Socks, Socks and More Socks!

Once again I’ve been neglecting my blog in favor of spending time with my kids during the summer and crafting.  Just yesterday I took the boys to the Auntie Shannon’s house and we went swimming in her condo’s pool.  It was a lot of fun.  We actually haven’t been swimming all summer and both boys really enjoyed it.  Even Bug taught himself to go underwater and Fidget was enjoying jumping in when he was wearing his floaties.  Everyone was thoroughly tuckered out, including me.  I could barely focus on our roleplaying game last night and didn’t even have the focus to work on the vanilla pattern sock I’m currently working on.

We’ve also been spending a lot of time at our local library.  Every summer they have the “Summer Reading Program.”  Kids are encouraged to read so many minutes a week and they earn little prizes for their success.  The culmination is an ice cream social with a magician.   This summer the kids made dream pillows (Bug’s was a mouse in space wearing a space helmet so he didn’t eat his cheese house), worry dolls (Bug’s was a ninja), wind chimes using clay pots, and they even tasted jelly beans to vote on the best tasting.  Bug read over 25 hours!  He’s still reading, too, even though the program ended.  He’s got a stack of books that he personally checked out on his own library card!

On the crafting front, I’ve been mostly working on socks.  Since my last craft post I’ve finished 6 more pairs of sock, a Bullseye stuffy and got most of the Spring Flowers blanket done.  Here are some pictures of my complete projects.

These are a pair of belated birthday socks to myself.  For my birthday I went to the awesome LYS, Trumpet Hill, and picked out some sock yarn.  When I was there I was introduced by the wonderful staff, to Opal’s Van Gogh Sock yarn.  The awesome yarn designers took the colors from some of Van Gogh’s famous paintings and turned them into yummy yarns!  Since it was late in the month, Trumpet Hill was running low on colorways, so I picked out a skein of In Variation Nach.  I asked if there was a colorway of Starry Night, since it is one of my favorite Van Gogh paintings (we have a print hanging in our living room) and there was, but they didn’t have it in stock.  Fast forward a couple weeks and I saw on Facebook they’d received a new shipment of the Van Gogh yarn and when I asked, they said they had Starry Night!  Squee!  I rushed over that evening to pick up a skein and also came home with a skein of Vase with Sunflowers, too!  Of course I cast on the first sock as soon as I got home!

Van Gogh’s Starry Night Socks

Barbara (Knittin and Kittens) and I did a KAL (Knit Along) for these interestingly designed socks called Carousel Socks.  We both stumbled over this pattern on Pinterest and decided to give it a try together.  I’m glad we did.  These socks had very interesting construction and we ran into the same issues together, which made getting through the project a little easier.  We’ve both decided that while it was nice to learn a new technique, we probably won’t be making these again any time soon.  They are comfy, though and I do wear mine regularly.

Carousel Socks

Upon finishing the Carousel Socks, Barbara and I decided to venture into the world of Sideways Socks.  This was another pattern that had a unique construction.  We made some major modifications to the pattern after reading notes from others on Ravelry.  I’m glad we did because otherwise our socks would have come out being knee highs!  We also modified the heel to do increases and then decreases around the other side and Kitchener the seam at the top rather than cutting the yarn and rejoining.  I think we’re both agreed again that while it was nice to learn something new, we won’t be making these again any time soon!  lol

Sideways Socks

I’ve also been getting ready for a craft fair in September.  I’ve got some baby blankets and some baby bibs done, but want to have some socks as well.  I pulled out some worsted weight (thick yarn) and made these Broken Rib socks.  They will make great boot socks for someone (with a size 9 foot) here in the great northeast during the cold winter!  They are very thick, cushy and warm!

Broken Rib Socks

Another pair of socks for the craft fair are these Pink Camouflage socks.  These are a size 9/10.  I kind of like this colorway for myself, but I’m going to save them for selling.

Pink Camo Socks

I’ve also started on another pair of striped socks for the craft fair.  I have a feeling these are going to be identically striped socks…fingers crossed, anyway.  It’s the same yarn and colorway I used for the Carousel socks.  It’s called Harlequin.  I really like this color and stripes, so I may have to pick up some more to make myself a pair.  I currently plan to make this pair of socks a size 7/8 so I can have a variety of sizes.

Harlequin Socks

I also finished a pair of socks for Darling Hubby.  His “Whether He Wants Them or Not” Socks.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture.  He’s worn them and they are ok.  He said they were a bit slippery and I noticed that they stretched a bit more than I thought.  I think that’s the yarn I used, which is a bit of a heavier sock/fingering weight.  It’s a learning experience.

