What Happens When Life Runs Away With You?

This.  This is what happens when it is heavy planting season and the recital is coming up and the house falls into a spiral of disorder and...  This is what happens when you find your kids saying "salad [or sandwiches or eggs] for dinner again?

But that's all over now.  We're into garden maintenance mode.  The costumes have been gathered or made and danced in. 

I've got some po-ta-toes to salvage!

(Hey, no one can say I can't grow anything!)

Clay Creations

Here are the effects of the happy combination of a boy, some clay, and lots and lots of time...

Boy is very fond of clay.  And he gets quite creative.  A sporty winter snowman...

complete with baby snowman...

I really look up to you, dad.

A funky snowman from the 70's.  (Also with matching baby.)

Caterpillars and ice cream cones.

And a bunch of other stuff.  Notice how each of his creations has a miniature that looks just like it.  The miniatures were given as a gift to his little sister, Sweetpea.  He was horrified when he found her actually playing with them!!!  They are masterpieces after all.  And you don't play with masterpieces.

The following is not for the faint of heart.  Please note that semi graphic images follow.  (giggle giggle)

He wouldn't be Boy if he didn't make something like this dinosaur eating another dinosaur.  Notice the clay footprints that will someday (in millions of years) become fossils.

I can't help but feel bad for the little dino who is laying partly laying on the ground and partly in the jaws of our T-rex friend.  I suppose that is the way it happened though.

On that note...  I hope you all have a wonderful Monday.  We are supposed to get lots and lots of snow over the next few days.  We'll see how it all turns out. 

Buttons

I love buttons!  They have some really super duper cool buttons available.  Munch and I went to the store to pick out buttons for one of her projects a while back, and I came home with these:

In the corner of this pic, you can see the front of one of the small pillows I am still working on.  I cut squares to make a 3x4 grid for the front of the pillows.  But, I somehow (read impatient laziness) sewed it in such a way that all of the corners did not line up evenly.  My fix for this?  Nooo, not ripping seams and starting over (although I did consider this for a mere 30 seconds before moving on).  Yes, buttons.  Buttons will be my fix.

I know, I know.  Buttons on a pillow is not necessarily something you want.  But, how cute and fun are these buttons?!?!  I want to look at them everyday.  And if they are on a pillow sitting on my couch, I can!

Now all I have to do is get my act together and finish one this pillow.   Then I can move on to the next pillow.  I have finally broken down and ordered (and received) a rotary cutter and self healing mat.  I'm so looking forward to using them.  I totally splurged and got the Gingher cutter and mat.  Perhaps the next pillow will come together in all straight corners.  Or perhaps I'll just scrap all the little squares I've already cut and do something completely different.  Not sure yet. 

Decisions.  Decisions.  How I loath decisions.

(See that itty bitty piece of yarn?  It's from my lovely and completed shawl!!!)

My Shawl!!!

I've been working on a shawl for myself since before Christmas.  But, it got shoved to the back burner in favor of the presents I was making for others.  I finished it a couple nights ago!!!!  I used the Old Fashioned Shawl pattern found on Ravelry.

The finished triangular shawl measures about 83 inches across the top, and about 47 inches from the center of the top to the point.  Big!!!  I used Mission Falls 1824 100% cotton yarn in truffle.  This yarn has a strand wound around the whole thing (for which there is probably some technical name)  That makes it look super cool (in my opinion) using an open stitch like the one used for this shawl.

The pattern itself is fairly simple to follow.  It grows quickly in a triangular shape, so it would be easy to modify the size.  I left off the fringe, so I actually used less yarn than specified - about 925 yards.

It's very warm despite the lacy design.  I know this because I've had it wrapped around my shoulders nearly constantly since I've finished it.

We've also been playing host to a local car racing team.

Construction for our track commenced (and was completed) last night.  Racers practiced and raced and practiced and raced in 5 minute increments until bedtime.

Unfortunately, not before a tragedy struck when a car careened off the tracks and into the stands of a poor innocent fan.

