Blog much?

Sorry about the crazy three post day I had a few days ago... I often will write multiple posts on one day and then schedule them to post throughout the week (secret is out). So I had already had one scheduled, then I got all fired up about the nursing thing, then I hit post when I meant to schedule the knitting post... crazy town.

Anyway. Just popping in to say that we went to Zoo Lights tonight. There are a lot of pictures on Sawyer's blog. It was a lot of fun, and if you are local, it is worth checking out.

Also, if you are local, the new class schedule is up for Quilt Tree! (Where I teach! Come learn knitting from ME!) There are a lot of great classes going on. Keep warm on these long, dark, cold nights.... :)

Knitting Everything

A few knitting nuggets I am really excited about:

1. My first skein of Dream in Color yarn arrived in the mail today. It is for a hat for JB and I can not wait to see it knitted up. (For those who are super knit nerds, it is a skein of Classy in the Peacock Shadow color way, which is a deep blue and the pattern I will be using is Cabled Canuck)

2. I ordered the skein from the Loopy Ewe (excellent customer service, love them) and I am now a Loopy Groupie. Which means I spend far too much money on yarn. :) It also means I got an awesome sheep calendar in the mail from them. Worth it.

3. This post from the Yarn Harlot. These lines are perfect.

When you see a knitted object, don't see a hat, or a sweater, or a pair of socks.  See twenty, forty, a hundred hours of your knitters life that they have decided that you, or someone else is worth.  (How much time did you spend getting their present?) Understand that far from being a thrifty or lesser way of giving a gift, things that are handmade are the most expensive objects there are.

4. This skein of handspun that will become mittens (I think). I spun it wanting a big, poofy, gradient yarn and it is perfect....

5. I am off to write supply lists for my knitting classes this quarter. They are supposed to be in the shop at 10am tomorrow. Nothing like waiting until the last min.... which, I guess would really be tomorrow morning.... so go me for being ahead of the game.

Christmas Round Up

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas! Since we do Christ-ma-kah (presents all week long, more about family than things...) we had only one gift left on Christmas day to open, plus our stockings... it was SO fun this year with Sawyer! He is such a fun little man.  Christmas Eve we went out to Weston's sisters house for the day and then over to a friends house for a little get together.  Sawyer was able to play with some older kids (2 and 4) which he loves to do and we had a nice evening. Then on Christmas, we went sledding with some friends and all the dogs, which was a blast. It has just been a nice family weekend.

I'm mom's baby elf

All bundled up for sledding. 

Investigating our stockings.

Public Nursing Soapbox

This is me on my soap box. You have been warned.

So, I learned about a nurse-in on Twitter this morning. I guess Target has been harassing customers who breast feed in their stores. Not cool, Target. Not cool. When I first searched for this story, I found others that took place in 2009 and 2006, so I guess this isn't the first case. Here is another story about this same incident.

Here are my issues with this....

Briefly I will say that 2 female employees came and verbally asked me to move. The 2nd one told me that Target employees had been told/trained to interrupt nursing and to redirect mothers to the fitting rooms. Even after I informed the 2nd employee of my legal right to nurse in public she still suggested me moving closer to the jean display, turning to face another direction, and also turn my basket a certain way which would have put me practically underneath the jean display and totally barricaded me in. Employee #2 even hinted in a threatening way 'you can get a ticket and be reported for indecent exposure.'"

Um, first off, BF is not "indecent exposure". When I BF my son, you can not see any more of my boob than you can see in a low cut shirt. I would even venture to say that you can see less than most women show off in what society deems "acceptable" clothing. Also if employees are being trained to "interrupt nursing mothers" that makes me want to interrupt your day with a punch in the face. Would anyone interrupt a person eating a bagel from Starbucks? If not, then leave my baby and me alone.

And when she called Target corporate to complain, Hickman says the representative she spoke to -- she didn't get a name -- said "just because it is a woman's right to nurse in public ... doesn't mean women should walk around 'flaunting it'".

What would it look like to "flaunt" BFing? What does that even mean? When I am BFing, I'm not shouting and causing a scene. I'm simply meeting the basic needs of my child. Oh, and while I'm on the subject, I don't use a nursing cover. You don't eat with a towel over your head, why should I expect my child to? And if it is my right to do something, I can do it.

I just don't get it. A woman should be praised for doing what is healthy for her baby, not harassed and made to feel uncomfortable. Alaska is one of the states that BFing in public is protected. The law basically says that BFing is allowed anywhere where a woman and child would normally be allowed. So, if you wouldn't kick me out of Target for shopping, you can't kick me out for BFing. I have luckily never had anyone say anything negative to me about BFing in public.  One time, a mother came up and told me how great it was to see me BFing is public and that I was doing a great job.  That made my whole week.

Alright, off my soapbox. Back to life. Where I gladly BF my child when and where he wants. Because that is how it should be.

Critters!

Here are the latest knitted FO in my house. Well, they are actually on display at work, but they will be back at my house in a few months. I think I am going to knit four more fish and make a fishing game for Sawyer to play with in the summer. They were quick, and I have so much of the noro I used left..... The turtle was very fun as well. I was crazy though and used sock yarn held double and size 2 needles. I wanted to poke my eyes out (and almost did a few times with the needles) because it was so fiddly. But, the result was worth it. Too cute!

Knitmore Girls

I listen to the Knitmore Girls podcast, which I love.... Jasmin (the daughter) is pregnant and she just got put on "modified bed rest" so listening to her talk about that is a little funny. When I was on bed rest, I listened to every episode of the Knitmore Girls podcast that I missed (which was a lot, I found them late in the game)... I joked that Baby would know their voices more than my own.  Jasmin said she had this "romantic view of bed rest and this was not it". HA! Don't I know it. Everyone kept telling me, "Oh, I wish I was told to do nothing all day... that must be amazing!" REALLY?!? Try it. BE IN BED ALL DAY. Only get up to go to the bathroom. You can't shower, you can't get your own food, you can't go find a book, change the DVD in the DVD player, nothing. You literally can only get up to go to the bathroom and try to keep that to a minimum (but also stay hydrated...). I did that for two months. Trust me, not a fun time.

