A productive day

Today was a jammie day. Both Timmy and I stayed in our pajamas all day. He was busy with Legos while I was busy with a little bit of everything.

I finished my first four inches of my sock and put them on stitch holders and started the second sock completing four inches on that. I have to wait until Wednesday to find out the next step. After my initial expense it should only cost about $16 to $22 a pair. It sure beats the $90 this one is costing :) Here they are so far!

We were asked to bring a journal with us to our next class so I made myself a knitting journal. The beads hanging on it is a stitch marker my friend Ingrid made for me. I just bought some new basic gray paper and used that as well.

I was also able to knit some on the vest I am making Mackenzie. (It's supposed to be a Christmas present next year).

I put some Italian Chicken in one crock pot for dinner tonight and spaghetti sauce and meatballs in the other.

While I didn't get everything on my list complete, I did get quite a bit done.

take care,
Dawn

I finally have a social life :)

This week has been a busy one for me. On Tuesday I went to my first stamping club meeting with my friend Ingrid. There was a lot of chatting, laughing and buying LOL!
Last night we went to a sock knitting class. We ended staying an hour longer than the class was scheduled for. We are learning the magic loop method of sock knitting. It felt like it took forever just to knit the first stitch. I did finally get the hang of it and worked on it today. I can't wait until next week to learn how to do the next step in the sock.

Here's a picture of my sock so far! I can't wait until I'm able to post my first pair of hand knitted socks :) They will be the most expensive socks I've ever owned. The total cost is about $90 for the class and the materials. I suspect I'll be washing those socks out every night to wear again the next day LOL!



Today I went to the dentist and had the 2nd of three appointments for my 9th crown! I have two more to go by the end of school year. (I use Aflac and the year ends the last of May). I've spent a fortune on my mouth! Boy what I could have bought for myself with that money.

Happy Birthday

Today would have been my father's birthday. Sadly he died in 1995. Even after all of this time I still miss him so much! Timmy often tells me that he is sad because he never got to meet his grandfather. I think this weekend we will have a birthday "treat" in his memory.

I've told Timmy that the reason his grandfather died is because he got lung cancer from smoking. Timmy feels strongly about never smoking. I hope that this way of thinking stays with him forever!

My dad was only 61 when he died. That's just too young!

I dream about him all the time and talk to him in my dreams. It's rather comforting to know that he is still with me.

So, let me end by saying, "Happy Birthday, Dad!"

take care,

Dawn

A busy week

I've had a busy week and have been just too tired to post! On Wednesday I went to a VIP night at our local LSS. They had a lovely make and take and I made a Maya Road Tin and chipboard book. We received a great 12 x 12 clear plastic storage box with papers and supplies to complete the book. There were refreshments and a shopping discount. They also had a raffle. I am usually unlucky winning those but I got a phone call Thursday morning saying I had won a Colorbox Luxe Silk 8 x8 blue album. I will go pick it up on Tuesday when I go to the stamping club meeting. That will be a first for me. I have a TON of stamping supplies but very rarely use them. I've got to get out of that mode!

take care,

Dawn

What's for dinner?

I really am getting tired of the same old same old for dinner all the time. My husband and son are soooooooo picky! I think both of them would eat hamburgers every night if I let them. Vegetables are like a four letter word around here too. Rich will eat green beans and corn and Timmy will only eat raw carrots. He used to eat green beans but doesn't seem to like them anymore. I, on the other hand, like MANY vegetables. It seems we have the same staples for dinner: hamburg, pork chops, chicken (accompanied by tears with Timmy), ham, spaghetti; mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, baked potato mac and cheese; and that's about it.

Last night I was just about done with the tears. I made a cheesy chicken and Timmy just about gagged taking one bite! I wish it were easier. It makes dinner planning so difficult.

take care,
Dawn

Artistic

I "stole" this from Brittainy. She made this animation of Mackenzie and her favorite kitten (that just happened to come from her grandma ;) ). Cute huh?

On another note:

When Mackenzie comes over she likes to look at our fish, Philip. Brittainy called me tonight and said they got their own fish, Finnegan or Fin for short. Fish is one of the words Mackenzie likes to say. So what relation is her fish to ours? LOL!

take care,
Dawn

DW 2007

I have really fallen behind in my scrapping and have decided to participate in a DW 2007 challenge. I picked January 3rd to try and this is what I came up with. I actually decided to do it digitally. I've got to tell you the clean up is so easy :) :) :) This is what I came up with from a group of pictures I took last Saturday. You know if I only do a page a month I will do 100 times better than last year! I guess now I have to get all these digital pages printed.

The majority of the digital was Gina Miller's Fall Flower Kit, with paper by Jan Hosford as well. I also used some word art from One Hour Scrap and Katie Pertiet.

take care,
Dawn

Put one foot in front of the other

I usually watch Mackenzie on the weekends but it seems like the last few I haven't had her. Brittainy called me the other day to say she didn't have to work so I wouldn't have to watch Mackenzie. I asked to have her anyway. This is a big week for Mackenzie because she has taken her first steps this week. I stopped over to bring some brownies to Jay and while I was there I watched her take a few steps to get a toy. I don't think she had any idea that she was walking. It's just a matter of time now before she is running all over the place.

take care,
Dawn

Kids say the darndest things

I was reading Debi's blog again and she was mentioning the funny things her boys were saying and it reminded me of a couple of stories. A few years ago I hurt my shoulder and went for physical therapy. Part of it included some small weights. I keep them in my bedroom and don't use them often at all anymore. A few weeks ago Timmy came out into the living room with the weights in his hands. I think he might have actually worked up a sweat lifting them (2 lbs LOL!). When he was done he flexed his muscles and asked me to feel his bisons.

