Uggghhhhh Socks

Don't get me wrong, I've very pro knitting socks. I just didn't want to post again until I had a finished sock to show you. Well I decided to post anyway! Here's hoping my second sock knits itself a lot faster. PS-The second sock has a history of being painfully slower.

Daryl has his first play on May 9th. He has three lines and he knows them very well. He just always needs a little reassurance on when to say them. He is cow #2 and trust me there will be pictures! If anyone is in town that evening let me know and I will give you the details if you want to come.

Alex is feeling a lot better recently. He is laughing and smiling and enjoying the last few days of spring we have had. Of course we can't keep Daryl inside so we have been taking Alex outside too so he can watch brother.

Last weekend Kelly rerouted one of our drains out into the middle of the yard. Of course his little helper was right by his side!

Oh socks! How I have missed you!

Alex and I have had a couple of mommy baby days. Not for a reason I like, he is not feeling good. Sad baby :-(
While I've been home AND a single mom! Yes, Kelly left me...for TWO WHOLE DAYS! So I'm here holding it down with a sick baby and a busy busy Daryl. Good thing Kel is back TODAY. Hallelujah.
Fun things in a list that have happened recently:
1.) I got a new camera!! Yay, my old one has been busted since January. That is why there has been an abundance of cell phone pics recently. More pictures are coming.
2.) I'm knitting some socks for the first time in a year. I don't know why I don't just knit socks and hats. They make me the most happy. And the current sock I'm knitting is super happy.
3.)While Alex has been poppy (literally) these past two days. He has been sleeping good at night and being as happy as he can be.
When Spring is finally here to stay the world will be in Harmony :-)

I know this blog has a small readership but I still want to say my heart breaks for Boston. I spent all afternoon Monday wondering what is wrong with people. Then I picked up the boys and we played and smiled and had ice cream. Bad things will always happen but It does bring forward the best and the heroes. I can't control pretty much anything,but I will try to stay focused on being thankful and trying to make my little corner of the world a better place. Mostly likely using yarn as my  medium!

His third outfit today.

pretty pretty sock

We've come a long way...still have a long way to go!

It's been awhile since I've posted anything about Kelly and I getting control of our finances. That doesn't mean we have fallen off of the Baby Steps bandwagon. We are still working hard on number two, paying off all of our debt except the mortgage. We had a little pause when we decided to sell our house on Washburn and buy our new home. We had to save for a down payment and then we wanted to do a few small fixes to the house.
This month we had a milestone worth celebrating, we paid off two of our four remaining debts. This includes our car! So the only debts we have left on baby step number two is one school loan for Kelly and one school loan for me. THAT IS SO HUGE!
When we started this process four years ago we had close to 80K in debt not including our house. Now we are down to 22. I was talking with Kelly and said for four years that doesn't seem like a lot. Then he reminded me we had two kids in that time too!
Some might wonder why I would share all this personal info on the blog and it's for two reasons. The first being to hold myself accountable. I can't really proclaim from the rooftops that we don't use credit cards and then be tempted so get one so we can buy something we want. So it keeps me honest.
Also, if anyone reading this wonders why they work so hard and never have any money, like we asked ourselves four years ago, they can take a look into a debt free plan. Doing a budget at the beginning of every month and spending it all on paper before the month begins has been a game changer in our marriage. We don't fight about money anymore. I occasionally whine for a larger yarn budget but that's about it!

On the knitting front, I thought I had finished the little dress. I was wondering if it was the right size and what-do-you-know I have a nine month old baby I can put it on! Well I did and it's to short. So I undid the cast on and am knitting on it some more.

This my friends is maturity! A year ago I would have sent it off anyway and would have called it a longish top. :-) But now I'm willing to fix my knitting mistakes. It must be the turning 30 thing, I'm maturing in all sorts of weird ways! PS-Doesn't Alex look pretty in a dress! :-)

Conversations I Never Want to Forget

Last week Daryl and I had these two exchanges. They were the kind of talks that I want to tell his kids about some day. So I better write them down.

For this first exchange let me set the scene. I picked Daryl up at daycare and he was very upset I did not have a snack for him and we were rushing to his theatre class so there was no time to get a snack.
D-I want to go home first and have a snack!
Me-We don't have time buddy we have to get to your class.
D-I don't want to go to my class, I want to skip today.
Me-Daryl this is only the second class if you don't go today we are not going back to any of them.
D-Fine, I don't want to go to any of the classes anymore.
Me-You really liked your first class, you just want to quit you want to be a quitter because you can't have a snack?
(Long quiet pause)
D-I don't want to be a quitter, I want to be a goer mom. I want to go to my class.
Me-OK buddy, we will go.

This exchange happened the same day after I was done reading Daryl's books to him. We were both snuggled on his bed and he was falling asleep.
D-Mom will you sleep with me tonight?
Me-I can't honey.
D-Because you are married and you have to sleep with dad?
Me-Yep
D-Mom, if you are ever unmarried will you marry me so you can sleep with me?
Me-Oh honey, I don't plan on ever being unmarried. Love You, goodnight.

Parenthood is a funny thing because one minute you want to choke your darling and the next moment they are the reason you breathe. Silly kid!

Question for all my knitter friends out there. How come a baby dress, size nine months is taking FOREVER? If it is not done by the end of the week I may have to frog the whole thing and remake it a 12 month size anyway!

Both of us with our hair done!

Easter 2013

Once again we had lovely Easter weather for a lovely day of playing outside and looking for Easter eggs. One huge family meal, plus lots of time playing with cousins, and his weight in chocolate only made for a small melt down when it was time to leave the Grandparents house. BesidesDaryl's kicking and screaming and tears at the end it was a very good day. When Daryl learns how to read he will also learn I've been eating most of his candy. Shhhhhhhhhh

 

 

I took this picture of the boys on the couch this morning. I wanted to show the Ernie that Daryl got in his Easter basket and the stuffed dog Alex got in his Easter basket. When I looked at the picture that I got I couldn't stop laughing! All their eyes are so wide (Including Ernie's) and their mouths open...I don't know why they are doing that! This is going to be a brother picture classic. 

Now that it is April I am officially in stashdown mode again. That mean trying my best not to buy any yarn or fiber and just knit from what I have in stash. This is a good thing because my stash has its own closet in our house and a cedar chest. So every once in awhile I join my friends for three months of no yarn buying and trying to use up all our yarns. Last stash down I won this sock yarn as a prize. It is super pretty and I think I'm going to make socks with it right away. I just need to buy the book that has the pattern I like. Buying patterns is allowed Kelly Meerpohl!

 

Hope everyone had a happy Easter!