Christmas Prep KAL

I learned something new about knitting with a two year old around. Don't knit his Christmas gifts in front of him. He is constantly pestering me with: "Me? 'quirrel, me? I hold it please?" I am not sure that I will be able to hold him off until Christmas.

I keep going back and forth about knitting the hedgehog part. I really like the idea of turning this squirrel into a puppet, but maybe I should just look for a puppet pattern to knit for his birthday. I also am considering making them into two separate toys as I've seen on Rav. I will wait to make up my mind until after I've knit the hedgehog, in secret.

I have his little feet on and the arms are knit, but they need a little stuffing. Then I will need to make the tail. I hate making pom-poms so there will be a learning curve I'm sure. I used safety eyes for the first time and I love them! They make the toy come alive, I think, as my SIL commented, it's because light reflects off them.

Ooh, he is too stinking cute!

Pattern: #40 Hedgehog/Squirrel
Yarn: Impeccable Worsted

And now .. drum roll please... !

Pattern: Pomatomus
Yarn: Chunky Wool

It occurred to me in the middle of a very frustrating rip out (I ripped out the top to make it white) that I didn't need to have ripped it out, all I needed to do was pick up stitches where I wanted the cuff to be and knit. The inside of the sock is all ragged from where I snipped and pulled and cried, but I think I can make it a little prettier. It is a lot bigger than I intended, but that just means the boys can put more presents in it!

How is your Christmas Knitting going, making an progress?

Lemon Poppy Muffins

When I have a craving for a particular food my go-to for searching is always pinterest. Last week I had a deep need for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.

One morning, with the help of the daycare kiddos and Stomper we made a dozen of these delightful muffins. They came out a little dense, I am blaming that on the fact I didn't closely monitor the measuring of the flour. The muffins were lightly lemony, not too tart, and the poppy seeds (or rocks as Stomper called them) didn't over power. I didn't make the glaze as called for in the recipe, the muffins were sweet enough with out it. 

You can find the recipe HERE, or on my pinterest board.

"What doin Mommy, what doin?"

A friends facebook status this week had me clinging to my little guy today: 

"wow, I can not imagine what it would be like to be one of those parents waiting behind the yellow tape as people dig through rubble for my kids!!! The tornado in Moore, Oklahoma hit an elementary school with kids in it."

As we pray for all the families that have been hit by the tornadoes I hold my little guy close and relish every moment.

Oh this little boy. 

I have been caring for children for over two decades.

He is my first.

The first to not be overly interested in toys

The first to want to help.

Help with everything, all the time, even when he is too little.

The first who is more interested not in "Why" but in "What are you?"

The first who's favorite phrase to say over and over and over in the car, "What doin Mommy? Mommy, what doin?"

"I'm driving."

"What doin Mommy, what doin?"

"Still driving."

"What doin?

"I love you."

"Mommy. Mommy. MOMMY."

"Yes, honey."

"What doin?"

"Just driving."

I am going to miss that little voice someday.

Christmas Prep KAL

I almost forgot the KAL today, right up until I logged into blogger to check for comments.

I turned the heel last week on my Christmas Stocking and got bored, so I cast on for the hedgehog/squirrel. I really just need to knuckle down and finish the gusset and the foot, it won't take me that long, especially now that the bottom of the foot is done in just stockinette stitch. I am glad that I extended the KAL until the end of Year of Projects, I don't think I will get both done before the beginning of next month. It's not too late to join me in this Christmas Prep KAL. In last weeks post I mentioned a few easy projects for Christmas that'd be perfect.

If you are joining me in this KAL leave a link in the comments!

Fish

Our little helper, helping Bumpa clean fish that he and Papa caught.

At one point Stomper shows me the fish and says: "Eyes!"

That's my boy!

Have a Great Memorial Week-End!

List Making

Layers in their new yard 

"Easter Egger" 

...Pig Piling Turkeys...

Silver Laced Wynodette 

"Broiler" Cornish-Rock Cross

In March I posted about our to do list for the spring. It was a little lengthy and quite daunting. This is what our list looks like now!

• Fence in the barnyard :: there is quite a lot of debate on to what that exactly means. The only decided part, put up a fence near the road, and do it sooner than later. -DONE >> read about it HERE
• Move the ducks to this coop area in the dog house - turned duck house - turned chicken coop and now back to duck house. -DONE >> read about it HERE
• Move duck house and turn it into a chicken coop then build a fence around it tall enough so the chickens stay out of the daycare yard.  -DONE
• Decide where the turkeys will go. -DONE
• Move rabbits into Rusty's old stall
• Clean out winter chicken coop to put meat birds in it -DONE
• Get brood box ready -DONE >> read about it HERE

It feels incredible to have some much done! It took longer than we planned, but we all have other jobs to do other than our growing poultry farm.

I was thinking, as I helped Jason with the fence, about our failures and successes over the past year that for people who have no recent experience with poultry, we're doing pretty good. Last year we lost quite a few of our broilers in the first few weeks, maybe half all together before we butchered them. This year we lost one broiler and one turkey, I think that's quite an improvement.

We also have fences. I had no idea how much I would love a fence until we put ours up. We only have one more fence to go, for the turkeys, but we have a little time before it becomes a real problem. The real beauty of the fence and our preparedness is that next spring when we buy chicks they won't need to be on the porch!

Here is the next list:

• Butcher 5 Rabbits (so we can stop feeding them and because I really want to make rabbit stew)
• Move Rabbits
• Plant Garden
• Finish Turkey Coop
• Finish Turkey Fence
• Fix Chicken Coop to fit in the nesting boxes better
• Plant Garden
• Plant New Blueberry Bush

I am assuming that this list will take us through the next few months.

