Merry TOK-mas!

Today was TOK Christmas. Tiny Owl Knits is an amazing group on Ravelry. And we did a secret santa swap. I was spoiled rotten.

Here is a little music for the holidays.

Resurfacing?

Wow. It's been over a year. It hasn't been a good year. I've been hermit-ish in contact with most, spending a fair amount of time on Ravelry and hiding out in a small bunch of my groups where there is the most love and they don't care if all you do is lurk. It is so hard to believe that my baby boy will be 2 in about 2 weeks. And Melodie is 7 going on 17 with attitude to spare. My computer is out of commission and I miss it, but I am grateful I can still check email, ravelry and some of my blogs(don't have them saved to his computer so I am picking them up as I stumble upon them). Alex, you are not forgotten, I've just been having a rough go with facebook behaving and never remember to shoot you an email. Please forgive. I don't know how often I will be posting as my head really isn't in the right place still, but hopefully it will be sooner than a year.

Please Read!

I know this is coming a little late...but it is relevant and bears reading.

The Panopticon

Raining hearts

It has been raining hearts here tonight...paper hearts to be specific. Melodie wanted to make her Grandma something and settled on drawing a heart on red construction paper and then drawing it's face. Well, of course, Harmony wanted her own paper and pencil and proceeded to fill her orange sheet with all manner of lines, squiggles, etc. And then asked for cut hearts...so mommy cut paper heart after paper heart until they were being tossed in the air and raining down on Grandma and Erik and the girls. Much needed sweetness in a rough week. Hoping you all have a wonderful weekend with a little bit of hearts raining.

A Jumble

I think I finally have everything settled in regards to homeschooling Melodie for kindergarten. After numerous phone calls and different stories/directions on what to do(even from the school district) I get to stop by the local elementary school before knitting in the morning to sign a waiver that we aren't enrolling her in kindergarten because of our desire to home school. But they don't recognize kindergarten here nor require any kind of progress reporting(yay for me, less paper clutter).
Our boy is standing up by himself and very proud of himself. His smile is very infectious. Harmony is speaking very clearly...when she wants to and is very stubborn about telling us when she needs a drink versus just pointing, but we are getting there slowly. Melodie is a fifteen year old hiding in a five year old body about 60% of the time right now and it is getting interesting to keep her from turning into 'one of those children', but under all the teenager is a very sweet and loving little girl.
There was a lot more rattling around in my head, but sleep has robbed it from me for the moment. So I will post this and maybe be back later today...maybe not.

Update

Just over a week into August. Time flies. We are, not so patiently, waiting for Erik's first tooth to come in. It is there, just not wanting to push through and make things easier for him. None of us seem to be getting much sleep right now, but it will get better soon. Once our days can go back to their normal pattern I know the girls will sleep better and hopefully Melodie's night terrors will subside again for a little while till we can get a few things rearranged and moved. Not really a whole lot going on other than trying to keep cool and comfortable and unburned. I am currently working on making a few amigurumi owls, but Harmony keeps pulling out the crochet hook and then starts tugging out the stitches...so this could take a bit longer than planned just to get one done, let alone more. Hope everyone is enjoying what is left of their summers!

Life...

It has been a very long few weeks here...the last two or so being especially difficult with two deaths and a mini-stroke sandwiched neatly in the middle. The first death leaving a whole lot of 'why's in it's wake and a small family struggling to wade through it all and still remember there is that little one that they fought so hard for a couple of years ago who needs their love and attention. Our dear, sweet elderly neighbor whom the girls absolutely adore and little boy always has a smile for had a stroke. He's been home since about 3 days after and seemingly doing fairly well...and yet...not being able to really leave his house much is taking it's toll. Hopefully the physical therapist will give him the okay to walk to a couple of his neighbors homes soon so he does not feel so trapped. The second death was just over a week ago and a bit of a shock since the marrow transplant had gone very well and he was up and getting himself to the bathroom within days...and then the bottom dropped out and he was gone in less than 48 hours. This death occured the day after our neighbor got home from the hospital and hit hard and fast. And talking to a friend of over a decade pointed to the fact that it seems a lot of people have either have been having a rough 2010 or it has started since summer arrived. Here is hoping and praying things are better where you are and that they are running more smoothly.

Handwork

Stumbled across this over at MasonDixon Knitting.

handwork

Finally

laughter and gifts

I had to post a link to Franklin Habit. I couldn't stop laughing.

And another super sweet post from Vicki that has a couple of give-aways at the end. Thank you so much for sharing Maddy's tea party!

