gypsy jean boutique

Glensheen Mansion

2010-10-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

last week i took a bunch of church ladies up to duluth. we toured the Glensheen Mansion on the shore of Lake Superior, lunched at Red Lobster, and poked around Canal Park. the weather was beautiful, and so were the ladies.;) i'm so glad we went!

elles's 2nd birthday sweater

2010-09-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

i knit this for elles for her 2nd birthday. angie said, "make it big!". as you can see... it's huge!:) she can wear it for years. it might not hold up for years... but it's big enough to! still using jack for sizing. i don't think this will scar him for life.

crosby heritage days

2010-09-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

i'm officially lame. blogging once a month!

this is jack at heritage days. he got 3 free pony rides! jack loves a good pony ride.:) he even got his photo in the crosby courier. it was the boots that did it.:) i must admit, i recognize the photographer from the paper by sight. i might have, sort of, mentioned that she knew my mother in law. i might have, sort have, told her that jack was claire milkovich's grandson. very subtle. very smooth.:) and it was no accident that he was wearing his boots. yee haw!

just the essentials......

2010-08-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

holy cow. i haven't blogged in a long time. once a month is lame.

this photo was taken in the crosby super valu. we needed tp and milk.:) this was just after the first night of Vacation Bible School. we all had matching tee shirts! how cute is that?

little miss miller's, and playing catch-up

2010-07-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

i'm playing catch-up. i have a whoooooole lot of photos to post to my blog. these are from the last visit of my sister and her girls. tomorrow i leave with jack to go visit them!:P what a goof. anyway, we had a blast when they came -- going to the beach, paul bunyanland, lighting fireworks, and hanging out. can't wait to go see them tomorrow!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! i'm sure the 8 hr. drive (stretched to 9 by the usual food and potty breaks) will just fly by.:)

just me and my jackers

2010-07-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

july 3rd we went to the nisswa parade with the horns and schroeders. jack and i had matching tank tops. what a great way to celebrate our independence... with conformity!:)

ramdomly delicious

2010-07-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

i'm into the "urban grocer" lately. some people in austrailia write this foodie blog and i "found" it on facebook through a friend. don't you want to spray paint your veggies with edible paint? i do!!! isn't that crazy?

the birthday box

2010-06-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

we have a sweet little tradition at our church, the "birthday box". the week before your birthday you get to go up to the birthday box and pick something out while the church sings "happy birthday". it is so sweet. for the third year i captured the moments on camera...and videotape (thank you, gwama bwenda).:)

this year jack was looking extra special. he had his new birthday boots on, and his belt and belt buckle from papa dan. doesn't he look OLD? my baby! jack picked out a toy tool set, complete with saw, screwdriver, and hammer.

pweeeeeeze don't step on me!

2010-06-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

found this liiiiiittle baby turtle at serpent lake a few weeks ago. can't believe my camera got such a nice clear close-up shot! i hope this little guy survived. he was so tiny! i was watching joey that day and he almost stepped on him multiple times. i finally relocated the turtle to a safer spot.

dan's side job

2010-06-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

dan has been fixing some heavy equipment and painting it up for a guy we know. it has turned out to be a rather large little side job.:) this is the bobcat dan fixed and repainted. jack is really enjoying all these neat "toys" in the yard.

happy father's day, my love!

2010-06-20T05:55:00.001-07:00

dan is such a great dad. happy father's day, dan! case in point... this father's day he is taking our family on vacation!:) yeah! i can't wait to spend the next few days entirely with my family! literally together. we'll be tenting it.:) (p.s. in case you were wondering, this is a "pinkerton" book that dan is reading. i LOVE pinkerton. steven kellog is a genius with words, but especially pictures!)

jackers's 3rd birthday!

2010-06-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

jack had a fabulous 3rd birthday party june 5th. i made him his "gween spaceship" cake with aliens. he requested that! he got a lot of lovely gifts, including leather cowboy boots from my parents. God has truly blessed us with our spunky little jack anders. i don't know what i'd do without him!

my little bitty nieces

2010-06-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

angie, her husband, and the kids stayed for a few days after grandpa's memorial. the kids all played together and had an awesome time. i love to watch them play together. they played on the swings, on the bikes, ate pop-a-sicles, watched "spongebob squarepants", and hugged each other. LOVE IT!

grammy lou's 77th birthday

2010-06-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

well, grandma lou didn't feel like doing much celebrating, but her birthday came whether it was convienient or not. we all tried to make a very nice day for her. she had a ton of company. she got a lot of cards and gifts, and there was cake.:) i hope we were a comfort to her. love you, grammy lou!

garage sale!!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

God does big things if you have faith! there was a delicious ad in the courier for a sale that had 4T and larger boys clothes. exactly what i need for jack! it was the third day of the garage sale...but i told dan that i expected God to do big things for us today. and He did! we walked away from that sale with 2 huge boxes for...FREEEEEEEEEEE! FREEEEEEEEEEEE! FREEEEEEEEEE! 2 boxes filled with clothes, books, toys, costumes, toy story sleeping bag, and a "buzz-a-bightyear" rug. the shoes, bing crosby records, cookbook, agatha mysteries, and some of the clothes were from other sales. these are the grand haul photos. i don't have a photo of the sleeping bag because dan deleted it.:) God is so good.

trying to move on after papa's gone...

