Post Christmas Primer

All the days leading up to Christmas you spend a very large amount of time cooking (ham), baking (cookies, candies, prune buns) and decorating and then fixing the very same decorations over and over and over due to children and a very bad wee kitten. Christmas comes you eat your yummy things, fix the decorations for the last day you'll care this year and go to your events (church and popping over to the neighbors to wish them well). Wake up in the morning (8:30am my two young ones keep very respectable hours thank you very much no 5:30am, "MOMMY Get UP IT'S CHRISTMAS!!! Not for them. Actually, Bob and I were up first drinking coffee and waiting; we refrained from running in their room screaming for them to get up we sat quietly looking at the tree sipping our little hot cups and trying very hard to pretend like we were indeed grown ups. )

The children arose, we exchanged gifts. Ate Christmas appetizers, baked goods and ham.


Ok. It's all over. Now what? What does one do with the days after Christmas? You observe that you have serious amounts of leftovers so you firstly, stop cooking. Secondly, remove all the childrens new toys from their bondage of boxes covered in wire ties and plastic straps (someone is apparently afraid that all the "Little People Toys" have a very well plotted plan to take over the world and should therefore be restrained in EVERY SINGLE MANNER POSSIBLE to make sure they don't leave their little red and yellow boxes and GET US WHILE WE SLEEP!) Anyway, you get your scissors, wire cutter, blow torch and box cutter and get to work. Make sure you get every single toy out of it's bondage. Because if you leave just one in the child will find you later and demand the toys' freedom papers while you, my dear grown up, are try to play with your own new toys. So if you follow my instructions your children should in theory busy themselves with their new stuff and leave you to your own devices.

Ahhh, I love the quietness of the season....



Here's a bit of a laugh for you. Bob ordered me some lovely clothes from a catalog this Christmas. He received them, wrapped them very nicely and placed them under the tree. Didn't double check the invoice (or so he says). He gave me a rose colored 1920 or 30's? style dress that makes me want to run put on my hat and run on down to the USO and dance the jitterbug, a long white dress w/just a little bit of sequins and a set of capris. A set of capris that will fit both Bob, myself and all the children in quite comfortably at the same time. They are size 26W. I don't know if you can tell from the picture but these pants are really a bit too gynormous for me, anyone I know, the mini van... So the day after Christmas Bob contacts the catalogue company to exchange these for the size that is me, (that info is so classified) the size he allegedly ordered and they cannot be exchanged. They were on Clearance. So I have a good 2 yards of pretty fabric to remake into something fitting. He also got me a George Foreman Fat Reduction Grill... coincidence? You do the math, here's a hint it adds up to 26W.

I'm gonna go now and read my new books. I think I'll have some celery and water while I do it.

All Was Calm... for some that is!

Here are some pictures of Christmas Eve and morning.


Bob had some assembly required of him, do not feel too sorrowful for him though, this happens every year and has come to be quite the tradition. This year was much easier than others and after all he does bring it on himself. You don't see me in the picture because I was in my rightful supervisory position.

Rylin asked if he could open the gift early that had been sitting under the tree and he had been I quote: "squishing to try to find out what was in it when you weren't looking". It turned out to be his quilt and he was happy and snuggled under it for his Christmas Eve sleep. Finn started screaming when he saw it saying, "THAT'S MINE! THAT'S MY MOTORCYCLES! NOT YOURS!" He was a rather purple color actually. The quilt has cars fabric squares I bought last year ummm.... before Christmas, the rest is mostly scraps left over from other stuff.

Bob also gave me a gift early... a new camera. Can you tell? It even does video, just imagine the myriad of ways I can and most likely will humiliate my family with this shiny, bright new object. Hehehe. I love presents, specially useful ones.

Thought this was cute and there is a lesson.

