How do you keep from going crazy while you are waiting for your adopted daughter?

You knit her stuff... Lots and lots of stuff.

First a Modern Baby Blanket: I'm using Cotton Tots in their jelly bean shades. I'll probably throw in a little pink somewhere just for good measure and to match the dolly. I'm changing stitch patterns as I go to give it a little extra interest. Hopefully she will enjoy feeling the different textures someday. The changeup makes it a lot more interesting to knit. Just flip open the old stitch dictionary and go.

Next: Finish January's Sock of the month in time for Chinese New Year. Our adoption group is having a CNY party at a local catfish restaurant. It's the only place in town big enough for all of us. You can't get more "East Meets West" than that.

Finally: Work on the "Red Thread" blanket in TLC Wiggles. This pattern comes from the first Debbie Macomber knitting book. It's a bit of a pain to work the crossed stitch pattern, but I like how it is turning out. Why acrylic and not a natural fiber? This is going to be Charley's travel blanket. Puke washes easily out of acrylic.

Last but not least: Find something cool to knit for big brother. Is that not hilarious?

"A Father's Heart"

This message has deeply moved both Chad and me. Please pray for the Burgess family as they endure this terrible storm.

Rick Burgess, of the Rick & Bubba Show, took the opportunity to speak at the memorial service for his son William Bronner Burgess (also known as Cornbread on the show). Bronner had accidentally drowned in the swimming pool at their house. Rick delivers a powerful message showing his family's strong faith in God and helps us to understand what we can do to honor his Father and his son during this earthly tragedy. For more information visit www.rickandbubba.com

10:30 am: It's coming down!

7:30 am: no snow...

Quick, get to the store for bread and milk! It's gonna' SNOW!!!!
Wednesday's flurries were hopefully just a preview of things to come. 1-3 inches of accumulation are predicted for our area tonight and tomorrow morning.

"Big deal," you say? Understand that snow is a rarity around these parts. Any accumulation sends Alabama into full scale Armageddon mode. My sweet little first graders have gone snow crazy. It's been at least 5 years since we've had a decent snow fall, so they have never experienced the joy of a snow day. (We close down school for an inch of snow? Heck yeah!) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they get one. Especially since it's a Saturday.

C's First Snowfall

Let's hope it sticks!

The Paperchase Begins!

Start as you mean to go on... That's the advice Brenda Dayne gave for the new year on the lastest episode of Cast On. I took that advice as I carried the first of many envelopes of adoption paperwork to the post office. What's that I'm wearing? Why yes, it is Mr. Greenjeans finished just this morning. Starting the year off with a finished sweater and the beginnings of a new member of the family; it can't get much better.

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.