2010-05-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

i know i haven't posted a lot since gramps's accident. i am sure whoever is reading this will understand. i just didn't have the heart for it. i think that i can pick up the pieces now and move along, thanks in large part to the support of allllllll my family. it was just wonderful that all the family could make it to the memorial. gram, all three of the daughters, all 9 of the grandchildren, all 21 of the great/step-great grandchildren. and, of course, tons of the extended family. we all loved grandpa so much. my sister and her family were here a lot. here is a photo of my sis, angie, and i at rafferty's pizza the day after the memorial. mom just did not feel like eating the ham she made for lunch! and i don't blame her! this was a much better idea.:)

papa allen

2010-05-10T12:58:00.001-07:00

i haven't been blogging lately because the only "real" news is that my grandfather is at North Memorial hospital in robbinsdale. he fell may 1st and hit his head. very long and nightmarish story short, we are going to lose him soon. unless God steps in and performs a miracle. we all miss gramps very much. he was special. thank you for all your prayers and love.

"the omnivore's dilemma" by michael pollan

2010-04-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

this book is amazing. i think it is going to be life changing. i love it! it's energized me. well, it's enlightened me. we'll see how energetically i put into motion all that i've learned. local meat markets/farmers here i come. i think that historically this book will be right up there with the greats. you just watch! i'm only half-way through the book. i'll write more when i've got the whole picture. to be continued!

one of "those" days

2010-04-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

today was one of "those" days. yesterday, on the other hand, was delightful. pbs in the morning, fresh aebelskivers (danish applesauce pancake balls rolled in cinnamon sugar), kite flying, visited my grandparents, "triangles of destiny", library, park, "pop-a-sicle", 5 library books, a few songs, naptime. today... dry-erase marker on face/neck/wooden easel and a wet spot on the floor. jack had stood there quietly behind me and pooped/peed his pants. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! i slightly freaked out. but, when it was all over, told him i still loved him. "this too shall pass." is my motto these days.:)

jack's first time lake fishing

2010-04-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

dan, jack and i went fishing friday night for a bit at blackhoof lake. didn't catch a thing. but jack thought he did.:) the minnow on his hook counted as a fish to him! oh, and i knitted half a dishcloth.:)

a rug of blue and white

2010-04-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

i....made a rug! i am so pleased. it is a cotton bathroom rug that i knitted with 3 strands at once. it took me about 2 weeks, maybe 3. it feels so good on the feet.

wishful thinking

2010-04-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

i would dress like this every single day (minus the cheek inflaming sheerness!!!) if i could. now you know the reason why i had no problem with pcc's no-pants-for-women policy.:) skirts and dresses are delightful. the boots are... well, i can't find words. i am quite fond of them.:) and look! apparently sweater coats are very very fashionable. i just knew it!:) oh, if only i could figure out how to knit that beauty with the ribbons... and did you see the ruffley stockings?! not just for little girls in sunday school anymore!;)

i forget what line this collection is from. it was a fall collection that a friend mentioned on her blog. do you think they make these delicious clothes in hubba chubba bubba size? no? sigh. is it time to diet again? yes.

new knitting project

2010-04-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

i've been working on a new knitting project for a week or two. it's a cotton bathroom rug! it is stinkin' exciting!!! i came up with the pattern myself. it is very rewarding, but hard, to make a pattern. there is a lot of trial and error and unraveling involved. there's only one slight thing i'd change if i were to ever make another one.

i am working with 3 strands at a time. sometimes it gets a little hard to push the yarn over the needle "leash". that is how i broke a needle this morning.:P oh well, a trip to the yarn store is never a bummer! i had a $5 off coupon, too. it was sort of like it was meant to be...:)

"smilepox"

2010-04-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

uh oh.... somebody's got a serious case of the smilepox.:)

nappin'

2010-04-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

i love to take photos of jack when he's sleeping. he is like a little angel. i love the soft, breathy noises he makes. i love the way he clutches his "baby". i love the fact that the "baby" is naked and mooning you. unintentionally of course.:)

Easter '10

2010-04-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

jack and i dyed Easter eggs at my parent's house saturday. it's so much fun dying eggs with someone who is actually enjoying doing it with you.:) dan and andy kind of "outgrew" this activity.

sunday morning at Church my mom joined in with the orchestra with her violin. she's in the middle of the photo wearing the little white sweater. i'm so proud of her for learining the violin!

hope you had a Happy, Blessed Easter!

