Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Yarn Along

Christmas mini-stockings Hat for Veronica

I finished these at the end of last week. Some little stockings to hold gift cards this Christmas season, and a little hat that I was thinking baby would wear on her way home. But as small as it is I think it still might be too big!

I'm still at the point of making the heel on my purple socks. But I have been knitting like crazy on the Rainbow Boneyard shawl. That is because of the World Series games. I'm hoping tonight will be the last game of the series which would mean the Red Sox the whole thing at home tonight. The first time since 1918! 

Due to the very late night baseball games my reading hasn't been happening lately!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Currently

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This weekend my sister held a small shower for the new baby. The cake, decorations & favors were all owl themed! So cute!

My lists are getting longer as the weeks till baby are getting shorter. But I am slowly crossing a few things off!

In all the flurry of baby preparations, Ree isn't letting me forget that Halloween is this week! We've done a few crafty things; picked out her costume; found a pumpkin to carve (after going all over the city we FINALLY found one!); she picked out the design she wanted on it and Daddy carved!

Her birthday presents are all bought & waiting (with baby due right around that time I wanted to make sure Ree's birthday wouldn't be lost in the shuffle!) Christmas lists are all made & many gifts have been purchased. I am shocked at myself & know that this time next year I will most likely just barely be starting to think about Christmas!

All the Christmas knitting is so very close to being finished. Baby knitting is finished, except for the few things I want to make. But all the MUST make things are done.

Next up: make a few meals to pop in the freeze for us to pull out when baby comes. We harvested all the eggplants from the garden this weekend so that's on my list now to do before they go bad. 

Today we're having an impromptu Halloween party with my sister & her little's. We'll make cookies & have a tea party. 

The days & weeks are full and as we get closer to delivery day I am even more anxious to meet this new little girl. But I'm also trying to remain present in these days. To savor the last few moments of it being just Ree & I. I cannot wait to see her interact with her baby sister but at the same time it's a little bittersweet that our days of my undivided attention being with Ree are quickly closing. The family dynamics are about to change & I cannot wait to meet this new little person who already has had such a big impact on us!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Tuesday Tea Time (On Friday)

Tea time

A few weeks ago I came upon the Brave Writer website through a bunch of mentions of it on Twitter. It is an awesome site on getting kids to write! (Most of it is still a little old still for Ree.)

But one thing that I saw and immediately decided to add to our routine is Poetry Tea Time. The day of the week that Julie has set aside is Tuesday, and she shares people's tea time's on her blog each Tuesday too! But we've never managed to hit it on a Tuesday so I kept putting it off.

Last Friday afternoon began the "yes to Ree weekend" and she wanted a tea party. Before I had a chance to put a table cloth on she had already set it with her tea set (also before I had mentioned we could use Mommy's tea set). I did put the candle out & she had picked out the treat of mini Oreos at the store earlier in the day so I put those out too.

She then picked out two books and I made the tea. We sat for a long time reading & just chatting. She enjoyed it so much she's already asking for next time...and I'm putting poetry books on hold at the library!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Weekending

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This weekend was a "say yes to Ree" weekend. 

There was a tea party & nail painting session.

She wanted to ride her "motorcycle" (tricycle) on a real road. So we called up my dad who came with us to the local bike path. The kid rode her bike for 2 hours. And only once said her little legs were tired.

We decided next spring she'll graduate to a big kid bike. She's thrilled since she saw one that had pretty sparkly tassels. She "needs" those on her bike!

We were near the train station so we sat & watched the trains for awhile. She's now making plans for a train trip. (She wanted to do that yesterday too. We didn't say yes to that)

Then she wanted to go to Nana's so we spent the afternoon & evening there. Sewing & knitting & drawing. 

It was then home for bed. Ree fell asleep in the car. Then Momma & Daddy watched the Red Sox. Just when I thought it was all over....a GRAND SLAM!!!! Whoohoo for the World Series! I see some serious night time knitting in my future!

After Church this morning there was a trip to the mall (another say yes to Ree thing). Thankfully it wasn't very busy. We got a bit of Christmas shopping done. And Daddy decided Momma needed a Red Sox ALCS Champions t-shirt. We found one that would fit now & most likely not be too big once baby is born. 

This afternoon was naps; making apple crisp then heading off to my sister-in-laws for the evening. 

A full weekend but a very fun one! 

Linking up with Amanda!

Friday, October 18, 2013

Moments

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Rainbow Boneyard progress

It has been beautiful weather here this week. Ree & I have found ourselves outside for some of it & loving it.

We decorated the front tree for Halloween (in the second picture she is showing Daddy that she isn't tall enough yet.) 

She loves to find the most beautiful leaves to bring in the house. Today she wants to paint so I think we'll try this that Amy posted about the other day. 

There hasn't been much in the way of art or anything else except free play & knitting. But that's good too. I do know she wants to paint & take a trip to the playground & have a tea party. This weekend we have no set plans so I'm planning on it being a "say yes to Ree" weekend. I may be very tired come Monday but we'll have a happy little girl!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Yarn Along

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This is my pile of knitting. I've been going through a big phase of "cast-on-itis". I'm not sure if it's denial that baby is coming in less then two months & that list of things that I really should do will get done somehow. Or if I'm just too tired to move around all too much, or what. But there has been A LOT of sitting on the couch knitting. While I knit Ree sits next to me & "knits", or we read, or she does some art. It's good bonding time for us I keep telling myself!

