In Threes

I'm not sure how many times I've knitted this pattern...

...with this wool (in orchid this time)...

...but I have yet to be tired of it.

Anybody want one? :)

In which a change is not as good as a rest

The change: I'm sick. I hate being sick. I'm also a little dumb (that's not a change, though). When life gets busy and I get a little twirly, I think to myself, "Maybe I need to take a sick day. A couple days in bed nursing something not-horrible might be kind of nice." See? Not my brightest moment.
It started last week, with first Dan, then Caleb and Ellie coming down with coughs. The older ones managed to avoid it so far, mainly because they don't feel the need to get into everyone's faces the way the younger ones do. They passed it to me, I believe, in a dastardly attempt to get more TV time. Their plan backfired, however - don't they know that with warm weather and (for the first time in 15 years) a lack of doggy-deposits in the yard means they play outside? A clever move, my worthy little foes, yet I remain triumphant! :)
Now, I sit, still needing to keep with things/life in some measure, as it appears that you don't really get to stay in bed all day unless you are, indeed, suffering from something fairly horrible/contagious. For me, some sinus congestion and a sore throat do not qualify. Pity.
I ended  up having to miss my book club last night, which was so disappointing on two counts: 1) I worked really hard to get the book finished in time and really wanted to hear what others thought of it, and 2) I promised to make cake for those who finished. I will be sure to redeem myself next month! We'll be reading The Kitchen House, for anyone who's interested. I'll have to get a hold of it soon...
Hope you hearty and hale people are enjoying the spring; I'll be back out there myself, as soon I no longer need to be in arm's reach of a tissue at all times!

What happened to spring?!

These photos are roughly 2 or so weeks old:

Today, the high is 91. Um, what's up with that?

The Slings I Make but Do Not Photograph

I made my first sling back when Dan was born, and it has been well worth the investment. I have used that thing so much - I love hands-free baby snuggles. Because I use it so much - particularly in church - it's understandable that a few like-minded mommies should want one of their own.
So, over the last 6 or so months, I've made about 6 slings for various friends and friends-of-friends, and would you believe I took not one picture until the most recent? Even that one isn't that hot:

 

So, from here on out, I commit to continue making slings and attempting to photograph them more, if only to prove to myself that the sewing machine is worth the space it takes up.

Right now

• Dan is doing well with potty training - yay! It's not perfect - last week he peed as soon as we set foot in the library, and yesterday he had a rather messy accident (ahem) - but he's made it through church and 3+ hour co-op, accident-free. I'm telling you, you've got a appreciate the little things.
• Caleb has now cut two teeth, and gauging by the grouch, there are more coming. In between bouts of misery, though, he really is marvelous.
• God has been showing me lately, the hard way, that I am very quick to become angry when my comfort, plan, or desire for ease is threatened. The sinful response of anger is obviously wrong, but it's an indicator of other heart issues that need addressing. One way I've been helped is by choosing to prepare myself for things not going my way ahead of time and praying for both my response to glorify God, and for Him to be at work in the issues that tend to act as a trigger (bickering or complaining, for instance). While there is still far to go, I have seen grace and growth - and that's no small thing.
• We had a lovely Easter, rejoicing over baptisms at church and enjoying wonderful food and company with friends. And for the record, I successfully completed my Pinterest fast! Taking a tech/social media break was a helpful exercise, one I am considering doing more often.
• While it's only barely spring, I'm seeing the beginning of the shift towards summer: only 4 weeks of co-op left, planning for next year's schooling has begun, Noah's baseball clinic starts this Saturday. How is it possible that I'm ready for the next season, even as we scramble to finish well where we're at?
• I'm almost finished working on this little project for a friend at co-op. I love this pattern and I love the yarn!
• Our family has done little in the way of field trips so far this year (I blame the baby). With improved weather, bigger baby, and a healthy dose of mother-guilt, I'm planning on getting my people out and about more. Any suggestions for an excellent field trip?

What are you and yours up to?

Wanna make a cute kid hat?

Take some fingering-weight/sock yarn and cast on 104 sts on size 4 or 5 needles, working in the round.

K2 P2 for an inch, followed by stockinette st for 6 or so inches. Flip it inside out and finish with 3 needle cast off.

Weave in ends and place securely on cold head. Fits a large 3 year-old head, or normal-sized dome on an older child.

Link love

Are your photos being hijacked by another site? Here's how to find out.

I found some of this helpful in relating to my boys...

Managing the iphone (or any smart phone!) - who doesn't need this?

The calendar says it's spring, but when the thermometer says otherwise, these ideas might help.

And a few for the homeschoolers:
The Introverted Homeschooler - this came at just the right time for me!

If you are a homeschooler (and maybe even if you're not), it's a good idea to figure out how to make it all work together.

So your homeschooled child isn't right on grade level? Don't sweat it...

