This photo is courtesy of my dad. Beautiful bird! An adult and young bald eagle made a visit to my parent's cottage on Wednesday. What a stunning sight that must have been, to see these majestic birds so close. My dad described that the wingspan of the adult eagle was close to 7 ft. -- I doubted him, but according to this website, that's entirely possible as the male wingspan can reach up to 85 in. The cottage is in northern Ontario, on the shores of Lake George.

cobweb

cobweb, originally uploaded by freeformkatia. I've been watching a very industrious spider all summer. This spider spins a beautiful cobweb outside our side kitchen window -- and respins it each time it is damaged by weather or it's prey. Yesterday we had some terrific rainy weather move through the area, and the cobweb really stood out in the dull grey evening light, with the raindrops clinging to it. I was afraid it would be damaged by the heavy rain, but in the end it seems the spider was smart, and built it in a protected area. [click on Flickr to see the rest of the pics] One can see that our neighbour has some repairs to make on their house.

what the...?

Saw this on the weather forecast: "THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 756 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS ... IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA: BUCKS CHESTER DELAWARE MONTGOMERY PHILADELPHIA" great. just great.

misc.

What... what... what to write. 1. I made Apricot Chicken in the slow cooker overnight for tonight's dinner. I opened the lid this morning when I came downstairs for breakfast and boy oh boy did it smell good. Now, I'm really looking forward to dinner. This is my new tactic for having a relatively calm evening: make dinner the night before, so all I have to do is heat it up! 2. Maja slept in long enough this morning for me to eat some breakfast. yea! 3. I wish I had time in the evenings to relax. You'd think that after Maja goes to bed that I could sit and read/knit -- but lunches need to be made, the kitchen needs to be tidied, laundry needs to be folded... By the time I'm done all that it's 9:30! Then a quick shower and it's off to bed. 4. Maja ate green beans last night. I had some in the fridge from the previous evening, already cooked. So, I sat on the floor with her while she was playing with her phonics bus in the kitchen, and started eating green beans. She joined in and chomped away on them! Then she fed a few to Emerson... Anyway, I was most happy that she was enthusiastic about the green beans. Tonight: peas! 5. I hate humidity. And it's very humid out (86%). And the forecast has rain for the next 10 days. yahoo. 6. Really looking forward to Omi & Papa's visit next week! 7. I want to knit this Sarcelle. 8. I love my new house. 9. I want bbq. Or apricot chicken. right now. 10. Maja had a good morning (except for the new stroller hatred she's developed). 11. Maja's new word of the week: Flower.

Sunday yard Aug 27

Sunday yard Aug 27
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

even earlier in the morning... after a good night's rain.

on the boardwalk

on the boardwalk
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

We went to the Jersey Shore this weekend and hung out with our friends Jenn, Brett and Talia. Talia and Maja go to daycare together.

This is a shot of everyone (minus me, of course because I'm taking the picture) taking a walk on the Ocean City boardwalk.

We had a good time, despite the heavy rains on Sunday morning! On Saturday we spent time at the playground and then after the girls took their naps (yea!) we went to Ocean City. Maja and Talia had a good time playing on the 25-cent rides (we didn't even have to put the quarter in for them to enjoy the ride) while Richard and Brett played some skeeball. Dinner was pizza at Primo's, then home (after a pitstop for Steel's fudge).

There are TONS of pictures in the flickr gallery, so click away and enjoy!

mmm, raspberries

Aug 24
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Ah, punch drunk on raspberries -- something one can only achieve at the end of summer. The raspberries were courtesy of Steve, Rachel and Cora.

I love hanging out at the playground. It's really a neighbourhood spot -- the families that live in the area are the families that go to the playground; the same kids that Maja goes to daycare with; the same kids that Maja will eventually go to school with; the same kids we see at the pool or the farmer's market or just walking around.

