Peacock

I finished the Peacock over the Christmas break. I think it turned out ok. K~

A really nice time

We had a very nice Christmas together. We spent the Eve at Rick's parents house and the day at our house. C got an American girl doll she named Alice. D got an MP3 player and some Lego's. S got 2 huge Lego sets. I got lots and lots of toys and Rick got something for his car to listen to the radio when he delivers pizza on Friday and Saturday. (That car is now totally broken and is going to the junk yard, but that is another story) My family came over on Christmas Day and we had a nice time. Marilee was unable to make it. She was under the weather, but we had a nice time and it ended around 9 PM. I made crock pot chili, cookies, chocolate silk pie, puppy chow and of course turtles. We had crackers and chips and some yummy dip. It was a snack fest.

Now we are close to New Years Eve. 2009 here we come. I am unsure of my resolution. I never keep them. Let alone remember them. I hope you all have a very nice New Years Eve.

Happy New Year.

K~

the day before Christmas Eve day

Well it has been a long day 2, but a good one. I took a nap as usual and when I got up the kids had cleaned the living room and decorated it some more. Now they are going to be off shopping and I am going to be finishing everything else. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit more relaxing and I can just finish making the rest of the sweet goodies. K~

2 weeks of "vacation"

I know that these 2 weeks will be filled with good times and great memories, but, looking forward, I am left with a bit of anxiety. I absolutely LOVE my children and think they are just fantastic. HOWEVER. As some of you have heard me describe them before, they are like living with creatures that can morf from great Danes to octopus to locust in an instant.

We live in a humble little story and a 1/2 in a beautiful neighborhood in St. Paul. When Rick and I moved in, it was the 2 of us and the cat. Not only have we (Rick and I) gotten larger, but so has our family. With the addition of the zoo, a cat, and a dog, we added 3 precious children. After deciding to feed them and cloth them, they grew and are still growing.

Now, 2 are close to my same height and 1 is getting there. They are in fact people. We have 5 people that live here. 3 bedrooms, 1 an 1/2 bathrooms an unfinished basement, a 8x6 TV room and a super small living room dining room combo, and lastly a strip for a kitchen.

So here I sit.

5 people can reach everything, get into everything, and mess up everything. Coats, boots, mittens, scarves, hats, clothes, socks, undies and so on thrown willy nilly about the place. Food consumed like a swarm of locus on a farmers field. Space taken up with toys, stuff, drawings, yarn, good metal, a pool table, cars, Lego's, stuffed animals, clothes, and so on.

When the 3 morf into Great Danes, they trample everything in their path. They sniff and eat everything. They knock things over and kick things around. Then in an instant, they morf into the octopus. What seems like thousands of arms and legs go flying around the house. Touch, touch, touch. Spill, spill, spill. Hit, hit, hit. Squeeze into places they don't naturally fit.

The din is deafening. And I suffer from hearing loss already. I can't describe the din very well. There is always a din with bursts of LOUD noises. Sometimes words, sometimes screams, sometimes laughter, but always loud. And yet, they are extremely hard of hearing themselves. They can't hear warnings. We give them warnings, we do not attack unannounced. But alas, it is of no use. They react as if we (Rick and I) are the crazy irrational ones.

To top it all off, it is bitter cold out....BELOW ZERO. So my job is to hide as much as possible. To overlook the mess, the din, the crapelanches, the fights, the spills, the non stop hunger. I just keep going.

In the midst of all of it, I craft, I fold clothes and refold them, I do the dishes again and again and again. I am still washing what seems like an unending pile of clothes. I pick up the pieces of paper snowflakes. I pick up the shredded book the dog ate. I pick up the stray Lego piece, game piece, Pokemon something. I make dozens of cookies, read my blogs, have my coffee, and smile.

It isn't that bad if you look at it in a kind of blurry way, and for Heaven's sake, never stop and write it all down!!

Have a happy 2 weeks off.

K~

Feeling special

My friend returned from Italy with gift in hand. Awesome White beans from Italy!! They are so good. Can't wait to try them again, and also, see if they grow. Also Yarn from Italy. I had the perfect project that needed this color. Now my birthday scarf is complete. Thanks Melissa. Then I received this wonderful package of goodies from Lisa (aka Anonymous to blog readers). Yarn, note card, crochet book, bookmark, magnets....This was also for my birthday. What a very special week.

