Suzanne Back At Home

Fall Fun

2011-10-03T11:24:00.000-04:00

Octoberfest

Klondike Park

Augusta, MO

5 MORE DAYS !!!!!!!

2011-09-20T08:30:00.000-04:00

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-MO/Chapter-MetroSaintLouisGreaterMO4336?team_id=16144&pg=team&fr_id=1492

(Follow the link above to join or donate toward this walk.)

15 More Days!!!!!

2011-09-09T10:57:00.000-04:00

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-MO/Chapter-MetroSaintLouisGreaterMO4336?px=1300269&pg=personal&fr_id=1492

Check out the link. Join the team. Make a donation.

September So For

2011-09-07T16:24:00.001-04:00

It's unbelievable how busy we have been this year. Both of the kids are at new schools which means new PTO's to become part of, in Beck's case, a new scout group, open house, etc.... This is the first week I have had any free time at all. Two nights this week have no scheduled meeting only the kids demands on my time. This year also I have been working at Beck's school a few hours of each day. It has been going well. Until this weekend Beck and I had been walking to school together each morning. A 20 min walk for him and a 40 min walk back and forth for me. It has been wonderful and, as I was hoping it would, it diverted Beck's anxious feeling he had about school each morning. Today I drove him to school. This weekend Bri and I took a two day retreat while Declan and Ariel kept the kids. We didn't do anything special. I had the awful summer cold that's going around and Bri was determined to at last get the VW Fastback back on the road. Sunday morning when Beck got home his foot was swollen and he was walking funny so I brought him to the ER. He broke a little tiny bone around his arch. Luckily it wasn't too painful because he had to lay around with his foot propped up on pillows until Tuesday. Now he has a boot and he is mobile. He would like to be more mobile but over all he is pretty lucky. Bri did get the car running and we got to go for a short ride. (Unfortunately there isn't much room for Beck to prop his foot up in the VW.) Now the Westfalia has taken the Fastback's place in the garage and when Bri is in town again he will start doing some work to that. He has lots to do on it.

My baby has become a couch potato.

Last weekend Wendy Mae and I went to Girl Scout Camp. The girls had lots of fun. I think it was the best year yet for Wendy and me. This year she is actually in school with the girls in her troop so her relationship with all the girls have grown but also they are older and more independent. The parents and leaders were able to relax more.

Now the next big event for us will be the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) Walk, Sept 24th. I would like if I get a lot of people involved. You will be seeing a lot of these kind of messages where ever I am on line. When I first started this I thought I would remind people ounce a month. I didn't always get around to doing it that often. Now that I am on the last stretch though and I will really be pushing it.

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-MO/Chapter-MetroSaintLouisGreaterMO4336?team_id=16144&pg=team&fr_id=1492

You can find our team page and join our team our make a donation. Don't be left out. It is really a worthy cause and every penny earned will make a difference in many people's lives.

No Time To Breath

2011-09-01T11:21:00.001-04:00

My Moon Flowers.

This seems to be the only thing thriving in this heat. Will fall ever arrive??? I know it will but as summer heat rares it's ugly head ounce again I have to wonder. Things have been crazy busy. Long weekends, weeks and nights have been the tone of things. I am so ready for this holiday weekend. Bri and I are going to take a night out for just ourselves. It has been ages since this has happened. I have been scrambling this morning to find a little something significant to celebrate with. I still don't know what the plans will be ounce they evolve, anything will be appreciated.

Back to School

2011-08-10T15:15:00.000-04:00

Beck and Walter heading toward school, 8-10-11.

End of a Summer

2011-08-09T18:32:00.001-04:00

Well Grandma Camp gave me the time to get the upstairs floors finished. I feel good about that but that was all I got done. My porch is still waiting for me I never even got into the city to look for material to upholster the van. Since Grandma Camp we have been busy with Wendy Mae's B-day, that went on and on and on..... and preparing for school. School starts next Wednesday. Schedules, class assignments, bus routes and school supplies have already been taken care of. We actually squeezed in a trip to Six Flags. Yesterday, although completely worn out, I had Robin and Abe over and the house was full of the older kids as well as we will celebrated one last time Wendy's B-day. Cesar, chicken pita pockets, fresh cantaloupe, chocolate pudding pie and apple pie. I hope everyone finds something that they like. All I could manage was comfort foods but I think it will be OK. My crowd is easy. Today I ounce again have the kids, Dec is at a moped rally, but I don't think it will be all day. Robin did great yesterday and I hope he does well today again. I am really wanting a break, a chance to read or knit. I have found another interesting book which I pick up any chance I get. Although I wish for time to knit on Beck's sweater its just been tough this month and last with all the activities. The heat has overstayed it's visit and even I, who really loves summer more than any other time of year, am looking forward to fall. Even just for quiet, kids at school and me doing my own thing. It has been too long.

This project took along time to finish but ounce I got started it wasn't that bad and I am very happy with the results.

I did some rearranging in the sewing room. I don't know that it made any better use of the space but it is deff easier on my eyes. Now this was the project that I worked on while the kids were at Grandma Camp. This was the only project I worked on. As soon as the kids got home we started on Birthday mode for Wendy Mae. She had decided that she wanted to have friends camp out in the valley. I really thought that the parents wouldn't be keen on me taking the girls out of town, I would definitely think twice about letting one of my kids do that. Five out of six got permission to go plus two cousins. Seven girls in the valley over night. It went well, everyone got along and were at their own homes the next day by noon. Success!

Wendy planned the whole party herself, menu, activities, everything. The girls behaved well for her, here they are getting ready to do crafts.

Wendy and Autumn.

All but one of the girls was comfortable down at the creek.

Not bad for a bunch of city girls.

As soon as we got back we started the back to school rigmarole. Wendy Mae is going to the Intermediate school this year and we picked up her schedule and then visited Beck's school. His school is a school that was closed down several years ago and is being opened up ounce again to make more room for the growing community.But the end of summer couldn't happen with out a trip to 6 Flags and so on we forged on to get as much done in our last full week as possible.

Of course we had to have cake with Brian and Beck.

6 Flags with Marley and Race.

Thank god Julie decided to come along. It was great fun to have Race and Julie join us.

Friday we shopped for school supplies trying to get a jump on the "no tax" weekend and on the weekend we had Marley, Abe and Robin. Dec went to a moped rally in Louisville. They all did great although by the end of the day on Sunday I was barley functional. Really my age is catching up with me.

Monday was busy but I had time for a nap in the afternoon. Still a one car family I had let Bri take my van to work. That way I couldn't leave the house to spend any more money getting the kids ready for school. This morning was the first day at my new job and although it seems a bit unorganized I can't see what could be difficult about it, I am sure everything will fall into place. Food is bought for lunches and Wendy Mae has picked out her first day of school outfit. It is going to be different, Wendy leaves an hour before Beck and I leave 2 hrs after him. The morning is going to be really broken up. I am sure I will get used to it quickly.

Still Painting

2011-07-27T16:10:00.000-04:00

I'm on my third day painting upstairs, the kids third day of Grandma Camp. Right now I am waiting on help to move two pieces of furniture. I have totally reorganized my sewing room and storage area. Or I will as I put things back in place. I had silly dreams about repacking all the holiday things in more suitable containers (why is a normal box not suitable....) but the idea of unpacking all the Christmas crap made me nauseous so I think I will just put things back and repack the holiday things as each holiday approaches. Makes sense to me. It's been a weird week and although I have made a lot of progress I have done other things also. Yesterday I drove a van load of stuff and kids down to the creek for the Grandma's at Grandma Camp. The kids were so excited and even a little sad when I left but I had no time to waste as I had a can of paint at home calling my name. So yesterday I got what I could get done and then went to an extended knit night. Julie brought a party in a bag, what a good idea. Today I have cleaned the neighbors house, worked on the trim and moving stuff out of the unpainted area in the sewing room. Now I am waiting. I am not good at waiting. Still two more coats and a wee bit of trim in an area no bigger than a double bed and I will be done. I can't wait.

Next Wendy Mae's B-day.

It's Still July ???

2011-07-17T19:58:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that it is still July. This month has already been made so full of activities and still two weeks left, one being Grandma Camp for my kids with my sisters. Bri will be out of town which means a whole week to myself!!! Can you believe it! I think I am probably jinxing myself just putting it in print. And what will I do with myself..... you probably already know that I would have a list of projects a mile long because that's what I do. No rest for the weary. Still back to what has already happened this month, Ben's 4th of July party, our 4th of July party, we went with Ben, Tammy and kids to the Demolition Derby in Warrenton. My kids have officially been exposed to "the good 'ole boys". It always happens eventually. At that point every spare moment of my time was spent getting ready for Grams Camp and hours before Marley and Abe were due to arrive Bri made a dream come true.

A 1972 Westfalia. I admit there is a lot to do but it doable, it runs and most of the guts are original. All it needs is a good cleaning, painting and upholstery. This is looking like Grams Camp 2012. I am so excited about this I have always wanted a Westy.

We found this and brought it home hours before the kids got here and sat and looked at it wishing that we had time to work on it. Unfortunately time is not of the essence right now. The Fastback broke down on it on the 4th just as Bri was driving it around the block to put it in the garage ounce everyone left. This sucks for a lot of reasons. Brian decided to take the time and get some bigger jobs done on it while he was working on the initial problem. So now we are a one car household which isn't a real big deal it is just not one we are used to plus the fact that Bri works all the way down on Hall St n the city. It's a lot of gas to go back and forth. I am thinking it is time to sell the big red boat. I mean now that I have a Westy why not??

Part 1 of Grams and Grandpa Brian Camp was at our house.

We kept busy all day with projects and activities.

I thought it was be easier for Abe if we started with the familiar.

Ugly Dolls.

Water Balloons.

Ice cream at Lyons.

Fire Starters.

I.D. Tags.

(I was terrified that I would loose one of them as soon as we left the house.)

Part 2 we went to Lost Valley Lake Resort in Owensville, MO.
On the way out we stopped at Purina Farms.
I did this for Abe but all the kids loved it.

Ready to go.

(Notice shirts we made for camp.)

This is at Purina Farms.

I don't know what they were weighing. I am sure Bri could tell me.

The dog show as usual was all of our favorite.

Putting up the tent with Grandpa Brian.

Park near our camp kept the kids busy forever.

Not only did they loved the merry-go-round but all the kids from the neighboring camp site congregated there.

Petting zoo.

Being silly.

Fishing.

Lunch by the lake.

Hand prints in the sand.

Ready to ride the horses.

Even Abe got to ride.

Paddle boating.

Abe finished off this whole box of Cheezits.

Literally right down to the last crumbs.

This was a really awesome trip. There were so many activities for the kids, new things everyday. Having Abe along brought on a new dimension and I was grateful to have Brian with me to help with everything. He really is a special little guy. I wish I had a book to write down all the funny things he said and did. We lucked out on the weather and although we were set up for rain we didn't get a drop and most of the time the temps were manageable. At least we always had a lake or pool to find relief.

Since we have been home the kids have been vegging on the couch. I stopped by Dec's last night and Marley was doing the same thing. Even watching the same show. I think I might of spoiled Abe on Ariel and Dec. I had to break the news to them that he would want to be pushed to sleep on the swing each night. Now that I write that I remember my dad swinging Dec on his lap until he would fall to sleep. Funny. Tomorrow I go to Cardinal Glennon with Wendy Mae to check her A1C's. I can't help but be on edge. Of course I want to see good numbers but I have no idea what to expect. Grass needs to be cut, a million things still need to be put away and although I did laundry all day yesterday I ran out of laundry detergent before I finished. Bri is going out of town so I will be spared of driving him back and forth or being without a car. I guess I will get done what I can. I am still working on the porch. I haven't gotten back to it since before the 4th. I am anxious to start collecting materials to reupholster the van. I am pretty sure I want to keep it original although Bri isn't as picky. I am sure it will come down to how assessable and expensive the materials are. Last but not least ounce the kids leave I am going to finish painting the upstairs that I didn't get to last year. The hallway, steps and sewing room. Our house is small and having everyone trapped downstairs with me always kept me from doing it while the kids were home. Now I have the perfect opportunity to get it done. Of course Wendy Mae's B-day is in two weeks. She has started planning. I don't usually do big parties but I thought that after the year she has had something extra would be the perfect thing. She is excited to be able to celebrate with friends from school.

4th of July

2011-07-06T10:24:00.006-04:00

Well I didn't finish the porch before the 4th and I may not finish it this week but at least I hope to make some progress. The 4th was a big bang. Literally, some of the things they were setting off actually shook the house. Oh my god, and there were so many little kids, it was a blast. I didn't get too many pics but I did get a few.

Violet and Beck -Wendy and Brendan

We started out celebrating the 4th at Ben's on Friday. It was a big day in the pool and of fireworks. The kids really were exhausted be the end of the night.

The morning of the 4th was the parade and Wendy joined the Girl Scouts on a float.

A. Bridey gave her the giggles I think.

The evening of the 4th we usually have a few people over. This year was tough with the 4th on a Monday but people played the night out like troopers. Bri started cooking 3 pork butts for pulled pork at 7:30 in the morning, carefully basting and prepping all day long. The kids and I enjoyed the day and relaxed a bit as I had prepped most things the day before. I couldn't believe it at the end of the night we had only one hot dog, one cupcake, about a cup and a half of potato salad and some pasta salad left. The food was basically wiped out but for some chips and veggies. I was thinking about pulled pork left overs but that didn't happen.

Another baby boom in the Gierer family. Baby Robin in sack and baby Iggie in utero. Baby Mary graced the world with her presence just last week.

Mina is just a bit of a ham.

Beck had boys to hang with this year. Doesn't happen very often.

Wyatt, Huck, Beck and Savannah.

This would of been a great pic if it were in focus. Angela made those dresses for the twins the day before. They were so awesome.

Fireworks and sparklers in the alley all night long.

I think we had enough for two celebrations.

This is the last week before Grams Camp. I have lots to get ready and the 4th has just taken up two days of my time. This morning I ordered all medical supply and this afternoon I am going to start collecting supplies for some of our crafts. I really still have so much to do that my heads feels like it is spinning.

Busy Summer Days....

