Gabeism

(Man, am I on fire today or what? Three posts in one day! Just like old times.)

Today I was searching for a snack for the kids which is entirely unrelated to the story but anyway, searching for a snack, head in the pantry and I hear Gabe say "I want phantom armor* for Christmas."

I said "Oh, does it really exist?"

He replies "I don't think so, so I'd like the Armor of God instead."

:)!

*phantom armor is from the video game The Legend of Zelda and the Spirit Tracks.

Life

Rob is away on his Reserves weekend and 5 of the 5 of us left at home have a little cold so we played hookie from church and are having one of our famous "pajama days". Since I have a cold I don't feel guilty ignoring some of the household chores to work on some of the more sedentary items on my to-do list. You know, really important things like knitting and blogging. Though, I have to confess that one of the knitted items on my to-do list is a Christmas present.

From last year (yikes!)

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Angel Baby
Elias is one of those babies that, when someone asks "Is he a good/easy baby?" you get to say "Yes!" and really mean it. Truly, all babies are good babies because they are all just doing what babies do but some are definitely happier/more content/less demanding/whatever and he fits into that category right now. You can often make him smile even when he wants to cry, he laughs a lot (and sometimes so hard he snorts), he is content in the bouncy seat, the swing or on his mat until he gets hungry or needs a new diaper of course, and he sleeps through the night two out of every three night which isn't too bad for a 2-month old. Needless to say, we are really enjoying his personality right now.

Lunch made to order
Not wanting to deal with cajoling a bunch of not-feeling-so-good kids to eat their lunch I made them each something I knew they would eat. Zion got pasta (we happened to have a bunch of plain pasta in the fridge already made) with butter and parmesan with olives on the side, Gabe got a PBJ, chips and banana and Gideon got his version of fish and chips. (Those are Finding Nemo fruit snacks. He also got some banana with today's ever so healthy lunch fare.)

This is was Zyrtec does to my little guy apparently. The day he got hives around his mouth from eating the yogurt bar I gave him some and this is how I found him a little while later. He was awake at least and the second I asked "Do you want to go outside and play?" he jumped right up. Then he got attacked by the ants.

Turn that frown upside down! ;)

Naptime
Zion's kitty, Eva, sure is getting big. She's becoming quite the good cat, just has to learn a few more kitty manners (like not jumping up on the table even when we aren't there to squirt her with the water bottle). She sure likes her girl (at the very least when her girl is sleeping). She has also been more attentive to me which has been helping me not miss Ben quite as much. Every little bit helps, his absence in our home is still glaringly apparent. Eva very much loves to hunt and once she's allowed outside (not until after her spay surgery!) I'm sure she'll be a bringer of gifts like our other kitty Maisy. Maisy who we watched hunt down and play with a big gray mouse the other day. A literal cat and mouse game.

Binky Buddy Pattern

I have written out my very first knitting pattern, I'm so excited. It's something very simple but still, it's mine. :) The idea came about after I knitted a hanging kitchen towel and realized that a much smaller version could replace the burp cloth I'd been shoving through the loop of my baby's binkies in order to keep it in place and easily findable. So I knit one and gave it away as a baby shower gift. I entered it into my projects journal on Ravelry and some people saw it and expressed interest in the pattern. I won't say how much time has passed *cough* but at last, here it is:
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The Binky Buddy by Julie Ross

Materials:

· 1 skein worsted weight cotton or cotton blend (machine washable is recommended, this is for a baby after all, Lion Brand CottonEase works well)

· Size 6 (4.0mm) needles

· One 1” button (or smaller, just adjust the button hole as necessary)

· Stitch marker

· Tapestry needle

Gauge: No Matter

Cast on 64 stitches placing a stitch marker between stitches 32 and 33.

Rows 1 through 4 knit.

Row 5 and remaining right side rows (until loop) knit to two stitches before center, ssk, , slip marker, k2t, knit to end

Row 6 and remaining wrong side rows (until loop) k4, purl to last three stitches, k4

Continue until 12 stitches remain.

For the loop:

Knit all rows continuing to decrease on right side until 8 stitches remain and end with a wrong side row.

Starting with right side row knit 5 garter ridges (back and forth ten times) and end with a wrong side row.

For the folding line:

Knit right side rows and purl wrong side rows for 4 rows.

Continuing the loop:

Knit next 8 rows (4 garter ridges) and end with a wrong side row.

For the buttonhole:

Knit 2

Bring yarn to the front

Slip 1 purl wise

Bring yarn to the back

Slip 1 purl wise, pass first slipped stitch over second. Repeat “binding off” 4 stitches

Place last stitch back on left needle (leaving 2 stitches on left needle and 2 on right), turn work.

Cast on 5 stitches using cable cast on method.

Turn work. Bring yarn to back, slip first stitch off left needle on to right needle and pass last cast on stitch over it. Slip first stitch on right needle back to left needle, work in knit to the end of row.

Knit 3 rows.

SSK, k4, k2t - 6st.