And what's also fascinating about the playground is the mix of people. And the "brains" on the playground -- PhDs, MDs, architects, writers, artists, librarians (heh), businessmen/women... If you want to explain to your child why the leaves are green on the trees then all you have to do is find the nearest parent and they'll be able to tell you. All well-educated people. It's great.

I can go to the playground with Maja at any given time on any day and we'll always see someone we know. It's comforting and appealing to have a core group of friends like that. And what's so great these days is that Maja is starting to recognize her friends and say their names!

Maja in the red sweater

Maja in the red sweater
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Sorry this picture is so blurry! I tried to take it before Maja started down the steps.

We had a terrific downpour this morning at about 5am (at which point Richard and I jumped up out of bed and raced around closing windows!) and the weather cooled right down -- enough that I had to put a sweater on Maja. Now, this little red sweater is still way too big for Maja, but I knit it when I was pregnant with her, held off until her birthday (April) to give it to her... and well, now (August!) it's still too big. sigh. It's been waiting in the wings for sometime now and I keep waiting for an excuse to have her wear it!
It's a Debbie Bliss pattern and was very easy and quick to knit.

Maja looks good in red. Like her Omi (hi mom!). Maybe she has got some Grotewold in her afterall... I keep looking for some Strieck/Grotewold resemblence in Maja but have trouble finding it ... she's all King from her button nose and dimples down to her toes. :)

Sticks in da holes

Sticks in the holes Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

This is one of Maja's favourite things to do at the playground -- find little twigs and stick them in the holes on this surface of the playground equipment. It's entertaining, I think, because some of the twigs fall through the holes (too small!), some of the twigs don't fit in the holes at all (too big!) and some of the twigs fit perfectly and stick straight up in the holes (just right!). Apparently, Maja's friends Maizy (back right) and Hope (front right) find this entertaining as well. Maizy's dad, David, is moderating in the background. We often spend 1 1/2 to 2 hrs in the playground after I pick her up from daycare, since it's on the way home! Yesterday Maja got ahold of another kid's Popcorn Pusher toy and dragged/pushed that around for at least an hour. Click on the picture to see the rest of the photos!

raisin tokens

I had a dream last night that Richard and I were vacationing in Arizona and that all we did was fight because R was convinced every second person was a terrorist and I thought he was paying too much attention to all of that and not enjoying the vacation! There was also an earthquake in my dream. Then, when I returned to Philadelphia, I had to take the bus to get home. So, I was standing infront of the (old!) Lord & Taylors on Market St., waiting for the bus in the rain. The bus finally came, the #100, which would take me ALL THE WAY to Simpson St. in Sault Ste. Marie. And the kicker? I tried to pay for my bus fare with a raisin. 1 raisin. The bus driver wasn't convinced and so I started emptying out my change purse in search of the correct fare -- but I only had $1.10 in dimes. I told her the raisin was equal to at least .10, and so with my dimes and my raisin I paid her $1.20 -- plenty enough to get me on the bus. Happy trails!

Baby Shower

Katia's special Baby Shower decorations Originally uploaded by kipnises.

On Saturday we gathered to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Baby Kipnis -- soon-to-be daughter of Trish & Dan. Richard and I decked out the house with balloons and flowers; others contributed snacks, pasta, and desserts. Mmmmmm. We ate well and had a great time! I think T & D were slightly overwhelmed by the amount of stuff they got... Click on the pic to see all the photos from the shower, courtesy of Dan.

Sunday yard Aug 20

Sunday yard Aug 20
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

nothing much different! Early in the morning, sun is just coming up and it promises to be a beautiful day.

pink slippers?

mitten shoes Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Maja found these mittens upstairs in my closet this morning and decided that they would make good slippers. She wandered around in them most of the morning, until I made her take them off so we could go to the pool. As soon as she woke up from her (very short!) afternoon nap, she insisted on wearing them again. Who knows... maybe her feet were cold?

