Most recent knitting

Here is a picture of the most recent project I completed for the family at the chinese restaurant we go to, they recently had their second child, a boy. This is the kimono, bib and burp cloth from Mason Dixon Knitting. They are all made with Sugar & Cream cotton yarn.

I am working on figuring out how to make a slide show of the pictures from our camping trip, as soon as I get it I will post them too.

I really am a bad blogger...

I have had news to update for a while, I just haven't sat down to do it yet. I also have pictures, but I need to find batteries for the camera, so those will have to wait.

Well, classes are going well...it's hard to believe the semester is already halfway over. I get to register for spring semester at the end of this month, my last semester of undergrad! Time flies! Elisabeth is doing wonderfully in school, her grades are improving on her math and science tests and we're all getting used to the schedule of things. She gets her first report card later this month, they are on a 9 weeks schedule. Joseph loves Baby Gator, his teachers are great and his little group of buddies is so cute.

I started working about 13 hours a week at Hillel (the Jewish student center). I'm working reception, answering phones and opening the door, not terribly demanding and I even get down time to work on homework or read (or knit).

In other news...we are expecting our third child. My due date is May 23rd. We are very excited and so are the kids. Joseph began telling everyone he knew as soon as we told him. Elisabeth hasn't had a very strong reaction, so it is hard to tell how she feels.

I have been feeling pretty good, except for the morning sickness that hit me this week, and that is fine as long as I eat some crackers before I get out of bed, and eat pretty much every two hours during the day. My clothes are already starting to get tight (I've gained 5 pounds, pretty good for 8 weeks).

So that's the last few months of our lives in a nutshell :) I promise pictures next time.

Recent projects

Well the week has gone well. My classes are off to a great start...tons of reading to do, but it will be interesting. Joseph has done well this week at Baby Gator and Elisabeth is continuing on a great course at Norton.

We had a baby shower this weekend at church and although I didn't stay (family time prempts a baby shower for someone I don't know) I did make a cute gift for the new baby. I wanted to share what I did.

I made a diaper "cake", this is such a fun easy thing to do. I was given one when Elisabeth was born, and I just think it is so cute.

Also, I made a pair of baby socks. I used this pattern, they are done in Knitpicks Dancing yarn (Swing colorway, which is no longer available, unfortunately) on US size 1 (2.25 mm) needles. The pattern is very well written and wonderfully quick to knit. Here they are next to my coffee cup for scale...so cute! Also, I placed them on top of the "cake" for gifting.

That's it for now...oh yeah, keep your eyes on the tropics, we may be bracing for a storm this week.

OK off to read some more 18th century British lit :)

Weeks one and two of school...

Elisabeth had an awesome first week of school. She seems to be adapting well to the school environment. She has been exhausted when she gets home and quite a challenge with her temperment, but hopefully it will level out as we get more into this routine.

Joseph started his new preschool today, Baby Gator, on UF campus. Hopefully his day is going well, I'm sure it is :)

On Wednesday, I start my fall classes, 15 credits. I'm taking English lit (Age of Dryden and Pope), Commercial French, French Lit (Intro to Realism and Naturalism), Social Foundations of Education and German 2. A full schedule, but I think it will be very interesting. I've also picked up a ballet class on Monday evenings, it's wonderful to be back in dance, painful, but wonderful and refreshing.

So we're off to a busy start to our school year here. Elisabeth's Brownie troop starts up again next Wednesday, and so does choir for Mitch, so we will be on our full schedule next week.

These are pictures of the kids enjoying some ice cream in Orlando...I think they were taken in July.

Summer is over...

Wow! These last six weeks went by fast. I was busy with 2 classes (remind me never to start a language during the summer again!), Elisabeth was having a blast at summer camp and Joseph started in pre-school. I can't believe it's finished now though. I ended up doing well in both of my classes, an A in German and a B+ in Francophone Cultures, being nice to the teacher must have paid off because there is no way I could have pulled a B+ with an 80, 80 and 68 on my first 3 tests. Anyhoo, my GPA has now risen again, from a 2.93 to a 3.07...I have finally made it back over the 3.0 mark!!!!! (I started last fall '05 with a 1.84, this is a huge jump in a year's time!)

Elisabeth had a great time at Y camp. She went horseback riding every week, swam almost every day, went canoeing every week, had fieldtrips twice a week...a full day of activities every day. I would certainly recommend the program to anyone.

Joseph is doing great in preschool...everyone loves him...and of course he is perfectly behaved at school :) He starts at Baby Gator on Monday, the preschool located on UF campus, costs much less than where he is now and has an excellent program.

I have been knitting as well. I completed my very first baby project, for my dear friend, Kirsten. She is expecting her 4th child in September. I made this sweater for her...I can't wait to see a picture of the new little on wearing it. I made it in the 12 to 18 month size so it will hopefully be useful for 2 winters, since our winters are so short here :)




Elisabeth's first days of school have been wonderful. She is doing very well and her teacher says she is great in class.

I will update more on that later...I need to take Joseph to school now and get on with my day.

We survived week one!

So it's Saturday...we have completed our first week with everyone in an activity all day long. I have two classes this summer semester, German and Francophone cultures. Elisabeth is in summer camp at the YMCA and Joseph is enrolled at O2B Kids preschool.

I am loving my German class...it is really fun to be learning another language...It has been so long since I have been in a first year language course, it is refreshing and I'm gleaning lots of ideas. Of course this is a little different in that this is a 6-week semester, so each day is like 2 days and Tuesday and Thursday we have a 2 1/2 hours class!

Francophone cultures is ok, I find the material interesting, le petit Maghreb (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco), however the way the professor is teaching the class is less than desirable. She is giving us the material for the first part of the course, in the way of 3 movies, and then we will have a test. The second part of the course, as she puts it, will be built by the students; we have to bring in information from articles, etc... She will pull test topics from the discussions we have in class. I have no clear idea of what exactly I'm supposed to learn in this class, except to understand what le Maghreb is, this bothers me. German, I know, we will go through chapter 6, a clear goal...not so for Francophone cultures. Also, the prof is very detail oriented.

Elisabeth is having a blast in camp. She made a new friend on her first day. Alisha and Elisabeth seem to do everything together. Alisha braids her hair, Elisabeth shares her snacks...they are quite cute :) Elisabeth went horseback riding on Thursday...all by herself on her own horse...no adult leading the horse (I think they were in a fenced in path, but she was guiding the horse by herself) I am so proud of her :) She has also gone canoeing this week and they went to see the new Cars movie.

Joseph has had a good time at O2B also. He is so cute when I pick him up, he tells me everything they did during the day and what they ate for lunch and snack...very verbal little man. They were supposed to have a water day yesterday (sprinkelers and baby pools, I think) but it was rained out...next week maybe. He still clings on for dear life when I pick him up, but Mitch says he is fine at drop off.

So our week went well...the kids are happy...I am overwhelmed with information...it's going to be a good end to the summer :)

By the way BIG, BIG, BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Ben for passing your BAC and earning your Diploma...

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!

Happy July 4th!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth!