Ready, Set.. BLOG!

I finally started knitting!  Auntie Dev taught me several years ago and I got about half way through a scarf and hit a dead end.  I am so much better at crocheting that it was hard to want to keep going.  I still have that half knit scarf somewhere in the craft room.  Krisha decided she had done all the crocheting she could stand and taught herself to knit a few months ago.  I have always loved the diversity in design that's available in knitting and I could no longer resist.  So I grabbed some yarn and some needles and headed over for a play date/knitting lesson.  To my surprise, I picked it up pretty easily.  I started again with a scarf, but this time with easier yarn and yarn that I was excited about....  I still fizzled out.  I just got board going back and forth row after row.  And again, I can crochet without hardly thinking about it.  But training my hands and brain to knit doesn't work so well if I'm board.  Anyway, I decided to do a hat, on circular needles and I loved it!  It was fun.  I lost count, I made mistakes, my gauge was all over the map, I nearly lost stitches, I think I added a stitch somewhere along the way and in the end I still had a slouchy swirl hat like intended.  Wooooo Hoo!

The kids had a BLAST eating the ginger bread house.  I'm not sure how good it was, but I guess as long as it's cram-packed with sugar they don't care!  We are still loving the new van.  It's a little bit weird to be so in love with something you thought you'd never want.  But it feels totally natural and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Ty is getting to be such a big boy.  He's kinda tall and skinny and his feet are huge!  He is getting to be a really good helper.  I love how much he is starting to love cleaning up at the end of the day.  Not always, of course, but he like the routine and enjoys feeling useful and accomplished.  I wish I facilitated more of that for him.  Good thing we have Daddy!  Thursday night we went to Kindergarten Sneak Peek at Lily Lake Elementary where our kids will attend.  It was exciting and nerve wracking.  There will be an orientation later in the spring.  This was more of an introduction to the school.  We got a brief peek at the Kindy teachers and then had a chance to hang out in each of the 4 Kindy rooms.  We checked out the library, which was huge!  And poked our heads in the music room.  Several of the rooms had dinosaur figures to play with and that is mostly what Ty spent his time doing - anyone surprised?  Not a chance.  But one of the rooms had a whole shelf of dino books.  He sat very happily reading for quite some time and was not pleased when it was time to move on.  Which makes me smile.  My favorite part was sending him to check out the boys bathroom all by himself!  Most of his big boy toilet experience has been with mom in the women's restroom.  So as we passed the bathrooms I excitedly told him that this one was for boys only and mom couldn't come and he should check it out!  The door was propped open so I could peek in - with no other kids of course.  It was nice and small with one stall and two urinals, and the hand washing station was out  in front in a very cool set up.  I circular basin with a pedal to turn on the water that spouted out of the center like a sprinkler!  Anyway, I'm sure that's enough about that.  Ty had a good time and was really bummed the next day when he wasn't going to Kindergarten.  Poor guy has a long way to go yet.

Aubree seems to have mastered her potty training and is very proud of herself.  She will easily use a big potty when we're out and about, but still like the little one at home.  I think it's more comfortable and it's her very own.  She and Owen are getting to be good buddies as they get older and have some time together without the older siblings.  It's so much fun to watch them play.  That reminds me that Ty and Aubree have been playing together really well lately too.  It rocks!  I love it when they enjoy each other, it's the stuff dreams are made of.  Aubree and I went to Valley Preschools open house last Saturday.  I wanted to take her so she could explore the rooms all on her own.  I'm sure we could pop in any day Ty's at school and have a look around, but it's not the same thing.  She's excited to get to start preschool this fall.  She asks every day if it's her day to go to class (ECFE).  I know she's dying to do more, so we're going to look into finding a dance or gymnastics class for her soon.  I think most things start at 3 years like swimming and I think karate does.... Anyway, Aubree and Owen will be going to preschool together and she already knows or at least has met many of the other children that will be in her class too.  

It is SUPER warm today, 39 degrees so I think after naps we are going to spend the rest of the afternoon outside.  Daddy and the kids went swimming before lunch today.  Have I mentioned how much our kids love to swim?  They seriously love it and it makes me proud.