kissy face

2010-03-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

spaghetti sauce on lips + kissy face = delicious

the cocoa ritual

2010-03-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

babysat my niece a while back. after a rather chilly trip to the local park, we all enjoyed a spot of cocoa. ah, the cocoa ritual. instilled in me when i was young by my mother. why not make cocoa drinking a special moment? jack already loves mini marshmallows. i put approximately half a bag in a bowl for us all. i gave jack a special mug and a bendy straw. enough to blow a 2 yr old's mind. claire and i had special goblets and i poured the cocoa from my white teapot with the big yellow polka dots. to keep the cocoa cool for little mouths, i poured cold milk from a little white ceramic cow. i'm pretty sure we all had a really great time...with cocoa.:)

butterfly

2010-03-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

another butterfly has flown off my needles. this hat was for elerene, to replace the wool one that my sister SHRUNK! horror! anyway, it's the same yarn as my butterfly hat. isn't it a beauty? i think this was the 12th or 13th butterfly. this is a beautiful, fun, easy pattern. i'm a big fan.:)

danish aebelskiver

2010-03-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

made danish aebelskiver with jack last week. danish apple pancake balls are delish. and almost as good as a doughnut in a pinch.;) jack was watching an episode of curious george where george orders 100 dozen doughnuts. (how dumb was that donut shop lady?) when the show ended, jack turned to me, grabbed his gut, and said, "my (i'm) hungwy for doughnuts.".

i was thinking donuts sounded awesome, too. but i didn't want to drive anywhere to get them. then i remembered my danish aebelskiver pan that i don't think i have ever used. jack and i had a great time making these. jack's job was to roll them in the cinnamon and sugar. truth be told... he didn't do such a great job. he kept pulverizing them. oops. oh well, the "ugly" ones i ate.:)

another cool thing about these balls is that i got to use a knitting needle to make them. yes, i said knitting needle. i used a needle to flip the balls over. it amused me.

"chee-bur! fren-fries!"

2010-03-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

jack loves cheeseburgers and french fries. if you pull up to a drive-thru window with him, he will lean forward in his car seat and yell out his order. "chee-bur! fren-fries!" mind you, you may be at the coffee shop or the bank.

waffle breakfast sandwich... i love you.

2010-03-15T13:45:00.001-07:00

i created the greatest sandwich yesterday!!! i decided to use some of the leftover waffles from breakfast for lunch. bread gets boring sometimes, you know? (at least, the cheap generic bread i usually buy. homemade/specialty breads are endlessly amusing i suppose.) i built my sandwich with 2 waffles, slight bit of syrup, maple ham, american and mozzarella cheese, and a nice creamy fried egg (not too fried, not too wet). delicious! beautiful, too.

red rubber boots

2010-03-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

jack has a hole in his yellow rubber boots. good news is that i found hand-me-down boots from jack's cousin! hooray! they are nice and big, too. another fun thing is that i have matching red rubber boots.:) we went out this day in our raincoats and boots and it was lovely. i never mind the rain!

the naughty napper strikes again!

2010-03-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

jack whines when it's time to go to sleep. every night it's, "i want to sleep with you!". sigh. jack sometimes gets naughty about it. he knows that if i see him up i will make him go back to his bed. this night he wanted to be close to us... but not get caught. he laid down right next to our bedroom door with a cup of water by his head on one side, and his "friends" on the other. all in a row. very cute. extremely naughty!

a nap crept up upon him

2010-03-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

forsooth. jack wanted to go outside sooo bad. he was no match for mr. sandman. i love how the hats, gloves, boots are strewn around him.

beauty

2010-03-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

this happen-stance photo of jack really turned out beautiful. i love how the eyes look so clear and the skin so translucent. and of course i dig the eyebrows.

curious george

2010-03-12T12:43:00.000-08:00

saw curious george at the mall a few weeks ago. jack was really shy. as soon as we went to leave, however, jack decided he wanted to hang out with george.:) well, in the grand scheme of things i suppose it was a waste of time... but jack really loves curious george. and the photos are pretty fun.:)

homemade bread/indian food

2010-03-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

i made some homemade bread the other day. i turned out beautiful...but the crust was SO TOUGH. sigh.

i bought some "chicken tikka masala" from Wal-Mart again the other day. it was just as good as the first time! yum! i am so shocked. i took it out of the plastic dish to make a prettier photo.:) look! do you see the grill marks on the chicken, the peas, the carrots, the big hunk of potato? this is some seriously yummy fakey indian food.:)

my brother's shirt

2010-03-11T13:14:00.000-08:00

jack beeeeeged me to help him put andy's shirt on. i told him i didn't think it would fit. when it was on, and just barely brushing his ankles, he triumphantly declared that it DID FIT!:)

"my life in france"

2010-03-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

france. i love it. i, possibly, will never get there. BUT!, i borrowed "my life in france", by julia child, from the library last night. bon! it is sooo good. it's all about the few years that she and her husband lived in paris around the end of the 40's and the early 50's. yum. detailed accounts of restauants, meals, markets, etc. i can't put it down. it is in my lap as i type this.:) (slow dial-up gives me gaps of time in which to multi-task.) this morning while i read i laughed aloud. that's the joy of cooking.;) anyway, i had a croissant today. maybe tomorrow i'll knit myself a beret.

big boy pants

2010-03-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

i'm really proud of my little pottytrainer. jack is doing great. he has his setbacks... about every time i start bragging on him.:) all in all, it is going amazingly smooth. he even pulls his pants down and goes himself sometimes. i am so grateful. everyone sez that boys are supposed to be more difficult. and jack is stubborn. like his parents. thank goodness i'm almost done with the diaper phase! praise the Lord!

