my darling child swallowed a lego,

and no it wasn’t the baby. It was Bryce who’s 7. (Fair warning, this post is going to mention poo so you can stop reading now if you want.) Tonight, while I was getting dinner ready after I picked Corra and Bryce up at their Dad’s the kids went off to play. Corra and Allysa went into the playroom to play with Barbie’s, Kailey stayed in the living room with Big Daddy and Bryce went upstairs to play with his lego’s. Half way through cooking dinner, Bryce comes down crying and says “Mommmieee, I swallowed a lego.” Of course, the vein in my forehead starts to throb I ask him if he is ok, if his throat hurts if, it went all the way down and a few more questions that I can’t remember right now. And then I ask him “why did you put a lego in your mouth in the first place!?!?” Really, like this question has a logical answer. (And how come my mother’s voice keeps coming outta my mouth?)

Anyway, I called the Dr to see if there was anything that I really should do (other than what I knew I would have to do, like check his poo. Ew!). The Dr told me, he’ll be fine. Call the office if he gets a belly ache or vomits. (Very helpful no?) He also said I don’t have to check his poo if I don’t want too (Really, why would I want to?) and call the office for an ex-ray to see if the lego has passed in a few days if I want him to have one (Oh, I”m gonna). After Big Daddy, Bryce and I had a talk about what could of happened. (Choking). Bryce had to pack up all his lego’s (they are mine for a week!) then went to bed early tonight as part of his punishment. But you know what has him really upset?

The fact that he will never, ever get back the lego that he swallowed.

Damn good thing this kid is cute. Damn good.

ya’ll knew it was coming…

…. and I’m sorry it took me almost a week to post about it. Its been a crazy week, with the kids first day of school on Tuesday (yay!)

there are more pictures here on flicker here

But what I *really* want to tell ya’ll about is my birthday. First off, I opened up my package from Diane, that has been tormenting me since it arrived.

Isn’t that a beautiful scarf? She spun up the fiber that I sent her (for something, heck if I can remember for what.) and knit up the scarf. Clicky here for a (lousy) pic of me wearing it. (Its been rainy and crappy here, no good lighting lately.) The chocolate was delicious and didn’t last very long! I can’t wait to spin up the roving. Are you thinking: Wait? What? keep reading. You’ll see.

My parents where visiting so we went up to Farmer’s Inn in Sigel, PA. My father enjoyed singing Happy Birthday to me, many, many, many times. But thankfully he was away from the table when the waitress figured out it was my birthday and brought over 2 more waitresses to sing to me. Boy, did the kids enjoy watching that! After brunch, we went over to the petting zoo (which is bigger since we where there 2 years ago(?) and now cost $1/person over 2. Everything that used to be free now costs $1/person. *grumble* However, its easier to stroll around and is a bit bigger with more animals.)

more pictures of us at Farmers Inn on flickr here
The porcupine put on a show for us! He climbed right up the fence and back down. Srsly, I’ve never seen a porcupine move so quickly in the wild. After the petting zoo Allysa and Bryce went to the driving range with Pepe and Corra and Mema played some mini golf, while Kailey and I strolled around. After that we where done for the day, went home for naps. Later we had cake and pizza. It was a nice day. Even if Michael and my parents tortured me into thinking I wasn’t getting what I nagged asked for (I made sure he new exactly what I wanted. Often. ; ) Monday arrived, and with it arrived the hassle of getting everything ready for the 1st day of school. Something else arrived too (after UPS delivered it to the wrong house.) Wanna see?

more pictures here on flickr

a Kromski Sonata spinning wheel. Yippie! My darling Dad put it together for me, (look him all of 20 minutes if that.) he said it was mostly all put together when he got it out of the box. I spun Monday night after I got all the kids in bed, boy was it fun! And its extremely hard to stop too! I’ve been resisting spinning for about 2 years now. Resisted sitting down or touching a wheel, until I visited my parents. And (kinda) went to Egremont Days with Mom. I was good until then, we brought my Mom’s wheel and kind Tina, Michelle and Becky gave me pointers and taught me how to spin on my mom’s lendrum. Thanks Mike, Mom and Dad. Now, I just can’t wait for Rhinebeck!
PS. Thanks sis for the gift certificate, now.. if I could only make a decision.

Happy Happy Birthday to you, TO YOU !!!! (add kazoo hum here)

Well look who is a big girl NOW !!!!! thats right america, it is your favorite little blog happy, knitter extrordinaire, goofball NUTCASE (see below blog) – or was that basketcase, soon to be wife of mine!!!!! (god help me), spastic, makes up words as she feels like it, the one, the only (i dont think the world is ready, or could handle 2 of her), put your hands together for Mistress Stash Enhancer!!!!!!

