Syracuse Pictures

Here are pics of when I was in Syracuse. The ones with Grandma in them are from October, ther rest are from December.
Me and cheeky... I mean Cadence.

Pap-pap and Cadence.
Pap-pap and his children.
This is an old picture of Grandma that was found. Unfortunately it is stuck to the front of the frame.

Frankie's chorus concert

Knitting and Sewing...

Here's some things I've been working on or finished in the last month....
Slippers for Finn
Socks for Pap-Pap. Because you are my friends you will absolutely pretend to not notice that one is bigger than the other. They are the exact same number of rows/stitches but when I was finished I noticed the one that was knit while I was in Syracuse was knit much tighter. Just goes to show how your mood and feelings goes into your knitting.
Unfinished toe ups. Not quite finished quilt. It needs a few finishing touches but I had to stop all sewing as my sewing room was repurposed to a sleeping room. (sleep is overated if you ask me...) I get my room back Sunday when Jacob goes back home and I get to add my NEW EMBROIDERY MACHINE TO IT!!!!

Christmas Card Outakes

Where's Rylin?

There's more. These are only

about half.

Christmas Pictures

Pajama Boys

This is what it's like to try and get a picture of two of the kids together in their new pajamas...

This is the best I could get....

But put a clearance bin sweater on a dog...

and he'll pose. (He will also assume that if he is wearing clothes, he is human enough to sit on the funiture...)

A Beautiful Gift

This afternoon I went out and checked the mail and there was this. A beautiful gift, from a wonderful friend. 2 skeins of handspun, hand dyed Finn wool that she thought I should have because obviously Finn wool would belong with my son, Finn. I am terrified to touch this beautiful wool. She spun this herself and that makes it more special than any yarn I have ever paid obscene amounts of money for,...err, I mean a reasonable amount of money for. (Bob may be reading this.) I am afraid that like the picture my knitting skills will not do it justice. When I get my knitting courage up and free up the wicked double pointed needles, I hope to make this into a pair of socks for Finn and Rylin. Rylin has been lusting after socks since I "yarned" the first pair and wants some in 'beautiful colors'. I am now the blessed recipient of these beautiful colors... Thanks Mrs. M. for the beautiful yarn. It is amazing to me, how just when I need to be pulled out of my sorrow that someone does something so unexpected without knowing that just lifts me up and makes me smile because I have proof that someone was thinking kindly of me and perhaps praying for me. I appreciate this gift so much and extra because it came on a Monday. I will try to make this wool feel very happy and loved and not make it sad by ripping it back 10 times, I might even try to show the wool my respect with a circular instead of those nasty DPN's that the wool probably dislikes do to the taste of the spinner. Sending my love and gratitude, Mrs. M. - Jess.
Should you like to see how the Finn Wool came to be Finn's Wool, go here Delighted Hands

Adventures in Domesticity

Here are some of the normal everyday things that are going on here. The kids and I dug up the sweet potatoes. I started then the next thing you know they were helping and so excited when they found one that I just stepped back and watched them dig for their buried treasure. In the south, it's sweet potatoes not gold. I think a couple may have been missed because I noticed two new vines growing in the garden that was nothing more than plain ole dirt. They look strangely similar to sweet potato vines. I've decided to just leave them and see what happens.

I'm knitting my first toe up sock. I've had to rip it back twice but I've gotten past the heel now and wrong or right I refuse to rip it out a third time. I love the color of the yarn, it's very autumn feeling although in the picture you can't see the "mocha brown" color so well. I might even make the second one... it's a long shot though.

Do you see the picture of the cookies? I made 9 dozen of these cookies which took me half my day. I made these cookies for my son Gage to take to his boyscout dinner. That was really nice of me. The next time I ask you to take out the trash, "Yes Ma'am!" Would be an appropriate answer and this task should be completed immediately the very first time I ask or the next time you need to bring food to one of your dinners I'll cook poultry for you to take instead. I'll even let you pick which of the two flavors I make, raw or dry. (I have issues with the timing when I cook poultry. I even have a meat thermometer for safetly purposes; it's a lier though. Just like that bathroom scale.)

Okay, I have completed two posts... how long does that get me off the hook for?

Sorry, really I am.

Where have I been? Well, here basically. What has prevented me from blogging? Upgraded to Windows Vista; I will not say more due to the fact that Microsoft may sue me for slander. Our wireless router went (that is the thing that allows me to get internet access anywhere in my house or yard) and had to be replaced. After the router was replaced I tried to blog numerous times and it turns out that I was not granted internet access for more than five minutes at a time. The cause of this? A wrong setting on the new router. Oh well, I am back in cyberspace now. I'm thinking I was a bit more productive when I was denied access though...