I love all of it and I can't wait to get my hands on the amigurumi animals, as well as the wool yarn. yum yum. Thanks so much Lisa.

K~

Super yummy - Super easy

ready to bake.....not yet baked and pushed.

I am so excited about this little treat. I got the recipe through a PC loop.

1 mini pretzel
1 Rollo
1 pecan 1/2


on stone, place pretzel then Rollo then pecan in that order :-)


Bake at about 300 to 350 for about (i don't know) 5 minutes?

Push in the pecan.

There you go.....................a small turtle.


K~

back with the animals....where i belong

Common Loon

Tundra Swan
Well it has been 2 weeks since I was able to help my animal friends. It was so good to get back there. We had a loon, which are such a treat. There were a couple of Tundra swans as well as Trumpeter swans. Our female turkey (the one who ate lead) is doing so much better. She is very feisty and likes to nip at you. I needed to run interference a few times so she could be fed. She also dumped her food all over the floor. She was a handful. We had a sad duck with a broken foot in a cast. It kept trying to get out of it's cage. I hope it is doing better this morning. It just seemed very thirsty. It had dumped it's water right away and was out for quite some time. We got it fresh greens and water, and it ate and ate. We needed to refill before we left. It seemed so happy.

Now I am off to Hopefully finish my shopping. I need to get a few more things. I need to get some food for my zoo, too. Then I get to do some holiday visiting. You know you are busy when you need to put -shower- on your to do list.

K~

A Christmas miracle

After a very tough and verbal evening on Monday night. I captured this moment of D working on his very overdue Spanish homework with Rick. Seeing those 2 sitting together, calm and quiet, well it is hard to bring to words. Parenting is the most important and difficult thing that I have done or will ever do. Sometimes, I just don't know what to do and find my brain blank of ideas. I worry and then I don't worry. I'm amazed at what they do sometimes, both so extremely good and bad...sometimes with in the same hour. Now I am bracing for 2 weeks of them being home. I hope and pray that we have a wonderful time together. K~

finally done

I have been working on these 2 projects for most of the year. I finally finished both. The first is a pink and green pillow.

FrontBack

Then I have been working on this afghan for quite sometime. Finally finished the crocheted edge. The middle is made up of 5 knitted panels.

K~

C and her flute

C had her concert at school and her recital on the same weekend. She sounds so good and seems so grown up to me. She got to play the piccolo in band. That was so neat to see. I am so happy for her. K~

the children

Yesterday I needed to take some photos to complete my Christmas letter. Look at this handsome crew. I tell ya. I can't believe how big they are! I am hoping for a very happy holiday season this year. Things are coming along, and there has not been too much stress. I hope to keep it that way. Cookies will be made on the weekend before. We are going Winter cabin camping on the the Sunday before, it's always so pretty. My cold has hit it's peak, i hope, so I am looking forward to getting back on my feet.

I fed the zoo this morning. I have not been able to work at WRC for 2 weeks. Last week Rick had a meeting...no sitter, and this week I was coughing up a lung. I just kept envisioning me inhaling deep to cough, and sucking up feathers and what not. ick. So, I hope to be back at it next week. Miss them a lot.

K~

The holiday season is here

Yes, that is a wreath made of metal. It is almost dangerous. I got it on clearance last year along with the adornments I added. I kind of like it. It dresses up the window. Now I am off to get frosting for Ricks cake. It's his birthday today. Happy Birthday Honey!! K~

What to do with a cup of flour?

Problem solved. Bing came into the TV room the other night. He had an odd paste on his beard. D wiped it off and we resumed watching our show. Then at break time I had to take a double take in the living room. Bing had dispatched of the small remainder of flour I had in the bottom cupboard. He must have reached in and grabbed it. I tell ya. He just doesn't get how caught red handed he is !! K~

Ouchy!

Why is C watching an adorable baby with me on Monday morning instead of being in school? She broke her toe! Ouch! She stubbed it into a scrap booking carrier I have. Now there's a memory!
She went to the orthopedist yesterday, and she will not have to wear a boot or anything. The break was at an angle, so we were concerned she may need a pin in it. But, phew! K~