What a Life!

Last week I finished binding off this shawl. It is the first lace (other than socks) that I have ever knit. The yarn is Knit Picks Gloss Lace Aegean which I knit held doubled. I also added some extra repeats to the body to make it a bit bigger. It’s ready to be blocked, but that will involve the use of blocking wires, which, of course, I have never used. Don’t worry – I’ll take pictures.

Last week I also finished the ribbing for my Cabled Cardigan. At a mere 6 sts per inch, this project is quite an undertaking.

I am totally in love with the yarn – Knit Picks Telemark Mineral Heather. It is soft and just plain gorgeous. The ribbing is about 5 1/2″ inches long. Ahead of me lies about eight inches of plain stockinette. This project has become a full-blown slog-a-long. But the cables around the shoulders will be fun to knit, so I keep pressing on.

These are the swatches for the boys sweaters I am making this fall. I have this thing where I knit them coordinating sweaters each year and then take their picture in them for our Christmas card. Last year I didn’t get the picture part done because I finished them too late to take pictures outside without them freezing to death. Our first hard freeze is typically around October 15, so this year my plan was to have them ready for pictures by the first of October. As cool as our weather was this week, though, that may be too late. I am pressing on anyway.

This is how far I have gotten with Ben’s sweater, a few rows shy of being finished with the back. I always do Ben’s first since it is bigger. I figure, by the time I get to Joey’s, I’ll be tired of the stitch pattern, but at least it will go faster since it is smaller.

Between the two sweaters, I have fourteen balls of yarn to knit. If I am to finish them in September, I need to knit one ball every two days. I am working on my third ball now, so I’m a little behind. I may have to resort to monogamous knitting in order to get them done. Next year, I will start working on them in July.

One of the things I swore I would never do as a parent was to laugh at my children. I remember doing dumb things when I was in school and the other kids laughing at me, and I didn’t want to do that to my children.

When Ben came out all dressed and ready to go one morning, my resolve was firmly tested. I had to pretend I was laughing at something on my computer because I just couldn’t stop. Then, evil mother that I am, I convinced him to let me take pictures of him talking on his phone. Just so I would forever remember this:

Ben wearing his shorts inside out. Not just any pair of shorts. A pair of shorts with lined pockets. Could he possibly look any sillier?

This morning I handed him a polo shirt to wear, and he put it on backwards. Yesterday he put on his sweatshirt jacket on upside down (I honestly didn’t know it could be worn that way). Half the time when he puts on his socks, he puts them on so the gray part (the sole) is on the top of his foot. I would think that would be uncomfortable, but he doesn’t seem to care.

Whenever we see my parents, my dad works and works with Ben, trying to teach him how to put things on correctly. But the thing is, all the explaining in the world doesn’t matter. He simply. doesn’t. care.

When I was a kid, I often heard that cleanliness is next to godliness. I would put neatness right in there next to cleanliness. But is it a genetic thing? Is it a part of their brain that has to develop, like balance?

I try not to take it too seriously. He can dress however he wants when we’re at home. But when we go to town, he has to put things on properly. Even then, I don’t always catch everything. Last weekend when we got home from visiting Steve’s grandmother, we realized he’d had his shorts on backwards all afternoon. Hopefully if it wasn’t obvious enough for us to catch it, no one else noticed either.

Is it something that goes along with being able to tie ones shoes? We can’t even get him to untie his shoes and take them off, much less tie them. It’s like he just doesn’t have it in him to focus on the task, grab the string, pull it, and then take his shoes off.

And speaking of focus, tell him to go put his clothes on and he forgets what he was going to do half way to his bedroom. I swear, there isn’t a hurry bone in his body. If I want him to get dressed so we can go somewhere, I have to supervise. every. single. step. I’m tellin’ ya…

I keep hoping that this too shall pass, that it’s a phase, that he’ll grow out of it. I hope I’m right, because it’s a phase that is totally driving me nuts. And going crazy probably isn’t next to godliness either.

This is a guest post by Joey.

I’m a big boy now. I can eat at the big table just like everyone else.

If Mommy puts me in the high chair and gives me food, I throw it on the floor. But if I climb up on the chair at the table and Mommy gives me the same food, I eat it nicely.

Mommy thinks the high chair looks lonely without me in it, but I don’t care.

Last night when Daddy came home from work, he sat down at the table with me and had some peanuts while I ate my Cheerios.

When we were done, Daddy emptied the dishwasher, and I put my cup away. I know how things are done around here.

I still have lots of things to learn, though. I think next I might learn how to make bread.

Joey with his great-grandma.

More Wordless Wednesday here, as always.

Steve’s Aunt LaRhea had been doing the blowing, and Ben decided he wanted to do it all by himself.

Such fun!

We walk by this house every day on our morning walks. It’s a rental. With a landlord that just wants to collect rent. The roof is old. The siding is falling off. The blinds in the windows are bent up and don’t match. There are a couple of window air conditioners, which means it probably doesn’t have central air. The typical renters who have lived here generally haven’t even bothered to mow the lawn.

Not so with the young family that lives there now. You can see she’s put out little plants and decorative things on the porch. The lawn is always mowed. There are even chairs on the porch as though they enjoy it in spite of its faults.

I must confess, I am so humbled and awed and inspired every time I walk by this little house. Talk about making the most of what you’ve got. Growing where you’re planted. Making lemonade with your lemons. I so have nothing to complain about….

You can go here and see more of the sights we see on our daily morning walks.