2011-06-28T09:58:00.000-04:00

I think I may have caught up on sleep last night but for whatever reason my body doesn't agree. Today is going to be a busy day so something is going to have to give. I'm working at my lists a little at a time checking off some here and some there. I have started in earnest on my front porch. I have decided that I want it ready for the forth. Then I will put a goal of Halloween for the mud room and back deck. Should be realistic, right?? I went to tuck Wendy Mae in last night and noticed a new chain decorating her room. (WM decorates seasonally.) When I asked her what it was for she told me that it was a count down chain to her B-day. Whoa, something else to think about. She already said that she doesn't want to be away on vaca for her B-day. ?? I don't know why not that would be so simple. It has been a big year for WM and maybe something a little special may be the thing. ?? I have got to think this through. Well time is ticking away and I have lots to get done, cleaning across the alley, mowing the grass that just had 6 inches of rain dumped on it, sort through my gardens by weeding and salvaging mulch that has been washed here and there and oh yea I have kids, Wendy Mae is intense working on her first real sewing project and if I can capture the wild child I have a weather station for him to put together before the next big batch of storms hits us. Oh yea, a busy day.

Planning

2011-06-21T13:23:00.000-04:00

Planning is what I have done the last few days. July is almost on us and I need to put together Grams Camp (renamed by Abe and probably more appropriate). I am hoping I am right on the date for Grandma Camp for my own kids because everything is being planned around that date (the last week of July). Dr appointments have to be made and I am trying to get them done or at least started before school starts and a vacation at least a small one for Bri me and the younger kids. Things are getting a little crazy and of all things I couldn't sleep last night as I was thinking about school starting at a new school for WM and all the paper work I need to have so that her first day is smooth. It is also my first day working and I need to be sure that no one is needing me on the first day of school. Now if I only quit thinking about everything and make a few lists and start marking things off things will come together smooth. At least that is supposed to be the way things work. Didn't I say something about my kids going to Grandma Camp??? I am suddenly wondering if Bri will even be in town for that?? He has been going up to KC every other week so for in his new job. He isn't gone as much as he had been before but at this point I really don't know how much traveling it will be, not really. Right now I am looking at an extra pr of hands at Grams Camp and that is good especially with the little man Abe with us this year.

Sllllooowinnnng Down....

2011-06-01T12:27:00.000-04:00

I have been totally halted by my kids. Here I have a list a mile long of activities and projects and they want to draw and have lemonade stands. I am going to have to make myself slow down. I don't know where this energy is coming from. It might be a little manic. ?? I have been walking twice a day and pushing everyone around me in a 100 different directions and still at night I find it hard to rest. I feel like a horse waiting to get out of the gate. My porch project is finally thought through but now I am waiting on a little help from Bri. I was going to start painting the doors today but realized that I will need to take all the hardware of first. I am so excited about this project now. The colors are perfect. You will definitely notice. I need to move on to something else for the time being but I have turned my attention to the kids and now they just want to chill. Huh, who would have thought. Tap, tap, tap.......

JDRF Walk - "Team Gardner"

2011-05-25T14:49:00.001-04:00

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-MO/Chapter-MetroSaintLouisGreaterMO4336?px=1300269&pg=personal&fr_id=1492

(I finished one more thing on my list. WooooHoooooo!!!)

SUMMER IS HERE!!!! almost.

2011-05-25T12:02:00.000-04:00

The count down until the end of the school year is on. One and a half more days!! Both the kids will be going to new schools next year and we are all excited about this. Beck, I guess, is not quite as excited as Wendy and I but he isn't big on change. This morning I go in for fingerprinting. I am going to help out at his school next year 3 hours a day. It is kinda cushy position and I am hoping it will give me time to pursue other endeavors. I like the idea of Beck being at Blackhurst. I like the idea that we will be able to easily ride our bikes or walk whenever the weather is nice. I like also that it is going to be smaller than the other St Charles Elm schools. And mostly I like the new principal. I had a chance to meet him and he is a real down to earth person. He has a bunch of kids of his own and he knows kids are kids and they just need to blow a little steam at times. I think it will be a great transition for Beck.
I have finally gotten away from a funk that was hanging on for the last couple of weeks. My projects are moving along although I am really not pushing very hard. The weather is going to have to dry up a bit before I can start painting outside. I have a list of silly and not so silly things I need to get done or give attention to and I am making my way through the list one item at a time. Some things are really silly like figuring out how to adjust the size on Beck's roller blades and other a little less silly like ordering medical alert necklaces for Wendy Mae and putting a little effort into the JDRF Walk. I had intended to send out a letter every month on the walk trying to get people involved which puttered out the very first month I was due to put out a reminder. Lame. Why do I let things like that happen? This morning I am stealwooling and waxing the kitchen floor. Another thing on my list but still I think I am totally avoiding the JDRF walk business when I am choosing to attack the kitchen floor instead. Or maybe it is because the kids will be out of school at the end of the week and the kitchen is a main thoroughfare in my house. It is a lot easier to tackle this while they are not in it. ?? Whichever it is all these things have to be taken care of before I set this list aside.
I am really looking forward to this summer. I am hoping the weather cooperates with us so we have lots of nice days. Bri heard it was to be a cool summer and that would suit me just fine. We would like to start planning a family trip. Bri's new job doesn't official start until the beginning of June and until we know when he can take off we can't plan much. I have Grandma Camp to plan and organize. Abe will be with us as long as he can loose diapers ounce and for all. We also have Cub Scout Camp and Girl Scout Camp so things seem to be filling up already. I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head, so many that I really should start writing them down on paper before summer is full swing.

Ugly Porch Make Over

2011-05-17T10:25:00.005-04:00

Not at all a good first impression. I would have the posts go all together but I don't see me getting those out of the ground all by my lonesome. What I will do is just find replacement tops. I have looked at some solar lights and things at Lowe's which I really like and think would make the damned things look a wee bit appropriate but I am pretty sure that won't happen either. What I really would like is some sort of iron sphere at the top of each one. I have no idea where to find an iron sphere much less two.

Here are the old caps. An unsatisfactory idea. One the wood bases just rotted away and two the silly things were never adhered properly so every strong wind blew them willy nilly. That doesn't even take in the fact as they are copper they are very soft and it didn't take long before children, wind, people passing by, etc.... dented them all up.

I wish I could have new doors but that again isn't going to happen. All I have ever really wanted was two matching wooden storm doors but for some reason I am supposed to want ugly aluminum doors that aren't the right color in the first place then get painted which low and behold they aren't as easy to paint as you might have liked them to be and in the end what I have is to mismatched doors with crappy paint jobs. Another thing that is totally a bad presentation. The color I am good with. Unfortunately it has been long enough since the railing have been painted that they will need to be redone. Yea, that also means scraping! I'm so lucky. Last but deff not least, in fact it is really high on my priority list, is getting away from funky porch carpet. I really hate this stuff and don't care if I have to replace every board underneath it is going. And that will leave painting the the floor and steps. I need to come up with a color for this.

This is my other painting project. I also want it fixed. Well I have wanted it fixed forever but now I want it to happen. I had all the pieces and I am pretty sure they even moved to Georgia and back with us but alas I have no clue where they are any longer. Anyway I think they could be fixed with a cable and who knows maybe I will figure it out all by myself. I haven't figured out what color yet yellow, purple, light blue, light green......I think I am liking the light green. The neat thing is if it was fixed I could move them from this little area use it for something else and actually use these for sitting in. Huh.... who would have thought..

In the beginning I called this my week for painting. I am actually thinking it will be two weeks of painting. So for I have made zero progress. Today I have the neighbors house to clean and paper work to fill out for school next year. I have scrips to pick up and tomorrow is free lawn waste day and I still have a few things That need to get pulled and stuffed into bags.....which reminds me...

my poor yucca. It was totally abused last year and instead of pulling the whole thing out of the ground when it was nearly out it got left so I have a half dead, half living yucca. I know most people don't care for these things but you know this one has really grown on me. I love the big stalks full of yellow flowers. What I don't like are the dead parts and the way it is totally in the way of the lawn mower or weed eater when I am doing the lawn. I have decided that I want the dead parts dug up and then collect some giant rocks to put around it to keep the leaves clear of lawn machines.

I think this is doable.....

May Clean-Up

2011-05-16T13:00:00.001-04:00

So for it has been a very busy May. I think I like it that way. This weekend was slow. Not only did we not have a lot of things going on but the weather being so dreary made everything suck. We did get a visit from Marley, Abe and Robin. That did brighten things a bit.

Waiting for everyone to arrive.

Moonlight walk.

(It may have been too cloudy for moonlight.)

Wendy and I camped out at the zoo. I really didn't know what to expect. All the Girl Scouts really had a fun time. I think it would be fun to do as a family event especially during the summer when it is warm enough to camp outside on the zoo grounds.

Now that the rain seems to be giving us a few breaks I have been trying to get things done in the yard. The last two weeks I have been spending as much time as I can at it. I even got my patio furniture cushions recovered.

We have lots of plants stated from seed. Here the kids are growing some red zinnias and in the other I have an assortments of herbs.

Brian dug up a bunch of ditch lilies that were taking over my irises. Wendy got busy as soon as she saw the pile of left over leaves. One mans trash is truly another mans treasure. I sent a whole box to Dec and Ariel's as well. It was a lot of lilies.

It was time to finally recover the old patio furniture cushions.

The new look. Much brighter.

Finally on the patio.

Yea, no glass. Broken.

I really don't feel like putting my new cushions out anymore.

It is as if all the effort was for not. I guess I just need to suck it up. Still it's hard.

You can't exactley put a drink or a plate down on the table can you??

Rose tree from Wes and Michelle last year.

Isn't it beautiful?

This picture doesn't exactley do it justice.

Last but not least, Sailor.

She is staying with us for a few days while Wes and Michelle or in DC. OK, so she has a few lessons to learn and she doesn't always play nice with the other dogs but she is learning. Maybe I will even miss her when she leaves??

This week is going to be about painting. I am planning on painting the chair on the back porch and the actual front porch. Bye, bye carpet. I have never really understood that concept (porch carpet) but believe I have left it there long enough that the change is due and most welcome by myself anyway.

May May May

2011-05-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

First I have to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABE!!!!!!!

He was funny because you had to harness him back in after opening each present.

All he really wanted to do was play.

I love this picture.

Of course again he had to be captured to stand still but when he did he hammed it up for the camera.

WM is a really awesome card maker.

I love May. Now what I really need to do is get motivated to work on the gardens. That was my goal this week but yesterday the dreary day wasn't exactly inviting. I am thinking Brian really would wish that I cleaned the fridge in the garage but then again..... Things might start looking up later today or at least tomorrow. May is always an insanely busy month, end of the year activities, graduations, holidays and B-days. This week Wes invited me to a Social Distortion concert. ?? OK I may be insane for excepting this invite but I am sure that in will be entertaining. That is Wednesday night. On Tuesday WM has an orchestra performance which I got to sit through rehearsal last night, two hours of rehearsal I might add. Thursday is class field trips to the park, cross your fingers for good weather. Then on Friday WM and I are camping at the zoo with GS and Sat morning Beck has a CS outing. I am really hoping that the over lap of the GS activity and the CS activity make it impossible for me to go with Beck. Seriously I will be needing a break. We are all wishing for a nice break in the rain. Bri brought my bike up from the basement Sat and now it is Tuesday and I haven't gotten to work on it. I need to wipe it down really good (the basement is pretty scary) and then air up the tires, then I am ready to go. My excuse, I am busy, always busy or the damned uninviting dreary weather. All I want to see is sunshine.

I did take some time to work on some wipes for Robin yesterday and while I was at it I noticed that I had some cute pieces of material that I could use to make something for him. Time to get motivated.

The Cheap Fix

2011-04-27T10:35:00.000-04:00

A few things have really started getting on my nerves. The first and the biggest is the candy and all the sweet crap the kids are delivered in school every day. I have never really mouthed my opinion on this before. I understand that candy is cheap and comes in bags with lots and lots in them. Now that I have a diabetic child my opinion has become a lot stronger. Not just for her but for all the other kids with allergies, weight problems or things like ADHD. I am sure the candy was a super idea for them. I don't know if a day goes through the year that the kids aren't rewarded with something sweet. I know it was a long time ago that I was in grade school but I do know that this definitely didn't happen. Sweets were given out at holiday party's and birthday's. In fact I think the rewards were more in the line of grades, comments, "good job", or that special "red" A marked big on top of your paper. Now it is constantly something, a pizza or ice cream party for attendance, box tops are any something else. They can even gain the prize of sitting with their principle (I bet she looks forward to that) at lunch or sitting at their teachers desk. No wonder the schools are more like a circus today than an educational institution. It has slowly been turned in to one. Teachers either have to pay off kids to behave or start doing circus tricks. And the thing is this really doesn't effect the kids that excel because they will anyway. The kids that aren't jumping through the flaming hoops are left feeling like crap, on top of a sugar high and well what do you think comes out of that?? Another thing I think is funny is that although MAP teaching has almost eliminated history and science in the primary class room the counselor visits classes ounce a week and don't forget about computer and library class, couldn't do with out that. I don't know but my kids get on the computer all the time with no encouragement.

I find this all crazy and even crazier as I realize all around us, even in Missouri, schools are eliminating candy and sweets. Even the kids that bring their own lunch are asked to bring nutritional food and snacks. I like this, I like the idea of giving back the power to the parent to see that their children eat healthy. US biggest issue obviously but even the simplest steps can change it. Rewards, what do these schools do?? Formal award ceremony's, kids all dressed up, with parents in attendance, extra recesses and field days, homework passes and movie days. The kids are still feeling great about there accomplishments, still having fun, what is so hard about that??

That is just one of my pet peeves.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T16:37:00.000-04:00

We had a visit from Robin on Friday. Wendy Mae had made him a stuffed Robin and she was finally able to give it to him. She had waited soooo long. He is an absolutely perfect baby I am sure although it is hard to say as he sleeps most of the time.

I have become obsessed with making baby bibs. Obviously I need to move on to something else. But I do have to say this is an awesome little pattern. It easy to memorize and knits up quickly.

Although it was a busy Sat we did make time to die some eggs.

I have been busy making dinner all day and at this point I have anything I can get done ahead of time done. Bri has to work tonight but for some reason it took me totally by surprise. Maybe because it's Easter?? We are having Wes and Michelle over around six. I doubt that we will see Dec and Ariel. I have a feeling Ariel's family will keep them busy all day long. Still I am prepared for anything. I have a ham in the oven, potato salad and deviled eggs in the fridge and cupcakes baked and iced sitting on the counter. Now if time could move just a little faster. (I left my book in the bedroom and I don't want to bother Bri to go get it.)

Baby Boy!!!!