I also finished a Bullseye amigurumi for Fidget.  He’s on a Toy Story kick.  He loves anything and everything to do with Buzz and Woody.  He has a big stuffed Woody and Buzz, little mini ones and even a talking Woody.  The one thing he didn’t have was Bullseye.  I searched Ravelry high and low for a pattern that I could turn into Bullseye and the wonderful April Draven made one called “Brown Pony” that was exactly what I’d been searching for.  Apparently it had to be renamed because apparently someone was unhappy with it’s former name.    I actually managed to whip this little guy out in 24 hours!

Ride Like the Wind, Bullseye!

I’ve also been working on the Spring Flowers blanket.  It’s been tough working on it since it’s been so hot…I just don’t want to sit under a hot blanket on an 80* day.  I’m getting to the finish line, though.  I’ve gotten most of the border done and then I need to weave in all those ends…I’m kinda dreading that!  lol

So, that’s it for now.  Kind of a big ol’ Finished Object Friday post…

Overdue Update and Food For Friday – 9/14-9/27

Wow!  I can’t beleive it’s September already…Where has the time gone?  I’ve been so busy with things that I’ve been neglecting my blog pretty severely and it’s time I get back into the swing of things.   Here’s e a quick update on what we’ve been up to lately…

Let’s see…gosh, I don’t even know where to start…At the beginning of August, Darling Hubby and I went on a mini vacation to the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY.  It was a lot of fun and a very memorable trip…I have tons of pictures that I wanted to share, but I haven’t really had much time or inclination to edit them.  We didn’t take Bug with us, as we wanted to get away just the 2 of us.  He stayed with his “Auntie Shannon” and they had a great time together.  They went swimming in her pool, went to Friendly’s for dinner and ice cream and even went bowling.  He talked about everything and her cats for weeks afterward.

On September 1st I officially became a big girl…I passed my road test and can officially drive the roads of NY.  Scary!  It was something that I should have done many, many years ago and just kept putting it off.  The sad thing was that we had to drive 2+ hours back to my home town where I should have taken the test to begin with…it seriously took less than 10 minutes for the test….then we had to drive 2+ hours back home…But, it’s done and I passed.  It was necessary for me to get it so I could drop Bug and Darling Hubby off at school and work and pick them up, too, since logistically, it would have been impossible for Darling Hubby to do it all.  Actually, it’s been rather fun driving around all alone in the car.  I get to pick my own music and I have freedom.  This morning I went to Walmart all by myself…it was just to buy dog food, which isn’t all that exciting, but I did it and I enjoyed it!  lol

On the 8th Bug started Pre-K.  So far he’s loving it and the first few days he cried cause he didn’t want to come home…I’m not sure if it was because he loved school that much or if it was because he loves their awesome playground!   In just the past couple days he’s come back with little school art projects…things I could never get him to do at home.  Maybe he just needed that extra peer pressure from the other kids doing the projects.  I’m thinking school is going to be really good for him and it warms my heart that he enjoys it so much.  I’m enjoying having quiet time at home, which allows me to get my cleaning done quickly and not have to worry about ignoring Bug while I scrub a toilet or something he can’t help me with.  It’s hard to take care of a house and a kid at the same time…something is going to get neglected.

As for me, I’ve been working on my crochet projects and recently decided to start working on Christmas presents.  I want to get a head start on everything this year so I don’t feel like I have to rush.  Right now I’m working on a blanket for a certain someone who may or may not read this blog, so I’m going to keep it a secret.  Once I finish this blanket, I’m going to start on something for my mom, who I know doesn’t read this blog.  I’m thinking of making her a snuggy…you know, one of those blankets with sleeves…essentially a reverse bathrobe.  I think it might be something useful for her…maybe I’ll even make one for my dad, too, in nice manly colors!

