Where Does the Time Go?

These are the last installment of the Mother's Day fixation socks. I thought they turned out pretty well.
The Fancy Pants on the block. I am having a little with drawl from them. Do you think it is unreasonable to ask for joint custody of a hand knit item? hehehe.
Here is the hand dyed yarn almost dry. I love it all wound up. It is so pretty. Can't wait to knit it up into something fantastic.
The shop model of the Baby Cardigan in the oh so soft Bamboozle yarn with the Breeze cuffs and button band.
Happy Birthday Austyn!!
Hey Bud,
I can not believe it has already been eleven years. It seems like just yesterday you were the only little boy in our lives. Now you lead the pack. I know it has not been easy living with parents like us.
Let me tell you how very proud we are to see you grow into a patient, caring individual, who truly cares about those around you. We can see, that no matter how frustrated you get with your brother's at times. The way you encourage them to try again or admire another drawing, guessing accurately what they have created. Makes me see that we could learn a thing or two from you. Whatever it is we pray that you will continue to show your heart and kindness to others. We can't wait to see what this year brings for you.
Hope you have a wonderful birthday. We love you BIG..

New Projects

Well we are off to town to get the materials to finish the work in the yard. I can't stand the lack of a nice looking yard any longer.
I have almost completed the bottom of the polka dot cardigan for my sister in laws soon to be little one. I is so adorable. I hope it comes out looking like the pattern.. hehhee..
I am 1/3 finished with the socks for my mother in law and can finish up the cute friend bday socks that are going to be about 2 weeks past due.. Oh well.. Life happens.
Just wanted to do a quick update and say hi to everyone.
Plus it is a holiday weekend so happy Memorial Day.

What We Do For Friendship

I will post photos with my next post. I can't find the camera cord AGAIN. Plus I need to get a couple more photos together, this will give you the full experience of the FO'S.

Last night the Fair Isle Fancy Pants (aka baby Keller project # 2) made its glorious debut. I was on my way to a yarn dyeing workshop and FORGOT them. I know, can you believe it?
My hubby graciously (or rather was forced to) was able to drop it by for me. This project caught my eye a month ago and has been loads of fun to work on. Add to that, the fact that it is for my friend Sarah's new arrival. Made this a project of a lifetime. I hope that Baby Keller will be warm this winter and looking ooooooooohhhhhhh so adorable.I do have to say that I think I did weave in at least 50-75 little ends for all it's fair isle glory. During this whole process I have caught the fair isle bug. I am excited to start my next project.

I gifted the last mother's day gift on Sunday. She was gone and I was still fringing the Entralac Scarf. It was sooooo pretty. I am going to get her to strike a pose and post the finished photo soon. As for the works in progress. I have cast on 2 more pairs of the fabulous fixation anklet socks. They are so quick you have to do ALL the colors.

Last project entry is the Fantastic Dye Workshop we did last night with Yvonne hosted at Sarah's. Who thought that hanging out with nine ladies eating, drinking and dying yarn could be so fun.. (OK is that sort of an oxy-moron) heheh but you get the idea. Yet another gateway to addiction. I will take pics of the drying yarn and post soon.

I have to thank McDonald's and the makers of Shrek for partnering up. The happy meal toys have now made me the laughing stock of our local Walmart. One character in particular has me baffled. Why? PUSS and boots.This is what the shoppers got to experience. Brought to you by my network of little men following me happily through the store. COLE: Mom look I got Puss. ALEX: No! I GOT PUSS!.. Makoa: Guys we all got puss. Don't complain or we can't go back. What the heck were they thinking. Certainly, no attention was given to this social situation. Further more embarrassed by the lady at the end of the isle listening to this, in all it's conversational glory. LADY: Is it a non-school day for you boy's? MY BOYS: (in unison) No, we home school. My fear, is that she did not SEE the actual happy meal treasures. My hope is that she did know what they were talking about or was hearing impaired enough to not hear what was being said. Uggghhh.. Got to love being a mom.. I feel I should remind you I DO NOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP IT REALLY IS THE JOY OF MY PARENTING CAREER.. hehhehe

