Assorted Fun

So I post, and then two-plus weeks go by!  Such is life in the springtime.  What have we been doing?

 

There were silly pictures before a school dance.

 

And then there were braces for a soon-to-be-13-year-old!

Baby goats in the middle of all of this seems about right.

 (It was the annual fair at the local college.  There were also baby ducks, baby chicks, and a baby Holstein calf that I really, really wanted to bring home with me.)

 

And finally, there was a quick trip to Chicago for Rob and me!

And now we're home for the foreseeable future, and there is plenty to be done around here.

There are half-painted rooms to finish up.  Preferably before we start painting other rooms.

The garden has been completely neglected so far this year.  I'm afraid we've missed the window for planting spinach and broccoli, but that means there's more room for tomatoes! 

This is our first year in seven years that we do not have a dance recital.  I'm a little sad about that; I always enjoyed the recitals.

And it's time to start planning a birthday party for a certain young lady.

I'll be back--in less than two-plus weeks--with a goals update.

Knitting news (and some cute kids)

So I've been working on Aidez for a while.  I thought I'd be super efficient and knit both fronts simultaneously. This is how far I had gotten.  By the time I reached this point (so, so close to finishing the fronts), I decided that I couldn't live with the fact that my center seed wishbones looked completely unlike everyone else's on ravelry (over 1000 projects can't be wrong).  It took me a few hours to come to terms with the fact that I was going to have to frog them.  I was not happy about it.

In unrelated news, on Sunday, we went out apple picking.  First, we stopped by Peddler's Village (a shopping center/tourist attraction) to look at the imaginative scarecrows on display.  Apple picking was both muggy and buggy.  Next time, I'm holding out for a cool, crisp (and gnat-free) fall day.  It was t-shirt day at church--I don't usually dress the kids all alike.

 Back to the knitting!  Here is the new left front.  I hope to finish this tonight.  See how the center design is different?  How it's actually seed stitch?  The written directions in the pattern are correct; the chart...not so much.



 Here you can compare the two.  The one on the right is the new left front--you're following this, right?  The left one is the old right front--hopefully by next week it will be all fixed.

And when the weather finally cools off for good, I'll have an awesome new sweater!

Doin's

When Caitlin was a baby, she used to say, "what doin'?"  (as in, "what are you doing?" or "what is going on?".  Really, it was toddler speak for "what up?") Well, we've had a lot of "doin'" this week. 

A few days this week, I have opened my bedroom blinds to find this car parked in front of my house.

 I believe they are high school students.  The high school is just outside our neighborhood, and the driver appears to need a smoke before school.  As far as I can tell, it's a cigarette he's smoking...but I'm keeping a close eye on this.  I wonder how crazy I would look if I went out to the car in my "housecoat" (as Rob likes to call it) to speak to the young gentlemen...for now, I'll keep trying to get the license plate number.

On the back side of the house, the birds are having a grand old time!

One of these days, I'm going to sit out in the sunroom with my coffee and my bird book and just watch.

Last night, Bobby's Cub Scout den moved up from Tiger to Wolf.  The ceremony was nice.

Here he is receiving his Wolf neckerchief and handbook.

While waiting for my last ball of yarn to finish my New York cardigan, I finally knit a ball-band dishcloth.  This is perfect for all those random amounts of cotton yarn you have lying around (you know you do). 

The colors don't go with a thing in my kitchen, but it's just so fun-looking!

And...that last ball of yarn did arrive in the mail.  And now it's done!  The New York Cardigan:

(Oh, wait, you need a warning: this is a "stars without makeup" edition.)

So there you have it!  I think I started this back in early March.  Think of all we've done since then:  five soup suppers, two family birthdays, Easter.  There was probably snow on the ground when I started this sweater, and now the leaves are back on the trees!  The pattern was easy enough, and the yarn was dreamy.  I used Classic Elite Classic Silk, and it's so very soft.  This is the second sweater I've made using this yarn.  (And I'm wearing the other one right now.)  It's the perfect weight for spring/summer knitting, so if you need to knit up a little something to wear when you walk down the refrigerated aisles in the grocery store, this is the yarn.

I don't really live in a neighborhood where the moms visit one another over coffee.  I think of this space as that neighborhood, and I want to thank you all for stopping in here.  I love stopping over at your places, too!  I want to wish all you mamas out there a most happy Mother's Day.