2011-04-13T09:43:00.003-04:00

Robin Brian Gardner

April 12, 2011

7lb 10oz

Big brother and big sister couldn't of been any happier. Abe is totally into hands on training.

This was such a busy day. Both the kids were performing in a school play in the evening. Wendy is dieing to see the new baby and hopefully I can get her to the hospital after school this afternoon. Wendy did wonderful in the play. Acting in school plays might be her thing. Something pissed Beck off and well he stayed that way the entire time. That kid is pretty special.

Beck was a Dalmatian.

Beck and Wendy Mae made their own costumes the night before.

This was actually the 1 and 2nd grade performance. They always have a few older kids that have younger sibling performing to help out with the more complicated roles. They totally hammed it up.

It has been a record busy week so far. Bri has started his new job, we have a new addition to our family and the kids have two performances this week. Wendy still has orchestra Thursday. I am not baby sitting and that is weird. I have started putting in applications all over the place. I wrote and got copies of my transcripts and am going to start getting things together to substitute teach next school year. Still I am applying all over just to see what I can come up with. On Fri I already have an interview for a part time position up at one of the schools for next year. I am not sure how I am going to handle this since I have all ready decided to apply to substitute but hell you can't have too many irons in the fire is the way I am looking at it right now. I have it in my head being at Wendy Mae's or Beck's school would work well for me. Since Jan I have learned that diabetes doesn't only take a lot of Wendy's time but mine as well. I get calls from the school at least twice a week and am on the phone with her doctors regularly still. It isn't unusual for me to get a call to rush up with extra supplies at any given time even though we try to keep things amply stocked at the nurses office. I am not sure this is going to change soon but I am thinking the schools might be more understanding about these emergency's than some other employers. On a big note Wendy Mae started giving herself her own shots this weekend. She was pretty adamant that she wasn't going to do this but during spring break I started hinting how awkward it might be if during a sleep over I was going to have to swing by like 2 or 3 times to give her insulin. That's all it took especially now since she is finally feeling well enough to do these things. I am not worried about her ability to count the carbs and figure out the dosage that is all pretty easy especially since you do it for every meal and sometimes snack times it gets learned pretty fast so now that she is giving herself her own shots she and I have a total new kind of Independence. (Now I don't have to run home at 8:00 pm like Cinderella from the ball to give her the Lantus shot any time I am out in the evenings. Yahoo!!!!)

Playing Like It's Summer Time

2011-04-05T08:13:00.001-04:00

This spring has had lots of ups and down weather wise. It is April 5th and I understand that they aren't ruling out snow at least in the next 15 days. It has been at least two weeks since I switched out clothes from winter to spring / summer. I started cleaning out gardens and just pretend that the cold is gone. But some days are better than others and and you have to take advantage of the good ones. The kids and I enjoyed a walk with both dogs to the river front Sunday. It was more like summer than spring with temps reaching the 90's. No persuasion could keep Beck from the mud. That is all part of it I guess and it all washes off.

Changes

2011-03-31T13:14:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since I have had time to post. We have been busy. The kids were on spring break last week. Brian took the week off and we had planned to take off on a little trip which never really evolved. A few days before our intended family vacation Brian was informed that there would be changes in his job. This was a big blow. We have become pretty comfortable with our present situation. He was told that he would be turning in his simulator and truck. He has been told that they have another position although he hasn't gotten very many details. We are pretty sure that it won't include his truck, all the perdiam he has been paid the last two years and gas whenever he used his truck. On the bright side he is supposed to be home more often which is something our whole family is ready for. Besides changes are good and although there might be some bumps in the road I am sure we will figure out how to maneuver through them. All this said and then a funeral that kept us in town for the beginning of the week we stayed in town and had a "St Louis Vacation". The kids and I went to a movie one day and then on another we picked up Lucy and brought her back home. You won't believe how big she has gotten. We went to the City Museum, always a family favorite, and then to the Arch with lunch/dinner afterwards at The Spaghetti Factory on another day. I was beat at the end of the week and when on Sunday Bri made plans with Declan's crew to go to the Transportation Museum Wendy Mae (who had a friend stay the night the night before) and I begged out. Needless to say I was pretty excited about the kids going back to school and having a little time to slow down but wouldn't you know that wouldn't happen. Over the weekend My address book and the book I wrote down my recipes in were ruined. I spent part of Sunday and Monday transferring the material I could salvage into a new address book and on to recipe cards. I am deff done with the book system. I started searching for a recipe box. I quickly learned that everything on the market had no appeal to me. I searched everywhere Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and Hallmark. Of course I found "some" just not what I was looking for. I started checking resale shops, Goodwill and The Salvation Army. Notta. Ebay, an old friend, saved me. I found exactly what I wanted and it came in the mail today. Wahoo!!! Besides all this things are moving along pretty well this week. I hate having to get up early to get the kids out of bed but the end of the week is getting closer. The kids were both ready to hook back up with there friends. We have a busy weekend ahead of us with sleepovers and Cub Scout outings and it looks as if the April is going to be a really busy scouting month all the way though. The kids are both in an upcoming school performance in about two weeks and by next week we ought to know something more solid about Brian's job. Busy is good and changes or good, bring it on.

Lucy's home.

She is GIANT!!!!

Relaxing after lunch at the City Museum.

Getting the most of there view from the Arch.

It was a really poor viewing day but that didn't take away from the "big event".

Waiting to go up into the Arch.

Another spring snow. It is hard to see the bright yellow blossums under it all.

Tadaa!!

My recipe box!!

It is exactly like one my Mom had when I was very young growing up.

Thanks Wes for the early MD present.

...and it gets better...

2011-03-15T10:34:00.000-04:00

at least I hope it is, I am keeping my fingers crossed anyway. Beck ran 103 + temp for 4 + days and WM stayed at home feeling awful. The Dr said it was just a virus and sent them home, no help at all. Finally yesterday after I sent them both back to school I get a call form the Dr to tell me that Wendy's strep culture had tested positive. Yea. Bri came down hard with the same thing (I guess) he has been miserable. The Dr put him on a Z Pac and he left out of town today. I hope his meds work miracles for him. Now I pray, chant, cross my fingers and whatever I feel I need to do that I don't get whatever they have all had. So now that I have time to do anything I am playing catch up from last week and throwing together this week at the same time. Still it is more relaxing than the demands of three sickies all at ounce.

I did start on a pr of socks for WM. It is slow going as demands have been so high on my time. They are unique in the way they are made. Rather than knitting top down or toe up they are knit around. I am generating a heel and gusset right now and only vaguely know what I am doing. I am putting all my faith in the pattern and working on it line by line. I had started out the year thinking I would do socks for the two little ones. Beck was easy and after I bought some really cute yarn to knit WM some little footie's she showed me this pattern that she really liked. Maybe Marley will be interested in some really cute footie's.

This last week has brought with it a lot of out of the ordinary events, a horrific tsunami in Japan, snow in March and a sad loss in our family. My niece lost her baby, due in April. A baby girl. This is the second baby girl she has lost. It is really something no family, no parent should have to suffer through ounce much less twice. I try to make sense of it which is impossible. Her husband and her have four other wonderful, healthy, smart, beautiful children. They are wonderful parents and have so much to offer to each of there children. What reason is there??

Sick Days...

2011-03-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

It has been a crazy week. Tuesday Beck stayed home from school. Today, Wednesday, Wendy Mae took the day off. Tomorrow I hope at least Wendy Mae will be back to her normal schedule. On top of this Bri has been working nights in St Louis at AB. Today I actually had Marley (sick), Abe, Wendy Mae and Beck here. I have never had all these kids under the same roof before and had so much calm. Only Abe was his ole self and without the others to power off of he was pretty low key.
Myself I am exhausted. We had the KN shower for Ariel. It went well. If Beck hadn't been home sick I never would have finished my shower gift. It took all day to finish. I had planned to clean for the Williams and then head to the school to help with Beck's class. Lucky I couldn't do either of those things. Now I am in total burn out mode and still have a house full of sick children to care for. I am itching to start something and even have loads and materials. If only I could get started. Maybe tomorrow I will get some supplies together for my next project.

Happy March

2011-03-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it is already March. I love it but the time is flying by too fast. In a little more than a month we will finally be visited by our newest bundle of joy. We will finally meet her / him. I have to admit not knowing if the baby is a girl or a boy is really hard on me. It's not something I think about all the time but I realized that I was having a hard time starting a project for him / her with out knowing something first. Really no reason for that. But what if it is a girl? I want to knit all the frilly soakers and bubble suits for summer. A boy isn't going to wearing them very often even by the most liberal parents. Ariel has talked about decorating the nursery with birds so at least I have that to work with.

We celebrated Marley B-day this weekend. It was all about her "new room". She got lamps, clocks, storage containers. Fun stuff. I thought she might be disappointed to get so much just for her room but rather she was super excited and loved it all. What a great girl.

This weather is fantastic. What I most enjoy is the sun. Even if it is a little chilly the sun brightens the day. Oh it has been so long since we have been able to count on it. I should be out cleaning up the lawn but I am dragging my feet. Anyway I do not want to start that on a day that I have Abe. The mud he would bring in today would be more work than it would be worth. Beck alone goes through at least 2 pairs of shoes and jeans each day. At least it is all washable.

Speaking of jeans, I have had to buy four new pairs of jeans for my girl this last week. She has gained back enough weight to grow into the jeans that I had bought her at the beginning of the school year. Through the winter she had started wearing the tens from last year again. I have left them in her drawer just to see how long she could get away with them. No longer that is for sure. They have all been cast to the "hand me down basket" in the sewing room. We had our follow up visit from Cardinal Glennon last Friday. All went super well. Of course she is healthier as she has gained back so much of the weight that she had lost but her numbers are steadier and she is so much happier.

The Longest Month

2011-02-23T10:23:00.003-05:00

February in my book is "the longest month". It lasts forever. Two B-days down now, one to go. We had a beautiful weekend to celebrate Brian's B-day. We had BBQ and the kids played outside. The bikes were brought out and the fire on the patio was blazing. Nothing could have been more right.

Beck insisted that they would be able to build something.

Wendy was the only one to finish a project.

A perfect day to both bring out the bikes and start a fire on the patio.

Burning down the house.

Now only one more Feb birthday to celebrate here. Marley will have Beck over for a sleep over this weekend. Woohoooo!! It is almost as if it is MY birthday.

Big Events

2011-02-11T11:48:00.001-05:00

Pine Wood Derby

Abe and the big boys at work.

Wes's B-day!

Lists

2011-02-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

I can't do anything with out a list. I can't shop efficiently, clean effectively or plan my week. Just two days ago I mentioned to my older sister that I might be at her house for the big Friday night dinner if the kids were up to it. I got everything straight, used all my powers of persuasion and had everyone excited to go and then realized that I had a Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts on the calender. I was really looking forward to dinner with the family. Sunday I bought 9 balls of yarn of three different colors for a sweater because I brought to the yarn store no list. I figured I would get my card double stamped rather than miss that great opportunity and go back to exchange it for what I actually needed. The problem with that idea is the I HATE (in capital letters obviously) returning anything. I am awful at checking calenders so if I don't check the week in advance and write down each activity and thing I need to do on a list chances are I will find something different, more immediate, more fun to do. (Now I didn't say the Blue and Gold Banquet wasn't fun but really it isn't.) So this morning I need to make a list. I know this because I have this panic feeling like I am drowning and know by making a list I will find the strength to get my head above water again. Breath.

All that said I hope my list isn't to long because facing a really long list is never any fun.

I made this cat bed so long ago that I can't even remember the date.

Finally the cat has shown some appreciation.

My girl.

Looking For Normalcy

2011-02-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

I guess this is what it comes down to, looking to how much you can put back to the way it was. This week I am going to try and focus on going out and doing more activities. Of course last week there wasn't much of a chance of that happening. This week we have Knit Night, Muffins for Mom a Blue and Gold Banquet and a 40th B-Day party. Time to get with the program. Brian left today and will not be back until Sat. I feel like I am so for behind on housework that I will never catch up. I will have to keep picking at it one job at a time. I haven't done any knitting and have a feeling the gift I intended to have finished for Bri on Valentines Day will still be on the needles. Cheesecake?? Maybe that would be easier. Of course that didn't keep me from buying yarn for a sweater for Beck and a pair of socks for Wendy Mae at the big "Super Ball" sale this Sunday at Knit and Caboodle. I really need to get my groove on.

When Life Gives You Lemons....

2011-02-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

...make lemonade, sweetened w/ artificial sweeteners in our case. We have had one of those life changing crazy things happen. I brought my "surley" preteen into the pediatricians office because "I" was sick to death of her being sick and crabby all the time. I was pulling my hair out, if this was preteens Wendy Mae was defiantly going to be shipped abroad through her teen years. Since before Christmas she hadn't been feeling well but not really sick either, mostly down, she seemed depressed and tired all the time. Brian had brought Beck to work with him in St Louis Sat morning and I had only one child to manage. I rustled her out of bed early and got to the doctors about 9:15 from there we were sent to the ER at Cardinal Glennon where we stayed until Monday. They literally let us out early to get us home before the storm but Bri and I had a long day of training before they were going to let us all go home. Wendy was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. We have been pumping her with insulin now for 4 going on 5 day and I have my happy, easy going little girl back. Whew, there is my lemonade! She is going to have to take at least 4 insulin shots a day, constantly be checking her blood sugars and checking in with doctors. For now we are good, we are home and we are happy to have everyone healthy ounce again.

Eagle Watching

2011-01-18T10:21:00.002-05:00

After being sick since last Monday I was relieved to be well enough to stick to our plan and try to find some eagles on the river yesterday. We got a late start with Bri trying to cover everything that might come up in the next week while he is gone and well to get all of us moving, no one was moving fast. Finally around 12:30 we headed out. Now the best time to see the eagles is early in the morning but yesterday we saw lots (at a distance) floating on the ice that was moving down the river. We stopped and had a late lunch at Fin Inn. I have been wanting to bring our boy there for some time. He was totally engrossed watching the fish the entire time. As I said there were LOTS of eagles so I think we will head out again in two weeks. (Next weekend is Pinewood Derby.) Every Sat in Jan they have a display open to the public as well as a live eagle in Alton. I remember visiting it when Declan was this age with the Cub Scouts from Union. It was a good time. The Palisades in Portage is also advertising something the same day so I think we will get out early this time and make a day of it. Hopefully NO one will be sick. Beck is home today. It seems like it is always someone this year.

