I Looooooooooovvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee Summer!!!

I am loving summer! It's not that I don't enjoy my summer break every year, but this year seems even better. We started with a trip to Iowa/South Dakota for a friend's wedding, followed up by mother in law's knee replacement and a 10 day visit from Rob's sister and nephew so it was a crazy start, but now everything is calm and we are loving it!

Ryan and I have gone swimming almost every day this week. From the beginning he's been a water baby but he is having such a blast in the water. He does really well with his arm floaty and today he made a littl friend and they were jumping in from the edge together - the kid has no fear. I love it too as it's a great way to cool off, spend quality time with my boy and at the same time, exhaust him so he'll take a good nap when we get home. :)

Monday we're starting potty training - should be interesting. Today he actually came in to me and said, 'No Diaper,' and took it off. I showed him his big boy underwear and he wanted to wear them. Yes! I'm hoping this will be easy but I'm not holding my breath. The kid can be darn stubborn when he wants.

I've been knitting a ton. So far this summer I've done a few inches on, I think 6 scarves. I've also been knitting mini stockings, a mini sweater and I'm trying mini hats for the mini exchange. They're addictive. I've got it down to a science and can usually get one done during Ryan's nap. Of course, being summer, I've been napping then too so I usually knit while he's playing or in teh evening after he's in bed.

Off to knit (Ry's asleep after swimming this a.m.)

Ouch - Too Too Long!

Wow! It's been so long since I've been on here. The school year sucked me in and just now has spit me out. Some fun things have happened since then though...

~Ryan is talking up a storm! It's so fun to see and hear him express his opinons and tell us stories, read us books, sing us songs, etc.

~I got a wonderful birthday package from my birthday swap partner. I got 2 skeins of merino wool in different weights. I'm going to use one to knit my first pair of socks and the other for a scarf (I think). I also got some new beautiful stitch markers and a stitch counter bracelet.

~I am learning some new stitches thanks to the Traveling Scarf group on ravelry. The people in my group are awesome and all the scarves I've seen are beautiful. I can't wait for mine to get home.

~I started knitting mini socks for another group from ravelry. They're taking me about an hour or so so I've gotten quite a few done. I'm thinking about knitting up a bunch for the teachers for Christmas as well.

~I just joined another swap on ravelry (I love that place!). It's the Books & More swap.

~The best news: Summer is Here! Woo Hoo! I'm so excited to spend the summer with my little guy. Tomorrow we're cleaning and then hopefully the rest of the week is ours to enjoy.

Too Long!!!

It has been way too long since I have posted here. I've been knitting, reading, teaching, living, etc. etc. I have a swap going right now - a birthday swap - fun fun! I'm getting goodies together for my birthday partner and will be mailing it off before May 16. I'm also working on some dishcloths for my school's auction. I really want to start some socks too - I'm itching to do socks, but lately it seems I just don't have time. I'm hoping things start to relax and I can get some more quality knitting done.

Happy Birthday Baby!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Ryan! Happy Birthday to you!
A huge happy 2nd Birthday to my baby boy - I can't believe he's 2 already! Where has the time gone? We're having a little party for him this afternoon with just a few close friends. Now if I can only get him to nap beforehand!

Sick, Sick, Sick but Knitting, Knitting, Knitting

We have been struck with the germies here. I was scheduled to have my surgery the Thursday after Thanksgiving but ended up being out all that week with the flu - it was horrible - I was exhausted and had no voice. As soon as I started feeling good, Ryan got the stomach flu and was sick all weekend. This week I had the stomach flu for about 24 hours and right now Rob is down with it. We just can't get rid of all these germs.

I did get some knitting done in between my napping and then last Sunday when Ryan was sick, all he did was lay on the couch all day and watch Dora between naps- he was quite pathetic, but I got tons done.

I still have a lot to get done:
-mittens for my teaching partner
-hat for my dad
-dishcloth and bath mitt for our teacher's aide
-Ryan's stocking
-dishcloths for Ryan's godmother

I think that's it. I'm also making a list of things to work on after Christmas:
-scarf for me
-hat for me
-headband for me (see a pattern here? :)
-socks for someone - I just want to knit socks!

Christmas Gifts Galore

I have been knitting up a storm of gifts for Christmas - I'm quite pleased with myself. I finished a garter stitch scarf for my sister, a ruffled scarf for my Christmas around the world swap partner, a 1/2 dozen dishcloths for one sister for Christmas and a 1/2 dozen for another sister's wedding. I'm also working on a pair of mittens for a friend, a booga bag for me, a cell phone cozy for me and I want to work on a ball and a bear for Ryan. I have my surgery this Thursday and will be home alone on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so I'm hoping for some quality knitting time. I also have some little foam picture frames that I want to get glued together. Hopefully my resting my leg won't interfere with my knitting. :)

Ravelry, Christmas Exchange, Knitting Bags, Surgery, Oh My!

I haven't been on here much, but I have been keeping busy. Good news first...

My surgery is scheduled (finally) for November 29. It's a simple arthroscopic (sp?) surgery on a Thursday and I should be back to school on Monday - I'm relieved to finally be getting it done. I've been doing well without the crutches, but by the end of the day it's hard to walk.

I've finished a couple of books lately. I got into the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum books this summer and am still loving them - they're about a female bounty hunter from Jersey - they're hilarious and a good book from the heavy books my book club is reading.

I'm busy working on lots of Christmas projects - I finished a scarf for my Christmas exchange buddy. It's a ripple scarf and right before you bind off you end up with over 800 stitches on your needles - made it hard to knit and I won't make another but the finished product was really cute. I only hope she enjoys it. I'm also working on gathering other things for her. I need to work on Something for the Soul - I think I'm going to print out some knitting and quilting prayers for her on scrapbook paper and put them in a little booklet. I still need to get something for the taste - we have lots of different and unique places here so I want to get something local - I'll have to look.

I'm also cranking out tons of dishcloths - one sister is getting married next month so I thought I'd make her some as a shower present. Plus, I drew the name of another sister for Christmas and she wants some dishcloths and a Rachel Ray cookbook - I've ordered that now I just need to finish a few more cloths. I'm thinking a trip to the yarn store is in order as I don't have all the colors I want.

On one of my yahoo knit a long groups (which I've been horrible about doing) they were talking about a new site called Ravelry. I finally got my invitation and I am so inspired! There are so many wonderful patterns and projects that I now have a much longer list of things I want to knit. I really want to knit a bag for myself - I made a bag for my international tote exchange iv partner and liked it, but as I look at patterns on Ravelry, there are so many more that I'd love to do. I'm thinking about doing a booga bag or a sophie - they're both too cute! My current favorite yarn to knit with is patos soy wool stripes - it is so soft and I love the softness of the colors. Plus, right now it's on sale at Michaels - hmmm, might have to stop there after school and pick up a few skeins. I don't think I'll have time to use them until Christmas break, but we'll see. I also want to knit mittens for a friend of mine for Christmas - I made a pair for myself and they knit up really quickly, so we'll see. I just need to find a yarn and the time. Hmmm, maybe if I weren't on here? :)