Anyway, things are plugging along here in the house. I have some sewing to finish up, hopefully before Sunday, but who knows. I have a plush train set that goes along with a quilt for Sawyer that I'm trying to finish. I hate sewing it though... it is a big pain. I'm also not sure how I'm going to hook all the train cars together, so those two factors are slowing me down. I did give Weston his present from me the other day (since we do Christ-ma-kah in the house, we open presents all week) which was a new iPhone case with Sawyer's picture on it. It is pretty amazing. When it came in the mail, I liked it so much I ordered myself one with a different picture.

I also finished up a group baby blanket for a friend on Ravelry. It turned out rather cute. I will post pictures after I know she has received it.... (taking it to the post office today)

My class samples still aren't done. (wah-wah) The turtle only needs eyes, and the halibut should be a quick-ish knit. Just need to start it. Geez. Why can't I just have a few days where time stops but somehow I am able to just KNIT. I guess I should get on that instead of talking about all the things I should be doing.... off to do that...

Let's Cook Alaska!

As I have probably mentioned, I have been taking cooking classes here in town, at a place called Let's Cook Alaska. Today, they are featured on Groupon! You can get two classes for the cost of one, if you are a new student. And if you are a returning student, check out their website for the same deal! Today only! I'm very excited. I signed Weston up for the Sushi class and I'm taking a class called "All About Chicken". I might sign up for Mexican and Italian before the day is over.... I just love learning little tips and tricks about cooking.

How is it Friday?

Oh, Friday. You are probably the most loved day of the week. (Well, my favorite day is Thursday, but I'm weird...) How did you get here so quickly?!

I gave my mom her messenger bag. She loved it. I loved it. She showed it off at work. I got a few messages saying others thought the bag was great! Made my day. You know what I forgot? PICTURES. Epic fail. Luckily, my mom lives close.... so when she gets back from her trip, I will try and remember to snap a few pictures of the awesomeness that is her new bag.

We had Weston's parents and sister over for dinner last night. That is always exciting. We decided not to exchange gifts with them, as we are all on a budget... Somehow, we still wound up with quite a few presents! I guess we were the only ones who took that suggestion seriously.... ooops. Sawyer received two new books and a Monty the Moose DVD (which I was super excited about, I used to watch those DVDs all the time growing up and have all the songs memorized...). He loves the books, and was interested in the DVD for about 15 mins, mostly he likes the songs... I scored some Smart Wool socks, a new scarf, and a cool holder for wine corks. Weston got a gorgeous framed painting of his favorite place in Alaska, McCarthy. All in all, it was a wonderful night.

We have a Christmas party to go to tomorrow night, and then it is time to RELAX! We have been so busy this week since everyone is leaving this weekend that I am tired.... I taught my last knitting class of the year on Wednesday, so I really have nothing left to do... (well, that's not true.... I still have a lot to do. But, I feel like I might actually have time to get them done now)

Alright, Sawyer is still sleeping (napping rather, don't think the kid ever has slept past 6:45 in his life) so I better get cracking on a few things.... enjoy the weekend!

Tuesday...

I am wearing my new PJ pants (win) but they are apparently a magnet for dog hair. (lose)

I made Sawyer breakfast (oatmeal, and an egg white and cheese omelet, win) I dropped my plate and omelet on the floor (lose)

Sawyer and I wrapped presents today (win) You can see pictures on his blog (win)

I had my pie class last night and it was AWESOME! We made mini chicken pot pie and apple pie. YUM! I think I see many mini pies in my future. They are just so cute! And you can make them and freeze them for dinner in a pinch.... (WIN!)

Overall, the day is going great. Let's hope that trend continues. I was a little worried when I dropped my omelet... I kept thinking, "Tuesday, you are starting to look a lot like Monday. And no one likes Monday."

Alright, off to cut out some project bags for a friend and then errands with Sawyer.

Once A Year

I never go to the mall. When I was a teenager, I probably spent every weekend there (and on the phone, both of which I hate now) but now, ugh. The thought of going gives me a headache. But, for some wild reason, I decided to go with a friend today. It was crazy. I came home with a headache.

But, I was able to spend a JCPenny gift certificate I've been carrying around for more than a year. I got myself some new pj pants, which made Weston extremely happy, since the ones I have now I've had since high school.... I know. I really hate shopping for clothes though.

I'm kicking around the idea in my head of having more of a blogging template, with headers for different topics. That way, people who read my blog only to hear about crafting, or cooking, or Sawyer, can quickly find what they want to read and skip the rest of the crap, I mean information.... HA! Plus, I think that will help me stay focused and be able to blog more often because I will know what to talk about. So be on the lookout for that.

I'm a few quick seams away from finishing my mom's Christmas present. It may be my favorite thing I have ever sewed. I'm seriously impressed with myself right now. Let's hope I don't screw it up....

Random things

1. I am annoyed that I have to go to REI to get pieces for the bag I am sewing. Really, JoAnn's?? No slide rings? How I wish there were a small shop that carried everything I needed and was locally owned....

2. I have decided for today that cookie dough is acceptable for lunch (for me)...

3. Sawyer has a NASTY rash that I took him to the doctor for. I was worried it was yeast or something else bad, as it hasn't cleared up in almost 2 weeks. And he spends most of the time naked. Turns out, it's nothing. Just a bad rash. And Sawyer has super sensitive skin....

4. Sawyer loves to poop in his sleep (esp. naps) so that he can get up.  I don't know how to change this behavior.

5. I have been watching Seinfeld again this week. Oh, man, how I love this show.

6. I should be creating a chart for my knitting class I'm teaching tonight. I hate computer work.

7. I am still knitting that little turtle. I'm almost done with the shell. I have a feeling it is going to be so cute it hurts...

8. I'm really going to go make that chart now.

Date Night

My mom was nice enough to come over last night, watch Sawyer, and put him to bed so Weston and I could go to Bear's Tooth.  We saw 50/50, which I had wanted to see since I saw the first preview (I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogan) and it did not disappoint. It was really good. I can't say too much without spoiling it, but I just loved it. It was sad, but great. Plus, since it was at Bear's Tooth, we were able to see the movie, eat dinner, and have drinks for less than $30. Deal!

In other news, I am getting our Christmas cards out. It is a lot of work for me to address everything and get it all put together, but I am almost done and I will be happy to put them all in the mailbox!