Solo Weekend

2011-01-09T17:19:00.001-05:00

I am having a quite, "solo" weekend, Brian is in Chicago. He has worked out his schedule so that he is home all weekends and now that he is away for one I was surprised how easily we fell back into our old routine. It has been quite. Beck had B-day money to spend and because everything is on clearance right now he did pretty good. Wendy Mae and I took up a new hobby and officially started this weekend. Scrap booking. Always it seems that Wendy is gifted scrapbooks. When she was younger it was great but over and over she came to the conclusion it wasn't her thing. This year she was actually given some quality materials and I thought perhaps age may have sweetened this opportunity. I asked her if she would think it cool if I bought some scrap booking stuff for myself and we worked on them together. Her silence obviously stated that my idea sucked. I didn't back down and we are bound to one weekend, two pages a month. We had a good time at it and she was quite creative. I think this might be fun for both of us. So with Wendy and myself busy scrap booking and Beck busy with his new Lego's we had a full Saturday. Sunday was about finishing homework. (I guess it is my fault that this is always being done at the last minutes but lets just blame Beck, it is his homework.) I bribed this deed with a promise of a movie and done it became. Children CAN be bought. So Sunday is passing, the kids are cool and have even been saved from homemade chicken and dumplings since Dec and Ariel invited us over for dinner. They must know that they won't just go away but that they will just show up at the dinner table tomorrow. Oh well, let them dream.

I feel like I have been coming down with a cold. Other than the kids I haven't been very focused. I finished one more book and have been working on a pair of socks. I am on the second socks foot so the progress is good. I am thinking of making a pr for Beck when I am done. I think the leftovers will be just enough for a pr his size.

Beck Is Eight

2011-01-04T19:15:00.002-05:00

Grosology for Beck's B-day.

I still don't know what to think of it. I know I could of lived quite a few more years with these kids with out sharing the smell of an anus or doing anything at all with an anus. But on this day we talked it, smelled it and actually crawled through it. Oh fun.......

Life is almost back to normal. We are experiencing Beck's birthday right now. It has been quite a test in patience. We are on day three right now, Day one (Sunday): Grosology with me, Brian, Wendy Mae and Marley with family dinner and gifts right after with the rest of our crowd. Day two (Monday): Bri's last day at home. Two trips back to the mall trying to get gifts just right. (I am ready for everyone to go back to school.) Day three (Tuesday): Beck's actual B-day. One more gift left, everyone is heading out the door as I head out to the neighbors to clean. Get back, errands done and dreaming of a shower only to remember that I had promised Beck cupcakes when he got home from school. Eeeek! All I want is to be able to take down Christmas and have it finally all put away but can't/ won't on Beck's request until after his b-day.
.
Back from the mall ounce again. It turns out that the helicopters we got Beck are very temperamental. I plan to go back as many times I have to. I hope he will enjoy them. Tonight we are skipping knit night and playing with Lego's. More fun. It actually is fun watching Beck enjoy them. I think until now he would have others do the whole project for him. I am actually seeing growth right before my eyes. Eight might be a good year for us.

Currently I am knitting on a pr of socks. Today I actually managed to work through a few rows. While I worked I was able to listen to my audio book. I am really LOVING my new ipod. My solitary time is being even more productive. I finished my wrap I started last week. I actually crochet. It was pretty tense as I switched yarns and changed the stitches here and there to stretch my yarn.

Julianna Wrap.

I kept running out of yarn so I had to make changes and add color.

I think I like it.

...3 days past....

2010-12-29T11:54:00.000-05:00

and now Christmas is almost over. We have one more celebration for my side of the family on New Years Day. Christmas has exhausted me this year. Today is the first day that I have energy. I really must be getting old. I finished almost everything I had planned minus two loaves of cinnamon bread. It wasn't that I didn't have the time it was just that I had NO energy to get off my butt and do it. The snow this year was a wonderful surprise. I had gotten the kids a new sled and the idea that they would be able to use it as soon as they got it was perfect. The snow also kept us home on Christmas Eve rather than going to out usual holiday celebration. The kids were more than a little disappointed so Bri and I did our best to keep a smile on their faces.

The boys working to put the sled together.

Although I put down my needles and hooks I couldn't stand to be completely idle. I started making these little monster ornaments. I don't know what they are for but they are a treat to make.

We had a great Christmas. We were able to go to the creek and the kids tryed out their new sled. I learned how to down load books on to my new Ipod and have been listening nonstop. The kids have been kept busy with new books, video games, etc.... At least they have been occupied since I have been passed out on the couch the last 3 days. Today I picked out a pattern to use some yarn I received from Wes. It is a hand painted finger weight sock yarn.. I picked out this pattern http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/juliana-wrap. Now I am sooo excited to get started. Now that I am feeling alive again I have started planning New Years, New Years Day and Beck's B-day for next Sunday, Grossology, at the Science Center. My boy is going to be eight years old. Can you believe it???

Laying Aside the Needles and Hooks

2010-12-23T00:35:00.002-05:00

Ginger bread houses by the kids.

We cheated, graham crackers and what ever candies we could get our hands on, still it made for a fun afternoon.

Elizabeth's hat.

This ended up being a monster project but it shouldn't have been that way. Putting together all the circles nearly provokeded me to tear my hair from my head. Because of this projects I am saying done, done done. Tomorrow is going to be baking and crafting with the kids. If I do anymore knitting it will be some little monster ornaments but it may be that they are for next year. I am sitting on the materials anyway so I might go ahead and make a few.

2010-12-17T22:02:00.001-05:00

This snow day made for a busy day. I woke up with origami, made dog bones and almost finished a pr of socks. I was so glad to walk the kids to the bus stop this morning.

These socks are for my neighbor. They are worsted weight on size 5 needles they knit up super quick. I finished Marianne's only a day or two ago.

Check, check, I am marking things off of my list.

This cowl is complete but to make the gift complete I have to finish one mitt and a thumb. They were temporarily put aside when I ran out of yarn. I started and finished Jerry's socks and now I am working on a hat for Elizabeth. The pic isn't very good but I think this is going to be really cute on her. Today I picked up the yarn for the mitts and more for 2 stocking I am making for gifts. As I was watching four balls a yarn being wound it reminded me of how much I had to do even if I was feeling good only hrs before.

Abe and Marley are visiting tonight. They were getting "holey" on me upstairs.

Abe refused to hold the fish that was supposed to represent baby Jesus and Beck wasn't very comfortable having his pic taken with pants on his head. Still Marley played her roll as Mary perfectly.

Finally, winding down.

More snow day creativity.

Our Days In Pics

2010-12-14T16:14:00.003-05:00

Really it was way to cold for sledding Sunday but no one could resist the first snowfall of the year.

More knitting done and marked off my list.

YAHOO!!

Wendy Mae, the star of the show.

She really was, she did and awesome job.

Ice cream celebration!
Yea Wendy!!

Wendy was a little put off with all the attention from the show last night and well today we just took a day off. I think her stomach may actually really be queasy because she didn't even feel like going out for lunch. Today we stayed home. I helped Wendy Mae make soap and made some Christmas cookies for Beck Cub Scout Christmas party this evening. Really, it has been a busy day.

These soaps or for Wendy Mae's gift giving. She has such a looonng list.

I am so sick...

2010-12-09T09:05:00.001-05:00

of my charity project. I thought working on a project would be good for my soul, especially this time of year but, no, it's not. When I woke up Monday morning and found an order for twelve children's and 4 adults hats I quit getting any gain for myself. You know these are ugly hats made from the cheapest fibers (I don't even know if fiber is a correct description, maybe....petroleum????) and it seems as if EVERYONE has to have one. Uuuugg. It didn't help that on Fri night I picked out what I thought would be a simple hat pattern, I had tagged it for several little boys in my life. It has turned into a royal bitch to execute. I spent Sat and Sun trying to figure out the pattern. Finished just the top Mon Night only to realize it was infant size and that I would deff have to start over. The second time has been much easier. But the hat if anything is not simple. It is a cable ear flap hat and probably one of the coolest I have seen. The construction is really awesome but at the same time the whole thing is a lot of work not a last minute project at all. I have one ear flap to go and then I have to add an I-cord boarder. This is something new for me so admittedly I am pretty excited to work it.

Getting all my Christmas knitting done at this time seems pretty crazy. I guess my priority's now are my neighbors and Wes and Michelle's stockings. (Deep breath.) I can do it.

..early Christmas gifts... make me happy!

2010-12-03T09:47:00.000-05:00

Still one more box to go. I just haven't been motivated to work outside. Now that we have just one or two more days in the 40's I think my motivation has kicked in. I am still knitting charity hats although I think I have most of the orders taken care of. The kids are reporting that they have been seeing them around school which is awesome. We have two more big adventures for this charity, parents day out and poinsettia plants from Blanchette Gardens. I am thinking we need a poinsettia or two.

On the topic of hats, Ariel came over bearing gifts on Wed. Samples from the store that were no longer needed. Woohoo, I got two sweaters and I swear one seems as if it has been made just for me. I love it! The yarn is soft as butter. You can't get any better than that. But about hats...

Ariel brought this one over to Wendy Mae.

Oh my god it is perfect on her.

It is a classic Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern. EZ is definitely the best.

While I am still make hats for the school I have been trying to alternate that with projects that I am working on for Christmas. I have a pr of socks in progress, a pair of mitten and a cowl that I finished yestereday. I love this cowl. It has put me in "the cowl mood".

So the pic is pretty dark but the cowl I am super happy with.

These mittens were almost a complete disaster.

I put them in the washer to felt and went to print out another pattern.

I caught them just in time thank goodness.

Now we have about three days of drying time in front of us.

Everyone is in the Christmas gift mode. Wendy has taken it on herself to make all her own gifts this year. She spent the last night at the park collecting pine cones with Elizabeth and Beck. She is young enough that I have to drive her to the store and help her collect materials but old enough that she doesn't want to give me a clue about what she is doing. Geez. Right now I don't ask questions and sweep up lots of glitter.

Mentioning Elizabeth make me think of this. This morning at the bus top the kids were discussing St Nicks day. She admitted she never celebrated that holiday. The fun part of the conversation was when she was getting on the bus and said, "I think I am going to try that", more to herself than anyone else. I guess that is one of the many reasons Elizabeth may get put on my Christmas list. I love seeing that trickle of faith in older kids. Who knows maybe there is a Santa Clause...... or a St Nick...

...tis the season......

2010-11-30T08:29:00.002-05:00

..one quiet moment.....

"Bless This House"

...another quiet moment....

Look Wes and Michelle made it!!

After a very busy Thanksgiving Day we had a busy weekend. I skipped the Black Friday shopping instead Wendy Mae, Brian and I went to see the newest Harry Potter. The rest of the weekend Bri worked on the siding on the garage while the kids and I worked on decorating the house for Christmas.

Now it is time to get back to the real world.

I have projects to finish, classrooms to visit and (it may be hard to fathom) more decorating to do.

Bri is going to back on the road today.

Our routine is falling back into place.

November

2010-11-24T22:04:00.001-05:00

Beck was inspired to make Indian garb and more this weekend from a book he checked out from the school library. We are still working on Indian masks. Thank god the book went back to the library this Tuesday before the holiday break.

Elizabeth moved into the neighborhood the middle of last year but just came out of hiding and started to school with the kids this year. Kids are scarce in our neighborhood. The kids are so happy to have a friend living close.

Crazy Indian boy.

Today we had lunch at Crown Candy and then visited the Science Center.

The kids had a great time.

Cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap...?????

2010-11-19T11:31:00.005-05:00

Sometimes there is just no understanding. OK, I volunteered to help the school with a fundraiser making hats in the school colors. OK, that's great, except for the fact these are the UGLIEST hats in the world. I went to the first meeting expecting the materials to be cheap, desperately over loaded with orders and being busy with something totally not Christmas for the next few weeks. OK, it gets worse, the school colors are red and gold which translated into bright yellow and red Red Heart yarn. Ugggg!!!!! The hats the lady are knitting are a joke. (Hopefully she will never read this.) Apparently she only knows the knit stitch which does not make you a knitter. It just means you know how to do the knit stitch. Knitting is a combination of a purl and knit stitch. Her hats are simple two color rolled brim beanies, and I mean beanie. I suggested we mix them up and she was real receptive. I picked out a few skeins of the outrageously cheap Red Heart yarn and started on my first hat. I wasn't making a rolled brim. I started out with a two inch rib. By the time the kids had gone to bed we had a few stripes and although ugly it was not near as bad as what I had watched Tracy working on. I was feeling good. I check my email to find another message, my first order, no, "no embellishments". Apparently someone else approached her after I left making a request and she lost it on them and said this is what you get. Oh well, Beck's spirit hat is going to be a lot better than the rest of the kids. I even put a giant pom pom on top. They also vetoed pom poms. I thought all spirit stocking caps were supposed to have pom poms on the top. ????? Oh well right now I am trying my best to do anything I can to make them a little nicer. I am making them longer, a little slouchy. I hope that will work and not cause to many waves but I am sorry I have a reputation to protect. Wendy won't even let me make one for her unless I go down to Knit and Caboodle and buy some decent yarn and colors closer in resemblance to the actual "school colors". I really can't blame her. (She won't were a beanie either. She will need lots of embellishing.) My first order is being delivered by Beck this morning and I got my second order last night. Busy, busy. Last night I was up to two in the morning. I felt an urge to be sure that I got something accomplished towards Christmas and finished my stocking that was going out today as well as a hat I was making as an X-Mas gift. I may be napping along with Abe today.

Ugly spirit hat but not as ugly as the rest.

I love this hat. I made it as a gift. You can wear it with a folded brim or as a slouch. The pattern is supper easy, even a beginner could do it. It will be really warm with the three diff colors wrapping around and around.

I finished the "Walk in the Woods Cowl". I will get pic when I can get upstairs with out my shadow. Now I am in desperate need for more yarn. I think I will be working on a pr of felted mittens next.

Busy Weekend

2010-11-16T14:03:00.003-05:00

Friday night piano recital.

Scouting for Food was chilly but worth it.

The St Charles scenery was inspiring.

Both the kids had to take a rest in one of the many yards they past by.

Mother Daughter Banquet with Girl Scouts.
70's theme.

Ugly Santa stocking almost done.

Woohoo!!!

Kilt socks all done but a few strings needing tied in here and there.

Another Woohoo!!

Right now I have almost finished the Walk In the Woods Cowl and Mitts designed by Ariel, https://acrobat.com/app.html#d=8xNB9paUD6y05ZwSw-T0UA.
I really have enjoyed making this as soon as it gets blocked a will show it off. I have had my eye on this for a while and like it sooo much that I am going to have to start on one for myself.

