Back in the Routine

School is back in, and we're getting into the routine of things.

Troy is waking up between 6 - 6:30; he has to be up by 6:30 to have any hopes at all of getting him on the bus. Bus goes at 7:25. Getting up that early with him means that I have lunches made up earlier, and am able to sit and relax for a while before Katie goes to school. She's getting up earlier too, which means she isn't as rushed in the morning.

I've been knitting socks. Last Saturday I started a pair of wool socks for my friends Columbian exchange student, finished them Friday evening. His birthday was Friday. Yeah, cut it close, but they were done in time! Also have knit a pair of little girl socks and almost one single little girls sock for another lady - getting paid for these ones :) Want to do a few little pairs up for the Christmas craft sale in November - if they don't sell then Mary will get them.

I think I decided what to make my friend Mary Anne for Christmas. But, can't tell you what it is because she reads this. I have to do a swatch first and see if the yarn and the pattern get along together or not.

Today was my first day volunteering in the school library. Well, my first day this year, not my first day ever. Just two classes. Kim and I are working together this year, she's very nice.

Should go and get a snack ready for Troy when he gets home from school. Made some fruit filled muffins this morning - they are yummy.

more socks

First of all the socks. From the left. Here's my daughters modified version of the feather and fan sock pattern. See my previous post for a rambling of the pattern that I did.

Second is my feather and fan socks. Katie and I have mother/daughter socks ... and we both wore them to work/school today :)

Third pair is a pair for Mary for her b-day the end of the month.

Speaking of Mary - here's a picture of her. Isn't she a cutie patootie???

What to knit??

I just finished a pair of feather and fan socks for me. (pictures tomorrow, hopefully). Have enough of the yarn left over to do my daughter a pair of socks. I just don't know what pattern I want to use. I'd like something with a little bit of pattern on the cuff. But a short cuff. Not the basic K1P2 cuff and leg that I normally do. I'll have to surf and see what I can find out there that I like. Problem is that most of them are adult size, not girl sized ... and I'm not sure I can mentally adjust the pattern.

I learned something new!! I learned how to make a pie crust :) I'm so proud of me. Both kids have told me how good my pie crusts are. I made hubby an apple pie for dessert tonight ... of course he had to go out to work sooner than he planned and hasn't had a piece yet. The rest of us, on the other hand, have all had a piece.

Friends of our got an exchange student on the weekend. Tony is from Columbia. We met him last night at a BBQ/marshmallow roast that we had. Seems like a nice guy. Quiet ... but I suspect that is because he had just met us and was a little bit shy.

guess that's it for now.

ADDED Sept 5th
OK, so I decided what to knit for Katie's socks. She told Dad that she thought it would be neat if she and Mommy had matching socks. I played around for an hour last night trying to get the feather and fan pattern to work on 54 stitches, and just couldn't do it. So I played some more. The final pattern is divided over 3 needles; 13, 28, 13. The 13 needles are k1p1. The 28 needles is k5, k2tog (3 times), yok1 (6 times), k2tog (3 times), k5. Then there are 3 rows where the 28 stitch needle is just knit, while the k1p1 continues on the other needles. This places a feather and fan row down the top of her foot. Just finished the guesset on the first sock, and it's looking pretty good. I designed a sock pattern!!! :) YAY ME!! I'm going to wait until I get her socks done, then I'll post of picture of the "Mommy and Me" socks.

We're going to the kids schools a little later on to drop off their supplies for the year. I like to do it the day before so they have less to lug on the first day of school. Especially Katie as she has a rubbermaid container to take with her.

If you ask Troy if he's excited to go to school, he'll look at you and say "high school" ... he doesn't go to school, he goes to high school. :) A part of the syndrome that he has makes toilet taining an issue - I'm proud to announce he is using the washroom now!!! YAY TROY!!

about the walkway

First of all, thank you for all the nice comments about our walkway. Hubby is pleased that people like it.

There are 201 puzzle pieces in the walkway.

