The Birthday Cakes

He loves trucks.

Especially fire trucks.

Engine #2!

And Princess #3 loves pandas!!
We aim to please here at the castle. {grin}

I can't believe she is 6 already!!

A Knit A Week

A Hotshot sweater for my little hotshot!

His birthday sweater this year.

Pattern:  Hotshot by Julia Stanfield (rav link)

part of the Little Rascals e-book of patterns

Yarn:  Lana Bambu by Cascade yarns

only 2 skeins!!

Verdict:  In a word:  adorable.  The perfect kind of layering

sweater for my little runs-like-a-furnace boy.  Top down, seamless 

construction, a multitude of sizes (0-10!!), and the other two patterns

that came with the e-book will be made at some point.

This yarn is deliciously soft too, the only downside is that it is

hand-wash, but I tend to hand-wash all the knitted

things, you know, just in case . . .

TWO

The Prince turned two yesterday.  Two, two wonderful two.  One of my absolutely favorite ages!!

He ended his day with a wonderfully stereotypical temper tantrum!  However, the age two doesn't scare me nearly as much as three, so I chalked his melt up to too much birthday! {grin}

Here are some things that we find TOO cute about our guy:

--he loves trucks.  

[We cannot stress this enough. 

Trucks are where it's at.]

--he loves to be outside.

--he loves to talk and sing.  

[You can even understand them for the most part now.]

--he loves to do whatever big sisters are doing.

[And that means "tool" too (school)!]

--he likes to arrange mama's hair into a pillow before 

snuggling in for a rock before bed.

--he still likes to have his head under mama's chin too-

for reading or cuddling.

[The Queen is pretty sure that this demonstrates 

he still has fond memories of trying to 

dislocate her rib cage with his head while in utero!]

--he loves to play chase.

--he loves to help and is a great grocery unloader!

How did we do life without him?  

I'm not quite sure anymore. 

Super Sniffer

A real life conversation here at the castle tonight.

Princess #2:  I think the Prince stepped in dog poop.

Queen:  Really?  Oh great.  Let me check his shoes.

Queen (after checking and removing his shoes):  Well, I don't know what you smelled, but it's not his shoes.

Princess #2:  Oh, well it must have been whatever you're making for dinner.

Queen:  So, so nice.  Way to spoil the surprise I was making.

Princess #2:  Eeew.  Maaammmaaa!

Overheard After Rest Time

. . . a Spanish spelling lesson.

Princess #3:  I know how to spell chipmunk in Spanish.

Princess #2:  You do??  How?

Princess #3:  E-l c-h-i-p-m-u-n-k!  See it's easy, you just add an "E-L" in front.

He Totally Gets Me!

A conversation I had with my beloved today.

King:  Going slummin' today?

Queen:  What?

King:  You're wearing store-bought socks, instead of your $100 hand-knit ones.

Queen:  Oh, yeah, guess I am slummin'. {grinning}
                . . . Pausing mid-grin, "Wait, you mean the cost of all the time it takes to                         make socks right?"
{worried that he might be making a veiled reference to the cost of her sock-yarn-habit, and forcing her to explain that you really can't put a cost on one's sanity.}

King:  Yep.

Queen (thinking):  He loves me.

Wordless Wednesday

Overheard At the Car Dealership

Nice Salesman:  Go ahead, kick the tires!

Prince:  kicks tire

Nice Salesman:  Let's check under the hood.  Have you ever seen a hemi?

Prince:  Raises arms to mama, says, "Pweese, Mama?"

Nice Salesman:  Do you want to try and drive it?

Prince:  "Uh-huh." Climbs in the driver's seat and grabs onto the Charger's wheel.

Nice Salesman:  Did you have fun?

Prince with a huge grin: "KANK OOO!!" (Thank you!)

Nice Salesman:  We'll see you back in a few years!

A Knit A Week

Verdict:  This is the first sweater that I have made for myself that I have not totally hated and/or given away because it looked better on someone else. {grin}  That makes me happy.  It is so snuggly and warm.  A perfect a fall day/a not bitter cold winter day/a bright spring day jacket.  And it was a super fast knit!
Some notes of interest:
The lining fabric is an Amy Butler decorator print which I ♥ with all my heart!! From this great fabric site!
The buttons are from an amazing etsy seller.  She made them of out of a vintage fabric and they are oh, so fun and unique!

Pattern:  Anise (a freebie on the Rowan website)

Yarn:  Rowan Big Wool, a super bulky, quick to knit with yarn.