It is almost time to shop for the yarn for my next project. Real soon, tomorrow, I am going to get real busy knitting. The school started a fundraiser selling hand knit hats. The "one lady sweat shop" behind this might have lost her mind when she volunteered for the job. I might have lost my mind when I volunteered to help and this close to Christmas. Oh well, it goes to a good cause, to help family family's from our Elm School with rising medical bills from serious or unexpected illness. It is going to be a busy (knitty) next couple of weeks.

..and the clock keeps ticking...

2010-11-10T09:04:00.000-05:00

OK, so last week I did something I do not do a lot of. I agreed to make something for pay down at the shop. I talked to the lady. She had her stocking done real cheap last time but she was desperate for a matching Christmas stocking and she didn't blink at the price I gave her. I should have went higher. The going rate is 20 - 25 cents a yard plus the price of materials. It is hard to get anyone to pay that price but this time of the year I need the extra cash. Cash that I can make at the same time I am sitting at Cub Scout meeting or just sitting on the couch watching insane cartoons that boom for the box in front of my boy's face all evening. The down side of this is finding the exact colors has turned into a bitch. I am waiting to discuss this dilemma with Ariel when she drops off Abe and then Abe and I will drag out the stroller and walk down to the shop to hopefully find what I need. It will be a perfect day for the walk. That is all good. On a higher note Declan's socks are almost done. I am nearly to the toe. I think I am putting off finishing them until I have yarn for my next project (not the incredibly tacky stocking, it doesn't count). I plan on picking up that yarn today as well. I am going to make up a pr of fingerless mitts and cowl that Ariel designed. I am really excited to start working on them. They are to be a gift for someone and right now I am so excited to make them I am thinking two gifts, we will see, I am not much for doing the same thing twice. ??

Finish finish finish.

2010-11-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

I am keeping my eye on the end of this pair of kilt socks. At this point the smallest thing becomes a distraction and now that Halloween is over I am not letting that happen again. I finished the calf cable today so now I am down to following 4 patterns going around and down the leg. The count down is on. I am soooo wanting to start on something different.

I guess for me this cool weather has come just in time because it is keeping me more to task. I am not being distracted by sunshine. Christmas seems only around the corner now. I don't know how that happened. What happened to the other nine months of the year? I should have been more diligent making myself complete a Christmas project each month. Lets see, I have one pr of mittens and three and half pairs of socks ready to go. That accounts for 5 months. Let's see, we have two more months to go, that equals 7 months which leaves me with 5 months that I have to make up for. Arrrgg. Time to get busy.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-02T15:39:00.001-04:00

Halloween night is here!

Trick or Treating.

14+ kids. I never got an exact head count.

We trick or treated all the way to Dave's and back again.

The great candy trade.

Ummm, whatever Mina has is really good.

Our "Happy Halloween" decorations.

Thomas really is the cutest "Wild Thing" ever.

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks away. The day after that I go into the Christmas mode, decorations, shopping and everything else that goes into it.

Beck's October Pack Meeting

2010-10-27T11:16:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin Day at the Gardners

2010-10-25T10:30:00.001-04:00

The kids had a great day picking out pumpkins from Herman's.

Wendy and Beck scraped and scraped to make their Jack-O-Lantern's.

Ta-daaa!

Itchy Fingers

2010-10-22T16:55:00.000-04:00

I am on kilt sock number two and dieing to start on a new project. I know just what I will do and it will keep me on my Christmas trail. I thought I might get to the yarn store today but that didn't happen. Bri will be home this weekend and I am thinking that perhaps Sunday I will find time to shop all by my lonesome. Really, could that happen?? Marley is in a school production this evening, there is talk of ice cream afterwards. I am looking forward to a fun evening out with the kids. Tomorrow Wendy Mae is performing on piano at a retirement home. It is in Halloween garb and after that straight to a friends Halloween party. Beck and I will head home after that to meet Brian. It is nice to look forward to him coming home each weekend. I don't know when I will get into any of my big projects again though. I will have to work on that.

Smaller But Not Less

2010-10-15T13:50:00.001-04:00

After spending the last two months on big projects it is as if nothing is worth reporting on anymore. Of course I would have driven myself mad continuing at that pace. Bri hit the road again but we weren't able to get anymore carpet up. Our last days went into cleaning out the basement and preparing the furnace for use. All this beautiful weather it is as if we may not use it. I am challenging myself to see how long I can go with out. One of my favorite knitting authors lives in Canada. She and her brother live as long as they can without turning on the heat in the winter, they challenge each other. I don't know that I am at their level yet but I do believe I have a good collection of wool socks, sweaters, hats and mittens to hold on for quite a while, especially if this weather keeps up. After Brian left I started focusing on the yard, Halloween costumes, decorations, and Declan's socks. Things are coming along ssllooowllyyy. I hope to get some things taken care of this weekend. I had a busy first of the week with field trips and dentist visits. Things are really picking up at school and it is taking up more of my time. Halloween party's are coming up, Wendy has the lead in the 4th grade Christmas production, more field trips and class room help. As the kids get older the teachers become more desperate than ever trying to find help in their classrooms.

I am really starting to make progress on Declan's kilt socks. This is still the first one but amazingly I only started over ounce. I was working a cable up the side of the leg and hadn't realized I was making an X's and O's design. Gag. I had to rip it out and start over in a V pattern instead. Give me a break, what man in his right mind is going to want to sport a pair of kilt socks with a hugs and kisses design on them. Jeez.

I am happy with the progress on the sock but this weekend I am going to have to focus on Halloween costumes. Wendy has a piano recital and Halloween party next Saturday and both are in Halloween dress. And as things go there is no way I can work on her costume and not work on Beck's at the same time. Our Halloween party at our house is in only two weeks. The kids are jazzed about making decorations for that as well. Finding the time to do just that is pretty difficult. Finding that time has suddenly become a great focus. Lots of everything will get done this weekend I hope.

Projects....

2010-10-07T09:41:00.000-04:00

I am calling Wendy Mae's room done at this point. I still need to buy some rugs, etc.... but I am going to make them her Christmas gifts. I am almost burned out on the upstairs and after I finish the floors in the hallway, sewing room and stairs I am calling it quits with any painting until spring.

She is really happy with it.

She picked out all the colors as well as curtain and bed spread.

I think she did a super job.

Brian has been home for a while. Last week he worked in St Louis at meeting all week. Over the weekend he was busy with Declan and this week he spent most of his time preparing the garage for inspection of the structure. Yesterday it passed and since he has been chilling with his projects inside of the garage. A dream come true.

It seems as if we have all been soooo busy of late. Almost two weeks ago I was considering Beck joining some type of sport although my efforts were futile. He has no interest. I might have well shot myself in the foot if he had. Between, piano, GS, CS and violin we are constantly on the go. I think Wendy is feeling the pressure right now but in a week or two that will change.

I finished my Snow Queen socks and got to set it in my growing pile of finished Christmas gifts and was about to start on the neighbors socks when I realized the I couldn't buy the pattern through normal channels and would have to wait. Instead I started on Declan's kilt socks. They are for Christmas not his B-day that was just yesterday.

This might be my most challenging knit project ever. It is the most traditional style kilt sock pattern I could find. A relief to be working with DK weight and size one and two needles but at the same time lots of new techniques to bring these baby's to life. I doubt that I will ever make a pair like them ever again but I am sure that Declan deserves to have them. He is the only person I know that wears a kilt out and more than ounce every ten years. I am really excited about knitting them, in fact they are waiting for me right now.

She Is Still My Little Girl

2010-09-25T19:18:00.001-04:00

I have started painting Wendy Mae's furniture. You can easily see that she is still my little girl. I find it a personnel relief that she didn't want me to paint her room black or silver. Eeeek! I have surprised myself with all the things I have accomplished the last two days. I painted all the quarter round and started the furniture. Considering Bri is home and I have been babysitting 1 to 2 kids all days I don't think that is bad. I would like to get the painting finished by Monday. We have to buy a new mattress and box springs before she will be able to actually move back into her room.

Brian trimmed the giant walnut tree near the alley.

It was an all day job. The electric company is supposed to be putting a pole up for us next. I hope it gets done.

The kids are having too much fun with the twigs and the seem to be destroying my yard at the same time. I will have a big job cleaning it up in the mean time they are building a GIANT nest.

Wendy bridging to Junior Girl Scout.

I don't know what she is doing but the rest of my pics turned out just as silly.

Sid, my fat cat.

I brought all the kids to the Oktoberfest parade this morning. Abe was awesome. He loved it so much. I didn't have my camera and am kicking myself for not having it because he was soooo fun to watch.

Sloooow progress...........

2010-09-23T13:11:00.001-04:00

For last few days the paint in Wendy's Mae's room has been drying. During this time I have gone into overdrive trying to catch up downstairs. Almost everything that I have been doing upstairs has come to an immediate halt which is a little frustrating. Abe is here, Brian is home and the kids are off school for Parent Teacher conferences for two days. I don't think the conference could have been made anymore inconvenient but someone tried their best to make them that way. Bri is out buying quarter round for Wendy's room right now. A very loooong trip to the hardware store. I know he needed things for garage as well so I guess he had lots to look at. Saturday I will have both Abe and Marley so I doubt that I will get a whole lot done until Sunday unless I work at night. Looking at the bright side of things I can knit in this chaotic little world of mine and have finished one of the socks I am working on. The cuff is lace and although I started on the second socks cuff last night I have ripped it out a couple time this morning. I guess it would be more accurate to say that I am TRYING to knit in this chaos. I think ounce I knit a few rows of the lace repeat I will have my groove on and I won't have anymore trouble. The socks are called "Snow Queen" and I would think of keeping them for myself if I hadn't deliberately made them big, too big for me, darn. Perhaps a good thing since I need to be putting out for Christmas right now. Next I want to start on the Williams socks. The will be fun and easy. They both like heavy, European style shoes and I am making them matching socks which may make Jerry roll his eyes but Mary will be all bubbly with joy. Just perfect.
Chaos full throttle.

Progress

2010-09-19T21:34:00.001-04:00

I keep making progress with Wendy Mae's room. The yellow made my heart miss a beat at first but ounce I added the green it all came together. Tomorrow I have a few touches to do and then the floor.

Joel's family hosted a drive-in. It was great fun and a privilege to be invited. It is in Waterloo, IL on the side of a giant old barn. The night ended with a bonfire and a bunch of TIRED kids.

Projects

2010-09-16T10:29:00.003-04:00

Beck's curtain are finished. He wasn't happy with what I picked out and I am almost certain I wouldn't of been happy with what he picked out but now that they are done and up he is delighted.

Prepping walls, taping and choosing paint are almost done. This afternoon I will start painting. I meant to take before and after pics but I failed to do so. We spent over two weeks sorting through everything and hauling van loads to GW and the Salvation Army. The night before we moved her furniture and tore up the carpet we went through her room packing things up in drawers etc... and still ended up with one bag of trash and a giant box to go to GW. I hope to see a big diff when we start putting her room back together. We still have the more sentimental things to pack up. She has a nice big closet that I will be able to store it in.

The garage has doors and windows! Brian and Barney put in the garage door last week and the walk through door and windows this last Monday and Tuesday. Inspection and sideing are next.

Beck's Bedroom

2010-09-12T21:17:00.002-04:00

Walter really likes to relax on Beck's bed. Beck doesn't seem to mind. There is still more to do but for the most part things are done. I am going to make him some new curtains to replace his nursery curtains, hang a shelf and a picture or two. He is very happy and that is what it is all about.

Pics

2010-09-05T20:47:00.002-04:00

Beck loves to go fishing.

Girl Scout Camp with Wendy. She had a great weekend. She was completely exhausted when we got home on Sunday.

Beck got his bird this week. Yes, he was excited. He has books from the library and was double checking all his facts to be sure that he was caring for Polly correctly.

I have one more coat of paint to put on the floor and then that will be it until Brian gets home. The paint will prime while I wait and then when he gets here he can put down the quarter round and help me move everything back. I found Beck an awesome lamp for a mere 3.99, a new comforter for 20.00 as well as some awesome wallies of birds on a wire for 11.00. Tuesday I need to hit another thrift shop to get a TV stand/end table if they still have it and then a dust ruffle and the under the bed storage containers. I am using some white shelves that I already have and making hooks from some wire hands I have lots of. I think Bri has an old shelf in his shed that I am going to steal and paint. Also I plan to frame some of Beck's art work to make the room complete. It looks like everything is starting to fall together.

2 Coats

2010-09-03T00:17:00.000-04:00

I finished almost two coats today. Tomorrow I will finish up the closet and too dark corner and then start on the trim. I am so proud of Wendy. Yesterday we dumped 3 bags of Barbies and tonight we packed up another three bags of baby dolls. Today I found the perfect thing to store her craft supplies in as well as the perfect Wallies for Becks room and a new comforter ON CLEARANCE. So cool. Of course WM has picked one NOT ON CLEARANCE. I think the only set NOT on clearance at Target. Since I haven't even started on her room perhaps it will be on clearance by the time we need it. I hope by the end of the weekend to have the painting in Beck's room finished. I need to do a rush pack up of things from Beck's room. He will NOT let me get rid of anything. I will have to get through all his things tomorrow while Abe naps.
Here's to more productive days.
Tomorrow pictures.

