Thanksgiving times 2.

The long weekend was so nice. We went to the in-laws on Thanksgiving day and MIL was in high stress mode over cooking dinner for 4. We arrived a little early and were subjected to several PA comments about how we could have eaten earlier. They have built an addition onto the back of the house. It looks great, MIL complained the whole time how it isn't done yet as if she expected it to take about 3 weeks to add on to their house. Their new kitchen is great, of course MIL had several comments about how long it was taking to get finished (They have been working on the addition for about 3 months). We stayed the night and I think that the pickle had a bit of an ear ache that evening. He just would not settle and cried and fussed. I spent much of the night walking the floors with him and ended up sleeping in the spare room with him for some of the night. Traveling with the pickle is just something I do not like to do. We had a moratorium on travel for a while and I think we might need to put it back on after the holidays.
Sunday D and I had my brother and SIL and little Michael over for thanksgiving take 2. We made a beer can turkey. It turned out awesome! I had a great time making everything. I think that next year we will just invite everyone over for dinner and who comes comes, and who doesn't doesn't.
I did finish up the sweater for the Pickle, but did not sew the Dangly together yet! Bad me. I'm not sure what the mental block on doing it is. I really need to do it so that I can start on Pickles stocking.
I have been colecting things for my final Secret Pal package. She has moved temporarily so luckily I haven't sent it yet. I ordered one of my favorite books for her, since she loves to read. I'm hoping that she hasn't read it. I still am planing on making a mixed CD, some note cards and possibly a needle case for her. I'm hoping to get it done this week and in the mail to her Friday. I need to get sewing! D is reffing basketball this evening so maybe I can get the note cards or at least the CD done this evening. I believe that our printer is out of yellow ink, so the colors will be interesting!

My word means nothing

Even though I promised myself that I would not start another project before finishing up one I did. So the third Mr. Dangles sits in pieces, I started a sweater for the pickle. I needed a car project for our trip up to my parents last weekend. The plus side, is that I have finished the sweater. Well, if by finished I mean it is sitting in pieces. I just needs to be put together! This is the part where I usually stall out. So close, yet so far. I fully expect to sew this sweater together this evening, but I've been meaning to put that monkey together for a few weeks too.
Last weekend D and the Pickle and I took a ride up to Cleveland to celebrate my grandfather's 90th birthday. He has started to slip mentally and asked several times who the party was for and also who's baby I had. He seemed very surprised to hear that it was mine!
We are on the road again this weekend as we head over to D's parents house for Thanksgiving. It will be a quiet affair with us as the only guest. I am bringing pie. D's mom does not do pie and I don't understand how someone can have Thanksgiving with out pie. She did say that she would be baking pumpkin filling, but no crust. I find this odd.
I am going to break my word again and start on another project. Pickle needs a Christmas stocking. What a perfect road trip project. Hand stitching and little seed beads! Maybe I'll take along that third monkey and get it put together in the car.

So this is what it feels like.

Before I had the Pickle I used to talk about how I absolutely needed 8 hours of sleep and there was no way I could function on any less. After having the Pickle 8 hours of sleep were not happening and what surprised me was out of the two of us, I was the one with the ability to function on 4 hours or so. The Pickle turned 8 months old yesterday and decided to grace us with 8 or so hours of sleep. Now... These were his hours, I only got 6.5 since I can't seem to go to bed at 8pm like he does. But today is a whole new world! Who knew how bright the colors really were or how sunny an overcast and windy day could be. I am hoping to not jinx it and return to the nights of 2-3 wakenings. Saturday night, when he was up from 1-4:30 am seems so long ago already.

Is that light?

I have been making a concentrated effort on completing unfinished projects around the house and I think that I might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I have been itching like crazy to start something new but have had the self control to finish something old. I finally finished the king size quilt. Whew! I am so glad that is done. Well... of course I still have it, I need to wash it but our washing machine is not big enough which means I need to take a trip to the Laundromat. My mom is embroidering the label for me, I just need to stitch that and the tag in and it can leave my house! D added another project while I had my back turned. It is a quick and easy fleece blanket that he had my mom embroider for a friends baby. I just need to sew on the binding and he will even stitch the back down. The whole project would take less than 2 hours, if I could just find them. My final Mr. Dangles is in pieces in the living room. I just need the final push to sew him together, find some eyes and sew a little outfit. The biggest problem is that when I come home from work I spend my time playing with the Pickle and getting dinner ready. Then once he goes down, I just want to veg out... or start a knitting project! I am dying to start a sweater for him but keep holding off. I know that if I get those UFO's off my conscience I would be free!
So... a summary list of projects to finish:
Sew E's Dangle together
3 Outfits for Dangles and embroider kids names on
Wash King Size Quilt
Quilt MC's quilt (sitting on machine)
Binding to Lily's quilt
Paint blocks

Well that isn't as daunting as I thought once I got it all in one place!

Wait until the last minute... Who me?

Going into the weekend the pickle still did not have a Halloween costume. D wanted to dress him up as a continental soldier and since I didn't feel like thinking very hard I didn't come up with anything else. My thought was that I would be able to put the costume together last week sometime. When D was sent down to Florida with work those plans pretty much went right out the window. I procrastinated and procrastinated, then went shopping, then to a clam bake then at 8:30 the night before Halloween decided that it was the perfect time to get started on this costume. When D got home Sunday night at 10:00 and found me at my sewing machine he had doubts that I would be able to pull off this costume in such a short time. When he got home at 5:30 yesterday to find me frantically sewing while the pickle sat in my lap he just laughed. The pickle did miss the neighborhood parade but did make it out for the passing out of candy, which he LOVED. He just giggled and giggled and jumped up and down as the kids came up to the porch. Some kids thought he was a pirate, but most people figured it out... A few guessed George Washington and one Napoleon. All in all.. Pretty good I think... Can you stand the cuteness?