Improved

{Big exhale} That's much better.

Boy, Friday was a downer, wasn't it?  I decided that I couldn't wait for the weather to improve to cheer me up, so Caitlin and I went in search of our own cheer.  We had a nice long trip to the grocery store where we bought ice cream and lots of fixin's for sundaes.  I think we all had some ice cream Friday night. 

And Saturday!  Well, I think you could hear everyone in the county tear off their coats, run outside and raise their arms to the sky and shout, "finally!"  A much-needed day of sunshine and warmth.  Oh, it did wonders for the spirit.  I finally made it outside to the garden.  We added in some fresh organic soil and put in some seeds.

Yesterday Bobby participated in the Pinewood Derby regionals.  He did well--even came home with a small trophy.  I think Rob is already planning next year's car.

Tonight is one of those crazy nights--Caitlin has dance from 4:30 to 5:30, and Bobby has baseball practice at 6.  I have a meeting at 7:30.  I'm planning on spaghetti and meatballs.  But as I typed this out, I saw that we don't really have a window of time to sit down and eat together (somehow I was thinking there was more than a half-hour of time between activities--Bobby will be practically jumping out of one car and into another).  I think I'll make the meal early this afternoon, and then serve it in shifts--or I'll bring Bobby's dinner to dance!  We'll just make it up as we go!

This week I'll try to take more pictures of my New York cardigan.  It's still in progress, but now I can see light at the end of the tunnel!

I wish you all a happy Monday!

Ten Things

It's Friday again, and I'm wondering if I can come up with ten things...it seems the delayed Spring is affecting my mood.  Here goes:

 1.  I feel like I've been in a creative funk.  Or rather, I am working on some things, but I feel like completing them is taking forever, or there are so many things I want to make, but I have limited time, I don't know.  It's sort of a rushed feeling--or a not-enough-time feeling--does that make sense? 

2. In general, I'm battling an overall crabby mood (mine) around the house.  And I feel like I'm nagging myself.  And nobody responds well to nagging.  I think it's time to give myself some grace.

3. Remember these pillows that I recovered recently?  Well, even all prettied up, they're still a thorn in my side because I'm still finding them all over the floor.  I am seriously contemplating following Larissa's lead and pitching them.  And I may also pare down the blanket collection in the family room too for the same reason.

 4.  Caitlin was sent home from school yesterday with a temperature of 101.5, so she's home again today.  I was on my way to Lowe's yesterday to buy garden soil so I could finally get started on our veggies when I got the call from the nurse.  I may take her over there today, but it's supposed to rain today...maybe I'll just do it tomorrow when the weather is supposed to improve.  Sigh.  Delayed gratification can be difficult.

 5.  We have one more Lenten supper to go.  This Wednesday night is a special night at our church.  It is the actual anniversary date of our church's founding--150 years!  I'm looking forward to the celebration, but I will also be very glad to have this year's suppers behind me.

 6.  We are planning our summer vacation already.  It looks like we're going to take a road trip to Niagara Falls and then over to Toronto.  This means passports for the kids.  Would you believe I have an appointment at the post office for the kids' passports for 8:30 on a Saturday morning?  I don't even want to think about how early that is!  I don't know the last time all five of us rolled out to be anywhere by 8:30 in the morning. 

 7.  Kristyn left a great comment last week about dinner recipes to help get through baseball season.  It's a great one to think over.  Right now, I'm stumped!  All of Bobby's weeknight games are scheduled for 6:00, and he probably has to be at the field by 5:45 at the latest.  I want the kids (and the adults, if we can) to eat before the game.  Eating dinner at 8:00 on a school night is not conducive to a peaceful bedtime.  So, that leaves us eating dinner around 5:00, 5:15 at the latest.  I'll let you know what we come up with.

 8.  I have not been taking pictures.  Maybe looking through the camera will help me see things in a more positive light.  Pulling up some of these old pictures has been a treat.  See how stinkin' cute Bobby was?

 9.  Hey--I'm all the way to nine!  That's kind of a cheat, isn't it?

10.  I'm going to take a deep breath and go plan something fun for all of us for tonight.

April (Or, everyone say, "Hi, Mike!")

