the dress came with a matching one to fit her American girl doll, so Caitlin and Kit pranced around the house all Sunday afternoon in these pretty, sleeveless spring dresses.  What's a mom to do?  Get on ravelry, of course, and find a sweater pattern so she'll have something to keep her arms warm.  I found a pattern and bought the yarn yesterday.

Now I've had to set aside my sweater in order to concentrate on getting Caitlin's sweater done in time.  All knitting, all the time.  I love it.

I know the time is going to fly until March 12 and even until Easter because of my latest non-crafty undertaking.  Back in October, we finally joined a church.  After four years of on-and-off (mostly off) looking around at churches, we found one that felt like home.  It's close, it's big, several friends from school attend this church.  So we joined.  And at the New Member Reception after the service, the chair of the Parish Life Committee bumped into Rob and started asking him questions about me (since my "blurb" on the new members' board said that I liked to cook).  Then she found me: would I be interested in joining the committee?  The committee that puts on the new member receptions and the Lenten soup suppers? 

How about serving as the chair of the committee?

A three year commitment?

And as chairman, you're also a member of the Church council?

Um, okay?

So on February 7, I was elected to the church council.  And our first of five soup suppers is this Wednesday.  I thought alot about whether to take this on.  Really--I'm totally new to the church; I know a handful of people there; my girls are in dance class on Wednesday afternoons; three years?

And then I remembered that I was trying to put down roots.  And the answer suddenly became crystal clear.  This was what I had been looking for.  And so many people have offered to help me out--people I wouldn't have otherwise met.  And even though I am nervous about how this is going to go, I think I am really going to have a good time with this. 

And I have no doubt that the next five weeks are going to feel like one Wednesday after another--but in a good way.  And Easter and (hopefully) spring weather will soon be here.  And if that weather is slow in coming, at least Caitlin will have a sweater to wear with her new dress.

Francis Revisited

For my birthday, my parents gave me a gift card to Webs. And Webs was having a closeout on this delicious yarn from Classic Elite. Of course the picture doesn't do the color justice. It's a very blue purple, and the yarn is so soft.
I found this pattern on ravelry. It was such an easy knit--pretty much all stockinette, with a little seed stitch thrown in at the end. I love, love, love how this sweater fits. Happy Birthday to me!

Pattern: Francis Revisited

Yarn: Classic Elite Renaissance

I think I pretty much followed the pattern as written. I did a provisional cast on to start and then knit from the cast-on edge for the cowl. I knit this very, very loosely to get the gauge (and it was still a little off, but it's okay!).

Simplicity 2560

My parents gave me a gift card to Jo-ann Fabrics for my birthday. I guess I could say that they gave me this really cute short-sleeved cardi!
I'm on a pinky-purple-lavender kick lately (you should see the yarn I'm working with!). This is view A, but all the different options for this pattern could easily be interchanged. My only gripe about this pattern is that there are no long-sleeved options, but I may experiment with that later. I still have some knit fabric in my stash to play with.

Sewing this up took longer than I thought it would, and that is because I used my serger, and Serge and I don't get together that often. There was a lot of stopping and starting and re-threading. Really, this could be made without the serger. It just won't have those pretty finished seams.

I wore this yesterday, and I loved it! My daughters loved it! What's not to love?

Post-holiday picture show

I'll fess up now. I took three pictures yesterday. Here is the first. It's the white-chocolate pecan pie before it went into the oven. It was so very delicious!
And here is Bobby's favorite part of the meal. I just had to take a picture of it like that--fresh out of the can, no artful slicing to pretend that it's anything other than cranberry jello!I wish I had taken pictures of the main attraction, which this year was a tie between the supremely awesomely delicious turkey and the beyond scrumptious, first-time-I ever-tried-it and-have-raised-the-bar-for-all-subsequent-Thanksgivings homemade gravy. I mean, my mother-in-law was saying I should go out and buy and cook another turkey so we could enjoy the rest of the leftover gravy!

Here is my latest knitting project, finally completed. This thing has completely derailed my holiday handcrafting schedule. I'm so glad it is done.

It's our new advent calendar. I discovered this pattern last year, and I knew that I wanted it for this year. The pattern is for sale--you can find it through ravelry. I highly recommend making it over the summer!

I have already hung it up. Another confession: I was at the mall this morning at four. That's right, four. I had birthday money just burning a hole in my pocket, and I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to go shopping without the kids. So I had a grand old time and was home by seven. I am beyond tired. I stopped by Jo-ann's for some doorbuster fun, and had a jacket/cardi all cut out and ready to sew...only to discover that I do not have any ball-point needles! That's when I started decorating. And because I'm dying to sew this thing up, I may actually go out later with the kids. I hope that Michaels sells sewing machine needles!