Hmmm.... news. My Mom had a small stroke at the beginning of last week which has effected her eyesight so that she has to wear a patch over the effected eye or the whole room tends to spin. She met with an eye specialist on Friday and they said it was not her eye it is most likely the damage done to her brain by the stroke. She is going for more tests next week I believe.

I leave on Wednesday for Syracuse and will be back Sunday. I'm going to have a visit with the Grandparents. Grandma is getting new chemo and it is really wiping her out. I am going all by my lonesome and Bob is taking time off of work to stay with the kids. I'm pretty excited about my visit, not just seeing people I love but being able to eat apples.... as many as I want without having to visit the pawn shop first. Oh, and I'll get to wear a sweater! I have a thing for sweaters... a very serious thing. Serious enough where I have considered leaving Florida and going to a place where I can wear them more. Perhaps, a place like Maine. Bob is not going for it though. Staying in a house with two older people for a few days must have benefits as well, like quiet, it has got to be quieter.

Bob spent from Wednesday to Friday of last week in Tennessee for work. We all missed him. I always think I do everything around here myself without any help. I was wrong. Three kids who all had homework, a 1 year old who kept insisting Daddy was in the garage (I really think he assumes Bob is in the garage without him all day and doesn't go to work or anything), my normal household chores and then Bob's chores... well, I've come to the conclusion that Bob helps out a lot. Not only that, but things just tend to run smoother when he is here. Is it because he is a calmer person? I don't know. Is it because he is big and scary? Again, I don't have all the answers. But it just works better. I always think we don't spend much time together. He left and I realized we do. Even when it doesn't seem like we are spending time together we are. Sitting in the same room, doing our own thing. Or watching TV in the evening. (I am better at Jeopardy. Do not let him tell you any different.) Just knowing he's here or going to be here soon, makes a difference. Anyway, the day before he came home he got the whining phone call from me saying, "I can't do this alone." I sort of expected him to tell me something along the lines of, "Dry it up and take one for the team!" Nope! Instead, I heard, "No one could, Jess." Perfect answer. I don't feel so unequipped anymore.

Unfortunately, when I planned my trip I didn't realize that Gage has a Boyscout event on Saturday, Frankie has a chorus event on the same Saturday and the kids have no school on Friday due to a teacher planning day. I almost feel badly about leaving him with this messy schedule but let's just say there's a bit of a smirk on my face, it's tiny though... really it is. Multi-task, husband. My thoughts and prayers will be with you.

I added a picture of Finn because Bob is threatening to cut off his curls because he says he looks like a girl. They may not be there when I come back. I have explained that when you cut the baby curls they don't come back, this has gotten me no leeway at all.

You were warned...

This is for a friend who keep harassing me regarding the occasionally stagnant state of my blog. You see I didn't have this until just recently when my mother decluttered and organized to move from one place to another. And in my family the way you declutter is to box it up and send it to another family member's house. So, I forgot pictures such as this existed until I received my share of the clutter.

So what do teenage girls do when bored? Here is your answer....












There are more where this came from, Marsel!

Needles of Fury

I finished the socks for my niece in record time. I also busted Finn trying to steal the socks and have proof.

There is however a problem with the socks. I noticed with Finn's pair that because the yarn is cotton the cuff is not very elastic. I used double pointed needles with these as oposed to the magic loop method with Finn's.

Next I will try some that are adult sized and use a better yarn. I'm thinking of trying a basic toe-up pattern and if I can comprehend that add cables etc. on the next pair. We shall see.

I'm in a mood!

Beware! I am in a mood and cannot be held responsible for anything I may say about any establishment or member of any establishment today!