Pardon my oh, so, somber face.  Taking pictures of yourself without a dorky expression is very hard to do, especially with a little Prince tugging at your pant legs screaming for "JUICE PWEESE MAMA!!  PWEESE JUICE!!!" {grin}

Wordless Wednesday

Overheard After a Horseback Ride

Queen:  Did you have fun riding with your Auntie and your cousins?

Princess #3:  YES!!  But now I'm all puckered out!!

Wordless Wednesday

A Knit A Week

I know, I know, more socks.  

But making them is one of my favorite 

go-to knitting projects.  Not to mention, I have

a pair going at.all.times. :)

Socks are great for when you just have a couple of minutes

or you are in a waiting room 

or taking a drive with your chauffeur {grin}

or 

or

or
Try them, try them, you will like them!

Pattern:  Ampersand Socks (a freebie)

Yarn:  Socks that Rock Mediumweight in the 

Wonderful Goodness colorway

(Souvenir yarn from our time at the coast!)

Verdict:  I really enjoy the Blue Moon Fibers yarn-it is a pleasure to work
with.  It is so sproingy!  And I love this simple colorway.
The pattern was an easy one to memorize, which
is something I tend to look for in a sock pattern, and
looks really cool.

Overheard After a Squabble

Princess #2:  I really hate that we have to do chores every time we fight and Mama can't take it anymore.

Princess #3:  Me too.

Princess #2:  At the rate we're going, Mama's not going to have to do any chores by herself for a whole week.

Princess #3:  Yah, cuz we're doing them all, right?

Princess #2:  Totally.

Wordless Wednesday

Happiness Is . . .

. . . teaching your wiggliest child how to knit, having her catch on immediately, and LOVE doing it!!  Princess #2 has already finished her first project--a neck warmer for her stuffed animal, and then proceeded to cast on for her second project, a scarf for herself.  Amazing!!  The rate she's going, I'm going to have to start paying her allowance in yarn.

The King and I are still scratching our heads.  We've never seen her sit as still or as long as she did yesterday.  Well, willingly, that is.

She's been asking me to teach her on and off for a while now, I just didn't think I could dig out enough patience to do it.  I was wrong.  She is awesome!

I love being wrong.  For a good cause like knitting. {grin}

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Recognize this one??

I love how he's just hangin' out, one hand in his pocket.

Just like his Dadddy does. {grin}

2010's Knitting Wrap-Up

I am writing this post for me. {grin}  I just tallied my projects for 2010 off of my go-to knitting website www.ravelry.com.  I love that site!  If you are a knitter or an aspiring knitter, you should join.  It will inspire you!!

So for 2010 my knitting tallied up like so:

Pairs of socks: 7 (approx. 2,450 yards of yarn)

Hats:  10 (approx. 1,000 yards of yarn)

Pairs of Mittens: 4  (approx. 300 yards of yarn)

Scarves/wraps/poncho:  7  (approx.  2,000 yards of yarn)

Sweaters:  10  (approx.  5,000 yards of yarn)

Just for fun/stuffed toys:  6  (approx. 600 yards of yarn)

Total:  11, 350 yards of yarn used on 44 projects!! 

The most favorite thing I knit last year is hard to choose, but I think it would be the little tea set I made for my youngest niece.  It had tea cups, saucers, a creamer, sugar bowl w/sugar cubes, tea bags, teaspoons, cupcakes, and a fabulous tea pot.  The best part was, I made the entire set during the winter Olympics, as part of the challenge on Ravelry.  The pattern is in the book Itty Bitty Nursery by Susan B. Anderson.

The teapot is stripey, need I say more??

Thanks for all of your encouraging comments along the way in 2010.  Look for more knitting posts in 2011!  I've just about completed my first project for the new year . . . there it begins!

Another Monday Ramble

1.  School was back on today.

2.  Surprisingly, it went really well.

3.  I don't know why that surprises me, but it did.  And it was a nice way to start the week.

4.  I didn't make any specific new year resolutions.

5.  Just kept to the broad one:  survival.

6.  I got the Pioneer Woman cookbook for Christmas and boy, have we been eating yummy new stuff these past couple of weeks.  The sour cream pancakes were delish!

7.  The pancakes were notable because as a general rule, I could do without pancakes in my life.

8.  I started on my February must-have knits.  I am knitting up Princess #3 a bunch of fun goodies for her b-day.

9.  And I found an adorable (easy, I hope) pattern for making a fire engine cake for the Prince.

10.  When I showed him the picture, it immediately triggered his siren wail. {grin}

11.  Next week all three of my sisters and their adorable children arrive at my parents' place.

12.  I should probably convince the King to buy or rent an RV for us to live in while they are in the area.

13.  Thataway, we won't miss a minute of time spent. {grin}

14.  Happy New Year, dear readers!

A Knit A Week

Pretty Socks!!

