I'm in love!!

I have no idea who actually reads this besides Mr. Romance.  Sometimes people will comment to me in person about reading it, and other times my wonderful knitting sisters will post a comment.  All are appreciated, though I really just use it for myself.  Its a great place to just be proud of a project or capture Puddin for a brief second and be able to look back on the moment since they go by so quickly.  But right now I feel close to bursting so I'm going to let it spill here.  I've had a wonderful summer and here are some reasons why:

I have found time to knit again, it's feels like coming home to a house with bread baking.  Even before you eat it you feel warm and satisfied!

Grampie and Grammie have been able to spend a good portion of time with us, which is great seeing as they live 5 hours away, and someone really likes his Grampie!

Honestly we had a very low key birthday celebration (hence the Thanksgiving bib) but we had to have a hat picture!  

I was able to have an excuse to go to playgrounds on my days off.

Hiking with my favorite boys.

He doesn't nap, but he sure is cute!

I can't believe that in eleven days it's over again for another year.  I live a charmed life indeed, if for no other reason than how happy it can be with the little things.  Now I'm off to go squeeze some beautiful red/pink merino cashmere sitting on the coffee table!  I'm thinking lace ribbon scarf by Veronick Avery.  

Camping........

On a resent trip to Acadia National Park last weekend, our first introduction to family camping was a bit of a change for me.  I think Mr. Romance would be happy to report back that he enjoyed the more lax, less militant camping style, from my previous conservationist, NO impact expectations of years past.  Let's face it, when you travel with disposable diapers and a huge red wagon, you let the backpacker in you relax a bit and actually use the dumpster at the campground.  I think J might have filed for divorce if I'd insisted on packing out the dirty diapers......I might have divorced myself for that matter.

Someone found out about headlamps!!  That was just too much fun.

It's a tough call on who's more excited to go back, mommy, daddy or Puddin'.

The wagon was better entertainment then expected.

Obsessions

As a person with an addictive personality,  any chemical more potent than tequila or those silly cigarettes was not an option during my college years.  Knowing that fact about myself might have saved my life, or just made things harder for myself,  I probably should have shied away from the tequila.  That would have made things simpler as well.
So now here I am in my late 30's.  That's the first time I've written that down.  Yikes!  37 is closer to 40 than 30 isn't it?  Oh well, for anyone who is about to comment on that,  the 30's have been so much better than the 20's, so I'm almost excited for the 40's.  Plus I'm already grey so who cares.  Anyway, off the tangent,  I'm in my...(we just covered that, move on) and the addictions have just changed that's all,  it's yarn, and my it's all consuming.  Here I sit with 20 minutes to myself and I just want to go through my stash.  The house is literally falling into itself it's so cluttered and dirty, but it's the bins of yarn I want, the pattern potentials, the possibilities.  There are empty needles that need to be filled.  I will never get a FO out of any of the things cast on at the current moment, so who cares.  Let's just keep at it.  It's the potential that is exciting!

Happy Birthday Big Baby!!!

It's Big Pud's birthday.  He's a year old, a whole year old.  Man, the things he has learned in only one year. To bad there isn't a way to bottle that and and keep that going for years.  I knew that he'd be fun, but I had no idea that it would be this much fun.  Honestly if I'd known, I might have done this a bit early.  That being said, it's a good thing I waited because I was able to get a lot of things done and it's been a year since I had decent sleep!

I don't remember a lot of last summer but I'm pretty excited for the rest of them!

Summer vacation..............

As a child, summer vacation meant the lake.  That was pretty much it.  Before moving to Maine,  our family vacations were at the lake, then when we actually lived there, as soon as school was out we'd move to the camp and live there until school went back in.  In college though, life kicked in.  There were summer jobs away,  friends to visit, other parts of the country to see, tourist towns to live and work in.  I can say that I've had the opportunity to live in some of the most beautiful places in Maine and New Hampshire, and because of this over the past 15 years I've spent very little time at the lake.  Funny how as you get older you begin to appreciate quiet and solitude.  I feel like I've had the first REAL summer vacation in years thanks to the lake.  And as you can tell from the picture,  everybody relaxes at camp :)

In knitting related news,  summer vacation has meant some quality knitting time.  I'll post pictures when I small man isn't crying.

Full on mommy mode............

So another school year has passed, and a very eventful one at that.  It started out slowly, thank goodness.  But by the time February rolled around, it was full swing preschool craziness.  Some people ARE what they do.  We all know of, it not know,  someone who is.  These people remain excited, committed, almost single minded, with their job also being their hobby.  At times I wish I was more like that, I always think of extra things I'd like to do for work, but then the reality of life (aka laundry and dishes) or even my desire to sit down to knit and watch a favorite show (Glee, this week).  But I do truly love my job, I'm very fortunate and wouldn't want it any other way.  Don't get me wrong, there are days when I don't want to be there as much I should, but when you get to think about your day in terms like "play" "circle" "snack" "outside", it's fairly easy to get over yourself and enjoy the day.

But here I am on summer vacation, and I love it!  It is also only two weeks long before I go back to work part time, which makes it all the sweeter.  As the week has evolved I've had to remind myself to let some things go,  it began with this feeling that since I was home I should be accomplishing things.  I was soon to learn that my opinion of what was suppose to be accomplished in the course of a day is not what my son thinks should be accomplished.  In three days he has had a total of 90 minutes of napping at home, seems he doesn't nap so well for mommy.  He's learned to crawl at a runny pace, and to pull himself up to everything.  His dancing skills have improved daily as well!  He can do more than just wiggle his diaper,  he's got arm movements involved now too.  I've never worked so hard and had such fun in my life, but man,  I could use a nap!

Happy Mother's Day

It's very strange to think about where I was a year ago - for one thing I was getting a LOT more sleep, (I am actually smiling as I type that) and I had a concept in my head about what was going to happen and what life would be like.  That being said,  I had no freaking idea!

I love this little man, and I have never worked harder in my life, been more tired, had a more demanding boss or ridden a bigger emotional roller coaster.   He makes the toughest job I've even done seem like a cake walk.  Everyone told me these things, but prior to him, all I've had to compare IS the hardest, toughest thing I've ever done.  And true to form, I've never loved anyone so unconditionally or had such a bright spot in my day as this little guy.  If someone can wake you up three times between two am and six am,  and you are still happy to see them, it's got to be love, don't you think?  Thank you Daddy and Puddin'.  You are tons of fun and I love you both very much.