Parenting post

Skip this post if you don't want stories of kids and messes.

So, my FIL is here helping to finish painting the outside of our house.



The kids were happy with some new toys from my nephew and then we decided to paint inside.
Usually painting with Aidan is a disaster because he just paints his hands and his clothes.
We've been going to playgroup for a few weeks now and he has been doing well--putting the paint smock on himself, painting only on the paper, cleaning up messes etc.
So yesterday they are painting and I took a load of laundry upstairs.

As soon as I got to the top of the stairs I heard Brenna say "Uh, Mom--Aidan is PAINTING HIMSELF"

So I go back downstairs to this:

*you can't see all the paint in his hair-but it's all purple*

Which then became this:


I leave the bathroom to scrub purple off the walls and come back to this:


This is Santa and Mrs Claus (they named themselves).

So the day goes on and I'm putting clothes away in Aidan's room and a cloud of white puffs up from his drawers.
I notice a white film on everything (the floor, the dresser, the bed, the clothes).
I find out that on the weekend he dumped and entire bottle of baby powder all over his room.

Hubby had vacuumed but didn't get it all nor did he know--there is now a PILE of powder throughout his drawer.
So--full drawer of shirts had to be washed....

Sigh..
kids.

So, sorry for all the crazy posting--I had it all up in my brain to write these posts out but didn't.
:)

Busy weekend

Princess B and I drove down to Rochester Friday night to attend my 10 year College reunion.

The concert that night was AMAZING and was put on by one of my favourite bands: NewWorldSon.



There were not very many people there but we had fun dancing in the aisles.

I had a blast


with this kid: (my nephew)


The kids were so cute--asking the guys in the band for their "autrograph" and telling them their favourite songs.
A late night and a lazy morning (including me spinning on my sister's Babe wheel!!!) then a fun day with the kids in the bouncy castle at the Homecoming event.

I saw some good friends at the reunion, missed the people who weren't there and then drove home late to be back for Sunday.

Sunday--our new Pastor started, we had about 35 guests to Church and then was hubby's big Fall fundraiser event with food and music and mostly involved me chasing Little Man in a big field.

Whew...
I didn't get any knitting done with my sister.

I have the yarn and the beads for MS4 but have yet to start. I think everyone else is on clue 3, but I'm not in it to keep up, just to have a chance to knit some lace and learn to knit with beads.

:)


If you get the chance, you should check out this video below.
The drummer of NewWorldSon did an amazing drum solo and proceeded to drum all over the stage--on mike stands, chairs, the guitar etc etc etc.

My new love

I finished my hat!

I am so in love with this hat.
So much in love that I wore it all morning and then the kids fell in love with it and took turns wearing it. I'm sure it was because I said to them "see my hat?? I finished my hat don't you love my hat??" about every 5 minutes that they realized they should agree with me :)

It might be a little big:


But I shall LOVE it even more when the cold weather starts.

I can tie up the side flaps or tuck them under when I don't want to look like a lumberjack or Jayne.

The pattern was fun, my yarns were not the same weight, so the grey Shetland was puffier and kind of overshadowed the Orange handspun.

I don't' care.
I love this hat.

I might never take it off....

Unexpected blog break

Did you miss me??

Where have I been??

I'm just not making the time to sit down and write anything.
School, "Annie" rehearsal, stuff going on at Church, meetings and other family events have kept me away from blogland.


Let's look at pictures:
Here is the baby sweater that I entered in the Picton Fall Fair, that won 2nd prize:


It was knit about 7 months ago with my nephew in mind--and has now finally been sent off to him. I hope it still fits.
It's the Hickory Dickory Dot pattern from Juju and Lolo (Anny Purls). I knit this as a test knit for her pattern which is now available on her site.

Yarn:
I did a yarn trade with Chrissy of the Manic Purl Podcast. She mentioned my Tealicious yarn in episode 3 of her podcast, and I reminded her recently that the yarn was still up for grabs in the shop.
She traded me for this:


It's her own hand-dyed from her new shop YarnSprout. It's a Merino/Seacell blend dyed with natural dyes. It's called "Chocolate Raspberry Mousse" and I just LOVE it.
She also gave me a cute little stitch saver keychain (which is a crochet hook to catch those dropped stitches, while on the go).