For me!!

Pattern: Kai Mei Socks from Sock Innovation by Cookie A.

Yarn: Splendor Sock Yarn in the Spring Garden colorway

by Jill Draper

Verdict: The combination of this sock pattern's totally

fun gusset and foot along with Jill's beautiful

and oh, so soft yarn makes me

incredibly happy. I love how the design

for the gusset wraps up and over the top of

the foot. They look great in all my

many pairs mary jane's.

Overheard At Bedtime

Princess #3 (yelling after goodnights): Daddy! Mama!

**

Queen's side note: {A risky move at the castle, as there is the potential to lose a stuffed animal for pestering parents after bedtime.}

King: What's going on?

Princess #3: I can't find my pink bunny.

**

Queen's side note: {And it's no wonder, in her bed is every stuffed animal she owns!}

King: (flipping off her covers to find the pink bunny) Did you know that you have Buzzy in your bed?

**

Queen's side note: {Buzzy is our very alive, not stuffed (yet) cat, gigantic black cat.}

Princess #3: NO!! How'd he get in there??

**

Queen's side note: {I do wonder how long he would have lasted in there, with all her friends and whatnot.}

Wordless Wednesday

How We Homeschool With A Toddler v.2

Now this only works if you have a willing big sister.

The Prince is lucky.

He has three big sisters. All willing.

Well, most of the time. {grin}

Homeschooling with a busy toddler is not

for the non-caffeinated.

It is a challenge to keep him occupied and happy.

Homeschooling with a toddler means lots of

after-school surprises, like finding cd's jammed

in the crack between the wall and the trim.

Matchbox cars exploring gravity in the toilet.

Puddles of water, well, anywhere.

But . . .

If Princess #3's interest in and ability to catch on

is any indication, more is caught

than taught.

And that right there, makes me grit me teeth,

pull out my *special* matchbox car retrieval tongs,

and just keep on.

Learning some fractions with biggest sis,

while holding littlest big sis' kitty cat.

Home Ec 101

Washing the potatoes, while biggest sis peels.

Do You See . . .

. . . what he sees?

He found his shadow today.

It's off to Never Never Land tonight, I suppose.

Wordless Wednesday

Happiness Should Be . . .

. . . baking Christmas cookies with your kids. Right?

Okay. I thought so.

I'll try again.

A Knit A Week

Dougie Dog Hat and Scarf

These were made in anticipation of my

nephew joining our family and it makes me feel so

incredibly happy and blessed to see him wearing them.

Pattern: Dougie Dog Hat and Scarf by Lucinda Guy

Yarn: Zenith by di.Ve

Verdict: This is a fun little pattern that would be a great intro into

intarsia. Intarsia is probably one of my least favorite

knitting skills to use, but it sure makes for a fun finished project.

Overheard After a Snuggle

Princess #3: Mama! Mama! I just snuggled the Prince and his sweater you made him is so soft!

Queen: It did end up really soft didn't it?

Princess #3: I can tell you made it with the good yarn.

Queen: Princess, you have the makings of a wonderful (albeit snobby like your mama) knitter someday.

I love that she already *knows* good yarn, just by the feel. I am bringing her up right! {grin}

Wordless Wednesday

My Mistake

Princess (whose number shall remain secret): {with great exasperation!} Please bring that upstairs! That mirror belongs upstairs!!

Queen: Hey! Stop being so bossy!

Princess (whose number shall remain secret): I'm *not* being bossy, I'm just telling her what to do!!!!

Overheard After School

. . . an etiquette lesson.

Princess #1: Instead of describing people as fat, you should say they have lots of stored energy.

Princess #2: What? Why?

Princess #1: Well, because fat is stored energy. So you can say, "Wow, that person has a lot of stored energy." It's nicer.

Princess #3: (trying it out) Wow, Santa Claus has a lot of stored energy!

Wordless Wednesday

At Second Glance

When I have a chance to sit down and obsess, a lot of what I choose to obsess about is asking the "why's". Why did that have to happen that way? Why am I dealing with this particular situation?", and on and on goes the pity parade.

I think asking why can be healthy . . . in moderation. It can bring me round to the point of recognizing God's hand or provision in a particular instance that I need to thank Him for. It can bring me to my knees, reminding me that I am not in control. It can bring me peace resting in a perfect, bigger, albeit, invisible plan for my life that has been promised (by the ultimate Promise-Keeper), to be good.

