Things have been busy and I apologize for my absence with rambles and photos.
Very often I will think, "Mental note to blog about this!"; "Remember to link to this from the blog!", only to have it swept involuntarily under my mind-rug. I'm making a conscious effort to be a better blogger, just so you know.
Little 20 month old Camila and I took a trip to Seattle about three weeks ago to visit some friends. It was so much fun but the longest she and I have ever been away from the boys. They got to have a fun male weekend with Papa, however. The flight from Texas to The PNW is a beautiful one. I felt like every time I peered down at the earth the landscape was totally different.
Cloudy sky; Space Needle!
Mila and I (far left) nursing with friends at the Sneedle fountain. I love that picture.
The next week was my birthday. I rained the whole week but Jeff was home and made it festive and fallish. He surprised me with a gift certificate to my favorite little local yarn store and these vintage patterns. It's why I keep him around.
Two days later was our ninth wedding anniversary. Also the feast of St Jude. Here we are I Do-ing nine years ago:
A few days later came All Hallows Eve. Having just freshly enjoyed Star Wars marathons while I was in Seattle, the boys were pumped to pull their S.W costumes out of the dress-up box. We went to my uncle's for a little party and then did some serious trick or treating. Driving back to Fort Worth from Arlington with sugared up and then passed out kids is a feat, I tell you. We got them home, stripped, brushed, kissed and tucked; then their Papa and I got a Guinness, put in She Beast and sat back with bags of candy earned by our little Jedi.
The day after, All Saints, was my little Jude's fourth birthday. He woke with a fever. So congested and coughy was he that we had him hold off his chocolate birthday cake and requested cheesy veg lasagna in favor of less snot-inducing foods on his big day. It was awful.
The next day, Monday, he felt just a tad under the weather and perfectly capable of celebrating so we made and ate the chocolate cake, feasted on the cheesy lasagna, and went bowling to boot. He's four! The years, how they fly.
After the week of festivities, school is back in session. Homeschooling, like most everything I do, I freak out and stress over at first, only to realize how fun and relaxing it is when I breathe and chill a bit. We went out and lay among leaves and examined their veins while we talked about what makes them turn colors and fall. We used acorns as math manipulatives, made pumpkin bread a half dozen times, from the same recipe, using one different sized measuring cup each time. We've read Autumnal poems to each other, physically re-enacting any spooky ones.
When we first started this year as a new homeschooling mom, new 1st grader and new preschooler, I had everything planned and sorted in my head to the letter. I should scan my lesson plans. We homeschooled through kindergarten but for some reason FIRST GRADE put bees in my bonnet. But as I've relaxed I've recovered more of my wits and we're all having way more fun. They've also learned more than I could have expected for their age levels. I think we're okay.
Here's Jake learning to play soccer with the homeschool P.E group. He was supposed to be offense but desperately wanted to be defense. He hung back until the ball got close and then attacked.
Knitting is still going strong. I haven't crocheted in a while; with Christmas looming I've been falling back on what I knowknow. But I have Christmas Crochet Plans and MamaT and I have planned a parish craft circle so I won't be able to use the Idon'tgetit excuse any longer.
Progress on the Log Cabin Blanket:
I made myself of pair of purple woolen slippers last winter that the esposo kept putting on and stretching out, causing me to wash them to shrink them, causing them to felt, etc, over and over. This year I got wise and made him some Manly Ruby Slippers. There's no place like home?
I've just finished these leg warmers for myself. They were a really fast and fun knit and I'm not sure how I've lived the past twenty or so years without leg warmers.
Two hours before Smock's water broke with Beautiful Greer I finished this little Acorn Beret for her. I had some matching pants to go with and thought I finished this baby gift all early and with plenty of time. God knew the next day I'd be taking them to the hospital.
On the book front! I'm currently reading Heart of the Ronin by Travis Heermann. I'm not far enough in to give an honest review yet.
Finished Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners by Laura Claridge; it was at times hugely boring but for the most part pretty engaging. I knew almost nothing about Emily Post so I was really interested to read it and am glad I did.
I finally got to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen. Love, love, loves me some Jane Austen, P & P in particular, loves me some zombies, adore ninja; this book was right up my alley and didn't disappoint.
Also The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag by Kang Chol-Hwan; which I recommend you read if you haven't.
My last update is on little Agnes Tater! She is a feisty scamp and is looking forward (or not) to her spaying. She allows herself to be toted and squeezed by the children and is still blissfully unaware of her mustache. Just in case you were wondering. Here she is window gazing by Jeff's homemade drafting table.
I hope your Autumn has been blessed and continues to be!