Monday – Craft night – my turn to cook –
Tuesday –  Pizza
Wednesday – Beef Stew
Thursday – Game Night – Dinner TBD
Friday – Cabbage Casserole
Saturday – Pan Fried Chicken
Sunday -Southwest burgers

Monday – Craft night – Leana’s turn to cook
Tuesday – Rotisserie Chicken with veggies and mashed potatoes
Wednesday – Homemade Chicken Soup
Thursday – Spaghaetti with homemade sauce
Friday – SPAM and eggs
Saturday – Fend
Sunday – Fend

Going on Vacation

It’s been a long time since Darling Hubby and I have been on vacation and since the plans fell through for my trip to Ireland this fall, Darling Hubby and I decided it was time for a quick and inexpensive getway.  A few years ago we took an overnight trip to Vermont for our anniversary, but we had Bug in tow.  This time, we are going alone!  Gasp!  We’ll be leaving Bug behind with his Auntie Shannon and her husband Jay for the weekend.  It’s actually the 2nd time I’ll be away from Bug in his 4 and a half years and the first time for Daddy.   I’m a bit nervous about leaving him…but I trust Shannon and Jay completely and they have a fun filled weekend planned for him.  I think they might spoil him rotten with bowling trips, jaunts to the park and pool, movies, snacks, boardgames and fun in general.   I’m hoping that bedtime is easy and that he sleeps through the night without any nightmares (which have been popping up recently) and that he doesn’t have a meltdown because we aren’t there to tuck him in and won’t be there in the morning like we usually are.

So, where are we going you ask?  Well, we are taking a romantic getaway to….dat da da dah – Corning, NY!  Ok, so there’s really nothing romantic about Corning, but we’ve never been there and they have a cool museum of glass that we both want to see.  We got a hotel room in Painted Post, not too far from Corning.  We made reservations to try our hand at some glass blowing at the museum and will have dinner at a local pub called The Glory Hole.  The name aside, it sounded like a neat place and the menu had some interesting items that sounded worth a try.  Plus, I’ve never been to a pub before.  On the way home on Sunday we plan, weather permitting, to take a side trip to Watkins Glen State Park and maybe find one of the many waterfalls and have a picnic lunch.

Darling Hubby and I both grew up east of Corning (past Binghamton) but have never actually been there so this is a nice opportunity for the both of us and we can have a break from Bug and not have to worry about him every second: what he’s touching or what he’s getting into.  I’ll leave that up to Auntie Shannon!  lol

I’m sure we’ll both miss Bug terribly and will only be a phone call away (espcially to say goodnight at bedtime and hear how his day went), but the break for all of us will be good (plus Auntie Shannon and Jay can get some child rearing experience for when they decide to expand their family.)  I’m sure we’ll all be, as Bug always says, “very glad and happy” to see each other upon our return.

Sick and Worried – Updated

Bug is one of the healthiest kids I know and when he gets sick it really puts both Daddy and myself on edge.  Yesterday Bug was supposed to have a play date with Baby Girl (the little girl I babysat for) and shortly before her arrival he started complaining of a headache.  I gave him some Motrin just before she arrived and within 5 minutes of them starting to play, he started throwing up…

Baby Girl and her mommy left and Bug and I curled up on the couch with a cold washcloth.  I made the room as dark as possible and had Daddy run to the store to pick up some Children’s Tylenol and some ginger ale since we didn’t have any.  Bug was reluctant to take the meds because he was afraid he was going to throw up again…he finally took it and kept it down.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get him to eat or drink anything…which is very out of character for him…as is the sudden headache and vomiting.

It was late so we got him to bed and he did fall asleep.  I brought the baby monitor in my room so I could hear him better if he got sick or needed me.  He woke up to pee at 3 and still complained of the headache.  I gave him more Tylenol and got him back to bed.  He seemed ok this morning.  He was hungry, ate an apple, drank some water and some ginger ale. We laid in my bed for most of the morning.

Around 11 he was playing downstairs and curled up on the floor, again holding his head, and started to vomit again…thankfully, it was a false alarm and everything stayed down.  He seems fine as long as he’s laying down and is currently laying on his bean bag chair watching a cartoon with the volume down low…hey, it’s keeping him still and happy.

I called the doctor and they said it could be strep throat…he’s never complained of a sore throat, but when I asked him while I was on the phone with the nurse he said, “yes, it hurt.”  I didn’t see anything inside his mouth, though…I’m wondering if it’s an ear infection.  The pain seems to radiate from the left side…It’s either those things or a migraine…

Until we see the doctor at 2:45 I’m going to be on edge and I know that Daddy is very worried (he keeps calling me from work to check on him).  I’m hoping it’s something simple with an easy fix and that my little munchkin can go back to his happy go lucky self.

It doesn’t help that Darling Hubby and I are planning a get away without Bug this coming weekend and are planning to leave Bug with his Auntie Shannon…I’m hoping he’ll be ok by then.  I don’t want to ruin the fun for all involved.  He’s so looking forward to staying with Auntie Shannon.

