Oops, I Did It Again......

No, I'm not talking about any pop-princess drama.  I just waited too long to post again.  

It has been simultaneously busy and not-so-busy around these parts.  The busy part is, of course, getting ready for the holidays and keeping the kiddies busy for an extended winter break.  The extended winter break caused by the "Arctic Blast of 2008" as the local news shows are calling our winter storm.  The winter storm has caused the not-so-busy schedule of no school and sometimes no driving.  I have no problem with sitting on the couch in my jammies with some knitting in my hands and a movie in the DVD.  A little boring for the kiddies.  The Incredible Digit Boy and Girl have been having loads of fun in the snow, though.  We're expecting a large dose of snow and freezing rain this weekend so that should give them a little more entertainment.  

I was very lucky that my Mom arrived for a visit before the snow.  While she thought the snow was pretty she really had no desire to walk around in it.  This was as far as she wanted to get.  

We moved to Southern California when I was a baby so those New England winters are a long forgotten memory for her.   We had a lot of fun while she was here.  I wish the visit was longer.  I was not-so-secretly wishing that we would get more snow on the day of her departure.   

We have had some other visitors.  The local little critters and birds have been partaking of some water from the fish pond.  I always leave the little bubbler fountain on so the water has a bit of fresh air.  So, even though the 22" deep pond is covered with a 4" layer of ice, there is still water bubbling out of a small opening at the top.   This morning I saw two finches standing on the ice and drinking out of the bubbler.  Plus, there's been a few larger birds and the ever-present squirrels hanging around.  I figured I'd better add some bird seed out, too.......kind of like a round-the-clock Vegas buffet.  

I do love how the neighborhood looks in this weather, though.  It makes all the houses look like little colorful packages in the snow.  When we had our house painted a little over a year ago, we chose a kind of bright shade of green.  I wanted to see a happy shade on the house....especially during our sometimes (mostly) gloomy winters.  That choice has paid off this past week.   The green walls, red door and colorful lights have made me smile every time that I am outside.  

 

How to Embarrass Your Children

Save pictures like this to share with your childrens' friends during their formative teenage years.

I thought there were only two of the dolls when I took the first picture.   This was not the case as clearly evidenced by the second picture.

As I moved his blanket and opened the curtain for more light, the Incredible Digit Boy moved back to show the true number of his little Barbie harem.   At least he's not lacking in confidence.  

Little Feet

I have not posted much knitting progress lately.  Mostly because just about all the projects I'm working on are of the "super secret" variety and I cannot share any info as of yet.  Once I can, though, there will be some nifty stuff to see.  Take my word for it.  

There is, however, a particular project that I have not mentioned.  I am lucky enough to collaborate with the amazing Sharon of Stitchjones.  She of the dazzling handpainted yarn and fiber.   We worked together recently on a new product she is offering:  The Little Feet Kids Sock Kit.   

Sharon has created a series of fun colorways for little people (my daughter has already chosen her favorite).  My contribution?  Four fun sock patterns to mix and match for girls or boys.  Click on the links to check them out:  Bows & Arrows and Chutes & Ladders.   

These are fun and fast projects that will keep little feet and toes toasty warm.  And, most importantly, will take a ride in the washing machine thanks to the Superwash sock yarn.  So, if you'd like to surprise a little one or a knitting friend, keep these kits in mind.

The Birthday Girl

Our smart little cookie is now six years old!

Her Dad and I are so proud of her.   She's such a talented kid.  She's been doing so well in school and, most important, really enjoying her class time.   We're so happy that she loves to read.  If I can't find her, she's usually sitting in a comfy corner somewhere in the house or in the back yard reading a book.  The Magic Tree House series is her absolute favorite.  

All proud parent bragging aside, she really lives up to her blog name:  

The Incredible Digit Girl!

What The Heck Has She Been Doing?!

Making a baby quilt for a cousin in San Diego.

Building a firepit in the backyard of the Digit Family Ranch.

Building a pond in the backyard of the aforementioned ranch.  Still needs to be painted.

Walking to the school bus stop.

Taking my children to Karate class with Sensei Marilyn.

Enjoying the joint birthday party of the Incredible Digit Children at the Portland Children's Museum.  We couldn't keep them out of the water room.

No, I did not make this cake.  

The talented baker at the Fred Meyer Bakery made this cake.......and it was goooood! 

Spinning with my fellow PDX Knit Bloggers at the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival. 

Brought the Incredible Digit Children the next day to check out all the furry & woolly creatures.

They liked the Jacob sheep with their four horns instead of two.  Although the Incredible Digit Boy looks pretty ambivalent about the whole scene in the picture, he really did have fun.

Enjoying a little "Glow In The Dark" Bowling at a children's birthday party.  Believe it or not that picture was taken at roughly 4:00pm.  Seems like it should be 10:00pm. 

and, finally, watching my children climb trees in our backyard.  If I focus on taking the picture, literally and figuratively, then I don't focus on wondering if they're going to fall.  Nobody fell.

And that is what the heck I've been doing all this time. :-)

Four Years Old !

The Incredible Digit Boy turned four years old today.  He's grown so much and has changed so much in the last year.  It's hard to believe the time goes by so fast. 

For his birthday lunch, our son requested that we all go to Chuck E. Cheese.  We ate pizza and there were plenty of games.  Both the kids had a great time and it was fun to watch them enjoy themselves. 

Once we got home it was time for naps.  Not only so that the kids could be rested but also so that I could make the Incredible Digit Boy his birthday cake.  He requested a dinosaur theme so I went a little overboard (as usual) and included a lake and lava-erupting volcano.  Luckily, there were plenty of plastic dinosaurs around the house to decorate with (after being washed, of course).  

Next on the agenda was a few gifts.   A variety of race cars and much needed clothes (he grew over an inch in the last three months) from his lovely grandparents on the East coast.  

And a wonderful book from his Godfather and Auntie in New York.  This book has some really incredible artwork by Basquiat and lovely poetry by Maya Angelou.  Plus, it has dinosaurs(!) so our boy was very happy.  

It didn't take long for him to say he couldn't wait until he was five.  To which his father and I both responded very quickly that it is very nice just to be the age you are.  He didn't seem very convinced.  

First Day of School

The Incredible Digit Girl is officially a Kindergartner.   She attended her very first day of elementary school today.  I dropped her off, went with her into the classroom and got her all settled in.  She even got to ride the bus home.  Since we're the first stop from the school it wasn't a very long ride.   I asked her how she liked school.  Her reply? 

"Recess was awesome!"