The knitting is still hush hush.

Instead I will share a few tales from my kitchen. My dad's birthday was yesterday and I invited my parents over for dinner. The birthday guy's request? Spaghetti & Meatballs, Chocolate Cream Pie - I swear, my dad is the easiest guy to please sometimes. I broke out my Bittman bible and made a batch of meatballs. I am not Italian, but I feel like a stereotypical Italian grandma when I make that recipe! Also in Bittman was a recipe for Cream Pie, variation Chocolate. Perfect. The recipe did involve separating several eggs, not my favorite kitchen task, but I remembered that I had a special gift. Have you ever seen a Boogerboy Boris? My uncle sent one back with my parents for the Lorax and me when they visited him a while back.

First thought? My goodness this is GROSS! (I've been allergy attacked this past week, thank you pollen!) Second thought? Holy chickens it actually works! I ended up with a dessert that looked like Chocolate Cream Pie, tasted like Chocolate Cream Pie, and my dad was happy, so, success! I also made a batch of peanut butter cup bars - fair warning, make these if you are having company over to help you eat them! I am sure to eat more than my fair share of these - they are excellent! Even Dan, who likes a peanut butter cup now and then but isn't wild about them like I am, commented on how good they are! And easy - a bit of stovetop work and then into the fridge! That's a lot of exclamation points. I mean each and every one.

The weather seems to have taken a turn for the better (thank goodness!) and I currently have Popsicles on the brain - there are so many cute molds! I had two sets of the basic shape, but one cracked, so I am looking into getting something new. Maybe ice cream cones or stars. The Lorax has found a love of popsicles as well, so I am hoping to have more success in making our own instead of buying them, especially now that we are on the cusp of fruit season here.

Back to the knitting, the deadline is near!!

I really wanted to blog

Yet, there's not a whole lot I can say. I'm still working on two "hired knitting" jobs that I am expected to keep under wraps until June. I am enjoying both of them and each are at or just past the halfway point, so yay on that.

We've been working on using the potty with the Lorax. If you know this kid you know she is smart and on target for all developmental milestones and whatnot. She is a good kid. I love her dearly. I have done my reading, I have asked around, I have observed my kid - we are dealing with a power struggle / mental block or fear and just have to wait it out. Oy. If it weren't for this I would have nothing to complain about. And yet, here it is. I really don't want to go into too many details here on the blog as certainly I have embarrassed my kid enough (and will continue to do so, it's my blog) and I want to keep it classy-ish, and not turn it into a swear-laden-King's-Speech. Though once in a while that is probably good for the soul.

On to cheerier things - the blanket I knit for my cousin-to-be is in use! The baby was born on Sunday and today there was a cute photo of the wee one with the blanket!


Last night Dan surprised the Lorax and I with flowers - wasn't that sweet? It's been overcast and raining here all week - good weather to match our stinky moods!

Fun Mail and What Was She Thinking?

Fun mail is fun! I received a swap package in the mail on Monday as part of a the "Chittery-Chattery-Swappity-Swappers: Partner Swap: Stuff that Envelope!". Each person was to stuff a 6x9 inch envelope for another person. Check out these great goodies I received from Happyteacher!

There's a great teal Erlenmeyer Flask dishcloth - I adore chemistry glassware! Dachshund goodies including a pin from DrellaJones, magnets from SillyDogMagnets.com (and they are wearing sweaters!), and a set of buttons. Candy, my weakness. Sharpie pens and post-it flag / highlighters. And the bird on the left? That opens up into a great reusable bag! Yay for happy swaps!

I am hoping to keep things low-key today - over the weekend, the Lorax was sick and goopy and now I am dealing with it. I am lucky in that the Lorax is able to entertain herself for a bit at times, but then I find things like this later on:

Not sure what she was thinking this was when she set it up in her room, those would be socks on individual tissues, bouncy balls on individual tissues and her new clock also on its own tissue. Funny thing about that clock - it can be set to light up green when it is ok to get up / come out of her room, as she has been coming in to our room at 5:30am, well, she was all excited to have a "Big Girl" thing in her room but she keeps putting it in the closet. Defeats the purpose in a way, but she has been staying in her room and when we go in to get her we all check the clock in the closet and find that it is green. So I guess it is working.

I can hear messes being made as I type this post (something was just dumped out all over the floor), here's hoping it is a quick clean up and we do more of this today instead!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms - here and gone, moms to be, moms in waiting, moms of angels and moms of furbabies - I do wish you all a peaceful day! I have never been one to shy away from a challenge or something that is hard, and being a mom has certainly pushed me to limits I never thought possible. Certainly there are more in store as well.

Yesterday we attended a First Communion for a family friend and it was fun to get dressed up:


Today has been a rather low-key day, fine by me!


My plan is to continue on with being low key and getting some knitting done, no guilty feelings about it today either!