I am working on sewing for a present (so no pics/details) and I'm knitting my samples for classes next quarter. I'm knitting a sea turtle toy. It is very cute, but very small, which is my own fault (I wanted to use sock yarn)... I was planning on teaching more classes, but I think Weston is heading back to school, so we don't want to spend half the week apart.

Alright, back to crafting. Sawyer is napping and I need to take advantage of the free time.

My poor neglected blog....

As I was searching for a previous post where I wrote about some knitting bags I made, I realized I have not blogged that much this year. Sad. Last year I posted 112 times, this year I'm only at 89. And with so few days left in the year (How is it already DECEMBER FOURTH!??!?), I'm sad to say, I don't think I can make it to that number. 2009 was a stellar blogging year for me with 169 posts! So why am I so absent this year??

I'm blaming him. As busy as I am, I never feel like I have anything to talk about. Sawyer and I do pretty much the same thing every week and that seems boring and uninteresting to blog about. But, I will try to come up with something. After all, I had one new year's resolution this past year, and I achieved it.... my goal was set pretty low.... to get dressed every day. (Having spent a fair amount of time the previous year in pjs due to being on bed rest, I figured it was a noble goal) So maybe this year will be to talk about the little things and realize I do have interesting stories.... in other news, I'm going to go put on some pants. 

New Yarns

For some reason, I have been spinning up a storm lately. Here are my two new yarns....

336 yards, 10 wpi

86 yards 6 wpi

I now have to focus on some other projects... I have some things I want to sew, and since all the parents are leaving for Christmas, I'm on a tighter deadline than normal. So, off to start cutting....

Zzzzzz......

So, I think I mentioned that we were doing sleep training with Sawyer again. We had a couple of rough nights, and about a week of rough days with figuring out naps, but WOW, what a difference I have seen in my son! After reading about a billion books on sleep (ok, not a billion, but I would say that I probably did read between 15-20) I found one that worked and I loved. The Sleepeasy Solution is what we used, and it worked for us. I think we timed it just right for Sawyer, and he is now a sleeping CHAMPION. He goes to bed between 7-7:30 at night and stays in his crib until 6:15-6:30 in the morning. He does not nurse to sleep for naps or night time, which is a HUGE step for him. He has been taking two naps (morning nap has been 2.5 hrs! afternoon nap 1.5) and he is a whole new baby. Happy ALL the time. He has been walking everywhere. I think talking is just around the corner. He has been eating so much better. And, I really think it all is due to the fact that he is getting enough sleep. Now that we are all getting enough sleep, being a mom is fun again. I look forward to Sawyer getting up and playing with me. It's amazing.

So, what made this book so different? A few things. First off, it had worksheets to fill out. I was diligent and did every one (there were only about 4, but still, I didn't skip a step).  It also told you step-by-step how to get your child to sleep. Other books make suggestions or give you ideas to try, I feel like this had actual directions. It told you what to look for if you are having trouble (is your child teething? separation anxiety? etc.) and broke down each problem by age group. It was great to see what problems Sawyer will be facing later and how I can help him cope.  It also told me what to look for with teething. Every sleep book I read said not to start training if your child is sick or teething. Well, great. But, how do I know if his fussiness is due to teething or just lack of sleep? This book helped me figure out the difference. Also, this book had a chapter to read for when the sleep training was tough (ie. your child is crying). While I didn't read that when I was up at night, I did read it multiple times before I started the training with Sawyer and really appreciated it.

Honestly, I am probably going to take all my other sleep books to the used book store and only leave this one on the shelf. It goes through age 5, so I feel like it will continue to be useful should any problems arise.

I am just so proud of my little boy.... and myself, for sticking with things even when they were tough. While I do miss my morning baby cuddles, I am now teaching Sawyer to give kisses and hugs, so that is fun and cute. Better sleep for everyone is worth it!

Black Friday

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We went to dinner at both my parents and Weston's parents houses, so it was a busy day.... Sawyer was very well behaved and ate a lot of food! It was fun.

Today we decided to do a bit of shopping... We went to Fred Meyer and I bought myself some wool socks, and we got Sawyer a duplo set and Santa pjs. (I really wanted to get him a Santa suit, but apparently if you are over 9 months old, they don't make cute holiday clothes for you...)

We also went to Lowe's and got Weston a few tools, which are on crazy sale today. He is hoping to build me a sewing table and Sawyer a nice bookshelf for his toys. He is pretty handy, so I'm excited to see what he comes up with!

So, we got some good deals on things we needed.... that is always a good thing. Now off to get lunch and enjoy the rest of our snowy Friday!

Destash!!

What?!? Two posts in one day. Unheard of. Anyway, as I mentioned before (maybe... ) we are doing a deep clean of our house. There is a huge pile of things by the door that will be making its way to goodwill soon, and I have been going through my craft corner. There are a few quilts that I have started that I will not finish, and I'm looking to pass them on to someone who might want them. Even if you don't want to make the quilt I started, they include quite a bit of fabric... let me know if you are interested! I will probably also have some yarn soon as well....

All fabrics come from quality quilt stores (no chains). If you see something you like, but don't like the price, make me an offer. I would really just like to see these go to homes where they can get used. You can leave a message here, or email me through the blog (click on view my profile, then contact me). Thanks!

Stitch and Split Applique quilt. (Applique is not my thing....) This includes the book (24.95 cover price) and fabric to make the top that is the heart quilt. There are 5+ finished blocks, and many hearts cut out for other blocks. $40 including shipping.

Seeing Stars: Includes the book (24.95 cover price), and the fabric to make (most of) the cover quilt. I was making this quilt in all batiks. There is quite a bit of fabric here. I have the center of the quilt done, which would make a nice table topper if you didn't want to finish the whole quilt. $40 including shipping. 

Twinkle quilt: Includes the pattern (10.99 cover price), three finished blocks, all of the center squares and star points cut out, and many half finished blocks. My plan was to use my scraps to finish this quilt, then I got rid of all of my scraps! $10 including shipping. 

Cloth

As you know if you read my blog often, Sawyer wears cloth diapers. He has a stash mostly made up of Rumparooz and a few Bum Genius diapers. I love them.  I know the people will look at the cost of one diaper ($23.50) and gasp. How could I spend so much on diapers. Well, I don't. First off, cloth diapers are an investment. Sure, I had to drop around $400 to get all of my diapers, but since then I have spent $0 on diapers. And, if I care for my diapers properly, they will easily last through multiple children. They also have re-sale value. (I bought some of Sawyer's diapers used to save $)

When we were at Costco, I was doing some math and realized that depending on how many diapers you went through, you would spend about $400 on diapers in one year! And, I don't know many 1-year-olds that are potty trained. Which means, I am saving money.