pop cornin'

2010-03-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

bought a hot air popcorn popper from my cousin-in-law when we did our combined garage sale last summer. didn't try it out until i partially melted the microwave. oops. well (for about a quarter!) we now have lovely fresh popcorn frequently. i must admit i love pouring butter over it and shaking out the salt.:) but, it's got to be healthier than microwave popcorn with all the chemicals and preservatives, right? that's what i tell myself. hush. jack and i like to watch the popcorn rise. how exciting!

snowmobile

2010-03-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

just thought i would post this photo of dan and jack with the snowmobile before the snow is gone away. dan took jack for a little ride and made him the happiest of little boys. this year was pretty good for snowmobiling. of course, i barely went. andy just took me for a short ride up the hill after i sledded down it one night.:) how pathetic! well, i am the one that usually has to watch jack, so i don't get that many opportunities. plus, i almost kill myself every time i try to operate one of them. oops.

spring is coming!

2010-03-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

i am so glad spring is coming. it's a lot nicer being outside in the lingering snow when it is nice and warm out. this is a photo i took one day when i took jack down the driveway for the mail. he thinks it's great fun and yelled "wee!" most of the time. yesterday i let him wear his rain boots and stomp in the puddles. YEAH FOR SPRING!

molly's mega market bag

2010-03-03T08:24:00.001-08:00

just started another market bag, so i thought i'd post photos of the last one.:) this one i gave to my sis-in-law as a bday gift. i think the next one will be a gift, too. i am trying to get caught up on gifts i want to give JUST BECAUSE. now's a great time, since Christmas is so very far away. (but i'm not going to let it creep up on me. i'm going to get my gifts started even earlier this year! bigger gifts! better gifts! how exciting!) anyway, i think this next bag will be entitled "molly's MEDIUM market bag". i think it will be more useful if it wasn't so...mega.:)

jack's point of view

2010-02-26T07:52:00.001-08:00

came home from church a few weeks ago and jack took this photo of "dan" and "i" in the kitchen.:) it really amuses me. so, that's his point of view, huh? sweet.

sweet

2010-02-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

there are some very sweet moments in life. for example, my little big boy sitting in a tiny recliner hugging his big brother's old teddy, clutching two new testaments and a pac man video game.

valentine banquet '10

2010-02-19T13:56:00.000-08:00

dan and i went to the loveliest valentine banquet at Deerwood Baptist Church again this year. romantic ambiance, delicious food, precious friends, beautiful music, and hilarious entertainment. i look forward to it for weeks before! sigh, and now it's over.:) but, spring will be here soon. the meal was catered by Maucieri's. there were appetizers and desserts, too, made by jen and served by young tweens and teens from the church. arnie played the harp and sarah b. played her cello. devon did a hilarious "ole and lena go to the opera show" poem he composed for the occasion, with arnie on harp accompaniment. then jen sang a beautiful song. then arnie and devon played a "classical piano" number.:) arnie was dressed as his character "julio", a mexican who likes soup -- specifically lizard soup his mama makes for him. crazy! anyway, it was absolutely wonderful and i can't wait to see what jen will do next year!!!

jack's friends

2010-02-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

i love it that jack has little friends. it is so fun to watch him interact with little ones his own age. you never know what those little buggers will do!:) these boys are brothers from our church, joe and jon. those 3 little blondies look like they could be brothers, don't they? they get into all sorts of shenanigans. i can't wait to see what the future holds for these crazy guys.

that sweater... sigh

2010-02-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

i don't think i've blogged about the "shalom cardigan". that sweater i was knitting has turned into a capelet. these things happen. i am ok with that. i really like my new capelet.:) i don't have a photo of it finished, yet, but it pretty much looks like the middle 2 photos. just imagine a shorter version (just a little bit below the arm holes) with a finished edge.

now i just have to find a sweater pattern that would be a better fit for me. something that was supposed to CLOSE in the front would be nice. after all, a sweater is supposed to keep you warm.:) as spring is right around the corner, i guess i will probably not start another sweater right now. coming up for birthdays are my: dad, gram, jack, and bro-in-law jake. hmmmm... interesting possibilities!

what's hot/not

2010-02-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

HOT
- annual church valentine banquet. my love, delicious dinner, music, entertainment, ambiance, and tons of friends to chat with? yes please
- flowers and chocolate for valentine's day. you can't go wrong.:)

NOT
- well, this "what's hot/not" business. i'm bored with it. this is my last one. deal with it.:)

bathing beauty

2010-02-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

i thought it was high time i took more bath photos of my precious boy. isn't he beautiful? his hair is really long right now, or else i could not have accomplished that fully rad mohawk!

valentine's day '10

2010-02-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

dan bought me flowers. i really like them because some are dyed and have glitter on them. my kind of flowers!:)

art

2010-02-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

i really like this one because jack's art is so linear.

wal-mart chicken tikka masala

2010-02-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

yes. i got a good chicken tikka masala at wal-mart. it was up in the deli-section. it's one of the offerings of a bunch of semi-tempting looking dishes called "marketside". i was sceptical, but seriously, there are no ethnic restaurants around in a good 1 1/2 hour radius. i dared to try. i haven't had much curry, so i am not an expert. maybe you'll try this and tell me what you think? i loved it! not too spicey, but my stomache is now experiencing a slow burn.:)

