It's Potty Day!

C is spending the day in big boy pants, so we are staying close to home. The kitchen timer is set to go off every thirty minutes to remind us to go to the potty. So far it's hit or miss (pun intended). In between trips I'm working on the sleeves of Mr. Greenjeans. I may not have a potty ready kid by 2008, but at least my new sweater will be ready when the temperature drops into the 40's Wednesday.

One last time...

Daddy-O and I saw Third Day perform Merry Christmas live in Rome several weeks ago. I like to call it my "Chinese Baby Pining" song. Thank goodness it's a Christmas song or I'd listen to it all the time. So before the New Year rolls around here's one last listen. Here's praying that 2008 will be a fertile year for referrals so many of us can finally stop pining and get down to the business of spoiling our little China angels.

"It's a birthday Mommy!"

I was beginning to worry that despite my best efforts at advent devotionals and Fisher Price Nativity reenactments that C wasn't locking on to the true Reason for the Season. Relentlessly watching Hermie's Fruitcake Christmas and The Wonder Pets Save the Reindeer seemed to help, but the whole "Christmas isn't about presents" message seemed to be drowned out by Santa, Lightning McQueen, and a sea of wrapping paper.

My worries dissolved Christmas Day as the family descended onto our house for the big meal. All the presents had been opened. Santa had come and gone. The house was full of laughter, good food, and the people we love. In the midst of the chaos C looked up at me with a big grin and said, "It's a birthday Mommy." He was exactly right.

"Mommy, put down the yarn."

Oh my goodness, it has been a month since I last posted. Bad blogger, no cookie! Our lives have been a flurry of activity since Thanksgiving. No, I didn't finish Mr. Greenjeans in time for Thanksgiving. In fact it still isn't finished. However my Christmas shopping is 95% complete. The Christmas cards are ordered (not yet sent, but ordered). AND I'm halfway through the Christmas knitting. (Neck gaiter for Chuck, mittens for MIL, fingerless mitts for FIL, possibly sweaters for my furry nephews) I'll post knitting pictures as soon as I can. In the meantime enjoy these adorable family shots.

Mr. Greenjeans could possibly be my perfect sweater. Not only is it knit from the top down. (No seams!) It also has adorable little cables and fits me perfectly so far. I'm using Caron Simply Soft Shadows which is turning out to be a fantastic acrylic. It has a nice soft hand without any pilling. And unlike what happens with wool sweaters, I don't feel like I'm smothering when I try it on. I'm hoping to have it finished by Thanksgiving. It's so very festive!

C is also getting in the holiday spirit. I caught him rummaging around in a hall closet a few days ago. "I want to play with Jesus mommy!" Lo and behold he had found my nativity scene and was bent on playing with it. Luckily I had our kid's nativity and we set up this sweet little scene. Only one angel was harmed. Some glue should stick her head right back on.

Baby Lane is here!

Lane made his appearance on Halloween night. He was a month early, but weighed in at 6 pounds 6 ounces. (We don't mess around with tiny babies in this family.) His lungs are still developing so he will be staying in the hospital for a week or so. Say a prayer for our new little guy and his mom and dad. It's not easy to have a sick baby. Say an extra prayer for the new grandparents and great auntie (my mom). They are going out of their minds wanting to hug and kiss Lane, but those mean (wonderful) NICU nurses keep saying no.

This is what we were doing while Holli was busy with her Halloween surprise. C was the most adorable engineer ever to jump in a moon bounce. We didn't do too much Trick or Treating, but he managed to score plenty of candy from the grandparents.

Unexpected Reaction

I couldn't help envision receiving the Mother of the Year award as I sewed the buttons onto C's top down cardigan. Disregard the pile of clothes in his room that are yet to be put away. Forget that I've let him have PB & J for dinner at least three nights this week. I just made one freakin' adorable sweater for my child by hand.

Imagine my surprise at his reaction...

The boy was not happy with the buttons. In the mind of a 2 year old lad, sewing vehicle shaped buttons onto a sweater is a waste of perfectly good playthings. He refused to wear the jacket (or quiet down) until the buttons were removed.

So C can now happily sort his buttons and wear his cute new jacket. Maybe I can still be Mother of the Year. I just need to find some plain new buttons.