The other day Mom and I sat down and planned out the garden. Our inspiration is this garden from Better Homes and Gardens.

Source

This is what we came up with:

This is in an effort to plant what we can handle, not what we want to eat. We will also have a vine garden in near the poultry yards in the middle of the "L" shape that their fences make.

How is your Spring going?

Christmas Prep KAL :: Top Five

I am moving smoothly along on the stocking. I bought more yarn at my LYS, but in cream/white. The plan, because I'm pretty certain I will run out of blue, is to knit the toe and heel in white. Then, depending on my mood I may or may not rip out the top and re-knit it in white.

Since my camera's batteries died, and there is nothing really new to show you, I will instead tell you my top five gifts to knit at Christmas time.

1. Little Boy Blue Ribbed Hat

I will be making a few of these this year. One for Stomper, Jason, and myself. The hat is so super stretchy that even without any mods it fits my 2 year old, and it fit him at six months! It's not a real quick knit, but it is rather mindless. Good for watching favorite Christmas shows.

2. Nursery Baby in a Bunny Suit

I have only knit one other doll and the one above. Nursery Baby in  Bunny Suit is my go to if I want to make a doll. The original pattern is for a baby, but I have made it into a bear and a bunny. I have knit this doll at least a dozen times. It is knit flat and seamed, but it could be easily adapted to knitting in the round. When knit with worsted weight it makes a decent sized baby doll, about eight inches tall. I free hand knit different clothing using the measurements from the clothing.

3. Chubby Bunny

This is a quick knit, but a little finicky on tiny needles. I have made this one three or four times, sometimes as bunny and sometimes as baby. Again the clothing is free form, but as a baby she is fine with out a skirt. This little bunny baby would make a great stocking stuffer. I'm thinking of making a pair to look like Max and Ruby for Stomper.

4. Upcycled T-Shirt Dish Scrubbies

I made a dozen of these one Christmas. I'm not certain that anyone used them, but they were fun and quick to make. I think that they would make great coasters. I always enjoy getting the ones family makes me. They are quick to knit up and you can find tons of free patterns for dish cloths all over the internet. When I make one it looks something like this pattern.

5. Susies Reading Mitts

Fingerless mitts are always a good bet, and quick to knit. There are no fingers to knit up or hand to close, so you don't have to worry about the hand or fingers being long enough to fit.  I think I'll be making a pair of these for some people this year too. I made a few pairs like this for my hunter husband and gaming brother.

Those are my top five. How about you, do you have go to patterns.?

Happy Mothers Day

We had a great few days being with family. 

On Friday Stomper went to his Mimi's house to work on secret projects and spent the night.

Saturday we went to Mimi's house to celebrate Mothers Day with her.

Sunday I received two paintings from Stomper that he had made in secret with Mimi. One of his hand prints and another of his hand prints made to look like flowers. Jason gave me chocolate and frames for the paintings.

We went to church and then had lunch with my mother.

Then it was family naptime! My favorite part of Sunday afternoon.

When we woke up the boys surprised me with a trip to my favorite restaurant in town, Thai food--yum!

I love that we take time each year to think about all the things our Mothers have taught us. When I was looking for a card for my Mom I was thinking that if I am a great Mom, it's because I've been mothered by a great Mom. My Mom is everything I strive to be towards my son: patient, gentle, and forgiving. 

Happy Mothers Day

Upside-Down

I have a theory about animals.

God knew that there would be a long time before we would have books, tv, and the internet to entertain us so He gave us animals for us to watch.

Like these ducks that go upside-down to find yummy things in the mud.

We have officially named the grey duck; her name is Ink. Ink and Chicken our two silly ducks.

Christmas Prep KAL

I am just loving the texture of this sock. There are no cables and the pattern is easy to follow once I get the rhythm of the row. Now I am worried though that I don't have enough yarn. I think though that I can just shorten the foot and all will be fine.

The pattern is: Pomatomus

The yarn is: Plymouth Galway Chunky

How is your Christmas knitting coming along? 

Leave a link in the comments with your Christmas knitting!

Road Trip Planning

We are planning a trip to NY to visit the cousins!

Stomper doesn't travel well, I am super nervous about the ten hour drive.

Around Christmas time we thought we'd be clever and travel to NH at bedtime. I remember my parents doing this with my siblings and I. We'd sleep in the car and arrive some place new where we would finish sleeping. 

We packed Stomper in the car before supper and ate at a fast food joint. At bedtime the screaming began. Eventually he passed out, but it was an awful forty-five minutes. Hoping it was a one time thing we tried traveling around bedtime again when we went to a baby shower, again he screamed until he passed out. A few months ago he traveled north with Mimi & Bumpa (about a three hour drive) at bedtime and didn't fall asleep. Not until he got home at ten in the night. 

I think my worrying has merit, so I have been working on a plan so that I won't worry.

Step One:
Plan the route to include scheduled stops. I have scoped out a few playgrounds around our routes and we will be stopping at Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory around lunch time. On the way home in addition to playgrounds we will be stopping in Ticonderoga, NY to look around and have a picnic.

Step Two:
New Toys

1. Wipes container with cloth wipes to pull out and put back and repeat.

 

2. More Wipes Container Fun: Memory Game and Milk Caps

3. A Slinky

4. Sewing fun

5.  a place to play

6. A new favorite movie and a borrowed car DVD player.

7. Other small toys or books that I find in my shopping trips.

How about you, do you have any advice?