Ingredients: basmati rice, water, chicken tenders, potato, plain yogurt, onion, heavy whipping cream, tomato paste, oil blend, carrots, green peas, green beans, cultured dextrose, sea salt, garam masala spice blend, tandoori mix (spices, paprika, dehydrated onion and garlic, sea salt, tumeric), garlic, modified corn starch, cilantro, stabilizer (starch, carrageenan, potassium chloride, magnesium carbonate, sugar0, red curry paste (dried chili, garlic, lemongrass, salt, shallot, galangal, shrimp paste, kaffir lime peel, pepper), curry powder, chili powder, paprika, stabilizer (xanthan gum, guar gum), ginger, coriander, annatto, cloves, cinnamon

crazy! what lovely ingredients!!! 3 - 1 cup servings. per serving: 160 calories, 5 grams fat, 25% of your daily allowance of sodium (YIKES!), and 2 grams dietary fiber. very healthy, except for the sodium. i don't remember how much it cost. i will be buying it again. and again.

bad sweater...pretty capelet!

2010-02-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

here is a photo of my bad sweater. i will post one of my pretty capelet soon!

what's hot/not

2010-02-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

HOT
- sunshine. played outside a bit with jack. inspected some of dan's minnows in a bucket. can't wait for spring!
- "emma" on pbs. such a good movie! i cried at the end. i HATE sappy movies, but don't mind a few tears shed over a really quality movie. i wonder if i need to own it...
- nominated to be on the Church building committee. very excited to serve. hope that my input is useful and respectful. be a good girl, molly!:) and restrain yourself. no one else wants a turquoise kitchen...or do they? muah ha ha!!!!! gold lam`e covered seat cushions in the sanctuary?;) hee hee!

NOT
- my tummy hurts. i think from home baked goods overload. gah! there is such a thing as too much lemon bread/pound cake/blueberry lemon scones. i keep putting more in the freezer.
- pottytraining is my world lately. it is "hit and miss".

jack's kitchen

2010-02-05T19:18:00.001-08:00

jack has a hand-me-down kitchen. he loves to make me coffee. "careful! weally hot!" i happily slurp down the thimble-sized cups he gives me and put the cup back on the saucer.

real photos

2010-02-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

developed a roll of film today.:) that's the only way i ever get around to developing photos. this photo was from this summer around the time jack fell down and got that gash on his forehead. jack's wearing my butterfly hat and daddy's noise canceling headphones. i really love this photo. it's kind of sci-fi.

what's hot/not

2010-02-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

HOT
- "emma" on pbs. and "emma" reruns once (or twice!) a day. holding on until the big conclusion on sunday! then what will i do with my life?:p
- knitting. it's really interesting watching things take shape. but...
- dinner monday night:) baked fish, sundried tomato/basil/mozzarella quiche, garlic mashed red potatoes, beans from my garden. VERY HOT!
- pottytraining. jack is having a lot of accidents. but we had triumphs #1 and #2, literally!!!:)

NOT
- unraveling my sweater. how, HOW, did i get all those can-can ruffles on the bottom? bizarre.
- opening what i thought was pizza sauce last night and discovering it was salsa. (thankfully i had spaghetti sauce to substitute for the pizza sauce! it was very good.)

#2

2010-02-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

HUGE DEVELOPMENT in potty training today. wink wink.:) i am so proud. it's just ridiculous how proud. i could feel this big stoopid smile stretched across my face after the deed. and, of course, we had to make a big deal out of it to encourage jack. clapping and whooping and mini candy bar and showing daddy and calling grandma lou! what a crazy fun new phase. well, it wasn't all fun...:) i won't go into that.

what's hot/not

2010-01-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

oopsie! missed the wednesday deadline. like i care.:) i'll do it today.

HOT
- scones! made a double batch of homemade blueberry lemon buttermilk scones. they are so very very good. especially hot!:)
- knitting. knitted 6 dishcloths recently. AH! it's good for the soul.
- more knitting! picked up the sweater that i had laid aside for a few weeks. it's really coming along! got to the armholes and beyond... but had to unravel a few rows because i had modified the pattern and the smooth side of the stockinette stitch was on the wrong side! it's ok, i got all the yarn back on the needles and i am about to make the armholes again. can't wait!
- "emma" on pbs. i love masterpiece classics!!!
- "pride and prejudice" in book form. the movie is, maybe, better... but the book is fun, too. there are a few more characters to keep track of in the book, which makes it interesting.

