Best Memorial Day EVER

I spent the day watching the "Hoarders Marathon"!!!  It just doesn't get any better than this, folks :-)

And I just discovered "Obsessed", all about people with OCD.  Awesome.

That Didn't Work All That Well...

The whole "privacy" thing.  Because I couldn't figure out anyone's email to add them to my 'OK' list (or even know where or how to add people to my list).  So I'm 'public' again, and I'll just deal with the internet creepos.

Another Cute Baby Hat

I love that Katie's work pals are having babies, as it allows me to keep making darling hats from "Itty Bitty Hats"!  Seriously, every hat in this book is utterly adorable.  This is the "Marley" hat.  1 day to knit. 

The Garden Report

We have NO beans coming up.  I planted a zillion of the dang seeds and NADA.  Either the squirrels have been busy or Lucy Lou has developed a taste for green beans.

But we persevere.  I planted a WHOLE package of zucchini seeds today (and our crop will be about like the picture, if they actually grow), plus we picked up two "Pink Ponderosa" tomato plants from a neighbor's organic plants sale.  Fingers crossed!

Hi Ya!

I got to take Liam to his belt test this week, he is now a "High Red" (over halfway to his black belt!)  It was very impressive, he's quite a talented little athlete.  I got to hold the board he broke with one mighty punch too.  He told me I did a terrible job holding it though.  I explained that the instructor was telling me how to hold it in my DEAF ear, so I couldn't hear a thing.  Whatevs, he broke it with the first punch.

Going Private

I am making my blog 'invitation' due to some concerns by my good friend about posting pix of her kids.  And I'm kind of sick of 'comments' from China that are most likely spam/viruses.  So you'll have to log in and get an OK, sorry!  It's a bit of a pain but that's our creepy internet world nowadays...

Socks Socks Socks

Still sock obsessed. I am hoping to sell this pattern to Three Irish Girls. It's not super-duper fancy but I think it's a good looking summer knit pattern. What do you think? Would you toss it out of your sock drawer?

It Had to Happen Sooner or Later...

Mikey's been messing around with scissors for a couple of weeks. I made the mistake of leaving him and Liam playing Legos for a few minutes this morning, and Mike came upstairs with your basic 'I've just had brain surgery' bangs. He immediately threw his brother under the bus. Mom is going to have a conniption tonight :-)

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Katie demanded a blog post. Since I have NOTHING exciting going on this weekend, I am taking y'all on a trip down memory lane with some old pix. (I know you heart these Megs). In no particular date order we have:

I found the 'scrap noodles at the zoo' picture! Here's Lavs, Megan, Pia, Cara and Katie in all of our scrappy glory.

This is the sight we were usually greeted with on Christmas morning: two happy little girls (Pia and Katie) and one sick girl (Cara). She always seemed to get ill on Xmas. Why was that, Car?

Lavs in my 'afro' phase. Note the ever-present knitting project. See, I've been knitting for a LONG time, folks! Pia's also wearing a sweater I knit for her.

I've always loved to start my day by reading the newspaper.

Here's me in high school chilling out with Lois. This picture was taken at Toddie & Baba's house, I seriously worship the pine cones wallpaper! Wonder if you can still get it, cuz I'd slap it up on the walls in a heartbeat...

This is Katie at 11 months old. See doubters, she DID have a LOT of hair. And still has those adorable dimples.

This is one my all-time favorite pictures. Sisters at the lake in their super ghetto one piece swimsuits. Note that Katie now has a pixie haircut; this is shortly after Cara cut her LONG hair to the scalp in the back, then instructed her to keep her hood up all day.

And here's our Little Tony. Evidently by this time, I was pretty tired of taking photos, because there aren't a lot of him as a baby. But he was a sweet little guy, and look! He's not doing his patented 'squint' in this picture! Must not have been any light in the room.

Here's a baby picture of me. I'm pretty cute. And lots of hair!

And here's baby Car-Car, again with the hair. Evidently wild crazy curls run in the family.

A Car Convo With Mikey

Lavs: I saw a rainbow on my way to work this morning, Mikey. Do you know what's at the end of the rainbow?

Mikey: A pot of gold.

Lavs: That's right! And if you find the pot of gold, the leprechaun has to give it you.

Mikey: then I will be rich!

Lavs: yep. The leprechaun might be sad though.

Mikey: I can take half and the leprechaun can keep half. Then he will be happy and I will be happy.

Lavs: Mikey, you make ME happy :-)

As Promised, Pictures of Big Tony!

Here he is with that ginormous head of hair. Our wedding day in 1974. Impossibly young.

It Was 30 Years Ago Today...

That Mt. St Helens blew its top. Hard to believe it's been that long! Big Tony & I were enjoying a weekend in Vancouver BC, and we actually heard the bang all the way up in Canada. Today is another important day: Big T's birthday! I'll have to see if I can find a picture of him with his giant afro hair from back in the day. Happy BD Tony!

Blooming Stuff!

