Someone keeps knitting and knitting and knitting and knitting and knitting

I started making Christmas presents back in August because I didn't want the last minute crunch of knitting until wee hours of the night.  This pile of yarn represents less than half of what I knit this year, yardage-wise.  Add 3 more washcloths,  3 sets of slippers, a hat, and a scarf.

Mommy's little helper

We went grocery shopping (seems like we're forever grocery shopping), and I was putting items away in the fridge.  Baby helped.

Baby has also decided that he's big enough to walk down stairs.  He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet, though.

comfort and joy

Baby came with me to the grocery store.  Every item has to pass his cursory inspection before it goes in the cart.  He liked one item in particular and didn't let it go.

Some kiss have blankets or dolls.  My kid, though, has a potato.  

Black Friday has a price

Everyone has been buying online, and Andrew has been working a lot this week.  He's been coming home after baby is asleep, so they haven't really spent time together this week.

Tonight, though, and you got home in time to see baby. It was so cute. And you got down on his hands and knees and crawled toward baby. Baby toddled across the room to Daddy and give him a big hug around his arm.  They've been sitting together while Daddy eats a late dinner and baby finishes his bottle.

Where did my tiny baby go?

Baby's hair was getting too long, and growing in unevenly.  I haven't wanted to cut it because cutting it makes him a big boy instead of the tiny baby.

But the time had to come.

Before

First cut

Mid cut

All done.

Happy Thanksgiving, sad baby

Looking for a comfortable seat

You know baby likes you if he sits on you.  He's found a nice perch on Andrew's arm, but sometimes he likes to get even closer.

Where did it all go?

80 or so bags of leaves.  80 bags.  That is an enormous amount.  They took over a good chunk of my back yard, and made the yard look like a land fill. I have three compost heaps going already and I was beginning to think I wouldn't have time to deal with it all.  Then Andrew spent a good hour maybe more mowing it all and collecting the result into a corner of the yard.  Raking and mowing, and doing out more bags and mowing and raking again.

Baby and I went to the grocery store.

This is what I came home to:

It's difficult to tell from the picture, but that's a pile about 5' x 5' x 3'.  

And in other news, baby has entered the bronze age.  He's creating tools. 

One giant step for a baby...

L

Make like a tree and leave

I've been in a cyclone of uncertainty for a while now.   Things and people I thought I knew and had a handle on have turned upside down.  Some of the ideals I thought were bed rock facts have been shaken.

 But you can only control what you can control, right?  So, I've been making compost.  If you don't see the logic flow, I don't blame you.

  But I've always wanted a flourishing vegetable garden, and it's fall,  and compost is made of leaves that breakdown to feed a garden.  You dont need money, just time and energy.  I have bits of time, and bursts of energy, and no money.

Leaves and more leaves

That is 5 bags brown paper leaf bags, 15 kitchen bags, and 53 big garbage bags.  Amazingly, my former RSP and her husband, the bishop, dropped off almost all of these.  10 came from a friend, Andrew raked up the yards of two neighbors, and i raked our own yard.  

And used grounds from a coffee shop.


And a birthday gift from Andrew: a pitchfork.

So, if Armageddon does happen, I'll have a kick ass vegetable garden to feed the family next summmer.  Or at least closer.

A message on this election day :

Vote for the real choice.

He's got work to do.

at the fabric store

I was mulling over some remnants and thinking about a quilt project I've been planning (as opposed to all the Christmas crafting I need to do), and letting baby get into a little trouble because that's what babies do best, right?  I look up from a piece of micro suede in a golden brown (but does it really work in a quilt? Could I make the whole top in micro suede? It's a wall hanging, not a bed spread, does it matter? Does it come enough colors?) And baby has taken control of the cart, and gotten halfway down the aisle.
He can stand unsupported for several seconds now, and I'll swear in a court of law that he took a step on his own last night, but he's far from consistant.
Another customer saw him pushing the cart, but didn't see me for a split second.  Her expression was priceless.

We went to the park today.  Baby was fascinated by the bridge.  It's purposely a bit unstable, like a rope bridge.  He spent a good 20 minutes crossing it.  He'd start on the landing, backing up like he was descending stairs, then halfway he would flip around.  

You see one foot has a little brown and tan bootie?  I made a pair for him for Halloween, but also as practice shoes.  He's used to socks, of course, but soon he'll be walking on his own.  

Happy belated Halloween

At our church's trunk or treat.  We were the 3 bears.

At Anderson farms. Baby was not too keen on the wheel barrow.