T'was the Night Before Christmas for Moms

T'was the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode Only one creature was stirring and she was cleaning the commode. The children were sleeping, all snug in their beds While visions of Wii games and Barbie danced through their heads. The dad was snoring in front of the TV With a half-constructed bicycle on his knee. So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter Which made her sigh, "Now...what's the matter?" With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand She descended the stairs and saw the old man. He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug. "Oh, great", muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug." "Ho-ho-ho!", cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake. Your gift was especially difficult to make." "Thanks, Santa, but all I want is some time alone." "Exactly!", he chuckled , "I've made you a clone!" "A clone?", she asked, "What good is that? Run along Santa, I've no time for chit-chat." Then she saw what appeared to be her twin.... Same hair, same eyes, same double chin. "She'll cook , she'll dust, she'll mop every mess. You'll relax, take it easy, watch the Young and the Restless". "Fantastic!", the mom cheered, "my dream come true! I'll shop, I'll read, I'll sleep a whole night through!" From the room above, the youngest began to fret. "Mommy?! I'm scared....and I'm wet." The clone replied, "I'm coming sweetheart." "Hey", the mom smiled, "she knows her part." The clone changed the small one and hummed a tune as she bundled the child, in a blanket cocoon. "You're the best mommy ever, I really love you." The clone smiled and sighed, "I love you, too". The mom frowned and said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal! That's my child's love she's trying to steal." Smiling wisely Santa said,"To me it is clear, only one loving mother is needed here." The mom kissed her child and tucked her into bed. "Thank you Santa for clearing my head. I sometimes forget, it won't be very long, until they'll be too old for my cradle-song." The clock on the mantle began to chime. Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time." With the clone by his side, Santa said, "Good Night. Merry Christmas mom. You'll be all right." -Author Unknown

Ginger Dwellings and Christmas Concerts

Tonight is the last night Gage and Frankie will be home until January 4th when they return from the land of snow, bitter coldness and rusty cars. At the moment there is a pretty decent sized storm going on there both Mother and Carrie called today to report that... "it is snowing". Imagine...


Ok, I'm back I had to get some more sunscreen on.

Tonight after dinner the boys built a Gingerbread house. For once I just sat and watched and offered the occasional suggestion. I did not get all overbearing and demand perfection. In a house filled with children a Gingerbread house should look like children made it and enjoyed themselves in the process (by that I mean sneaking the candy meant for the house), not Martha Stewart.





























Tuesday evening we all went to Frankie's Christmas chorus concert. It was actually very good. They have a new music teacher and he knows his stuff. In case you're having some trouble my kid is the one dressed like a spearmint candy cane.


As an aside Frankie made the All County Chorus. A very small amount of children are honored with this priviledge, unfortunately their big concert is New Years Eve at the college. Frankie won't be here so we decided the correct thing to do was to decline so that another child may have that spot.

Tonight we are eating popcorn and watching Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian. Then tomorrow it's the LONG drive to the airport and the even longer drive home alone.

Sugar Cookie Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sugar Cookie Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I'M GOING TO WIN THIS TIME! I'M GONNA GONNA GONNA! AND I KNOW SOMEONE WHO WANTS IT REALLY, REALLY BAD!

A Parade of Pictures

Christmas card picture out-takes.































Bob's handknit b'day socks.



Finn on his birthday present motorcycle and with his kitten Gilbert.







Frankie's December Court of Honor for Boyscout's.

Apron Giveaway!

They are giving away a vintage apron as well as some other vintage stuff at the blog http://lifeinacordwoodcabin.blogspot.com/2008/12/good-afternoon.html.

A Good Mum

Here is Frankie in his boyscout shirt his Mummy procured on e-bay at a small fraction of the price it would have cost regularly. Mummy then took it out of the mailbox, removed the patches the previous owner had earned (why they were left on there I know not.) and presented said uniform washed and ready to Franklin in time for his troop meeting. The shirt came in the mail Monday and his meeting was Monday night how is that for turn around?










Frankie's Mum then proceeded to the sewing machine where she whipped up a valance for Frankie's & Rylin's room in spite of the fact that her faithful sewing machine of many years would sew approximately 9 stitches and stop screaming an error message at her that something in the threading of the sewing machine was amiss. She checked, rethreaded, rebobbined, took said machine apart and cleaned and oiled it's many bits and pieces it still would not cease it's horrible screams she even gave it a brand new needle and it would not be satisfied. In spite of the aforementioned issue she continued to sew until the curtains were finished while mashing her foot on the pedal and threatening the faithful machine with the Clay Co. Landfill or donation to some 10 year old girl somewhere who would make her sticky and use her once to make something 'Hannah Montanah' and leave her to become dusty, forlorn and generally misuse her in every manner possible. The machine would not relent to the desperate Mum. Little does the machine know that this VERY clever Mum has what is known in some circles as a spare sewing machine a machine which lacks all bells and whistles that the nasty naughty sewing machine has but can be trusted to behave in a more appropriate manner .