Big Projects

2010-09-02T10:15:00.001-04:00

What a weekend! Wendy Mae and I went to Girl Scout Camp and the guys helped Declan build a play set for his kids. What a project. I think those sets should be sold with a warning that they are hazardous to your mental and physical health. Bri, who had been home most of the last month, is out of town again. Before he left he helped me empty everything from Beck's room and tear up the carpet. This is my plan for the whole upstairs one room at a time. I want both of the kids room done by the end of October. In Beck's room I started painting the walls this morning. Ounce Abe leaves I will put on a second coat. Beck picked out Gamma Green. This is the 3rd time that I have painted these walls a diff shade of green. I have left over green from the last time I painted so I will use that on the trim and doors. What luck. His floor has always been carpeted since we moved here, it is going to take a little work before I get to paint. Other than that his room is pretty easy. He already has wood finished desk, drawers and shelves. I think I will paint his metal bed brown (very traditional) to match. I am brain storming on some type of toy box. He still has his playschool one and dump buckets. Going to go for a more mature look. Under bed bed storage, something diff for his stuffed animals and dinosaurs...... shelves and hooks. The main thing my kids collect is books and in Beck's case also magazines. True, hardly ever are they all on the shelves at the same time but it would be nice to have a place to fit them all the occasional time I do tidy up in there. Wendy's room will be next and I have to admit I am a little intimidated. Not only does she have so much stuff but she saves EVERYTHING. She started last night going through her Barbies. I have a giant box for Good Will of JUST Barbies. That was just the shelves in her closet. There is soooo much more. In her room again I am going to need shelves, get rid of lots (why she has three beds in there I don't know, maybe I couldn't get anyone to hall them downstairs) paint walls and floor, new comforter and bed skirt and paint her bed room furniture. One big prob I have is how to store her art suppies. Wendy is in a constant state of projects, going to Michael's is like Christmas for her and she picks out the most unusual things. She loves to decorate seasonally too to add to the constant state of things. I want something that is kept out and easy to toss stuff into. I have tried drawers, etc... and apparently it is to hard to open / pull out a box or drawer to put things back in I need something a lot more accessible...???? Also I can't allow any behind area hidden spots. WM is champion at hiding her mess in these types of places. Anyway I am excited about these projects and so are the kids. We fixed up both their rooms when they first moved up there and haven't done anything to them since. Beck was 18 months and WM was 2 1/2. They both deserve a change.

Monument Unveiling

2010-08-23T13:47:00.001-04:00

What a great day in the Valley. Barney found a person who was able to take rocks from the creek and carve into them. He did a great job and now we have a monument for the entrance of the cemetery as well as a headstone for Dad. They are perfect.

It was an awesome day. The kids played hard all day long. I couldn't believe the crowd of little boys we had. They went non stop all day playing ball, in the creek, etc....

That night a lot to people camped over night. We couldn't make it. Sunday Brian had a company picnic. He was busy showing the family's of JB Hunt employees the simulator all day. It was a busy place. I am thinking we should rent it out for B-day party's. Even that was a lot of fun though. It was at Creve Cour Park. I packed up the kids, bikes, scooters and Walter into the van and headed out for another long day in the sun.

Now another busy week is upon us. It seems as if everything is taking twice as long as it should this morning. Hopefully I can get most of the things I really NEED to get done taken care of before the kids coming flying through the door.

Abraham

2010-08-19T13:37:00.000-04:00

Abe and I are getting back into our own routine. Oddly he has taken to sitting the high chair ounce again. I took out Beck old circus wagon. He can spend hrs playing with it and/or it's contents. He loves to swing and go for walks. I am hoping the heat will spare us just a bit again so we can keeping spending so much time outdoors.

I almost forgot....

2010-08-17T15:25:00.000-04:00

Summer has flown by soooo very fast and we have tried to fit so much into it that I totally forgot to post some great pics of last of the summer vacation event, Pinnacle Lake. (I actually never had a chance to look at the camera until this morning as I was posting pics of Walter.) We didn't have a big crowd but it was big enough. We were having 100 degree days back then and WOW was it hot. I am enjoying the break now. Walter (more later) and I went for a 3 mile walk this morning.

Right before this event was Grandma Camp and Wendy Mae's B-day. One week later the kids started school. Some where in here I totally lost all my steam, I was worn out. I finally feel like I am getting things together again. It was a real crazy couple of weeks.

You might remember the first day of Grandma Camp the kids and I got a call telling us that Gwen had died. Very sad news for us all. For some reason to ease the grieving process for the kids I showed them how to look up dogs on the computer. It became a full blown obsession for everyone of us. Bri and I were emailing pics back and forth and the kids both had ideas of their own. I had planned to start looking in earnest this Monday while the kids were in school but I couldn't wait and Bri the kids and I started visiting shelters and such last Friday. Any time we left a place we had a favorite pet for the list. The funny thing was that the pets we chose in real life were often for from what we chose while looking on the computer. Their personality's just don't show at all unless you see them in real life. I was sure we would find one that would sweep us off our feet so we kept looking and finally we did. We drove all the way out to the Wentzville Petsmart and found Walter. Someone else had already been looking at him so we were number two to be considered. Bri fell in love first sight and we filled out an application and waited. I don't know what happened, if they never came back or what. I just didn't care. We were told we would find out Sunday. Nothing. It was the longest day ever. We went to the Science Center to get away and think about something / anything else. Monday morning Bri called and left a message at the Massas Creek Animal Shelter. We needed to know. We needed to know if he passed the cat test because we knew we couldn't bring him here if he wouldn't get along with Sid. We had to find out if we were going to get him or the other family. Half the day went by before we got any news and with that we drove lightning speed all the way to Herman to get him and back before the kids got home from school, almost.

Walter.

So for everything has gone perfectly. I believe he was a country dog. He seems unsure coming into the house each time but he is doing great. He is even staying off the furniture.

Any time anyone gets a chance they should visit the Massas Creek Animal Shelter. It is a tremendous project and a wonderful place for animals like Walter to have. It is run by an older woman who has been about this most of her adult life. The work she does shows all around her the animals are all so well cared for and the facilities are excellent. The kids donated part of their summer earnings this yr to the St Charles Humane Society on 94. It was a sad place to go with its over crowded and smelly quarters. Most of the others we visited this past week were the same. I want to bring the kids here so that they can see how it can be done.

One more day..........

2010-08-10T10:33:00.001-04:00

until school starts. For Wendy Mae it will be the longest day ever. If school could have started last week or if she could have volunteered to clean chalkboards for the teachers getting their classrooms ready she would have been the first to put her name on the list. On the other hand this day will fly by for Beck, he might hide (and he has before, I have found him sleeping under his bed thinking that I might pass him over in the morning) from me tomorrow morning so that he won't have to start school EVER. Me I am ready, I need some peace because these kids just might have had too much together time this summer. The bickering can just go out the door tomorrow morning and be gone. Ahhhh.... I will breath.
I have started on some Christmas knitting. I have a pair of socks on my needles and around three other projects listed to gather supplies for. I have lots to do. I had intended to do an X-mas project every month and then I used one of them on a gift and so I really didn't get that many done. I also was going to make a pr of socks for me which eventually turned to making them for Bri rather than myself and summer started in high gear and I wasn't doing much of anything. Actually I did do something, Bri had given me a gift certificate for my B-day and I bought myself some yarn and knit myself a sweater for fall and a light weight shrug that although it is lace weight it is still to warm to wear in 90 degree weather. I love them both and am anxious to get to wear them. I made a little baby tunic as a shower gift, unfortunately I forgot to get pics of it after it was finished. It turned out very cute. I loved the color. I also knit WM a lunch tote which I have to admit I wanted the challenge of the project more than anything else. I doubt that she will ever use my "handmade" lunch tote. It just wouldn't be cool to take to school. So my knitting no way went south it just wasn't on track with the New Years resolution that I set for myself and anyway who ever keeps NY resolutions anyway. Not me. On my list now is a cowl and mitts, kilt socks, lady's socks, random "Mr. Pitt" socks, shorts and more mittens as well as a sweater for Bri. Not much knitting for myself but lots of fun knitting and some pretty challenging projects, that's what I like.

Dec and Beck

2010-08-05T20:13:00.003-04:00

This is one of my all time favorite pics (not the - one of the). It was Dec's B-day and Beck was checking out what he got. I think Dec was turning 19. Declan will be 26 this October.

Wendy's B-day!!!

2010-08-04T09:36:00.000-04:00

Wendy's B-day was all explanation points. We took a family trip to 6-Flags and every one was ready to collapse by the time we left. I don't know when you take in the week prior I just was about to crash all together. She had asked for pillows. What a sweet girl. Now every time she snuggles down she has one are two with her. Beck is feeling like pillows were a pretty good idea and is thinking that is what he would like for hid B-day as well.

Today is the last big summer splash. We are heading to Pinnacle Lake for our annual picnic. I don't know how many will be there due to the heat already many peo have bowed out but not us. PL here we come! It is time to start back to school. The kids go back next Wed. We bought the school supply package and there is no needs for shoes or clothes so all we will shop for is backpacks and fun accessories. WM is really looking forward to it just as she was looking forward to the letter that announced her teacher ( she spent hrs on the phone taking with all her girl friends about who had who) and the beginning of the construction for the new playground. Beck on the other hand has band us from talking about school. He was never so disappointed as the day he got the letter announcing his teacher who had the nerve (obviously she has never met him) to send him a post card a few weeks later welcoming him to her class. That got tossed and perhaps stomped upon. Nothing I say can make it any diff. I found other kids he knows in his class etc... Nothing works, of course I could burn the school down, that would put a smile on his face. I am trying to think of some sort of school supply that might get him in the groove. ????

I Survived Grandma Camp 2010

2010-07-31T13:26:00.001-04:00

Grandma Camp was a huge success this year. The first night, Sat we shopped and gathered supplies. In the evening we went to see Romona and Beezus. It is a really cute movie, all the kids enjoyed it. The next morning the kids decorated lunch bags. These were to hold snacks and waters were ever we went so there would be no unnecessary trips back to camp.

After that we packed up and went to Pinnacle Lake to Camp. It was awesome. We stayed an extra day the kids were having so much fun. We played on the beach and fished. We were joined by A Judy, U John and Laine. The kids liked having another cousin to join in their experience. Camping there was awesome. Because Pinnacle is a private area our camp ground was private as well. It was clean, the grass was mowed and there were no crazy loud people around. A creek ran right behind the camp area and the spill way was in walking distance for fishing. We made and ate our meals at the pavilion near the beach so everyday ended with swimming.

Tuesday we visited Graham Cave State Park. Laine joined us. The kids were disappointed they couldn't go in this cave but the hiking was beautiful and they found lots of wildlife.

Wed we packed up our tent and sleeping bags and headed to Columbia. We visited Devil's Ice Box and Conner's Cave. The kids LOVED Conner's Cave. They couldn't get enough of it. I was hoping to do some orienteering here but after staying an extra day camping I thought we should just head to our next sight. I forgot about taking pics all together while we were visiting Arrow Rock Historic Site. We ended up arriving a wee bit late and there wasn't any room for us on their last tram tour through all the historic buildings. I was unhappy about that because all there was to do was visited the historic town. They did enjoy the General Store as well as the few building that were open to walk through.

By the end of the day we were all exhausted and hit a Holiday Inn were the kids cleaned up, and swam to there hearts content. The next morning we headed home. The kids didn't want the week to end but I believe the other parents in their lives were anxious to get them back.

The next day the guys worked on the garage and I had the kids again. We worked on our GC project. I had saw an artist at the Contemporary Museum the last time we visited that had made collages on foil lasagna pans. They were awesome. I sized the project down and used paper plates and brochures and pics from our vacation. The kids had lots of fun working on them and I love the results we got.

Now we are back to the real world. This morning I have been trying to get everything back to normal. There wasn't much time for that yesterday. Now it's time for doing laundry, washing floors and getting things put away. We got sad news our very first day of camp. I had sent the two dogs to Dec and Ariel's and not long after we sent them there Dec called to tell me Gwen had died. I guess the excitement of playing with the other dogs, the trip over there and perhaps the heat was too much. She was a special needs dog and needed lots of pampering. I didn't want to tell the kids but Bri thought they should know so I did. Although they were pretty broken up the GC trip kept there minds off of it most of the time. I kept reminding them that she wasn't a well dog and we always knew that. We just were happy that we were able to love her and keep here happy while we had her.

Now if it would only stop raining long enough for the grass to dry out. My yard has turned into a jungle. Tomorrow is WM's 10th B-Day and she requested a family trip to 6-Flags. Everyone is going except Abe and Ariel. Abe is staying w/ Grandma Maggie and Ariel has to work. So far the rain is supposed to stay away. The kids are all excited. I need to get moving now. I need to shop for my princess.

End of July

2010-07-20T19:12:00.000-04:00

More work done on the garage.

No matter how much Brian gets done there always seems to be so much more to do.

Birthday project number two.

This is my first real lace project. I enjoyed it very much. I am already looking for more for the future. I love the way this turned out although the pics leave lots to be desired. I need to find help in this department. Perhaps some one older than 10 yrs old.

Shower gift for Brian's nephew's new baby girl. I am going for 6 month size but I am not sure what it is going to be in real life. Baby's come in all shapes and sizes and hopefully this baby will eventually become a size to fit this. I am really enjoying the knit. Although I am feeling a weee bit of pressure it is all my own fault, late start, reading two novels off the "Most Wanted" list at the library and have a few more things to make to go with. All will be fine. Brian is on the road again so I will work all night getting things done.

Next week is Grandma Camp. My two and Marley are going to spend the week together and I have to make it fun and exciting. I sure with the heat and rain will give us a break.

Broomstick

2010-07-09T13:25:00.000-04:00

Just a few more pics to hang and I am done. It is so much more comfortable. I don't know about everyone else but white walls just feel naked to me. Now I only need to paint the bedroom. That is one big job because it is small and the dressers are to heavy to move by myself. Still what I have done makes me feel good. After moving in I could never get a feel for where my pics were supposed to go and obviously now I realize that they just didn't belong on those walls. I picked out a bunch of colors asked a lot of opinions and finally decided on one only to pick a diff one when I went to buy the paint. I found one called "Broomstick", the most appropriate for a witch like myself. It is similar to the one I chose but a little brighter. I do like it.

June to July

2010-07-06T13:56:00.000-04:00

Keely's graduation party. Thomas loved Ben's fireworks. The display was excellent.

At the zoo with the Gardner cousin's. Wendy was exhausted at the end of the day.

Beck loves pancakes.

The City Museum with the Brennan's. Another exhausting day.

4th of July was a lot of fun. Lot's of food, family, friends and fireworks.

First day of Grandma Camp on the creek. It started with a picnic and a hayride with the younger kids before they left for home.

June 2010

2010-06-22T10:20:00.003-04:00

This summer started with Abe, Marley, lemonade stands and dog washes. We are moving on now to VW trips and visiting with cousins. In the pic below the girls have on outfits from India and the boys have Singapore dragons on there shirts.

Three other couples met us in St Charles and we joined the caravan to Carthage, MO. It was a Type 3 Invasion. For all that have no clue this includes only VW fastback's, squareback's and notchback's as well as one make of karmagehia (sp?). It was interesting. Rarely do you ever get this many of these cars together. A show with hundreds of VW's may only have 3 or four Type 3's total. This group gathers every two years, 2012 we will go to Colorado.

Knitting, Rain and VW's

2010-06-15T09:33:00.001-04:00

This is the lace I started working on. It is very sloooow going. I must have started over like a million times. Hopefully this time I will make progress.

