We went on our valentines day date last night. You have to do these things early when you have to juggle working and birthdays and friends availability to babysit and MY GOING TO STITCHES WEST on Wednesday. (There, I said it, I couldn’t keep it in any longer, the excitement is just too overwhelming! Not to mention that I’m going with Joelene!!!)

Valentines day will be the NINTH anniversary of our first date. Yes, do the math, I was 15. Let’s not get into it. But I just have to say, nine years is a long time.

I came home from the yarn store to find this waiting for me.

He’s so sweet, huh?

We went and had a yummy dinner at Outback and then did what you do on dates when you’ve been together for NINE years: We went to Target and bought things, mostly for the kids. But you know, pretty much any moment we are children free, we consider to be a date. Sometimes Jim gets home from work and they’re both still taking a nap and we eat dinner together and marvel at how date-like it feels. Such is my exciting life. But I am going to STITCHES WEST!!!

Look like anyone you know?

My grandma sent me this picture yesterday in Eden’s birthday card. I was a big kid, I was thinking I was like three in that picture which was going to give me hope for Edens hair, but my mom said that I was only one and a half. Ah… well.

I just finished putting Honor’s brace on. He cried and cried the whole time, saying “I don’t want my brace.” It was sad. When we were all done I told him he was a big boy and he said, “I not big, I widdle.”

And onto more cheerful things…

I sewed this! With a lot of help from my mom, who designed the pattern.

And I finished this modified cabled purse. I’m looking for test knitters, so let me know if you’d like to knit this! Thanks, I’ve got lots of test knitters now!

with broach

with bow

I also finished a shawl for my grandma, but this was the best picture I could get of it. The photo really doesn’t do it justice. It’s Kidsilk Haze and a Japanese yarn.

Honor had to get his leg brace and his shoe insert yesterday. I bribed him with a new batman toy so he did pretty good when he was getting it fitted. (It’s actually sort of cool how it works. It’s all soft and held together with velcro. Different straps pull his leg into the right position.) With his brace and his shoe inserts his feet line up perfectly. Now we just have to get his muscles trained to do that on their own.

He got to take them off for his nap, but when we had to put them back on he totally freaked out. It made me so sad! Poor baby! I know he’ll get used to them, but I feel bad that he has to have them. It will be worth it though, he already can run without tripping.

On the bright side, Honor did get some cool new shoes out of the whole ordeal.

edit: I wrote about his needing the brace here and here.

Monday
Burger King YUCK!

Tuesday
Enchilada Casserole

Wednesday
Winter Vegetable Pot Pie

Thursday
Early V-Day date night!!! Whoo Hoo!!

Friday
Salmon Cakes

Saturday
Spaghetti

Sunday
Eden’s 4th Birthday!! Chuck-E-Cheese mmmmm

We have some friends who live a couple of farm towns away from us. Their oldest daughter is raising pigs for 4H and her mama pig just gave birth to a whole bunch of babies. They invited the kids to come out and see the little piglets.

5 days old

I thought this one had really cool coloring

mama pig

Eden and Honor trying to escape the pig pen.

It was a great time for us city folk and Honor even got to eat the egg he brought in from the hen house.

And the winner is… A tie! Tish and Joelene. They both gave him three days. Email me with your address Tish (I already have Joelenes) and I’ll mail you out your prize! Here’s a hint, it will be something in the yarn department!

Honor decided that he need to smear foot cream all over my bedroom carpet and my bed. Then he went to the bathroom to wash his hands IN THE TOILET. Then, just for kicks, he dumped the whole roll of toilet paper in the toilet.

I think Joelene’s prize will be HONOR. If I ship him next day air, he should make it just fine…

Look at my new extremely cool ring! Sterling sliver, 40% off and awesome!

(pardon the camera phone crappiness)

Yesterday I caught Honor coming out of the kitchen with a handful of butter. Do you think he intended it as a snack or finger paint for the carpet?

(I hesitate to write this because I know that when my mom reads it she’ll yell a big “HA!” at her computer. But in my defense, I have never driven past the turn for my house.)

I have a theory. As parents, I think our brains are so trained to be interrupted that we get to the point that we can’t finish a thought. Because, seriously, even when my children aren’t around, I can’t think! It’s amazingly scary. I used to be SO on the ball, and now I get distracted so easily. I read somewhere that once you become a parent that you lose IQ points. I think it’s true.

Please tell me that I’m not the only one out there working with a brain that can’t finish a thought?