Oh yes, back to the valance. Frankie's mum trimmed the threads, gave the sewing machine an angry shove and nasty look then went in and hung up the curtains.















She then went and sat down for her well earned rest and knit on this sock she loves the pattern, LOVES IT, it is interesting yet not too hard and she wears a smug little smile while knitting on it because it is her first time knitting from a chart.

When Frankie arrived home from school he walked into his room to put his school bag away and came running out saying, "I love the curtains, they look so nice... you're such a good Mom!" he then hugged and squeezed her very tight and she smiled contentedly.

She then walked into the room where the retched sewing machine does it's dirty business and yanked it's plug out of the wall, wrapped the cord tight around it's tender plastic shell and shoved it into what is known to her as 'the new sewing cupboard' she smiled as she turned a deaf ear to it's desperate pleas of, "No" and "I'm so sorry" she gave it one last devious glance slowly shut the doors and left it crying in the dark...

Tiny Happy

This post is about the tiny, happy, beautiful things. The things that are so easy to take for granted yet bring so much happiness.


The smell of fresh baked cookies...




The beauty of a cookie jar filled to the brim with cookies you made yourself.



















A book so good you read this much in one day of stolen moments.


A husband who the lizards love to be around even though he's kind of a dork because he never let's his wife get a proper picture without doing something silly.









Rylin would like for everyone to know that this is what he would look like if he was a "china guy". (We had Chinese take away one Friday)


















Finn would like everyone to know that this is what he would look like if he was Rylin. I blame this sort of behavior on the fact that my husband the afore mentioned dork contributed to half the DNA of these kids.















I inspected a friends new baby... meet Brendan. I held him, smelled him and loved him. (During which time Bob was hysterically flipping out about how I shouldn't touch the baby or even allow them in my home and that it's "bad luck" and babies are "catching" and to please keep the baby outside.)




I started an autumn quilt to hang in my dining room it was just waiting for the binding to be sewn onto the back.

























I also cast on a sock, knit on it a while, realized it was the very wrong size ripped it out and cast it on again using smaller needles.


All a bunch of little things that make me happy.

One Picture. One Word.

Beautiful...

Ravelympics Progress

The Striped Felted Tote is completed here is before and after felting pictures. I felted it yesterday and today I cast on a new project, The Omo Scarf. I'm using a turquoise handspun superwash wool yarn that a friend gifted me for my birthday. The scarf is a fashion scarf rather than a scarf for warmth. With all the rain and wind it is definately good knitting weather. Our power was out today for quite a while and Bob hooked up the generator, if it weren't for the humidity that makes a/c a necessity for comfort I would have been content to just sit by the window and knit with no power.

Your guess is as good as mine...

Here is the current forecast for Fay. This is this morning's forecasted track. I point this out because by this afternoon it will be different. Get out the generator; go put it away... get it out, put it away... take the furniture of the deck; put it back it will go on and on until either it starts to blow and rain or the sun comes out and people who jumped the gun by hanging plywood over their windows look a big sort of fool. (My apologies to the man down the street whom I saw hanging plywood yesterday evening. Hope it comes buddy, to save you the shame)

Another thing is that no matter how the forecast starts out it always ends up in our area on a weekend (this was what happened in 2005 anyway) so you didn't even get a day off from school or work because of it. (Not me, I don't get days off. Not even CHRISTMAS! I need to get with the union about that...)

There is an upside though. The media is having a wonderful good time with this, it's a big huge story with the propensity for loss of life, property, flooding and government aid (in their opinion, I don't think it's such a big deal) but for a very short time at least we're not hearing so much about Barrak Obama and that's a good thing.

Should it come I am prepared; I have my book, book light, knitting and a rocking chair on the front porch where I will sit and watch the wind blow, the rain fall and pond and discuss with Bob how I am a terrible role model for the children sitting outside during a storm and no, he will absolutely not video me standing out in the yard in my rain coat like Jim Cantori on the weather channel and for me to get myself in this house and act like a grown woman and responsible mother. I wonder if it will make my neighbors feel any better to know that Bob and I also spend a good amount of time during these storms speculating on which of your trees are most likely to fall first and whether or not we think it will be on your home. Don't be upset. After all, what are folks to do when the satellites out?