Self Control

Take a good look at the picture in my profile! That's the face of someone with NO SELF CONTROL!!!! Tonight I had my stamp club meeting so I headed out with my friend Ingrid. We stopped at Borders and took advantage of the 25% off educator's sale. I bought two knitting books: Stitch and Bitch and Knitting Rules. I also picked up Happy Feet for Timmy. (Ok, I might like it too : )

Then we made a trip to A.C. Moore and I bought some construction paper for Timmy's class, an AMM purple tote and the matching mini tote.

I also picked up quite a few embellishments. To finish the night off we went to our LSS to our stamp club and I bought TONS of stuff there. I have enough supplies to furnish a third world country I think!

I have NO WILL POWER. Good thing tomorrow's knitting club meeting isn't near any stores. I might just have to find another job!!!

take care,
Dawn

Monday Ramblings

I mentioned last time that I had jury duty last Monday. I also spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday home from school. When I went back on Friday several of the kids asked me how court was. (They knew I had jury duty). I told them that it was very boring. I sat at a chair in a small room from 8:00-3:15...longer than a school day. Then, one of the little girls raised her hand and asked "Did you get the job though?". They always make me smile :)



Last night I made a roasted chicken for dinner and it reminded me of a time years ago when I went to a friend's house for dinner. Her mother told me that they were making 1-2-3 chicken. I inquired about the name and the mother told me that her daughter (my friend) was a very picky eater (as was/am I). 1-2-3 chicken is the first three slices off the roast. You know the kind that doesn't have the brown/red coloring from being so close to the bone. I am still a fan of 1-2-3 chicken and always manage to get those pieces for myself LOL!



Today I went to the dentist to get my 9th(??) crown. Next week I go to get another one started. I have yet another after that! I am going to have such an expensive mouth! I keep telling my dentist that I want a plaque on the chair with my name engraved in it.

Take care,
Dawn

My knitting spree

I have been just totally taken over by knitting lately. I remember my mother teaching me to knit when I was about 5 years old. The hardest part for her was that she was left handed and teaching me to knit right handed. Over the years I have tackled many projects but this time around I am just loving it! I think I like the clean up factor. I can pretty much put it away at the drop of a hat and have no mess to clean up LOL!

I made my granddaughter a vest and hat about two months ago but recently knitted the flower for the hat and added the buttons to the vest.

I also made a pair of felted clogs. I made a bumper on them (an optional feature that I hate!) The bumper just doesn't lay properly. I made a second pair this weekend and didn't put the bumper on them. I told Brittainy she could have them.

After making two pair of socks I decided I would venture into trying something more complicated. I bought a pattern for a lace sock. Here it is so far as well as a close up of the cuff. I am knitting them on size 0 needle. Talk about small!!!

I was hoping when I had jury duty this week I'd be able to bring so knitting with me so I started an easy simple sock so I wouldn't have to worry about trying to follow the pattern. Unfortunately I couldn't bring it in.

These are the projects that have been keeping me busy. :) Right now I am going to go knit some more :) :)

take care,

Dawn

Oh boy, I have fallen behind again!

I have such good intentions of writing on my blog and somehow I can not always find the time or the energy!

Let me see if I can do a quick recap for those that are interested in reading about my boring life LOL!

I spent a good part of one of the weeks working on report cards. They went home on the 16th. While "filling" in the marks isn't so hard, writing the comments takes a lot of time! I am the kind of person who does a "working" draft first and then transfers it all to the official report card.

On Monday I had jury duty! I am one of those people who does not like jury duty. If I were ever on trial I would want someone who was happy to be there to be on my jury, not someone like me. I ended up sitting in the jury room from 8 to 3:15 (with a lunch break of course). We never got called. It was truly one of the most boring days of my life!! Thank goodness they can't call me again for 3 years!

Tuesday morning Timmy woke up sick and ended up staying home from school all week. He's still not back to his old self yet. The fever is gone, but he has an awful cough and has not much of a voice! I stayed home from school with him on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I convinced my mother to change her plans so she could watch him on Friday. I figured I had to make an appearance at school :). The poor boy spent two days on the couch (not like him) resting. His teacher told me several children in his class had been out sick this week.

