Wonderful, in a depressing sort of way.

I have a long standing friend that has recently become a grandmother.. She is so very excited, and her new granddaughter is truly a real beauty. I love seeing the pictures of her, and of course, having watched her son grow, through all of his pictures, I can see how much this pretty little girl takes after her father.

Of course, grandchildren require knitting, I cannot let such a momentous occasion slip by without acknowledgement.. And frankly, I've know Ada for nearly 20 years now, and if I were going to knit for any child outside my immediate family, it would be a grandchild of hers.

SO.. here it is, bonnet and sweater. Now, I have to give out that I did not design this sweater, this was on the online mag "knitty". Add a dot com to that name, the design is called "Helena" and designed by Alison Green Will. I have knit it several times for very special little girls.. I did change this up by using ribbon instead of I cords, and I "laced" the ribbon through little button hole for finishing. (I thought I was rather clever doing that.. I'm pretty proud of that detail)



Ada recently told me that she reads the blog sometimes, I had no idea.. anywho, if she's milling about this weekend, she is going to get a sneak peek at what is coming into her hands on Monday morning..

Here's the detail I was talking about... see how the little ribbon goes through the edging.. I did that last night and was so engrossed in the process that I looked up and it was after midnight, (I got up at 4:00 am, so I was really into this project, ya know?)

So here is the kind of depressing thing about all of this, my friends, and they are my age, are having grand kids. I don't begrudge them this joy. I know that I was nearly 30 before I had my first child, and this will slow down my own grand parentage, however, I just don't feel old enough to be a grandma, but clearly.. I am. All I can say to that is ... wow. Clearly though, (at least from the shining joy on the face of my friend Ada) the child itself erases the trepidation felt from the grandmother status.

Random thoughts..

1. Why is my house, never, ever clean?

2. Wanting it clean, and having it clean is not the same thing, ever.

3. Cleaning my house will take a re-dedication to my sisterhood of the "fly lady" and I have no choice but to start all over again.

4. Sam's room will require a call to HAZMAT. I hope that they can respond quickly, I fear for his life.

5. This re-dedication leaves very little time for yarn, this could (WILL) effect the quality of life for those I live with.

6. When you shave under one arm and forget to shave the other side, you start to question your sanity.

Marcie's Socks.. and a tree

Well... Marcie's socks are done, and they are beautiful! I'm not just saying that because I am the arteest that knitted them.. I am saying that because they ARE beautiful.. and frankly reversible.. really, look at how cool these things look inside-in vs. inside out

As you can see, it is a fantastic day outside, Springy, SPRINGY spring time! And frankly, it's Friday, and I don't have to work this weekend, and although the laundry is calling my name, and I still have not figured out what in the whole wide world I am making for dinner tonight, I am about as happy as a mother is meant to be... Stay tuned, this coming week is spring break for the boys.. I very well may be singing a different tune one week from now. (or 4 days).

BUT, for today..

With this springy wonderful weather, I went out and bought a couple of apple trees about two weeks ago, and they are doing very well. As a matter of fact, the Pink Lady tree has just TODAY showed me her very first blossoms, they are just peeking out now..

see..

There are like, five blossoms in that one little sprig of leaves.. yeah, I know, I see that sock peeking under there. I was such a pretty day, I couldn't just leave the poor thing inside..

As a matter of fact, here are just a few more gratuitous sock shots..

My work here is done.. time to cast on another pair. Marcie, they're on their way!

Time for another homework assignment.

Why does my son not get it? Why does he have to procrastinate on a project because he doesn't have a starting sentence? When will he learn that working together can have us both laughing, and make the work go faster.. and frankly that we can do it over a weeks time instead of one, long, grueling night (God save me)
Picture this.. we are a piece of Corn, on an adventure down the wondrous world of the human digestive system...

Sam and I are quite a team.. here it is.


