Mariannes Motifs

I knitted a heel!

Since my Mom said she thought my sock looked good I thought I would give you'all a progress report.

I have turned the heel. Now onto the gusset.

By the way... I am using "Silver's Sock Class" as my tutorial for these. (Although I made the leg stockinette instead of all rib)

Today is shaping up to be my favorite kind of lazy day.  The kids have movies and MP3 players to keep busy, hubster is playing D and D online and I am knitting. 

Sock in Progress

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It's All Abut Meeee

 “I know she’s not doing it on purpose,” says the Brooklyn-based school teacher. “But Chelsea Clinton has taken what was supposed to be a special day for me turned it into hell.”

via shine.yahoo.com

Seriously? This girl is upset because her wedding guests might get stuck in traffic because her wedding is possibly going to be in the same town as Chelsea Clinton's?

Find an alternative route and get over it.

Adam is Mr. Cool trying on a hat

Here's a little bit of fun from our trip to the mall yesterday.
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Guest Post #2

Of course anything that Ben wants to do, Adam wants to do too.  Here is is with Mr. Ball, his pick at Build-A-Bear.

ball and  adam are friends.  i love you mom and dad.  ball  and  adam

The Birthday Bear

 My soon to be 7 year old kiddo is going to guest write this post today:

the birthday bear.  his name is army.  he came from build-a-bear.  army rocks!

Biscuit is a Good Doggy!

Our new little dog is turning out to be a good guy.  He doesn't bark, is housebroken, friendly, playful, doesn't shed to speak of, isn't smelly, follows commands, and likes the kids.  The boys take turns taking him out and both know not to tug on the leash, scare the dog, or leave their toys on the floor.  (Biscuit thinks kids toys look like fair game to him, and you can't blame him, right?)

He actually did bark once - when Hubster was getting out of the car.  He knows the question "Do you want to go for a ride in the car" and will freak out if out excited if he hears about rides in cars.  So we know he CAN bark, he just doesn't.  His bark sounded like a beagle howl so its probably a good thing he prefers not to bark.  His favorite thing to do is get underneath blankets.  He will put his whole body underneath the fleece blanket I gave him - even his head.  I figured he was cold so therefore he is wearing a shirt.  It is a Harley Davidson shirt, btw.  What a riot.  I never thought I would have a dog who wants to wear clothes.

But really - who could say no to a face like this?

We Got a New Doggy

After our two dogs passed away a few years ago, we've been pet free.  Well, unless you count the salt water fishes.  We've been talking about getting a dog for awhile, and have had our eye out at pet rescue places.  Most of the dogs they have for adoption are big dogs, and we want a small dog.  Of course at the same time we each have our idea of the perfect dog. 

We finally found a sweet quiet tempered little doggy to call our own.  He's a 2-3 year old Chihuahua and we're naming him Biscuit. LOL!  Yes, a Chihuahua.  But during the hour we spent with him at the animal shelter we never heard him bark once.  He's a bit timid, a bit standoffish, but he wags his tail and allowed us to pet his royal self and was very happy sitting on laps.  He wasn't scared of the kids and let them pet him too.  He was just playing it cool.  I think that once he comes home with us on Tuesday (after he gets fixed) he will get more comfortable.  He was really interested in the other dogs at the shelter, but didn't bark at them either. 

I didn't snap a picture of him, but he's brown with a white spot on his forehead.  He's 8 pounds, not super tiny, and he's a skinny little guy so we will fatten him up just a little.  And hopefully walking him around will give me some exercise, better than weight loss drinks.   I believe he was a stray, and then rescued and brought to the shelter.  We paid $75 bucks for him and he comes with all his shots and neutering, and a microchip too, so that's a pretty decent deal.  (Ha - free puppy, right ---- the cost comes later!!!)

We are all really excited and busy setting up his new crate.  When we go to pick him up on Tuesday we are bringing some Kong toys to donate for the big dogs at the shelter - The Cherokee County Animal Shelter. They had so many beautiful labs and American mutt mixes.  I saw three Jack Russell terriers too, if you like a small dog with a lot of energy.   (Boing, boing, boing!)

Idea - Snag Your School Supplies Early, get $20 credit and freeship

Amazon is having a special for the month of July - if you buy $100 worth of eligible school or office supplies you will receive a $20 credit on a future order.  If you have your list for school supplies you could buy them, have them shipped to your house for free and keep them handy for the first week of school.

Buy $100 of Eligible School Supplies, Get a $20 Credit on Your Next Order

By the way if you are looking for apidexin reviews - there you go.

11 Wonderful Reasons to Teach Kids How to Cook

1.  It's fun a fun project and they get to eat the results! 

2.  Cooking teaches math skill such as measuring, fractions, time, and  temperature.

3.  Cooking teaches reading and following directions, as well as artistry and creativity.

4.  Kids need to learn how to cook - its a life skill!  I am so thankful my Mom and my best friend's mom taught me how to cook.

5.  Good cooking will including talking  about good nutrition and can lead to a lifetime love of good fresh food.  You're kids are not going to grow up searching out fake stuff like powdered antioxidents in a bottle or herbal weight loss formulas.  Instead give them the gift of a love of real fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, and spices.  You are literally training their taste buds to appreciate fresh flavors of real foods.

6.  Learning about shopping for ingredients is a great way to introduce idea of money management. 

7.  Shopping and cooking also brings u[ the idea of the value of money and time.  For example, why do we pay more for prepared foods, or restaurant foods?  Why can't we afford to order pizza every night?  

8.  Kids are more likely to eat something they had a hand in making.  This includes veggies and new foods to try.

9.  Its like an insurance policy against poverty.  In life we are always going to have ups and downs.  The fundamentals that we learn as kids (or even later as adults) can help us through those down spots.  When money is tight is sure is wonderful to know how to take a few cheap ingredients and put together great home cooking on a dime.

10.  Cooking family dishes teaches kids their ethnic roots.  Cooking dishes from around the world teaches about world cultures.  Cooking classic American favorites gives them a place of reference with their generation.  It's a win win situation whatever you chose to make. 

11.  What a wonderful way to spend quality time with your family.  You can't get any better than that.