Today is my day to watch Mackenzie. She just gets cuter by the minute! While she's napping I thought I would try to catch up. Brittainy brought her over the other day to play outside and I snapped a few pictures of her. She is really growing up quickly.

take care,

Dawn

This song gives me goosebumps!

I have been a fan of Chris Daughtry since AI last season. This song just gives me goosebumps when I hear it. He's amazing!!



take care,
Dawn

Eight and a half!

Another half year has reached us! Timmy turned 8 ½ today. We had our traditional celebration. We took Timmy out to eat at our favorite restaurant. It's a lovely place right on the river. I remember when Timmy was little he imagined there were sharks in the water LOL!
Of course Timmy had his favorite meal...burger and fries.

Rich and I each get him a little gift to celebrate the day. This year we each bought him a transformer. Why is it that boy's toys always have the oddest names. I can never pronounce the name of his toys. Timmy of course can rattle them off without even given it a second thought.

It's hard to believe he's halfway to nine. I miss my little baby!!

Speaking of hard to believe, in three and a half years I will also be the mother of a thirty year old! How did that happen, when I am still in my thirties myself LOL!


take care,
Dawn

What's on your list?

I found this on Debi's blog and thought it looked fun.

Look at the list of books below. *Type "READ" beside the ones you've read. *Type "WANT TO" beside the ones you'd like to read. *Leave blank the ones that you aren't interested in. *Type "AGAIN AND AGAIN" beside the ones you could read again and again.

1.The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)--WANT TO

2.Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)

3.To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)--Read

4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)

5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)

6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)

7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)

8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)

9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)

10.A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)

11.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)--WANT TO

12.Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)

13.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)--WANT TO

14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)

15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)

16.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)--READ

17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)

18. The Stand (Stephen King)--Read

19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)--WANT TO

20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)

21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)

22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)

23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) AGAIN AND AGAIN

24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)

25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)

26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)

27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)

28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)

29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)

30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)--READ

31. Dune (Frank Herbert)--READ

32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)--READ

33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)

34. 1984 (Orwell)

35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)

36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)

37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)

38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)

39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)

40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)

42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)

44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)--READ

45. Bible --READ but not all

46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)

47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)

48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)

49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)--READ

50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)

51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)

52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)

53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)

54. Great Expectations (Dickens)--READ

55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)--READ

56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)

57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)--READ

58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)

59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)

60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)--READ

61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)

63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)

64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)

65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)

66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)--READ

68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)69. Les Miserables (Hugo)

70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)

72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)

73. Shogun (James Clavell)

74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)

75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)

76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)

77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)--READ

78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)

79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)

80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)--READ

81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)

82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)--READ

83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)

84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)

85. Emma (Jane Austen)

86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)--READ

87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)

88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)

89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)

90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)

91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)

92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)

93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)

94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)--READ

95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)

96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)

97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)

98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)

99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)

100.Ulysses (James Joyce)

I'd love to see your list!!!

take care,
Dawn

A little pick me up with the girls.

Last week after food stopped becoming the enemy, I took my niece Telia, Brittainy and Mackenzie out to lunch. It was really good to see Telia again as I don't see her too often. Mackenzie was just as cute as can be! I had picked up a Dora the Explorer doll during a clearance sale after Christmas. I brought it with us just in case she got fussy at the restaurant. I think it is so cute that instead of saying "Dora" Mackenzie makes the "D-D-D-D-D" sound at the beginning of the theme song.

We all enjoyed our lunch. The food was good and it was my first real ...didn't make me sick....meal in almost a week.

How can you not love that face???

take care,

Dawn

What I salvaged from my week

Even though the start of the week was not a good one, having spent four days in bed sick, I did manage to get quite a bit done with the time I had left. I got my scrap/computer room cleaned and organized. PHEW! What a lot of work that was!

I completed two circle journals for my OT friends at 2P's. I also made 7 cards for the swap of my stamping club.

