Birthday Weekend Hats

Pattern: Easy Chunky Beanie by PassioKnit Kelsie - Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Chunky in Ocean and Premier Yarns Spangle in Mardi Gras - Needle: US 11 (8 mm)

  I had heard that if you twist your purls then your 1x1 ribbing would be tighter and neater.  I tried it with a knitted cast on, but I got the weird gaps that happen when I try and twist my knits on the first row.  I then tried working one plain row and then start twisting, but the first row was still very loose.  I then tried a crochet cast on, but my knits were still loose looking, even when I stared twisting my purls from row one.  I then just went with my usual method of twisting one set of stitches on the second row; knit for a flat brim, and purl for folded brim.

Pattern: Side To Side Ribbed Hat by Sally L.M.  - Yarn: Premier Yarns Serenity Chunky Prints in Walden Pond - Hook: US L/11 (8 mm)

  I had enough fun making the first one that I grabbed a bunch of chunky yarn to bring with us for my birthday weekend at the cabin.  I got about one hat a day done.  It was nice because I got some of the yarn I don't use as much out of my stash during a time that I was having fun using it.

Pattern: Easy Chunky Beanie by PassioKnit Kelsie - Yarn: Premier Yarns Serenity Chunky Prints in Walden Pond - Needle: US 11 (8 mm)

  I went to go and order more tags for the hats I've been making.  It makes them look more professional and also is a bit of advertising for the blog.  I saw that IdahoTaylorMade listed some rainbow tags.  I got a few for the side to side rainbow hats I keep meaning to start making and to see how they looked in person.  They were better looking than I thought and my jaw actually dropped when I saw them.

Pattern: Side To Side Ribbed Hat by Sally L.M.  - Size: 6 sc top - Yarn: Loops & Threads Charisma in Black Raspberry - Hook: US L/11 (8 mm)

  I recently noticed that is pretty interesting.  When it comes to crochet hooks, I just go by the millimeter sizing.  However, when it comes to knitting needles, I use the US numbering system.  The US system is less exact in both instances, but yet I use it for one of them.  I'm contemplating switching to both for both craft items.

Pattern: Easy Chunky Beanie by PassioKnit Kelsie - Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Chunky in Ocean and Premier Yarns Spangle in Mardi Gras/Lion Brand Vanna's Glamour in Ruby Red - Needle: US 11 (8 mm)

  The standard Caron Simply Soft says it is a worsted weight, but is lighter than a lot who also claim to be that thickness.  The band for this says to use a US size 10, but I'm a tight knitter, so I went up a size.  When I started working with it, it definitely felt more like an actual worsted weight.  I hadn't brought anything else to work on, so I was glad I was able to get the sparkle yarn from the donation table and work them together.  It also reminds me of my favorite yarn combo I used on an octopus.  Ocean mixed with a sparkle just looks so nice.

Pattern: Easy Chunky Beanie by PassioKnit Kelsie - Yarn: Loops & Threads Charisma in Black Raspberry - Needle: US 11 (8 mm)

  I've been slowly going through the living room and clearing things back out again.  However, when I got some of the jewelry things out, I noticed something.  I cleared more out and set up a trail cam.  I got video of a mouse running along the wall and into the room.  I moved more things and found a small nest made with a wool yarn I forgot I had over there.  I set up a green mouse trap and have already caught one.  When I get one I usually drive them to a park that is quite a distance from my house.  I've tried moving the trail cam to see if I could figure out where they are coming in, but no luck so far.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 10 (0)
Yarn Out: 18 (6)

Total: -8 

Stomping Loudly into 19 Months

Week 78:

  I had a white piece of squishy foam that I really liked, it was firm to squish and the corners were really crisp.  It was about the size of a kitchen sponge.  Miss Spud found it and before I could stop her pulled a chunk out of one of the sides.  She then got the biggest smile on her face.  Since there was no going back, I asked what she was doing in a funny voice.  She then kept tearing pieces off and getting the biggest smile on her face.  I asked if she was making snow and she smiled and handed some to me.

  I was using a handheld vacuum on the LoveSac and Miss Spud helped me.  She saw me holding the fabric up so that I could get the crumbs in the zipper flap and she helped me hold it up.

  She got to try a Simoas Girl Scout cookie after dinner.  She had to give it some serious consideration, but she ate all of it.  It does have an interesting collection of textures.

  Before bed she managed to rip off the cover of one of Bill's books.  She was not happy after I wouldn't let her play with the books anymore.  After that she managed to spill Bill's drink and was upset when Bill exclaimed about the mess, even though it wasn't directed at her.

Week 79:

  When I'm at knitting on Saturdays I like to peak in on Miss Spud during her nap time.  This time I kept seeing her kicking her feet and getting up to look outside.  At one point I caught her getting out of her sleep sack and pulling open one of the tabs on her diaper.  I called Bill to alert him.

  On our way back to the cabin we stopped at Buc-ees.  That way we could get some snacks and let Miss Spud run off some energy.  I took her in while Bill got gas.  She saw Bucky himself was there again and she grabbed my hand and lead me over to make sure that I saw he was there.  She grabbed a Bucky slap-bracelet and handed that to me for my thing to get.  She then grabbed a stuffed Bucky cellphone holder and was running around the store with that.  She even ran out the door with it.  As she kept exploring she found an Easter PJ Bucky plushie and decided she wanted that one more.  It's about half her height and it was hilarious seeing her run around with it.  At one point she picked out something for Bill to get.

  She kept an eye on the Lowe's delivery people and then got to go play in the snow.  Twice she wanted to be picked up, but I told her she had to walk to her back inside.  After going up and down on the ramp a few times at our second trip to the door she wanted to go in.  She immediately started crying as I took her jacket and shoes off.  Bill thought it was because her hands were cold and might be burning when they are warming up.  She couldn't decide if she wanted to roll around and scream or be held and scream.  I walked around with her wrapped in my hoodie with me.  Once I got her calm enough she helped me decorate the new refrigerator with Chi the cat magnets we got from Mary and Denver.

  On our way home from the cabin, Miss Spud shared her water bottle Bucky.  She also tickled his tummy a few times.  She had her radio playing and danced with Bucky at one point before she started singing to him.

  We pull out the back of her pants/short and diaper when we are checking her.  She has started, every once in a while, trying to pull my pants back to check me.  I ask her if I look okay and she usually nods.

  Our "final goodnight" has grown recently.  It used to be just a hug and a kiss from me and Bill.  Then it led to going into the other room to say goodnight to Tank, touching her window, touching the glow in the dark moon and big dipper on her wall, then the window again before the hug and kiss from Bill and me.  Now it is going into the other room to say goodnight to Tank, touching her window, touching the glow in the dark moon and big dipper on her wall, then the window again, and telling all of her bedtime friends good night and tucking them in before the hug and kiss from Bill and me.  At one point Bill asked if she wanted a hug and she held up her finger for "one more" and nodded.