People will also claim that I'm not really saving money because I have to do more laundry, making my water and electric bill go up. Well, in Anchorage, I pay the same for my water no matter how much I use, and I have a HE machine, so it costs very little to run.  We have not seen any change in our bills due to washing diapers. Even if I did pay more for that, I wouldn't care. For me, it is still a better choice. Sawyer looks so cute in his CD bum. And, he has some extra padding when he falls! Plus, like I mentioned before, they are an investment.

I was reminded of another reason I love my CDs yesterday. We went to a friend's house who has a son that is three weeks older than Sawyer. When we walked into the baby's room we were hit by a distinct smell..... dirty diapers. It was a little gross. Sawyer's room doesn't smell. And, on the rare occasion that it does, it doesn't smell like that.... just like baby pee.

Anyway, just a quick post to remind people that I love CDing, it is easy, and people should look into it. Happy Tuesday!

Ups and Downs

Sawyer has been doing ok at night. Naps are a whole other story... typical of him. But, I don't really want to talk about sleep.... I feel like all I do is talk about sleep. I once joked with Weston that we would have nothing to talk about if Sawyer started sleeping.

Here are some more positive things going on:

*It is 0F outside. Much better than the -8 it has been lately. I would prefer it to be 15 and snowing, but I will take what I can get.

*My wintertime shower curtain has finally gotten hung up. Halloween decorations are packed away

*We cleaned out the kitchen last night. We got rid of things we don't use or eat, so now we have a workable kitchen not filled with junk.

*We bought Sawyer a long underwear suit at REI yesterday to wear to bed. It is adorable on him, and now I feel like he is warm enough at night.

Alright, Sawyer is up from his nap. Off to go play with my little baby.

New header

Every now and again I get a wild hair and decide to change the header. Tonight Weston mentioned the font in my blog description was hard to read.... so, new picture, new font color, and TA DA! All pretty. The knitting is a shawl I knit (my first lace) that was intended to be used as a nursing cover. Once having my child, I threw decency out the window, and never covered him or myself up.... so this pretty lace shawl has been unused. Sad. I should dig it out and wear it like a scarf. 

Tonight is night one of sleep training for little Sawyer. He has reverted back to his old ways, and is sleeping with me again. Which is as much my fault as his. So, this will be a tough week for me. I always struggle with having him sleep alone. I love sleeping with him (minus the hair pulling and occasional face poking) but I don't think either of us gets the sleep we need when we are together. Hopefully things go better than I expect them to and we are a well rested family by Wednesday! 

I went to a friend's baby shower today! It was so fun. I had some nice conversations with other moms (turns out Sawyer isn't the only non-sleeping baby in AK) and enjoyed some yummy finger foods. It was a really nice afternoon. I'm lucky to have such sweet and caring friends.....

Alright, off to go eat something and maybe head to bed. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Organize my life

Maybe I should hire someone to do it for me.... If anyone watches Parks and Rec, my house isn't as bad as Leslie Knopes, but my craft "area" is... I do need professional help.

Weston and I have decided to do a full overhaul of the entire house. We have too much stuff, we don't know where it all is, and it drives us both nuts. (Him more than me, but when I lose stuff, I lose my mind very quickly and hate that I let the house get so crazy) We started last Sunday with the TV cabinet and Sawyer's toy box. Took about 30 mins, but that corner looks way better! I went through Sawyer's toys and put them into three categories: things he plays with every day, things he has never played with, and things he kind of plays with. The ones he plays with every day stayed in the living room toy box. The toys he has never played with made it into a donation bag (which made them very appealing to him) and the ones he kind of plays with got put away into his room.  Some of those toys he just isn't quite ready to play with yet. I also rotated his books so he had some new ones to read out in the living room. My goal is to rotate all the books and toys twice a month so that he has new things to explore. And, he has enough toys that I think I can do this without buying anything. (Especially with Christmas coming, which means even more toys)

The cleaning was derailed by me being sick, but hopefully this weekend we will get back to it. (And, yes, I am feeling much better. Tuesday Weston took a half day off and my mom came and helped in the afternoon, so I was able to sleep/rest all day. That did the trick) I'm thinking of putting everything in my craft space that doesn't have a home into a pile and if I can't find a good place for it, it has to go. I'm just so overwhelmed at the amount of things and projects and lack of space. I never feel like doing anything because I walk in there and just feel exhausted. So, I would like my area to be a place where I can get things done.

And, yes, most people clean in the spring.... but, I find I am constantly cleaning. I have bad habits that I have yet to break.... plus, when it is -3 outside, I want to bundle up, stay inside, and be productive. So there it is. My goal. A clean house. Go.

Craft Fair and Recovery

I had a booth at a craft fair on Saturday, with a friend, and it was a lot of fun! I didn't sell a ton of stuff, but I made a little bit of $$ (enough to buy Sawyer a cool wooden truck at the next craft fair and maybe take another cooking class). More importantly, I had fun.

Last night I came down with some sort of stomach bug, so I am desperately trying to recover quickly from that. Being a mom of a very active child, I do not have the time to be sick. Sawyer has been surprisingly accommodating though, even took a 2.5 hour nap today! Which means tomorrow will probably be a no nap day.... meaning I really need to get better!

Alright, off to rest and play catch on the couch.

Reflections and being thankful

A lot of bloggers are blogging every day of the month.... clearly, I won't be doing that. I am just too busy right now to take the time to write every day. Something I can do is tell you what I am thankful for. Some bloggers are doing that every day, so I will write down ten things I am thankful for.

1. My family. I am very thankful that both my family and Weston's family lives so close and helps us out so much. I think I would have had a much tougher year without their love and support.

2. My husband. He is amazing. He puts up with my craziness, supports me, and surprises me. I couldn't ask for a better partner.

3. My son. As crazy as he makes me, he is amazing. Right now he is pulling every book out of his toy box, flipping through it, and then tossing it to the side. Too funny, that kid....