Back in June we were at the local Pharmasave store, and saw 2 cement puzzle pieces there. Decorated stepping stones. Hubby liked them, but we weren't about to pay $20/stone for enough stones to do our walkway!!

So he thought, and he came up with a way to make them himself. He created enough puzzle edge pieces that he could form 6 pieces at one time. The forms were held in place on a piece of wood. Started on June 17th, finished mid August. Thank goodness my brother has a cement mixer we could borrow!

Some of the blocks have hand prints on them, one is painted, a couple have beachglass on them. One has Katie's foot prints on it.

And now I have to go hunt for a library book that is hiding.

pictures

OK, I promised some pictures, and here some are. :)

First is the socks I've knit for Katie, Troy and Mary. I'm not sure how the colors are compared to real life - our monitor has a yellow tinge to it, so I can't tell. Katie's are yellow, red pink and blue. Troy's are blue, brown and white. Might be other colors in there, I can't remember right now. Mary's are greenish, yellow, purple, etc.

Second picture, the part of the walkway that goes across the front of the house. You can see the edge of one flower garden on the front left, then the cement steps that we built around busted up cement steps. Just past the steps is our gold fish pond. Straight ahead is the newest flower garden that we have. The right side of the walkway is just a mess of dirt right now.

Third picture is the main flat area of the walkway. At the base of our main steps. You can see the socks sitting waiting for their picture to be taken, the wooden steps and a little bit of the flower garden. Yes, there is a piece missing. Don't most puzzles end up missing pieces?? It's filled in with pea gravel.

The first flower garden, the fish pond and the wooden steps are all built out of wharf timbers that have broken loose and were found on the opposite side of the harbour. One they are floating around or on the shore they are free game (as far as I understand the "rules" of beach combing). Dan and a friend Troy go out in our canoe (or Troy's rowboat with a motor on it) tie a big rope around the timbers and haul them back to where the truck is parked. They then manhandle them onto the back of the truck and bring them back to here. They have fun doing it. We have people stop and ask them what they are doing with them. We also have them surrounding a flower garden (in the works) around an oak tree in our front yard, and along the opposite side of the driveway.

Tomorrow is National Toasted Marshmallow Day. We're having a huge marshmallow roast to celebrate. If you are reading this, and are close enough to come, it starts at 6:30 and goes till about 9. Exit 26, opposite from Tim's - 0.8km up on the right .. there will be a sign. Come!! The more the merrier!! Last night (big) Troy came up and helped string Christmas lights to give lighting for tomorrow night. It was nice sitting out there after 9 and not in the dark. I think the lights might be staying up.

Didn't get a picture of Teddy when he was here, but he's coming again today to spend tonight, so I'll try to get one today. Monday one of our friends daughters went to her appt in the city. Today they are driving their other daughter to Mount A. She's excited, and a bit more nervous than she's willing to admit I think :) That will leave them with just their son at home now. But, on Sept 2nd they go to the airport to pick up an exchange student who will be staying with them until Christmas. His name is Edwardo, and I can't remember where he is from. Did learn yesterday that he shares a b-day with my Katie (and her Uncles Tom and Wayne).

TTFN

Weds update on life

Please, don't be expecting anything exciting!!!

Had Troy to the IWK on Tuesday for a dental appt, then Weds he went to the OR for dental work. Two hours, and lots of work later, he was done. Then we had to stay at the hospital until he was alert enough to leave - we left at 4:20. Got there at 6:00!! Long Day!! I spent the time knitting finger puppets for the IWK. Troy's almost back to his "normal" self today, still not really energetic.

I did finish his socks, and he was able to wear them into the OR. They made him happy. I'll take pictures later ... I promised Heddy I would! :)

Now I'm working on socks for my little niece Mary, she turns a year old next month. She'll get a pair to match Katies and a pair to match Troys. And maybe another pair, we'll see.

