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“I’m going to finish or frog all the UFOs.”

“I’m finally going to knit Girasole.”

“I’m going to start designing all these sketches.”

Well, summer had other plans. I did start Girasole. I have gathered some of the yarn for the sketches. I made a tiny bit of progress on the UFO pile. I pulled out the Lizard Ridge blanket I started way, way back in 2007. I thought it would be a totally doable Ravellenic/Ravelympic/Raveldacted project.

I did pretty well the first week and half of the second.

I finished knitting all the squares.

I gave them a soak in the bathtub.

I blocked them and laid them out to figure out where I wanted all the squares.

I seamed up five strips, then I seamed three of those strips together. And then, I lost steam. I’m still working on it, but not at the pace I had been. I really, really love it and seeing it SO close to being done is very motivating. Someone just remind me of that when I’m on the third hour of the i-cord bind off I want to do around the whole blanket.

(Jack- the house dog)

So, awhile back (like in May 2011), I innocently commented on the JMF blog. Susie was running a birthday contest, and I figured that I’d add my comment to the chorus of others. I never expected to win the contest, and I was stunned when I was picked. And then I started jumping up and down, which was difficult because C was only 3 weeks old at the time.  I spent some time trying to figure out how to get us from Texas to Virginia, and then spent a bit more time trying to figure out if the kids could stay with someone while Steve and I went out, or if we’d need them to come along.

Needless to say, it took a while to get everything nailed down and organized for the 1,300 mile journey! It was so worth it though. We ended up staying in Lake Anna, and then hopping over to the farm for a vacation within a vacation. The farm is simply beautiful, and mother nature took care of us- providing a little cool spell for the two nights we stayed.

I am failing to come up with the right words to describe what a feeling of calm overtook me while we were on the farm. I enjoyed talking about pressure canning, and the dangers one might face if you made wine with poison ivy. It was a treat to sit down at the big, wood table and have freshly harvested vegetables for dinner. Not to mention waking up to the smell of spice bread and apple cake.

The animals are lovely. Truly, they are just as I had pictured them from reading the blog.

The little goat twins and triplets won me over. With their insistent maa-ing, enthusiastic tail wagging, and general cuteness, Asiago, Manchego,  Parmigiano, Blanco, and Fresca became the highlight of my day. They were pretty eager to be pet, and I was eager to pet them. I think it worked out well.

We also got to be there for the puppies first trip outside. Oh my goodness- the cuteness!

Before we left, intern Charlotte was taking the goat kids on their first leashed walks. That was a sight to see and hear.

Some seemed to take to the leash much better than others, but they all were very cute.

It was also fun to walk around, observing the chickens. Since we don’t have a rooster, I’ve never thought about how different the flock would be with a guy hanging around. Those ladies love their roosters. My favorite was Chanticleer, as he looked as if he was wearing pantaloons.

But, Mojo was a close second (just look at all his ladies!).

Jerry tried to sneak in a kiss, but Steve deftly dodged out of the way just in time. I think Jerry sensed a kindred spirit.

Should you ever get the chance, I’d highly recommend a stay. I’m not sure quite how, but I feel like I’ll be back again someday. And if you’d like to look at even *more* pictures, here’s a link to the Flickr set.

Before we met you, I honestly wondered how I could love someone as much as I did your brother. I shouldn’t have. The moment I heard you, I knew. I don’t know how it’s possible, but perhaps that’s a little magic. I wondered about how different you would be from your brother, and how the two of you would get along this first year. You were just as snugly as H, and I was so glad. You have a strong personality. You are willful. You are determined. The fact that you are three years younger than your brother doesn’t stop you from trying to do everything he does (and more). You have an thoughtful mind. You want to know how things work- why and how does this door close, where does the picture come from on the iPad, how did you just open that thing? It amazes and scares me how smart you seem to be.  I fully expect you to start talking in full sentences one day soon, because your inflection mimics mine so closely, I can already tell what you want to say most of the time. You are adventurous, and so far, you don’t seem to know fear. You have yet to sleep more than 6 hours in a row. You keep me on my toes.

You are you, and I couldn’t ask for more.

Hopefully we will make it to the farmer’s market this morning. Then maybe go over to Barnes and Nobel so H can pick out another Star Wars book. Maybe a trip to the zoo this afternoon- if I feel like braving the crowd (by which I mean we might actually see other people as we amble through). Just something to keep the boys interested. S works today from 11:30-7, and he’ll probably need to grade after that, so anything I can do to stop H from saying he’s bored is good. Maybe we’ll order pizza or pick up Five Guys. I love to cook, but it’s impossible to enjoy it with C crying at my feet to be held.

I need to remember to go to the store too- we need bananas, apple cider vinegar, and paper towels. I wish Target had fruit, since it is so much more enjoyable to take H there than the grocery store. He is appeased by getting to look down a few toy aisles. No such luck at the grocery store, even though he likes to help pick out and weigh the produce.

Maybe I’ll even get to knit tonight. Or read. Or take a long, hot bath. Or watch the last two episodes of Downton Abbey. Any of those would be nice.

If you had told me 10 years ago that this was going to be my life, I’m sure I wouldn’t quite believe you. Two boys?? Knitting?? A chicken in the backyard? I can picture my life differently, but the only thing I want to change today is to add in some more sleep.

I love them. They are so simple, but I found it hard to send them off. I hope my sister loves them as much as I do.

2011 was a hard, but very rewarding year over here. We had a baby, bought a house, celebrated many holidays and birthdays, but it was exhausting. Not a lot of knitting, or spinning, or crafting happened, so hopefully that will change in 2012. Here’s the 2011 collage.

These days, I am trying to knit more.

These days, I’m looking at C while he crawls around.

These days, I’m watching in amazement when he pulls himself up to the couch and tries to walk around.

These days, I’m thankful that he can’t quite get the hang of that just yet.

These days, I’m wondering where the time goes.

These days, I’m trying to get into the holiday spirit while racking leaves on solstice.

These days, I am eagerly awaiting a quiet Christmas with my boys.

(Started on 11-7, finished 12-21- yep, that is how things are going these days.)

C is going through a phase where he wants to nurse all.night.long. It is driving me a wee bit crazy. I love him to pieces, but I also need to not touch anyone for a few hours day. Whoops, tapped too loud….

8-15-11 Taking a few minutes during H’s rest time to finish up. C is having tummy time and scooting around in circles. On Saturday, things went from bad to worse. C decided that he was going to be up from 10:30-3am. And then wake up at 7. And nurse twice (three times?) in between. I was a walking zombie, and I taught a mom and daughter to knit Sunday. Thankfully, he slept well last night. He had a final nap from 6-8 (I tried to get him to hold out, but he just crashed). Then I put him down for the night at 10:30. He did well, only waking up to nurse about three times. And none of the nursings really got either of us up. Small victories! Hopefully, he feels a bit better now, and we’ll start getting some good sleep again. We both could use it.