Kitty Kitty

The kids think Rex needs a friend, so there's usually a stuffed kitty that join Rex where ever he is. Wonder what they're looking at?

Can you see the birds now?

5th Photo Meme

Miss Me tagged me for a photo meme. I was actually working on my photo folders when she tagged me. I've filled the harddrive of this computer with photos...so we're trying to do something about that. I somehow had photos of my Aunt's Kindergarten class. I didn't need to save those...so with the deleting, the folder of photos for my Dad's memorial video were brought to the #5 spot. And the 5th photo in the 5th folder. Me and my Dad...


I'm slow at getting this up, and now I've seen a lot of other people tagged and playing already. Let me know in the comments if you put up a photo and I'll go look.

I gave in to some retail therapy

I saw that the Lexie Barnes bags special coupon code on the Knitty Blog. I was having such a BAD homeschool morning. I gave in. This is the first time I've ever just bought something I don't really need on-line. YIKES! But, I'm really excited. Go look at it. I bought the Utopia print.

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfast

Monday: Waffles
Tuesday: French Toast (I pulled it out from the freezer for Sunday...there's still enough for another breakfast)
Wednesday: Bagels
Thursday: Pancakes from freezer
Friday: Oatmeal

Lunch

Monday: White Castle Cheeseburgers (W-week)
Tuesday: Turkey Sandwiches
Wednesday: PB&J
Thursday: Bean & Cheese Burritos
Friday: Grilled Cheese

Dinner

Monday: Chinese (fried rice from left over rice, frozen egg rolls, frozen dumplings)
Tuesday: Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday: BBQ Beef
Thursday: Tacos
Friday: hoping for left-overs again

***edited already. Switched Tues & Wed dinners. I'm getting a haircut in the afternoon, and my mom is watching the kids. I'll leave her with the BBQ Beef. It's one that cooks 2 days in the crock pot. I cooked the chuck roast all day Mon. with tomatoes and onions. Then you cool and shred the meat. Add a bottle of BBQ sauce and some of the reserved liquid with the tomatoes and onions. Cook a 2nd day. Melts in your mouth.

Daddy loves his little girl!

On Valentine's Day, Daddy brought his little girl her first rose. She was thrilled.

On the 21st, the men in our Sunday School class had a father/daughter breakfast. 3 was so excited to dress up for something special.

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfast

Monday: French Toast
Tuesday: Oatmeal
Wednesday: Bagels
Thursday: Pancakes from freezer
Friday: Oatmeal

Lunch

Monday: Muffin Tin Monday This is our 'V' week. I bought Vitamin Water, V-8, Vivant Vegetable Crackers, and some Vanilla Cream Soda.
Tuesday: Turkey Sandwiches
Wednesday: PB&J
Thursday: Bean & Cheese Burritos
Friday: Grilled Cheese (EF*meeting)

Dinner

Monday: Vegetable Beef Soup & foccia
Tuesday: Mexican Lasagna from freezer
Wednesday: Chicken Kisses & Green Bean
Thursday: Tri-tip from last week**
Friday: hoping for left-overs again

**Again...Thursday's dinner was left overs. I'll try that dinner again. I like that I have meals planned that can postpone.

Red Pear Mitts

Here's my Mitts finally! Oops. Did I say Mitts? I haven't been able to finish the 3rd mitt...and the 2nd mitt is too tight so I left off the thumb in case I didn't have enough yarn for 2 pairs. So these really can't be my Valentine Mitts...I didn't get to wear them today. And I could have used them. It's been chilly here (and yes I realize that somewhere in the 40's isn't chilly for many of you...but I don't have lots of winter clothes.) Without further a due....

My Fishtail Wristwarmers are on ravelry here.

I used yarn from Scout's Swag Sock Yarn Club. It's the December Shipment. I love it.

I think my favorite part of these mitts is the little braid the BO makes.


A thoroughly enjoyable knit. And it's good that it is since my gauge changed so much between the first and the second. Now, I realize that I can't even begin to deserve a single vote, but I'm linking anyways because I want a placeholder for later.

Please vote even if you didn't knit a pair of mitts yourself. Vote in the comments of the Valentine Mitt Post or email me if you'd rather. This was fun. Even if I can't keep my own deadlines. Good luck to the mitt knitters...you've got good odds of winning a prize. ;0)

PS...thanks to my FIL for the photos.