4. My dogs. I am very thankful to have two crazy dogs. They also drive me nuts, but it is nice to have someone always excited to see me come home (Sawyer normally bursts into tears when I come home....)

5. Being able to stay home. I am very thankful that I am able to be a stay-at-home mom. Even on days where I want to pull my hair out, I know that it is a choice I will never regret.

6. The snow!!! It is shaping up to be a wonderful winter. I am watching the snow fall right now and I am so excited!

7. The rec center. I am very thankful for all of the activities the rec center puts on. If it were not for Toddle Time twice a week, I may be a bit crazy! It is nice for Sawyer to get to play with other kiddos and I get to talk to other moms....

8. Knitting. I am thankful that I have the time and means to knit. It helps calm me down and allows me to make things for people that I love.

9. My house. I love my house. We are very lucky to be able to own our own home and love it.

10. Moose. I love seeing moose in the neighborhood. Sadly, they didn't eat our pumpkins this year....

Alrighty. Sawyer is now sitting in my lap banging my oatmeal bowl on the table.... So I guess that means it is time to play. I hope everyone is enjoying the snow and staying safe!

Cooking

I have been cooking a lot lately. I took a cooking class last month about how to cook chinese food and learn to make sweet and sour chicken and beef broccoli... both were quick and easy! I couldn't believe it. That kind of spurred me to look into cooking more things from scratch and I have been loving it. I have enjoyed cooking for a while, but I get stuck in ruts and tend to cook the same few meals. I am taking another cooking class tomorrow about casseroles, and I can't wait to see what I learn. I am really interested in meals that I can make in large portions and freeze part of them for later. That way, on nights that I have to teach, I can still "cook" and have dinner with Weston and Sawyer, without the stress of actually having to cook and eat and get things together. (While I do enjoy cooking, sometimes cooking with a toddler in the kitchen is a bit stressful. He has realized it is fun to hang on and almost open the stove and open even the high drawers in the kitchen now, so he is dangerous!)

A few websites I really enjoy for recipes and such are allrecipes.com and foodgawker.com.

For Sawyer's birthday, I made quite a few things from scratch.  I made marinara sauce for the dog bone breadsticks, onion dip, taco dip, and cookies. (I linked to the recipes I got online, the others were my own) All were a hit, and were gobbled up. In total, I spent probably 2 hours cooking, and most of that time was on the cookies! The dips and sauces took probably 30 mins total. Delicious, quick, and easy. My favorite things with cooking!

Another favorite meal recently is spinach lasagna roll-ups. These are a favorite of everyone in the house, especially Sawyer.  I never have frozen spinach (it never really occurred to me that they made frozen spinach until I started reading more recipes....) so I just cook down a bunch in the skillet before I start. It might not be the "right" amount, but it works! I love spinach... I can get it at Costco (and it is organic), it is inexpensive, and very good for you. Again, three things I love when cooking!

I will try to blog about more things that I make as it happens.... I love hearing what others are having for dinner!

Winter is coming...

The snow is sneaking down the mountains. The yard is frozen when we get up (and for a good portion of the day). I am actually wearing a coat to go outside. I had to scrape my windows yesterday (and my new 4-runner has far more windows than my old little truck!).Winter is on its way. I'm quickly realizing that I don't have appropriate clothing for Sawyer yet... he has a snow suit (which he has almost already grown out of....) and a lot of light weight coats, but no heavy winter jacket to wear when we run errands or go for short trips where wearing his snow suit would be silly. So, hopefully I will be able to find something at Kid 2 Kid this weekend that will fill that gap in his wardrobe.  He also needs mittens.... have to keep those baby hands warm!

I'm also in the process of knitting a hat for a friend. He asked me to knit him a simple alpaca hat, so I did the math the other night and I'm ready to cast on.  It should be a quick knit...

I started the first of three bears for Sawyer, but I'm not happy with it. I think I might try and go down one more needle size and see if that looks better. I also messed up the pattern (thanks to trying to knit in the car with an upset baby) so I have to start over anyway. Blah. Not sure if I'm going to get all three done by Christmas, but that is the goal.... (in case I didn't mention it, I'm knitting the three AK bears, a big white one, medium brown one, and small black one)

Other than that, I've just been sewing and getting things ready for a craft fair I'm vending at next month. I will post some pictures of what I plan to sell as the day gets closer. I am hoping to come up with some fun things... I have lots of ideas brewing! Of course, it is on the 12th of November, so it is coming up quick! I have quite a few things already ready, that just need tags, but I still want to get a lot done. Now, with Sawyer's party out of the way, I'm focusing all of my energy on that.

No big plans for the weekend. Weston is heading up to the cabin tonight, so it will just be Sawyer and I. We are planning on going to the Fall Carnival at the rec center on Saturday... hopefully Weston will be home in time to go with us. If not, I'm sure we will run into friends from Toddle Time, which will be fun! Between that and preparing for the craft fair, we will stay busy!

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and stays warm!

Party Pictures

Sawyer's birthday party was on Saturday and it was a blast. I think everyone (including Sawyer) had a great time. I was really happy that all the time I had spent on the party paid off... everything (minus the cake pops) turned out exactly as I had envisioned it. (The cake pops were still delicious, despite them not being decorated like dogs. The multiple ways I attempted to decorate them just did not pan out...)

Here are a few pictures of the decorations. More pictures on are my Flickr photo stream, and on Sawyer's blog. I made the flags out of fabric and bias tape (they will be saved for future parties!), the happy birthday sign out of paper and ribbon, and I hung 8x10 pictures of Sawyer growing up down the hallway. I also had cut out and assembled paw prints to hang around the house to incorporate the dog theme.

Birthday

My little boy is one. A whole year. 365 days since I brought him home. Which is crazy. I feel like just yesterday I was still pregnant and terrified of giving birth. And then I was eating Moose's Tooth and told it was time to go have a baby. And now he is a year old. He is napping right now, and I am frantically making cake pops, paw prints cutouts, onion dip, etc... for his party of Saturday. And, yes, I know he won't understand it's his birthday and that the party is really for me... but I'm excited. We've lasted a year. If I can make it through the first one, the rest are going to be a piece of cake... right?!?

First picture at home. I knitted his outfit and made that quilt. :)

Being crazy yesterday. I made that baby... 

Postcardly!

