Odds and Ends, kind of like the Picture.

This picture looks so pretty at first glance.  Sadly, it's a photo of part of masssssssive island of trash, I guess you'd say, in the Pacific.  Check out the article here.

Other interesting stuff - this is a bit more positive.  Turns out that chocolate milk can help lessen hardening of the arteries.  I'm all OVER that one.

Doing a little knitting today, about which more in a minute, as I am home with Flu Boy.

D. blossomed out with the flu yesterday morning. "Hey, it's my little Asthma Piggie," the pediatrician greeted him.  Heh.    Asthma and swine flu.  Get it?  Lame, but he is a wonderful doctor despite the flopped joke.

Because D. has a history of asthma, and had that ER visit/prednisone treatment with a flare in September, the way the doc is having us treat the flu is to treat D. as if he is in the middle of an asthma flare.  So, twice daily preventive steroid inhaler, and rescue inhaler three or four times daily.  The objective is to keep those airways WIDE open, and thus avoid complications.

Seems to be working. D.  is hardly coughing now, and is feeling super-cheerful, despite the fact that a whacking big dose of acetominophen has not lowered his temp to normal!

And I am knitting, which is a change, eh?  It's a fiddly but fun pattern, called the Round the Corner Scarf. [Mine is very similar to the colors pictured, if you add some vibrant pinks.]  I bought the pattern, and the Noro Silk Garden Sock wool, at Great Balls of Yarn in West Palm Beach, FL, when we were visiting for my awesome sister's awesome birthday/week.  Love the wooly souvenirs of travel...

Yes, I'm alive :) Summer/Fall recap

Hi, any faithful readers who are still out there.  I disappeared when summer arrived, but I'll try to catch you up, inspired by the efforts of my NaBloPoMo frequent-posting hubby, and friend Susie.

Quick and dirty recap - D. came home from deployment, stayed home for a month and then went away for another month. Then home for all of 2 weeks, during which we took kiddoes to Disneyland Paris for 3 days. Roller coasters and princesses and a good time had by all!  After that 2-week stay, he left for 4 months' training in the states.

We agreed that 4 months is a jolly long time to not see Dad.  After school ended in late July, the rest of us flew to the US for 6 weeks.  The first half was spent with dad, hanging out, revisiting lots of awesome places in the Omaha area, catching up with friend Susie when our families both met up in Cheyenne [minus D who was in class].

 Second half of trip was amazingly busy, meeting up with friends galore in MD [thanks to Jill and Norm for the awesome crashpad :)], then down to Florida for my sister's big number birthday party and a week of wonderful time, finishing up in Pennsylvania with our lovely Sheila and then a whirlwind of family and friends the last week in New York.

 We got to reconnect with tons of folks - special shout outs to the racetrack siblings and lovely mom-in-law Karyle, to Dawn and Bruce for organizing a great get-together and to David and Donna [aka in-laws] for the massive, wonderful barbecue and party on our last day.  Hubby David was able to fly in for the long LaborDay weekend and get together with everyone, too, and because of other people's kind efforts, all we had to do was show up to soak in time with everyone.

Love you guys!

Then it was back to the UK just in time to start the new school year, which is perking along well for both kids.  I had a low month but am feeling much much better.  David came home 2 weeks ago, in time to share in Halloween and Guy Fawkes festivities, and he's been able to take some leave so we can really reconnect.  Good, good stuff.

I'll leave you with David the Younger's homework efforts from tonight.  He was tasked to write a police report about crashing Santa's sleigh. Awesome!  [block-copied from his typed work]

Police Report

Date: 8/11/2009
Time: 3:35 pm
Place:Santa's workshop



Report 1


Witnesses: Reindeers Donner & Blitzen

Donner: Vell, here is vot happened from our point of view. Ze elf David was test-drivink ze sleigh. Nothink unusual, just around the house unt back onto ze runvay.


Blitzen: Ja, unt zen he looked down - just for a second to check ze speed - unt ven he looked up, there vas ze chimney, unt CRASH!


Donner: Unt zen, ze front of ze sleigh, it collapsed, unt ze whole thing vent through ze roof!

Blitzen: Ja, just like zat!






Report 2


Witness: Elf Tannen Baum


Tannen: I was in the workshop, putting the finishing touches on some jack-in-the-boxes, when there was a loud neighing and then a banging sound. Everybody looked up. Nothing happened for a minute,so we all went back to our work, and that was when the sleigh crashed through.


It was so surprising, all my jack-in-the-boxes popped out!


The sleigh was just hanging there with elf David hanging from it looking sheepish. I'm just glad nobody was hurt!

Warning! Actual Knitting Content...

The knit mojo is back in a mild way. I've finished a pair of socks in a tan speckly color, and started a second pair in plain blue vintage sock wool.

I'd like to finish up those blue socks, and bring some really special sock wool along when we go to Normandy in a week for a D-Day sites trip with some other folks from David's work. Maybe this wool (scroll down for picture) - my winnings a while back in Liz's blog contest.

I also have my eye on a gorgeous vest pattern (thanks for enabling, Jill) called Vertigo. Check it out here. Nice, huh?

I shall leave you with some sock pictures, and a shot of David playing with the castle and knights I bought from a friend. This has been a VERY successful toy for both kids!


Neat thing about the castle is that it slots together, and can be packed flat. Not that we've taken it apart yet, in the 2 weeks since we put it together...

Notice that manky, crumply thing in the lower left corner? Unblocked, washed sock. My homemade sock blockers actually work - laminated cardboard, so not very durable, but they are fine for now.

Here's the latest sock in progress. I'd love to finish it tonight...we'll see!

A Meditation on My Feelings upon the Return of My Beloved from the Desert...

or:

So very happy.

(thanks to ICanHasCheezburger for  the image)

Waiting...with Charming Kid Pix for Distraction

The last day or so of a deloyment can seem like a week.  Let's hope it won't literally become a week!  I am so looking forward to my sweetie's return.

Meanwhile, the kids and I have been enjoying the term break.  Two weeks is a loooong time to just hang out.  I think we've all appreciated the respite from the usual engagements. There were a couple of movies, some bowling, hide and seek at the castle with a friend, bike riding, puppet shows created by kids, model-building, and general noodling around. We lucked out yesterday and were at the library in time for some great kitchen science type experiments (Mentos and Coke, layering liquids, fun with electricity)and pizza.

Easter day was lovely.  Here's a shot of the Boy and the Girl in their finery.  Note D's new sneakers...I didn't realize he didn't have dress shoes on til we were in the car headed out to church. Ah, well...they were nice and clean!

Two days later, it was Miss Lily's birthday.  "Now we are six," in the words of A. A. Milne.  Lily got a new bicycle from Mummy and Daddy, big enough for a 6-year-old.  I think she likes it...

Then nine young ladies made a day of it at the local Princess Party salon. It was a symphony of pinkness and pampering.  They did a lovely job making Lily and her friends feel like absolute stars.  Here is the princess in all her glory...

Easter Fun

Sorry for the lack of bloggy goodness lately.  I haven't had much exciting to report, really.  No knitting mojo, and now the kids are on spring break for two weeks so we've been running around, errands and bowling and library and a field trip to see Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D down in Cambridge.  That was fun!

Darling spouseman comes home soonish and I am really, REALLY looking forward to that.

I'l placate you all with pictures of Lily's Easter bonnet she wore during the fundraiser a couple of weeks ago (we raised 350 pounds for the preschool - whooo!).  Didn't get a shot during the contest, but got a couple after the party, before we disassembled the bonnet for Easter re-use.  

Below those pics are some from our Easter egg  dyeing this afternoon.  We used a different type of Paas kit, with little sponges and supah-concentrated dyes, so the eggs look really neat!  David wasn't as into it as Lily, but he did 4 or 5 eggs... The chocolate and jelly beans are laid in, and I am sure we will have a little hunt tomorrow after church. 

Semi-confidential to Jill - I tried the purple foo-foo dress on Lily today - it's really big around the waist  and chest, but we'll cinch it with the sash. She looks adorable!  It will make a great Easter and birthday outfit. Does anyone remember the Saturday Night Live GAP girls?  "Just...cinch it!!"

Two Years

Two years ago today, we lost my mom.  In some ways, it seems like it was last week, when I think, "Ooh, I have to share that with mom when I call her."  In other ways, I feel like it has been a much longer time than 2 years.  So much has happened that mom wasn't here to share with us. 

I look at this picture, and it reminds me of so much that I loved about my mother.  She loved the kids, and they loved her, completely.  She knew how to listen to children (and adults), and how to play and create with real imagination.  She was always up for an expedition, even with two broken arms.  And she loved being outside, in beautiful places and some not so obviously beautiful.  My mother was a true "noticer" of things.  She had the observant eye of an artist, and I love that she shared what she saw.  When I notice the wonderful little details in something seemingly mundane, I thank her for it.  And I will try to keep up the adventuring, and spirit of play, in her memory.

Missing you always, mother dear!...