  She has splashed some in the bath before, but this time she really got into it.  She splashed so much my leggings were soaked and half her bath water was missing.  She had such a great time doing it.

  She was in some sort of mood Friday night.  She was yelling and screaming long enough that Bill went to go and gave her some more snuggles.  She kept pointing to the door so he brought her down and she then had a tight hold around my neck.  After a bit we tried to put her down again, but she wasn't happy about that.  I went up and tried to nurse her, but she didn't want to fully relax.  Eventually I brought her a water bottle and her snack cup with puffs.  She held them but didn't drink or eat.  I gave her one last snuggle before laying her down, but I stayed in the room with her.  Every time I looked over at her she moved her head and looked back at me.  After about 20 minutes she was out enough for me to leave the room.  It took about two hours to get her down.

Week 80:

  Around 4 am Tank decided he needed a snack and potty buddy while Miss Spud woke up crying again.  I dealt with Tank and then Bill helped Miss Spud.  I wish she had more words to tell us what is going on.  Tank even went in a few times to check how everything was.  She munched on her snacks while Bill sat in her room with her.  She got up around her normal time, even though she went to bed so late.

  Since she didn't sleep well, she refused to nap.  I almost had her down, but I had to use the bathroom and she woke up when I tried to transfer her.  Luckily she went down for the night fairly easily after being a bit of a grump and not wanting to get her teeth brushed or put on PJs.

  She saw Steven and Bill on the back porch when we were in the dining room.  I told her to flash her little flashlight at them.  Later when they came in, Steven said he saw her light in the window.

  On Sunday morning she picked out what she wanted to wear.  I was going to help her, but she grabbed the pants, sat down, and put them on.  She got one leg in, had to rotate the pants a little to get the second leg in, then stood up to pull them the rest of the way up.  She also managed to get them facing the correct way.

  We are using her cloth bibs more now than when she was little.  I like to put them on in the morning because she drools a lot of apple juice on herself when eating her apple.  I found out that it has enough apple in it that it will oxidize and stain a light colored shirt.  I'm still trying to get it out of her pumpkin shirt.

  We thought she was back to normal on Sunday because of how well she slept on Saturday night and she went down for her nap with only a bit of grumping.  However, Bill had to go snuggle her to sleep because she just stood there crying and yelling for us.  I wish we could explain to her that we aren't going to leave while she is asleep and we won't leave her out of anything she would love to do.

  On our way up to bedtime on Monday she got Bill's keys and was trying to figure out which one when to the front door.  She also tried to buckle herself into her changing table.  She's really good at buckling her highchair straps on her own.

  For some reason she had started resisting getting her teeth brushed.  She would go limp and shake her head when I tried to brush her teeth anyway.  Since she's seen me do it at the sink in front of a mirror, I tried that with her.  I sat her on the sink, like when I soaked her toe, and let her watch her teeth get brushed.  It worked and she went back to trying to just eat the toothpaste, but not fighting the whole ordeal.

  It's supposed to get cool out again, so I made sure we went on a walk before her nap on Tuesday.  She didn't want to get off the porch, and would climb back up, until she had a poopy diaper.  Then she was ready to go for a walk.  I had her on her monkey leash, but at every driveway she tried to go back onto the street.  Until about halfway down the road I could turn her and aim her back onto the sidewalk.  Once she started sitting and yelling when I tried to keep her out of the street I knew it was time to go back for her nap.  She was a big grump until I brought Bucky in to nap with her, then she went down quickly and easily.

  On our walk before the weather turned cold again, she had to wave Hello to each mailbox, parked car, and tree/bush.  She was better at staying on the sidewalk this time, but she did trip and skin both knees a little.  A little snuggle was all we needed before we could keep walking and a snack at home with a bandaid fixed it completely.  The bandaid also kept her from poking at it.

  When she heard me coming to get her on Thursday morning she plopped back down and pretended to be asleep.  I saw her on the baby-camera.  She then squiggled to look more asleep and gave me a big smile when I walked in, like she had just gotten up.

  When Bill starts to read her a bedtime book she will run over and sit down.  She will help turn some unknown number of pages in whatever direction and at whatever speed the fates tell her to.  Her favorite pages are ones with dogs or cats on them.

  It was pretty chilly out on Friday, but she wanted to eat outside.  She held onto my pants as I went to check on our lunches.  Then she ran over to the door to the porch and banged on it.  I opened it for her and she ran to Bill's chair and climbed on.  She smiled at me so largely, even as she started getting goose bumps.  I put her sweater on and a small blanket on her lap to try and keep her warm.

Week 81:

  She had a great time at the little park/play area during Saturday knitting at the Church.  She got to swing, slide down their slide, and try to carry many toys around with her.  She insisted on carrying in a dinosaur she found.  When I took her to the car she wanted to play more, but then was asleep soon after we started driving.  She didn't end up with as long of a nap as she usually does, so she was grumpy when we were at home until she got dinner.

  I had moved the candy bowl off the table when we had someone over for dinner.  I moved it back when Tank wanted to use his cat tree.  Miss Spud saw it and helped herself to some sour gummies.  She was so mad when I took them away and tried to give her an apple instead.

  Miss Spud has been getting better at grabbing things, but also better at dropping them.  She used to try and wrangle whatever she grabbed but recently has just been letting it fall onto the ground off of wherever she grabbed it, and then picking it up from there.  Luckily nothing she's grabbed made of glass has broken yet.

  She must have heard that people do some crazy stuff on St. Paddy's Day.  She stole my credit card out of my pocket before I could put it back in my wallet and hid it in the base of her ball tower.  She then climbed onto the table and was playing with whatever she found there while I was getting my lunch started on the stove.  While I was looking for my credit card, she climbed up onto the cat tower we have in the corner of the dining room.  She was at least "butt down" when I found her in these locations.

  I've been bribing her with videos of puppies to make diaper changes easier.  She's still fine with everyone else, just not me.  When I asked if she wanted to watch puppies she did a little puppy howl.

  She has decided that her stuffed fish and Tank's mousey all make a Ssss sounds.

  At the club that my parents along with Bill and I belong to, they are talking about raising the yearly dues by almost double.  My parents couldn't go because they are at the cabin for the new windows.  Bill also wanted to go, but he was out of town for work.  Spud and I went to go give a vote.  She got to meet lots of people who have heard about her and seen pictures, but haven't gotten to meet her in person yet.  Everyone was impressed by her, both by how well she was behaving as well as how well she got around.  She was really good even though I didn't get to vote until we were there for two hours.  She even got bored of watching puppy videos, so we went into the other room so she could run around.  She climbed on all the chairs and couches.  We didn't start going home until way after her bedtime, but she stayed up the whole ride.  She went down pretty easy, though she did get up again for a bit to tuck in her bedtime friends again.

