10 on Tuesday, Beach Reading Edition

This week's 10 on Tuesday? 10 books on my summer reading list.

1. Outlander. I have no idea if I've ever admitted this to anyone, but I keep an autographed copy of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander next to my bed (as with a stack of other books) and I love to read a bit of it on a regular basis. Sometimes it's only a paragraph, sometimes it's 2 or 3 chapters. Great book.

2. Nora Roberts has a new hardcover coming out next Tuesday. I keep saying that I'm going to stop buying her stuff, but I always end up getting it anyways. Her stuff is become predictable, but part of me loves the fact that she can still make me smile. She writes great relationship books.

3. Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter's series. I'm rereading them. I found her series by accident one day at the library. I was pregnant and really sick at the time. This series kept my attention, but I found that I had questions, so I decided to reread them all.

4. I'm working (and I mean working) through Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth. Sigh. I've had some lightbulb moments, some tears and fears, and I'm not sure that any of it is helping. I still eat to cover up anxieties. Baby steps, I guess.

5. Cheap paperbacks found at the library's used book sale. I got about 15 for 5 bucks. Yeah, baby. They are sitting in my library, waiting for me to have time to check them out.

6. I want to read Stieg Larsson's trilogy. I hear that it's impossible to put down, once you start.

7. And for the bored housewife in me, I'm reading Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series. So far, it's exactly what it promised- historical romance at its best. But I'm not reading it to expand my intellectual horizons...oh, there's a joke in there somewhere....

8. Shit My Dad Says, by Justin Halpern. Love it. Makes me laugh, it's quick enough to read a page or two while the kids are busy doing something else.

9. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. The Boy has been obsessed with this book for the last few weeks. We read it daily together. Love the book.

10. The Exile, Diana Gabaldon. It's not out yet. September 21st is the release date. It's a graphic novel, based on Outlander but from Jamie's point of view. Oh, how I wish she just wrote the whole thing. I've never read a graphic novel. I have no idea what it's like. BUT, I'll give it a try. And knowing Diana, I'll love it!

Summer reading, in a nutshell. What about you? What's on your list??

Kudos

I started a new shawl (Rav link) on Friday. And restarted it. And restarted it. Then I got to rows 13 and 14, only to rip, frog, rip, frog those same rows repeatedly.

Sent a pm to the designer, the lovely Sharon Winsauer. She was happy to tell me that I had been doing it right the whole time, but I was reading the "no stitch" on the chart as a stitch.

Sigh.

Anyways, kudos to Schaefer Yarn and their Andrea yarn. Even with all that abuse, the yarn still looks fresh.

10 on Tuesday

I'm such a joiner. I joined 10 on Tuesdays. Here's this week's theme:



10 ways to entertain a child

1. Read to them. I love to read to The Boy and I think that's a big part of why he started to read so young. Now? He wants to read to me. Favorite book? I Love You Through and Through.

2. The Baby loves baths. He loves watching people bathe, he loves taking baths himself. Anytime he's cranky for no reason, I put him in the tub.

3. Play doh. Messy, but works in this house.

4. Legos. See above, although The Boy has been picking his up after each use, so clean up is easier.

5. Dancing. Turn up the tunes and let 'em rock.

6. Got a web cam? The Boy wants me to turn it on so that he can watch himself on the screen. He gets goofy!

7. I hate to say it, but since getting the Wii, video games. Sigh. Best digital babysitter, when I just need to shower quick. The Boy is only allowed about 5 hours a week of playing time, so it's not so bad.

8. Go outside and PLAY! How many times did you hear that as a kid? Me?? Plenty. I say it to the kids every day.

9. Look at old photos together. Even photos of them as babies. Kids love hearing stories of when they were little.

10. Bake cookies together. I love to bake (and eat) cookies. The Boy loves to help when he can. Somehow, these cookies always taste sweeter to me.

That's it! Thanks for reading my first ever 10 on Tuesday! :)

Mrs. Hope

The Boy graduates from preschool tomorrow. His teacher for the last year was Mrs. Hope. She has the patience of a saint, gives great parenting advice (without making it seem like her opinion) and loves the kids she cares for more than life.

Someone that special deserves hand knits, right?

Originally I was going to make her a scarf. I had some dark blue wool, soft and begging to be worn in the chilly weather. But I realized (after getting it half done) that Mrs. Hope wore only pastels. Back into the stash closet...found this seafoamy-green laceweight, leftover from Citron.

Now what pattern? Last time I saw Rebecca she talked up the short row shawls, but I didn't get it. Then I saw Knitty's surprise, Annis. I had to make it. I hate doing nupps and I had beads...It was the perfect gift. I had only 5 days to make it though. Could I do it? Yep.

It was gifted yesterday, and she loved it. I didn't know it, but she's a knitter and crocheter! She was in awe of the beads and made sure that I knew that she knew just how much work the shawl was. It's going to look stunning on her.

The Boy is going to their summer program, but Mrs. Hope has helpers and he won't see her much. I'm sad that I have to wait 3 years to have her teach one of my kids again. But I'm also excited for The Boy's journey into school aged boy, instead of preschooler.

One of the Cool Kids

I bought a bucket bag from Stitched by JessaLu.

I can't say enough good things about this cute little bag. Well made, functional (check out her plying with center-pull ball tutorial), very reasonably priced. Great job, JessaLu!

Working

There's quite a few new babies coming into the world over the next few months. 3 friends and my cousin's wife are expecting and I feel the need to knit for them all. This garter stitch blanket took me over a week to do. I should have done my usual sweater, which takes 3 days at the most.

I'm also working on a scarf for The Boy's teacher. Unfortunately, the more that I pay attention to the colors that she wears, the more I think that this thing isn't going to work at all.

She wears mostly pastels. Dark blue? Not a pastel. Also? I hate knitting scarves, never mind doing so on size 4's. Ooof.

Better go check that stash for a skein in a pastel. School ends on the 18th. And more babies are coming soon!