Videos

My Family (this year)

Green Scarf

Cast on 22. Knit on US13 needles

Row 1: k2, p2, repeat
Row 2: Repeat row 1
Row 3: p2, k2, repeat
Row 4: Repeat row 3
Repeat rows 1 - 4.

Best Daddy Ever, Love Cortland

My bib says it all, but the videos show you why I love my daddy.


Two guys hanging out watching basketball.




Here we are again watching basketball. This time it's the big, important Texas game last Saturday. I can't keep my eyes off the screen even for a second.


And here's what I think about Texas losing.

Weasley Sweater Request

Dear Angy,

I've been thinking about the Weasley sweater you requested that I make for you.
Like this one:

You do realize that your name doesn't lend well to the whole concept of this particular sweater? You understand that your 1st initial will be emblazoned on your chest for all to see? You totally have to know that I will feel obligated to call you Hester Prynne for the rest of your life, right?

Just so we're clear.

Love and Kisses,

Skye

Grace Has a Death Wish

Grace Ann almost died today.

Grace grabbed my turkey sandwich off the coffee table and before I could get it away from her she had snarfed down almost all of the meat. I managed to scoop up the bread and cheese, but the turkey was a lost cause.

I knew something was wrong because usually after she does something all dog-like and bad, she hides behind the toilet, so that by the time I find her I will have forgotten that she's been a bad girl. But today she came over looking all guilty and tried to crawl in my lap.

I picked her up and took her into the other room so I could hear her breathing. Or, in this case, not hear her breathing. While I was trying to decide what to do she managed to hork up a 4 inch solid wad of turkey meat. It just slithered right out of her mouth and landed with a splat on the floor.

And because this post is already so very gross, here is a picture of the horked up turkey with a quarter bedside it for comparison. Anyone who has put their fingers around Grace's neck knows how scary-big this piece of meat is. (and anyone who has had to listen to her bark at the tv for any length of time has wanted to have their fingers around her neck!)

Need These Knitting Instructions Translated From Japanese

I need this translated please. Anyone know Japanese? Mom? Do you have any kids that can help?

POST EDIT:

PICTURE REMOVED FOR COPYRIGHT REASONS. The guilt of posting copyrighted material finally got the best of me. I dreamt the copyright police picked me up, stripped me naked, painted me blue and left me with one ham sandwich in the countryside to find my own way home.

Oh, and because I found someone to translate for me.

Thank you for all your help!

I Spent 45 Minutes Picking Up Pickle Pebbles

Anyone who knows me for more than two minutes knows that Grace Ann is a little spoiled. One of her little princess quirks that we have to deal with every so often, is when the grass is wet she sometimes says she's done pickling, but she really just doesn't want to get her feet wet anymore.

Today I was vacuuming in preparation of my moms visit when I happened to suck up a little pickle that was hiding under a chair. Little did I know that the rug I bought was actually a camo-poo design and not the leafy design I thought I bought. Anyway, vacuuming up crunchy poo is not my preferred method of disposal, but what was done was done. I shrugged and finished the room even though I could hear that hard little pickle thunking away in the vacuum head.

Now as luck would have it just when I was finishing up I accidentally knocked the hose out of the back of the vacuum. My machine is fairly powerful and apparently when that pickle was bumping away in there it was being broken up and turned into little pickle pebbles. When the hose came off the pickle pebbles shot from the tube in 30 different directions all over the room. It was like one of those marshmallow guns except the ammo wasn't as soft.

And that's why I spent the 45 minutes picking up pickle pebbles.

ETA: it was just one pickle broken into tiny little pieces. I swear we don't live in the crazy cat lady's house. You know, the one you see on the TV who died and she had so many cats that the corpse isn't detected for 3 years because of the ever present smell.

What We Do ALLLLLL Day.

We play and play and play!

In My Yard

Lookie what I found in my yard.

Cortland and His HAT!

Black and Silver Scarf

I made this for my mom using 2 yarns. One black and one a gray and silver mohair. The silver didn't photograph well, but it's just enough sparkly to make me smile.

Cast on 18 stitches on US1o needle.
Row 1: k2tog, yo. repeat to end of row
Repeat row 1 until 60 inches and add fringe.

One Project Down, 50 More to Go

I started and finished my final sewing project. And I returned Tanya's sewing machine before the motor even cooled. I think I'm set to not sew again for at least 10 years.

My new motto: If it can't be tacked up with duct tape then it ain't worth it!

Cortland now has the most satinest, softest blanket in the whole wide world. And as a bonus, if he doesn't like it, the blanket will make a great Grace Ann blanket. (please don't tell her it's a hand-me-down. She already feels like the red-headed step-child.) The reverse side of the blanket is some soft velvety kind of fabric. It just makes me want to wear it on my head all day everyday like a scarf so I can rub my cheeks all over it.

