Hello Summer!

I cannot believe the school year ended today.  Now the crazy really sets in.  Keeping 6 or 7 children busy and having fun.  We're going to study the American Revolutionary War this summer which should be fun?  I'm working on some things, knitting, sewing, and crocheting, to enter in the fair but they are either complete and I haven't got modeled shots yet (due to the models being in school) or they aren't quite finished.  Next post.  Fingers crossed.  The scrapbooking is completely caught up, or rather was, until there was a t ball game, so there is more time for crafting.  We do start our birthday season next week so we'll see.  

 This is my Mom with 2 of her sisters.  One older, one younger.  One suffering from alzheimers.  Three of my Mom's five siblings suffer from the dreaded mind robbing disease.  As did her father.  Her youngest sister died a few weeks ago at the young age of 69.  She had alzheimer's.  I firmly believe in my own mind that it robs the body as well.  It was a hard memorial service but made me very thankful for my mom and that her mind is intact at almost 80.  Sure she forgets things but don't we all.  She has to have a list.  So do I!

 Do the crime and do the time at my house.  These little "criminals" wrote on my car.  I am grateful it was with the end of a jump rope that was wrapped in duct tape.  It was first mentioned it was sidewalk chalk!  It came right off but they had to do the washing.  I supervised.

Our garden looks mahvelous!  We've been ahead of the weeds so far and anxiously awaiting harvest.  Especially the tomatoes and cucumbers.  I have bacon in the freezer for the BCT sandwiches.  I'm drooling thinking about them.  As you can see below the beans are up.  What kid doesn't like to drink from a hose?  We didn't have a hose per se going but the soaker hoses were on so getting a drink from them was the closest he could come to drinking from a hose.  I'm not sure how much he got.

School is OUT!  Bring on summer!  We had 3 first graders going to second grade, a second grader going to third, a seventh going to eighth, and a freshman going to sophomore.

But the one that got the most attention for the end of the year is the sixth grader finishing elementary school and heading to junior high.  This one made me tear up.  I remember him in kindergarten just yesterday.

The fair entries are due in 2 weeks and I still have 3 projects to get ready.  I didn't realize it was so soon.  I may not enter for the Niftiest Needler after all.  People, not things or hobbies so if my time is taken from my hobbies to study the American Revolution and make rootbeer or take trips to the library for special programs or play with origami with the kids, or, as in today, play paper dolls....so be it.

FO Friday

Only I'm not the one with the FO. It's our daughter in law! She finished her schooling! She graduated! With Academic achievement! With the extra of being a school ambassador! We were blessed to attend her graduation Friday night. Along with 4 of our grandchildren, her Mom, and her Grandmother. We are so proud of her. She worked hard and she now has a career she enjoys and already has a job in the field for which she trained so hard. She works long hours and it tires her out but at least she enjoys going to work. The first of her support team.

The second. And likely the one most supportive and proud of her Mom. She diligently watched the entire graduation and cheered the loudest.

The third member of the support team.

And the fourth. Who shortly before this picture of quiet and serene, was bouncing around and giggling like a bowl of jello!

And, Mom is tired, but happy. It was a great night.

crossing ONE WIP off the list, just one

Three down, three to go. Duck Soups that is. This is my third installment of the Duck Soup pattern. Another one for Mr. W since the first one I did for him stretched out and became a full length evening gown. I learned a hard lesson. Don't use acrylic, soft acrylic. At least not for this sweater. The second one, for Mr. B was knit out of Knit Picks Swish bulky and has held up well. Except when it was washed with bibs, that had velcro. Mommy needs to learn to wash hand knits by themselves or, at least, without velcro! See those leaves? This one is done just in time. For 90 degree weather forecasted for this week! Ahh well, fall is coming. The particulars are on my ravelry project page. Still love this pattern. Good thing since there are 3 more in the works. A neice's little guy and two granddaughters!

Miss S is cranking out shawls for the hospice faster than I can knit Duck Soups. Of course, she doesn't have to worry about the three 2 year olds that come to Nonny's and Deega's house Monday through Thursday. She can just spoil them and crochet! This is shawl #6. We give Miss S yarn and let her pick out color combinations. I am still amazed at what she puts together and love to see it.

DRUM ROLL please!!! It is only fitting that our church celebrated our daughter's big accomplishment only two days after she dotted the last i and crossed the last t. She has her Master's Degree!!!! We are so very proud of her accomplishment and her hard work. It has been a sacrifice of time and money on her, and her husband's, part as she worked, finished her degree, started their family with not one, but 3, went through a huge tragedy, and still finished. To say we are proud doesn't even begin to cover it.

Evidently little S is also proud of her aunt Yoyo (or she wanted in the picture?)

I think our daughter would say these are her biggest accomplishment and her favorite:

Gram got the graduate duck for our daughter? Uh, I don't think so. I think it was to entertain great grandchildren. And it did all during lunch and the ride home. It plays music, the hat pops up and down and the duck waddles forward. Really cute. But really annoying after a bit I'm sure!

Don't these three look adorably innocent? Minding their manners, eating? Looks are deceiving. I learned, to my dismay, not to leave these three unattended in their high chairs with food. I left the room for a few minutes and as I was returning I heard giggles and, "I got you!" and more giggles. I entered the kitchen to find a little fist raised to hurl the next food in the food fight. I sternly said, "What on earth do you think you're doing?" and was met with dead silence. Silence that lasted and bodies that were quiet for the full 15 minutes it took me to clean up tomatos, cantaloupe, and pb&j off the walls and floor. Yes, I was laughing, but they didn't know that! For all practical purposes they thought they were in BIG trouble. And I want them to continue to think that!

a cause for celebration

Although our daughter is the one with the cap and gown and the Masters Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Accounting, the degree should have been conferred on them both. She had an excellent support system. While she locked herself in the "office" to write papers, he would manage the three adorable, yet very busy munchkins.
God gave us something else to think about and rejoice in the day after our son's memorial service. He would have been proud of her as well. She waffled about even taking part in the graduation ceremony but we wanted her to do it, her husband wanted her to do it, and even with the 95 degree temps and the long day and three active 2 year olds in tow, it was worth it. She has worked hard and long and our buttons were busting with pride as her efforts were recognized.

A mom, wife, employee, church volunteer, AND student earning a Master's Degree!

A graduate!

We are so very proud of her! The last time she was in a cap and gown and her Dad hugged her she burst into tears. Not this time...just smiles all around.


The ceremony was in the PGE park. In the middle of downtown. With no parking. The best way to get there is to take the MAX train. The three little munchkins had never been on a "choo choo" before and we adults, stupidly, thought they'd really enjoy it.Does this look like enjoyment to you?

Or this?

Or even this?

To put your minds at ease...the return ride was much better. They adapted to the shaking, the dark tunnels, and the noise.

All granduations should be this much fun!

So our little J graduated from kindergarten and we were the blessed grandparents that got to go and see him graduate! What a fun graduation! Lots of songs, lots of smiles, lots of enthusiasm by both graduates and crowd! J told his Mom that he doesn't want to go on to first grade because kindergarten is too much fun. Amen to that and I'm so glad he enjoyed it.

Here is our graduate:
And again: showing off his artwork in the hall. He was responsible for "z". I told my son we'd deprived him. He could have learned all those cute songs but he was home schooled. He just laughed and said not a problem.