Our friends dog, Teddy, is coming tomorrow to spend the weekend with us. He's a good dog, and we enjoy having him come to visit. Last week he had a disc slip out of place in his back, and he's still not 100% percent on the walking, so they aren't taking him with them to their camp that is a 30 minute walk in the woods. Can't blame them. We get to enjoy him :) Our house is the only house he'll go to visit at and eat while he is there ... makes us feel special. When he was first hurt he'd try to get up when I'd go to visit, but not when anyone else went. I think Teddy likes me :) I'll have to get a picture of him too.

Oh, and I'll have to get a picture of the walkway my hubby is making. Really cool!! Not going to tell you what it is, you'll have to wait for the picture. One of our friends saw it yesterday and fell in love with it.

long time, no post

There's been nothing exciting to post about, honest!!

I did knit a pair of socks for Katie, and have a pair for Troy just about finished. I'll finish his tonight.

Tomorrow Troy and I go to the IWK in Halifax for a dental check-up. We'll spend the night in the city, and Weds morning he goes into the OR for any dental work that needs to be done. I'm taking finger puppets along to work on - something that is easy and doesn't require much thought. Have to be there at 6 Weds morning - UGH!!

Hopefully Tuesday evening we'll be able to meet up with some friends from the FlyLady group that I belong to. That would be nice.

Guess that's it. I'll have to try to live a more exciting life to have more to post about :)

Who turned up the heat??

This morning was foggy and cool. Now it's sunny and hot. I'd like sunny and a bit cooler, please :)

Here's a picture of me beside one of the two big signs that were on the trees in front of our house Weds morning. One the side that faces the road. That I couldn't see from the house, and didn't even know were there until hubby mentioned them shortly after 10:00. I quickly took them down, but did put this sign on a tree in the yard, where it could still be seen - just not so easily! You know, it's still in that tree, should take it down soon. I smile when I look at it though. Thanks again guys!

I've been doing lots of reading lately. Worked my way through 4 books in the last 1.5 weeks. Need to either borrow more from Elizabeth, or go to the library on Tuesday. Anyone have anything to recommend? I should probably spend my time knitting, but I'm not really in the mood to knit.

Strange, typed this up yesterday, but it didn't post. Oh well, I'll add to it now :)

We went canoeing on Saturday. On our way out to the spot where we stopped for a picnic lunch we saw a bald eagle flying around. As we were sitting on the shoreline I was watching the eagle dipping and flying around a clump of trees. On our way back to go home we were paddling along, and I was looking for the eagle. Then I spotted it in a tree. Looked like a black blob, until it moved and I could see it's head. We were able to paddle up to probably within 50 feet or so of it, then it flew away. It was amazing! We also saw a younger eagle fly away as well.

Another muggy day. Hope my laundry will dry!!

The Big 4-0

Today's the day. I turned 40. :(

Last night I caught my sister, niece and 3 friends putting balloons all over our truck. Plus a sign on the mailbox (which is still there!) They would have gotten away with it, but Troy spotted them. And even when I went out to see what the sign said, they still would have gotten away with it, except that someone let the air out of a balloon ... and I busted them :)

Thanks you guys!!!

I got breakfast in bed. Katie knit me a little purse. They got me a mug that says "I'm not 40, I'm 39.95", and I got a cell phone holder with Eeyore on it. Other friends gave me a rose that is named "Super Dorothy".

The day is off to a good start. Well, as good as the day you turn 40 can be!

rainy day

It's a rainy day today. I'm not complaining, we could certainly use the rain. But, guess what hubby bought this morning? A sprinkler for watering the gardens because we haven't been getting much rain.

Katie is bored, so she is re-arranging her bedroom. Told her she can put the bed however she wants - as long as the room is clean! She needs to keep that room clean. IF she keeps her room clean we have parts of a computer for her, and will rig it up in her room to make homework doing easier in the fall. She won't have internet access on it, at least not if I have my way!

Troy has been puttering around. Hurt his finger with a knitting needle. Now he's drinking a cup of coffee (a little coffee, lots of milk) with me.

Flylady. Ever hear of her? Well worth looking into to. It's all about getting into routines to keep your house clean. I'm not a strick flyer, but I'm working on it.

TTFN