Sweater finished. I didn't know if I was going to do some work on the front collar but the general consensus is just to leave it as it is. These pics do not show the color very well. The sweater is actually pink.

The kids dog wash on Saturday. It was hot but they had water and had a lot of fun as well.

Rain, rain go away. Bri has so much work to do before the VW show this weekend and thus for he is running into wall after wall. The rain is not helping at all. We may go even if he doesn't get it going. This is something he has wanted to do all year. It is a perfect way to spend a Father's Day weekend with Brian.

Projects

2010-06-10T13:43:00.005-04:00

This is Wendy's first project this summer. Obviously she is proud. I couldn't find another kids kit readily available so I had her pick a pattern off of Ravalry. Another scarf, real simple knit, yarn over and drop stitches. She has been busy the last few days but still I think that she is making progress. At least I think she is capable of completing the pattern. I picked out a yarn from my stash and am doing the same scarf. Hopefully this will serve as inspiration. It really is a neat scarf pattern and will serve as a gift this Christmas.

Wendy's is the purple of coarse and mine is the gray. She is using a thicker yarn and this isn't the best pic. I am using a mohair and on much thicker needles. You can see the design much more clearly.

I am almost finished with my sweater. I won't bother with pics again until it's finished. I am working on the collar and I think I will need to lengthen one sleeve. I am already anxious to have it finished and blocked. I have picked out a shrug to make for myself next.

Summer Is HERE!

2010-06-06T10:19:00.002-04:00

Summer is here and in full blast. Mostly we have babysat this summer but when you consider we won't see the two we have visiting us for another month after next Monday it feels good to have them around. Wendy Mae, Beck and Marley have been selling Kool Aide each morning and are raking in the dough. When Beck asked why they weren't selling it yesterday Wendy had to explain that it was Samuel's and Jacobs territory on Friday evening and Sat and Sunday mornings. Boy the neighborhood kids have mapped out the times they get to sell at the corners and no major gang wars that I know off. Who knew?

Bri isn't home this weekend and although where he is at at the lake sounds beautiful it is nice to have a weekend to chill. I have been cleaning, knitting and cleaning and knitting all week. Yesterday we did do out to watch "A Diary Of A Wimpy Kid" at the dollar show. I actually liked it. I hadn't expected that. I have read the books to Beck and both of us were begging to quit at times they were so dull. For the life of me I don't know how they ever became so popular. My knitting is coming along great. I will need to buy another skein of yarn for Brian's Father's Day socks. I am at the gusset on the second one but I know I won't have enough to finish the foot. I have been working on them a lot and feeling guilty that I hadn't worked more on my sweater. It certainly isn't hard but at times the directions are so bizarre. Anyway I decided to just follow them in blind faith and used most of my knitting time on it yesterday. It is coming along. I am working down the back. It is probably about 140 stitches across and just one row takes forever. I stayed up late last night trying to make some head way. This is the tortoises game, slow and steady will win the race. I knit upstairs in my sewing room most of yesterday. I tell you with Beck watching TV and playing games on the computer at the same time it sounds like a war zone down here. I worked cleaning my sewing room all morning yesterday and finally it feels habitable again. Before we moved I was comfortable spending a lot of time there. When we came back the first thing to mess with my yin and yang was Wendy's guinea pigs. She decided that they were too noisy to be in her room at night. Hello Lucey and Nelly. After some time I bought a closet like unit from my neighbor. Perfect for storing fabrics. I needed that so I was happy about it but still I was moving even more into my little sanctuary and anyone who knows me can tell you chaos makes my skin crawl. So from here on out I have suffered through many abuses of noise and commotion to avoid my sewing room sanctuary. I was starting to feel a little guilty because I really didn't feel like I should claim a space as my personnel area if I am not using it. I have used that angle before in and argument at least ounce. Of course I do have lots stored in there but is that enough of a reason?? Well yesterday I cleaned, rearranged and finally made it some place I enjoy ounce again. Wendy was even up there with me and while I worked on my project I instructed her how to finish hers and she was able to have room right there in front of me to do that. Peace.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-03T09:54:00.001-04:00

Hello, hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. Brian the kids and I went to Waterloo for an early Memorial Day activity. We all had lots of fun and lots of good food.

On the actual holiday Bri spent the day with both older boys working on the bus and truck. They lasted out the elements of heat and rain and were able to accomplish a few things. I made everyone dinner and so again lots of good BBQ. I love the summer days when Bri is at home. So much cooking is done outside, BY HIM.

Last week I picked up some yarn for Brian's Father's Day Socks. The pattern called for sport weight which I thought was great because I should go through these pretty quickly. You should have known the color I chose will probably make me blind to knit with it. I tore out the heel twice because I couldn't see my mistakes before it was to late. Last night I worked all the decreases on the gusset so that when I have the kids today I need only do simple stitching. Hopefully no ripping. In the end I am already looking for some more complicated designs. I am never satisfied with patterns like this but it was "The Father's Day Sock" pattern so I just had to do it.

Anniversary Gift

2010-05-26T09:30:00.002-04:00

This year for our anniversary we got new furniture.

It's cumffy, brown and big.

New Project

2010-05-25T07:49:00.001-04:00

I received a gift certificate for Knit and Caboodle for my B-day. That gave me licence to splurge on myself. I bought 6 balls of Silky Wool to make up this sweater for myself. The construction is really different and I am enjoying the project a great deal although I have to keep the faith because often what it is telling me to do doesn't make sense at the beginning.

The kids had their last day of school yesterday. I almost feels like summer came TO fast. For me not the kids they seem totally into it. They fried their minds with video games when they got home yesterday. I just let them do it but obviously we need to do something a little more constructive with our time. I think we were all a little spent after a long weekend. This first week I have Abe four days and today we actually have to sit here and wait for someone. I am looking forward to having time of our own. June will be almost totally our month. Dec and Ariel will be on their trip and Bri has taken time off to work on the garage. Overall I am looking onward to a busy summer.

Garage Progress

2010-05-22T21:40:00.000-04:00

More May Knitting

2010-05-21T09:34:00.002-04:00

Sun Dance Make-Up Bag.

Michelle is 21 today! I made her this for her B-day. I love it. I hope she is just as happy. I am not 100% satisfied with the way the lining went in but over all I think it turned out great.

Owl hat for Joelle.

I am hoping it is the owl hat of her dreams. ?????

I received a gift certificate for my B-day which is my licence to make something for myself besides socks. After leafing through hundreds of patterns I finally found a cardigan that was perfect. Unfortunately it isn't available anymore which doesn't make any sense to me. I am in the process of begging the designer to release one last time.

more socks.....

2010-05-15T09:15:00.002-04:00

#1 Husband Socks for my number one husband. He isn't much of a foot model but I know he loves them. This yarn is Opal, hand painted yarn, and I really likes the way it knits up.

...............

I have been dieing to start these toe socks forever. The yarn is Joann's Sensation, a bamboo/superwash wool blend. I have really enjoyed knitting them. Although they're pretty straight forward I learned some new things on the way. They are toe-up on one circular needle and I used a turkish cast on. I have played with the turkish cast on before but this time I have learned it and learned it well. I am working with a diff heal sesign as well. I have one down and one to go. They have gone faster than any other sock I have ever knitted. This is partly due to the way the project breaks down, one toe, toe cap, put these together, etc.... Also this may because I have been sick and knitting is something to do as you recoup and maybe because the kids end of the yr schedules are slowing down. The last few week we have had one or two activities EVERY night. This week has been the first that we have had one or two nights to chill.

Sock #1 in progress.

Sock #1 all done. Sock # 2 in progress.

May Continued

2010-05-13T19:13:00.004-04:00

I started on a cold last weekend. I hung on strong through Michelle's graduation and quietly slipped through Mother's Day. Bri was out of town so I pampered myself as much as I could . The boys came by in the evening and Wes brought me and the kids out to dinner. It was nice. I had a blazing fire on the patio. We saw birds investigating Beck's new bird house and I worked on my May Sock Club socks.

Michelle and her mom at after the graduation.

Beck built this bird house at Cub Scouts the Sat before last. Wendy and Beck have done everything including lacing the hole with bread crumbs as to attract birds. Sunday we saw some birds investigating. We are hoping that they make it their new home.

May Sock Club socks. This is an awesome pattern and I felt the same as I do when I finish a good book as I was finishing my last stitch repeat. I really like them.

Abe has been busy taking care of dinos this week. He is such a fun little guy. He reminds me soooo much of Declan.

New sock. Toe up flip flop sock. Bamboo / superwash wool.

Welcome May!

2010-05-05T12:50:00.004-04:00

May has got to be one of my favorite months. Not because it has Mother's Day, our annv. and my birthday. Really none of those are the reason. I love it because it is beautiful. The grass is green and thick, the flowers are lush and the days are beautiful. This month is starting out just like that, I love it. Bri was at home for the weekend and a busy one it was. I certainly needed his added body. The kids hiked with Cub Scouts on Sat while I went to the May Sock Club at Knit and Kaboodle. That is my MD and B-Day gift from Dec and Ariel. I have started an awesome pr of socks that Ariel has designed and the yarn was dyed specially for them. And they're yellow!

I got to the first heal on the first sock quickly but I have set them aside to finish the pr I had already started for Bri. I was working with the Magic Loop method which I am not very familiar with as well as the heel technique is diff. Now Bri is off to work again so I will get started on them, not as many distractions.

Sunday was Abe's B-day party. I never got a pic of his monster shorties but they turned out great. Wendy decorated a box for him to play in and he loved it. Wendy and I got to his party late because Wendy had her first B-Ball game the same night. (She did hit the ball and get to base and home. She did really well, I was proud of her.) When we arrived Ariel and Dec were getting him ready for bed which he was not at all happy about but when Wendy brought in the box she decorated for him he was all smiles. So was Wendy, she was glad to know her efforts payed off.

This has been a weird week for me, other than the computer I shun most electronics. Minimal TV, no need for a big screen, no cell phone, damn if I can get away the last thing I want is someone getting a hold of me, texting, have never been there, twitter??. For me it seems like we fill our lives up with these devices when we could instead being enjoying ourselves. With this said the fact that I love my computer is no secret. I have put limits on myself (which I am breaking right now) when it is allowed to be on and I am able to use it. For a while my computer has been incredibly slow and around Christmas the on/off switch broke and I started touching two wires together to start it and on and on and on..... Sat Barney and Joelle gave us a newer one and it is awesome. Beck has not loaded uncountable amounts of games and crap on it to slow it down. It's awesome. After that Bri brought me out to get my MD gift (he isn't go to be home next weekend) which is a new camera, another thing I badly needed and the kids will not use this one. I have two slightly funky ones they can use, they work but with a little extra effort. While we were out for the camera he also got me a Garmin which is awesome and the kids were so excited because I wouldn't be getting them lost any more which happens at least ounce a week. So this person who shuns most electronic gadgets made herself really happy with the three she got this week. Oh did I say I even downloaded all my pics on to flash drives. I was almost positive that would never happen. Not because I have anything against it but because I can never remember to pick one up at the store. Now it is done, done, done, life is good.

More Spring Pics

2010-04-26T11:12:00.002-04:00

The guys worked hard all last Sat spreading around dirt from the garage area. Beck found a bug which had to be investigated. He also dug up a huge peice of sidewalk all by himself. He had Bri move it to the front yard to sell it. He said it was a meteroite and thought he would get thousands of dollars. When Brian broke the bubble that it was just concrete Beck knew that this concrete had gold or even coal at the core. He wasn't going to give up, he put a sign on it for $120.00 and waited for a buyer.

Sunday we went fishing at Wyneta's, our old neighbor's new home. Beck caught the first fish and only fish. They both caught poison ivy. Still we had fun. Wyneta started a fire and the kids cooked hotdogs for dinner and then we had samores for desert.

Beck has the best of luck. Some "unknown" man left him a brand new bike in trade for his concrete. What a lucky guy. It was a busy day for me and Bri who had to loose the concrete to some place he would never again find it and then go shopping for a new bike. He was happy and thought it a fitting reward for the back breaking work he did the weekend before.

More Spring Pics

2010-04-15T07:58:00.003-04:00

Before school.

Wendy's playing baseball.

We have done piano, scouts, and we are talking about violin for next year so this is a real stretch for her. She enjoyed herself very much. Wouldn't you know that I would pair her up with the words biggest tomboy and ball hog as soon as we got to her very first practice. So totally opposite of Wendy who is a big team player and her first rule of thumb is to have fun with the other girls and perhaps chase some butterflies.

School Performances and Taxes

2010-04-14T10:25:00.005-04:00

It's A Jungle Out There!

The first and second grade put on this performance as their end of the year program last night. Beck was more interested in the rewards he could reap and convinced me into taking him out for ice cream if he did well. How can you tell your kid he didn't "do" well. We went to Dairy Queen.

How Here he is in his little elephant hat, as always, on the move so the pic doesn't really capture his whole elephant / hat/ etc (Wendy made him a tail) effect but anyway.... Unfortunatley none of the pics on stage came out clear.

The rest of the week.

The dogs bored stiff because all I've done all week is work on taxes.

Isn't it shiney.

This is what I did while on hold with Turbo task "Help", with Abdul and Pam, waiting for their response. I almost started waxing floors when they finally figured out what I needed. Geez, professional Turbo Tax guru's my ass.

April

2010-04-12T16:03:00.000-04:00

Wendy's piano recital was wonderful. I was so glad Bri was home to see it. He was so proud of her. Her last few piano recitals she has been very nervous and the pieces she played were from her lesson book. This time she was poised and confident and she was able to select more difficult pieces to play.

Bri is wanting some socks. It is only fair, he has only one pr of handmade socks at the moment so this month my sock quoto goes to him. The are "#1 Husband Socks", kinda cheezy, mabe I should of saved them for Father's Day but yet appropriate. I have been making slow process, I am on the first heel after the first full week. After these are finished (or before depending on the progress I make) I need to start on Abe's B-day gift. I am making him a pair of shorty's with a monster face on the butt. Perfect for that crazy little man. I am going to skip the X-mas gift for this month. I found a really cool sled for one of the kids on clearance and I guess a Christmas present is a Christmas present. One more down.

We have been so busy latley. The kids are having end of the year performances and lots of field trips. Wendy Mae is going to play softball this year and a couple of times of week we try to go up to the old Benton School playground and practice ball. I have decided to loose weight and get in shape. Funny huh. Anyway it all takes time and I am hoping that even if pounds don't melt away immediatley they will eventually if I am presistent. Bri pumped up the tires on my bike for me yesterday before he left. I went for my first bike ride this afternoon and got a flat after only a few blocks. Instead I got my excersise in the garden. I guess I will have to wait until next weekend to get it fixed. I don't know a thing about fixing no bike tire.

