Call It What You Want...

Here is what "Indigo Forest" became...

I decided to try a new crochet pattern, and it only took a couple of hours! WHEEEE! Grandma Skelly must be so proud. :)

Yesterday we went outside to play and ended up shoveling/sweeping our driveway.

When we got done, we still had more outside-play energy, so we went across the street and did Mr. and Mrs. Smith's. Eh. It was just more fun, playing in the snow. And doing the sidewalks, and Mr. Smith's walk from his house to the mailbox, along with the driveway. It was fun.

Then we went in and had hot chocolate. The boys LOVED their hot chocolate.

This morning, Mr. Smith showed up with a present:

They're a bit larger than this, multicolored with shorter "hairs", one for each boy, as a thank-you. Really, it was entirely self-serving, as we got to play outside. But the boys were thrilled with the new squishy balls.

And then it happened. Linda. Perhaps you will find this familiar.

"Thomas is driving through the wiley hair!"

Now where did he hear THAT, Linda? (Hint to the rest of you -- when we were at Linda's on Saturday.)

Now the squishy balls are wiley hair -- and hair, much to Grandpa Larry's approval I'm sure, is pronounced with two syllables.

I may get tired of it, but for now, it's funny.

It is getting used right now. And it's pretty.

Did I mention that it's pretty? And soft. And wool.

For those of you who are waiting (dying), when the finished item is received, i will post pictures, because this crocheted up SOOO nicely.

Today was a big day for Mark -- and for his mom.

I was cooking beef stew for supper, a meal I knew would not be a hit with my boys. I planned to give them a little bit and then let them have "something else" -- cottage cheese, some leftover mac & cheese, etc.

Mark was off to Fry's Electronic Heaven with his Dad and Grandpa, and when they got home, Mark informed me that he was going to eat all of his supper. Grandpa told me that out of the blue, in the van on the way back, Mark announced, "I am going to eat all of my soup tonight." He was already planning his good attitude. :)

As I served the beef stew (recipe from the geniuses at America's Test Kitchen), Mark announced that it was YUMMY and he would eat it ALL UP. He took a big bite. And chewed. And didn't complain, though the look on his face said it was NOT his favorite. He DID eat all he was given. S-L-O-W-L-Y. One bite at a time.

"This is soooo good!" he said.

"Will you take another bite?" I asked.

"I will!" Mark said as cheerfully as possible.

(He has learned plenty from the story of "Pig Will and Pig Won't"!)

I loved the happy attitude he had, even when it wasn't his favorite food.

Fortunately, around our house we all like to tell stories. This is Mark's story from last night.

Once upon a time there was a cat named Moostatic.
It had no tail, so it couldn't go whap whap!
But it went whap whap on the dog with its tongue.
It knocked the rocks down on the dog. Then it knocked the rocks down on the little boy.

The End.

Moostatic? A Cat with no tail? Knocking rocks down on the dog and the boy? No wonder he can't go to sleep at night!!!