NOT
- naughty jack! still going through quite the phase. 4 times dug dirt out of my plant in the living room. broke glass in a picture frame. got stranded in the stairwell at 4 AM IN THE MORNING!
- jack got a bad cold. it' nice to get some extra cuddling, but it's so sad to see the poor dear suffering.

the force is with him

2010-01-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

i had a genius idea the other day. jack has been a HUGE fan of "wobot achines" (robot machines) lately. he found some r2d2 and c3p0 toys of mine and loved them. i decided it was time to break out the vintage star wars sheets. jack was soooo excited. "let's do this!", he said. jack just happened to be wearing his star wars tee, so i decided to put his r2d2 socks on him and take a photo of him on his bed with as many star wars toys as we could round up.:) that's "darth tater" on jack's lap. also, i cracked open a bunch of star wars micromachine vehicles that i have been saving for my child. jack really loves the x-wing.

nursery

2010-01-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

it was my turn in the nursery wednesday night. i love it. sometimes it's just jack and i. i turn on the speaker, relax in the rocking chair, and knit while i listen to Pastor's message. if the nursery is full of noisy children... i enjoy that, too!!! i had jack, 2 little boys, and a baby girl to snuggle wednesday. it was great. i love to think about how these little darlings will grow up and be great friends. i really loved my church youth group when i was a teen and i hope that jack has that special experience, too. christian friends are such a blessing!

story time at the hallett library

2010-01-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

story time didn't go so well. jack is too shy to sit with the kids on the rug. he is also too antsy to stay put by me for a half hour. he ended up running around twice, and once tried to play the piano! that was embarrassing. i don't think we'll be back for a while. jack does love it, though. he just can't HANDLE IT.

"my truck pants!"

2010-01-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

jack tried to dress himself. this is a pj TOP, not BOTTOM, jack.:)

what's hot/ what's not

2010-01-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

trying something new. a blog i follow, "loobylu", has invited all who want to join in on a little thing called, "what's hot/what's not".

what's hot/not this week:
HOT
- tuna melt playdates with my cousin's wife and 2 of her kids. is it just me, or are tuna melts amusing? and delicious!
- dan's 38th birthday. i love you, dan. you sweet old thing!
- sleepover at my parent's house. jack was in his element. we will be doing it again. especially if my mom's homemade buttermilk pancakes are involved.
- a huge plate of pork fried rice and egg foo young. for $4.75. maybe the highlight of my week.
- family toboggan ride on my gramps's old beauty
- a gift of homemade caramels from a sweet friend

NOT
- haitian earthquake is the first thing that springs to mind. i had a roomie my senior yr of college from haiti. i hope fonia is doing well, wherever she and her family may be. God protect them and give them comfort.
- naughtiness -- jack is being a rip. he locked me out of the house yesterday in 20-some degree weather! etc etc
- tv is dead. died last night a quick death. heard a tiny pop and that was that. hope we get another one before pbs's "emma" this sunday. and then the new season of "survivor" is coming up! and jack is sure to have a meltdown soooooon.

naughty napper

2010-01-17T14:20:00.002-08:00

NAUGHTY!!! jack is a naughty napper. i never know what i am going to find when i go to check on him. and that's why i check on him often.:) sometimes he is still up, playing with toys on his bed. sometimes he is asleep in a strange place: on the floor, under the bed, head in the closet with his body covered in toys, IN THE FROG TOY HAMPER WITH HIS HEAD ON A DIAPER BOX! (that one was really hilarious!:)) i should not have been surprised to find jack nestled in a pile of hand-me-down clothes today that he pulled out of a garbage bag... but i WAS. he gets me every time.

sleepover at grandpa dan's and grandma brenda's!

2010-01-17T14:09:00.000-08:00

dan went to a men's retreat friday, so jack and i took the opportunity to have a sleepover at my parent's house. jack was soooo excited.:) chick flick and popcorn, no sleep, mom's blueberry pancakes for breakfast, chinese food for lunch, "choc" in papa's pocket, and a lot of QUALITY TIME. so glad we did it. just because we live only about 5 minutes away from them doesn't mean that my parents should be denied the fun of a sleepover!

my collection

2010-01-14T13:53:00.000-08:00

i have a little collection of artwork by my old college friend, lauren. i was given one painting, but i bought 3 others with birthday or Christmas money. just thought i would do a little show-n-tell because i got the most recent painting in the mail the other day. and it is swoon-worthy.

the first painting is my new acquisition, "italian eggplant with peppers". such a beautiful style. the second is "squash", a fine illustrative piece. the third is "henry's pumpkin", my first purchase of brilliance (look at those brush strokes!).

Loobylu's "what's hot/what's not"

2010-01-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

i sometimes read a blog called "LoobyLu". she sometimes does a thing where she lists what is hot in her life, and what is not. i've been tempted to join her. she freely invites one and all to do so, and to link up to her post so you can see what i hot/not in other people's lives. like a big social experiment. or a big snoop. should i? or is it too lame?

sweater in progress

2010-01-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

working on a sweater for me. first sweater i've ever done. a pretty big project. the biggest yet. in this photo i'm about 25 rows into it. the pattern calls for 115 rows. i will be making it slightly bigger.:) i am now about 40-some rows into it. it's a challenge, but a beauty.

chalkboard

2010-01-09T14:16:00.001-08:00

i love jack's new chalkboard! it's one of those gifts that keeps on giving. it's great to share art with my child. over and over! and it's a learning tool! i foresee long hours practicing the alphabet and numbers. it is pretty sweet.

coffee water

2010-01-09T14:14:00.001-08:00

you know you like coffee when you drink an iced mocha... and about 20 minutes later take a hard suck to drink up the melted ice cube water in the bottom on the cup that has a trace of coffee residue on it. yum! and i'll do it again!

jack loves a baby

2010-01-01T19:50:00.001-08:00

jack just loves babies. it's like a magnetic attraction. jack..................baby! he loves to hold them. here he is holding my cousin tiffany's baby. isn't baby annika sweet? jack missed his nap today. he actually fell asleep holding her! i got it on my camera's video. how precious is that?

