I’ve been away. I’ve been SO busy being busy and having fun. Let’s have some fun…
Wednesday. Park playdate with some of our favorite friends. Sophie loves riding on the “big girl” swings.
Snacktime at the park.
Julie went and sat on the bench, and Sophie joined in. Sophie loves to do what Julie does.
Wednesday night was the awesomest. I got to meet my bloggie friend Jaci. She is so cool!
She drove all the way over here to the Twin Cities from Eau Claire even though when I called her up and spoke to her for the first time, I called her by the wrong name. I’ve been reading her blog and her comments on my blog for something like forever, and I’ve been reading her name in my head as “Jay See” forever. And then I called her and spoke what I thought was her name, and it turns out that her name sounds more like “Jack E.” oops. And even though I slipped and called her “Jay See” a couple other times during the evening, she still put up with me.
The rules of the evening included that we would eat as much greasy fair food as our hearts desired, and that nobody else in the world needed to know. What happens at the Fair – stays at the Fair. And we stayed in the Creative Activities building until we had looked at everything we needed to see, and we had real conversations about what we saw.
Then, we ate some more, and while we waited for our stomachs to calm down so we could have dessert (because no, our wandering meal did not start with anything deep fried, dipped in chocolate, covered in whipped cream and served on a stick – nope, not us!) But while we waited we walked around and looked at some of the crazy stuff they had for sale in the Coliseum.
These weird back-support thingies cost something like $70! Those women trying them on are anonymous strangers, but the nicely manicured hand holding the pop belongs to Jaci. She tried one one too, but I thought I’d stick with the “What happens at the Fair” rule.
We saw newborn sheep. SO cute. But we both felt sorry for the animals there in tiny pins, surrounded by people trying to grab and pet them.
And we got a pretty good picture of the two of us right before we headed off to get that last something sweet on the way out. I had my glasses on because my eyes were irritated. But it made us match!
It was freaky-weird how much fun we had together. Jaci and I had so much in common that we didn’t know from the blogs, it’s like we’re long-lost sisters, only unlike the sister in my experience we actually got along and agreed on a lot of things.
Oh! and the icing on the cake – she brought me yaaaarn!
Not just any yarn – Koigu yarn. You know what’s funny? That yarn on the right? It’s the same color as the Pomotomous socks I made this summer. I love it. You know how when you have a yarn in your stash that you love so much it’s hard to actually use it? And then you go ahead and use it and you love the socks, but you wish you still had the yarn in your stash? Well, now I do. Plus, I got this other really beautiful skein of squishy wooly love. Jaci, thanks for everything!
Then there was Thursday. Thursday was Joe’s birthday, and it was punctuated by wheat-free chocolate cake and yummy yummy local organic vanilla ice cream.
See the candles? Three and Five? 35? Yeah, we’re not in our “early thirties” any more, are we honey? Joe got his present the night before, because it came in the mail just as I was running out the door with Jaci, and I kind of wanted him to open it while I was gone because I was a little afraid he would be angry at me. I spent a little more than I should have, but he was really happy about it in the end. Not all that sexy, really – computer parts. Parts for a new state-of-the-art gaming computer that he’s building. He was a little angry, but that burned off by the time I got home.
This morning Julie was playing kitty, and here she is playing kitty in a cage. Yeah, that’s how she uses the blankie I knit by hand out of irreplaceable Pomfret yarn when she was born. Part of me loves it that she loves her blanket so much, part of me dies every time I see it abused the way she abuses it every day. But mostly the former.
Meanwhile, Sophie was oh-so-proud of herself for climbing up into Julie’s chair at the table, and I was folding laundry while trying to decide about paint colors for the upstairs bathroom.
And then tonight there was another birthday party. Joe’s cousin’s son Nathan turned one. Look at him in his little Han-Bok. So Cute!
My girls in their party dresses. They were quite interested in the stale candy-sculptures.
Look at Nathan’s really cool cake!
Look at the awesome food I got to eat!
Look at Julie chowing down on the bulgolgi! She sat there joking with the other kids at the kiddie table in a super-cute, slightly naughty sort of way that amused me to no end.
Babies love balloons.
Nathan got a little cake all of his own to taste. I think he was overwhelmed by the bright lights, the cameras, and all the people oohing and ahhing over every glob of icing.
Some quality time with Grandma/Harmony.
Little construction worker.
Who likes to play with rattles.
Then, Nathan got a really cool car as a present, and the kids all decided to play a game called “How many kids can fit in a toy car?” The answer was at least four. And nobody cried.
Oh look! We haven’t killed the caterpillars yet. I’m a little worried because the leaves have gotten all dried out and I wonder if the little guy is getting thirsty. I put a couple drops of water down on the bottom of the container. I hope that’s okay.
Yeah, and I’ve been dyeing a buttload of yarn.
Maybe even two buttloads of yarn. I’m having a lot of fun with the yarn.
And finally, Sophie was so exhausted after the party she fell asleep in the car and didn’t wake up even when I changed her into her pajamas. Awww.
I’m going to have to write about the whole Fair competition fiasco again, but not, thankfully, tonight.
Wow, you’ve had a busy few days, but it looks like it was well worth it!
Looks like everyone had a great time this week! I love watching your girls grow up, Shelly. They are adorable. Thanks for the picture treat!
WOW – what great fun you’ve had! Family, friends, food and yarn, I think that you’ve covered all the bases. Love the pictures of Sophie & Julie – the joy on their faces is priceless.
I had a blast with you at the Fair! Next year, more fried green tomatoes for me. Loved them. Thanks again, it was fantastic.
Great pics!! I have a hanbok just like that, well actually my sons do! Cool cake and yummy food!! The yarn looks good too! Karyn
Actually, Julie is eating galbi in the one picture.