Midnight Snack with Alex

Maybe not a midnight snack. He is only 3 so it was more like a 10:30p.m snack. I was loading the dishwasher when we got home tonight and I hear the little feet of my youngest.
He peers around the doorway to the kitchen and says to me. "Mommy my tummy is hurting" "Peanut butter, jelly will make it happy."
I reply with it's to late for peanut butter and jelly. Maybe you should have an apple.
" Maybe that's good" he says."With some milk too."
We are used to Alex roaming the cupboards after the big boys are asleep. Although he is instantly put back to bed most of the time. Anyway back to the conversation..
How is your apple buddy.
"MMM, pretty good" he replies with a raised eyebrow/head nod. This is fast becoming his trade mark.
"Mommy you can have some bites too. With me. Okay."
Well okay! So I sit down and start to eat with him. Not something I would normally do.
"How come daddy's snore?" "Why is this apple red?" "Is the milk from cows?"
Daddy's are really tired from work so sometimes they snore.
"Loud like daddy?" Yep they can.
Some kinds of apples are red. "Yea I know"
Milk does come from cows " Baby milk comes from booby milk mom."
Thanks to my good buddy Cheryl for having a baby recently. I won't share the other things he feels free to share with her. Being around her, for Alex it is like some sort of tell the embarrassing truth serum.. Oh my..
Anyway,after the question/answer portion of our evening,he proclaimed,he was done. Finished his milk. Threw his cup in the sink. Went off down the hall.
Hey bud where are you going? " I'm going to brush my teeth"
He said thanks for the mommy/Alex time. I like apples and milk.
I have absolutely know idea why I am sharing this. Except for the fact that I have had a rough couple of mommy days lately and this is just a little glimpse of WHY it is nice to be a mom.
The funny thing is maybe I should do this with all of the troops once in a while then if they all react like he did tonight. No more bed time fights.

A Mother's Day Poem

This is a poem I wrote a few years ago. Thought I would share it with you all since I have misplaced my USB cord to show you the last of the Mother's Day gifts.

A Mother's Heart

A mom once wondered of her worth

Is this all my life will be?

The laundry baskets overflow, the dishes never done.

She stopped to wonder once again

Am I the only one?

In the middle of the piles and noise, the mother stopped to look,

The laughter of her children was exactly what it took.

It made her look beyond the toys, to see what mattered most.

The music in their laughter, is what fills this cluttered space.

Nothing at all compares to the joy upon their face.

When mommy stops her "busy stuff", and takes the time to play.

She knows the dishes will get done, the laundry put away.

My kids will only be small once.

They will not always want to play.

Taking in these moments now, will do a mom's heart good.

Much more than a clean house ever could.

This was my attempt to be inspired to write poems again after a 10 year vacation. It was a very rude individual in my life (no longer a part of my bubble) who told me that I should spend time doing something a bit more useful with my time. Oh... Well.. It isn't great but who cares.

My boys woke me up at 6:15am. They were to excited to share their Mother's Day surprise with me. ugh...That was a little to early but.... You gotta do what you gotta do. They got mommy a movie and DOVE chocolate. How can you stay mad? heheheh

After a bit of running around dropping off the rest of the gifts. We came home where my little gentlemen waited on me hand and foot and let me knit and read all afternoon. What a WONDERFUL change for this mom. I think we need to start a bi-monthly mommy's day club and be treated like queens (or at least get a day off). hehehe.

To all mother's......I hope you had a truly enjoyable day with your families. What an awesome job we all have. I honestly can say this is the hardest job I have ever had. But it is times like today when I realize the REWARDS of it.

I will post photo soon. Maybe I will have a couple more FO's too.

Thinking Blogger Award! silver version
I was nominated for a thinking blogger award by http://lavendersheep.blogspot.com (make sure to check out her blog ). According to The Rules, I now need to nominate five more bloggers for the thinking blogger award:
1. http://lavendersheep.blogspot.com She nominated me first so I have to mention her (hehe). Besides I absolutely heart her yarn. The colors make me happy. She has also become a great friend.
2. Knot Another Hat she make me want to knit. Not just a little bit but mounds and mounds of knitting. I considered myself a non-peer presure sort of gal. Until I met Sarah, and now I am just a big FAT copy cat. Plus, she sees the yarn purchases I make and NEVER EVER judges me.. (hehe) As well as becoming a very good friend in the short time I have known her.
3. http://www.inthemidstofit.blogspot.com/, This blog was a real blessing to me when I first started to lurk in blog land. She has a very inspiring way of writing about her life as a mom. We also share our beliefs. I always end up thinking about life a bit differently when I finish reading her blog.
4. http://a-friend-to-knit-with.blogspot.com/, I love her creative projects. I have only started lurking on her blog recently but the things she has posted just make me smile. The aprons and baking she does makes me want to wear aprons and bake all day.
5. http://callapidderdays.blogspot.com/ is totally inspires me to read, read, read. Did I mention it makes me want to read. My first love has always been books. I wish for all my boys that they would love to read. She has so many lists and little challenges. It is a well written blog too.
The participation rules are simple:1. If you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,2. Link back to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Mother's Day Marathon Gifts Continue