Knit

SSK, k2, k2t - 4st.

Knit

Bind off in knit.

Weave in ends.

Sew button in place - TIGHTLY!

***Only use the Binky Buddy when you can supervise and make sure that the fabric stays away from baby’s face as well as periodically check to see that the button stays firmly attached.

You can also use this item as a burp cloth or attach it to a favorite toy so that it is easy to keep track of, always heeding the above warnings in order to keep baby safe. If you knit this item to give away please pass on the safety information as well. Thank you!

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p.s. If you knit this and find any errors or have comments or questions just let me know, I'd love to hear from you.

Rough Day

Poor Gideon is having a rough day. First, I let him try a rice krispie type bar that had yogurt in it. I wouldn't have let him have it except that his allergist gave the go ahead to try him on some dairy and Gideon has had them before and I never noticed a reaction. Granted, it has been a long time since he had one because that was before the allergist told us to cut out all dairy including things that were baked and cooked (like the bar). So I let him have it. He ate half and got little hives around his mouth. Now I feel bad because he had a reaction (i.e. he still likely can't have dairy even though his allergist keeps telling us he should have grown out of it by now) and I feel like a bad mom because I gave him something that made him react. *sigh* So for the first time in the year since we started seeing the allergist I broke down and gave him the oral antihistamine he was prescribed.

So I thought maybe he would have a fun time playing outside. And he did. Until he got attacked by biting ants. I had to come in and check Elias because I heard him start to cry and I get inside and am in here for a minute or two when I hear Gideon cry. Back outside I go. Gideon is standing at our back fence and he's crying. I can see that he's soaking wet and his head is covered in sand. This usually doesn't make him cry though so I look closer and Gideon holds up his hand and says "See." so calmly and shows me there's a big black ant there. I swipe it off not thinking anything of it and guide him up to the house and proceed to stripe him down. Ants are falling out of his clothes. I think I get them all and take him inside with just his diaper and sandals still on. Inside I go to take off his sandals and notice a black ant that is actually still in the process of biting him. That sucker has chomped down on my baby's pudgy ankle, he's trying to hard to bite the ant's body is actually waggling back and forth. I had a dickens of a time dislodging it so I could squash it mercilessly under a shoe. After him I had to squash three or four more of its brethren and that's just what I found while taking off Gideon's sandals. Poor baby. I gave him a quick bath to wash off the sand and cuddle him in his super soft towel and he feels better but darn it, what a day - and it's not even lunch time!

Before all that though he and I did puzzles together and I grabbed the camera to record his great funny giggle.


And another take here:

First Day Of School

It's that time of year again. My favorite time of year for many reasons. Cooler weather usually but this year we didn't so much have warmer weather so it doesn't feel quite as special.

Fall colors. They're coming, you can see some turning in those leaves. Oh yeah.

Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin muffins. I might even try pumpkin pancakes this year. You get the picture.

But the bittersweet moment is sending Gabe off to school. Not only do I miss him during the day but he is most useful to have around the house especially when I'm stuck on the couch feeding Elias and I need something. He's my go-to guy.

Gabe was so excited for school to start. The morning of he came to find me at about 7:20. He said he wanted to make sure I was up. Then he asked if he could get his own breakfast. I'd planned on making waffles but he was so anxious to be ready I let him get his own. A Poptart. Oh well. Then the poor boy had to wait anyway. He kept asking over and over if it was time to go. Finally he just told me I should finish my breakfast after I took him to the bus stop because he was afraid of missing the bus. Silly boy. Rest assured we got out of the house in time and he didn't miss the bus.


The bus has been spotted and the kids start lining up. Gabe wasn't even going to look at me to say good bye until I told him to.

And there he goes without a second glance. Rob was able to come home early enough to pick him up after school so we both got to participate in the joy/sadness of the first day of school.

I believe this will be a good year for Gabe. I think there will also be a bigger adjustment for him because he was hoping to know some of his classmates and as it turns out he's stuck in a class of new faces. The night before school started the school held a "social" where the kids got to go and find out who their teacher is and find their classroom and get an ice cream treat. So it was only the night before school started that we found out that Gabe was put in a mixed first/second grade classroom. His new teacher said that there are 20 second graders and 6 first graders in her class (and she herself only discovered the night before that that she would be teaching a mixed class). It seems that Gabe is a little sad that none of the other 5 first graders were classmates of his last year. And he is especially disappointed that his friend Jordan (who happens to be a girl) isn't in class with him. At the same time he can't stop talking about how he gets two recesses. Today he said he also got to play with Unifix blocks and that was just like having a third recess.

So, yeah, he is likely going to have a really good year but I do hope that he makes new friends soon.

As for us at home we are going to be busy as well. Playdates, MOPS, Bible study and home preschool for Zion. She is super excited about that and was really disappointed that I didn't fit it in today except for a short story time. It will be interesting to see how this goes because as excited as she is she isn't serious about learning AT ALL. Though despite her distraction and goofing off she does seem to absorb some of what comes her way.