Thirty-nine!

I turn thirty-nine today. I want to take a picture of myself today and post it here, but I am still in my pajamas, and I do not want to scare you.

Anyway, this birthday seems almost as big as the next one...maybe I'm giving too much importance to the numbers. I've been wondering whether there is anything I want to do/see/accomplish before I turn forty next year. There are things I'd like to do eventually, but nothing that I really feel pressured to do in the next year.

So now I wonder, do you have a "bucket list"? Is there something you want to do or see before any milestone birthday (or kicking the bucket?)? Have you crossed anything off your list? Share with us.

And if I don't get to stop back in here tomorrow, please know that I am thankful for all of you, my virtual buddies. I wish you all a happy, peaceful, and delicious Thanksgiving!

Friday--and my first Christmas rant of the season

Bobby has two birthday parties this weekend. The first one is tonight.

Somehow it's easier to make presents for girls. I just don't see boys getting excited about personalized t-shirts. (I know Bobby is not excited to give homemade gifts.) So I've decided that for the boy birthday gifts, we'll be sticking to legos or games.

This week has felt busy--I mailed out a large stack of packages this week, and it feels good to get that stuff out of the dining room. Guess what I discovered languishing on the floor? That Christmas quilt I had started several weeks ago! Now that I have some time, I'm going to be working on it. I also have fabric and a pattern for a dress...that I purchased last year. I think this will be mama's Christmas dress for this year.

And speaking of Christmas, lots of good info is out there this week. I like to start on handmade presents early, for obvious reasons. Every year I go through the struggle between wanting to give my kids gifts (and feeling good about it) and not wanting to flood the house with stuff (and feeling icky about it). It seems that every year Rob and I find ourselves walking up and down the aisles of Target, adding more and more junk to the cart. I hate that feeling of buying "just because."

This week, I introduced an idea to the kids (and this is totally not original on my part): four gifts--something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. I'm trying to plant this seed early, and hopefully when they're browsing through the few catalogs I'm going to let into the house, we can try to categorize the "I wants".

I had also asked the kids what their favorite Christmas gifts from last year were. They couldn't name a thing. Caitlin named her American girl doll--but that was from two years ago. I can think of the crappy digital camera that had to be thrown away after falling into an unflushed toilet. (I know.) There's the guitar that was eventually broken--but we never learned how to play it because we didn't think about giving lessons to go with it. There's the electronic virtual friend thingy that lives in a drawer and comes out every other month. Most of the dolls are naked and headless. All of the batteries are dead.

I have a couple of ideas about how to move away from the annual gift orgy toward the four gifts idea--maybe the four gifts from the parents, and maybe Santa brings three gifts (as I keep telling the kids, Jesus received three gifts). And the three gifts from Santa could be a toy, a game, a book.

I'm trying to focus more on making memories with the kids--and those are made by spending time, not money. Like I said earlier, this is an annual struggle. Maybe I should look at it not as a struggle, but as a journey--a one where there will be bumps and backslides. I'd like you hear about your journey too. What is your Christmas plan? How do you handle the kids' gifts? What are some of your favorite Christmas memories, and what memories are you planning on making this year?

Bits of Randomness

Hey--it's chilly in my house!
Here's the boy showing you that his first tooth came out.

I'm on the second sleeve!

Have you seen this? We are a Blokus-addicted family, and when I saw this in the store, I knew it was coming home with me. It's a birthday gift...unless we decide to open it first! The party's not for another few weeks, so I'll have plenty of time to buy a replacement gift.

And these birthday gifts are done. SouleMama's favorite hat, Leslie's Toasty, and the Anthropologie-inspired scarflet. All free patterns!

Add a bottle of wine, and I think you're looking at a pretty good gift!

Enjoy your weekend!

Scenes from around the house

Bobby's spelling classwork. And yes, I do like a regular egg!

Caitlin "picked" these last night after supper.

Birthday parties have started back up. Sigh.

Slow progress on the zig zag quilt.

And faster progress on the sweater.

This weekend promises nice weather, soccer games and maybe a little apple picking. What are you doing this first weekend of fall?

Happy Labor Day to you

My mom arrived on Friday, and we're all so excited to have her here.
This trip up was courtesy of my dad, who purchased a plane ticket for mom for her birthday. She came up to celebrate Bobby's birthday with us.

On Saturday, we had our annual Bobby-cue. Not only do we get to celebrate the little man's birthday, but this way, all the New Jersey relatives come out to visit us. It's always nice to have family over for a fun visit. We ate and ate. The cousins ran around and played for hours. And the little boy turned six! I can hardly believe it.Yesterday we stopped by a local bookstore. It seems everyone found something to browse through.

What are you doing this weekend?