Last Saturday was such a busy day!

We started out trying to get to Fairbanks on Friday, actually. There was a milk expiration date mishap that ended with JR throwing up in the truck. We turned around, he got it out of his system, and everything was fine. John had to turn around and go straight to Fairbanks to pick up my meds, and he ran a few other errands while he was there.

Saturday was a busy day. We got a semi-late-ish start, but crammed in so much! First stop was at Sunshine Health Foods for some probiotics and some fabulous Tahitian sandalwood soap (yum!).

Then we took JR to get his first professional BIG BOY HAIRCUT! I cut his hair for the very first time back in January, but this was his first time at a barbershop! He did so well, and now he looks so very handsome!!!

Then I got to go to Inua Wool Shoppe; it’s this fabulous yarn store, and there were so many yummy yarns there! I met a few very nice ladies, and got some great yarns. Also, they gave me two milk crates full of back issues of knitting magazines. Great score.

We also went to Sam’s Club, Old Navy, WalMart, and grocery shopping at Fred Meyer. Holy crap, I actually got shopped out! I never get shopped out! Poor John was frazzled with all that shopping, but he was such a trooper. I had so much fun that day, but boy oh boy was that a busy day!

No, not my father-in-law, but the resemblance is uncanny.

And I’ve heard that he used to get these comments all the time.

See for yourself.

http://timstvshowcase.com/trapperjohn.html

I adore my husband.

I seriously have the best husband out there.

He came home tonight (yay!) after a one-week hitch at work. As if that weren’t enough of a gift, he came home bearing a huge cupid balloon (I do mean huge, it’s bigger than Jellybean), a bouquet of red roses, a box of chocolates, and a bag of Hershey’s dark chocolate kisses because he couldn’t find a box of dark chocolates.

I gave him a hat I knitted up for him — it matches one I made for JR. They have matching hats now, and John loves it. I’ll have to get a pic soon.

I also tried to do as much packing as I could since I know he hates it.

My man is the sweetest. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.

Here’s hoping that you’re surrounded by the ones you love today.

Did I tell y’all JR can ask for help?

“Help.” This little plaintive, mildly concerned voice is what I hear, asking me for help.

His hand is stuck inside my nalgene water bottle.

I rescue his hand, trying so hard not to laugh. He says “day-koo” (thank you), and toddles off.

Oh. And he also asks for help getting into things he’s not supposed to touch. That’s priceless.

I hate packing.

I’d better get started.

I sneezed earlier today and he said “bess ooooo.”

He loves to pick up any phone and go “hewwoooooo?” then mumbles something, then goes “buh-bye.”

He’s up to around 40-ish words and a dozen or so signs.

He’s discovered pots and pans make fabulous clanging sounds.

He’s climbed inside our lowest kitchen drawer.

He calls animals “cow” and can go “moooooooooooo.” Yep, my son moos. We have a little handpuppet that’s a cow, and he just loves Mrs. Cow. He’ll moo all day, at the top of his lungs. He’s done that many a time. Sometimes he leaves off the “m” sound and ends up sounding like a wolf pup.

He loves pointing at things and saying “this” because he wants me to name all the objects for him.

He can put cds in our Bose, and will try to do so when he wants to jam out to Grateful Dead. He loves GD, and dances fervently when they or other jam bands are played. And he loves to be barefoot. We call him our little hippie baby.

He asks for “hug” and “kiss.” He does this also when he thinks he’s about to get busted for doing something he shouldn’t. He’s discovered the power of his charm, and daddy and I know we’re now screwed. Seriously though, him asking for hugs and kisses is about the sweetest thing in the whole freakin’ world, like I can’t even describe.

I did it. My first knit design! Link to pattern below.

The Necessary Flat-Knit Irish Hiking Hat (website)

I’ve been knitting a lot lately. I finished baby’s “I Want To Go Sledding Hat” and now have to make one to match for John. I started a pair of matching wool mittens for baby. I got one done, and have to make the other. They’re a little big, so I’ll felt them a little and they should be fine. I want to make some mittens for myself, but they’ll have to wait.

I’ve been working on the Irish Hiking Scarf (like every other knitter on the planet), and aside from one row counting mistake that led to a longer repeat than the others, it’s going great. I just need the attention span to stick with working a long worsted scarf. It’ll get done.

I’ve made a pair of Irish Hiking wrist/armwarmers. I LOVED making them, because they were like instant gratification. Plus I’m getting better at mattress stitch seaming. I plan on making many more pair of them. Even for FIL.

I want to make an Irish Hiking hat, but need to find or modify a pattern so that I could knit it flat. I am intimidated by dpns. Maybe I’ll work on modifying one today.

I’ve finished just about all of my Christmas gifts (finally). I know that everyone will get them like two months after Christmas, but hey. Life happens. Plus they’re all handmade. I’d post pics of what I’ve done, but they haven’t received them yet and don’t want them peeking. After they’re received, I’ll post pics.

Well, I have a million things I want to make, a child to clean, a house to clean, and lunch to make for myself, so I’ll be off for now. If anyone has a flat-knit Irish Hiking hat pattern to share with me, you’d be sparing me a major headache and earn a place in my heart forever.

I’m moving this here, for posterity.

~~~~~
Our little man is 10 months old!!! He’s crawling, talking, walking along furniture (and everything else), and revealing more of his super-charming personality every day. Where has the time gone?! He’s such a big boy now, learning to do all the big boy things!

My little baby, who weighed 7 lbs 10 oz at birth, weighed in Juse 15th at 25 lbs 1 oz, and he’s 29″ tall! Yay! He’s going to be such a big, strong, HEALTHY little boy! Daddy and I are so excited!

We have been blessed with a new addition to our family! John Royce McDonald II (named after his Grandpa, my father-in-law) was born Wednesday, September 6, 2006 at 6:42 pm via c-section after 25+ hours of hard labor, and much hard worrying by my husband. He weighed 7 lbs 10 oz,
was 20-1/4″ long, has 10 fingers and 10 toes and is
absolutely perfect!

We got married!!! August 8th, 2006, John and I had a quiet little ceremony in Fairbanks, making us Mr. & Mrs.!!! And we didn’t even TELL anyone what we were doing until it was all done! This was our version of eloping, without going to Vegas… we just wanted a quick and quiet ceremony to make things official. I’m so excited!!!