You Are Welcome!

Yes, it was 51 degrees yesterday and 53 today. You're welcome. Not to worry though, Ol'Man Winter cannot seem to help himself, it is supposed to be 32 by Monday. And snow.

Spring! Spring! Where Are You?!

I finished the Wallaby during the Oscars (which I thought was the best broadcast in many years, if a bit longer than I would have liked.) Eldest tried it on this morning and put it back on as soon as he got home from school. He would have worn it to school, but it isn't dress code. Very safe to say that he likes it. I warned him that it won't fit next winter and he can't be mad because INBA will wear it. He said that, indeed, he could, and probably would be mad. Um, we need to work on that one.

Yoo-Hoo!

Boy, the time flies! Either that, or we have had a lot of stuff going on around here.

Probably both.

I was in Indy last week while my lil' Sis had her gall bladder was sucked out of her belly button. I came home to Valentine Parties with the boys, Pops with the Mister and furniture shopping for babygirl. Then it was a no school day for President's day and a crazy too many things to do Tuesday.

Let's sum up, I have spent the last 2 days sleeping. I wish I could say that I am caught up... but I am thinking at nearly 31 weeks, I will be caught up in about 2 1/2 years.

Today is lunch duty, ptg volunteer hounding and... Yea! Knit night!!

Some other goings on...

Cub Scouts had their Pinewood Derby/Grand Prix.
The boys didn't win any awards this year. They were disappointed, but have plenty of ideas for next year.

Wow, that is a lot of pink.

A friend of a friend passed on a 0-3 month assortment.

Another friend tried jinxing me and said that my baby wouldn't need such small clothes.

I am still having earnest discussion with babygirl about the merits of being a bouncing 7 1/2 lb babe. Cross your fingers for me, thanks.

Estimation of Spring Arrival

I am ready to start the hood of Eldest's Wallaby. I am not entirely sure how long it will take me to knit it, but I am fairly certain that Spring will arrive about 10- minutes after I am done.

Eldest tried it on this morning and was quite taken with it. I did knit a size 10, but I don't think that it will fit him next winter. Have you found the Wallaby to run small? Or do you think my crazy life affected my gauge? I should double check.

Either way, it is a lovely sweater. Someone will wear it.

Whatever it takes to see Spring. *grin*

Who Knew a Utensil Had so Much Personality?

You Are a Spork

You have a playful, eccentric sense of humor. You are creative. You see the world in bold colors. You are a dabbler. You love to experiment. You aren't an expert in anything, but you know a little about everything.

What Utensil Are You?

If you cannot read the heading (it is really light on my screen) it says that I am a spork.

What are you?

Shadowy

Well, in case you haven't heard, he saw his shadow.

Which only means that Eldest might be able to wear his wallaby yet this winter.
I discovered yesterday that I was using the wrong size needles to knit his sleeve.
While debating what to do (trying to rationalize laziness) the Mister asked how long it took me to knit what I had done. Maybe 3 or 4 hours -not all of which would need to be frogged. Then he gave me this, this, this sound akin to a shrug. So I frogged, and reknit during the Super Bowl.

And about that Super Bowl. Was that not the best game actually played at the Super Bowl in a long time? Both teams played like they wanted to win, and for a while there, I wondered who would win! The commercials weren't so great this year, but you can't have everything.

Bobbles Suck and Craig Ferguson Makes Me Cry

I have nearly completed Miss Dashwood. I just have to sew the earflaps and ties on. I used the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran that the pattern calls for and that Laurie had given me 2 balls of at Wuletide. I love this yarn. I want more of this yarn. I want an entire yummy something-just-for-me of this yarn. The only thing is, that this yarn is not very stretchy. So, making bobbles -who thought k4togtbl was a good idea, anyway? - is really tough on the hands. Still, it is soft and delicious and I love it.

Craig Ferguson is another issue. He is on way too late at night. And geesh, if I accidentally stay up late compulsively knitting hand-hurting bobbles, well, I just have to watch him. Oh my, oh my. I laugh so hard that my pregnancy-compressed lungs hurt and tears stream from my eyes. I very much enjoy it when he makes me laugh until I cry, and it is nearly every time I watch him that this happens. Just so you know. 'Cuz I know you care.

I Have a Friend

Seriously, I do.

And she thinks that babies are just as cute while they are still inside as when they are on the outside. (she has never been pregnant herself- just sayin')

So, this one is for you. Me, 27+ weeks.Isn't it so cute how she makes my left hip hurt so bad?

Awwww, sweet. ;)

Another thing that makes me happy...

I just figured out that Ravelry will now let me upload pictures directly into my project descriptions. No more messing with Flickr. Very happy, much more likely to update my projects.