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So, we are back from the doctors.  They did a strep test and checked his ears and both came up negative.  Dr. B is going to chalk it up to a virus right now.  I’m to call if he gets worse or if this happens again in the future (something similar happened in June), which might be a sign of something (benign) called Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome.  I’m not going to worry about this now, but it is a possible diagnosis if this keeps happening.  Honestly, I much rather it be something treatable like an ear infection or strep.

On the up side, Bug seems to be pretty much back to normal this afternoon.  He was pretty normal just before we went to the doctors appointment – go figure!  I think it was the Tylenol at 12:30 that perked him back up.  It also helps that he’s got food/drink in him.  He  ate an apple for breakfast, a piece of lightly buttered toast for lunch, and a slice of pizza for dinner <–his choice.  He’s also been drinking water, ginger ale and, per the doctors recommendation, Gatorade.  I’m hoping that this is the last bout of this…it really gets Darling Hubby and me worked up.  So, if you wouldn’t mind, keep your fingers crossed for us and/or say a little prayer if that’s your thing.

30 Day Shred – Day 10

One more day of level 2 under my belt.  I’m feeling pretty good.  I woke up with some minor discomfort in the front of my shoulders, probably from the plank position stuff.  I found that 80 degree weather is not fun for working out, even for 20 minutes.  I was dripping when I finished.  I think if the weather is going to continue being this hot in April/May, I’m going to have to drag down the fan so I can have it blowing on me.  Thank goodness for gatorade!  lol

I’m still doing the modified moves and honestly, I think I get more out of them that way than I would doing the plank jacks and the plank squat thrusts (I think that’s what they are called) the way Natalie does them.  I feel like I have more control over my abs with the modified moves, even though I’m not getting the full cardio effect.

I think I’m going to burn a few extra calories today by heading up to my attic after dinner and sorting through a bunch of stuff.  We are planning to have a neighborhood garage/yard sale in the next 2 months (haven’t nailed down a date yet) and I want to get rid of some of my clutter from the attic.  (I’m a kinda of pack rat!)  I’ve already set aside several boxes filled with dvd’s and vhs tapes, books (both old school texts and novels), some of Bug’s toys, some men’s, womens’s and little boy clothes.  I’ve got a bag of old stuffed animals, some posters, pictures, and some Christmas stuff.  I’ll probably have some more books, clothing and toys from the attic.  I know I have some puzzles and a latch hook kit that haven’t even been opened and Darling Hubby has some games he might want to get rid of as well as some of his old (and I’m talking old) GI Joe figures.  I want to make a little money to save up so I might get to go to Ireland in the fall on vacation.  I might even get to meet up with my dear friend Suzy.  Nothing is set in stone yet…I’m hoping to go, but at the same time I’m scared…I’ve only been away from Darling Hubby and Bug once (for my friend Shannon’s wedding).  I was only a couple hours away for an overnight.  This would be a whole ocean away and for probably over a week.  Not to mention I’m scared of the plane ride.  I’ve only flown once, from NY to FL and it was only a 2.5 hour flight…I have no clue how long a flight from NY to Ireland is.  But, I guess we’ll cross that ocean when we come to it.  😀

Plumbing is Fixed!

Yeah!

Darling Hubby fixed the sewer pipe last night.  It only cost us about $100 dollars and 3 trips to 2 different Home Depots, Walmart, Kmart, Target and finally Lowes so we could get a replacement saw blade for his Black & Decker Navigator.  Those things are darn hard to track down.  No one had them but Lowes.  We finally got the whole thing finished and cleaned up by 6pm.  We started after lunch and spent much of the afternoon driving around looking for blades so we could cut the cast iron pipe off.  Replacing it took all of 15 minutes.

After Bug went to bed Darling Hubby and I had a date night were we curled up together on the couch and watched Tropic Thunder.  It was an OK movie.  Darling Hubby raved about how funny it was and while I did find it funny in parts I wouldn’t say it was my all time favorite movie.  Would I watch it again?  Yes, I think I would.  I’m sure there are things I missed the first watch through.  I think the best part had to be Robert Downy Jr. “playing a dude, disguised as another dude” and the “trailers” at the beginning.  I think, overall, it was a good story, but some of the language and topics might be offensive to some.

Today I baked 2 pumpkin pies.  I don’t think I should have been allowed to cook today, though.  I kept forgetting to add the salt to everything…first the pie crust and then one of the pie fillings. *slaps self in forehead*  I think I managed to fix it well enough.  I hope they are edible.  I’ll be pretty disappointed if they aren’t.  I hate wasting good food.  They smell and look good though.