We also had a challenge to decorate a round tin lid. I used a lid from a can of potato sticks :)

This is what I came up with.

I finished my first pair of socks about 10 days ago and started a second pair. Here's the completed socks. This is a picture after I had worn and washed them.

This is the pair I'm working on now.

Tonight I had two crockpots going with meals for the week.

If only I had another few days off I could get so much more done! :)

take care,
Dawn

Booga! Booga!

Somehow that title reminds me of Animal House and the toga party LOL!


I meant to post this last week but never got around to it. I have been in a knitting mood lately and my friend Ingrid shared this Booga Bag pattern with me. I think everyone and their sister has been knitting these.

Here is my bag before felting.

and after felting....

I'm not sure what I'll use it for. I think I'd like to make a couple of others for friends :)

take care,
Dawn

What a wasted vacation!!!

My week long vacation from school started last weekend. Saturday I took a little nap, woke up with a fever and spent four days in bed. I was so sick!! I am sure it had something to do with being in a classroom where children were throwing up all week long! I think I had a child throw up every day last week in the room! I sort of wish the school would give me those four days back. I had such big plans for what I wanted to get done and I lost all that time. It wasn't until yesterday that I started feeling like my old self again.

I wanted to make a dent on the toy disaster in the basement. It looks like that will be waiting until April vacation!

I have spent HOURS today cleaning and organizing my scrapbook room. I hope to be done with it tomorrow.

I was able to finish the book the OT'ers at 2P's are reading. I am just waiting for everyone to be finished to start our discussion. We read The Time Traveler's Wife. I really enjoyed it!

Well back to cleaning. Just checking in for those that read here :)

take care,

Dawn

Black Horse in a Cherry Tree

Brittainy has been telling me that Mackenzie likes to sing this song. Tonight she sent me the video. It's so cute! Watch out American Idol :)




If the video doesn't play try this link http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c312/lionessgrrl/?action=view&current=kenzvideo.flv

take care,
Dawn

I told you so!

Poor Timmy was in so much pain the other night. His throat hurt him. He had no fever, no trouble swallowing but was complaining about how dry it was and was talking funny. I spent yesterday giving him Tylenol and water, water, water. Last night I dug out the humidifier and put it in his room. He thought it was broken because nothing was happening. I told him it would take a while to warm up and to NOT PUT HIS HAND near the steam or he would burn himself. I was watching TV in bed last night and I kept hearing him run to the bathroom. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he put his hand over the steam and burned himself. He was running to the bathroom to keep cold water on it. I ended up giving him an ice pack to hold on it. What I really wanted to say was I TOLD YOU SO! I think he'll keep his hand away from the steam tonight!!

take care,

Dawn

My socks

I have completed two weeks of my sock class and here is the progress so far. I've been knitting both pair and putting one pair on stitch holders since I only have one pair of the circular needles. I am at the heel on both socks. Next Wednesday I hope to learn how to turn the heel and then knit the foot! I can't wait for these to be done! They had better fit right too LOL! I've already bought two more skeins of yarn for the next pair. I think that yarn will make striped socks. I will probably go back and get some more of this yarn that knits up this beautiful pattern!!!

Who would have thought that I would get so excited over a pair of socks!

take care,
Dawn

I love my job!

One of the little girls in my class drew this picture for me. It's me, and quite frankly, a pretty good likeness. I told her I wanted to take it home to hang on my refrigerator. Then I decided I would share it with you.

Last week I went out to Wendy's with my friend Ingrid before our knitting class and I ran into a little girl that I had in kindergarten a few years back. She's in 4th grade now. As I was walking my class to art the other day I passed her and she hopped out of line to give me a hug!

A year ago I ran into another former student at the grocery store. She was a sophomore in high school and told me she had to write an essay on her favorite teacher and chose me! I have goosebumps just writing that.

I hope I make an impact on all my students. It touches my heart when I see them years (or even months) later and I get these kinds of reactions!

I remember my 6th grade English teacher, Miss FitzGerald. I still see her at the grocery store and 33 years after 6th grade I still smile when I see her and remember that class with her!

take care,
Dawn

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