We survived

And the boys went back to school after 2 snow days. The first day wasn't so bad, the second, well, more challenging. Eldest read the 3 whimpy kid books that I bought him at the book fair on the first day. INBA cuddled up in the recliner and took a nap with me. There was a little webkins time for each of them, too. The second day, wrestling, teasing, antagonizing, you get the picture.

Today, after a 2 hour delay, they happily ran off to school.

whew.

oh, and they just returned... let the mayhem resume!

Pregnant Ladies Are Not Allowed...

To watch "Hallmark Hall of Fame" movies.

"Loving Leah" was on last night, and honestly, half a box of tissue later, I don't really know why I was blubbering. Hormones. ugh.

Anyway, I finished my no-purl monkeys in Vesper Yarn, Shout Out Loud.

Don't you love that you cannot really see how swollen my ankles are in this colorway?

I showed the Mister and I think he was startled by the color. The, "WHOA!" and slight jump in his chair gave me that idea. he-he. Eldest was happy to run upstairs and grab a bag for me.

Lookie-lookie, what was inside!
More Vesper sock yarn, Lovely Lollipop Sky!
The pattern is Groovy Socks.
There wasn't a picture that printed with the pattern. I, of course forgot what it looks like, and happily knit this up, right away!

I am a very happy girl :)

Now, the weather man is calling for some big snow to come tonight and tomorrow. I have a growing affinity for the 2 hour school delay... I really prefer not having to get up until 8!

Alas, as I begin the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy, the sleep deprivation training is beginning. I think that the only way not to be so tired is to quit doing laundry and dishes... and I would say cleaning the bathroom, but I kind of already have... unless the boys do some serious damage that cannot be ignored. Oh, and I guess I should quit going to school and volunteering and no more late nights knitting and... and .... nah, I can't give up my fun! Just the work. heh.

Show n Tell

Tell is fun, but Blogging is so much more fun when I have pictures to show!

This here is Eldest's Wonderful Wallaby.

Even though I am happy to have pictures, it would be nice if I took better ones...

but, as it is, the color of his sweater is really a hunter/forest green heather.The no purl monkeys that I started back in AUGUST (ugh) have found new attention.

This is the second sock, one repeat short of the heel.

A baby set in progress... but I don't think I am going to make the booties that are with this pattern, because the current issue of Piecework has a set of booties that are much more my taste... you know I am not a huge lover of garter stitch, but I like the garter rib. That magazine also has an Alice Starmore baby bonnet that is a must have.
And this is the niftiest idea! It is the real reason for renewed attention to the monkeys.
I saw that Mum was doing it and apparently she found inspiration on Ravelry. Either way, it is my personal Sock Club 2009.

I paired up patterns that I have wanted to knit with yarn in the stash, (fun and occasionally harder than I thought it would be) and then stuck it in a paper lunch sack and stapled the top. Never a disappointment, because I know that I want to make them! And, one thing that I wonder if it is considered with some of the sock clubs out there... I started with the pattern and picked yarn to go with it rather than "this is the yarn and this is the pattern" that don't necessarily go together.
I think I might need to start a set of boy bags. I am feeling a little knitters guilt that all those bags are socks for me.

Lastly, a glimpse of my Out n About Tote in progress.

All that fabric was in my stash.

The green was used in a quilt for INBA, the pink batik and the "Barbados" floral were just, "I love it, I must have it, I will use it someday" purchases.

Sweet, eh?

I am super looking forward to finishing it. (waiting for the feet I ordered)

Imagine the Potential

Nesting?

I don't have the energy, but I have been cleaning. Walls, baseboards, trying to declutter the counter where all things get piled. I have even been trying to get ufo's off the needles (only to begin more.) Can someone say... beginning the 7th month very soon? I am going to have to sweet talk the Mister to paint the nursery on his next Friday off... then I can think about curtains and that gorgeous little quilt I want to make and, and, and.... I am definitely going to need a nap this afternoon.

One other thing.
I didn't say enough about the sweater that Laurie made me for Christmas. When I read about it, I had no idea that I would be so lucky as to receive it. And having since received it... wow, what an awesome gift. And, I have received so many compliments! I think that even better than being able to say, "Oh, yes, I knit this." is to be able to say, "My friend made this for me!!"

Thank you, again. I am super lucky to have you as my friend, for so many reasons.

I'm So Excited!