I still have to make another batch of the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins for Thanksgiving.  I thought they were so good that I want to share them with Darling Hubby’s family and my parents.  I told my mom about them and she even wants the recipe.  I’ll probably do that Wednesday.  I think tomorrow I have to figure out how to make kaiser rolls.  Anyone have a good recipe they want to share?  Darling Hubby wants to make BBQ pork sandwiches for dinner tomorrow and we don’t have any good rolls.  I think I’ll whip up some pizza dough in the bread machine (a thing on the internet said lean dough, like pizza) and try that…At least Darling Hubby is on vacation this whole week so he’ll be around to help me.  We ended up canceling our game night tomorrow since one player couldn’t make it like he thought.  I’m debating on skipping craft night too and just staying home with Darling Hubby since he is on vacation.  I’ll still get to work on my crafts…I just won’t spend the time with the girls.  I guess it all depends on how nuts Darling Hubby drives me tomorrow!  lol

Off to take something for this headache that is developing and work some more on the cream colored scarf.  I got a little over 2 feet done.  Only a few more to go!

Our Vacation to Vermont

Warning! This is very long so make sure you’ve had a potty break, refilled your drink, gotten a snack and have a few minutes without interruption…

<–Just so you know, that’s me with a dime-store Indian.

So we had a pretty good time on our vacation. We left early Friday afternoon after getting into a minor fight about something so trivial. I hoped it wasn’t going to ruin our trip. We had directions printed and a pretty decent map of Vermont and despite the printed directions, we got inevitably lost (and it wasn’t because I can’t read a map…I can’t, but that wasn’t the reason.) So, we made it there in about 3 hours including a stop at the Vermont Country Store. The hotel (Econo-Lodge in White River Junction) was a decent place. They had an indoor pool and a hot tub. The rooms were clean and didn’t smell of smoke like many non-smoking hotel rooms I’ve been in. Bug immediately liked jumping on the beds. He would have his own queen size bed for 2 nights.

After getting checked in and settled, we decided to get something to eat. We debated for a while on having something delivered and when we asked Bug he said he wanted fries which only means one thing…McDonalds. There was one down the road so we headed off. We got about half way there and the car started making a very terrible noise. Darling Hubby pulled over and we had a flat tire. We ran over a bolt (complete with washer). Easy fix, right? Nope. Darling Hubby got the car jacked up and the lug nuts off (we were missing 2, by the way) and the darn tire just would not come off for anything. Long story short, after an hour of kicking it, tugging on it, hitting it with the tire iron, a quick walk to the service station just back up the street (who couldn’t send anyone for at least 45 mins) and 2 nice passer-byers later, the wheel came free and the donut (yes, our car only has a donut) was on and we made our way to the McDonalds. Then it was back to the service station to drop off the tire so it could be repaired first thing in the morning. Sigh…some vacation this it starting out to be…At least it didn’t completely set the tone for things to come.

We had a tough time getting Bug to go to sleep that first night. He was so wound up from being some place new that he just couldn’t settle down. Plus all he wanted to do was jump on the beds and watch baseball. He finally settled down in his own big bed around 10 and we all crashed after that to be well rested during the night. That would have happened had the bed Darling Hubby and I chose been comfortable. There was a severe dip in the center (and no, I was not sleeping in the middle all night) that was causing us to lean and sleep funny. Needless to say, Bug was the only one who got a decent nights sleep.

In the morning we showered and got ready to go. We went down to breakfast where we dined on cheerios, danishes, and orange juice. We met a very nice family with a couple kids one was almost 2 and the other looked to be about 4. We talked briefly (well, the little ones talked) before everyone set about their business. Our first mission was to get the tire from the service station. They had patched it and it only cost us $10. Not bad…then it was to the Toyota dealership (oh, and I should note, White River Junction is mainly comprised of Car dealers, hotels, and gas stations.) so we could get replacement lug nuts. In total, it only cost us a little over an hours worth of hassle and $15. Then it was back to the hotel to put on the new tire and clean up. While Darling Hubby was fixing the car, he found 3 more lug nuts that were loose on the car. We are beginning to think that the dealership did a shoddy job of putting them back on after the last tire rotation…

Then, it was off on our day of fun. Our first stop was to the Quechee Gorge. It’s nothing spectacular. It’s a gorge. Just a mountain with a river running through. They say it’s like the Grand Canyon…except it’s smaller and has trees. It was pretty anyway and a long way down from the bridge we were standing on.

