monday

It's Monday. sigh. My husband is working OT until 6pm. That means he won't be home until 630. With 3 kids that's tough, but Christmas is coming and we have had a lot of car repairs needed. He is such a hard worker. I am so fortunate to have him for a husband. It is tough only living on one income. Worth it though. We would pay out the nose for daycare. And we ARE homeschooling.

Speaking of homeschooling......... We are going to take the month of December OFF!! Wee Hooo!! Me and the kids are gonna decorate, bake, and visit visit visit!! Only a couple more days of November and then vacation!! This is the 1st break we will have taken since we started hsing 2 years ago. We've taken days off, and a week at a time for the beach, but no real break. Wow! I hope I don't get lazy or the kids forget everything they have learned.

Amelia, dd, is in 1st grade and is learning to read. She is doing well in my opionion. She has been diagnosed with ppd (pervasive developmental disorder). I think God is healing her of that, however. She is just doing too well. Now, if I put her in any kind of school, I think she would not do well becasue she thrives with 1 on 1 attention. Plus, she gets to do quite a bit of things that stimulate her on her own. Lots of free time to dream, play, and live.

Madeline, dd #2 , is supposedly doing kindergarten. ha ha. what a joke. We are learnign our letters and mastering 1 to 1 ratio in math right now. Compared to the drill sergeant I was with Mia, she is getting off easy. Today, we played a ID game with hershey kisses and an egg carton. I was pleased, she got them all right. Little girl has had me fooled. When push came to shove (kisses at stake) she could perform her lessons!!

Then there is the Bud Man, The Muffin Mess (song to go with name), aka, Robert Ethan. He is 2.5 and a wild ragamuffin of a boy!! He is sooooooooooooo funny. Soooooooooooo cute. He is so charming. Watch out girlies, he is gonna give y'all fits!!

When I get my digital camera, I will post pix of all the most beautiful children in the world.... mine!!

Spinning and knitting you ask? Of course!! finishing up the rest of my mother's b-day/Christmas present. Getting ready to start handspun fingerless gloves for sis in law. And, still finishing up yoke of dh's sweater.

day before Thanksgiving

Today is the day before Thanksgiving!! This is my favorite holiday of the year. Why?? Isn't Christmas more fun? Well............. No. There is so much more to do and prepare for for Christmas. With T-day, you clean your house, make great food, invite all your loved ones over, and feast. Oh yeah, and give THANKS!!!

This year is the best year ever!! I have so much to be thankful for!! I am well. My children are such blessings. I have a fabulous husband that I appreciate so much. God has been so good to me. I don't have time or space to enumerate all that He has done for me. Suffice it to say: He has saved me, healed me, delivered me, gave me good work to do, provided all material needs that I have, given me friends, and given me the gift of prayer. I don't have much more that I could ask for from life. Jesus is EVERYTHING!! I wish all could have the love, joy and peace that I have found in Him. I would like to tell the world how wonderful He is!!!

As for knitting and spinning........ doing lot of that. Only 3 inches to go on Andy's sweater. Maybe I'll get a digital camera (and IPOD) for Christmas and show you all my stuff. What fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!! catie

I am so excited!!!!!!!!! Just signed up for the Spin to Knit secret pal exchange!!! Gonna be soooooooo much fun. I am going to have to start planning what I am going to make for my secret pal.

Just finishing up the Tropical Sunset wool/mohair blend from Nistockfarms.com. I am making a potato chip scarf from my efforts and it is taking FOREVER!! Running out of room on my 39" needle.

Still slaving over Andy's (dear husband) handspun sweater. I really need a digital camera so I can show off my stuff. Christmas is coming and it would have mutiple applications for all my hobbies (what I will tell afore said dear husband).

Actually did school today with girlies. Doing place value with 1st grader and one to one ratio with Kindergartner.

Gotta run put my 2.5 year old to bed. More later.

sorrow

Today is my older brother's birthday. I am sad because he is bipolar and has disowned me. There was nothing I could do to help him and his family (nothing that would not have cost me my family, that is). They have been sued by 2 different neighbors over pet issues. I guess I am feeling sorry for myself because I am misunderstood. But that is OK. I have come to a sort of terms with that. My choice was either to keep relationship and be drained dry of emotional and physical resources or choose my husband and children and reserve all that I have for them.

The wound does not hurt like it used to. God is healing it from the inside out. I am so thankful. God!! Help my brother and bless him today. Give him a good day. Show him and his family how much you love them.

3:05 pm

Wow............. Today went by really fast. It is already 3ish. Had Jackie A. Over with her kids. We are (hopefully) starting a homeschool co-op group. Today, was all about Thanksgiving. I had really low standards for the day as I have a special needs 1st grader and a barely interested K, and on top of that a 2 year old!! Whew. We had fun though. Got to show Hannah (Jackie's dd) how to use the niddy noddy to wind off yarn to make a skein. Probably going to be teaching her how to knit/spin soon.

I am on my 2nd color of my Koigu Keepsake shawl pattern. Very beautiful. A big thank you to Diana for providing me the pattern AND giving me a skein of her Koigu. Thanks, you are such a dear. I really think you must have the gift of giving.

Also, still working on Andy's (dear husband) handspun and handknitted sweater. It seems like it is taking forever to get the yarn finished. That is spinning it. I think by the time it is all done, it will be almost 2 pounds of wool and like 10ish skeins. I am learning a lot though. Gauge, etc....

That's all for now, maybe more later. Question, should I tell people that I have a blog? Would anyone be interested in my ramblings? Oh well, I'll think about that later. Now........... time to sit and knit!!

catie-catknits

Well................ I have finally started my own blog. Now, I only need a digital camera to really be off and rolling in this cyber age. Yeesh. I don't even have an Ipod. This staying at home thing with the kids really puts you on the fast track dinosaur trail in this digital age. Oh, well................... I can't think of anything I would rather do that be home with my 3 beautiful kiddos.