The Dwead Piwate Wobberts is here for your soooouuuul

OK, so maybe it's not the Dread Pirate Roberts... Maybe it's just a cute little Santa Claus stocking that you promised to make for a friend of your Mom's.
You know what I'm talking about. You know about those projects that seem like they're going to be a walk in the park (No problem! famous last words) but for some reason - misalignment of planets... desertion by the knitting muse... fickle fate... - for some reason everything that can go wrong will go wrong. What should be an enjoyable time can reduce to you cowering under a blanket that you didn't knit, scowling at some cheeky Santa who insists on smiling at you from across the room, and chanting to yourself that this is an inanimate object and it's not secretly stalking you in your sleep. Right?
And how the heck do you turn a heel on something that's knit flat? I've looked at I don't know how many instructions so far, and can't figure it out to save my life. I'm going to have to improvise.
Which is the main reason that I'm only this far:

Let's not discuss how many times I've had to rip this bad boy back to get this far.
Let's also pause to note the other main reason that I'm only this far:

But, in my defense, TWO of the times I had to start over are pictured above.
(He's wearing the striped shirt.)

Please excuse me. I think I saw the Santa move...

Birthdays, toothiness, and keeping up appearances

We are settling in to the new house. Slowly but surely, the boxes are making their way out the door and into the recycling bin. Yessss! I had a deadline of sorts: Niall's birthday. I've determined not to give little man the shaft simply because his birthday falls close to Christmas, and moving wasn't going to put a dent in it either.

So he got his cake:in the shape of a Big Green Truck - as requested for the big green truck birthday party.And lots of presents. Among the favorites were the garbage truck that I snuck by him that day at the Sprawlmart, and the 5 little monkies set that Pop and Fannie sent.

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In other news, Rowan lost another tooth, thus necessitating an extreme close up shot of his toothiness. Yes, the orthodontist does have his work cut out for him doesn't he?

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Now that the birthday is over, we can decorate for Christmas. Of course, this has to happen on a weekend when both John and I are walking around feeling like someone has been beating us over the head with the snot stick, but get it done we shall.
Ladies and Gents, may I present our 2007 version of the tree.

And even though we are feeling a bit slack this year, what with waiting until today to get the tree up, and doing the bare minimum thus far, I carried on and got the stockings hung on the mantle. Because even if nothing else is done and you have random boxes of crap that you don't know what to do with hiding back in your bedroom... Even then, if you have a snappy looking mantle it looks like you have it all togetherEspecially if you can get the dog to lay down in front of the fire.

Merry tidings y'all. Pass me the wassail.

House!

We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... boxes wise.
yee!