Hello All,
Just a quick update on the Mother's Day Knit-a-Thon. Gift #3 was gifted tonight. Another happy recipient. I am always so excited to see the reaction on someones face when they receive their hand knit item. It is a pleasant change to the few non-reaction to handmade gifts (given in the past). I just get such a joy in giving a gift that is accepted with the same spirit it was given.

I have one big thing to whip up and two more little items which I hope to knit up by Thursday. Then it will be time to finish up the last two partially knitted projects. Finally, duh- duh-duh. Did you hear the JAWS theme there?

You may remember the ONE looming project I have on the sticks. Yes! The Hubby sweater. I feel that with the amount of LOUD COMMENTING my hubby has been making about this one little project. I may need to pick it up again and only work on it until it's completion.
Not even our local softballs games are safe from his "COMMENTS". Thanks Cindy for the comment and the giggles I got from my husband and myself as I read that out loud. The conversation went something like this. Me: Oh my gosh Rick did you really say something to Cindy about the sweater. Come on seriously you are crazy... RICK: What? No.. Well maybe it came up....ME: (raised eyebrows) HOW? RICK: I don't know she was just asking about the knitting and I may have mentioned it... ME: Well that is the last game you umpire without me checking to see who the coaches are..hehehhehe..
He has been following me around as I pass my Mother's Day treasures off to their new owners. As they open the little treasure.......
"Oh, Honey is that another pair of socks? I see another knitted item. IS THAT MY SWEATER?"

I love my dear husband don't get me wrong. But really this is becoming a little bit embarrassing in the spirit of Mother's Day, I am going to have to leave him home until I get all the goodies out the door. Do you think if I work on his beloved sweater "while he is watching" that would tide him over?

Well nothing new to report on the troops. I have arrived home from the coast a few projects lighter and will leave the rest of the details alone. heheheh

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the burst of spring/summer weather we are experiencing.

The Land of Blog

These are the first Mother's Day installment. They have already been gifted to my good buddy Ronni. She loved them and they fit perfectly. I love this pattern. These little beauties knitted up in no time at all.
Above are the big/lil sister socks I did for my friend Cheryl's girls. Syndey and Margo are just too cute anyway. So this was a few hours of knitted bliss.
These little Dale of Norway trousers have been eating up most of my spare time..hehhee. I have been hard at work on this project for my good buddy Sarah's baby shower. Which was this past Sunday. They were half of a gift I will post pictures of the other knitted cutie soon or check out her blog for the shower details. knot another hat.

The entralac'n fun is almost done. This I do believe will be my second Mother's Day gift marathon project. I "HEART" the the Noro Silk Garden yarn. Love the colors. I am still toying with the idea of giving it away. I just don't know.
The elongated cable socks for me are 1/2 way done. I am 2/3 into the leg of sock #2. I will get a better picture of the detail when I finish it's partner..

Well I really have been up to something. Or should I say SOMETHINGS... I don't know if I have photos of all of the projects I have been working on but I will post them soon. Still in the works is afghan square #3 as well as a couple secret Mother's Day gifts.

As I mentioned before Yvonne and I did up a little "Baby " shower fun for Sarah and I do believe a good time was had by all. There were so many adorable little girl things going around. It almost made me want to try for a little girl. But knowing how the Whitaker genes run... We may have twin boys. hehehe..

I am off to a Ladies Retreat this weekend and hope to kick off my shoes and knit up a storm in my free time. The Mother's Day knit-a-thon continues. I am thinking of including a note with the gifts that say no need to get my a gift this Mother's Day just put your CASH donation in this enclosed envelope. Proceeds will be generously donated to the SPINNING WHEEL FUND.. hehheeh. That may be a bit much huh?

Well off to educated the troops and send them out to enjoy the nice bit of sunshine we are having this morning. I LOVE THE SUN....

Hope all are doing well and have not been experiencing any with drawl symptoms from my lack of posting..