No School - Snow Day #2

We got about 4 1/2 inches of snow here in Lebanon, OH. It is cold and the snow is light and not good for packing (not a wet snow). I turned on the tv and turned on Scooby Doo Movies (that I taped years ago for the girls from television). They watch a little go out and play, come in get warm, watch some more and then go back out to play some more. My laundry just quadrupled and I won't tell them not to go out and play. We had some older teen boys come by wanting to snow blow our driveway, but that is my exercise!! So I told them no thank you and sent them on their way. They did get to snow blow the neighbors' drives. I finished another dishcloth (so many people like them and they can be worked on anywhere and require no thought). I am trying to finish another scarf. I am closer than I think but I have to keep stopping to work on something else and then go back to work on it. Then when I get that finished I have to make a scarf for my DD1's teacher and one for my DD3's teacher. Then I can work on my youngest niece's (DN3) penguin and clown. I need to finish so many things for Christmas, I think I am going to be knitting and crocheting on Christmas Eve! I hope not (at least not under pressure). So time to get back to the needles! Have a good and safe day.

No School-Snow Day #1

In Ohio, we are only allowed to have (I think this year) 3 snow days. After that we have to make up at the end of the year. So today is the first snow day. I knew yesterday that they would cancel, but they had to wait until 5 a.m. to call everyone and let them know that they would officially cancel school. My girls were up and ready to go at 7:30 a.m. It is a long day when that happens. I made coffee and they are presently each settle with a cup of coffee (we use it when DD2's asthma is at it's worst). They are enjoying their mixture of flavored and decaf coffee and that is all they will get.

I let them out to play and they were back in after about an hour, nice rosy cheeks (from the cold) and wet (from the snow stuck to the clothing). They changed out of the wet and into dry and wrapped themselves in blankets and are watching the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with Boris Korloff. Then we'll put in something else for them to watch.

After they came in from playing the neighbor's kids (and yes they have two (2) a boy and a girl-who looks to be the same age as one of ours) came out to sled ride also. They didn't stay out long. I don't think they are used to the weather. But no dogs so far. If they take good care of their dog, I will lovingly accept the dog.

Tomorrow, DD2 gets her cast off her arm! She'll get another x-ray and we will go from there. If she is out of the cast we are signing her (and her sisters) up for karate! Maybe we can try to keep her from breaking any more bones. My DN1 (darling niece) broke her finger and did some serious damage to it, playing basketball....vicious sport!

I finished a few more scarves. (I may have mentioned my friend and I played Santa to a little girl and I made a scarf for her and to hide that, I made many extra scarves for other children). Now to make the scarves for the teachers. One teacher won't be getting a scarf because I want to make her something special (she is a good friend).

Have a good day and stay safe!!

Snow, Snow, Snow

It is not safe to be on roads with all those people rushing to get their Christmas gifts. On Thursday, I drove down to Kentucky to get my car worked on. It had a vacuum leak that needed to be fixed. I took it to the shop I went to when I was in college. I trust the men who work there and when I called to find out what the codes meant and what symptoms the car would exhibit, they were truthful and helpful. I don't trust a lot of the mechanics I run into. They try to scare people into getting the work done and I just don't like that. On my way back down (I borrowed my mother's car so I could transport my children) on Friday, I had to get off the expressway because of an accident where the cars were creeping along (I spent a half hour sitting). On the way back home, another accident where the road became a parking lot. I got off the expressway and it still took me over 2 hours to get home! That is a long time to be travelling and I had to call and wake up my husband so that he could go get my daughter from school. I knew that I was just not going to make it home.

Yesterday, we took the girls and went Christmas shopping for my brothers-in-law, my brother, my nephew and sister-in-law. We also bought the girls some clothes (my older two need clothes) and shoes. #1 DD shoes were ripping out (they were only a month old) #2 DD outgrew her shoes and #3 DD still had good shoes that were only a month old and she wanted a new pair also! She melted. I reminded her that she was going to get a new dress for Christmas. She could choose...new shoes or new dress...she chose the dress.

Overnight the rain changed into snow. It just isn't safe to drive with all those people in a hurry to get their gifts. I just don't want my stone to read, "She died for Christmas gifts." So the girls and I stayed home. I let them play in the backyard (no dogs, I don't have to be right here when they are out there!!!! (I sang my new song...Ding dong the dogs are gone, the evil dogs are gone!) I am betting that with all this lovely snow there will be a school cancellation due to snow. I hope not. I have too much to do and I would like to get finished, but I will deal with whatever happens.

