Lil' puzzler

"Don'tcha wanna play with me, Mama?" 
Oh, that sweet smile and those batting eyelashes have me hooked. Of course I want to play. And playing puzzles is one of my favorites. Call me lazy, but sitting on the couch, occasionally helping him find the right piece, is just the kind of easy night a mama needs every once in a while. 

(Tongue-out concentration. Puzzling = serious business.)

We've reached the Lego stage

I keep finding him perched here, on top of the toy chest. He builds, tears apart, stacks, rearranges, occasionally calls for help or names some complicated thing he'd like us to build for him. My nails are torn up from prying apart tiny plastic pieces. I've learned to watch my step in the playroom, trying to avoid the sharp corner of a Lego in my foot. But really, this is kind of a peaceful toy. Quiet and creative - the sort of thing I don't mind spending an afternoon playing with. The sort of thing I might even play with on my own.




Side note: Do you remember being able to crouch in that position? Oh, to have the flexibility of a three-year-old...

Snow!

It's January 12 and we've finally gotten our first measurable amount of snow for the winter. Walter was really, really excited... to shovel! He's been looking forward to shoveling for weeks. So he shoveled and shoveled and shoveled some more. Nate gave him a dollar for his efforts and he went right out and spent it on video games at the pizza place. It was his first paycheck. He should be allowed to spend it any way he wants.

I managed to finish my scarf just in time for the snow. The pattern is the Rick Rack Scarf, which was featured on the Purl Bee back in November. It's nice and cozy. And now I can move on to finishing another wip. Knitting is such a good activity for a snowy evening.

Feet, camera, actions!

The boy and the dog, both with their paws dangling over the edges of their chairs. A perfect opportunity for me to crawl around on the floor and take some pictures, right? It was night time, low light, and I wasn't super excited about what I was getting out of the camera. So I did a little playing in Photoshop and used some of The Pioneer Woman's actions to give them a little extra somethin'. If you've got Photoshop and a little time on your hands, actions are fun to play around with. Check them out, search for others, create your own! 

Winter wonderland

I can't remember the last time January in Wisconsin was this warm. This sunny. This snow-free. I know there are people out there wishing for snow, but I'm content with our unusual winter weather. We spent our Saturday enjoying the outdoors.

Works in progress

Much of my free time these days is being consumed by knitting. My works in progress (that's "wip" in knitting speak) are piling up. If only I could finish something! That skirt I started WAY back in October is almost done. It just needs a little lace edging and a waistband. This scarf, a tedious little pattern to work, has been tying up my evenings for almost two months now. But I only have about 10 more inches to go! 

And the sweater that Walter asked me to knit, and even picked out the yarn himself? Well, that's still all balled up. But it's next on my list, I swear! I'm going to finish these wips, and I've given myself a little incentive. This morning I stopped at my local coffee shop, which also happens to be my local yarn shop (that's "lys" in knitting speak), and found this hank of deliciously wonderful, hand-dyed yarn. I scooped it up right away and then made a promise to myself not to touch it until all my other knitting projects are finished. Enough of this blogging nonsense. I have knitting to do!