Finished!

Today Jack and I made a "engine" (gingerbread) house for an "engine" (gingerbread) man.  The man was quickly eaten by a giant named Jack.  He also gobbled up more decorations than he put on the house.  So I enjoyed myself with the decorating.

I laughed to see that Ikea included diagrams for this kit, just like a bookcase.







He tired of helping with my toffee tile pattern and decided the make gumdrops sprout out of the roof instead.




For reasons I can't understand, he insisted on stuffing the chimney with candy.


Engine man meets his end.

My side:

Jack's side:

A coworker confirmed my suspicion that nannies are the WORST when it comes to spoiling kids.  Look at this last week.  Every day she gave him a present.  First a book.

Then a truck set.

 Then a KITCHEN PLAYSET.























He loves it and loves her.  She took him out to all his favorite places last week.  Even took him to see Santa!

The Culprit:


(The truth is, we love her.)

And it's only December 21.

I'm working the 24th and 25th.  We are having Christmas dinner with Ben's extended family.  Then Christmas with the Waterhouses.  Then Christmas with the Masons.  The festivities will go through January.  How much more can Jack take?  A lot, I think, and it's a good thing.  Because there's a lot more spoiling to come.

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Is Christmas really in one week?  Where did the time go?  I was sick all of last week and everything stopped: the wrapping, the baking, the potty training, the crafts, the house cleaning, all of it set aside while I struggled through work and rehearsals, never able to shake off the cold.

It was fun having my parents visit, but I felt like I was only half present.  I hope they enjoyed their time with Jack at least.  I did get to show them the Humble Pie Shop, and I got to see the Van Gogh exhibit with them, and of course Ben’s commencement.

After all that they (almost gleefully) took Jack so Amanda, Ben, Brian, and I could see the Hobbit.  We got Jersey Mike’s subs on the way to the theater and queued up for a good seat.  I haven’t waited behind ropes for a movie since Serenity.

It paid off, we got center, front row of the back section, with the bars that I love to use for foot rests.  Add a giant coke zero and bucket of popcorn and I was ready for the next three hours of high frame rate hobbits. 

Good movie.  Of course I have my quibbles.  And Brian is right, “Peter Jackson has lost all sense tone.”  And I still hate 3D.  But I still enjoyed it immensely.

Sunday I slept as much as possible.  Skipped church and tithing settlement.  Watched the Arisocats with my boys.  Toast for dinner.

Today I’m feeling better.  Just residual coughing and nose-blowing.  No head-pounding or debilitating fatigue.  I slipped back into our usual Monday routine.  I don’t know why I’ve had so many Mondays off at work, but it’s nice.

Jack woke and quietly played in his crib while I stole and extra thirty minutes of snoozing.  Then we got up and each had breakfast.  Sausage, eggs, and berries for me.  Sausage, berries, and toast for Jack.  Then we unloaded the dishwasher.  I started some laundry and vacuumed while he ate.  Then we made muffins.  Jack got a lot more excited to eat them when he saw that they look like cupcakes.
 Then it was time for dressing and brushing teeth, before head out for the library.  Story time is at 10:30 on Mondays.  We swap out new books for the week and read and sing songs.  Jack LOVES it.  There’s a solid routine that he can follow:


1) return old books
2) open the “frog box” to see the hint the librarians left about what the theme will be
3) Say hi to the real frog
4) browse new books
5) drink at the kids fountain
6) sit for story time, which includes:
  a: receiving magic from the wand
  b: open and shut hands song
  c: letter of the day and ABC song
  d: stories/dances alternating
  e: goodbye song
  f: more magic from the wand
7) get a stamp and sticker
8) Help check out new books

He’s getting so much better at group story time too.  At the start he would just sit quietly in my lap.  Wouldn’t join in anything, he only listened.  Now, well, not so shy:

He likes to say hi to all the kids and ask them questions.  He even started sitting up front, away from me last week.  Before and after the session he grooves to the music.


After story time we get groceries, gas the car, and go home for lunch.  Then play for an hour and it’s naptime! 

Routine is good.

Even though Ben finished his degree in August, and started work in September, we celebrated at his commencement on Saturday.  He was given the Lady Ada Lovelace award for "outstanding achievement in computer science or computer information systems."  Sort of a Best in Class award.  Ben will try to tell you that it's not a big deal, and that really he was the only student who bothered to apply.  But I don't believe him!  It's a major award, bring out the leg lamp!

My parents came up to attend his commencement and do some Christmas shopping and Jack time.  Here are some pictures from the ceremony, the whole set is on flickr here.

Having his award announced:



And receiving the award (taken from the jumbo screen, we were way in the back)

When they got to the roll call to hand out diplomas, they skipped ahead two pages! So I was totally unprepared when Ben's name was called.  I managed to get a few at least.


(those people standing up blocked my shot of him shaking hands)  





But the afterward pictures are what matter anyway :-) We are so proud of our graduate! 


I tried to have Jack wear the hat.  He wasn't up for funny hats after having to skip his nap.

Or maybe he was declaring his intent to skip college.  So my parents each got two bachelor degrees now?  Fools! Send me to trade school.  Bob the Builder is my hero.  I got my tools and my flannel - I'm ready!

Ben asked what the "part II" was for in my last post.  I told him I had done a "Treat yo self" post before.  He did a search and the results were sad.  One post about buying yarn with Miranda in July.  The other was my salon visit in February.  Almost one year ago.  That erases my guilt.

Speaking of buying yarn, I'm going crazy knitting this year!  I have six projects on needles right now.  I won't post my Ravelry page, because there are Christmas surprises there.  But I need to tell you about my sock craze.

It started with my Steffi.  Steffi is my pen-pal in Germany.  We have been writing since I was in the third grade, about 1991.  Thanks to email we have been able to keep in touch over the years with minimal effort.  Isn't it incredible that my pen pal and I still write??  Anyway, she had her first baby this year; a beautiful girl named Sophie.  I sent her an Aden & Anais blanket and a bonnet made out of my new favorite yarn, Anzula Squishy.  It's a gorgeous blend of cashmere and merino wool with a touch of nylon - and it's machine washable!  Steffi loved it and sent a photo of it in action.  Oh how it tickles me to see this!  (Then I got a photo from my friend Miranda of Cedar wearing the other bonnet I made.  So many babies! So much cuteness!) In thanks she sent me a package with undies for Jack (perfect timing!) and hand knit socks made by her mother.



You guys.  Socks. Hand-knit.  By my German pen-pal's mother.  Does it get any more precious than that?

I always thought I would hate wearing/knitting socks.  Too hot, itchy, and bulky.  My lands, was I ever wrong.  It's like walking around with your feet gently swaddled in downy quilts.  Not too hot, not at all itchy, and so comforting.  Thus I decided I HAD to knit socks.

I spent a ton of time on Ravelry searching for a good pattern.  Then I had to stop and start the toe three times and the heel twice, because I wasn't satisfied with how it was going.  After all that experimentation the second sock is going super fast!  I even started to make Christmas stockings with a similar pattern. 

 Can't wait to wear them! 

Speaking of socks, it's another night of Hanukkah, and it's almost bed time for Jack.  We better open our socks now.  Good night!