Liam started the day as Captain Find. He finds things. Also, he moves things, as in he'll fill up a box and move stuff to another part of the house. And then when you can't find the things he moved, he'll find them again. Sometimes that part takes a while, but he explains, "It's my first day on the job." Ahhh.
A little later, while I was upstairs getting dressed, he called up to see if he could have some cat treats. "Sure." And then, after thinking about it, "Why?"
"I'm making a cat trap!"
Liam and I spent last night with a stack of flash cards. He's learning sight words, which are the tricky words that don't allow themselves to be sounded out properly. Like have (short a, unlike bake) or they (ey = long a) or my favorite: do (which he first read as de aw). The English language: sheesh.
He started with a list of twenty words and we made the flash cards; after a couple of weeks of flashing them he was tested and came home with a new list of thirty words. I've been reading online about Dolch Words (pdf); would they be using that, I wonder? We're almost ready for the next test and the next list, but it seems crazy to me that flash cards are the best way to do this. I thought flash cards were for babies competing to get into the best preschools. For one, it's boring for both of us and even though I'm trying to keep up my enthusiasm (which I imagine he can see right through) it's still the homework equivalent of spelling lists. Ahhh! Spelling lists! Couldn't we just, you know, read? I guess not; there is a schedule: the kids should know one hundred words before first grade.
Last night Liam picked up the flash cards and decided to quiz me instead. I sounded each word out carefully and made the same logical attempts at the tricky ones that he does. He thought this was all incredibly funny and giggled through the whole game. But, lo and behold, he remembered many of the tricks and "taught" me how to read most of them. This morning he went right to the pile and I tried again. Clearly the cards are helping him learn the words, but I am a bit comforted that we're now having fun with it.
Next topic: he and I had the following conversation snuggled in bed last night while reading books:
Liam, with one finger way too close to my face: A boog fell out of my nose!
Me: Ew. Go get a Kleenex.
Liam, hopefully: Ummm....maybe I could put it back in my nose?
Me: Uh, no. I think Kleenex is the way to go.
Liam, now giggling: Maybe you could put it in your nose?
And one more: I found the other skein of DIC (craftily hidden away in one of the boxes where I keep my yarn) and am slowly plugging away at the first sleeve of Olivia's sweater. I'm using DPNs and check out the bumpy stitches I'm making:
Can I draw your attention to the smooth stitches in the foreground (done on a big circular) and how they contrast with the unevenness of the sleeves? I'm even careful to rotate the stitches around the needles to prevent ladders; nice zigs, huh? Not that I'm at all tempted to rip it out. I have great faith in a nice wash to even out stitches (if this is misguided, please keep that to yourself). But it would be nice to have the problem in the first place.
Enough randomness for you? Okay, one more: right now Olivia is running around in nothing but underpants and a cape. Whenever she spins and says, "Hocus, hocus!" she turns invisible.
I wonder what the rest of the day will bring.
First up, I really should clarify my comment yesterday that I don't know what to do with ten yards of black linen. I really don't. Or at least I didn't; now I'm seeing sundresses and skirts and bags (and an apron!) and all sorts of things. But this is why I like knitting: the yarn brand and type is front and center on every pattern, so I can be sure that what I'm using will work. Hell, it's only been the last couple of years that I haven't searched out the exact yarn for every single pattern I knit. Sewing patters aren't like that; they call for a kind of fabric and there's so many kinds and it's all quite overwhelming for me. Oh, and knitting has tinking; I don't think wessing is a thing. Remember being a brand new knitter? It's like that. Now that I think about it, I've got ten yards of the stuff; I should just dig in and try it, huh? Stay tuned.
Anyway, Liam's had quite the week around here. He earned a swim ribbon.
Ribbon 2B. Don't you all remember getting ribbon 2B? (Why not just add more numbers, swim school?) He's rightfully very proud of himself. To get that ribbon he had to do big arms across the pool (front crawl without side breathing), tread water for thirty seconds, pick up rings from the bottom, and float on both back and front. He worked hard and loved every minute of it; this is his favorite sport by far (so far) and is so enthusiastic that his first attempt at big arms looked like someone threw a big cat into the pool.
Next up: his first ever field trip on a real BUS. So, so exciting. I volunteered to go along and help out, so it was a first for me too. We went to a pumpkin patch, which turned out to be a garden center. But we did learn a lot about pumpkins. Like the white ones are called ghosts, which are smooth and matte and beautiful. There is also a kind of pumpkin called the fairytale or cinderella pumpkin that I really want to grow along my back fence for no other reason than that they look magical (well, they're good for eating too). Liam had a blast, of course, and was allowed to pick out a small pumpkin to take home. On the way back we had a picnic at a park.
And then he, for the very first time, spent some of his allowance money (more on that later), and got a blue card at school (if he does something over and above at school, a blue card is a ticket to a tootsie roll), and he memorized his first piano piece: a Hallowe'en song. I thought my mother was exaggerating when she used to say she loved to listen to me practice piano; now I get it.
The jist? Liam is learning and growing so quickly and it's amazing to watch, although I'm very thankful he still climbs into bed with me every morning for a snuggle.