That brings me round to Princess #3. She is often a source of "whys". Last night, some very dear friends inadvertently or maybe vertently {grin} encouraged me by giving me one answer to a why concerning her. As I explained a tiny bit about our evening routine, they commented that I was showing compassion to her, and that she will remember that compassion.

Hmm. Compassion.

I've been pondering that thought since. I don't feel particularly compassionate as we are doing the evening routine (or any other quirky ritual). Mostly I feel relief that it worked and we had a peaceful episode or ending to the day. However, my heart has been softened so much for other parents who have spirited children. We have been often told that our daughter is strong-willed and we should be "taking care" of that attitude. And while that may be true, with that diagnosis there is no grace, dare I say compassion, for the very, real struggles that my child has in making her God-given temperament mesh with her world. To that end, I think my friends are right and that has been such an encouragement to me.

Why do I have some of the struggles I do with this sweet girl?

Because God wants me to learn how to be compassionate to the passionate {grin} in my life!!

You ladies know who you are. Thank you for blessing me with your wisdom and perspective on my life.

A Knit A Week

A Thorpe Hat for Princess#1

Pattern: Thorpe, another great multi-sized freebie

Yarn: Classic Elite Countess (sadly discontinued) &

Grace by Louisa Harding (for the border)

Verdict: A wonderfully easy, warm hat. I think that the crocheted

contrast edging really sets it off nicely.

I customized it for her, adding

a top knot by starting the pattern with an i-cord,

and added very long braids.

She loves it! Yay!

Happiness Is . . .

having your husband, of his own free-will mind you, put up the icicle lights on the house! The castle is starting to look festive.

Overheard From the Living Room

Princess #2: Maaaamaaaaa!! Princess #1 is making baby Jesus talk.

Queen: What's wrong with that??

Princess #2: He couldn't talk yet, we're only at the part when the shepherds were there, not when the wise men got there.

**

My Dad would be so proud! All growing up, our family's nativity scene (aka the one you DID NOT touch), would have either the wise men on the shelf above or far apart from the scene, because my Dad feels very strongly that Bible shows the wise men showing up when Jesus was not a new born babe. And apparently, I have followed in his footsteps! {grin}

Almost Wordless Wednesday

She wanted to see what she looked like

when she looked at her bangs. {grin}

A Knit A Week

The Prince's Christmas Sweater

Pattern: The Necco Wafer Sweater

from the Twist Collective

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport

Verdict: Absolutely adorable. As you know, I have a weakness

for anything stripy on my kids.

The applied i-cord (you can see it best in the photo

with the v-neck close-up) was fussy,

but totally made the finished garment amazing.

A Book A Week

Since I just recommended these books to one of my sisters, I thought I'd share or jog your memory about the Carl books, as they are known here at the castle.

Carl is a Rottweiler who takes his human family's baby on a whole bunch of adventures. For the most part, the Carl books don't have much in the way of a print story. The story is told through the very sweet illustrations of the author Alexandra Day.

Some of the Carl books come in board book too, perfect for little ones. I have too many favorite Carl books to list them all, but probably my absolute favorite would be "Carl Goes to Daycare", and a close second would be "Carl Goes Shopping".

I wish I had a Carl around some days, well make that most days.

Age appropriate for all!!

I Have A Grateful Heart

Most days I get bogged down in the minutiae. Why won't life go the way I think would be best?? The curse of being the oldest child plagues me still.

I forget to be thankful. I forget to be humble. I forget that those pesky, life-changers are gifts that I have been entrusted with by the One Most High. I forget Who is the giver of those lives that challenge me so much.

When I do slow down and look out to see the big picture, the blessing that is my life is overwhelming.

I am thankful.

I do feel humbled by the responsibilities that He feels I can handle.

I am grateful for the time I have been granted thus far with my four blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers. I hope today you find time to count your blessings and name them one by one.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Isn't he stunning?

{Hat: Aviatrix pattern in Jill's amazing handspun merino

Light Through the Leaves colorway}

Overheard After a Snowfall

. . . some words of wisdom for her younger siblings.

Princess #2: When you go out in the snow, don't eat the yellow snow. Or brown snow. Well, basically any color other than white. Okay?

I hope she hasn't learned that from experience. Eww.

Babywearing Tip

I like to wear our babies, especially on my back in the mei tai now that our littlest one is not so little. When he is sick, as he has been all this week, I wear him more often in order to keep the moany-groanies away. That leads to my tip for today: Check your shirt front and back after wearing a snotty nosed little one.