So little and yet so much is going on. I joined a potholder and a square swap on ravelry and love them. I have 5 new potholders and 12 squares to sew together for a blanket just for me. And since the square group I am in does little games...well I won the last one and got two skeins of pretty dark purple yarn...I think I know what I will be using to sew my squares together.
Erik is growing like crazy and so is Harmony. Harmony's words are much more distinct and she loves telling you all that has gone on for the day if you let her. Melodie is maintaining, but decidedly trying to eat us out of house and home without gaining an ounce. The thrift shop close by is getting bags of clothes that are too small for the three of them. Erik is so long in the body he needs 12 month size clothes already. I'm thinking I'm going to need to start actually sewing pants to fit him without being to short or falling off.

4 little things that make my day:

1. Melodie bringing me a flower every time she goes out to visit gma or play with friends
2. Harmony's huge smiles and 'mama' when I even just come out of the bathroom.
3. Erik's smiles and giggles as he bounces himself on our lap.
4. The hugs I get when Michael comes home from work

4 little things

1. Huge smiles and hugs when I get home.
2. The seemingly never ending rose blooms.
3. Shopping at the farmers market.
4. Making some little things for home and a neighbor.

P.S. Stop by here for a cool give away from here (the newest issue is now live).

Ooops....& a Giveaway

Seems like time flies. I'm behind on reading blogs and all manner of other things at the moment. Oh well! Little boy has been keeping us entertained rolling and scooting all over the place. I still have not really looked very hard for the camera cable, though I have been taking pictures. As of May 10Th Erik was 20 pounds and 26 inches. He is such a happy little boy and loves to squeal.

I was going to do two separate posts, but there is to much mayhem here (Harmony is on one of her destructive/artistic wall drawing sprees) so I am combining them instead.

I am an avid reader of Melody's blog. And she is giving away a beautiful monotone version of her bubble hat pattern that she created. You have till the 20Th to leave a comment with a chance to win. But you can get that and her Mardi pattern free from her blog. She is one amazing woman!

Saving the past!

If you have any interest in crochet or crochet lace or crochet edgings, please stop by Francesca's blog. She is offering a free lace pattern that she recreated from some linens she had purchased. Francesca's blog is one of about two dozen I habitually visit whenever I get a chance online and I have never been disappointed.
I have been around, just not had a whole lot of time to post or read. We found out the hard way that Harmony is even more allergic to mosquito bites than I am, so I spent 3 days trying to keep benadryl in her to keep the hives at bay. Good news is like Melodie the benadryl does the job on the bites, but that is all it does. It doesn't make either one sleepy or hyper. I was just grateful that my monkey happily would eat a chewable pill when it was time (until she decided she was better and didn't need them...and she was right that she was past the hives stage). Since Wednesday it has been me and the kids for the most part. Michael has been working in the evenings and my grandparents are on their yearly spring week trip. It has been rough going because I can't take the girls outside to play. We have mosquitoes 24/7.
Hope everyone else is doing well!

Another giveaway

There is this adorable, little, scrappy made bear looking for a new home. So if you are looking for something handmade, adorable and from England...visit Silkie Sue.

Colorful Giveaway!

Okay, I listen to this podcast online, weekly. I admit it. I usually get a good laugh out of it and hear about yarn. Well Never Not Knitting is having a giveaway for a book and a bunch of pretty colored yarn. So head on over and leave a comment after this post for a chance to win.

found?

I am stealing a few minutes while Erik is napping and the girls are watching Disney's Aladdin. Found the camera...now the usb cable has gone MIA, yet again. The camera somehow found it's way behind the printer, makes me think my little, curly blond haired girl was up to no good, at some point. And hers is the last picture taken too (looks like a Melodie taken picture). It has been close to a month the camera has been missing according to the dates on the pictures. Hoping everyone is having a beautiful weekend.

A Quote

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales. When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking." ~Albert Einstein~


P.S. Still haven't located the camera, but haven't been looking really with out of state relatives visiting (aunt & uncle will take more than enough pictures). Been busy visiting and playing. Hope everyone is doing well and are healthy.

MIA Camera

Very mundane little post, but I'm hoping it will help me find my camera. I took pictures of Erik last week, went to download them over the weekend to send off to family and the camera is no where to be found. I even checked the 'safe' places to no avail. So this is sending a little message to those mysterious ones who help find lost items, to help me find my camera :) We have family coming down from PA next week and I'd like to get pictures of the little ones with my great Aunt Emilie, since there is a chance I won't get to see her again.

Happy Easter!