And I totally agree with my Aunt Jeannie that ruffles are the worst things to make!


And here is a picture of the prettiest never been used nursery. The animal pictures at the top were taken by Alan's Uncle when he and his wife went to Africa and slept in trees. I need to get a few more of his photos for the walls. And lookie at the red sweater. Tanya made that. Isn't she talented?

That's Not Sand, Baby!

I was so excited because I can finally fit into my cute skirts and my toes were just done last weekend by Ciara, so I can wear my skirt flip-flops without hiding my head in crunchy, unpainted foot shame.

It was 70 degrees a couple of days ago! This sucks! Guess I'll be putting my feet back into the proverbial closet.

See my pretty toesies?

Tickles

Holding Cortland today he sneaked his hand in my sleeve and tickled me, which made me laugh, which got him excited and made him wiggle his fingers, which tickled even more and made me laugh harder in turn entertained C making him wiggle even more. Vicious cycle. What fun!

I was in the kitchen doing dishes when I heard C's toy start singing. He made it make noise on purpose for the very 1st time!

Not a Badge of Honor

Conversation with my hairdresser in September:

ME: Angel, do you see any gray in there? Because I swear I found a gray hair last week.

ANGEL: Nope, no grays. Not a single one. You probably found a really blonde hair.


Fast-forward to the conversation last week at the hairdresser:

ME: It's such a pretty day. It's so nice to get out of the house. How have you been? How's your daughter? Grace did the cutest thing yesterday... We need to remember to make an appointment for Alan... Angel? Angel? Are you listening?

ANGEL: (while picking up hair and looking at sections all over my head) Have you been painting your ceilings?

More IA Pictures

More pictures of IA courtesy of
THIS LADY!


The mad scientist and his loyal minions.

Mwhhhhhh, haahaaaaa

Two of my favorite crazy people.

Simon and Cortland


Thank you Corie for everything!

Video

Trip to IA

We went to Cedar Rapids, IA this weekend to visit my family. Thank you for all of the wonderful hospitality. (And by hospitality I totally mean Lemon Bars. I could have eaten the whole pan.) We had such a good time and it was so nice to see everyone. We appreciate everyone adjusting their schedules so we could see you.

I was sad that the snow was almost gone because I wanted to see Alan with blue lips after he got back from sledding. Some strange lady in line at Michael's overheard me say that and was not shy to voice her opinion. In fact her exact words were, "We're not going to keep this damn snow around any longer than we have to just so some southerner can go sledding." She sounded like she needed a little nappie-nap.

At least there was enough snow for a little snowball fight right after we got there. I won by the way. My opponent was shaking snow out of his/her clothes forever after the fight, and it still melted down the back of his/her pants. I'm not going to point fingers or name names, but you know who you are. Totally owned. I'm the winner winner chicken dinner. (Heeeheeeee. I've been waiting for a chance to say that!)

Cortland held up very well. Every day was just a little louder than the one before. The last day consisted of a cheerleading and dance competition in Iowa City. I heard Alan tell Cortland that after the noise of the 2,000+ cheerleaders and spectators in the coliseum that he's now prepared for a visit to an active volcano. Maybe a field trip for next month?

We're home now and I miss walking around on the hotel carpet that felt like rows of little sponges.

We look forward to going back for another visit soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zachary, Simon and Olivia excavating a brick looking for valuable stones. What you don't see is Alan sitting on the other side of the table. He took his turn just like the rest of them, wearing the goggles and all.


Below is Olivia who is the one who was competing in the cheerleading competition. She was very good and I'm glad we got to see her perform. I just regret that we didn't bring our camera in.

Taylor

And now for all of the holding baby photos. Corie has a few more that I hope she will email me.



Zachary thought that the sleeping Cortland needed a doggie on his shoulder for moral support.

In the hotel in St. Louis.

The Theys

Sometimes The Theys get it right. And sometimes they get it wrong.

Here is one of my experiences.

1. The Theys say if it hurts during breastfeeding then you're doing it wrong.

I thought The Theys were C-R-A-Z-Y when they told me this. C would do okay for a few days and then it was like his tongue was made out of sandpaper! It's much better now. I'm not sure what changed. Maybe his mouth grew. Or maybe my boobs have lost all feeling and are permanently damaged. No, that one can't be it, because every once in a while C will roll my nipple around on the roof of his mouth like a Skittle. That hurts.

I have to mostly agree with The Theys on this one. Breastfeeding does get better after awhile. Of course I hold the right to revisit this topic the next time C cracks my girls.