So if you are anywhere where there is snow, Enjoy! If not, but are waiting for it, Stay Dry. Have a good Sunday!

They are GONE!!!

On previous posts I have told about my evil dog owning neighbors. These are the people who own 4 dogs that come into my yard terrorizing my children and biting one of them! I have taught my children (and other people's children) what to do should those dogs come into my yard while the children are out there. I have kept shovels (heavy duty) close to my door so that should I have to go out after the dog to protect my children (or other children) in my yard, I could. I have prayed that they move and God answered my prayers. They moved (I feel for their neighbors in GA). Recently, I thought I would search the woman's facebook and found that she told her friends that I am an evil cop-calling-dog-hater! So very funny to me that I am to blame for all her troubles with her dogs. Dogs that she had to have! Dogs that she didn't train! Dogs that she didn't exercise! I think the last is most important to note. She even told the police that it was my fault that her dogs would get out of her yard, run into mine, bite or corner my children. It was my fault because I have children and cats!

They put their house on the market in September, had an offer on the house in October and moved out in November!!!! In this housing market it was a prayer answered. I have still not met the new neighbors, but that is okay, I know that I will eventually.

As for dog-hating....I love dogs. I would take care of previous neighbors dogs. One neighbor's dog, would leave their yard and come onto my back porch. I would open the door, he would come into my house and play with the kids. I would yell over to the owners and let them know that I had their dog. They would bring over his leash and say to bring him home when he was finished playing. They were a great couple and I was sad to see them leave. But they needed a smaller place (he had bad knees and couldn't take the stairs).

The next neighbor had a dog. This dog was so sweet. She would bark at my husband because she didn't trust men, but she loved the girls and I took care of her. She would come over to my yard with her owner on a regular basis. Her husband was transferred to CO soon after buying and moving into this house.

I also could control another neighbor's Rottweilers. Both dogs were female and the most loving, sweet dogs (although one would corner my husband and I would have to go rescue him). They would always come to my house for me to love on them (they were two doors away).

I would take care of my parent's dogs. I grew up with Chihuahuas, shepherds, dobermans and a collie. My neighbor growing up had dobermans and greyhounds that I took care of when she went out of town. I stayed at her place over weekends while in college to care for her dogs. I walked all these dogs and loved all of them. So I find that dog-hater label funny. I only hated her dogs because of the fear they created in my children. My one daughter is still afraid of dogs, especially if they get excited and make noises. My other daughter backs away from dogs when they get too rambunctious. As for the cop-calling, sorry but if you can't take care of your dogs, then I need to involve police so that you understand your job! They had to go to court over the attacks on my children. I think they only got the idea that I didn't like them when I called the police on them and the dog warden.

By the way, the woman claims that she is going to be a veterinarian...seriously. I don't think that will be a good thing. I hope that they bought a place with lots of land.

On the crafting front. I have made several dishcloths (with two on needles in my bag) and 3 scarves (with one on needles). I am also making this really cool hat/scarf combo called an Athena Smoke Ring that is on needles. It looks really nice when it is finished.

My middle daughter is still healing but has been falling down a lot (sometimes with help from a boy pushing her from behind). She is not supposed to be running (yeah right), she is not to be playing contact sports (does tag count), she is not to be participating in PE (there wasn't any running or contact sports involved), she is to be wrapped in a blanket to go outside for recess (seriously what idiot thought of that one-a nurse). She is not to climb on the play equipment (like that would happen). I get some interesting phone calls from the school about her.

Well time to go to bed....have a good evening all.

So Much Going On

On the 2nd of November, I took my gorgeous DDs with me and went to the polling place and voted. I took a picture for Ravelry where Crochet Queen asked all her forum people to post photos of them with their stickers. It is not me, but my daughters, but we are outside the polls with our stickers.

Then I drove them to Frankfort, KY. The state capitol of Kentucky. I discovered some sad things. 1. Marshall's Restaurant is closed and replaced with something else. 2. The Old Capitol Buildings that used to be a museum are closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, with limited hours on the other days. One building is converted into offices for some state agency and God forbid you enter the building through an open door looking for restrooms for your children (who are young). Once the lady realized that I hadn't broken in and that I was looking for restrooms for my young children (one that started to cry) she took us to the restrooms and then took us out and discovered that the door was in fact open (the wind opened it). The place that was opened to replace the Old Capitol for a museum space, was also closed on the above mentioned days. 3. All the homes that used to be opened for tours, are closed. 4. The old Arsenal that was a Military History Museum is closed for renovations, but everyone believes it to be opened already, but in point of fact it is closed. 4. To get into the New Capitol building you need to walk through a metal detector that is so sensitive that my camera set it off and we had to provide identification and be signed in.