  One morning she got into her closet while I was in the bathroom.  When I asked her how she got in there she just shrugged at me.

  I told her there was only one more long sleep until Bill got home, so she kept trying to take it.  She fell asleep in the car on the way home from knitting, and then laid herself down on the LoveSac and tried to fall asleep again.  She went down really easily when I got her in bed for her actual long sleep.

  When she got up from her nap on the way to the cabin she got to eat her Checkers fries.  I put some into a medium cup for her and she had fun pulling them out to eat.  She even offered a few fries to Bucky.

  She ran around outside for hours while we were getting the mini-splits installed.  She even tried to chase after the truck when Bill and Jim went to get lunch.  She was so tired and grumpy when it was time for her nap.  She even slept through loud talking in the other room.  When I got her up she clung to me, like a little koala and just chilled while we waited for dinner to be done.  She did not want to be let go and just snuggled with me on the couch until it was time to eat.

  She found a stick and wanted to throw it into the campfire.  It was hard to do since I wouldn't let her get too close.  Once we got it into the fire she wanted it back.  Luckily it hadn't caught fire yet, but it was pretty warm when I got it out.

Week 82: First Part

  During my birthday weekend at the cabin, she kept everyone going.  She had a great time running all around the fields in front of the cabin and other buildings.  She found a few pinecones she wanted to hold on to.  She kept trying to join the guys when they were shooting but got really mad at me and Mary when we kept her inside.  If she had been willing to run on the other side of the cabin it would have been fine, but she kept trying to run over to them.

  On Sunday we went out in small groups on the UTV.  Miss Spud and I were in the last group, and we got to sit in the back.  I wrapped my legs around her so I could hold on without having to worry about her during some of the rough parts.  She had fun waving to some trees and also to some cows.  We saw Rick and she gave him a big smile.

  She did not want to nap on the way home from the cabin.  Pairing that with more running around and getting up early the whole weekend made for a very grumpy Spud.  She got her dinner free range since she didn't want to sit for any longer.  When it was getting close to bedtime she was yelling and stomping and we couldn't figure out what was wrong, other than lack of sleep.  She and I finished watching Encanto and we pointed to all the flowers in the credits.  The second it was done she laid her head back on me and started to fall asleep.  We got her upstairs and she went through her usual nighttime routine, though this time she was the one to tuck in Pete the cat and her baby.

  She's been having some persistent diaper rash, so we got a recommended diaper cream.  I was keeping the tube on her changing table but have since had to hide it.  During a few changes she managed to get it opened and discovered her finger is small enough to fit in the opening.  She's tried to use it as body lotion and lip balm.

Hats Again?

  If you are wondering to yourself as to why I started another hat after the hatathon is over and I still have my Radiata to work on, you are not wrong to wonder.  The Radiata is at a point where it is getting a bit too cumbersome not to put on a table.  Each row is taking long enough that they need some time dedicated to them.  I needed something to take with me that was easy to pick up and put down since Miss Spud and I were at the church for our craft group.  I will keep working on it when she is napping, so I hope it won't take too long to get it finished.  I wasn't sure what size I wanted to make, so I let the yarn decide.  I think I have enough to make a medium.

  I can also feel a case of startitis coming on again.  I want to try and made a chunky side to side crochet rib hat, try a knitting machine technique on a knitting loom, start a second Radiata, work on worms and octopi for T.A.P.S., start a knit brioche hat, another Jason's Cashmere Hat, and the rainbow side to side crochet hats.  Of course all at the same time.  I'm going to try and put them into an order of importance.  Finishing my current WIPs are on the top followed by easier things.  I'm going to hold off starting the second Radiata until I have some of the quicker things out of the way.  Once I figure out how many single crochets I need for the crown, the chunky hat will work up quickly.  The chunky knit beanie might not even count since it's back-up easy knitting, though I have a non-chunky knit beanie that could also fulfill that need.

  The startitis isn't limiting itself to my crafting either.  I want to listen to my book on Julia Child's life, start reading the Mercy Thompson Series, and also start The Parasol Protectorate series.  The Julia Child book is so interesting, so I'm doing okay sticking with that.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 10 (0)
Yarn Out: 12 (1)

Total: -2

Whimsical Hats: Part 4

  February Hatathon 2026 has come to a close!!

California - 29/26

• MinnieMay9 - 9/6

• tangodancer - 6/6

• LisaDP - 3/4

• majmlj - 5/4

• lizcf59 - 3/4

• landandwater - 2/2

• suchahappyknitter - 1 (last minute member)

Pattern: Jingle Jester Hat by me - Yarn: Baby Bee Sweet Delight Prints in 324 Sprinkles - Hook: 4.5mm

  I was able to get one more hat done for the hatathon when I was at my Saturday group on the 28th.  Everyone loved it and requested to see it on Miss Spud.  I made it sized for her on purpose, I just wish I could convince her to wear hats.  I was able to distract her with raspberries and the fact that it jingled long enough to get a few pictures.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I even have some charts made, but I want to keep messing with it a bit more before I put anything out there.

  I was trying to see if I could make the pattern easier.  A two row repeat is a lot easier to keep track of than a 6 row.  Though you could also say it is a simultaneous two and three row repeat happening respectively.  However, the shorter half-double crochets changed the angle of the increases, and I didn't like it as much.

Faux Black Caviar, made based off what you have:

Everything:

• 2 tbsp chia seeds 

• 2 tbsp sesame oil (olive oil works as well)

• 4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

• 3 tbsp water

• 2 tbsp kelp powder or 2 sheets of nori blended into a powder

 

Mix together and let sit at least 4 hours

No Kelp/Seaweed:

• 2 tbsp chia seeds 

• 2 tbsp sesame oil (olive oil works as well)

• 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

• 2 tbsp water

 

Mix together and let sit at least 4 hours

No Oil:

• 2 tbsp chia seeds

• 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

• 3 tbsp water

• 2 tbsp kelp powder or 2 sheets of nori blended into a powder*

 

Mix together and let sit at least 4 hours

 

Pattern: Jingle Jester Hat by me - Yarn: Baby Bee Sweet Delight Prints in 324 Sprinkles - Hook: 4.5mm

  Since I got the urge to publish the pattern, I knew I had to finish this one so I could include the granny cluster option.  It makes the pattern easier since wedges 2, 3, 5, and 6 are the same for every row.  For an even number of rows, it actually ends up the same size as the more solid option.  I wanted to make a pony-bead star to show some other fun options for ear/horn decorations.  Getting them attached was an adventure.  I didn't want to buy jump rings I wouldn't use for anything else, so I went looking for what I have.  I still haven't found the package that Blue Moon had sent me.  I also thought of the chainmaille supplies I have but also can't find.  I have some random rings from bracelets I've made and a scalemaille flower kit that is also hiding.  The funny thing is that I remember finding the flower kit when looking for other things so many times.  I tried the keychain sets I got, but the ring was a tiny bit too small.  I ended up using two eye pins and wrapping the wire myself.  My round nose pliers were too small, but I made it work.