Pictures!!

from New Years with cousins...of my Christmas present from Laurie (that is baby girl, there, making her blog debut)
of belated Christmas mits with my first use of the loop stitch on the cuff,
btw, I used jiffy yarn for the hand... it is so warm and soft! And I don't like acrylic!

of some baking... many birthdays this time of year here at Chez Mayhem. My cheat has always been a box cake with homemade frosting... I used the stand mixer this year to mix the batter... OMG! Way improved the texture. And the Betty Crocker chocolate frosting recipe is always a big hit, and very easy, too.

of chocolate chewy cookies...INBA loves to watch video clips on the internet and seems to especially enjoy the Cook's Illustrated website's video library. Good thing, it seems, because we found these cookies there. I promise you, if you love chocolate... well, INBA has added these to the family recipe binder under "INBA's favorite cookie." I cannot over state how awesome these cookies are.

And finally, of the Mister's Birthday.

Wow, check out the glow.
Happiest of years to you!!

Uninteresting

No pictures, again. I am going to guess that it is the firewall. I am secure, for sure.
Either that or my pictures are so bad and my blog so boring that I am being cut off.

So...
Everyone went back to school and work on Monday. I have been doing laundry and grocery shopping and having lunch with a friend. The lull is short lived. I looked at the calendar this afternoon and silly busy is about to strike again. Welcome to 2009.

I continue to be pregnant. Apparently, she has a trampoline in there. The boys have each felt her moving. INBA thinks it is pretty cool and frequently touches my belly and asks me to make her move. I am not sure that Eldest really believes it when he feels her. But he finds it fascinating and mistakes every gurgle of my abdomen for his sister. I tricked the Mister into feeling the baby. I have to trick him because he won't touch me when I tell him that she is moving around. He claims that it doesn't weird him out to feel the movement... but he jerks away when he feels her and won't touch me if I tell him that she is moving around. What would you think?

I have startitis in a bad way. I made a beautiful (if I do say so myself)bag for Julia for Wultide and now I am going to make one for myself. Different fabric, no matchy matchy here. And I didn't even take a picture of it before I gave it to her-not very secretly hoping she wouldn't like it and I would trade her a cocoa trio for it back :) I have high (probably too high) hopes that it is a perfect bag. Even if it falls short, it is darn close. And I want to make things for baby girl- I have a little cardi in progress that I was hoping to be the welcome home outfit, but I am not loving it like that, and I have this crazy notion to knit her baptism outfit. CQ gave me a great book for Wultide and I actually want to knit everything in it, but had better start on the baptism gown first if it has any hope of being completed in time. I could sew one for her, too, but... I don't know what. And I bought some yarn, just some wool-ease on sale at Michaels, to make Eldest a wallaby. Not to mention the lonely glove with 3 fingers and the single mitt and the mis matched pair of socks waiting for the perfect mates. I guess if my calendar isn't crazy busy, my mind makes up stuff for me to be busy just wishing I could get done tomorrow!!

This is too long for a post without pictures. I will try to get my issues resolved with my tech guy, um, Mister. Until then... I hope something interesting happens that I can tell you about.

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. :)

So, Now We Know

Can you believe it?
I still cannot, really...
It's a girl.
Seriously.
A girl.

Impatiently Paitent

Friday...
Waiting for Friday...
Not for the usual reasons...
Waiting to see what is in store for us...
Worse than waiting for Christmas...

Thanksgiving will be a quiet one this year. The Mister's sister is not coming to the 'burgh with her family this year. So, it will just be us and the MIL. I am going to make a chicken, which I much prefer to turkey, and the usual sides.
Food doesn't taste right to me. So, I am not going to bother making much of a fuss. I joke that the baby doesn't like the usual comfort foods. But the baby does like milk and cheese and yogurt (which usually don't do much for me) and the baby loves apples. The baby prefers tart and sour, sweet things don't even register as taste. Oh, and the baby really likes beer. I made a loaf of "almost no knead bread" and had 3/4 of a beer left over, so I drank it... ooooooh, that was the best beer ever. Again, usually not much interested in beer.

INBA's class is doing mass tomorrow. He is reading one of the intentions. He is excited because they are going to have "real candles with fire!" Um, yeah.

I have startitis with my knitting, projects in general. Nothing holds my attention for long. My sister has asked for a warm hat that she can wear under her hardhat. My sister is a boilermaker. Seriously. She is working outside, third shift, on the Ohio River. Brr. I had given a hat to my niece, an unoriginal hat, I think, and my sister has been wearing it to work. The cables aren't very comfortable under her hardhat. And it is Malabrigo, so you know how yummy and warm it is. So, she wants a hat of her own. But, I would rather knit baby things... waiting to knit baby things.

So that is all there is to distract me until Friday morning. Then, a look at our babe. Geesh, it is hard to be patient! I don't know how some people wait the whole 9 months to find out...