Daddy-O claims he can gauge my stress level by the amount of knitting that I get accomplished. Less knitting equals more stress. The 8 or so rows of garter stitch that it took to finish off Holli's baby blanket is the sum total of knitting I did Monday through Thursday. Things are looking up though, so let's dwell on happy things.

For example: happy families at weddings,

love birds,

and crazy uncles that show up for weddings in Elvis wigs.

I feel better already!

Stick a fork (or a Chibi) in me...

Humpty Dumpty is chillaxin' on Lane's Modern Blankie. I've bound this one off, now all I need to do is decide on a border. There's no time to waste because the shower is in two weeks.

I also bound off Fran's diagonal stroller blankie. This one is knit from Lion Brand Watercolors that I found for less than $1 a ball. I would normally pass this yarn by, but it was just crying out to become a baby blanket. It looks sort of like knit up cotton candy. I ran out of pink so one little corner is finished off in purple. Let's call it an "interesting design element."

The Breakup

Sweater: "You're not ready for this. I'm asking too much with all the seaming and alternating skeins. "

Me: "Yeah."

Sweater: "So we're breaking up?"

Me: "OK, I'm frogging you."

*rip, rip, rip*

Sweater: "We're broken..."

Me: "It's over... Hey, what are you doing? Get back in your storage bag."

Sweater: "Break up cast on."

Me: "Break up cast on..."

Sweater: "Break up ribbing, break up button band..."

Me: "Break up ribbing...button band...mmmm"

Dang...

Stupid sweater monogomy. I was ready to start seeing someone new.

Cue the McDreamy music.

I guess we can start over... AGAIN.

Thinking about Fall...

I know Autumn is on its way when the weather cools, I develop a sinus infection, and my knitting fancy turns to scarves. Despite the fact that I have two baby kimonos and a blanket to finish, I've cast on a Montego Bay scarf and a One Skein Scarf.

Actually the Montego Bay has been put on hold. C is convinced that my bamboo needles are the best set of drumsticks he has ever used. Mind you his percussion rendition of "My Savior My God" is adorable, but I can't bear the thought of picking up all of those yarn over stitches. In the name of family harmony this project has been laid aside for now.

A moment of blatant vanity:
Farrah taught me how to flat iron my hair yesterday. I am so proud of myself for pulling off an actual hairstyle that I had to document the results. It almost looks like my little avatar. Thank you dear Farrah for teaching me to be fabulous!

Remember the Knit Picks Dancing that was on clearance? I know I said that the colors weren't my cup of tea... but last month a few balls wound up in my shopping cart along with some new circular needles. (Knit Picks circulars; where have you been all my life?!) This darling little ankle sock is the result.

I got my Ravelry Invite! Woo hoo! It would happen on my second day back to work...

I will try to post some actual knitting content soon; but first I've got to meet 14 little people who expect me to teach them how to read.

In the meantime enjoy this lovely family photo from Julie's visit home.

I would have never imagined that my old school Cotton Ease stash would have lasted this long. My mom bought Tuesday Morning out two summers ago and we are still knitting from it today. Can you believe that I still have enough for two more log cabin blankets? These are the first three blocks for baby Lane's blanket. Of the four babies coming into our circle of friends and family Lane is the first with a confirmed gender, so he gets the first blanket.

C was such a big boy at the barber shop yesterday that Daddy-O rewarded him with a big ole' slice of water mellon... and another... and another.

Land o' Cotton


Sarah commissioned me to knit this little layette for a friend who is expecting. I used Cotton Tots in Jelly Bean and Blue Berry. The cotton feels so very good on my dry scratchy hands. I know it's Summer of Socks, I KNOW that there is a beautiful stash of sock wool in the next room, but I'm going to have to stick with the cotton for now.

Free fiber from Pebbles! If only I knew how to spin...

At last the Crimson Tidal Wave socks are complete. I couldn't resist showing off my new nail design before finishing the toe. (I'm SO easily amused.) Look at how much Tofutsies yarn was left. It might be just enough to double and make a wee hat for one of the many November/December babies on the way around here.

It was a rough week for C, but he got over the strep with a steady regimen of antibiotics, Nick Jr., and banana Popsicles. I'm happy to report that he is back to full strength and ready for a full week of VBS and hanging out with Daddy-O.