Back at last!

Ok, for as far as vacations go, it could have been better. I only got to pack 2 very small boxes. And then, there was the rest of the week.

Monday - A very lazy day. Took Katie to school, and watched cartoons with Annie for the rest of the day. Until it was time to pick Katie up from school, anyway. Oh, and at 7 am, I discovered that on A&E, they were showing Pride and Prejudice. The down side, was that is was episode 4 of 6. However, this prompted me to hunt down my Dover Thrift Edition to read. Which, I might add, I bought about 6 or 7 years ago with my SIL Angie, but never read, as I could never find the mood to read the old style english. I spent the evening with my nose in the book, with the exception of the 5 o'clock hour, when Monoarch of the Glen was on BBC America. That's become addicting, even Katie wants to watch it every day.

Tuesday - Tuesday started out really good. After dropping Katie off to school, Annie and I went back to the house to eat breakfast. Then at 9 o'clock, we headed to the library. We got Annie her own card, and I got a new one, as mine expired around 1997. When we got home, I discovered that in the half an hour that we were gone, one of the cats decided to make a mess for me to clean up. It was partly my fault for leaving my half a cup of Caramel Truffel coffee on the end table. And, as you know, cats love to tip cups. Unfortunately for me, it was tipped into my big red knitting bag. Here is my poor bag, and everything on the floor drying.

And here are the knitting books that I found at the library:

And, while I was in the middle of cleaning up the coffee mess, the school called to tell me that Katie broke her glasses in half. But, Katie assured me that she could make until the end of the day when I could get her to the eye center for a new frame.

Wednesday - Was fairly uneventful. Annie and I spent the day watching cartoons again, while Katie was at school. Katie begged me until I sat down with her and taught her how to knit. She picked up amazingly fast. A lot quicker than the crochet. And it finally snowed, see:

And Vinny wanting to know why I'm looking at "That cold white stuff."

Thursay - The madness began. Dropped Katie off the school, and went home with Annie for breakfast and an hour of cartoons. At 9 o'clock we set out for the day. We started at the thrift stores to hunt for 13 different teacups with saucers to match. Some how, I accomplished this, with a few extra mismatch china plates for under $10.00, and had to visit only 2 thrift stores. Then, off to JoAnn Fabrics for a stitch gauge for Katie's birthday gift. Then, off the your neighborhood friendly Wally World. And there, we picked up all the goodies for the party, and everything for Katie to knit with. Which would be: needle sets in sizes 8, 9, 10, 10 1/2, & 11; stitch markers; point protectors; a cable needle; row counters; a folder for patterns; a small note book for pattern notes; & 3 balls of Bernat Softee Chuncky. I got the bright idea to put everything a box and wrap it. And, as I forgot to get tulling for wrap the teacups with, we went back to Wally World after I picked her up from school. On the way, she asked if I had picked up everything that I promised to, and I told her that I forgot, but we didn't have time to do it now. What an evil mother I am. So, as I waited for the girl to cut the tulling, Katie asked to go look at the knitting needles. I told her ok, but to hurry up because we were short on time. All the way home she was beyond disappointed. When we got home, I picked the box up off the kitchen table as I passed, and handed it to her in the living room. She looked at asked if Auntie Angie had come already with her birtday gift, with great depression in her voice. However, after she opened it, she was beyond excited. As seen here:

We sat down and filled the tea cups with candy and wrapped them in tulling:

Friday - Katie's 11th birthday! Friday was spent picking up and planning while Katie was at school. And that evening was spent baking the cakes. And, have you ever got that feeling that some one is watching you? This is what I saw when I lowered my book:

Note that all you can see of Moonie is her eyes, ears and white spot. Very spooky.

Running out of time today. I will post tomorrow with the party and aftermath of the party.