TARDIS fun!

So, we got this big Amazon box…and I decided it was just begging to become a spaceship.

They had to get a little snuggly to fit.

Wesley made his serious GQ face.

Pardon the disheveled hair.

Tight quarters!

Boo!

photographer

During my parents’ graduation visit, my mother handed over her camera to Mary for a while. (Brave? Or foolish? You decide!) Anyway, Mary had a great time taking some photos…

She bossed Grandma Cal around.

and also Grandpa Moo.

She had a great time.

Tomorrow I’ll post some of her pictures!

finished objects: baby sweaters!

I don’t think Katie or Sarah reads my blog, so I will post pics of their baby gifts!

These are both from the Simple Baby Cardi pattern from Knitting Pure and Simple, although I made a couple of modifications:

* My sleeves were coming out strangely pointy, so I reduced the frequency of the decrease rows.

* I forgot to start with the collar or hood on the red one, so I had to go back and pick up stitches to add one. I like the result better than the collar that’s written, though, so I think I’d do that again next time. For comparison, the red sweater is the picked-up added collar and the blue and brown sweater has the regular one.

* I added snaps (functional) and buttons (for looks) instead of the knitted ties that it calls for. I can’t quite imagine wanting to tie it together every time I put it on a kid, plus, since these are 9-12 month size, I’m guessing that the babies will be old enough to untie things all the time. Incidentally, these are much bigger than I expected. 9-12 months…well, suffice it to say that the red one fit Mary when I tried it on her before  I added sleeves. I hope that means that the babes will get plenty of use out of them.

This one is for Sarah’s baby (we don’t know whether it’s a girl or a boy, so I went with red, which I think is cute on either!):

Somewhat wonky photo (it hangs a bit better in real life, but what it really needs is a baby inside to make it cuter).

Here’s the afterthought collar. I like how it stands out a bit from the body of the sweater.

And here’s baby Lola’s:

Collar:

Raglan shaping!

Here they are, ready to go meet their new owners!

These were really fun to knit–easy, but still interesting to me because I’d never done raglan shaping. I need to work on my snap-and-button-sewing skills, though. I don’t know how people make them look so neat. They’re all hidden by the buttons, so it’s not too big a deal, but I’d like to figure it out.

graduation!

Today was graduation!

I wore my fancy gown and hat, and the academic hood, which is put on as part of the ceremony:

Then we wandered off to take some pictures.

We read the inscription on the fountain.

Wesley hung out with Grandpa Moo.

Mary gave me a snuggle.

Family photos!

strawberry picking!

On Saturday, we took the kids to a local farm to pick strawberries.

Conor showed Mary how to find ones that were red all the way to the end.

She was delighted to find them.

I think Wesley was irritated when I asked him to stop and let me take a photo.

…because then he wandered off.

She found one!

berries!

Taking a rest after we finished up:

Showing off their beautiful berries:

The farm also had a sand pile with lots of toys!

When we got home, I made a rhubarb-strawberry custard pie–the kids approved.

And then a batch of jam–six half-pints plus a bit left over is just about enough to get us through the winter (or perhaps I should say, to get Mary through occasional PB&J phases for her school lunches):

garden report

Things are starting to happen in the garden (and in the yard).

First of all, we had a sweet visitor staying in the bush beside our porch–a mama robin, who built her nest in our evergreen bush. We’ve been keeping an eye on the babies and this morning I finally got around to taking a quick photo. It didn’t turn out too well, but I won’t be taking another, because this afternoon they left the nest!

The peas are growing–first and second plantings.

Mary’s strawberry plants are making all kinds of berries–still green, but lots of berries.

Well, one berry is ripening.

They also produce the most adorable little flowers. I am thinking about planting berries all around our house–I love their foliage too.

The mulberry bush has a ton of berries on it, too–just waiting for them to ripen!

Future jam!

Aren’t these cute? They’re either squash or cucumber–my plant marker washed off and I can’t read it. The first true leaves are still in the fuzzy “about to open” stage.

Since we have very dense clay soil, it’s hard for many of our plants to make it–their roots can’t get through the clay, or it’s too wet for them because it doesn’t drain well. So this year I’m trying a sort of modified lasagna garden. We’ll see how it goes. It’s ugly, but I figure the greenery will grow in and then the boxes from Costco won’t be such an eyesore!

Next time: pictures of my gardening assistants!

don’t worry…

Frobdit Tooth-girl came and took Mary’s tooth.

lesson: look before you take it

On the way home from school today, Mary was in the back seat, munching some Cheerios. She said, “Here, Mama!”

I held out a hand to take whatever she wanted to give me.

It turned out to be a tooth.

defense report

So, for those of you who want to know: the dissertation defense was great. I was nervous, of course, but I have a lovely committee, all of whom came in and said insightful things about my project–probed the holes in the argument, suggested areas that need development or refinement, and offered brilliant contextual thoughts. It was a helpful and rich discussion and–despite my nerves–I enjoyed every minute of it.  I felt totally inarticulate, in the moment, but even so, the conversation was a great thing. It’s a one-of-a-kind event (when else will I have a group of warm, intelligent scholars gathered in one room to discuss MY work?).

It is an odd procedure, in some ways–but it caps off the Ph.D. process nicely. And it has been a process. I’ve been working on this degree since 2004. My dissertation has changed and evolved over time. Even though there are always things to fix–and I’ve got a list of them!–I am pleased with the final product and I think it has potential to be a book (which is the end goal). I’ve worked on this dissertation during my office hours, in the mornings before the rest of the family got up, while I was nursing a baby, in the car on the way to visit family, etc., etc., etc. It’s amazing to me that it’s finished.

After the defense, Conor and the kids picked me up and handed me a gin and tonic and we drank a toast there in the parking lot (the kids did NOT get gin and tonic). And we went out to dinner and I tried to absorb the idea that I am done. Done.