In school I always hear funny things. When the kids get chapped lips I try to save a trip to the nurse. I keep a jar of Vaseline and Q-tips in the room. I just dip the Q-tips in the jar and give it to the child, kind of like a disposable chap stick. The first time I did this a couple of years ago I showed the kids what I had. I asked them if they knew what it was. One boy raised his hand and said, "Oh, that's asseline. My mother uses it on my sisters butt".

Debi thanks for the laugh and reminded me of my stories.

take care,
Dawn

Tagged

I found this on Debi's blog. I thought this would be interesting since the closest book to me is one I got for Christmas.

Here are the rules/requirements:
1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence.
3. Post the text of the following 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Name of the author and book.
5. Tag three people of your own.

"Would you mind putting some bread in the toaster?"
My dad left for work at exactly 7:35.
Once he was gone, I scanned the paper, uninterested in the news, at a loss as to what to do next.

The book is Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. I don't know when I am going to get around to reading it. Maybe I'll pick it up during February vacation.

Allow me to borrow this from Debi as well Anyone yet to be tagged with this one? Consider yourself now tagged.

take care,
Dawn

Nana

Today would have been my grandmother's 93rd birthday. Sadly, she passed away 8 years ago. My grandmother was a very petite woman. She told me before osteoporosis she was 4'10". I remember when Brittainy was a little girl we were talking and she asked me if Nana Small's last name was small because she was so short. It was just a coincidence that Small happened to be her last name. For a small woman she was as strong and opinionated as person I had ever met! I miss my grandmother!



I found this hidden in all of my scrapbooking pages. It's the only page I've done about my grandmother.



It is wonderful how our senses play such an important role in our memories. When you hear certain song your thoughts travel back in time to the moment that it touched your life. Maybe it is the smell after a summer rain that reminds you being a child. When I see these flowers that grew in your garden it reminds me of you, Nana. The way you filled my life with love and how the older I got the more that love "bloomed". You have forever touched my heart!

take care,
Dawn

Charmed

My friend Teresa has been a Charmed fan for a while and often talked about how much she liked the show. This summer during my vacation I started watching in and became hooked! I have since ordered season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on DVD. I just finished season 6 last week and feel like I am in withdrawal waiting for season 7 to be released. I've already pre-ordered and now have to wait for a month to get it.

Now to confess one of my odd character traits. I watch the show on TNT and my DVD viewing has coincided with the airings on TNT. They just started airing season 7 this week and while I'm video taping it off the tv (for back up emergency purposes LOL!) I don't want to watch that season until the DVD arrives. Since the release of season 8 (and final season) hasn't been set I'm at a loss!!! I don't know how long I can wait. I think I'll probably tape that and watch the videos. The show is so good that I know I will be putting season 1 back in the DVD and watching from the beginning again.

Yup, I'm hooked! :)

take care,
Dawn

Memories

I came home from school today so tired! I thought that I would just skip taking down a totes worth of decorations until I read Debi's blog. She mentioned that what I wrote yesterday was an inspiration for her to take town her own decorations. I decided that I should stay true to my word and packed up another box. Three down and four or five to go :).

While I was looking at the decorations, they reminded me of things I crafted years, and years, and years ago. I started feeling nostalgic for those days when I had time (or was it that I gave myself time) to craft!

The first "craft" I learned was knitting. I remember I was five years old when my mother taught me how to knit. When I was in my 20's I made this Christmas stocking.

The other craft I learned as teenager was needlepoint. Again, in my twenties I made this wall hanging. Of all the needlepoint kits that I completed I only have two left. This comes out every Christmas.

I am treating myself to some of my old indulgences again. This month I am planning on taking a sock knitting class with a friend. I'm actually excited about knitting some socks LOL!

take care,
Dawn

Time to say Good Bye to the holidays

I broke down and started packing up the Christmas decoartions today. I'm sad to see it have to come down. I think Timmy feels the same way. He still wants to listen to the music. Tomorrow it's Kidz Bop Christmas for the ride to and from school. Ah, that's my boy!

I know how much work it is to take every thing down so I've made it my goal to just do one bucket at a time. The biggest thing to pack up is my collection of Byers Choice Carolers and figurines. Each one gets wrapped individually in tissue paper and placed in the bin. I used to get one or two every year but I stopped buying quite a few years back. I've run out of room!

My favorite of the collection is the Christmas Carol figures. I think they were the first that I bought. My mother bought a few of the Nutcrakcer series. They aren't really my interest but I appreciated the thoughtfulness that came with them. Timmy likes the "rat head guy". :) Packing these up is my goal for tomorrow.

take care,
Dawn

It's a New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! I swear it seems just like yesterday everyone was worrying about Y2K! Where has the time gone?

We had a wonderful Christmas here. Timmy was lost in a sea of gifts :) I think he got every Pirates of the Caribbean toy there was! Oh wait, no he didn't. He went out shopping with his Christmas money and came home with another pirate ship! My living room has been a sea of pirates for the past week! He plays with them for hours on end!

Britt, Jay and Mackenzie came over for breakfast Christmas morning and this year Mackenzie had more interest than last year with her gifts :) She seemed to enjoy throwing the packages a bit more than opening them. I had Britt take a couple of pictures of Mackenzie and I since I don't have many with her.

I bought Mackenzie a wiggles song book. She was enjoying it with her mom and dad!

I have spent my vacation week doing a lot of nothing! It has been grand!!! I am looking forward to doing the same thing for my vacation in February.

I hope I have enough to tell you all about our family to keep my goal of more frequent posts a reality.

Happy 2007!

take care,

Dawn