Knit Kindle Sleeve Pattern

For lack of a better place to post this so that others can benefit from the pattern...here is my Knit Kindle Sleeve Pattern...

Gague: 4 sts to the inch (I used size 7 needles)
Yarn: Berroco Comfort (worsted) in 9730 Teaberry and 9741 Bittersweet

Begin with the flap…
CO 23 sts.
Row 1: *p2 k1 7 times* p2
Row 2: *k2 p1 7 times* k2
Repeat rows 1 and 2 for about 3 inches.

Then knit the sleeve…
End with row 1 and immediately CO 19 sts. (42 sts total).
Join in the round and knit straight for 7 inches. I alternated the pink and brown every 4 rows, simply carrying the yarn down between colors.
On the final ½ inch (or 4 rows), decrease 4 stitches on the corners every other round (I lined up the flap and put a marker on the corners with 21 sts between on both sides and then decreased before and after the markers ssk, k2tog, ssk, k2 tog)
Use the Kitchener stitch to bind off.

Finishing…
Single crochet across the top of the sleeve, side of the flap, and then across the top of the flap, creating loops for the 4 buttons and down the other side of the flap joining with the beginning of the crochet.

3x5 Folded Card

Taped Thanks Boy Thank You Card

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Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Christmas 2011

Very Merry Christmas Christmas

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Oliver is 18 months!

Last week Oliver officially became a year and a half. It is just amazing how much he learns in one day. I keep thinking "I have to write that down! I can't believe he said that!" and then before I get to writing it down, he says something more impressive. Here are some of the things that have amazed me lately:

1. When you find a nuk around the house, you bring it to me so that we can put it “back to bed” (where it stays until nap or night time). You are such a big boy!!
2. Talking a blue streak – you repeat EVERYTHING and have so many useful phrases:
a. This week I asked you what happens when the alarm goes off and you said “I don’t know what.”
b. Thank you, Help Please, clean up, down, up, run, walk, race!, here you go, all done, more, play, here, shower, bath, phone, fun!, okay, alright, hi, bye bye, hey buddy, peekaboo, sleep, nuk
d. Yes, doh and no – not used correctly yet
e. Milk, Water – wawa, Eat eat eat!, cheese, Pizza (I think that is anything with bread and cheese), bread, orange, apple, applesauce
f. Show – for if you want to watch TV
g. Play dough, color, cool car, truck, fire (for fire engine)
h. Alarm sound for a fire truck, police car, or ambulance
i. Outside, Hallway
j. Lots of names
k. Lots of animal names and all animal sounds including new ones like the sounds for rooster and butterfly
l. Upside right – how you are supposed to put your milk when you are done with it
3. You are excellent at filling in the ending word in books. It is amazing the words you are able to fill in. You have special names for books that have to do with what you like about them. Perfect Pets is “pup”, Goodnight Moon is “something Moon” or “Hush”, Mr. Brown Can Moo is “whisper, whisper”, The Snowy Day is “crunch”, Moo, Baa, Lalala is “lalala”
4. You are very good at counting. You have the following numbers in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10. 6 used to be in the mix but lately you skip from 5 to 8.
5. You love singing and you just keep getting better. When you are by yourself playing you are often humming a tune – familiar and new. Your favorite songs lately are Twinkle, Twinkle, the ABC’s, Way Up High in the Apple Tree
6. You have a great imagination. You make your animals and cars talk to one another and you have a couple of different make believe voices you use. One is higher than your regular voice and one is kind-of a growly voice. You also make believe well with your baby dolls. You feed them their bottle and burp them by patting them on their back. You also sometimes cover them up with a blanket.
7. You are doing so great at church stuff. You sit so well during the children's time and try to copy the big kids. You also are staying in the nursery and only cry for a little while when we first leave and at the end when you are waiting for us to pick you up.

Baby Care

We have been playing with Oliver's baby dolls lately in preparation for June. He is getting pretty good at feeding, but doesn't yet understand you don't just drop them when you are done! You might notice that he even makes eating movements and sounds with his mouth. This week we saw a REAL baby and he was just beside himself and kept getting close to the baby and giggling. It was so sweet.

Twinkle Twinkle

Oliver sings this song a lot lately. And yes, he is playing with a box full of exacto knives - it is locked:).

The whole song...

This is Oliver's newest favorite song. He walks around the house chanting his favorite line "I shoo da da da da da da da". The first time is soft, then medium, loud, medium, loud, medium, loud. He likes to just stay on that line instead of finishing the song after 3 chants.

No child was harmed in the filming of this video

I just can't stop laughing every time I see this video. If Oliver had gotten hurt, I would not think it so funny. He starts "I shook that tree" with such enthusiasm every time, this time blowing him off the chair. I will post a second video of how he chants that part off the song.

He Proved Me Wrong

I just got done telling many people how Oliver has not ever fallen asleep anywhere besides his crib, carseat or stroller since he was very little. The only exception was when he fell asleep on Grandma on the airplane flying home from PA. Until now. He proved me wrong.

A Musical Medley

I think it is so funny that he does this, but maybe that's just because I'm the mom. Anyway, I thought it was worthy of sharing!

You Are My Sunshine

Last night I got home about 9 after bringing Amy back to school. Oliver was still happily talking in his crib, so I went in to say goodnight. He was warm and I thought I should check his diaper so I changed the diaper and put on a lighter pair of pajamas. I started singing this song and he chimed in with a new word "shine" - one of my favorite moments as a mom.

Cape Henlopen Beach Day

Today we met our friends and the senior high youth from church at the beach - I saw and swam in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time! I picked just a handful of pictures to share of Oliver exploring the sand and water. I was amazed by how much he liked the sand, and how by the end of the day, he would crawl after the waves going out. He was pretty much speechless the whole afternoon, just taking everything in.

Our New Puppy

Last weekend we discovered that when Oliver spots a dog, he will jump out of our arms to get it. He also barks back at them. Apparently dogs on TV have the same appeal!

First Steps

For the past two weeks Oliver has taken a few steps between us, but today while he and Paul were in the kitchen he initiated steps on his own to get from the cupboard to Daddy. That makes it official in my book!

Thanks everyone for your encouraging words about our big move. I'll give details in personal emails later.

Moving Home

Today is the day to break the news on the blog - we are coming home! And I don't mean just for a summer vacation. Mid-July Dad and Mom are flying out to help us pack and load a trailer, and then are flying back with Oliver while Paul and I drive back. We will be staying with Dad and Mom for awhile as we wait to hear if a potential post-doc opportunity comes through at the U of M, and look for other jobs. I am feeling a lot of excitement to be with and near family again, and to spend some time regrouping and recouping. We are looking forward to helping out on the farm - cooking, cleaning, mowing, and chopping (Paul is excited about that last one - not me). It has been hard to tell my friends here, but they are completely rallying around us with encouragement and offers of help. We are really going to miss them. Please keep us in your prayers during this transition time.

11.5 Month Skills

Since I haven't posted for awhile, I put everything in one video. Yesterday Oliver surprised us by saying his name - it is my all-time favorite sound!!

Father's Day 2009

Dear Dada,
This Father's Day I am 11 months and 1 week old. Here are some of my favorite things to do with you:

• Run through the house with you when you say "Ready? Go!"
• Read books, especially Mr. Brown Can Moo
• Crawl and have you crawl after me
• When you throw me in the air.
• When you drop me on the bed.
• Tickles
  
• Kisses
• When you sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and I flap my arms up and down
• When you roll me around
• The things you teach me like "Bye Bye", Dada and your Itsy Bitsy dance.
  
• Riding in the stroller when you run - it makes me so relaxed.
  
• Riding on your shoulders, especially int he mall.

Happy Father's Day, Dada!
Love, Oliver

I'm so thankful that I get to parent with Paul. He is such a caring, attentive and fun dad.

Happy Father's Day, Dad

If you knew my Dad, you'd know that if you have a good mechanic, you can keep an old car running for a LONG time - and that definitely beats a new car payment.

You would know that you should find a job you enjoy and do your best at it, but that sometimes employers don't have your best interest at heart. Because of that, you should always find things outside of work that give you purpose and that remind you of your true value.

You would know that sitting down to drink coffee is an essential part of every work day.

If you knew my Dad you'd know that having time for your family is better than taking the fast track. Time with family, serving, and being reliable, responsible and trustworthy is far more important than money, wealth, fame.

You'd know someone who has won over scores of high school students with one verse of "Single Cells".

You would also know the best real-life Tetris player in the world. He can pack a van, a relo-cube, or a trailer better than anyone else.

If you knew my Dad, you'd know someone who doesn't let you down, who's there in the tough times, and loves my Mom more than anyone else.

You'd know all these things because of what he does, not what he says.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

(a Father's Day post for Paul to follow - the other VERY important Dad in my life)