ok, now that i have finished that CHEESY intro, lets get to business!!! i set eyes on you years ago in 2002?? (seems like forever) and since then i have chased after no other girlie girl, like i have chased after you! we have laughed, cried, fought, made up (yea), kissed, cuddled, made adorable babies together, goofed around, enjoyed each other along the way, and many other things i am sure i am forgetting. but i know this, i am very happy where i am with you now, and wouldnt change it for the world, i love, YES I SAID LOVE our kids, all 4 of them bring a different hair pulling experience of fraustration, joy and love, their smiles make me happy, their giggles make me laugh, and their hugs make me feel cherished as a father/stepdad. and then there is you. lil miss goose-a-lot. just the way you cuddle into my chest, and sigh of happiness, is so cute. they way you play with the kids is adorable to watch. i have come to love your little quarks more and more everyday. i have been blessed with your goofy & adorable style of the way you love me. i am figuring by now that you are about to start laughing and crying at the same time. but just know this. no matter how much we fight, wrestle, giggle, laugh, cuddle, and chase each other, i will always love you….

oh yea, and i want to wish my sexy lil woman a very happy 27th birthday as well *W.E.G*

PS. your b-day present – I am not telling you where it is. you will get it soon enuff

There’s a squirrel in my closet…*

There’s a squirrel in my closet, dear Amanda, dear Amanda* (sing to: there is a hole in my bucket)
There’s a squirrel in my closet, dear Amanda, a squirrel.

Well get it dear Michael, dear Michael, dear Michael
Well get it dear Michael, my dear.
With what shall I get it, dear Amanda dear Amanda
With what shall I get it, dear Amanda with what?
Stick the cat in the closet, dear Michael, dear Michael, dear Michael
Stick the cat in the closet dear Michael, my dear.

The cat is too lazy, dear Amanda dear Amanda
The cat is too lazy, dear Amanda to hunt.
Well it will catch it dear Michael dear Michael dear Michael
Well after a few days it will catch it dear Michael, my dear.

What if it doesn’t? dear Amanda dear Amanda
What if it doesn’t?, dear Amanda then what?
Then stick a kid in the closet dear Michael dear Michael dear Michael
Then stick a kid in the closet dear Michael dear Michael a kid.
They are too whiny, dear Amanda dear Amanda
Too whiny, dear Amanda whiny!

Then get some critter repellent dear Michael dear Michael dear Michael
Then get some critter repellent dear Michael dear Michael my dear.
It takes 2-3 days to get here, dear Amanda dear Amanda
2-3 days, dear Amanda that’s a century!
Then get a sonic thingy dear Michael dear Michael dear Michael
Get a sonic thingy, dear Michael dear Michael go get it.
But I’ll hear it, dear Amanda dear Amanda
I’ll hear it, dear Amanda I’ll hear it.
Clean out the closet dear Michael, dear Michael dear Michael
Clean out the closets dear Michael dear Michael stick a radio in there.

Then what shall I play, dear Amanda dear Amanda
Then what shall I play dear Amanda what?
That CD of songs dear Michael, dear Michael dear Michael
That CD of songs dear Michael, from Corra’s play will make it go away.
There’s a squirrel in my closet dear Amanda dear Amanda
There’s a squirrel in my closet dear Amanda, a freaking SQUIRREL!

Even with the excitement of finding a bunch of walnuts and hearing squirrel noises in my closet last night there has been knitting…. more tomorrow when my brain should be functioning. Freaking squirrel.

10 hours of my life

that seemed to go on forever. Really, I’m sorry blog, and people I owe emails too, bloglines I’m sorry too. I’ve neglected you all and managed to miss July somehow cause we are half-way through August and I have no idea where all the time went. This summer has passed by so quickly because I wasn’t home, the kids and I visited my parents and then Mike at work. Busy this summer has been, very busy. Last week sometime we spent a humongous chunk of time at an RV dealership outside of Richmond VA. During the 10 hours of my life that I’ll never get back I was and am incredibly thankful for
1. The DVD player in the van and
2. Being a knitter. Really, if I wasn’t a knitter I would be one bitch of a person. I was able to mostly entertain myself by knitting around and around on this cowl. While the kids played and I tried not to be twitchy. (Really, how much fun is it to keep small children entertained in a dealership?)
3. Not having the 5th wheel camper any more, we now have a drivable class C. (I’m totally looking forward to family “camping” trips now! No more bathroom stops!! Mike has to drive, no more taking 2 vehicles!! More knitting time! Yay!)

Before we left for Richmond I was thinking of what to do with all the leftover koigu I have. A thought popped into my head, why not a cowl? And being unable to find a cowl pattern for fingering weight yarn that wasn’t held double (I didn’t want to blend the colors more) I sorta made up my own. I CO 160 sts knit 5 rows of seed sts then knit straight stockinette until I was almost out of the color I was knitting with and then knit 2 rows of the next color until I almost ran out of that color and repeated until I was almost out of yarn. Then knit 16 rows of garter sts and BO after a purl row. My finished cowl measures 12.5″ wide and 11″ long. If I could find my notes I could tell you exactly how many grams of each color I used…

I’m not to thrilled on the fit, its *very* drapey, but I think with a jacket on it will be ok. Whichever end is closest to my shoulders folds under when its on, and I think its because the fabric isn’t wide enough to go stretch across them. (Like that makes oodles of sense, but you get what I mean.) Now I want to knit lots of cowls, lots and lots of them. But alas, I must knit sweaters for the kids (darn them). Even though I badly want to cast this on, instead yesterday for Corra’s blue febuary lady sweater and I need to order yarn for Bryce’s drive-thru. Its time that the kids wear handknit sweaters for their school photo’s don’t you think? *mahhahhaha*