  Since I'm done with this hatathon, I'm back to working on my Radiata.  It's big enough that I both love how long the sections are and also getting impatient with them.  It wouldn't be as much of an issue if I didn't have to work around Spud's nap time.  I know she would love to help me with the project, but she's not quite coordinated enough to not make it more work in the end.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 10 (0)
Yarn Out: 11 (0)

Total: -1

Whimsical Hats: Part 3

Pattern: Crochet “Sun and Moon” Granny Square by Creggy’s Crochet - Yarn: Premier Just Yarn Worsted Yarn in Yellow, Cream, Turquoise, and Classic Blue - Hook: 5.5mm

  I was watching Kira (PricklyAlpaca) on YouTube and she fairly recently learned how to crochet and made some sun and moon granny squares.  I liked them enough that I wanted to make something with them too.  I have also half paid attention to ads for the Arkyve Holly Bloom Crochet Cat Hat, which are pretty cute.  I thought it would be a fun idea to combine those ideas together.  Since the sun and moon granny square is pretty large, I wouldn't be able to use 4 for each half of the hat if I wanted to make it a kid's size.  I also wanted mine to be more unique and only get inspiration from the one I saw. 

  I started out with the “Sun and Moon” Granny Square.  Once I got it squared off I started working back and forth around the sides and bottom.  I tried so many things to keep it as square as I could.

  The best result I had was from alternating rows of double crochets and treble crochets on the bottom, and always working half-double crochets on the sides.  To keep the counts the same I added two half-double crochets in the corners of the sides and only one double/treble crochet in the corners of the bottom.

  This is a chart of how the bottom would be worked.  The grey stitches are from the original square, so they might be different if you are trying this with a different starting square.  The blue are the first row, which is different than the following half-double crochet rows.  The red stitches are to let you know to just keep working plain along the side.  The reason I have both chains and half-double crochets next to each other is because I usually work a standing half-double, but most people like to work a turning chain.

  When the piece was almost big enough, I did a final row of double crochet all the way around with two double crochets in the first stitch of the first side and the last stitch of the third side.  I put double crochets spaced evenly along the top to match the count on the bottom.  I once again used the Crochet Tight Join As You Go Method by Hooked by Robin on the last row of the second square.

  If I make this or something similar again, I would only chain three between the sun beams before the background color is introduced, mine has too much sun color peeking through.  Another option would be to make it smaller one by just putting five double crochets in the spaces and not work the single stitches for the sun rays, though it wouldn't change the finished size of the square.  To do that the squaring off row could be worked on row as well.

Pattern: Jester Style Crochet Hat by Alison Russell - Yarn: Lion Brand Yarn Mandala Baby in Honeydukes - Hook: 3.75mm

  I don't know if I mentioned the things I have been doing differently on these than when I made my regular granny squares.  For the first row I have been working groups of two instead of three because even if I'm working groups of three later, this lets you tighten the center magic ring easier.  I have also been working a chain 1, sc as the last chain of the row.  That way you end in the middle of what would normally be a chain 2 space.  I like being able to work the entire first wedge without turning or trying to squish everything backwards.

  The Wednesday evening group looks to be dying down again.  A lot of the older ladies meet earlier in the day on Wednesday, so they don't have to drive in the dark.  One of the people moved, so if she works on Wednesday then she's too tired to hang out and also drive herself home after.  I've been trying to get more people I know to go, but I've not gotten anyone to come consistently.  The younger people have also been meeting on Saturday mornings, which I wouldn't mind going to, but I also have my Saturday afternoon group.

  We were glad they have some indoor seating and even a highchair at Mary's Botanitas weekend before last.  I got sopes with chicken for Miss Spud and soft tacos with chorizo and al pastor with regular horchata to drink for me.  The horchata came out in a large soup to-go container.  Their hot sauce wasn't too hot, but had a lot of flavor.  The chorizo came with some nice crispy bits and the al pastor was very moist and tender.  I do want to go back at some point and try more options.

Pattern: Jingle Jester Hat by me - Yarn: Baby Bee Sweet Delight Prints in 324 Sprinkles - Hook: 4.5mm

  I wanted to make a version of the jester hat that was a combination of the first few and the blue/white one.  I'm trying to decide if I want to post the general pattern for this on here or on Ravelry.  I could do both.  It is easier to just post on here because Ravelry needs more information, though more people would see it on Ravelry.

  It was a busy day at the cabin on this past Monday.  Around 9am the Internet guy showed up.  He said that whoever installed our phone didn't install the battery backup they provide.  We have one of our own, but they installed one anyway.

  The people bringing the new refrigerator were supposed to let Bill know about half an hour before they arrive.  However, half an hour away from the cabin doesn't have cell service.  He was worried that they wouldn't find the place, but the cable guy and all the Amazon trucks have been able to find us.

  They got to us and didn't have any real problems getting the old one out and the new one in.  They had to take the handles off the old one and the interior door of the cabin off, but that wasn't a big deal for them.  The handles for the new one came inside, and it was easy getting it in place.

  It won't be dying down there any time soon because we have the windows coming later this week and the heating and cooling systems sometime later this month.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 10 (0)
Yarn Out: 11 (1)

Total: -1

1.5 Years!

Week 74:

  Miss Spud is really good at high five and low five.  She also accents the gesture with an Ah!, which is way too cute and gets everyone even more excited that she can do it.  She always gets the biggest smile on her face.

  We ended up going out for dinner on both Friday and Saturday.  She kept trying to lean over onto me on Friday and was wanting to be fed again.  She tried to use chopsticks and knew to put both in one hand, but couldn't get them to work otherwise.  On Saturday she wanted mostly fruit and to have her other food in small pieces.  She was very well behaved at both dinners and only got squiggly after we were there a while.

  Bill worked with her on how to build with her Mega Bloks.  She was really starting to understand how they work by the end of it.  On Sunday she showed me what she had learned and we built some shapes.  They weren't structurally sound, but they were very interesting.

  We decided that Sloppy Joe night was the perfect night to give her the first bath since getting her cast off.  She was a bit nervous about it at first, but quickly remembered how much fun they are.  I had ordered some light-up bath toys to celebrate her first bath back.  She loved them and kept trying to hold all of them at once.  The one that hadn't been working when I tested them even started working for her bath.

  She really loves candy.  We found out she likes black licorice right before lunch.  She kept asking for more after she had a whole piece.  After dinner she convinced Bill to give her some M&Ms and then tried to get him to give her a second piece of licorice.

  I was cooking both of us some lunch when she tried to hand me her caterpillar patch.  When I didn't take it she tried to put it on her onesie.  I then noticed that she was not wearing a diaper.  After a quick diaper run upstairs, where I snapped her onesie this time, I went looking for the diaper.  She had put it into one of the plastic trash cans we have in her play area.  When I put her down I was glad I snapped her up, because she went right for her diaper again.

Week 75:

  She was refusing to lay down for a diaper change.  I managed to get her wiped off while laying down, but after that she would not lay down again.  I formed a new diaper into a pull-up.  She had a great time sliding her feet into the openings, like she does with pants.  After I slid it up, I repositioned the tabs so it fit her.

  Since the last time we were all in the basement I got her a little ice cream stand.  She saw it and immediately dragged it out.  She had a lot of fun stacking the scoops and toppings.

  Lately she has really liked putting on and wearing leg coverings.  She sometimes will try and put on a pair of her shorts or pants.  Other times she will put her legs into one of her onesies or one of Bill's t-shirts.

  I forgot to put her in her sleep sack for her nap.  She was awake but stayed laying in her sleep position after I put her in her crib and showed her the sleep sack.  Since she didn't get back up, I just draped it over her, like a blanket.  She kept it on the whole nap, even though her feet stook out when she flattened out onto her stomach at some point.  That night she wanted her quilted PJs and her sleep sack.  That seemed like a bit much, so we had to distract her until she forgot.  We gave her a light blanket to use, but she didn't end up using it.

  My mom came over to watch Miss Spud while I got my tooth fixed.  She ended up staying for lunch.  Miss Spud thought it was hilarious when she saw my mom drinking some Christmas punch out of a glass.

  She has really been enjoying the game where her and Bill touch noses through the slats in her crib.  It can go along with popping up, but doesn't always.

  She has been watching everything I've been doing.  She will grab my lipstick or lip balm and will open it and try and use it.  She sticks out her tongue and licks it, but close enough.  She has also seen me tap small bottles of lotion on my hand to get more out, so now she taps them on her hand.

  She sees me pat my leg to get Tank to come over.  If she sees him on the other side of the baby gate, she will tap my leg.  She has even moved my hand out of the way so she could tap my leg.

Week 76:

  I asked her on Saturday morning if she wanted to draw and she nodded.  Bill opened the notes app on his tablet for her and she had fun drawing random shapes.

  She kept trying to sit on her magnet drawing table, so Bill took the legs off.  One didn't make it into her toy basket.  She found that one and almost managed to screw it back on.

  On Monday she decided that she didn't need a nap and played in her crib for the 1.5 hours I left her in there for.  She was giving me some Sleepy Eyes when I took her out, but refused to back down.  When we got home from boardgame night she was snuggling with my mom and was half asleep.  She complained when Bill went to put her to bed, but it didn't take more than our usual bedtime routine to get her down.  She then slept over an hour past her usual wakeup time in the morning.  Luckily she took her nap on Tuesday, though she did try and fight it again.

  I was watching a video by Wayne Hwang on Instagram about his latest princess dress for his daughter.  Miss Spud saw and nodded when I asked if she wanted a fancy dress.  Luckily we had a pink butterfly dress Mary got for us.  It's a bit too big, but fits well enough.  I put her in it after dinner and she had fun playing while wearing it.

  At her 18 month appointment she was 22lb 2oz(46%), 32.8"(85%) tall with a 18.5"(72%) head circumference.

  The doctor was impressed with her for a variety of things.  She was impressed that Miss Spud wasn't fussing when she was getting her check up, she just sat there.  She was also impressed that she was very willing to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.  I even told her about how she knows to eat around the core of apples without anyone teaching her.  She didn't cry when she got her vaccine until she saw the bandaid come out.

  The doctor asked us if there was anything she was afraid of.  At the time we couldn't really think of anything.  When a box Bill was holding fell off his leg, she started crying.  That has been happening recently, but it makes sense after her accident.

  At her doctor's appointment it was suggested that she get some more sources of dairy outside of milk.  I got her some string cheese, which she really liked.  I also looked up a cheese that would be high in both Vit D and calcium.  Gruyère popped up on my search.  When I gave her some I caught her hum/singing to herself while she ate it.

  I let her brush her own teeth after I was done with them.  She would chew on the brush, then lean over and make short spitting/raspberry sounds, like when she's seen me spit when I brush my teeth.

   We took Miss Spud out to a Valentine's Day tasting at Bourbon Boulevard.  The whole thing ended up starting later than they were hoping for.  Because it was for Valentine's Day all the guys were given roses to give to their ladies.  Miss Spud liked touching mine and when I let her touch it again she grabbed it and tried to take a bite out of it.

  She loved the white strawberries and liked the honeycomb.  She even pulled the leaves off of the strawberries.  She got half of my kabocha pumpkin soup.  We got an extra order of meatballs because she kept wanting more.  Bill isn't a fan of seafood, so she pretty much ate all of his scallops.  She loved the sauce that came with the goose.  She didn't want any of the whipped cream, but loved the cake that was our last course.

  She loved playing with the touch LED lights they used on the table enough that Kiran gave her one of them.

Week 77:

  I took Tank to the vet and Miss Spud had a fun time.  She got to wave to a small white dog.  She got to see another cat in a carrier, but wasn't impressed.  She tried to free Tank while we waited for his Doctor to help with an ER dog in the other room.  The vet-tech was our usual person and mentioned that she was the child always climbing out of her crib.  She did it stealthily and didn't break anything any time she did it, but did startle her mom a few times.

  I didn't manage to get her dress into her hamper all the way, so Miss Spud had to go over and help me with that.  She also threw away the wrapper pieces that came off her toe bandage.

  I was cutting up an onion for our lunch rice and Miss Spud kept asking for some.  I thought it would be funny to give her a small piece.  She ended up loving it and kept asking for more.  I didn't know if it would upset her stomach, so I cut her off after one slice.

  While waiting for Bill's call we decided to play upstairs.  She was having fun running and climbing.  I had to convince her to not stand and try to walk on her rocking chair.  After climbing on it she would turn around and walk to edge so she could throw herself into my arms.  After we were done with that she started to climb into her playcenter.  She couldn't get herself out, so I had to help her with that.  At one point I was taking her down the hallway, so she had to run down the hallway before climbing in.  She managed to get one foot per leg opening each time.

  When at Wegmans she wanted to walk around.  She handed me each of her shoes and held up the corresponding foot.  When my mom brought out her monkey/leash she tried to put her arm through a strap and then buckle it.

  I was counting down the number of 'sleeps' she would have to do before Bill would be home again.  When I told her that Dada would be home after one more sleep she waved "bye" to me and went right to sleep.

  We found that the refrigerator at the cabin had died at some point between my parents leaving and us getting there.  It has been long enough that it was warmer inside than out.  Miss Spud supervised the clean out.  She also had a great time running around Lowe's when we went to pick out a new one.  After we got back she asked Steven to read her Brown Bear on the couch.

