No Sweeter Word

Guess what has become my favourite word? (That's right, I have a favourite word.  Get over it.)

WE.

It is such a beautiful word, especially when my three-year-old says it as he is giving me a play by play of the exploits of his and his little brother's adventures.

"We are just building stuff."
"We are hiding in the fort."
"We need some water because we are really thirsty."

I love it!  It gives me a glimpse into the future when I hope they are best friends.

Oh Bed! Oh Bed! Delicious Bed!

You know those people in the world that you can't help but love?  Well, my sister-in-law Renee and her daughter Rhiannon are two of those kinds of people. We love them!

This week Rhiannon turned FIVE, and today was her birthday. Because we love her so much, and because she deserves to be spoiled more than most five-year-olds, and because I don't have a little girl to make girly things for, Rhiannon got the spoils of my crafty labours this month.

Working late into the night last night to get it finished, this is what we brought to her party (and when I say "we" I actually mean "I", due to the pox and all):

Could you please all fall over right now with awe?!?!  Seriously, I MADE that!!!  I don't believe it myself, I promise.  But, I have proof:

Okay, that's not proof at all, it's just a picture of me holding wood while Jared's dad is doing stuff and then a finished product, but let me assure you that I did, in fact, with a little help from my father-in-law, make this bed from scratch.  And it only cost me $17 (and two finger tips, which I sanded off on the belt sander.)

All right, that also proves nothing except that I'm really good at putting bandaids on, but I didn't want to gross anyone out with my lack of finger nails. Just trust me on this one people, it was gross.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that Rhiannon is amazing and I hope that her fifth birthday was awesome, and that her next trip around the sun is even more incredible than the last.  And the other moral is that I made that bed.  I did.

The plans for the bed came from Ana White and were awesome.  I'm never going to buy another piece of furniture again, I'm just going to make it all.

On my Needles this week

Just in case you were wondering what I've been knitting this week...

A few newborn sweaters out of extra yarn in my stash.  This one I knit for a designer.  It was so fast and super cute.  If only I had a newborn girl to try it on!

Another sweet sweater I made to use up the yarn from the sweater and hat set that I made for Silas.  

And this darling hat I made for Adrienne, who bought me the yarn and told me to knit her something pretty.  I think it's pretty.  I've never worked a fair isle pattern before, so it was a learning experience.

There you have it.  Just in case you were wondering.

Don't wake a sleeping baby

I don't know why, but Silas has been a miserable sleeper lately, being sick and all, so when he manages to fall asleep, I don't mess with the magic.  I love my Si-Guy. 

This one's my favourite.

Chicken Box Party!

I've been searching for 4 years, and finally I found it: the Chicken Pox have finally infected my children. For three weeks we've been talking about it, we've gone to two different houses to ensure exposure, sucked on suckers and popsicles, chowed down on cookies and traded pajamas.  It's really been quite fun.

Until the spots showed up...

That's him trying to be sad.  He really was, but he's too much like me to not smile prettily for the camera. 

Once the thrill of actually having the pox wore off he began begging for a "Chicken Box Party" of his own so that he could give the pox away.  Even in his misery he is so cute!

So, we did what any good parents would do, we threw him a party to celebrate his Chicken Box, with something that hasn't been in our house for over 3 months: macaroni!!!!  (Don't worry, it was organic... in case you were wondering.)  I'm not sure what Eli was more excited for, the macaroni, or the idea that we weren't "doing a raw diet" anymore.  He was really excited.

Although Silas wasn't really sure why we were spoiling him so, he was pretty pleased as well.   

They were both just as excited about the raw chocolate dessert as they were about the macaroni.

I remember when I got the chicken pox my Aunt Liz brought over a felt story book.   I don't remember the misery of it, although I'm sure it was miserable, but I do remember that book.  Maybe tomorrow I need to sneak out of this sick house and buy Eli something special, even more special than the macaroni!

Mayhem at our House

I love my family.  I love that all of Eli's cousins live near.  On Sunday night Shannon and her five kids stopped by on their way home from Hillspring, and for a few hours our hows was absolutely crazy.  With my two, Alice's four and the five Evans', it made for a full house. They played outside for a long time, and then they brought the madness inside. It was so loud, and I AWESOME!

Even Silas and Nixon were in on the action. 

I can't get enough of watching my boys play with their cousins.  And I'm so glad they come to play as often as they do.

Dear Blogger,

When we first met and you whispered the word "free" into my ear I fell hard.  I was convinced that you cared about me.  That you understood about my lack of disposable blogging income.  That you were truly interested in my ability to share my intimate details with the world. That's how you sucked me in, convinced me to commit, how you lulled me into a false sense of security.  And then, just like the schoolyard drug dealer, right when you knew I was hooked, really dependent, you pulled the wool from my eyes!  You tell me that there are limits to our relationship.  You claim that you love me, but only so much (1 gb, to be exact).  You try to convince me that our relationship means something, and that if I will only give you a little something, we can carry on as though this little change of rules never occurred.  Well, you know what, it worked.  The crack you slipped me, with all the promises to go along with it, has taken it's hold.  I can't stop.  While I may like to think I can just walk away, leaving you with over a year of memories together, I can't.  I will pay your little fee.  I will give you what you are asking for. And then? Then I will upload all the pictures I want, and I will shove them in your smug little face! 

Kindest regards,
Me