Seven Quick Takes

Go visit Jen for more quick takes.

 

~1~

I have to write this one first because I just can't keep it in- our worries about Superman's job came to fruition. His company is closing the location where he works in just a few weeks. This news came to us Friday afternoon last week and to be honest, it was not a great weekend. Superman has been applying for jobs for a few months now with very few bites. On Monday a friend of his mentioned a job possibility to check out. Superman called that day, interviewed on Tuesday and was hired in the interview! We are so fortunate to not have a gap in his employment right now.

~2~

A little more knitting over the weekend will hopefully provide me with finished mittens and a turned sock heel. Perhaps a few more rows on the Talia vest too?

~3~

We made a visit to my local yarn shop and they surprised us with the BEST. THING. EVER- a basket full of trains! They added a little play corner with wooden train pieces like the ones at our house. Ezra's eyes lit up and what I thought would have to be a quick "run in and grab the 1 thing I need actually became a 30 minute browse. The shop was even thoughtful enough to place the play corner in the one corner of the shop you can see from all but one place, so I really did get to look around while still keeping an eye on the boys.

~4~

After several weeks purposely not thinking about Kindergarten plans I *am* starting to think about Kindergarten for next fall again. I've been thinking especially about a few of Sarah's posts on simplicity and over thinking education that have stayed with me. After the time spent focusing on the present, all of that reading I did on the subject is starting to filter out into the things that are important to us to include in our home in the coming year. We are praying for guidance. I'm sure I'll be posting more about this in the weeks to come.

~5~

Ender announced at dinner the other night that he is going to be a writer when he grows up. "Writing stories is really fun," he tells us. Daddy casually says, "You know what will help you to be a good writer? Reading a lot of good books." Ender frowned at him and said, "Daddy, you don't have to read to write words down. You just have to think really hard and your pen will just know the words."

If only it were that easy, right?

~6~

I looked at the boys the other day and realized that their pants are about an inch short. When did that happen? Maybe that's the crankiness explosion we've had in the last few weeks- growth spurts! Come to think of it, they HAVE been eating like teenagers . . .

~7~

Just one week from tomorrow my sister will be married! They are having a very small family only ceremony. Ender is pretty happy that he will not serve as ring bearer this time- he's already been in 5 weddings for uncles and aunts. In fact, the first question he asked after I told him his aunt was getting married was, "do I have to stand up there again?" *insert pouty 4-year-old voice here* He practically did the dance of joy when I told him he was off the hook.

February Knits

Elizabeth Zimmeman's 36 stitch Mittens:

 

Toe-Up socks (basic ones, no fancy patterns this time):

 

 

And a Talia vest:

 

I took these pictures on Sunday (when again, there was not a drop of sunshine to be had) to document my current knitting projects and since then the gusset is about 2 rows from being done on that sock, I'm past the thumb trick on the Elizabeth Zimmerman mittens and almost ready to start the end decreases, and I've added a few rows to the Talia vest.

The Talia vest is something I have to focus on somewhat. The chart isn't particularly difficult since the 10 stitch repeat on each row is pretty easy to memorize, but I do have to keep track of where I am unlike the mindless stockinette of the sock gusset, and even the mitten. On the mitten I knit where the knit stitches are and purl where the purl stitches are- easy. So I've been saving Talia for certain times where I can really concentrate on it- it's going to be a slower knit just because I can only really work on it a few times a week right now. Each row goes fairly quick for being 188 stitches though.

The Elizabeth Zimmerman Mittens have been fun and actually pretty easy once I worked out the bit of math in the beginning. I'm still thinking about which EZ pattern I'd like to try next. It's the big projects that attract me (like the February baby sweater, the raglan sweater, etc.) but I feel like I need to do at least one more smaller thing with her "pithy patterns" before I commit to a big sweater. Perhaps the Mocassin Socks?

Forecast

The forecast for the next few days is the same as the last few: freezing rain, snow, and mostly cloudy skies. Of course, that's on top of the ice we already have.

Oh, February.

The unordinary addition to this week is that I only teach two days instead of the usual five. We already had special plans for the week- cookie making, painting, some experiments that Ender has planned and other projects, but some will have to be put on hold until we can get out and about again.

So there will be knitting and other kinds of making, cuddling on the couch with a stack of books (the universe seems to be the theme around here, emphasis on planets), several games of checkers, and probably popcorn and hot chocolate.

Perhaps LOTS of hot chocolate.

And I will nervously wait for each check-in call from my husband since he is out driving in this mess for work. It takes twice as long to get anywhere, and he drives all day long already. The knitting helps me wait more on the patient side than the anxious one.