It will save you from embarrassing conversations with well-meaning strangers. Not unlike the one I had today.

In the check-out line at Costco this morning, a nice older woman pointed out that the back of my black shirt was sporting a lovely white crusted streak extending from shoulder blade to shoulder blade. Of course, I wasn't wearing the boy then, didn't even have the sling on, so trying to explain was pointless. So I thanked her, and (surreptitiously) unbound my ponytail, hoping that my hair would be long enough cover the babywearing badge of honor, and made for the door.

There, I hope that I have spared you an unfortunate event.

Overheard At Lunch

A pretend conversation. I hope! I think! I pray! {grin}

Princess #2: And I hadn't looked at myself in the mirror for over an hour and I hadn't checked my outfit to see if it matched.

Princess #3: Why?

Princess #2: I needed a break from myself. Being a girly-girl is a lot of work.

Wordless Wednesday

Buzzinga!

Sometimes when things get a wee bit chaotic in the castle, the Queen insists that the "quiet game" be played. As in no talking, no bodily function noises (occurring naturally or otherwise), until time is up, whoever stays quiet, wins {my undying thanks is the reward, which they know, but I think they always hope it will be something they could eat or hold {grin}}.

So yesterday when I couldn't hear myself think, again, I started the quiet game.

The King and I talked for awhile uninterrupted-a little taste of heaven, I tell you, when I overhear this little gem:

Princess #2: Is the quiet game over yet?

Princess #3: YOU LOSE!!

{If she knew how to use the word "buzzinga", I swear she would have, because it was a "buzzinga" kind of moment.}

Joy of Boys!

**I found a copy of this on a blog I read, and thought you mothers might enjoy it!!*****
**********************************************************************

Between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood we find a delightful creature called a boy. Boys come in assorted sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same creed: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to protest with noise (their only weapon) when their last minute is finished and the adult males pack them off to bed at night.

Boys are found everywhere—on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to.

Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them, and Heaven protects them.

A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket. When you are busy, a boy is an inconsiderate, bothersome, intruding jangle of noise. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a savage, sadistic, jungle creature bent on destroying the world and himself with it.

A boy is a composite—he has the appetite of a horse, the digestion of a sword-swallower, the energy of a pocket-sized atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a dictator, the imagination of a Paul Bunyan, the shyness of a violet, the audacity of a steel trap, the enthusiasm of a firecracker, and when he makes something, he has five thumbs on each hand. He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, the boy across the street, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines.

He is not much for Sunday School, company, schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime. Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can cram into one pocket a rusty knife, a half-eaten apple, three feet of string, an empty Bull Durham sack, two gum drops, six cents, a slingshot, a chunk of unknown substance, and a genuine supersonic code ring with a secret compartment.

A boy is a magical creature—you can lock him out of your workshop, but you can’t lock him out of your heart. You can get him out of your study, but you can’t get him out of your mind. Might as well give up—he is your captor, your jailer, your boss, and your master—a freckled-faced, pint-sized, cat-chasing, bundle of noise. But when you come home at night with only shattered pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, “Hi Mom*!”

{*the queen's edit, original post said "Dad" :) }

Wordless Wednesday

A Knit A Week

Pattern: Just Enough Ruffles Scarf

Yarn: Zitron Trekking Hand Flame

Verdict: This is a nice, pretty, free pattern.

And it was fun to make this scarf with sock yarn.

Last time I used some hand-spun yarn and got a

totally different look. Neat. I love that about

knitting.

And On It Goes

So my birthday was this week. Not nearly as exciting as they used to be, let me tell you. However, as I was opening the gift from Princess #1, I smelled a familiar scent. It was from Yardley of London lavender soap, that she chose to go with the loofah in the same package.

The minute I saw the package, I knew why the smell was so familiar, it was exactly the same brand and scent of soaps and bubble baths that I used to choose for my own Mom so many years ago for Mother's Day or her birthday.

It was sweet and thoughtful. It made my heart get all squishy and my eyes a wee bit damp.

I hope that she has a daughter someday who will buy her Yardley of London lavender soap for her birthday.

I'm reminded of my all time favorite quote from the book Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier: "If only there could be an invention that bottled up a memory, like scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like having the moment all over again. "

How We Homeschool with a Toddler

How we did it a year ago:

Boy do I miss that saucer.

How we do it now:

I'm putting his desire to destroy to good use and he does a great job of only taking the "Kirkland" paper off. The girls' showed him how to stack the rolls, so that kept him busy too. It was a wonderful 30 minutes of Prince-free school. Then he "helped" distribute them to the bathrooms.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Halloween 2009