I love mail. I love mailing things. Sometimes Weston jokes that I could single-handedly keep the USPS in business. (I actually have 12 envelopes that I have to take to the PO today to mail... they are not regular letters, so I have to make a trip) I love having a blog for Sawyer, but I also know that people enjoy having pictures for their fridge. I have been pretty good about sending pictures for holidays, but I wanted a way to do send them on a more regular basis.

Then I found out about Postcardly. This is a service where you can send an email to someone (using the email address they have set up for you...) with an attached picture and they turn it into a postcard and mail it! It is pretty cool. It is great for people who don't use the computer, and it is a quick and easy way for me to get something in the mail! I don't have to leave the house. :)

Anyway, I wanted to let other people know about it, as I think it is pretty sweet and have used it quite a bit.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! It is rainy and BLAH here. Hopefully it gets sunny or snows soon....

Massage....

Yesterday Weston came home at 12:30 so that I could take a half-day off from my job as a mom. Which was much needed. Wednesday night was rough... Sawyer basically spent the entire night climbing on me and crying because he doesn't feel well (his nose is stuffy) and he is still teething (I think, he won't let me look in his mouth) PLUS he is getting ready to walk. The perfect storm.

The first thing I did was run to JoAnn's and sign up for a cake decorating class.  I've been wanting to do that for a while, and the dates (in December) worked out with my schedule, so I went for it. I also picked up a few things to finish up stuff for Sawyer's party.... then it was off to my massage. I had never had a massage before. Weston had given me a gift certificate for one for Christmas, and I just got around to using it! It was SO worth it! I loved it. I wish I could do that every month. (But, at $80+tip, it is a bit out of my price range!) So relaxing and a nice break....

After that I took myself to lunch and just enjoyed some time alone. It was nice to eat a meal and not have to pick anything up off the floor or have to listen to banging utensils, etc.... There was a baby there that was a bit younger than Sawyer, and seeing her made me miss him... so I headed home.

So I enjoyed my mom break. I am going to try and take more time for myself, even if it doesn't include a massage... I find that I am much happier to spend time with Sawyer if I get a break.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Kids Sewing Challenge

I'm thinking about participating in the Kids Clothes Sewing Challenge next week... the challenge is to spend one hour a day for 7 days sewing/crafting for kids. I have plenty to work on, so I think if I can get my act together and make a list of things I would like to finish, I could get quite a bit done. For more details on the KCSC go here...

Not much else to report. I finished Sawyer's dog toy for his birthday. It is stashed away until the 20th when I'm sure he will open it, throw it on the floor, and move on with his day. :) I enjoyed knitting it, and I used my handspun, and I am really happy with the results.

The pattern is a cheezombie pattern, and all of the patterns are SO cute! I have far too many of them... the whale, clam, turtle, mushroom, veggies, etc. etc. If you are in her Rav group (rav link) she often has 50% off sales, so that is awesome! The patterns are easy to read, quick to complete, and fun! There was NO sewing on this dog. Everything is picked up and worked directly onto the dog's body. Great construction.  She is also starting to create crochet patterns of her animals so everyone can join in on the fun.

Alright, off to try and clean up my sewing corner and think about what to sew next week!

Snow and silliness....

TERMINATION DUST!!! (The term we use to describe the first snowfall on the mountains) IT'S HERE!!!! And, it doesn't look like it will be going anywhere. It is about half way down the mountains. And gorgeous.

And, silly me. Thinking I was going to knit those mittens. After reading the pattern, I realized I only had a little more than half of the required yarn. Ugh. It would help to read things. So, the yarn might become some fingerless mitts... haven't decided quite yet. I'm a bit bummed, as I was so excited.

Weston is going out goat hunting again this weekend... I hope he gets a goat and makes it home safely! Sawyer has two birthday parties to attend, and I'm hoping to squeeze in a craft fair as well. So, busy weekend here! And, if there is time, I really want to plant some tulip bulbs in the front garden. I have been cleaning it up the past couple of afternoons, so if I can make it to the nursery on Sunday, I should be able to get them planted and ready to go!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Selfish Knitting

I don't typically knit (or craft much, of that matter) for myself. But, right now, I am feeling the need to some nice, handspun, handknit mittens. And, yes, I have one almost finished, beautiful colorwork mitten... but those aren't what I want right now. I'm going to knit the spun sugar mittens (Rav link) out of some handspun that was gifted to me in a swap when I was pregnant. I knew when I received the skein in the mail that I would make these mittens. So, now, a year later.... I'm going to cast them on. I feel like I have earned it after all the crafting I have been doing for Sawyer and his birthday (his sweater, his dog toy, handmade invitations, handmade photo cards, etc...).

As soon as he wakes up, I'll print out the pattern and then wait until next nap to cast on.... mittens... you will be mine.....

Other people's children

Sawyer woke up from morning nap just in time for us to rush to music time at the zoo.  We were about 10 mins late, but it was still a lot of fun. Sawyer loves music and he thought it was fun to play with the musical instruments and clap with the music. Everyone was having a good time until....

Sawyer wanted to play with the drums.

Another little boy (probably around 4) was playing with the drums. Including drum sticks. I just stood back and watched, as kids that old are normally really good with Sawyer. They might not want to share, but they are nice. This little boy decided that Sawyer shouldn't touch the drums and hit his hands with the drumsticks until Sawyer moved them. Which was a little bit, because Sawyer can't always stand on his own. So he until he fell down crying. I rushed over to him and picked him up and calmed him down. But, being the determined child he is, he still wanted to play with the drum. This time, I watched the other boy. When he started to go at Sawyer with the sticks, I grabbed them and told him gently that you can't hit Sawyer with the sticks, that isn't very nice. I had to constantly redirect this child from hitting Sawyer, and other children, with the drumsticks. I was hoping the parent of this child would come over and intervene, but that never happened. It was very frustrating and disappointing.

I am fairly forgiving of kids at playgroups. I know that kids (especially around Sawyer's age) don't always know about personal space, or sharing, or not poking other kids, etc. BUT, I do try to stop Sawyer from hitting and poking as much as possible. I don't normally tell other kids what to do, but this was a safety issue. He really hurt Sawyer and he could have easily really hurt another child. All I can do at playgroups is help Sawyer learn how to deal with different situations, and show him how to act properly.

