The Rimes Times

It is now March, which means that there is only 4 more months of winter here in Michigan.  Just kidding! I’m hoping that spring is just around the corner!

This is the snowman in February:

This is the snowman in March:

See? It’s totally almost spring!  When you have a snowman that belongs on CSI, you know that the weather is warming up and the flowers are coming out soon.  Ok, I’m not so delusional as to think we’ll have flowers next week or anything, but in Michigan, you gotta have some hope.  Come April, there had better be some crocuses (or would that be Crocii?)

My February socks are not finished.  Boo.  But I did make a valiant attempt. The toe of the first one took me a whole week as I knit and tinked because I started it too soon and it was much too short.  The second sock is ready for the heel, and I have great confidence that I will have it finished by the end of the week in time to start March’s socks.

And those sock blockers? Those are a splendid surprise from Emily that she sent me from Webs.  Isn’t it great to get a package in the mail that you weren’t expecting? Thanks Emily! They are perfect!

A funny story about sock blockers and Emily.  Last June, we were putting up a display of yarn things in the library display case.  I brought along a couple of homemade sock blockers, just in case.  It ended up that we used them, but not for what they were intended.  Instead, we took the clothes hangers that had been manipulated and manhandled into sock shapes and manipulated them and manhandled them until they resembled coat hangers again.  Emily was so funny, because right after she got them into shape, she said something like, “Oh! were those your sock blockers? I think they can go back into sock shapes.  I hope!” And while we never actually got those twisty bits of metal back into shape, I had made another set.  Homemade ones are fine, but the Webs ones are so much sleeker and refined.

As for March’s socks, they are all ready to go, the Lang Jawoll sock yarn from Siwtzerland is waiting patiently for time on the needles!

Happy Birthday to Dr. Suess.  Miss R’s class has an exciting week ahead, and today she is wearing her jammies.  I’d take a picture, but she is already in her coat and hat because she wants to go to school and show off her pink nightgown and tights.  And flower barrette.

And just because everyone wants to see a little baby looking like Mr. Rogers, here is Donut in his old man sweater.

Miss R: Look! Donut has on my ring!
Mommy: Oh, honey, that’s not ok, take it off.
Miss R: Why?
Mommy: Because he could put it in his mouth and choke.
Miss R: And that wouldn’t be good because then I couldn’t use my ring.
Mommy: No, that wouldn’t be good because you couldn’t use your brother anymore.

Today was one of those days.  It was Monday and the baby didn’t sleep for more than 2 hours at a stretch last night.  But when the phone rang at 5 am telling us that Ben had a snow day, I knew it would get better.

We slept in until 7:30, I made lemon scones for breakfast.  Yum!  I peeked outside, and this is what I saw.

Don’t you just love that heavy, wet snow that clings to the branches?  It’s so pretty.  Until the snow started melting and the streets were a mess of brown, slushy snow.  Our backyard is still pretty pristine though!

Then, as I finished up breakfast dishes, I happened across a happily sleeping baby.

Awwww!

Then, after spending an obscene amount of money to fix the brake and fuel lines in Ben’s old car (I GUESS it’s a good idea to fix those so that he doesn’t go barrelling to his fire-y death on the highway), we got a package in the mail.  Two actually.

One was a cute green hat from Nicole.  She knit us all matching hats a couple of years ago and had some yarn leftover to make one for the little guy too! It fits perfectly!

And then there’s the blanket.  Ben’s cousin Natalie knit him up the cutest blanket in some fabulous organic yarn.  It’s so soft!

So many hand knits all in the same day! It was like Christmas.

But that’s not all!

Miss R and Daddy went out and made a snowman too.  I didn’t get any pictures while they were making him, but he is a very cute snowman wearing Daddy’s bright green hat and Miss R’s gardening gloves.

What a fabulous day! Hope your Monday was just as splendid.

According to PhotoJojo it is Gratuitous Picture of Yourself Wednesday (GPOYW)

Here’s mine.

Which also happens to show off my very short hair I now have after cutting off 10 inches for Locks of Love.

My dad called to tell me I didn’t have enough pictures of the kids on the website.  So, here’s a plethora of pictures for you, Dad.

In other news, not much is happening.  It’s snowing, Miss R is outside playing on the snow hill being super loud.

Because with all that snow out there, everyone needs a little of this:

Those are two happy kids!

I think they have the same nose, don’t you?

I just wanted to share with you the cutest little outfit.  What I have come to realize is that little boys do not have cute little boy clothes.  There is the typical baby wear-ducks, elephants, and other baby animals, or there is the big guy clothes made teeny.  For girls, it’s all baby stuff, or frills and flowers.

Here is Donut’s big guy outfit:

Just look at the sweater! It’s so cute, I just want to eat him up.  He looks so Abercrombie. And those little pants have tiny little pockets!

He’s even got the big guy look.  “Hey Ma, quite takin’ my picture. I can look completely disinterested forever.”

One of the ladies in my Bible study class is from Georgia.  Her husband moved her up here this year and this is her first full winter in the north.  And it’s been cold, snowy and gray.  Anyway, she’s been feeling pretty blue lately so one of the other ladies in the group suggested we shower her with sunshine this week.  Everyone agreed and we’ll all bring a sun for her on Friday.

Since it’s cold and snowy out, I thought I might share my sun with you all for a bit of a mid-winter pick me up.

A little leftover craftiness from my bookmaking days.  Now to find something witty to write inside to help cheer her up!

It’s just a construction paper cut out. I started with a circle, added the triangles to the back, covered up the mess on the back with a second circle.  Made two circles cards for the center slightly smaller than the big one.  Then, laid them so they would open in opposite directions and glued the whole thing together.  Hooray! Arts and Crafts!

What do you get when you mix a sleepy baby with a belly full of milk and a mommy with a tank top?

An ear on your chest!

I’ve wanted to join a sock of the month club for several years now.  Unfortunately, the price tag and time constraints have deterred me from actually joining a sock club.

I have discovered that I actually have enough sock yarn in my house to make my own sock club.

So that is exactly what I’ve done.  I’ve already finished January’s socks.  While they are small and knit on big needles, I’m gosh darn proud of myself for having finished a pair of socks in less than 30 days.

These are knit in DK weight yarn.  It wasn’t the most pleasant of sock yarns to knit, but they are HEAVENLY to wear.  Super soft and squishy!  The yarn is King Cole Smooth.  No color, but it is the most deliciously bright turquoise-my favorite!

February’s socks are already on the needles.