In Which We Pause Our Regularly Scheduled Program...

I just participated in my first knitting swap and wanted to give a shout-out to my team! It was the Dish Rag Tag, a relay race of sorts where we received a ball of yarn, a pattern and a washcloth knit by the gal before us, had to knit a new washcloth with the yarn, and then send a new ball, the newly knit cloth and pattern on to the next gal on our team, all the while hoping to get lucky with the post office and beat all other teams in returning our "baton" to the start. We didn't win but it sure was fun! Here's the box as I received it (stuffed with goodies! Lucky me!)


Washcloth for me, stamped cards made by Christy (they are awesome! I'm a scrapbooker, and these are right up my alley!), yummy tea, tootsie rolls and green yarn to knit a washcloth with (yes, I had already cast on when I took this picture ~ I could hardly wait to get started).

This was SO MUCH FUN and I can hardly wait to do it again next year. :O))))) I don't know what was the funnest part: waiting to get the box from my teammate in Nebraska and wondering about the treats she was including for me, getting the box and knitting as furiously as I could to try and get the box back out the same day (didn't happen but it sure was fun trying!) or putting together a new box for the next gal on my team and being excited to send surprises on to another knitter! I just don't know, all of it was a blast and I loved being a part of it. We were team Dishin' It Out and we'll probably come in somewhere in the middle of the teams but man, I feel like a winner. :D

End o' Summer

The end of summer is almost here and it can't come any sooner if you ask me. It will be nice to get out more ~ right now it's "Have some water, put on your sunscreen and bug spray, more water, snacks because heat makes us tired more quickly, more water and hats for everyone, please keep your hat on honey and here, drink some more water...wait, where's your hat? Way back there? Here, drink more water while I go back and get it." Fall is so nice in Tucson ~ can you tell I'm ready for the cooler weather?

We've been having fun indoors though and venturing out in the early evening to enjoy the yard and fresh air. Gosh, I make it sound like we stay shut up inside all summer...well, it feels like that. Anyway, there has been lots of cuteness lately...

Rowing in the row boat


Michael in a rare alone moment in the tub

(not many heinie pictures lately! their little butts are so cute!)

Michael in his "catchers mask" while playing baseball with Daddy (Really? You're playing baseball inside? In front of the huge TV? Did Mommy know about this?)

(does anyone agree that he looks like a much cuter, wholesome version of the Mouth of Sauron?)

Pigtails!


Make a silly face!


Riding on the big wheel out back (They're very particular about the set-up ~ Miranda has to be facing one way, and her little feet have to be crossed before the riding can begin!)

Wheeeeee!


Dog pile!

Casa de Jardin

One of my favorite things about starting a garden for the first time was the thought that the kids would be able to explore a new side of being outdoors. New bugs, growing plants, picking produce ~ it all sounded like so much fun with them and I was right! I have enjoyed showing the kids neat, new things out there just as much as I have enjoyed growing and tending the garden.

Today Miranda and I picked three whopper tomato worms off a chile plant. The little buggers have eaten almost all the leaves off it, and that wasn't enough because then the three of them ate 4 or 5 red chiles and 2 or 3 baby green chiles. Blargh! When I picked the last tomato worm off the plant, he spit red juice on me and man, his tummy must have been burning because it smelled spicy! That's the guy Miranda is holding here...





Then we found monarch butterfly caterpillars (at least I think so!) on the chives and lavendar...



(Mirand's trying to feed him a stick)

We picked two peppers that are a little green but not eaten by cardinals, which turns out to be a problem in our garden. The cardinals are great ~ fun to watch and beautiful to look at, but it turns out that our cardinals like tomatoes, peppers and tomato worms!