Wow...who would have thought that a 2k square foot home could fill up like that! With thirty guests on Saturday, and horrible outdoor weather, we were packed in the house like sardines. BUT...it was a blast!

I thought I would take more pictures, but I was running from room to room, trying to be a good hostess, making sure the burgers, dogs and spiedies were going on, and coming off the grill in a somewhat organized fashion. Well, you get the idea

I chose two pics from the cake smashing, which honestly wasnt all that smashing. Connor is actually a really clean kid when it comes to cake, or at least not nearly as messy as his siblings were.

He was a little overwhelmed by 30 people belting out "Happy Birthday". He kept looking around like "what the...."

And yellow icing DOES stain a Peg Perego high chair. I'm sure it will come out with some bleach gel.

After the party was over, Den, Nichole and Dad stuck around to play poker. In the end, I was the lucky one for a change. I came out 15 bucks ahead, although I probably could have come out much richer. I had a nice stash of chips in front of me but got a little careless in my betting. No worries though..its not like I lost anything!

Mike & Becky had originally planned to leave on Sunday morning but decided to stay an extra day since they didnt need to be back right away. So despite the rainy cold wind, we jumped in the cars and headed to Ithaca to show them around. We stopped by the park (and its name escapes me at the moment) but even though it had stopped raining, it was much too windy and cold to stay there very long. So we then moved on to the Commons. Mike and Becky are also from Madison, so we had to point out just how similar the two cities are....they agreed

Either because it was a Sunday or because of the weather, the Commons were pretty bare. Becky and I DID however make it to Homespun 15 minutes before they closed. I walked away from Homespun with 2 balls of Cascade Fixation, a new Inox circular  and Interweave Knits Winter 2004 (which I wanted just for the retro ribs sock pattern, but have since discovered quite a few others that will eventually make their way onto my always lengthening list of things I want to make)

You will notice however that there is plenty more yarn in that basket, right? Well ...Kira was just way too generous. When she showed up on Saturday for the party, she came not only bearing a gift for Connor, and gifts for the other kids, but gifties for me and Richard too! I have to say...I'm the one that scored!

Everything else in that basket is from Kira, including the basket! Three skeins of Cascade Quattro, 4 balls of fixation (one of the purple ones has already been cast on and on its way to a pair of broadripple socks) Crystal Palace needles, Susan Bates double points, the new issue of Vogue Knitting and a Schachenmayr Inspiration book, (no. 76 "All Year Children's Garments")

From now on, I'm just going to call Kira the Fiber Fairy..seriously. This basket just blew me away. Kira, you are incredibly generous...thank you!

Before I skip away from knitworthy content...in the mail on Friday, a great ebay find, 15 balls of Plymouth Stone Cotton in "fern". This was originally to be for the t-shirt KAL, but I've since changed my mind. I'm seeing a summer Rogue instead. 1) because I'm itching to rogue, and 2) the t-shirt deserves the Rowan Calmer, which I just can't afford right now.

And lastly...I forgot about a bunch of pictures that were on the camera.

Batman crashed

And another of Connor that is just too cute not to include in this post

Around a year ago on this day..

• Just a quick update on - 2004

Posted in family, knitting

lonely day

Where we’ve been..

something else going around?