To my children's school - YOU ARE ON NOTICE!!! Firstly, stop offering for me to join the PFA. You hold your meetings at 3 p.m. which is 15 minutes after 3 of my 4 boys get out of school. So am I to bring all 4 boys? Am I suppose to drop them with the nanny I do not have?? Hmmm? Furthermore, what if I was one of the mothers who HAVE to work? That means I cannot be a part of decisions for my children's school because I must work to feed them, the afore mentioned children. I am blessed enough to not work and to be able to parent my own children, not all people are so fortunate though. A better time for PFA meetings would be around 7pm when everyone could come. Secondly, stop mentioning to me anything regarding volunteering in the classroom or on field trips. You give me the volunteer form and right on there in bold print it says,"No younger sibling are permitted in the classroom or on fieldtrips." Still don't have a nanny, enough said. Some of you may think that yes, I could hire a sitter for one day per week or the occasional field trip. Well, not everyone has a conveniently located family member to drop their children off to. Furthermore, all the babysitters are in school. Thirdly, one of my children's teachers gives him all his homework for the week on Monday, it is due on Friday he can work on it at his leasure and usually has it all completed by Monday or Tuesday at the latest so he doesn't have to worry about it the whole week. I think you should be nominated for teacher of the year for this sensible approach to homework. However, the other two teachers hand out homework on a nightly basis due the next day. So this means that should we decide to do something as a family unit we cannot. Studies have proven that the more a child spends time with his family the better his behavior at school. This would benefit you immensely, I'm sure you would agree. Let me give you an example in case you are not following me. For example: I still work, I get out of work and pick up my kids from childcare, we go out for dinner and then head to prayer meeting. After prayer meeting we come home and it's time for a shower and bed. But no, the choice is to either skip two of these things or let the child stay up past a reasonable hour to do the homework. What do you suggest? My suggestion is to let him skip his shower (so you can enjoy his delightfully ripe aroma) and let him go to bed late (so you can deal with overtired crabbiness all day).

To the seed company I ordered from, I do not appreciate you telling me that I will receive my seeds in X amount of days and it is now Y amount of days and there are still no seeds in my possesion. I have an actual schedule for when I want certain things to go in my garden. I made my order well in advance of scheduled time and now the scheduled time has past. And do not even tell me that any of it is on back order. This will anger me further and warrant a phone call from me during which I well tell you that if something is not available take it off your website or at the very least put "not in stock" underneath the price. Also, do not lie to me about when things will arrive. As I tell my children, when you lie to me, you will be found out. But rest assured... I will not order from you again.

To the boyscouts - Perhaps more boys would be able to join the boyscouts if you didn't charge an absolutely outrageous amount of money for the uniforms. You suggest I buy 2 class A's and 3 class B's. I will do so... for my son... Can you write me a note to explain to the mortgage company why I'm a bit short? Thanks, I appreciate it.

My, I certainly do feel better.

P.S. To the guy at the garden center yesterday - Do not EVER see a woman struggling to put 140lbs of anything into a shopping basket and stand there and smirk. You look quite able bodied, seemed not busy at all and yet you stood there. I saw you looking at me!!! You'd better not be there next time, this is your notice.

What I've been doing while they're gone

This is my first time ever I think where I have had only one child home all day. I was very excited at the prospect of all the things I could get done and all the new things I could begin. REALITY CHECK! The moment the three older boys started school, Finn went through some sort of... transition... yes that's what I will call it. My sweet little boy who followed me around to watch and observe me, ate at the scheduled times and most importantly napped at the appropriate times has left. In his place is a little boy who will systematically go from room to room destroying things; dumping them,ripping them you name it. Taking things (Bob is still missing a sneaker, it has literally disappeared) . Demanding things, he will stand in the kitchen pointing at the cupboard the he knows the cookies are in (I am not sure who gave him this information), yelling in his own language (Lithuanian I think) getting louder and louder. Should you choose to deny his cookie request he will look at you, very calmly and gently sit down on the floor, then very gently move to a lying postion and then KICK HIS FEET, BEAT HIS HANDS,SCREAM, YELL, GROWL, ROAR. In a way I kind of finding it amusing because he obviously take a lot of care and planning in this act. This is proven because he doesn't just throw himself down angrily. I am handling this temper tantrum business by walking away and ignoring it, pretending I don't hear it, and showing him it gets him nothing. He has gone so far as to follow me into another room and repeat the whole process from beginning to end. The absolute hardest part is to hold my laughter in because it just looks so funny.
Well, I did accomplish a few things in spite of this child's well planned plot against me. I cleaned up and finished the sewing room/office.
I knit my very first pair of socks. They are for Finn and he thieved the yarn numerous times before the yarn became socks. Then he took the socks as soon as he saw them finished and demanded I put them on him by putting the sock on top of his foot and screaming. He wore them a good part of the day even though it was still extemely hot out; he likes the colors I think. Anyway, they were made using the Magic Loop method and peaches and cream cotton yard in some very loud color. I forget the color name and the label is gone I wonder where Finn put it....
I also started planting a fall garden it remains to be seen how this will turn out.

Back To School!

The kids started school in August and the posting of these pictures are way past due. I'm sorry, I really do need to get some better self discipline for this blogging business. Rylin likes Kindergarten so far, he sits at a table full of "Greallz" (girls) and they all like him and are nice to him. We are wondering how many will be added to the other two girls in the neighborhood he has already promised matrimony to. He already has homework which seems a bit of a shock for five year olds. This is your first time away from Mom for ALL day, this is your first time without the option for a nap and after having school all day you have homework.
Gage's grades are up quite a bit from last year. It is really hard to figure how the school year is going to go until you get past the first quarter as that seems to be all review from last year. Gage is signed up for Boyscouts and his first meeting will be this coming Monday. He is really excited about this and the camping trips. I have already offended his troop leader by asking where you buy the 'outfits' from, apparently they are called 'uniforms'.
Frankie is getting used to the 4th grade and the new responsibilites of it. This seems to be the grade in which they make you responsible for writing down your own assignments, spelling words etc. instead of sending a sheet home with it already listed. This is taking some time for Frankie to get used to. He tried out for the school chorus and made it. He is thrilled with this. It was my suggestion as he seems to sing all the time anyway, might as well do something with it. Both the boys extra-curricular activities are dependant on grades according to both the school (for chorus) and myself (for boyscouts). Hopefully, these will make good incentives for this year.
Finn celebrated having both Mom and the run of the house/toys to himself by enjoying a pudding. This was actually meant to keep him out of trouble so I could accomplish a couple quick things. It led to much more work as I had to scrub the wall, the floor and the baby!

Rylin's 5th Birthday!

Sunday was Rylin's 5th birthday, our plan was to go to Wild Adventures theme park in Valdosta, GA however those plans changed once we picked up his present Saturday. It is really for all the kids but this was his one b'day request and he would rather have a "park" in his back yard than to go to a theme park. Well, the directions said it should take "3-6 hours to assemble" Okay, let's be realistic. 3-6 days is a more accurate estimate. It took all day and into the late evening on Saturday and then till afternoon on Sunday to assemble. If you will note the picture of the "workers" standing around the half built playground looking like the Florida D.O.T. hard at work hmm... this may explain alot.

Well, the kids are really enjoying it. Rylin has even brought two chairs (one is for passengers) and a towel (to wipe and shine the slide) up to the clubhouse part of it.

He also received a 'slip and slide' from a family friend, which was much cooler than the pool due to the fresh, cool hose water. (Rather than the bathwater, steamy pool) We watched the kids enjoy the slip and slide and as they grew bored with it well.... we used it. Bob got a real kick out of watching me go down it over and over like a kid, by real kick I mean enjoyed mocking and poking fun at me. Then I guess, he saw what a great time I was having and decided to join me. I would pay good money for pictures of that! Anyway, I think the kids may decide to start hiding their toys from us. For my adventure back to childhood I have a bruise on my hip and forearm, but IT WAS WORTH IT!!!

Gardens and More

Here is a picture of my gardens, the old one which is rather empty as many things are done and I am waiting until later this month to replant as soon as I decide what I want to put in there and it gets a bit cooler. You can pretty much plant about anything beens, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, squash etc. in N. E. Florida in September. Go figure, huh? Usually the growing season is getting over most places and we get pretty much a year round one. I think it will be much more enjoyable to work out there when it's cooler.

The new one is pretty full. Most likely because there are two plants in there that have ideas of grandeur. If they do not watch it they will end up all alone being grand in the trash can. This garden is full of squash (that crooked kind), zucchini, watermelons and a couple pumpkins. I think I messed up a bit as I am beginning to see that you get more than one or two per plant and I will probably turn into some crazy woman dropping zuchinni on people's door steps, ringing the bell and running.

The last picture is for a specific friend of mine, she knows who she is. I brought these Hoffman's hotdogs back from Syracuse in a great quantity, larger than any normal sane person would buy. I took a picture of them and posted them because I know she likes them. She recently posted pictures on her blog of her bountiful garden harvest and made me have serious feelings of jealousy and caused my tomatoes to feel very insecure about themselves. If I didn't have pink eye I would take pictures of me eating these hotdogs and enjoying their delectable goodness!

The last picture is of the birthday gift from my husband. I realized two things. The first is that I have a great husband who will buy me things that he has absolutely no interest in and that quote: "clutter up his house". The second is that I have very HUGE hips in proportion to the top half of me and that no one makes a dressform adjustable to both halves of my body. I think is a joke in very poor taste as I have wanted a dressform forever.