Happy New Year! welcoming in a new decade

2010-01-01T19:44:00.001-08:00

this was jack's first decade. it was kind of cool to document it. i don't suppose my parents let me stay up until midnight in 1979.:) we had the best time!!! we went to dan's sister's house and ate appetizers (a lot) and played Wii (a lot). it was so unbelievably fun. i actually didn't want to end the night! but, my ride was leaving.:) so, here's to a new year. Happy New Year!

maryn visits

2010-01-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

i met maryn when we were in college at pcc. she is amazing. she married a guy from the area and we get to see each other from time to time when they visit. here we are in the wal-mart parking lot. lame! i meant to take a photo at Christmas Point where we had a lovely lunch... but i forgot. this was all i could get before we parted ways until next time.

VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

victory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jack finally rode on one of those quarter machine rides. until this victorious ride, he wailed whenever one of these started moving. sitting on it motionless was fine... moving? SCARY BEYOND BELIEF!!!!:) of course, this means that whenever we go to wal-mart he'll want to ride. oh shoot.

let's play with benson!!!

2010-01-01T19:31:00.001-08:00

we love benson. jack and benson are buddies. it's ok that jack is 2 1/2 and benson is approx. 15 months. they both love tractors and looking out the living room window. we have a lot of fun together. i love taking photos of them eating their sweet little boy lunches.:) in the last photo, benson is NOT choking. he is blinking while chewing with his mouth open. funny, right?:)

homemade bread

2010-01-01T19:28:00.001-08:00

it's cold outside! i finally feel like heating up my kitchen with loaves of hot, fresh bread. the loaves crackle when you set them on the cooling rack! jack and i love to eat it hot from the oven with honey. sigh............

Christmas Eve at Milkovich's '09

2009-12-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve we finally got some family photos taken. it was a great night full of family, food, chocolate (jack and i should probably join a 12 step program after the holidays...) and presents.:) we are blessed with so much loving family. Merry Christmas to all!

my sweet little love

2009-12-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

shoot. he is just too pretty.

jack's Christmas present

2009-12-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

my little artist at work.

could it be that I am santa's elf?

2009-12-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

it's a good thing i knit like a ninja.:) soooooo many presents to knit this year. 2 kinds of hats, headbands, dishcloths, doll hats and scarves! it's helped keep the cost of Christmas low. and it has helped keep me out of the crowded, germ-infested stores. that's reason enough for me to confidently say that next year there will be more knitted gifts. better knitted gifts! i have to start early. maybe sweater vests? felted purses? i am almost getting excited just thinking about it. what a yarn nerd.:) do you love yarn?

this is a small sampling of projects. i keep forgetting to photograph them before i wrap them!:) the bottom hat is a Christmas hat that i came up with for jack. i just made up the pattern. you cast on 80 stitches on a size 9 circular needle. then you make knit2, purl2 ribbing for about 2-3 inches. then you knit until it looks big enough. then you decrease. then at the top you make a long i-cord (5 stitches). then attach a lovely huge tassel! that tassel is so fun.

Christmas '09 at angie's, or...i can't fit in my pants anymore

2009-12-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

dad, mom, jack and i took a little roadtrip to be with angie and family for their first Christmas in Minot, North Dakota. it was such a blessing to be able to have the time available to do it! 5 days of fun fun fun!:)

the road trip could have been more fun. did not see a single culver's, starbucks, or caribou coffee from baxter to minot (we didn't go through bemidji, mn. there may have been signs of civilization there!). i was dying for a coffee on the way out and did find a very nice mom-n-pop joint in devils lake, no dak. on the way back it was sunday and it was closed. well, Praise the Lord and boo hoo!:) oh, and did i mention jack's blow out diaper? and the burger king that didn't have a changing table? not fun.

Christmas at angie's was fun. we had to open gifts the first night because the kids were wound up out of their minds and we were going out of ours.:) jack was as excited as predicted about his "d-tar" from auntie angie and uncle matt. jack loves to play his guitar and make up songs. the girls seemed very pleased with the headbands, and doll hats and scarves i knit them.

the Christmas food was our usual feast of naughtiness: swedish tea rings galore, huge taco dip, egg bake, homemade pancakes, french dip sandwiches...where's the veggies?! who cares?!:) ha ha! i think there were a few eaten in the five days. and some fruit. oh, and i am sure there were some diced veggies in the food the night we went out for chinese. i am sure that counted. anyway... Merry Christmas it was!

"don't det (get) me!"

2009-12-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

jack loves a good chase around the house. laugh laugh laugh, "don't det me!!!". this was december 13th after the Church Christmas Program.

o........Christmas tree?

