These photos could not be more misleading! The to-do and to-go list this weekend was breathtaking, but it was all done in the end. Mass, Mass, ballet, ballet, party, recital, CCD, study group, grocery store, teacher gifts... all checked off the list. I'm tired going into Monday which is a little frightening.
These photos are from the brief times in between. It's the second week of Advent and everything came together. We read Schnitzle, Schnotzle, and Schnootzle from Fireside Stories, one of our favorite stories from one of our favorite books. I happened to have prepared a Beef Stroganoff for dinner so that was rather fitting. Even more coincidentally, dinner was preceded by gingerbread and followed with oranges and chocolate coins leftover from Thursday. The baking was as tense as ever but I think, I hope the cookies made up for it. I don't eat gingerbread myself, but I love that my children do. They look forward to it all year.
My husband has been reading The Long Winter to us in the evening. I usually handle the evening read alouds but it wasn't working with the baby so I asked him to lend a hand. He finished up Farmer Boy and I suggested The Long Winter. It's an interesting juxtaposition - the sumptuous meals prepared by Almanzo's mother and the brown bread and beans that fed the Ingalls family... I'm interested to see my husband's reaction to Pa's pancake dinners. The stories make me wonder.
Let's see. I finished my son's quilt. It's plaid and honestly not my best work. I had the best idea for a design... after I finished the top. :/ But it doesn't matter because it's boyish and warm. It's due to turn cold here right this second I think, and my son will drag this out in the morning and beg me to just watch one episode of The Cosby Show. I will agree because I will be tired and just want to sip my coffee in peace. They don't know this but I would agree to as many Cosby Shows as they'd like tomorrow!
I'm knitting a little. A hat for our baby girl. She has far too many bonnets and has outgrown her newborn hats. With the weather finally turning, I grabbed a couple of leftover colors and got to work. It's striped in the round, a la Grumperina; a knitting trick I find so clever and fascinating - by far my favorite way to work stripes if I can manage it. I knit a hat flat (gasp!) recently to avoid the jog but my seams aren't quite as nice as I'd like to think. I mean, they are much improved but still just visible. I hope the recipient won't mind.
All's well that ends well and it's time to turn in now. The wind is howling outside and the fire is crackling inside and it all feels so sweet and cozy but I'm just plain tired and there is a warm baby to snuggle in the bed.