The good things: 1. Poor Richard's Book Store is still open and the women running it are still so very nice. We found some Magic Tree House books, some Junie B. Jones and a cat book and a Grimm Sisters Novel. 2. The New Capitol was open and we were able to wonder around inside and take some photos still. The officer realized that we didn't have anything dangerous on us and when the metal detector went off he still let us in. 3. We met a nice man in the Law Library of the 2nd floor that allowed the girls to look along the stacks. 4. We were able to go into the KY Supreme Court Room, The Senate Room and House Room. 5. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial for KY was still in place and just and awesome as it was over 15 years ago.

That night there was an explosion close to our home. 11 families were displaced by this explosion and fire. 2 are still in the hospital (they were severely burned and air lifted out). The fire was still being fought when my husband came home from work and that was aroudn 4 a.m. Yes, my husband is on night shift now and the girls and I are adjusting.

Thursday evening my daughters tore my room to shreds, sheets and blankets off the bed, clothing everywhere and the drawers open and my medicine was moved (I take medication daily and I keep it in the same place so I don't forget it). I screamed at them while I cleaned up the mess and then sent them to bed. Around 11:30 p.m. (everyone was asleep) my middle DD got up and took a walk that ended with her falling down the 13 stairs. She broke her arm. I stabilized her arm, called my husband at work and told him he needed to come home to help me. I took her to the ER and they said it was broken and it needed to be "reduced" and needed to see ortho surgeon. We got home from the hospital at 5 a.m. When I asked for a note to keep her home on Friday, they balked....She can go to school. You don't need to keep her home. I pointed out the time and said by the time we get home and go to sleep, we'll have to wake up 2 hours later....then go to school for a whole day! Then they wrote the note. I had to ask for a note to keep her out of P.E. (otherwise she has to go). Every request was met by an argument. I feel that common sense has left people. To think that she can go to school on no sleep after breaking her arm and staying all night in the ER. To think that she should be allowed to go to P.E. and do all the games.

After I saw the Ortho with Esther she got her new cast. It is purple with rainbow sparkles and she loves it. I asked the Ortho for permission for the nurse to give meds at school. They asked what she was taking for pain and I gave them the list. They said we can't do that it is a narcotic, I asked for Regular Strength (Adult-she is a big girl) Tylenol. They wrote it the way the ER wrote it and then signed off on it. I took it to the school nurse and she called to verify the strength of Tylenol and a nurse named Gert at the Ortho's without verifying the child's size, said that the amount was too much. On the note to keep her inside on cold days...Put a blanket around her and send her outside, but she is not to run (she ran everyday last week on the playground), she is not to play contact sports (try this one on for size, she played tag and "Star Wars") and she is not to play in P.E. Seriously, what kind of people are they hiring that the woman doesn't even pull the chart first, she makes an executive decision, she puts all these weird rules in place about how she is to go outside and sit on a bench (as if).

But I did finish 3 dish cloths this weekend and I saw my oldest neice playing soccer. She played a good game, but the boys need to learn to share the ball with their teammates and not be ball hogs. Her team lost 5-2. Oh well. Lessons learned.
Have a good week. I have to go make my bed and put away some clothes.

It's November

I can hardly believe it is here! November! We have had some cold days and very little rain. We are under advisement to not light fires of any kind as a stray ash could start a major fire.

There are 54 days to Christmas, so it is time to buckle down and get the Christmas gifts finished. I have so much to work on. There are 21 days to my daughter's birthday! Hard to believe that 6 years ago I was on bed rest to try and prevent her early arrival. There are 23 days to my birthday. This is a year where reversing my age won't be any fun. It is a year where the number is the same. I have a lot of fun telling people my age is the reverse of what it truly is. When I turned 39 I told people I was 93! When I turned 40, I said that I was 4...I didn't have to go to work or school or nothin'.

Tomorrow we get to vote. I have been encouraging my friends to get out and vote. I don't care what their views are or who they vote for, that is not the point. The point is to get out and vote.

My husband loves his new job. He is so very happy at his new job and is excited about getting more training. He started a new job on October 4th. He was so excited to get this new job and then to be working somewhere different. The girls and I are getting used to his new schedule and then it will change again. But he said that there are so many people from his old job there that he doesn't feel like an outsider. A friend of ours (who was at the old place also) just started and said that he has been helping her so much.

I am working on a new throw rug for my bathroom, but I neglected to keep track of what I was doing and so this will definitely be a one of a kind rug.