Okay; I'm going to try not to think about him growing up now.
Because I got a little gift!
I admired the fabrics that Stacey used in some top-secret sewing projects and she sent me one of her tissue-pack holders - isn't it cute? Thank you Stacey; you totally made my day! Plus I've been craving some sewing projects and this gift makes me want to yank out the sewing machine. Just wait; soon I'll be stashing fabrics.*
In fact, I just got a kit on Etsy to make some little lunch bags. The kit comes with the pattern (of course), and I thought the kit would help me figure out what odd stuff like Insul-Bright is. I haven't done a whole lot of sewing but I can sew a straight line just fine, I have some reference books, and hopefully I have a sewing gene in there somewhere (my mom was a fabulous sewer - wedding dresses, prom dresses, the whole works - and I did get her knitting gene, after all). But just in case I think I'll invite my sewing friend Allison over for dinner when I start.
We've had a hugely busy week that was especially exciting for Liam, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Now I'm off to catch up on my blog reading; my RSS feed has been slacking and, after a very quiet week and weekend, it turns out people have been posting after all.
* Well.....if I'm going to be totally honest, I've kind of already started. But I don't have much; just a handful of fat quarters and then ten yards of black linen that I got on clearance, oh, maybe a decade ago. Tell me, please, what on earth can I do with that?
That's Liam - in a white jersey and a hoodie - in his first real soccer game.
Back in early January Mark asked Liam if he'd like to play soccer and Liam replied with an enthusiastic: "Yes!" but it wasn't until last week when we picked up the official uniform at the local sports superstore, I asked Liam if he'd like to pick out a soccer ball, and he returned with a large basketball, that I realized that no one exactly had a talk with him about what soccer is.
No matter. Soccer is mostly running and kicking and both of those things are fun. We've since had that talk and he's attended one practice, and now he's throwing around terms like "defense" and "shin guards" and "snack" like a pro. And he even got into a little scrimmage.
But even though we were aware that it is March in Colorado, we were completely unprepared for just how cold a lawn chair on a windy field can be. Sure we had coats and hats and mittens and a blanket but, after about twenty minutes, Olivia's runny nose had practically frozen to her face (she was crying) and I had to take her to the car. Of course I was disappointed that I had to miss even a minute of the game; why does soccer have such a silly season?
Fortunately Mark took approximately two hundred pictures of the game and, once we got them into the computer, Liam had his own little instant-replay session, explaining all the finer points of the game to me. And, although he did suggest we find somewhere warmer to play, he can't wait to do it again.
It's been a quiet week, actually. Busy, but not much to report. Here are the highlights:
There was one randomly warm day of the sort that we sometimes get in Colorado and we spent that afternoon at the park. On the way there Liam asked me, "Mommy, don't call me cutie-butt at the park, please." Turns out there's a few things he'd rather I didn't call him.
Not okay: cutie-butt, sweetie-butt, love buns.
Still okay: darlin', honey-bunny, hun-bun, lovey boy, sweetie-love, sweetie pie, huninny buninny (don't ask).
"No butt names, Mommy." I guess I can live with that.
I went to see The Other Boleyn Girl, which was...fine. It didn't exactly follow the book, and it didn't exactly follow history, but the costumes were fun to see.
I got a haircut.
I'm not sure if I look sweet there (which would be a bit odd) or brain-dead (which would be all too common). I guess Mark likes it (uh, the haircut), because he insisted on taking a picture the moment I walked through the door. Also, that isn't just a shadow making a stripe across my head; I was supposed to get my highlights redone, but the salon messed up and didn't allot enough time for it and I have to go back. Quite the commitment, highlights are; I'm not sure I care enough to be touched up every six weeks.
And in knitting news, Kite is coming along.
I'm halfway up one sleeve, so I hope to have this done by Monday. I'm going to like it, I think, except if I were to do it again I'd extend the lacey bits up a couple of inches to make more of an empire waist. Right now it cuts right through the middle of the sweater, which looks unbalanced to me for some reason. Oh, and if you look closely, you'll see the orange marker across the front courtesy of Olivia. I guess we'll find out how washable this is sooner rather than later.
That's all I got. I hope you all have exciting weekends (good exciting, not bad exciting).
Sooooo....there's this girl in Liam's preschool class. Her name is Kendall and, from almost the moment he met her, Liam has loved her. One fateful day in August the two of them walked out after school holding hands, both with shy but happy smiles. Same thing happened the next day, and the next. Well, it wasn't long after that Liam began planning their wedding (could she borrow my dress?) and naming their children (boy = Super). Of course all this was adorable, although I did secretly worry that Kendall would loose interest before he did and break his sweet little heart. But, thank goodness, they have settled into a lovely friendship. A friendship that is partly based on intense scientific discussion.
Get this: Liam and Kendall actually got into a tiff over Pluto's planetary status. Now, is this seriously what the four-year-olds of today discuss when adults aren't around? Kendall was aware that it wasn't a planet, because her mother is more upfront about the fact that all the books are out of date. Liam, with his glossing-over-the-finer-points mother and multiple viewings of a particular Magic School Bus episode, insisted that it was a planet (so sorry honey). And Kendall thought Pluto was made of ice; Liam: rock. Their debate went on for days until we finally looked the damn thing up. It's a dwarf planet made of rock and ice. Everybody happy now? Sheesh.
