Happies

Well, Blogger must think that I am eloquent and do not need pictures to distract you from my flowery prose because it will not let me up load any pictures... It is so nice to be well thought of.

Anyway, I will save the amateur photography for another day and just give out a couple of happies....


Happy Birthday to Miss M. My Niece is 6 today and I knit her a fabulous little poncho to celebrate. *photo at a later date* We will have dinner and cake at my MIL's and see how close the kids get to seeing the new year. Another bummer about living on the east coast. We used to be able to watch the ball drop in New York at 9 pst, be to bed at a reasonable hour and not feel like we missed anything! Either way, Happy Birthday, Miss M.


Happy Anniversary to Laurie and Dave! 25 years. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS!! Let's give them a round of applause. In these days of selfish indulgence and instant gratification and no-fault divorce, to weather the joys and challenges of a committed relationship and raise two boys at the same time... You Rock! Best wishes for the next 25.


As for the rest of you... Happy New Year!! I hope that 2009 is a blessing to you and your family. I hope that you find comfort and unconditional love in your life. I hope that you have the best year yet. 10...9...8...7..............

Merry Christmas, Baby!

HO!HO!HO!

They tell me that they have been nice this year.

Do they look nice to you?

If I hadn't hurried up to get out the Christmas Cards before we left, this picture would have been in every one. Isn't that typical? Threaten life and limb for a decent picture for the cards and get none, have a random life-size Santa in a hotel lobby and get the cutest picture in years!!

Eldest took about 80 pictures on our trip. Once I sift through them, be prepared for a Scranton travelogue! We had an awesome time. The weather was gnarly on the way there (35mph on I-80 and I was still praying hard) but we made it safely (5.5 hr trip turned a little more than 8 hr.)
INBA said that his birthday weekend was "spectacular."
I guess it is good to be 7.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

May the joy and peace of the birth of Christ be the ultimate gift for you this season.

Birthday Mayhem

He really IsN't a Baby Anymore!INBA is 7.

We are off to visit trains this weekend to celebrate.

Of course, the weather is supposed to be icky, but would it really be a December Birthday Party if there wasn't a wintery mix and travel advisory to go along with it?

Happy Birthday, Kid! Love ya bunches, wouldn't trade you for the world.

Momma Love

So, we were going to 5pm Mass on Sunday night. We had a busy weekend around the house. I'm pregnant, I'm tired, I thought I was having a moment and feeling like death warmed over, I thought a little make-up might make me feel like less of a zombie.
INBA likes to watch me put on my make-up (which, honestly, doesn't happen much anymore). He even reminded me to put on some eyeliner. *no comments, please :) *
This morning, over breakfast, he says to me, "Mommy, when you wear that blush, you don't look so old."
To which I reply, "Thank you!"
Eldest pipes up, "Maybe you should wear that more often."
"Um, maybe."

Cure for Winter Hands
Some lovely, lanolin rich wool being spun into beautiful singles (soon to be plied) does wonders for some dry winter hands. Unfortunately, like all good things, it doesn't last terribly long. Fortunately, I have quite a bit of that fleece left to spin!! I was trying not to give-in to the siren call of my wheel, seeing how pathetic the Christmas knitting is this year. But I relented last night and I feel so much better about it all. I hope to spin some more this week, too. If it wasn't for all those other things on my to-do list!! Well, if I put it on the list, it needs to get done, too.
Hmm, I may have out-smarted myself!

Busy Holidays

It has been too busy around her to even start to adjust to the season or the impending changes to our family. Too busy to blog, not that I don't think about it...

See, I took a cute picture of a cute hat that I made for a baby girl born in October to a friend of a friend. The first friend gifted me a skein of pink Cascade 220- wishing us a girl before we knew- so I made the hat for her to give. I did a little embroidery, ala cosyknits, with some of the yarn I dyed way back in the summer with friends on the back porch.

My busy-ness is directly related to my inability to not volunteer for things at the boys' school. This includes being PTG president, which means that I get to help, even when I don't particularly want to help. So, Breakfast with Santa, and the soon to be mentioned Santa's Workshop, and the nasty little cold that the boys gave me, and all the usual bits and pieces have made the days become a blur.

I guess, I need to stop...

We put up the tree on Sunday. The boys were going to go to Santa's Workshop at school on Tuesday and they needed to have some place to put their gifts. I couldn't think of any good time this month to put up the tree, so we just put it up, tired or not.
It has become apparent that I make ornaments for the tree nearly every year.
The boys make ornaments, too.
I have made a good bit more.
This is distressing, because I like to make the ornaments. The tree is obviously full.
I should stop.
I could stop, anytime I want.
Right after I finish the list of cute ones that I haven't gotten around to making, yet.
Then, I will stop.
Probably.

Christmas Knits
Um, not going to happen so much this year. INBA is asking for socks, predictably claiming the latest edition of Knitterly Things Sock Club for himself (hand-dyed semi-solid red sock yarn- called Fireside, very INBA). We'll see how it goes. I am not putting too much pressure on myself. We are, however, going to be taking a road-trip for INBA's 7th birthday. That means 5-6 hours of car knitting each way. Kid socks might be a good option.
We are going to Steamtown in Scranton, PA. You cannot begin to imagine how excited he is. Super-double bonus? The hotel has a pool. Woot!

Oh, and then there is the baby girl to think about.
I am still trying to wrap my mind around a real, live daughter.
And then there is the name issue.
I think it will come down to meeting her and seeing who she is.
In the meantime, Helga is her nickname. The Mister thinks Hildegard would be better, but I cannot remember it when someone asks.
Anna Katherine was always our girl name when we were expecting the boys. This evening I met a 2 week old baby girl named Anna. I keep telling the Mister that it is a really common name right now. Being a Heather born in the '70s, I have a huge issue with any "name of the moment." He thinks it just means that it is a good name.
Feel free to make your suggestions, but don't be offended if we name her Helga. :)