  I was trying to get ready for a diaper change.  She's been fighting me about them recently.  I turned to try and snag her and she was standing on one of the rocking chairs and had managed to tip it backwards.  I somehow caught it before it fell too much.

  At one point the shovel for the potbelly stove fell over.  Bill tried to tell her that it was okay, but Miss Spud was not having it.  She came into the living room, grabbed my hand, and lead me into the kitchen.  She moved my hand down to it and was happy once it stood it up again.

Week 78: First Part

  Bill tried to let me sleep in while we were at the cabin, but Miss Spud had other plans.  She found Bill's dried mango and kept bringing it to me to give her some.  It took a few times for her to take it out.  One morning she hit the bed with both hands to wake me up, and then handed me the bottle of water Bill kept by his side of the bed.

  When we stopped at Buc-ees on the way home.  This time Bucky himself was there.  Miss Spud wasn't sure what to make of him, but did give him two high fives.

  On Sunday night Miss Spud decided to play a super fun game.  She kept rolling and getting away from us.  It took both of us to change her diaper for the night and put on her PJs.  She kept going limp, flipping, and running off.  She was laughing about it the whole time.

  When I finished getting ready for the day I went to see what Miss Spud had been up to.  She found an old bag of tortilla chips by Bill's side of the bed, unrolled it and was sitting in her rocking chair eating them.  She then followed me around with her bag of chips eating them as we went.  It was a family sized bag of chips, so she had to reach her whole arm in to get some.

  We went to play in the snow before it all melted on Monday.  It was too wet to sled on.  I got her to eat a bit, but she wasn't impressed by the flavor.  She thought it was fun when I threw snow at her, but would only drop it when I gave her snow to throw at me.  After walking around our front yard a few times, she just wanted to play in other people's yards.  She kept going down our driveway and heading down the street.  I tried to get her to kick a pile of snow, but it was funnier when I did it.  At one point I asked for her hand and she raised her left hand up for me to take.  We were out there for about 40 minutes, but she was not happy when I brought her in.  She handed me her snow suit and my hoodie so we could go back out.  It was nap time, so we didn't go back out.

  Luckily Funcle Mickey took her out when Bill and I went to boardgame night.  They had a great time together.

The Downfall of Katsucon?

Pattern: The Kelp Bucket Hat by Kelsie Beckham - Sized down for a teen - Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Peace and Love in 60712 Groovy Green and Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Stripes in 21554 In Motion stripes - Hook: 6.5mm

  Back when I started going to Katsucon in 2001 it was considered a small convention.  After many years and a few venue changes it has become more of a big deal.  Cosplayers have come from overseas even.  At one point they put a cap on tickets because they were outgrowing one of their venues.  People were upset, but it also didn't stop the event from growing more once they took the cap off.  The last few years have been showing that they might be outgrowing their current venue.  It is hard to get places if you are walking through the gazebo area because of how many people are just hanging out there.  Parking was a nightmare last year, and I hear it's worse this year.  It doesn't help that where they are now has a lot of shopping and restaurants and not much else around it.

Pattern: The Kelp Bucket Hat by Kelsie Beckham - Adult - Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Peace and Love in 60712 Groovy Green and Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Stripes in 21554 In Motion stripes - Hook: 6.5mm

  Bill and I have been going for many years as our special Valentine's Day event.  Last year we only went for Saturday and we ended up having to park at MGM Casino and shuttle over.  This year all of the parking that could be reserved was sold out before the event even started.  MGM was threatening to tow cars if the owners weren't there to gamble.

Pattern: The Kelp Bucket Hat by Kelsie Beckham - Sized down for a teen - Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Peace and Love in 60712 Groovy Green and Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Stripes in 21554 In Motion stripes - Hook: 6mm

  I've now heard stories about hotel staff telling people that they can't have things on their balconies.  Lots of people bring silly things like inflatable aliens, LED light strips, or flags to decorate their balcony with.  There is a bar on the main level and I heard that this year they closed it down for the weekend.  The rooms sell out quickly and with the lack of parking, a lot of people probably planned on hiring a ride to take them there.  However, I heard that they are extending the spaces where bag are not allowed, which would make it harder for someone to bring a change of clothes to carry around.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 10 (0)
Yarn Out: 10 (1)

Total: 0

Whimsical Hats: Part 2

  It's Hatathon time once again!!

California - 26

• MinnieMay9 - 6

• tangodancer - 6

• LisaDP - 4

• majmlj - 4

• lizcf59 - 4

• landandwater - 2

  I'm so happy that I remembered to sign up before a week or two into the month.  This way I get to be part of a group and don't have to hope to be lumped into a group as long as enough other people forgot to sign up.

Pattern: Jester Style Crochet Hat by Alison Russell - Yarn: Lion Brand Yarn Mandala Baby in Pixie and Honeydukes - Hook: 3.75mm

  I just kept thinking about the jester hats, how cute they are, and how much fun I had making the first one.  I also thought of trying out how to add a larger bell and make the bell removable for washing.  If the recipient was crafty, they could also make other attachments for their hat to really customize it.

Pattern: Jester Style Crochet Hat by Alison Russell - Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Ocean and Caron Simply Soft Seasons in White 2901 - Hook: 5.5mm

  I wanted to combine the dark blue and white again.  They are just so pretty together.  I wanted to play around with stitches and was curious how it would look with a cluster granny stitch.  That is indeed different than a granny cluster.  However, the hexagon ended up being flat, but I wanted to try it anyway to see if that would also work for a jester hat.  The shape it was forming reminded me of a hat my friend Sally has.  It was supposed to be a cat ear beanie, but her friend ended up making it way too wide.  She liked it that way and wears it often.

  I do like how it came out, but now I want to see what happens if I use this technique to make the jester "ears" while using the standard method for the body of the hat.  I think it will tilt them nicely.  I could also use the clusters on the body and the standard way on the "ears" to get them longer.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 10 (0)
Yarn Out: 9 (0)

Total: 1

Whimsical Hats: Part 1

Pattern: Jester Style Crochet Hat by Alison Russell - Yarn: Lion Brand Yarn Mandala Baby in Neverland and Honeydukes - Hook: 3.75mm

  I was scrolling through YouTube and saw Making Hannah had made a video about crocheting jester hats.  The first one looked so easy and fun.  It got moved to the top of the queue, I didn't even finish her video before I started making mine.  I didn't want to make yarn tassels or pom-poms to go on the points, but I figured they needed something to help pull them downward.  I was looking for the large wooden beads that didn't end up working for Worry Worms.  While looking I found some sea creature themed pony beads.  Since I haven't made any kandi in a while, my animal shaped pony beads haven't been seeing a lot of love.  Everyone was disappointed that I hadn't added bells, so did that the second I got home.