Closing in on Last Call...

for Mitts.  Get your post up by Valentine's Day.  That's this Saturday.  And sign-in with Mr. Linky on my blog.  Know anyone who's knit some Mitts between January 14 and February 14th?  Tell them about the prizes.  I'll get my photos up soon.  I had one mitt (I know only one...) with me last night at our pot-luck and got my FIL to take a few shots.  It's hard to take photos of your own feet...but it's NEAR IMPOSSIBLE to take photos of your own hands...how do you hold the camera?  

The Trophies!

Tonight was a family potluck and awards ceremony for the Rocket Races and the Pine Wood Derby cars. Look who came home with a trophy! 7 was super excited to win 2nd place for design. His friend D with the X-wing fighter took home first.

They're already talking about plans for next year. And 6 is excited to build his own rocket too. Grandma and Pop Pop joined us for the celebration! It was fun for them to see the kids cheering each other on too.

3isms

I have to post these before I forget. 

While eating breakfast this morning, 3 said, "Mom, I God Blessed You on my shirt."  She meant sneezed.  How cute!  

And then getting her dressed after breakfast, I asked her to carry her dirty clothes to the garage.  3 corrected me, "Mom, those aren't clothes, them pajamas and one cloe."  Obviously if clothes is the plural, and there is only one piece it must be cloe.  

So why am I starting over...

to answer JY in the comments and probably others...

So much of M having a new job and me having a job outside the home after 7 years has felt like starting over. There are so many new normals. Getting used to a new routine. I think the biggest thing for me in the last few years has been starting over with new friends. I don't even want to get into why, but I lost several of my close friends. In the last 3 years God has blessed me with such awesome women to be around and email with . And even my new relationship with my FIL. He's awesome. And I really feel that he's been a extra father figure for me in the absence of mine. I know that loss always seem hard...but the starting over is kind of like a rainbow after the storm. I've had enough of the cloudy skies. I'm looking for the rainbows. I'm going to focus on the RAINBOWS! I'm going to try to post Rainbow moments...so that I can keep my thoughts on all that's good and not the cloudy skies.

Menu Plan Monday

Last week we ended up not using the BBQ on Thursday so I have that dinner left to use another time. We were able to have left overs on Thursday and Friday.

Breakfast

Monday: Uncle Dan Egg Sandwich
Tuesday: Pancakes from freezer
Wednesday: Oatmeal
Thursday: Waffles from freezer
Friday: Oatmeal

Lunch

Monday: Muffin Tin Monday This is our 'U' week. Food probably won't reflect our alphabet.  My mom did have a good idea...I could let the kids eat UNDER the table.  This is the kind of stuff they love.  
Tuesday: Turkey Sandwiches
Wednesday: Valentine Party (horse riding make-up lesson)
Thursday: PB&J take with to the library
Friday: Grilled Cheese

Dinner

Monday: Ikea Meatballs & Mashed Potatoes & Cooked Carrots and a special Upside Down Dessert.  I've got the last batch of peaches from my Gramp's tree last summer.  
Tuesday: Spaghetti with Green Beans
Wednesday: Treeclimbers Potluck (bring Chicken & Pasta Salad)
Thursday: Tri-tip from last week
Friday: hoping for left-overs again

The Rocket Races

Here we are on Race Day. 1st grade rockets are lined up.

At the starting gate...

A close finish...

He didn't win for speed, although 7's rocket was 4th overall. On Sunday these rockets will be in the plaza at church for everyone to vote on. 7 still has a chance to get a trophy for design. Do you think he has a shot? Probably with 2 creative parents, he's got the design gene.

Starting Over...In Life

Sarah was Starting over in NYC when I met her last year.  Now, she's starting over in Chicago.  I titled this starting over...and somehow it was left as a draft with no text...and I just found it today.  I wonder why the title...so I added 'In Life.'  Maybe because of Sarah.  Maybe because at the time we took this photo...we were just starting over here (new job and all)  And now today...I'm thinking a lot about starting over...maybe I'll put those thoughts together for a post.

This post was dated 11.17.08.  Now, I'm not sure if that's when I met Sarah for the first time or not.  It's just when I finally downloaded the photo.  Sarah was able to get a car and drive out to see me from Beverly Hills.  We had such a fun time knitting by the fountain of a courtyard cafe.  I've even seen her a 2nd time and still didn't get this photo up.  Just recently (well if you call the beginning of January recently) I picked her up in Ontario and we enjoyed a dinner together.  

 

Sarah...thanks for the wonderful visits.  I hope you make it to California again.  If all my on-line friends are as fun as Sarah...and I'm sure you are...then I hope I get the chance to meet many of you.  

Starting over...

Well, not completely.  My second mitt I just knit through.  I didn't continually try it on like the first.  It's too small.  Not too small to wear, but enough smaller than the first.  It bugs me to try to wear them.  One tight and one loose.  I finally gave in and CO for a second right mitt on Wednesday.  If I have enough yarn, I'll try to knit another mitt to match the tight one and gift that pair to someone with smaller hands than mine.  

I helping a newbie knitter.  I'm teaching her to read patterns.  She's working on a pair of garter mitts.  I told her to hurry up and she can enter my little contest.  She has a blog too, but I won't link to her when she's got her kids first names up there.  

I was frustrated with my mitts, so I CO for something new.  I'm just a few rows from the grafting.  I really should finish this up while it's cold here.  It could be in the 80's again next week.  Today it's chilly.  I know nothing like real COLD, but it's raining steady and windy too.  

I'm going to be working all weekend, and trying to fit a visit to the library in.  Maybe we'll even all make it to church.  That would be the first time we've all been well since the New Year.  Happy Weekend.

7's Rocket

7 is enjoying Treeclimbers with his dad this year. (Treeclimbers is a father/son Wednesday night at church kind of like Cub Scouts.) At the beginning of January they began working on Rockets. These rockets will get eye hooks attached, then race on a zip line of sorts in a few weeks. 7 and M worked so hard together on this. I helped a bit with the paint.

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfast

Monday: Tomato Basil Bagles (from Brugers)
Tuesday: Toast & Eggs
Wednesday: Oatmeal
Thursday: Waffles from freezer
Friday: Egg Burritos (M's day off)

Lunch

Monday: Muffin Tin Monday with a 'T' theme

I planned Triscuits, Turkey, Tillamoock cheese, with Toothpicks to pick up the turkey & cheese, and Teddy Grahams.  But, this is the first time I've splurged on things that aren't essentials since M. was out of work.  I bought Twinkies.  I don't think my kids have ever even had one.  And then I made a trip to our new Fresh & Easy to pick up  some sale meat and found a single piece of Tiramisu (a today's special for $1.07) and a individual bowl of Tapioca pudding for 49 cents.  The further we work into the alphabet, the more excited the kids get...and this is a fun way to get them to try new things.

Tuesday: Turkey Sandwiches
Wednesday: PB&J for the kids
Thursday: Grilled Cheese 
Friday: ???

Dinner

Monday: Tacos and Tomato Rice (spanish rice plus a can of diced tomatoes)
Tuesday: Crock-pot Chicken with Tri-colored Pasta
Wednesday: Turkey Cobbler (from a Pampered Chef cookbook)
Thursday: Tri-Tip and Noodles
Friday: ???

I have a hard time with Fridays.  This should be M's day home, but he has to take time off earlier in the week for a funeral.  I can't go with him because someone has to still take the kids to their classes.  We have CBS in the morning, and then our E.F. is visiting, and then I work at 5pm.  I hope there are leftovers for easy meals.

Valentine's Mitts!

Here's my finished Mitts.

***ETA.  I though I would get my photos added before this was scheduled to post.  This will be a place holder for mine for a few days.  I finished the mitts except for the thumb BO on the 2nd mitt.  I was a bit disappointed when I tried it on though...it's tighter than the first.  I must have been more stressed or something and knit tighter.  I haven't BO the thumb because I'm trying to decide if it's tight enough to start over.  Looking at them you don't notice it, but I wonder if it will bug me.  ***

Go ahead and link to your post about your finished pair here.  Then remember to check back on the 14th.  We'll vote in the comments for prizes then.  Jessi's yarn & Stitch Markers!  A surprise from me!  Happy February!