In other, happier, news.... I am knitting Sawyer a dog toy for his birthday. It is almost done. Just needs some eyes. He also received his very first birthday present in the mail today.... pictures on his blog soon.... I have also cut out all of the flags for his birthday decorations. Now to sew them onto the bias tape (which I think I will need more of) and see if I want to make more of them. I also have to get pictures of Sawyer printed for another banner I have planned. His birthday is going to be crazy.

A small weather update. It has been an amazing fall here. GORGEOUS. The leaves are all yellow.... the temperature has been cooler.... but it has been bright and sunny. I've been loving it. This morning, it was winter. It was 28*F when we took the pups out this morning. Sawyer was bundled up in his snow suit, a knit hat, and his snuggle thing in his stroller... he stayed nice and warm! (And is now well seen, thanks to my dad and his ever-growing collection of lights) I love the winter. I'm excited for snow. But that is all I'm going to say, because I know that by even writing that, many people are cursing my name. (But, seriously, if you don't like winter... you probably live in the wrong place)

Alright, off to finish a few things before he wakes up from his nap.

Dinosaur Sweater!

Sawyer's sweater is finished. Pictures soon. I promise. But, I just wanted to post that it was done, because I was SO excited to finish it. It is pretty awesome....

Pictures sooner than I expected! I'll try to get one of the sweater off of him, so you can really see it... but these are cuter!

It's Fall

It is fall here in Alaska. The weather is cooler, the leaves are changing, there is less sunlight.... ahhh... Fall. I love this season. Here are some pictures I snapped the other day on our way to the museum. We went to see the Mammoths and Mastodons exhibit. It was very fun. We went to the Imaganarium first, so Sawyer could play (pictures of that on his blog) and then we all went and explored the special traveling exhibit. It was very well done, and I learned quite a bit. A great fall afternoon.

Productivity!

I've been getting quite a bit done lately. Sawyer's sweater only needs 1/2 a sleeve! I have finished a pair of mittens out of an old sweater (pictures soon). I have also finished quite a few sewing projects that are gifts... here is a picture round up of all those!

Moose in the Garden!

Just last week I commented to Weston that I was surprised that the moose hadn't eaten my garden yet... it seems to happen every fall. Then last night, it happened.....

I don't mind it. I like seeing moose in the neighborhood... and it means less clean-up for me in the coming weeks! And my brussel sprouts weren't growing anyway, so I'm excited that someone got to enjoy them. 

I also finished spinning this yarn... I love it! It is almost 300 yards of light worsted weight yarn. 

Sawyer's sweater only needs one more sleeve.  I tried it on him last night and it was SO cute! I hope he enjoys wearing it.... luckily he can't take his clothes off (yet) so he won't have much of a choice. I have also sewed him some dog pants to wear to his party. Pictures of those soon!

Hunting, teeth, and my sanity

Weston leaves to go goat hunting tomorrow morning.  If he doesn't get a goat, he won't be back home until Sunday night. Which is a long time.... 4 long nights by myself. Best case scenario, he gets a goat right away and comes home. :) I really hope he gets a goat on this trip, because if he doesn't, he will be heading out every weekend until his tag is expired to try.  I would also like some meat for the winter.... and a sweet new rug.... I'm really hoping to have good nights while he is gone, but it is going to be tough....

Sawyer is teething. He has two bottom teeth (they have poked through, but still aren't all the way in) and those apparently were easy.  He had one bad night with each of them, and no other issues. I don't know which tooth is coming in now (he won't let me mess with his mouth) but last night was bad night #3. And naps have been getting worse. I know his mouth is bothering him because he doesn't even open his eyes or lift his head to fuss, he just lays there and chews on his hand and cries miserably. It is sad. I feel for him. I've been trying different things to help him, but nothing has seemed to do much yet. Hopefully he gets better soon.  This morning, he did nothing but cry for the first 1.5 hours he was awake. Which brings me to my past point.... my sanity.....

Sometimes I think being a mom drives you insane. I don't understand how I can love Sawyer so much but also be so annoyed by him. Granted, today he doesn't feel well, so I'm not bothered too much by his fussiness. But on days that he is grumpy for no apparent reason, I get grumpy. I think all the crazy hormones and emotions that you go through being a parent also trigger something in your brain that makes you crazy. I wonder if science has looked into this.... so when you think about how crazy your parents are, just remember, you probably made them that way.....

State Fair!

I love the fair. LOVE. Weston says that I have a strange affinity for the state fair... which is true. I look forward to it every year... as soon as the snow starts melting, I get excited for the end of summer and the FAIR!!

When I found out I was pregnant, I was excited to take my baby to the fair. And this year, I was able to do that! We went as a family on Friday, because it was kids day. I really wanted Sawyer to be in the diaper derby.... He decided to wait until the race was over to crawl, but it was still fun!

Sawyer loved walking around (he was in the backpack the whole time, strollers at busy events are not my cup of tea) and looking at everything. Especially the animals.

For a video of Sawyer in the diaper derby, and his take on the State Fair, check out his blog.

Quick run down.... Sawyer's sweater just needs sleeves, and I picked up the needles to finish it on Saturday. Of course, I've been spinning like crazy (who knows why... just what I feel like doing) so that has been hanging out on the counter teasing me. I haven't sewn anything lately. Although I have a lot to sew... I need to cut out patterns and fabric.... which is my least favorite thing to do. Maybe during morning nap time tomorrow.

Sawyer has decided to give up afternoon nap.  I can't remember the last time he took one... I know he hasn't done taken one in his crib since Thursday. We will see if tomorrow goes better. I don't mind him not sleeping if he is in a good mood, but when he gets cranky, I get SUPER cranky. 

Alright, off to spin more and then head to bed. Have a great week!

Baby, you're a star!

Sawyer had a photo shoot today.... and not with me. My MIL has a friend who has a friend (confused yet?) who is part of a production company.  Anyway, they needed shots of a baby boy for a baby book of expressions. So, Sawyer was supposed to be super happy, asleep, and upset.  He had one expression for the entire photo shoot.... "uninterested".... so, I don't think that he will be in the book.

OH WELL!

You are still a star to me, Sawyer.

In other news, my books from Amazon came today!!! I'm SO excited to try and make some cake pops... I kind of want to make ALL of them.  There are sheep, Easter eggs, bunnies, cows, ghosts, turkeys, owls, snowmen.... and the list goes on!  I just love them. I might run to the store tomorrow to try and get the supplies to try some out. If they are yummy, expect to find plenty of them in my house.... 