After that we went to Scotland by the Yard, a little store that sells all sorts of Celtic items. It was a cute little store that had a lot of great stuff, but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to spend $150 on a sweater…even if it would keep us warm in -800 degree weather. After that we went looking for the scrapbooking store I wanted to visit, but we couldn’t find it anywhere…oh well…less money I’d spend, right. Then we went to the Quechee Gorge Village. Bug enjoyed eating all the cheese in the Cabot Cheese Store as well as pushing the buttons to start the model trains in the toy museum, riding the train (and pretending to be the conductor) that went around the property and playing video games with daddy. They had some beautiful stuff in the antiques and craft sections. There were lots of old things that I would have loved to have bought, but just couldn’t bring myself to pay the asking price. It’s funny, we saw an old Schoenhut child’s piano that they were asking $125 for. We picked up the same thing (in better condition) at a garage sale this summer for Bug for $20. There was a lot of beautiful things in the Danforth Pewter store and the Glassblowers Studio, but they were really pricey, and I just couldn’t pay that much for something that would possibly get broken.

After a filling lunch at the Farmers Diner, we went over to Vermont Country Iron (the Blacksmiths shop). We were hoping they would be forging things, but with the heat, I can’t blame the guy for not. We met the owner, Rich Franklin, who is a very nice man. We were looking for something that we could use as a door stop for one of our doors in our house and not seeing anything that would fit the bill in the shop, he’s hand-forging us something to our own design. It should take a couple weeks to make and then he’ll ship it out to us. I can’t wait to get it. I’ll post a picture of it when it arrives.

After leaving the village, we made a quick stop at this kids clothing and toy store (I figured there had to be something Bug could play with there since he hadn’t been able to touch much) We found out upon entering, that Muddy Duck Kids was going out of business and we talked with the owners for a little while. They were very nice people. Bug liked playing with their wiener dog, Gypsy. And to make things better, they were selling the clothing for 75% off and everything else 50% off. Of course none of the clothing would fit Bug, but we ended up with a cool Melissa and Doug picture frame, a book, and a bag of rocks (it’s what Bug picked out) for $18. After that, it was another quick stop at McDonalds for dinner and then a quick swim in the hotel pool where we met up again with our friends from breakfast whom I learned were named Braden (older) and Malachi (younger). The three had lots of fun wading in the 1′ deep water and pouring water over unsuspecting mommies. (Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures as we didn’t want to take my camera down to the pool and risk it getting damaged or stolen). Back in the hotel, Bug had a bath and then we all curled up and watched Shrek 3 which we purchased from the hotel for our in room movie. We’d heard lots of bad things about it, but Darling Hubby and I actually enjoyed it.

Our final day there began rain and before we left White River Junction we took another trip to the village and another tour through the antiques place, the Glassblowing Studio and the pewter store before having another round of tasty Cabot cheese and heading home. We stopped for lunch at Burger King in Rutland and then went to Bennington Potters in Bennington, VT. The store front was cool. There was this moose statue wearing galoshes and it was through the glass. They had lots of cool things inside, too. Of course, I never want to purchase anything at full price so you could find me browsing the shelves of “seconds” (things that are not aesthetically perfect) where I found a cool mixing bowl with pour spout in blue agate and a set of mugs in green for discounted prices. After leaving Bennington, we headed home to our dogs who had been cared for by our wonderful neighbors. I’m so glad we had a good vacation. It was fun to get away from the things at home and do something different, but, I’m happy to be home.

Something To Look Forward To

So despite my prior post about all the Assessment BS, Darling Hubby and I have something fun to look forward to this September. We are going on a mini VACATION! Woohoo! We haven’t been on vacation since last June when we went to Chicago to meet up with some of my fellow January mommies and their babies. Right now, we just need to get away from everything and have some fun. Our 5th anniversary is the 7th and we will be leaving that afternoon on a nice drive through Vermont up to White River Junction and the Quechee Gorge Village. There are some nice things to see and do up there. There’s a train ride and carousel and a Toy Museum, a Cabot Creamery, Danforth Pewter, Ottauquechee Valley Winery, a Glassblowing Studio, a blacksmith, Scotland By the Yard, even a Scrapbookers Workshoppe is in the area (Darling Hubby probably won’t appreciate me going to a scrapbooking store on vacation, though. lol). I’m so excited to go. Bug is coming with us and I’m sure he’ll love the train ride and carousel. We’ve already made our hotel reservations. Now the countdown begins! Yahoo!