Family pile up.  Just for the fun of it.

Later that afternoon in the club room

"Okay, now that he's gone," said Archie in a low tone, "I got a package in the mail today."

"What is it this time?" Ben asked, suspicious.

"A real treat," Archie replied.

"I don't know. The last stuff didn't sit so well, you know?" Ben said.  Indeed, the last stuff had hit his stomach hard.  He was understandably nervous.

"Trust me, you'll love it," he reassured his friend.  And Archie went to his room to fetch it.

He came back, holding the treat aloft. "Nummy nummy!  I hope you're hungry."  He laid a plate on the table. "Wait, where did Averi go?"

Ben looked at the treats with anticipation.  "She went to get a puzzle for us to put together. I had to promise her we would wait, but these look really good."

They couldn't wait, and each took a puff.  "Mmmmm."

"Yeah, these are pretty good."

"Hey!  I thought you guys were going to wait?" Averi walked up to the table.  "What are you eating?"

"Oh, sorry," Archie gulped down a bite.  "Here," he pushed the plate towards her, "the grandkids sent these in a care package.  They're good."

"Mmm... they are good," Averi said.  "And here, I got that puzzle we were talking about."

She started laying out the pieces.  Ben dusted off his fingers, and helped.  "I'll start with the edges," he said.

"Alright, here we go.  What are we making here?" Archie asked.

Averi looked at the box.  "It's one of those mystery puzzles.  You don't know what it is, until it's all put together.  I thought it would be fun."

Puzzles aren't normally a raucous activity, but every crowd has their thing.  The activity got pretty loud, what with all the trading of pieces and speculation as the picture beginning to form.

Meanwhile, Beckett sat in a comfortable chair, reading in the sun room.  The  noise from the other room was starting to annoy him.

Archie yelled excitedly in the club room, "It's jelly beans! Guys, it's jelly beans!"

"Can't a man have a minute of peace?" Beckett wondered, and went back to his reading.

"Beckett!  You gotta see this!  They're jelly beans."

An afternoon in the retirement home is always an event, and always more fun with friends.

the end

An afternoon in the retirement home club house

"Come on, Averi," Archie said, setting up the checker board.  "I think we have time for one game before the other guys get here."

"Alright," she replied, "one game.  But I have to warn you: I'm really good at checkers."  After several minutes of play, he fell into her trap.  She took one of her chips, and promptly jumped over three of his.  "Bam!"

 "Whoa!  Have mercy on an old man," Archie cried.  He made his own next move and took one of her chips.

"I'll make it quick. That's merciful enough," and with a flourish, Averi finished the game.

"NOOOO!" Archie yelled, letting the chips fall to the ground.

"I told you I was good," Averi said.  "I'm going to get a juice."

From the other room came a clatter of soft soled shoes and golf clubs, and a smattering of conversation.  Then a booming voice: "Hey, guys.  Where is everyone?"

"We're in here, and I'm getting my hat handed to me," called Archie.  The new arrivals were old friends, one named Ben, the other named Beckett.

"Anyone up for a game of Go Fish?"  Averi asked.  "A nice relaxing game of cards, so we can have a nice chat."  And with that, a deck of cards appeared. 

 "Here, I'll deal," Ben said, passing out the first hand. 

Archie picked up his cards and sighed.  "Let's see...  Anyone have any Piglets?  How was golfing today?  Did you hit par?"

Beckett put down a matching pair of Eeyores.  "You should have come golfing with us, Archie.  You, too, Averi.  It was a beautiful day. Beautiful."  He looked at the rest of his hand, reshuffling the remaining cards.  "The sun nearly wiped me out, though."

Averi picked up the Winnie the Pooh that Archie discarded.  "Thank you VERY much," she said, then laid down another matching pair. "Maybe I will join you next time.  Some sun would warm up these old bones."

Bennet leaned over to peer at Ben's cards.  "Hey, what did you deal me here?  This is a terrible hand."
Ben just chuckled, keeping his hand close to his chest.

"Let's see," Averi pondered her cards.  "Does anyone have any...Roo's?"

"I have one," said Beckett, and gave the card to Averi.  "And that cleans me out.  I'm going to go relax a bit in the sun room. Try to keep it down, alright?"

"Alright, have a good rest."

"See you later, Beckett."

"Okay, now that he's gone," said Archie in a low tone, "I got a package in the mail today."

"What is it this time?" Ben asked, suspicious.

"A real treat," Archie replied.

to be continued...