My name is Brutus. I am a rare piece of gnome corn. This is the captain’s log of my five stage mission, to explore the complex human digestive system. First I shall be boiled, and then buttered, then, as the pins are stuck into my sides, I will scream like a little girl.
When I entered what the locals call “the mouth”, it was dark and colder than I was, and there were puddles of an odd substance that seemed to break apart the butter that surrounded me. Then I was being mauled by giant, white, crushing pillars. Before I was crushed underneath the column of white, a big pink snake swiped me aside, and I was thrown down a tunnel.
Captain’s gullet date 10: it is dark, the murky walls around me glisten with the same puddle substance I encountered in the area above. The enclosure threatened to squash me, so I plummeted downward into a spiral. Suddenly I was surrounded by a large waterfall that set me into motion towards vast pit of boiling acid. (Dun, dun, daa)
Captain’s abdomen date 10: I crashed down into a boiling pit of acid and although nothing seemed to harm me, other things such as pieces of bread and red disk like substances were melting away. I waited for about half an hour and suddenly I was plunged into a small tunnel.
Captain’s duodenum date 10: I was being flushed down with a ton of liquidy substance that I had seen in the pit of boiling acid, when suddenly I was elevated to the top of said substance and was being carried along like a theme park water slide. I was flowing along at incredible speeds. I traveled so fast, I almost wet my trousers, the tunnel seemed to widen rapidly.
Captain’s colon date 10: As I gushed through the rapids I seemed to be gradually slowing down. The fluid beneath me began to rapidly disintegrate, and I spotted a large brown object where the solution had vanished. From here on out I walked alone through the large tunnel. After about 20 minutes I found myself slipping and falling, coming closer and closer to that same brown object that seemed to be making its way slowly along the tunnel as well.
There was a mysterious, overwhelming force that was pushing the brown object towards me. I could not hold this burden back, and I was compelled forward by this massive load. Suddenly I saw light, and knew that I was at the end of my perilous journey. I had touch down in a yellow sea.
It was messy, it was smelly, but I was free.

Creative parenting

We've discussed Asperger's right? We've gone over special techniques used to work with rages? .. well maybe not, but that's not important now. What we have probably not gone over is the fact that children whose brains are hard wired differently, are still children, and they still really get on their mother's last nerve. Especially when their mother is having a deep and meaningful discussion with her minister, on the phone, and said children will not quit wrestling in the house. Even after several highly excused "OI!"'s yelled at them to stop horsing around in the house.

So I think that you will agree, that instead of bringing out the "fatal beatings" bat that I keep in the closet for just these kind of occasions, that it was a far, far better thing that I did when I filled up the nearest spray bottle, and proceeded to treat them like the cats digging in the house plants.

When I came around the corner, and caught them wrestling again.... well, let's just say they split apart pretty quickly. And Bless them, they did it laughing.

Book Worms

Every now and then I get a wild hair up in a place that has no need for wild hairs, and I decide that I am going to "just make a quick..." for one person or another.. and when I was in Ben's IEP this last month, his Special Ed coordinator mentioned his bookmark.. a "bookworm" that I had made for the boys, and my god daughters a couple of years ago. Ben is starting to use his on his chapter books (We are so very proud of this! Ben has worked super hard at his reading!)

So I think.. no big deal, I can make one for her and his teacher..
Then comes the wild hair thingy.
I think, these are so fast, I could make one for everyone in Ben's class.. they are all reading chapter books now, 3rd grade is a great time for them to get their own book markers. Right?

Well, then I thought, if I have extra, I can give some to the Special Ed teacher, and she can pass some out to the little ones who have to work extra hard..as an incentive, right?

So I thought that if I make 40 that would be good.. 25 for the kids in Ben's class, Oh but I did one for his teacher, then one for Mrs. Gary (the special Ed teacher) and then two of the people I work with went gaga, and I gave one to them each... so I was up to 44 then my mom saw the little "camoworm" and took one for my dad's bookmark, so I had to do another, 45... Then Ben said he wanted a new one. 46. Then, I admit that I had to have a new one for myself, because the yarn was so very soft.. and pink. 47.

And they look like this..





Here's the real rub.. just when I think that I'm done.. no more to do and I'm putting away the scrap yarn and the googley-eyes? Sam comes along and says.. "Hey, the kids in my class want some of those too.. they keep asking if they can have one like mine, I just forgot to tell you"

So if there are 14 kids in his class, and one teacher, 4 or 5 aids..... 25 more? just to be sure?

And before you ask Joan, here is the pattern if you don't already have it, because I have it ingrained into my brain for all time...

Book worm

chain 20, 2dc in 4th chain from hook
3dc in each chain until end
chain 35 (if big yarn) 40 for worsted (or whatever length you want for your actual book size)
chain 15 , 2dc in 4th chain from hook
3dc in next 14 chains. finish off
glue googley-eyes on ... not the same without the eyes.. never forget this!!

Friday night.. let the party begin.

Tonight promises to be amazing!

Am I watching the Olympics? No.

Am I going to a great movie with the kiddos? No.

Am I going out on a hot date with my best friend and husband? No.

I get to bleach my walls tonight!

And if I'm really quick, I can clean the little trays in my windows too.

Man, I really know how to have a goooood tme.