Better than Fair

Hello Everyone! I'm glad to say that another Shawnee County Fair is in the books! Like any multiple day event it had its highs and lows but the highs outnumbered the lows and the kids, parents and volunteers all deemed it a success. :-) The cool weather sure didn't hurt matters!

While I was in full on fair mode Daryl spent the week with grandparents. He started in Holton fishing and playing with cousins, he ended his week at home with Grandma Rosie and cousin Cedar.

He loved it and cried when everyone went home. He wanted all his playmates back!

I had some moments of free time during the fair and got to work on Alex's sweater a bit. It is starting to be more recognizable!

 

As if my life wasn't going to be crazy enough last week we got a new puppy! My mom's neighbor in Hanston rescued a dog that was pregnant from the side of the road. When she had puppies and they  needed a home I knew the boys needed one. I named her Purl in hopes that she would be my knitting buddy. So far she is much happier chasing the boys around the house than sitting in my lap while I knit!

She is a great addition to our family!

Let him eat cake!

Yesterday was Mr. Alex's birthday. It was a pretty busy day and being the awesome mom that I am, I forgot to get the ingredients to make him a cake.
Fortunately for Alex, we live in Topeka and we have one of those cute cupcake shops like you see on "Cupcake Wars". So at 5:45 last night Daryl and I went out to buy the perfect Birthday cupcake!
Alex loved it! He will have a proper birthday party with all his cousins and friends in August. But at one, you can never have too many occasions to dive into a cupcake face first!

About his birthday, this is said sweater. A  body without sleeves is a sweater vest. I wonder what sleeves without a body is called? 

I'll Probably Forget

This Saturday is Alex's first birthday. I will probably forget to write anything that day because I will be too busy hugging and loving him. He is becoming mommy's little boy instead of her little baby. So in case I forget to write the happy birthday blog because we are having a little happy birthday party here are some Al fun facts.
*He is getting a lot better at walking and I can safely say he walked before his first birthday
*He is a terrible sleeper. Most nights of the week he gets up once, special nights he gets up two or three times.
*For a chunky baby he doesn't like many foods, soon we will be taking away his bottle...
*He laughs A Lot, especially at Daryl.
*Naked in the bathtub he looks like the Michelin man!
*He says dada, bye bye and Dillon (babysitter's son's name).
*He does not say mama.
*He likes to hit people in the head, not proud of that one but it is about the first thing he does when he meets a new kid. Just consider yourself warned.
*He is a cuddler, I Love It!

So there is the year one update. And now for a picture of the birthday sweater!

Hmmmmm, about that sweater.....

Summer Buzz



Before

It is that time of year again. Time for the summer haircut! We were really debating Mohawk but finally settled on Buzz Cut.

Daryl can't stop touching his  hair. 
Started working on Al's birthday sweater today. It is only five days away so it sounded like a good time! After all, I'm not really doing anything for the rest of the month so no big deal. (sarcasm)








I learned how to test chickens today! What can I say I'm trying to be a more well rounded person. :-)







Some Catching Up to Do!

Long time, no blog! Here is what we have been up to in a photo heavy update.
1.) Daryl did so good with the fireworks this year! Last year he hated the loud noises but this year he got brave and really enjoyed them on the 3rd in Baldwin City and on the 4th in Hanston.

 



2.) We spent the Holiday weekend in SW Kansas and had a family reunion with Mom's side of the family. It was a lot of fun and I got to visit with some cousins I hadn't seen in years, and other cousins I'm not sure I've ever met!

3.) Alex got a really cute shirt from his Aunt Diane that is probably more than a little true!

4.) Daryl lost his first tooth! It seems a little early but the adult tooth is peeking out of the gum. He is so excited tonight because the tooth fairy couldn't come to grandma's house but will visit him now that he is home! 

 

5.) Most exciting update of them all. I finished a knitted thing! I made a hooded sweater for cousin Bennett's first birthday. I started it June 22nd and figured an 18 month old sweater with worsted weight yarn and size six needles, No Problem! I was going really good the first week and was sure everything was going to be finished before we had to leave for the reunion. Then when progress halted, because, well I wasn't knitting on it that much I figured I would finish it on the four hour drive.

 

When I got to my mom's house I was still missing a sleeve and the hood. No problem, I planned to just knit on it at the reunion and finish it there. The reunion was from 8am till 10pm and I was exhausted when we left. The entire day I did manage to knit the other sleeve during down time. No big deal, I had the whole four hours back home to make one teeny tiny hood! After all, the directions for the hood were only six sentences long!

 

We get back on the road and turns out the hood has 12 rows of increases, knit SEVEN inches straight and then 12 rows of decreases! What the What! I knit like the wind for the entire trip home and was binding off in our drive way in Topeka. I then made Kelly drive to Holton, very slowly, so I could seam up the hood and weave in all the ends. But, I finished a thing! And the birthday boy is going to be so handsome in his sweater! Once it is cold enough to wear it...darn July babies... :-)

 

 This was the hood a little after Abilene, I was sweating it!

 Birthday boy with his sweater. Worth it!