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T10:12:00.000-04:00

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-30T08:51:00.002-04:00

The Zoo

We started out the week with Wendy Mae's haircut and spoiling ourselves with a trip to the mall. It wasn't long before I had my fill of Claire's and the Comic shop. The next day we headed out to the Zoo. What a beautiful day. I had to dig out a pair of shorts for Beck. The day after, Wednesday, it was a trip to the Butterfly House and Faust Park. We were expecting Bri in the afternoon so we planned a short day. Beck had recently visited the Butterfly House with his class but I had never been and it has been years since Wendy has gone. It was great. Actually smaller than I visioned but still very pleasent sort of place. They are having Blue Mortho mouth all through March. Thousands of blue butterfly's swarmed all aroound us.

Thursday it started out cool and wet. Bri had Dr appointments and I promised him dounuts. I had a house full of peo and Knit Night in the evening. Every single dounut got eaten. Abe really, really liked them - almost as much as marshmellows.

That's the last of my pics but not the last of the week. Friday Barney, Woody, Ben and Brian got the sidewalk and ramp to the garage poured. Next is framing. Hopefully it will go much quicker after this. I only had Marley Friday (she was out of school). Abe had bumped his head Thursday afternnon and got a monster of a bump and was home under Declan's observant eye. He wasn't supposed to bang his head a second time withen 24 hours of the first. Easier said than done. Anyway, I took Marley and we went to see "How To Train A Dragon". Both of my kids enjoyed it, I think Marley got bored toward the end. Sat we went to Art Hill to fly kites. Wendy had bought a stunt kite with her own money sometime in Nov and was promised over and over we would do this over her spring break. It was a cool, windy morning but the afternoon brightened up and we flew our kites for a few hrs. I wish I had pics but it was an awfully busy day and getting the kids, Bri and the kites in the car was about all I could do. We had a bunch of other kite flyers and eventually Abe, Marley and Dec join us. We had a lot of fun. We only had time for a short visit through the museum and of course I had to make promises that we woud be back. Sunday was all about the VW. We finally took the time to go for a ride. It again started out cool but ended up beautiful. We drove to Alton and then Grafton. It was a perfect day to go for a drive.

Now a new week is started, Bri is at Kalamazoo, MI and the kids are back at school. I have been trying to put together the house again. The kids have tracked in and and pulled out everything. It was a wonderful week and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

New Haircut

2010-03-22T19:04:00.000-04:00

Spring Break

2010-03-21T12:16:00.003-04:00

February sock - March sock

(I am still having trouble with this new layout. I never seem to be able to get it to do what I want it to do. ) On top or pics of a X-mas gift for next year. I am thinking I will make a hat to go with them. ?? I am only on the second mitt and haven't finished the first thumb. After that are the long over due pics of Feb and March socks. That wasn't so hard. I have actually been doing pretty good on my knitting. Amazing considering everything that has been going on. Friday the kids started spring break with a half day. I had volunteered to watch Marley and Abe to give Dec some time to himself. We spent the afternoon at the park. Abe has learned the route to one of the big slides. Up and down we went at least twelve times. I think I got my excersise at that. Later in the evening we took a walk over to Bridey's with Gwen. (Bridey wasn't home.) I swear I dragged that dog all the way home. She is not capable of walks more than just a few (meaning 2 or 3) blocks apparently. I have no idea how many blocks that was but I know it was tooooo many. Sat the Family Channel was having a Harry Potter marathon so that took care of the kids for a good part of the morning. Later in the afternnon we saw Alice In Wonderland. We didn't see the 3-D version. It just happened to not be showing at that time, I hadn't realized that. Over all I really enjoyed the film. It was good to both the kids and myself. That is the start to what seems to be a very busy spring brreak. We have been making lists of what everyone wants to do. The weather is looking as if it may cooperate and I am very glad. This weekend was a little surprise but really hasn't been bad. Sunny and I have gone out for our walks only having to brave a few sprinkles. Today we have some shopping and then will head over to the library for a few hours. I love it that my kids can be content there for what seems forever. The kids will need a new collection of books and audio books to fill in any spare time at home. God forbid they ever not have anything to do.

St Paddy's Day

2010-03-18T10:58:00.002-04:00

Tatt's

2010-03-16T08:30:00.003-04:00

Can you believe it is the middle of March. The weather has been perfect. Of course it isn't 60 everyday and it rains at least ounce every third day but still it's spring and it's beautiful. I am envious of all the peo on spring break this week. They aern't only enjoying temps in the 60's but Wed is St Pat's Day and they will all be able to hit the parade with their family's. My kids spring break is next week and I keep trying to look at the 10 day forecast even though I know that is to far ahead to be accurate. Brian will be gone the first part of the week but will be home for the end. I was hoping to hop a train and meet him where he was at but evedentally he is being moved around from place to place those few days and it wouldn't be much fun. That's OK, I always have lots of ideas for things to do.

I have finished my March socks. Pics to follow someday. I am behind now. I need to post pics of Feb and March. I have started on a Christmas present but with not a lot of enthusiasm. I found a Nancy Fairbanks book at the library that I had't read yet. It's been yrs since I have read anything by her and I enjoy finding her again. Before that I read of collection of short stories of Irish authors. That I really enjoyed. Between reading and working outside I haven't gotten my usual knitting done but that is typical for this time of year.

This weekend Bri and I got rid of the kids over night. We used some very dusty tattoo certificates that we has received for my B-day and Father's Day last year. They weren't quite a year old yet. It was lots of fun. After spending a looonnnggg day at Allstar Tattoo we met Wes and hit Blueberry Hill for dinner and drinks before going home to take care of the dogs and watch a movie. We saw Across the Universe. If you haven't seen it you should it was lots of fun. The next day we had to get back in shape for the kids. I had no idea that my tat would hurt so bad when I walked but Bri was sleeping late and I needed to do some shopping before the kids hit the door. Beck was so excited to see my tattoo. He had told Ariel that he thought that I would get my name written on my knuckles. Isn't he a cool guy. Wendy was a bit freaked. She is my conservative child. We are always working on her but she is a peice of work to be sure. How is it that I have a conservative child. Sher must take after her father. Right now we are talking about having her hair cut, probably over spring break. I almost have her talked into a pixie. I am bribing her with the promise to have her nails done. Is that fair? A little more work this week and then I will let her be. I don't want her to feel pressured, I have to be very sudtle. He he.

Tommorow is St Paddy's Day. I am looking forward to the Dog Town parade and then a traditional dinner at Ariel and Dec's with friends and family. This week has really worked out. I was kinda feeling down thinking Bri wouldn't be home to celebrate but I am keeping busy all the same. I need to find some live music to top off the celebration.

They say tattoo's are addictng. The kids have been invited to Grandma Camp this year. I am not sure when that is happening exactly but the time might just be perfect to expand with my new hobby.

I can't find spell check on this new layout. dang dang dang

The Second Day of March

2010-03-02T07:48:00.003-05:00

With out the clouds this would be the perfect introduction to March. The mild temps are so nice to have upon us. I am hoping on the days that I have Abe this week I can start working on the front yard. Yesterday I cleaned like mad inside. My house really needed it after having Brian home for nearly two weeks. I clean before he gets here and again when he leaves. In between either time it all goes to hell. I put away all the snowmen, Birthday deco's from the past two months and Valentines deco's away to introduce a more spring like atmosphere into our adobe. I still have one window to remove snowflakes from but I am getting there....slowly. Eventually I will get the sleds and winter boots put away into hiding as well. At least I have gotten the process started. Spring is starting in so may ways, the Girl Scouts are selling their cookies at the IGA in St Charles every Sat for the next few weeks, Wendy has started practicing for her next piano recital, we got the VW out for a ride this weekend and Bri's daydreaming on the best ways to convert his old bus into a camper. Although it is brown, chilly and damp out this morning the reminders of spring are pounding on our door.

I am still working on my spring gifts. I finished one yesterday and started on the next. They aren't taking anytime at all. They do remind me as always how expensive it is to make rather then buy things. But then the thought/gift would be cheapened somewhat. We started this new season with an ill child ounce again. This year it is one thing after another. Beck has been running a temp since last night and I am hoping he will start to feel better today and no one else gets ill. I am hoping..... I have picked out the socks I am making for myself for this month but I haven't decided what gift to make yet. I have ideas I just haven't decided. Still I have time it is only the second day of March.

spring???

2010-02-24T07:46:00.003-05:00

February has come and gone so quickly. I have a hard time registering March / spring is just around the corner. It is in the teens outside this morning, it's snowing. Not very spring like yet the signs are here, the longer days and fresh green shoots coming out of the ground. The kids are already spending more time outside with the bright evenings rather than sitting in front of the TV or working on homework or piano. It is worth every minute of it, the first days of spring are magic.

Last night it wasn't the last of winter or the last of Feb but the BEGINNING of March made me momentarily panic. That means I need to crap out one more pr of socks and one more 2010 Christmas gift. Shit! What have I gotten myself into. I finished a pr of toe socks for Wendy this week and started on Sailor's dog sweater yesterday. Michelle and Wes chose the red and white sailor style top for Sailor. I am beginning to think it may look something like the Cat in the Hat???? I hope not and after that I had an urge to make some pot holders and dishcloths. I have an idea in my head that they will be perfect spring gifts. We will see. I have to finish the Dr Seuss disguise first.

Brian has been home since last Thursday although he has been working everyday at AB. He has been working some odd ours, last night he went in at midnight. I guess it won't be long that he will be getting home. After today he has four days off. We have another busy weekend filled with scouting activities and birthdays. I guess it really is true that time flys when your having fun and that is what happened to our Feb.

week 6

2010-02-19T10:00:00.009-05:00

I think if I counted back this is probably week 6 of sick days in our home. It is always something and it goes to one person and then to the other in varying degrees of discomfort. Today Beck started throwing up at about 5am this morning. Yuk. He was sooo uncomfortable. He is at home today and going from being real spry to hanging his head over a large cooking pot. He asked if we could go to Waffle House for lunch. What he actually wanted was a homemade waffle. I mixed up a batch and before I got any on the griddle he thought it may not have been such a great idea. Well what is a person to do, I started making waffles. He was doing pretty well as I got the last one off the griddle and actually ate one from the top of the stack. Now lets hope it stays down. And all this just as I have started planning Brian's B-day dinner on Sunday. Should I invite anyone?? Last time , Wes's B-day, everyone around me was dropping like fly's and if you didn't get sick before you got sick after. ??? I don't know what to do.
Like everyone else I also started feeling bad at the end of last week, throw in a twisted muscle in my back and I was a real treasure to be with. Lucky for me (not him) Bri was home over the weekend and so the kids were not completely neglected. The snow came and he brought them to Blanchette where they had a wonderful time. Beck peed his pants he was laughing so hard and they finally came home. Mon, Pres Day, they were home from school and Declan and Barney picked them up and brought them sleigh riding again. I guess March is just around the corner and there won't be a lot more snow but it sure has been fun this year.

Our Valentine gift for our whole family is Gwen, our new English Bulldog. I had wanted another dog. I thought I had the time and desire at this time but we always talked ourselves out of it, cost, responsibility, etc.... Pets are a lot of work and we also have a guinea pig, a toad, two frogs, fish, cat and our dog Sunny. Sunny after five years is finally calmed down. Oh, I still have to put him in my bed room to quite him when visitors come in but for the most part he sleeps on the couch all day. Wes decided that he wanted an English Bulldog for his B-day and found one at a rescue. Later he learned that in Hazelwood there was a two dog limit. He and Michelle already have Sailor and Frenchy so he came looking for a new home for Gwen. In many ways she is perfect for us. She and Sunny are extremely calm together. (Sunny is usually very hyper around other dogs.) She is very good natured. Bri likes this particular breed and she is beyond the puppy stage. What a wonderful dog. We love her. Now a more true picture of Gwen. She had been abandoned for who knows how long and requires much care. She takes two meds a day and needs the extra attention all bulldogs need, eyes ears, etc.... Oh, I forgot to mention this huge under bite that make her bottom teeth stick out all the time. What a cutie. I am hoping that in the next week we will be able to wean her off one of her meds , the other is permanent although I have been looking into diet alternatives. I am becoming very learned about Holistic pet care. Of course the biggest prob remains and that is the fact that she wants to EAT my cat. The poor cat is always hiding either in the basement or my bedroom. I have faith though. Ceaser Milan (The Dog Whisperer) says that it can take 8 to 10 weeks for cat and dog to get to know each other.

Anyway while I was layed up I also became a little obsessive and started knitting dog sweaters. Bulldogs aren't supposed to go out in the cold with out a cover. Gwen actually has a winter coat. The sweaters are so cute, they have a bones and biscuit cable design. Oh my god, I have totally lost my mind. The first one was for Gwen, the second for Frenchy and then the last one for Sunny. I still have to make one for Sailor. I am having a dilemma with the best colors for her. Either green, Michelle's favorite color, or red and white stripe, pirate/navy style top. I am leaning toward the second. So for and my intention was to use up all my old acrylic yarn that I never use for anything else. Most of it sits in a grocery bag in my knitting room and when ever the kids need some for a project they get into that rather than getting into mine. Which is very important that they don't ever get into mine. I might have to buy what I need for Sailor though. ???

Abe has become that much easier to watch since Gwen and her crate moved in.

Gwen reminds me of Betty White in her sweater. It is just such old lady yarn. I wish the cable design would show better in the pics.Some more from the never ending supply of orange sport weight yarn.Wendy getting ready to walk the dogs, not together, I think she was actually finished walking Gwen and on her way out with Sunny. Gwen is a typical Bulldog, very stubborn and often stops and won't budge. She told me that she takes treats with her and throws them ahead of her and she will only then get up and walk a few more feet. She walks the dogs up to Spencer's house, several blocks away on Monroe St. Spencer always meets her out front. Crafty kids, I thought she was just helping me out.

All this dog knitting and I am still staying on track with my personal knitting goals. I finished a pr of socks for myself and a pr for next years Christmas. I didn't knit anything for Bri's B-day but I did make him a new pr of felted slippers for Valentines Day. I am trying to budget my knitting right now and using up yarns I have on hand. Maybe I will knit Bri something more substantial for fathers day. ??