Another surprising thing: I went out to a knitting group tonight. It's held every Tuesday night at Colorful Yarns, which is so close to our new house it's a bit dangerous, actually. I got to meet some lovely people and see some pretty projects and knit along on that Better Bucket, which I cast on for last night in that super-bright-it-hurts pink-red Malabrigo. It's a great pattern and a quick knit, by the way. If I get any time tomorrow I should finish it and then I'll post a crappy picture (it's one of those shades that refuses to be photographed).
Anyway, I don't think I could pull off going to a knit night every week, but I'll try to work out something regular. It was really fun to say things out loud like Koolhaas and Silky Wool and even Ravelry and have people know what I was talking about (well, Mark does know all about Ravelry).
And finally, meet grumpy Liam. He's not really upset; sometimes I ask him to make a face when I take his picture, he cracks up, and I get a real smile. But I couldn't resist the combo of face and bed head here. Anyway, note the sweater. Its name is Jake and I actually knit it two years ago, but in a monstrous size, for some reason. By some miracle* I pulled it out yesterday and it fits him now. It's very soft and sweatshirty so Liam actually asked to wear it again today. Now ask me if I'm warm and fuzzy about that.
*Knitter Sue started one.
We are so ready for spring around here. Yesterday a big plowish truck (a scraper maybe? all those truck books I've read and yet absorbed nothing) spent over an hour breaking up a glacier that moved in across the street and, while Olivia napped, Liam and I watched all the drama and soaked up some sun. It was great entertainment, although I do wonder why the ice couldn't be trusted to melt all by itself.
In the realm of knitting, Clapotis number two is coming along. It would be farther along if I didn't keep making stupid mistakes that require ripping out multiple rows. Fortunately I haven't reached the part where stitches are dropped because I'm not sure if it's even possible to rip then. So there's not much to show, really, but here's a picture anyway.
The Koigu on 8s (5mm) is drapey and lacy and it turns out the black does have little ripples of gray running through it. Unfortunately this particular bit of knitting also has large ripples of unevenness because Olivia has gotten a hold of if a few times. She's been teaching herself to knit by weaving the needles in and out and around and through whenever I'm distracted. At one point I did give her some crappy yarn and some "icks" but the icks became swords and the yarn a spider web (Liam helped) so I gathered them up and put them away for another time. I'm hoping I can ease the wonkiness out tomorrow or I might need to rip again.
But I must confess I've been feeling drawn to another genre of craftiness lately (in addition to, NOT in place of). Over the last few months these have somehow accumulated:
I honestly haven't sewn a stitch for quite a while, mostly because of a lack of space; it's just no fun to sew on our home's lone dining table with two small sets of fingers prying into my workspace and pushing buttons. And then I have to put it all away before dinner time. However, the new house has a spot for a sewing table, so I do have hope for the future. I know how to sew basic stuff, so I'll start off small, but I have ginormous plans. Slipcovers and curtains and roman blinds. Toys and bags and little kid clothes. And then there's cute appliques on kids' t-shirts. And even, someday, quilts. That Kaffe Fassett book is spectacular (of course); just look at this one made from mens' dress shirts:
I'm guessing it's a lot harder to sew a mitered square than to knit one. Sooooo, I'm not really sure I have it in me to make one, but I sure as hell* would like to own one. I've been checking out sewing blogs as well, and finding all kinds of covetous projects. For example, check out this beautiful doll quilt made by Samantha for a swap. As in to give away. I want me one of those too.
Ahh well...I must say goodbye so long to those lovely books because soon they will be packed away to be moved. Let's hope they get some heavy use once we are resettled.
In the meantime, Olivia has made two unfortunate discoveries: how to get out of her crib and how to use a doorknob. Bedtime is now a ridiculously long process: we put her down; she gathers up baby dolls, pig, soothers, purse, and books and tosses them to the floor (oh yeah, she sleeps with all that stuff); she jumps down with a thud and gathers up all and sundry again; she appears at the top of the stairs to chat; we put her down again; she gets up. Repeat all of the above for a couple of hours. This means she is very tired and extra willful but is mostly willful about something I am more than happy to let her have her way in: outfits.
That right there's a dress over a tutu, which is in turn worn over perfectly good pants and a shirt. Later she added a cape.
*A strange expression, is it not, for someone who does not believe in hell?
We are so lucky. Liam's preschool Fall Festival was last week. It was held at a local stables so we had a hayride and a campfire with, of course, s'mores. That was a first for both kiddos, who adored them (of course).
(Fancy tights were de rigueur for all the smallest girls.)
And we got to meet the horses and feed them.
And there were activities too.
But, though I was rather clever in remembering to bring some anti-bacterial wash (since this was also a picnic), I did not remember to bring any sort of wipe.
Note: Marshmallows and hay are not a good combo.
Arrr!
I don't know what Olivia says, but there's a lot of tulle involved.
And the beautiful thing on our table right now?
