Violet

Life Part 2: Where We’re Headed

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By this time next week, we’ll be on the road. Destination? Well, here’s a photographic hint.

Mosquito repellent and a book of dog sweater patterns…. Yep, Minnesota! After 3+ years in Albuquerque, we’re headed home. This time, though, the “little CRV that could” will have three pet carriers. May the travel gods of animal spirits smile (or at least not frown) on us.

It’s been a spring of tough decisions (and, as you may have noticed, miles and miles of comfort garter stitching). Thing is, despite a good job (the one that brought us to NM) and some of the best friends Izzy and I could ever hope to make, we belong in Minnesota. (I’ll spare the laundry list of family/personal reasons.) By April, I knew it was time to say goodbye.

We’re excited, not to mention relieved happy that our well-loved home in Linden Hills awaits us. A nice reminder that sometimes the universe has a good reason for dropping obstacles (bad real estate markets, property management struggles) on our path — and that even without those obstacles, the path is always winding.

Life Part 1: Where We’ve Been

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Long time no blog. In addition to a big freelance project, life with the kiddo has been keeping me (happily) busy.

This past weekend, Izzy skated in a competition, something she’s long wanted to do. Here she is before her first event, a bit nervous but so much more relaxed than I would have been.

Can’t tell you how pleased I was to discover the whole thing was more celebration than competition. Medals for everyone! Izzy got a 3rd place and 4th place, which are already proudly displayed in her room. We went up to Santa Fe the day before (her practice ice time was an ungodly 6:45 am on Sunday) and visited the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, which I’d yet to see.

A few weeks earlier, we celebrated Violet’s second birthday with a hotdog dinner and new toy for the birthday pup. (Yeah, Izzy was pretty tickled by that “bad to the bone” embroidery.)

And last, but certainly not least, Izzy, Violet, and I took a vacation over the Easter holiday. We headed south to Carlsbad and spent five days hanging out in the desert. It was the perfect combination of exploration and unadulterated relaxation. Our base camp was the most charming little cabin with a porch swing (that saw some knitting) and a table inside for ongoing Monopoly games.

We went to the International UFO Museum in Roswell (a hoot, well at least I thought so).

Made an unscheduled stop at the Smokey the Bear museum (yes, it does exist) when we happened to drive past it.

We went to the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, where we saw just a few animals out in the midday sun but some spectacular scenery…

… and a few hard-to-categorize indoor exhibits.

The best outing, though, was Carlsbad Caverns. And given that we spent nearly three hours taking the hour-long tour, I’m thinking the rock collecting of Izzy’s early youth was no passing phase; might just have a budding geologist on my hands.*

* Clearly the iPhone flash is not intended for cave photography.

FO: Tweedy Cowl

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Waste not, want not? Well, maybe want less. Loved the yarn used for the Penelope “sisters,” so I  was happy to discover I had enough green left over for this small infinity scarf/cowl.

Pattern: Nederland Circle Scarf by Cecily Glowik
Yarn: Queensland Collection Rustic Tweed in Forest Green

This is the time of year when I really start appreciating Albuquerque — chilly days with fading leaves instead of falling snow. Perfect Thanksgiving weather.

FO: Monster Mash

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My finishing plans for the knitted monsters got derailed last weekend by my own little monsters. And, to be fair, my growing addiction to Pinterest is also partly to blame. It seems Halloween is approaching Christmas in this house in terms of build up and activities.

Along with trying out Ghost Cupcakes (and a half-dozen other Halloween-themed foods), last weekend Izzy’s school had its first Monsters on the Mesa fundraising event, complete with a 1K costume parade for the kids and dogs. Dorothy & Toto were reprised, but this time with a wig. (Note: I’ve long since expected to get a shot of both looking at the camera at the same time.)

But this weekend, thanks to a light activity load (and that extra precious hour), both monsters were assembled and photographed. Here they are before the purple one heads off to MN tomorrow to a good friend’s daughter who is like a sister to Izzy (who’s hanging on to the other one).

Pattern: Penelope the Empathetic Monster by Rebecca Danger
Yarn: Queensland Collection Rustic Tweed
(Forest Green & Grape)

Puppy-Sized Update

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Why don’t I just carry the theme forward and begin this post with: How can it be May already? That’s certainly a lot easier than explaining where the past three months have gone. And since it’s Friday, that’s really all I have the bandwith for.Violet turned one a few weeks back and Izzy fretted long and hard, determined to make it “her best birthday EVER.” I tried to take the pressure off by interjecting that, honestly, the bar was low. First birthday.

Kid was havin’ none of it. She wrapped and rewrapped the chewtoy several times. It’d be fun to watch Violet tear through wrapping paper. Then again, a gift bag is so much…more. At least the cake was an easy decision — a “pupcake” from our local cupcake emporium, complete with a mini bone on top.

Here’s how the celebration played out from Violet’s point of view.

Hey, whatever this is about, swear it wasn’t me.
  
Maybe they didn’t find that chewed sock under the bed…
 
 
Frosting!
 
 
Is that what I think it is?
 
Toy, what toy? There’s tissue paper to play with!
More than anything, isn’t it comforting that first birthdays are all the same?