It's finished!

It's been something of a long project - nearly 3 months - but I'm happy to say my Effortless cardigan is complete!

The night before I finished it, I dreamt that I'd cast off, put it on, and found that it reached all the way to my ankles. It's long, especially after blocking, but fortunately not that long.

It's also warm, comfy, soft, matchy-matchy, and able to wrap any kid that fits into my lap. A winner all around.

Yarn, pattern, etc on my ravelry page.

The End of an Era

Our dog, Thor, hadn't been doing well for a while. He's been having trouble with his hips, struggling to stand or go up and down stairs. Occasionally his functions would fail him, leaving messes to clean up. He was sleeping more and more and the vet had mentioned a while back that he had a large mass in his abdomen.
We decided to call it a day for old Thor.

It wasn't an easy decision, and one that we'd been discussing for months. We finally decided that it was the right time, making his final appointment with the vet. I was nervous about this part - would they make me feel bad (worse), suggesting expensive treatments to prolong his life? I needn't have worried. The receptionist was very kind and thoughtful - even though I don't do this everyday, it can't be unusual for her.
Toby was the one to do this appointment. While I was glad I took Zoe to her last appointment, I didn't want to do it again if I had a choice. It was good to stay home with sorrowing children, talking about what was going to happen and all the fun memories we had of Thor. The kids were sad, but understand that this is the right choice. They don't want to see him suffer needlessly, either. Talking about all the stories and adventures he's had helped all of us - how many other dogs get to travel internationally?
It's funny to think about it all, really - seeing him for the first time, cowering in the back of a kennel at the rescue center, falling in love with him just to hear that another family snapped him up before us, going home sad but thankful that at least he had a family now, only to be called by the rescue center an hour later to be told that the other family wasn't suitable and would we still like to bring him home? Taking him for long walks where he either pulled your arm out of its socket or helped you develop a cast iron grip, especially if there was water anywhere nearby. Seeing what happens when a bearded dog eats flour, drinks water and repeats a dozen times. Enjoying him swimming after water toys for the pure joy of it, as long as someone would still throw them. Watching a dozens of kids climb on, poke, pull, bend and generally abuse him, and never would he lose his temper - then seeing him morph into crazy psycho dog if another dog came near. He was a dog that could change the minds non-dog lovers.
Now, we are pet-free. I don't think that's a permanent thing (he wasn't even gone before the kids were inquiring after a new pet, cold-hearted beasts), but for now, we will enjoy our pet-free status. I'm glad to take a break from puddles of hair on the floor, racing to grab dropped food before he gets it, stepping in the poop in the yard that we somehow missed, and Dan sneaking into the laundry room to eat dog food (for real).
Nevertheless, it's the end of an era for our family. It's the first time since we got married more than fifteen years ago that we have not had a pet. I'm sure there will be more creatures we will one day call family, but for now, we'll miss this one, even while we sweep up the last of the hair.

Right now

• Dan seems to be winning the battle that is potty training! He uses the toilet now, rather than the potty, and often takes himself without prompting. He hasn't yet gotten the hang of "number 2" in the toilet, but the vast benefit of not changing his diapers every hour throughout the morning is well worth putting up with a little mess. He'll get it eventually!
• Caleb is teething. Oy. One bottom tooth has cut through, but I think there are more on the way, gauging by his fussiness. He's still delightfully cute, though.
• I'm fighting disease and contagion, in the form of a sore throat (which makes for quite a manly voice) and headache. I'm determined to win, though! After all, "ain't nobody got time" to be sick...
• Thor isn't doing too well. He's been on the downhill slide for a while, and it's getting worse. His hips hurt and his back legs regularly fail him, he often needs to be carried up or down the stairs, several times a week he relieves himself in the house (often right next to someone), and now he's started throwing up. In my room. At 3am.  It's not looking good - I foresee a vet visit soon...
• I've been noticing a couple of habits in my kids that need to see some change. Right now, there's been the morning chores - rarely do they get done without me, at some point, bellowing like a bull moose about how they all need to get done before playtime. The thought eventually came to me (I'm a little slow) that I'm training Dan to use the toilet with positive reinforcement (m&ms, in this case), so why not the others? So, the deal is, they have 30 minutes (a timer is set) to complete all their chores without me reminding them. If they get them all done without my nagging, they can have a couple of m&ms. It's early days, but it went well today. My kids are pretty short-term thinkers, so I know that yummy food that they don't normally get would speak to them. I'd love to do something longer term, like if they do it for a week or month, we'd do something special, but we'll start small and see how we go.
• There are some other areas we're working on, namely acting selfishly and stirring up division. There is prayer and discussion going on, but practical measures are still so new and unsure that the jury is still out on their effectiveness. Time will surely tell!
• Noah is learning how to cut wood. Amazingly, there have been no stitches or severed fingers...yet.