  Alison has you sew the sides together, but I just used the Crochet Tight Join As You Go Method by Hooked by Robin on the last row.  I like the look of that better than when I try and sew things together and I'm more likely to get it done if I don't have that extra step instead of working it into the last row.  I also added a ribbed band to the bottom that was 12 stitches wide.  The hat was both too wide and too short for Miss Spud, so I knew it needed the length.  It reminds me of sweatshirts from the '80s.

Pattern: Textured Cat Hat by me - Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Ocean and Caron Simply Soft Seasons in White 2901 - Needle: US 6

  I kept wondering what it would look like if I switched which color was the larger stripe on the Textured Cat Hat.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to work two thin stripes or two thick stripes to change it, so I split the difference and worked three rows of each color.  I had intended to make this hat larger than the other one, but I didn't have it with me when I had cast on and didn't remember how many stitches it had.  Looks like I made it smaller, it fits Miss Spud perfectly right now.

  I had a dentist appointment last Monday, but since it was reported that we were going to get a huge amount of snow from Saturday night to Sunday, many things closed preemptively.  I got a call on Friday saying they needed to move my dental appointment.  If Miss Spud hadn't had her appointment in the middle of the day on Friday I would have been able to move mine up.  However, it got moved to Tuesday.  The amusing thing for me was how the closer we got to the day the less and less accumulation they predicted.  Everyone was panic buying things anyway, though I was able to get milk for Miss Spud.  However, the shredded cheese and fresh vegetables at Wegmans were decimated.

  We ended up with a pretty good amount of snow, about 8" inches.  The freezing rain made it harder to take Miss Spud out to play in and made driving harder for everyone braving the roads.  I ended up being able to make it to my Tuesday appointment.  I then had to go back for a bite adjustment this Tuesday, but hopefully my teeth should be good until my 6 month appointment.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 10 (0)
Yarn Out: 9 (3)

Total: 1

A Rant About Colors and Their Uses

  Although I'm not posting about it anymore, I'm still trying to Project Pan all of the items I have too many of.  When I look back on those blog posts they just seem bloated for no good reason when I could just use a spreadsheet to keep track of that.  I was thinking about the colors of lip products I have set aside to work on and remembered the green lipstick that I think looks pretty good on me.  I then was lamenting about how I don't often have an occasion to wear green lipstick to.  That got me thinking about how wearing green lipstick is considered a bold enough choice that I've gotten double takes, but no one bats an eye when I wear my green sweatshirt.  That lead to me considering other colors and their "approved" uses.  Black is considered a staple color in clothing because it can look professional and you can pair it with any other color.  However, black lipstick and eyeshadow are daring looks.  I know that some people would consider a plum themed makeup look to be too bold for them, but as a general concept, it isn't very strange.  It isn't just makeup versus clothing items either, a pair of pink pants isn't part of the norm.  I think my overall feelings are that we should be freer to use colors however we want and not feel pressure to avoid something because we might stand out because of that choice.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 10 (0)
Yarn Out: 6 (4)

Total: 4

Seventeen Months: A Prime Time for New Adventures

Week 69:

  The cast isn't slowing her down at all.  She is even starting to use her right hand more now that her fingers are more accessible.

  When we got to the cabin she started demanding that Gramma C turn some lights on and off.  The both of them also ran around the kitchen.  My mom caught her trying to climb onto the kitchen table.  Miss Spud was so glad we brought Tank with us this time.

  She doesn't understand Christmas yet, but she was having fun with everything from her LovEvery box after she helped me put her toddler sized chair together.  She hugged her new Lamb Chop quite a few times as well.

  I forgot her sleep-time ball at home, but we had the insert for her high contrast raddle.  She decided that we had to hand that one to each other, it wasn't for throwing.  She thought it was hilarious when, after handing it to me, I would put it on Tank's head and it would roll off.  It was then Bill's turn to hand it back to her.

  Her cast is making it harder for her to use her snack cup.  My mom held some Cheerios out to her and instead of taking them with her hand, she just lowered her head and ate them right off of Gramma C's hand.

  At one point I had gotten some Christmas punch and left it on the table.  I had gone into the other room, where Miss Spud was.  She then followed Bill out of the living room and spotted the juice.  She climbed onto the chair and was stretched out to get to the cup.  She proceeded to pick out bits of fruit from the punch, not splitting any other than what dripped off.  She had to really stretch, so that was pretty impressive.

Week 70:

  By Saturday morning she had my dad trained.  He was her peanut butter dealer.  She had a baby spoon and my dad would put peanut butter on it.  She would run off to do something else, like chase Tank or see what Gramma C was up to, and bring it back when she needed a refill.

  She made sure to help her Dada and Grandpa with the refrigerator.  The fan was struggling so they vacuumed and compressed the dust out of it.  I tried to put on a funny cat video compilation, but that only held her attention for a short time, pretty much until they were done making really loud sounds and I reopened the door between the rooms.

  We took Miss Spud out on a walk before her nap.  She was having troubles on the uneven grass.  She found the barn and explored that for a while.  It was fun to stomp on the second floor.  Once we got her going down the driveway she had an easier time.  We went down to the mail boxes and a bit farther.  We had to stop many times for good sticks and cool rocks.  At one point she sat down in the road and started gathering rocks.  She was too tired and grumpy to walk back, so I had to carry her.  She resisted her nap a little and wanted to poke Tank's eye, but then went down easily.

  She is talented enough with her small fork that she decided to eat her Cheerios with it.  I thought she was just going to break them, but she managed to pick them up, one at a time, that way.  She couldn't get her whole waffle piece with her fork, so she pulled pieces off to try and get those.

  At one point she trapped my dad on the stairs.  He was trying to get down, but every time he touched the baby gate she ran over.  He sat down to try and wait her out.  At one point she sat down on the bottom stair.  I had to distract her with her radio before she would get up.

  She found the drawer in the refrigerator with the fruit.  Before bed on Sunday night she grabbed an apple and claimed it for herself.  She was having some troubles because of her cast, but soon figured out how to brace it against her cast and take a bite.  It did get dropped many times, even with her new trick.  It took her about an hour and fifteen minutes, but she finished the whole apple all by herself.  She handed my mom the stem at one point.

  My mom was distracting Miss Spud with her Harvest Solitaire game and she was having some troubles making the cards move.  She tried grabbing my finger to use, but since she still doesn't understand how the game works, it didn't help.

  She loves having more people with us to play with her.  She has also worked on her running while we were at the cabin for Christmas through New Years.

  We let her stay up a bit later on New Year's Eve while wearing her party dress.  She practiced sitting down in her toddler chair.  It's a touch tall for her and she's not sure how to aim her butt, but she did a pretty good job.

  She knows how to start the new year with a bang.  As we were finishing up washing the last dishes and packing up, Miss Spud decided to test gravity once again.  She pulled the small pile of cast iron skillets off the box they were on and they landed on her left big toe.  After lots of blood, lots of tears, a lot of snuggles and rocking we ended up at the Urgent Care near the cabin.  When we got checked in we were asked if she was our middle because her middle is her wildest.