We've got some things blooming in our yard! A scrappy lilac bush, a beauty bush (I think), a healthy peony about to bust into bloom, and this plant, which is right outside my desk. I couldn't figure out what it was:

Until it opened up and I realized it's a rhododendron! A pretty one too! Rhodys don't usually do well here in Spokane, nothing like the lush plants they are in Seattle. So this is a happy surprise.

More Sockies

Still plugging away at sock knitting. I'm ready for something else though :-0

The single (red) is my current "Mystery Sock", this one is designed by Cookie A, who is a sock genius. I'm using Schaefer Yarn "Nicole" in the "Clara Barton" colorway. Too bad you hate hand knit socks, Katie, cuz this is a nurse color if I ever heard of one...

The mismatched pair are finished socks, which are about to become 'unfinished' socks. As you may be able to see, they are 2 different sizes. GAK. I must have used a different sized needle for the second sock. This is what happens when you put a project down for 4 months... Off to rip these suckers apart.

Happy Birthday, Little Sis!

Happy Birthday to The B, best little sister in the world (though I would not have believed this during our childhood, when I was busy hitting her with a wooden tennis racket, my arm cast and anything else I could use as a weapon).

Here she is in all of her blonde, apple cheeked, gappy front teeth glory!

Hope your day is fabulous!!

Author! Author!

I got my "Think Outside the Sox" book(s) today, and I was soooo excited to see my contest socks pattern in there! Not only was my pattern included, they used a picture of MY socks to illustrate 'anatomy of a sock'! Now if I can just get rid of my double chin, I'll be completely happy.

Cute and Cuter!

Jon gave Mikey a haircut this weekend. We all agree it's a little bit Lloyd Christmas (from Dumb and Dumber) but that's what you get when you cut your own bangs BEFORE the haircut.

A Fun Weekend!

Katie invited me to join her in Seattle for the weekend, so the two BEST ROAD-TRIP PARTNERS IN THE WORLD (plus Lucy) headed over for a fine weekend. After our initial two hour construction delay in getting over Snoqualmie Pass, it was all fun and games:

We attended a Mariners game with the B and Mimi. The M's actually broke their hideous 22 inning scoreless streak, but still lost the game. As I predicted, their hitting coach received his walking papers the next day...

Sunday morning, we met up with B-Z, Kip, Lis, Mads and Allie Pallie, plus grand-dogs Rudy, Rudder and of course Lucy, at Marymoor Park in Redmond, where the best dog park in Washington is located:

Cute Maddie pushed the stroller through the entire park (Allie wisely decided she should be carried by her Zaide). This skirt she's wearing is TDF. Last time she wore it, she decided that underpants were optional. I was hoping for a repeat, but no luck.

Lucy gingerly waded into the slough a few times, Rudder was the champion swimmer/ball fetcher, and Rudes was having none of this nonsense.

Here's darling Allie with Zaids. This little girl is too cute for words!

Additionally, I broke the 'yarn diet' by going to West Seattle with Sue and her pal Pat. We visited two yarn stores and of course some nice yarn found its way back to Spokane with me :-) We also got to visit with Pam and her girls (who are getting WAY TOO BIG), and enjoyed the hospitality of the Falcones. Lucy got invited to Sue & Tom's next door neighbors' for a play date with their incredibly fluffy Keeshond Lily. It was great, those two puppies chased each other all day, Luce got invited to 'eat over' with Lily, and then she crashed. You've never seen such a tired little girl.

A fun trip, hope to do it again soon!

The New 'Do

Liam finally got his hair cut! We visited Super Cuts this afternoon and after much viewing of the kids' haircuts book, he went with the faux hawk. Looking very Zoolander in this pic.

Separated At Birth?

Miss Katie L. at age 1 (approx.) and Mr. Potato Head?

Happy Birthday Katie Kat!

My little girl is all grown up! It's Katie's birthday today! She's still the same happy smiling gal who'd steal your heart in a Strawberry Shortcake bathing suit while cruising on her Chubby Chopper. Love you, doll!

Another Car Convo

Liam: Laurie, can sharks really eat people?
Lavs: YES.
Alex: Do you know any stories about that?
Lavs: I do! This is a true story too! This couple was out scuba diving on a boat, and the boat LEFT WITHOUT THEM. And they were stuck out in the middle of the ocean with no boat! And they got eaten by sharks!!!
Boys: (wide eyes) REALLY!!!???

About 300 questions about what actually happened to these people, why they got left behind, did I know them, what were their names, did blood come out of their mouths, etc. etc.

Liam: Scuba diving is stupid!
Alex: I told you!

We Need One of These

Adorable!

Whipped up the "Olive You!" hat from Itty Bitty Hats today for a friend of Pia's who just had a baby. Could it BE any cuter? No it could not.

Tiny Dancer

Actually, Lucy is BIG now. Katie is teaching her to dance. Lucy has so many skills now! Not really, but us proud grammies need to brag.