The fan (seen in the picture above) has been treated for minor injuries and released.  He will be just fine.  But there is no saying when construction for new bleachers will take place. 

First Snow!!! (Ahem)

I've been gone for a while.  I know.  I didn't intend to be gone this long.  But there was Thanksgiving.  And a long weekend off work for my hubby.  We've had a great time these last few days, and tomorrow is going to be tough.  But we will survive.

What have we been doing you may ask?  Well.  Since we both come from very large families (7 kids in my family, 11 in hubby's) we had lots and lots of Thanksgiving fun with family.  Lots of people.  Lots of food.  Lots of good times.  There has been loads of craziness.  And some quiet times.  There has been lots of crocheting.  Lots of music.  A little dancing.  Insane amounts of cooking and eating, of course.  We spent some time catching up on some very neglected chores.  And we visited an old fashioned Christmas display and craft show at our lovely local Mill Creek Park.

And...  we had our first snow!!  Well, it was a dusting really.  The merest covering of snow possible on the ground.  But enough for Boy to be bundled and out playing in it before I was even out of bed (hubby got up with the kids that day).  All three of them were out before long.  Together, they defied all laws of snow and built this...

Have you ever seen such a cute and tiny snowman?!?!?!

As you can see, this one measures between 2 and 3 inches.  It has been carefully placed on a thin plate of ice to ensure that it lasts as long as snowmanly possible.  Now, if only I had enough time to crochet a wee hat and scarf, we'd be all set. 

Which reminds me.  I've found the best way to crochet now-a-days.  Don't laugh.  I know it's not cool at all.  But it's sooooooo helpful when you just can't seem to find enough  light to see by.

That's me there, crocheting by the light of my hubby's head lamp.  I love the way it lights up just where I need it.  I may have to sneak that into my project bag when he's not looking.  Or perhaps I'll just find one in my stocking on Christmas morning.  (A truly subtle hint there...)

I have lots and lots of things in mind for the near future.  A ridiculous amount of projects lined up - craft, crochet, and sewn.  I'm hoping to be able to get them all done and documented so I can post them here.  Don't hold your breath, though.  I'm not the best at record keeping.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!!

A Boy and His (Neighbor's) Dog

These pictures aren't the best quality, but the story they relate is priceless. 

What happens when you put a boy and his neighbor's puppy together on a crisp fall day???

This...

Whew!!!

Witch's Brew

I have been away.  First I went on my sister's trip to the wonderful world of Harry Potter down in Orlando, FL.  (We had a stupendous time, by the way!!!!!!)  When I got home, I had 2 days to prepare for our trip to beautiful Cook Forest in Pennsylvania.  We had a great time there too (pics to come later).

While I was away having a great time with my sisters in a Harry Potter dream world (yes, I am a tremendous HP fan), Nick and the kids brewed up all kinds of mischief.

Without me there to stop them, the four of them decorated the house with Halloween decorations.  That meant our holiday cauldrons (not to be confused with our everyday cauldrons) came out of storage.  And what else do you do with the holiday cauldrons?!?!?  You make witch's brew, of course.

Special ingredients were acquired.

Nothing but the organic best for our little witches.

The ingredients were carefully measured.

And mixed.

Other secret ingredients were added according to the whim of the witches.

YIKES!!!!  An intruder!!!!  Be gone!  Or you will be pricked with this poisonous spear...

The potions were carefully stirred and watched over all weekend.

Finally, everything was ready.

Would you like a taste?

Sack of Potatoes

Boy, giggling, told me that he brought in the sack of potatoes from the porch.  [giggle giggle]  It can't wait because the potatoes are getting rotten...  Can't I just go look at them now?

Oh!  How strong to carry all those potatoes into the house.  [Sack of potatoes starts to giggle and wriggle.]  I'd better go put them away!  [Giggle giggle squirm]

What's this!?!?!?!?!

A wee face!  [Outright laughter now!]

Mama!  My whole body is in here!  [More laughter.]

My very own potato head!

Coming to Grips with Geekiness...

I am a geek.  With a capital "G".  It's true, and I'm learning to admit it.  I love love love math.  Always have.  How, you are probably wondering, can I even claim to NOT be a Geek when I love math and went to school to earn a couple of math degrees.  Well, in my mind, I am not a Geek because I don't wear a pocket protector (absolutely no offense to any pocket protector wearing geeks or non-geeks).  And because if you just met me, you would never think "Geek" from my appearance (what exactly does a Geek look like anyway?) or from most of my actions.  But every once in a while, the words "I just love my calculator" (which is a TI-81 from back when I was in high school) slip unwittingly out of my mouth.  And then I have to at least pretend to admit my geekness.

So, with that confession behind me, it should come as no surprise to you all, that I love numbers.  Numbers, the theory of numbers specifically, is my favorite branch of mathematics.  The more abstract and seemingly useless, the better!  Numbers, however, happen to also come in handy once in a while.  Like when you are balancing your checkbook.  I have the utmost respect for numbers, but when they don't add up, they start to wear on my patience.  They should add up.  It just makes sense.  But sometimes they don't.

Today, was one such day.  I am, or should I say was, one of those people who cannot rest until every last stray penny has been found hanging loose in the pocketbook that is my checkbook.  I study and scour until I have located the mistake, even if it takes me hours or days...  even if it is only for 2 cents.  Today, I did not.  Today, after about a month of on and off looking for a stray couple dollars that somehow jumped out of my checkbook, or got lost under that little staple holding the pages together in that little fold, I have learned to let go and move on.  Yes.  I have let go of that error that cannot be found.  I have adjusted the total to compensate for the mistake.

This was a very painful process for me.  Another reason I know I am a Geek.  But I did it.  And now I can move on...

...  to putting my children to bed and sitting on the couch and enjoying a movie!!!  I think I deserve it.  :o)

Pumpkin Stems

I love pumpkin stems!  They can be so cool looking.  You can play the 'cloud game' with some of the stems.  What does this one look like to you?

Looks like a dragon to me.  Or a long-necked dinosaur head.

Or a praying mantis that stuck it's finger in a light socket.

We had a great time picking pumpkins from our local organic farm yesterday.  We picked them right out of the field and hauled them back to our car.  Well, me and Boy did the heavy work.  Munch took care of a very lonesome Sweetpea - helping her walk through all the pumpkin vines and choose the perfect little pumpkins for such a perfect little pumpkin.

My husband and his sisters put on a huge Halloween party each year at the beginning of October, when the weather here in Northeastern Ohio is still nice and fairly predictable (is it really ever?).  We have been tending more toward the jack-o-lantern for decorations these last few years.  Last night we gutted lots and lots of pumpkins.  Tonight we will carve them.

Since I am way behind on my list of things to do before the party, the pics of the pumpkin gutting will have to wait to be included with the pics of the pumpkin carving - tomorrow, hopefully.  Today I have to finish sewing a hat, sew a skirt, make some pumpkin cookies, and do all the other everyday stuff that comes with being a stay at home homeschooling mom of 3 lovely, but highly energetic, children.

Till tomorrow...

Chilly Mornings

Mornings have been chilly here.  I came down this morning and found this curled up on my living room floor...

That's his sleeve his head is sticking out of.

Good day for a warm breakfast!  What's your favorite warm breakfast?

How does a camera work, daddy?

I came across this series of pictures taken about 4 years ago today.  It made me laugh so hard remembering the event.

Munch, who was 6 at the time, asks Daddy, "how does a camera work?"

Daddy explains "you see, the shutter....  Here, take a look."  [All the while Daddy is explaining the roles of light, shutter, film/digital image, etc to her.]

"I don't see it, Daddy."

"Look again, closer this time."

"Hmmm?"

"Daddy!!!???"

"Let me look."

"Yup.  Try again."

"One more time."

Alright.  Well.  Never mind the visual aid...