2009-12-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

playing around with my camera settings while taken a photo of our Christmas tree at night. weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

another church photo

2009-12-22T13:35:00.000-08:00

i love taking photos of jack with my parents in church. it's very nice. this day they all color coordinated so lovely that i couldn't resist! jack prefers sitting with them anyway. mostly because papa has a tootsie roll (or five) in his pocket for him.:)

"away in a manger"

2009-12-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

just one song... i worked for months with jack on "away in a manger". he had the actions down and even had the words, for the most part. yet, i know that JACK DOES NOT PERFORM ON COMMAND.:) i would just be happy if he stood up there and did not make a scene. practices were frustrating. don't you love it when small children dart away from you with a saucy look in their eye and a laugh? i even bribed him with the thing he holds most dear -- CHOCOLATE. the night of the program, to my surprise, jack walked down the aisle and calmly stood there (not on the stairs like he was supposed to, but close enough.)for an entire verse! he stood completely still and gave everyone "the eyebrows". about 3 words into the second verse he bolted down the aisle, but he didn't make a disturbance! i am a very pleased mama. better luck next year!!!

dress up?

2009-12-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

is it "playing dress up" if you are half naked? this is the second time i have taken a photo of jack in diaper and rain boots. but, this time he asked me to. "mama, take my picture!". of course i couldn't say no!:) not when the photo subject is so awesome. so, in about 10 years or so, he can't blame me!

fish

2009-12-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

i find it very sweet that dan likes to take photos of jack with the fish that he catches. dan also likes to show jack how to clean the fish. not that jack would ever touch the fish! jack is afraid of them. he will tell you very interesting stories about throwing the fish in the water, and then throwing rocks at the fish.

story time

2009-12-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

took jack to his first story time wednesday. it was wonderful (except for the weather. 5 degrees.). the librarian read about 7 or 8 books, sang a bunch of songs with the kids, and afterwards every child got a candy cane and an animal bookmark. i am sure that this is going to become a huge event for us. as it is, jack just turned 2 1/2 and he is a bit shy. he loved it, though. in fact, he cried when we had to leave. that's my boy!

Christmas begins...

2009-12-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas begins with decorating the tree. Little bits of Christmas every day with a Christmas Advent Calendar. Other ways to sprinkle a little Christmas magic every day is to listen to as much Bing/Sinatra/Perry Como/Rosemary Clooney/Dean Martin/Nat King Cole Christmas tunes as you possibly can. Then there's the cookie making. And then there's the present wrapping. And, every day there seems to be a new present that i am knitting. Christmas begins... and lingers all December long!

happy 15th bday, andy

2009-12-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

andy turned 15 dec. 5th. we had a "little" family party for him. he got a snowmobile windshield. that's different.:) i "baked" him a doughnut "cake". the doughnuts at the super one bakery in baxter, mn are very very nice. andy was very very happy.:) happy bday, andy!

thanksgiving '09

2009-11-30T08:37:00.000-08:00

what a great day! dinner for 12! centerpieces! 6 pies! this was the best photo of the day -- my mom pretending to beat auntie nancy over the head with a turkey leg.:) silly girl.

oh deer!

2009-11-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

here is a photo of my dear cutting up some deer. another one of his many many talents!!!

IKEA

2009-11-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

went on a road trip with my mom and auntie lana last saturday. we went to trader joe's, a fabric warehouse, IKEA, and the albertville outlet malls. that's a lot of shopping! it was fun and exhausting. we arrived at IKEA just in time for lunch at the cafeteria. i had the stuffed salmon with sides, and a princess cake! if you know me at all...you will know that this was very very exciting for me.:) the sunny cafeteria had a view you don't get every day -- the mall of america! which we didn't even consider as a shopping destination for the day.

auntie lana hadn't even heard of trader joe's. she didn't know what the fuss was all about. but, she was a bit impressed, i think. she and mom were both very excited with the french baguettes they bought.:) i was excited about everything and i vow to bring a cooler with next time!

i am a big fan of IKEA. i started clapping with glee when we got near. which amused my auntie.:) it wasn't just IKEA that i was so excited about, or the lovely meal, it was jack's Christmas present. i had spied an easel in the catolog for only $15!!! chalkboard on one side, dry erase board on the other. it has a tray down below and i bought the roll of paper so you can use the easel to paint. i can't wait to put it all together, wrap it, and put it under the tree. there's nothing like a huge Christmas present! jack will be so excited.

FUNKY

2009-11-30T08:17:00.000-08:00

jack and i found this old pair of dan's sunglasses in the basement. photo op!:)

snuggle time

2009-11-24T13:10:00.001-08:00

jack had just got up from a nap. he was still groggy and wanted a snuggle. the camera was at hand. i thought i'd get in a few shots of us together. you know, so he'd know i was around.:)

caught brown handed!

2009-11-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

jack helped himself to some cupcakes the other day.:) naughty! but, so cute. he pushed a chair over to the counter. i didn't think he really knew the cupcakes were in that container. i guess i underestimated him! he unwrapped 4 of them, and licked the frosting off of about 5. there's also one with a bite out from the previous day. what a scamp!:) was he repentant? NO! you have never seen anyone so pleased with himself.