Well Happy November all. Make your voice count and vote!

Photos from my husband's birthday

As promised here are some photos from my husband's birthday. We went to the Columbus Zoo for his day. This is my husband with his girls. They love that he chose going to the zoo for his day.
These are the girls. Every sculpture at the zoo was a photo op.
My youngest DD, looking at the turtles in the tank in the reptile house.
My middle DD with her elephant ear headband. She is very tired from all the walking and she is also very hungry.
This is my oldest DD, she is adding to her snake collection!

We had a great day at the zoo and had lots of fun, wandering through. But now it is official my older DDs are too tall to play on the playgrounds! Not much fun for them.

Today....

Today is my husband's birthday. We spent the morning with basketball evaluations. Then we went up to the Columbus Zoo. It was a gorgeous day. We spent about 5 hours at the zoo today and still have not seen all there is to see. But we have learned that our poor older girls (at 55") are too tall for the play areas at the zoo. They did get to ride a horse (the youngest got to ride a miniature horse). They got to go on a train ride (nice little ride). We had a great day. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his day (even if we had to do basketball before we could do what he wanted to do). For now, I am going to finish laundry and then I am going to bed! Have a good weekend all. I'll post some photos from our day after I download them to my computer and sort through all of them (the girls were allowed to take photos also, so I have to review them first).

The Nicole Alexandra Hat

I was bound and determined to knit a hat for my neice and DD3. They are both about the same age (my neice is 6 weeks older than my daughter). So I am lucky that they wear the same sizes. So I called this hat the Nicole Alexandra Hat for the girls. This hat will fit a child with a head circumference of 21".

Nicole Alexandra Hat

Needle:
US 5 dpn and circular (16 in) - I started with circular and moved to the dpns on row 73.

Yarn:
Pink Sport Yarn 220 yds. You may or may not need all of it. Color is the favorite of the child.

Gauge:
4” = 24 sts
4” = 32 rows

Measurements:
Circumference of Head = 21”

Cast on 126
Join and place stitch marker
Row 1 - 70: K3, P3 (rib) continue to end of Row 70 (you can stop anywhere from 60 to 70 depending on the child).
Row 71: K1, K2tog, P1, P2tog to end of row (84 sts)
Row 72: Knit to end of row
Row 73: K2tog, P2tog to end of row (42 sts)
Row 74: Knit to end of row
Row 75: K2tog, repeat to end of row (21 sts)
Row 76: Knit to end of row
Row 77: K2tog until 6 stitches remain.
Close by cutting long end and then drawing through remaining stitches and weaving ends to finish.


Give this a try and let me know how they turn out. I like the ribs on this hat and they hold well to the child's head. My DD likes a shorter hat and my neice likes the longer hat. Have fun with this hat. Change colors, add stripes. Make this your own.

Some more finished projects

I finished a few things. A hat for my DD3. It is pink (her favorite color) and it is shorter because she doesn't like it being folded, so it is long enough to fold but short enough that it won't stick up that much should she decide not to fold it over.

I finished another hat for my friend's baby. But it didn't fit. It was too small. That is okay. I have never knitted for a baby before. I have crocheted, I have made counted cross stitch, never knitted, so I am still learning.


I finished a crochet border felt blanket for my neice. I made one for her about a year ago and I was told that she liked the blanket. With the divorce of her parents it is missing. I decided that I needed to make her a new one.

I made a short scarf for a friend of mine. I put a slit in the scarf to allow her to slip the scarf through and she wouldn't have to have so much scarf to cover her neck (given that she is kind of on the short side). Another scarf that I will give to a friend's daughter. She likes browns. It will be easy to wash, especially given that she likes to ride horses and is in college.

I am working on another hat for my neice (to look like the one I made my daughter, just longer). I am working on a few dishcloths. I hope that I can get some more items finished so that I can post pictures soon. But for now I am dealing with pink eye and a broken washing machine. It conked out on Monday, the repairman comes resets it. Shows me how to reset it and then leaves. It works for 4 days and then today of all days it stops during a wash cycle. The towels are drenched. I have to haul all the clothes and wet towels to the laundromat and run them there. I bring them home and am drying them now so that I can put them away. Good things about the laundromat: 1. The people are nice. 2. The wash is completed quickly. 3. I can get some knitting finished. Bad things about the laundromat: 1. It cost $8 to wash two loads of laundry. I had to haul it out and home. 3. I had to wait for my husband to come from the YMCA with the girls because my vehicle is the only completely enclosed and has enough room for three girls (he bought a truck with an open back and can only hold 1 girl comfortably).

Have a good evening.