I finished the My Cup of Tea socks yesterday!! Then I immediately started an Aviatrix hat for Baby V. I'm not happy with the way the earflap is coming together. But I figured out how to fix it this morning. It's a fun, fast knit. The stripy purple socks are the last of the Christmas gifts I need to make. They are still my "leave the house knitting" so I don't need to concentrate so much on the pattern. 

And I dug out Ree's rainbow blanket this morning. That's part of her Christmas gift so I'll pick that up again this week. 

I finished Quiet over the weekend & started reading Z: A novel of Zelda Fitzgerald but it's going slow so I haven't gotten into it. Plus with the Red Sox in the playoffs there hasn't been a lot of time for reading. I knit like crazy during the games though!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

In the garden

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Our garden is still going strong. With some things anyways!

This weekend Ree & her daddy headed out to check on things. They came back in with a handful of carrots & all excited that there are a lot more out there! 

They also reported to me that the cauliflower didn't take off at all. We have "at least 100 eggplants Momma!" as her daddy told me there are probably 15 out there. Only two little peppers which I am pretty bummed about. I love peppers! 

All in all I'm happy with what we've gotten/will get. Once we planted the seeds the morning sickness took over & I really wasn't into the garden this year. But thankfully the eggplant is delicious and we will have plenty of that for me to fix & freeze for this coming winter!

Monday, October 14, 2013

Weekending

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This weekend was:

Celebrating a special nephew's second birthday with a Mickey Mouse party
Giving Ree the camera to capture the party from her level
A quiet Sunday morning with knitting
Repeat for the afternoon
The evening was our regular: visiting at my sister-in-laws
Watching football
Yelling. Good. Then bad. Then REALLY good
Coming home to turn on the baseball game
Repeat of the yelling from the football game
Except MUCH quieter as Ree was sleeping

How was your weekend?

Joining Amanda!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

These days

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The days seem to be flying by all the sudden. My to-do list of things to do before baby keeps growing instead of shrinking. 3rd trimester exhaustion seems to have hit & isn't going away. I can do one out of the house thing a day. Then I can't seem to get anything done once we get home. 

I'm not complaining, just stating facts! I know my body is doing all the growing & nourishing of a sweet little baby and that is the most important thing right now!

I have been chasing the beautiful autumn light around the house. I love the light this time of year! 

Ree has been painting a little bit. Nothing specific. Although in the above picture she had just finished painting her pumpkin. Then wanted to mix colors to see what colors she could make. An easy project...I sat with her at the table knitting & kept squirting out more paint when she needed it. She was always thrilled when she made a different color.

She also has been making flowers as you can see. That's all her. She gets the supplies out, asks me to cut the petals & puts it all together herself. That's a sunflower & a daisy if you couldn't tell. Every so often she'll ask me to look up a picture of a certain flower on-line so she can draw/recreate it. Her imagination & creativity is always so fun to watch. I love listening to the way her mind works.

What have you been up to these past few days?

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Yarn Along

Socks!

Not much different here from last week.

I did finish the first sock of the My Cup of Tea pattern. And I am now on the foot of the stripy socks.

I did get some new yarn this past weekend as a late anniversary present:

New Yarn

Not exactly the colors I would choose for myself but....Ree was there & exclaimed how much she LOVED it and I NEEDED to get it because it will make some BEAUTIFUL socks. She sure does help get me out of my drab, darker colors!

On the reading front, I'm still enjoying Quiet. I need to hurry up & finish it since it's due at the library next week. I don't want to hurry though because it's chock full of good stuff! I've found myself taking notes as I read. It's that good!

What are you reading & knitting these days?

Monday, October 7, 2013

Weekending

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It was an Autumn weekend around here. On Saturday we went to a Harvest Festival in my hometown. This is the 3rd year we've gone & Ree loves it! There's games for the children; old tractors to sit on; a hay ride; lots of flowers & pumpkins to look at. 

This year Ree wanted to ride on my Dad's shoulder's with the camera. All the pictures in today's post come courtesy of her!

After the Harvest Festival we went to my mom's for a fish n' chip dinner & homemade ice cream....the last of the summer as the ice cream shop is closing for the year this up coming weekend.

Yesterday was spent catching up on chores & errands. Watching some football, visiting the other side of the family & Ree having a major fit due to being very over tired.

Today is gray & rainy so I think we'll hunker down at home with some art, books, tea & maybe a movie this afternoon!

Linking up with Amanda

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Yarn Along

Socks

This week's Yarn Along features two socks! Different one's! The one's on the left are my "no need to pay attention" socks. I can do these no matter what's going on around me or whose talking to me. A lot of that got done last week at Ree's story time and during the Patriots game Sunday night.

The one's on the right I need to pay attention. Although not as much as in the beginning. But I still need to do these when there's not so many other things calling my attention. They both are almost ready to begin the heel. One of my favorite parts of sock knitting!

I need to take it easy knitting the next few days though. My thumb is sore & I think it's because of all the knitting that's been going on around here lately. With Ree not feeling that great most of the weekend & Monday I spent a lot of time on the couch with her while she watched (way too much) TV. I can't just sit there so I knit. A lot more then I usually would in a day.

I've also been reading a little more of Quiet. I'm getting into it now. I would have included it in the picture of the socks but it's upstairs. And I'm not!