I am still knitting. I just have the ribbing on the birthday sweater, then it is on to the sleeves.  I have also finished one washcloth for a swap I am in... I'm going to try and knit a hat for the swap too... just have to find the pattern I want to use... it's for a little girl (the swap is in my mommy group on Rav, all babies were due in Oct 2010)! I'm so excited to knit/sew for a little girl! So fun. :)

And spinning.... I finished one skein of yarn the other night. It is drying and then I will take some glamour shots of it. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. 

And crafting.... I have started working on Sawyer's birthday invites. I am planning on sending something special to the family members, which I have made a mock up of and plan on assembling soon. I also hope to make a mock up of the invites for everyone else soon so that I can get started on those.  Hopefully by doing a little bit every day I will have them done in no time!

Alright, Sawyer is napping, I guess I should be productive....

Dog Birthday

So I have been planning Sawyer's birthday.... yes, it is still 2 months away, but that isn't that long and I have a lot to do!! I have been looking up ideas online and found these cake pops that I am very excited about! I have also thought about getting a big box and decorating it to look like a dog house. Sawyer can play in it, and it will also become a place where we can put all the gifts. I'm also planning on serving food in dog dishes, making dog bone shaped cookies, and a giant dog paw cake.

All this dog planning has made me rethink his birthday sweater. I feel like it should be a dog sweater! Who knows. Obviously, I am going to finish this one, as I am almost done with the body and just have the sleeves left.... but.... maybe.... I might knit a dog one too. Crazy. I am for SURE going to knit him a dog toy. I have a pattern that should be quick and easy.

In other news, Sawyer and I went to story time at the zoo yesterday! We bought our zoo pass, which means we can go whenever we want (awesome) and his grandparents can take him for free as well (double awesome).  My friend and her two boys came, everyone was well behaved, and we had a great time! The stories were about wolves and then we got to go see the wolves and listen to the zookeeper tell us all about them. Sawyer really enjoyed it.  Mondays at the zoo are music and Wednesdays are story time, so I have a feeling we are going to be spending a lot of time there!

Alrighty, off to enjoy some quiet time while Sawyer is napping....

Books!

I have a lot of books coming my way.... I got a little carried away on Amazon this week.

The Mason Dixon knitting books (bought used), The Wonder Weeks (a parenting book), The Baby Led Weaning book and cookbook and Cake Pops (WHAT?!? How cute are these?? I might be making about a million of them).

On top of this, I also bought two books at Title Wave today (I checked both the library and Title Wave for these books before ordering... I have about 5 books on hold at the library too.... I have a lot of reading to do!) one on baby sign (I might be giving in...) and another on babies brains. I also got Sawyer a Baby Einstein DVD to try out. He was kind of into it. He liked when the other babies were on the screen.  He even waved to one! That was exciting.

Hopefully they will all be on my doorstep soon and I can get through them quickly. And, hopefully there will be a lot of cake pops coming out of my kitchen! :)

Dinosaur sweater!

I am knitting a sweater for Sawyer for his birthday. I am further along now that I was in this picture, but I am loving it. I wasn't too sure about my color choices, but now that it is knit up, I think it is great. And, yes, I know Sawyer loves dogs, but I like dinosaurs and I still have some say in what he wears. I need to take advantage of that for as long as possible.

The sweater is from Tot Toppers, which is a favorite line of mine. Kate has a great aesthetic, and designs a lot with little boys in mind, as she has two adorable boys. 

And, if you notice my pictures looking better, it is because my amazing husband bought me a surprise present! A brand new, crazy nice camera! I am now the owner of a Canon Rebel Ti. I have been taking a TON of pictures (as in 450ish since Thursday) and playing with it. I still have everything set on auto, but plan on actually learning to use it with all the manual settings. I started reading the manual today, so hopefully I will be on my way to amazing pictures. Be sure to check out Sawyer's blog for great pictures of him! Obviously, most of my pictures of him.....

One other thing I am doing to learn new things is taking cooking classes! Josh mentioned wanting to do this, and it has been something I've been interested in doing for a while, so I am taking one with him.  It is all about how to cook chinese food! I'm really excited, as I like chinese food, but have no idea how to cook it.... I love learning new things!

Out of the Closet!

Pictures!!!

This is the whole closet. All of those pizza boxes are quilting projects in various steps of completion. 

Books! And all of my handspun yarn (not all spun by me)

The second shelf of yarn is yarn that I have projects picked out for and the third shelf is yarn that I don't know what I'm going to do with, but loved too much to destash. 

All of my fiber.... it is a bit out of control....

The bags hanging are knitting WIPs. I feel great about how organized this is, and how I can see everything I have. I have my fiber stash cataloged on Ravelry, so I can look at it without having to dig through everything. I need to do that with my yarn, but I can see all of it, so I don't feel rushed to do that. I need to get a small desk to sew on, the big table I am using is just too big for the space. Other than that, I'm pretty much done! Exciting!

Also, Sawyer is getting a tooth. Any day now. I felt it in his mouth and his gums look unhappy. BUT, he is in a good mood!! :)

Guess who's swatching?

That's right, I finished all of my class samples, and I am swatching for Sawyer's birthday sweater!!! I need to measure and see if I can start, or if I have to knit another swatch (fingers crossed for starting!). I am EXCITED!

In other Sawyer news, we are on day three of getting him to nap in his crib. Day one (Friday) did not go well. He slept 30 mins each time, and it was terrible. Day two went better.... slept 40 mins in the morning and afternoon nap was 30 mins followed by 15 mins of being awake and another 30 mins of sleep! Progress. This morning, he slept for an hour! I am so proud of him! It has been hard, but I'm hoping he will continue to get better each nap, and soon it won't be an issue at all! It has been super nice to have some free time during the day to clean, knit, and be on the computer! I do miss the baby cuddles (and the napping!), but he normally likes to just sit with me for about 10-15 mins after waking up, so that is nice.

Other than that, not too much going on here. It has been raining a lot, which is fine. We go walking in the rain, but not to the park so much.... I'm thinking of taking Sawyer to the indoor playground we have in town to see if he likes that.

Alright, off to go make the best use of my baby-free time!