It was T.S. Eliot who wrote that "April is the cruelest month..."  I know, because I looked it up.  It's the first thought I had when I looked out the window this morning.  Here, have a look out my window:

Not so promising, is it?  The kids have a half-day today. This afternoon, we're going to the movies.

Bobby's baseball schedule has been published, so we're looking at a whole lotta crazy for the next couple of months, because it's not just two ball games a week, it's also dance picture day, dance dress rehearsal day, cub scout field trips, two cub scout meetings that we have to run, spring strings concert, spring chorus concert, et cetera, et cetera.

What's with the "Hi, Mike!"?  He's my brother.  He requested more frequent blog posts.  So there you have it.  I'm all about customer service.

And just because Mike loves the Phillies so much--here's Rob and Cliff Lee on Wednesday night.

Bobby has been pulling teeth like it's his job.  He also just asks us for the money--he can't be bothered by any Tooth Fairy middleman.

Even though the weather looks like winter, the ants know it's spring, because they've resumed their annual assault on my house.  I won't say any more on that topic.  Unless you have any advice--I'll take advice!

And that's a wrap for this week!  I hope you are able to find some signs of spring wherever you are!

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!

Funny

I mentioned in my last post that the weather has been slightly cooler.  I find myself wondering at how the slightly cooler temperatures and the noticeably shorter days are making me want to turn the page on summer and rush headlong into fall. 

I know there's still a good bit of summer left.  Ironically, the temps are projected to be back in the nineties for the first day of school.  I still hope to get in at least two more sauce-making sessions with my tomatoes.

But I have all these leftover balls of yarn and a crazy hankering to try something new.

What are your plans for late summer/fall?  Are you trying anything new?

Last day

"The days are long;

the years are short."

It's especially true

on the last day of school.

New Season, New Rhythm

The kids are in school until next Friday, but they have already shifted into summer mode.  There really isn't any more homework, so they come home from school long enough to say, "hi!" and then they're off to friends' houses until dinnertime.  All extracurricular activities have ended for the year,  so we really don't have to be anywhere.  I really like it.

Most nights after supper, Rob and I walk outside to view our "garden."  I think that growing our own food is pretty much magical.  It starts out as a tiny seed, and a few weeks later, you pluck it and eat it!

I have been thinking about this space and how I spend my time...and I think I may be taking on a summer schedule where I post maybe once or twice a week.  Or maybe just picture posts.  I have re-joined the gym (yay!), so my mornings are going to include a lot more downward-facing dog and less google reader.  Rob has started a new job (another big yay!), so this summer we will be easing ourselves into whatever routine his job is going to require.  As my yoga teacher says, "flexible bodies, flexible minds!"

We'll be working on our flexibility.  We'll also be working on that garden--I just love watching the tomatoes grow.  Delayed gratification at its best!  We'll be at the library often.  We'll probably be at the pool, too.  I'll keep a pitcher of lemonade in the fridge for when you stop by...

Happy April

Hello, again.  It seems that time keeps getting away from me, and the next thing I know, another week has gone by since my most recent post.  What have I been doing?

Coming up with more ideas of things to do or make than there are hours in the day;

failing miserably at any sort of menu planning (pasta again?);

sewing little projects that I can't seem to get out of my mind;

finishing big projects; (I'll share more on this one in a separate post, I promise!)

sewing a skirt for Easter;
or, more accurately, sewing a skirt for Easter, discovering that the style looks just horrible on me, cutting up that skirt plus the leftover fabric to make a different pattern--and being very thankful that I had enough leftover fabric to do so;


taking field trips to a screen-print shop with my Brownie and coming home with a souvenir t-shirt;

wondering where I can unload the dozen-or-so "paranormal vampire/witch romance" novels that I won in a basket at the school fair; (seriously, of the 20 or so books in this basket, there are maybe four that I will read)

joining the Food Revolution;

calling my computer-savvy neighbor when our mouse just up and died; adding "new mouse" to the shopping list;

discovering free podcasts and dusting off the ipod to upload more podcasts than I can ever listen to;

and

heading out to the garden to start the broccoli and other vegetables!

The kids are off tomorrow and the next few days; Bobby is off all next week.  Our spring-like weather has finally returned, so we're going to be enjoying the sunshine.

Sunday in Pictures