I finished up a skein of handspun:


It's Superwash Merino in the "50's Diner" colourway of Turquoise and Red, that didn't sell in my shop.
It's very squooshy

I started a hat from my handspun:


The orange yarn is from my PippiKneeSocks roving in the "Peepers" colourway.
The grey is hand-washed, hand-carded, hand-spun Shetland fleece from a local Shetland farm.
It is a 3 ply yarn, my first attempt at long-draw spinning. It's not too bad, but I could use more practice--which is good because I have to card and spin a lot more yarn to finish this hat.

The pattern is the Morning Coffee Toque, by PippiKneeSocks.
I can't wait to finish it

:)

I am still skeining away to finish up the dyeing for Robyns' Nest--the October Sock Club and another colourway for her shop.
Go here and buy a Sock Club spot if you are so inclined :)


Other than that, there is not too much going on (ha ha--as I think of my list of things to do: skein yarn, dye yarn, manage the family stuff, take care of Church responsibilities as Chair of our Board with a New Pastor starting next week, Play rehearsal, sleeping somewhere in there).

There is not much knitting going on--I actually only have 1 sock project on the go (GASP, SHOCK) and have yet to pick out my fall sweater.

I was thinking of this:


and had decided to start--but then realized that I really don't like pullovers--there I said it.
I love sweaters, but I tend to wear one in the morning when I'm cold, then take it off an hour later after chasing kids and overheating, then I want it when I'm cooking and then I'm too hot again.

Cardigans are good for me--so I think I might knit this



or this


Which one do you think???

I can't decide.
I have 6 skeins of Cascade 220--so I can't knit up a huge sweater. I have been looking around on Ravelry and these ones might just work.

I'm still undecided but I have time since it's not cold here--yet

:)

Prizes and I'm a dork.

So this weekend was our local Fair.
Hubby had to be there to run a booth for the YouthPark.
We went as a family for 2 hours on Saturday. The Kids did some rides , we had some fair food and looked at the crafts.

I got to see the results of my entries:
1st Place for my Picovoli
2nd for my baby sweater (not blogged as it was a test knit and is a gift)
2nd for my Forest Canopy Shawl (1st place went to a fellow guild member who made an amazing Faroese Shawl out of Mohair/Silk)
1st place for my bread
and my socks got "Honorable Mention"--apparently I forgot to weave in a couple of ends inside--oops.

I spun at the Fair Sunday afternoon from 12:30pm-5pm and got to have some greasy food (onion chips and a chocolate milkshake for lunch--yum), bought some Lavender Tea and linen spray from a local vendor and got my Candy Apple (I always have to have a Candy Apple every year from the fair)

I was wiped when we got home, took a short nap while listening to Lime and Violet and woke up when they said my name.
If you download Ep 70--you will hear MissViolet talk about me dancing at the hospital (yes, I did that) and they talk about my store.
Oh and there will be a youtube video of me dancing--sometime in the near future :)

Shownotes are here.

I have to go back and listen to the rest of the episode, for the stuff I missed.
EDITED TO ADD: Here is the video:


Hubby and I are going out to a fancy dinner tonight in honour of the RCMP ride coming to town.
It's part of the YouthPark project as well--so we get to be VIP's.
I miss the actual performance tomorrow as I have my first rehearsal for Annie.
I am very excited to be part of this play.

So..I have to figure out what to wear tonight and spiffen up the house (is that a word??).
:)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Okay-not really.
I joke.
I do look forward to all the adventures that Princess B will have at school this year--but I will miss her.
She has been excited and scared about school.
Some of the tantrums and resistance this past week is about school--she does recognize that which is good.
One of her friends is in her class and even though she refused to go to the school last week to meet the Teacher (didn't matter, Teacher wasn't there)--we spotted the Teacher in the yard before the bell and the "line up place" is the same which helped calm her fears.
Today she ran off when the bell rang without a looking back...


What a difference a year makes:


Little man and I have been to the park and played and watched a movie--he is taking his nap and I hope to get some housework/yarn work accomplished

:)