  There were a few other little ones there while we were.  The doctor saw her walk on her foot without problems so we decided to not to X-ray.  We were told her nail will probably fall off at some point and to give it salt soaks and a bandaid to help it do what it needs to.  When Grace was cleaning it, Miss Spud let her spray and wipe the toe, but Bill had to hold her leg and foot when the bandaid came out.  Overall, she made a bigger deal about her toe than when she was dealing with her broken wrist.

  It seems one doesn't really get toe bones, it's just mostly cartilage, until about 3 years old.

Week 71:

  She decided to start the week by lifting her leg to pee in her diaper.  Bill went in to greet her and free her from her sleep sack.  She then proceeded to lift one leg in response.

  She then spent some time feeding me Strawberry Cheerios one at a time.  It was hard work, so she ate a few herself to keep up her strength.  Every time she would open her mouth to show me what I was supposed to be doing.

  I love how rough and tumble she is.  She used to just fall onto whoever was laying on the Lovesac and then expected to get flipped over.  However, now she is jumping some.  That means that sometimes she misses and just tumbles herself off you, laughing the whole time.

  She had a great time at Wegmans.  She ate all of her chicken and her mozzarella stick, but not all of her broccoli.  Fara followed her around as she got to explore.  She tried to go down the stairs, push the button on elevator, and play with the blood pressure machine.

  After my mom and I had our own snack on Thursday, which Miss Spud needed some of, I made her some peanut butter toast.  When she was almost done with her piece she would put it on my mom's plate and go "ah" when she did it.  I then started saying "Ta-dah!" when she did it.  She then started saying it with me.

  When I wear my blue flowy pants, Miss Spud has discovered that the waistband is very stretchy.  A few times she has pulled the waistband out and managed to pull them down.  This week she decided she needed to wear them.  She pulled them down and then tried to step into them.

Week 72:

  She charmed everyone at knitting.  She had fun running around, trying to steal a bag of yarn, and finding silverware.  She got really mad at me when I wouldn't let her run around with a metal fork in her mouth.

  On Sunday she was hungry but didn't want Cheerios.  She would pick some up, yell, and then slam them down.  This was repeated a few times before we went downstairs and got an apple.  She was a lot happier after that.

  When we went upstairs for bedtime one night, Miss Spud ran ahead of me into her room.  She ran as fast as she could at her rocking chair and jumped after making contact.  She used the momentum to flip her legs up so she could get in without climbing.

  Mickey was watching her on boardgame night and we were told about how funny she was.  She kept trying to hug and kiss Tank, so he left when he could make a get away.  When Mickey's food arrived she acted like she's never been fed and kept trying to grab his food.  She even liked his spicy chicken sandwich.  When we got back she got an extra little treat and kept signing Please for more.  Usually when she asks for things nicely we give in, but she had already had a bit of Mickey's Bo-Berry Biscuits and then two gummies.  She did not need any more sugar.  Bill handed her a two pack of starbursts and said that she could have them if she could figure out how to open them.  She then proceeded to hand them to each of us, one at a time, and then get frustrated when we just crinkled the packaging.

  She wanted some pretzels in what we've dubbed the Pretzel Cup.  I don't have any so I put Cheerios in there.  She then spilled them out, and got upset they were spilled.  She helped pick them up until Tank distracted her and she ended up stepping on some.  She then looked at the bottom of her foot and ate the ones stuck to her foot.  After I put the rest back into her cup she carried them more delicately.  At one point a few spilled out again and she whined and brought one over to me, after we both put them back in the cup she wondered over to Bill to eat them.

  We ordered food and got her some beans, rice, and a quesadilla with meat in it.  She barely touched her quesadilla but ate a lot of her beans and rice.  Once she started playing with her food I figured she was done and went to clean up.  When I picked up her quesadilla she opened her mouth and leaned forward.  It turns out she didn't want to take bites and then move her hand away, she wanted to take bites and then move her body away.  With me holding it, she ate half of her quesadilla.

  After lunch on Wednesday Mary came over to hang out a little bit.  Miss Spud decided that Tank needed to be petted, but decided that she wasn't the one to do it.  She grabbed my thumb and put my hand on Tank.

  Bill and her invented a game where they pop up and down.  She will crouch in her crib while Bill kneels outside.  After peeking at each other through the slats they both go upward.  She stands up and Bill leans up.

  She thinks it's hilarious if someone tickles her right palm, inside her cast.

  While I was making lunch on Friday she went quiet.  When I was done, I looked at what she had been up to.  She found Bill's tablet in the Papasan chair and was drawing on it.  To do that she had to open the Notes app, and then unlock the tablet with Bill's pattern password.  I made sure to save her very important note.

  After lunch she saw her pack of gummy candies and wanted them.  I gave her two and she wanted more.  When she was taken out of her chair I gave her one more.  She then saw where I put them.  She climbed into Bill's usual chair at the dining room table and proceeded to not listen to Butt Down.  She knew I would get up out of my chair to come take her off that one.  Once I was close she slid off the chair, went under the table, hopped onto the chair I just got off of, and grabbed her bag of candies.  She then started shaking the bag as hard as she could to try and get the gummies to fall out before I could take the bag from her.  She ended up with two more.

Week 73:

  She cried when we first left her at Heather's place, but quickly moved on and played with her new electronic octopus.  She was having so much fun that she was still awake when we got her around 1am.  She didn't resist sleep too much on the way home and went down fairly easy again when we got home.

  She was determined to eat her Cheerios with a fork out of her snack cup.  She managed to do it, I was impressed on many levels.

  She is getting better at playing pretend.  She will now have Corduroy walk around by hoping him up and down on his feet.  She will also share her apple with him like he's eating it with her.  We will also pretend to eat her nighttime ball.

  While we were eating dinner on Thursday, Miss Spud managed to convince my mom to hand feed her blueberries.  She had to make sure they were in the perfect spot on my mom's hand before she leaned over and ate them.  I told her that if she wanted to keep staff to do her bidding all through her life she is going to have to have the money to backup that lifestyle.

  She impressed everyone at her appointment.  The X-ray technician was still talking about it once we were done.  She stood for her weigh in and height check.  She watched the machine when getting her X-rays and didn't move when they were taking the pictures.  When we were waiting for the doctor she sat on a metal step stool and also the larger chairs.  She kept insisting on sharing her flashlight with the doctor.  The one partial break was fully healed and the other has joined.

  I had to change her before we got her cast off and when I put a pad down she just laid down on it.  When we were getting the cast off she didn't try and move away, she just watched what was happening.  I washed her arm and she was reluctant for me to wash her palm.  She didn't reach into it, but it was easy to get her brace put on.  She gets to wear that for 3-4 weeks and then should be fully healed.  Even though I washed her arm before she got her brace, her sweater caused her to have a bunch of flakey skin on her arm.