Harry & Maja

Harry & Maja Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Here is Maja with her friend Harry (who is just 3 weeks older). They were hanging out in the dinosaur at the Clark Park tot lot.

trellis lace -- wip

trellis lace
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

During my lunch hours (except Fridays) I've been working on the trellis lace scarf from the Spring 2006 issue of Interweave Knits. This is one of the hardest projects I've done and it is, to be blunt, kicking my butt. I need ABSOLUTE solitude to concentrate -- no radio, no t.v., no child, no dog, no husband, no talking, no music... silence. One slip in concentration and I loose an hour of work. sigh.

I really can't work on it for more than 1 hour at a time. Or my brain goes numb. Well... I can do 1 repeat/hour (if I don't make an error) -- I have 10 repeats to go. So, I should be done by... the end of August?

At the beginning I thought this was the most beautiful scarf. Then, about 1/3 of the way through I began to hate it. I was ready to give it away because to keep it would be too painful. Now, at repeat 15 of 25 (that's 60%!) I'm beginning to like it again. And, I can actually envision wearing it... we'll see how I feel by the end. I may change my mind again.

you make me feel like a mother!

A few thoughts for a photoless Thursday. What makes me feel like a mom? 1. when I get to work and I find a sippy cup in my bag 2. when I stay up late to mend the paw of Maja's 'baby' -- this is a stuffed bear which wears a bunny costume, and Maja refers to it as her 'baby'! Richard and I call it the bunny bear. 3. when Maja wakes up in the morning and intersperses her babbling with a "mama?" 4. when she hurts herself and comes to me for a hug and kiss for her boo-boo 5. seeing her play with Richard

bear claw -- wip

Here's my progress on square 1 (of 9!) on the Bear Claw blanket. I'm really enjoying knitting this -- even if it's tedious. And I'm not even going to mention the number of ends that need tucking in when I've completed it! (click on the picture to go to Flickr and you can see a photo of the back of this piece). I'm knitting it with Knitpicks Merino Style on size 0 and size 3 needles.

con-junc-ti-vi-tis

Maja and I had the day off yesterday because the little monkey had conjunctivitis. Given her mood the past few weeks (screaming and whining and crying!), I was really dreading having to spend the whole day with her. But... we ended up have a good day! I did ALOT of reading about temper tantrums and how to handle them. I put some of that into practice yesterday, and while we didn't have an entirely tear-free day (I think that's impossible), we certainly avoided several full-blown tantrums. So, how did we spend our day? We had a leisurely breakfast where Maja at 3 bowls of cereal (!!!) and some pear. As you can see, she wanted to eat the pear 'whole', and not munch on the pieces I had cut up for her. We then went to the playground for about 45min. where she enjoyed running around in the grass and jumping off a tree stump. Home again for a snack (1 entire waffle) and to get ourselves organized to go meet dad at work for lunch! We took the trolley & subway over -- I think Maja liked it. We spent a little time visiting with some of dad's colleagues and then went across the street to the little park and had pizza. Home again via the subway & trolley. Maja took a lovely 3 hr. nap -- and mom had coffee and knit (more on that in a separate post). After the nap we went back to the park and hung out with a whole crew of her toddler friends: Ethan, Maizy, Emma, Jesse, Phoebe, Harry... and more! Dinner was in the slow-cooker and all ready for us when we got home. And, let me just say: dinner was civilized. She sat in her chair and ate -- no screaming, no throwing the food! She even tried some of her green vegetables. Amazing. After a little quiet play (puzzles) and some milk, it was a bath and then bed. Phew. So, next time Maja has a fussy/crying/whiney day I'll have to remember what a good time we had on Tuesday, Aug. 15.

my child has been abducted by aliens

Maja the artist
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

What happened to my happy Maja? The easy-going baby that laughed and smiled? Where did she go? and, can I please have her back? The constant screaming and whining and fussiness is just about driving me insane!!!!!! I'm going to have to put her on the street corner with a for sale sign on her. And, then, we have a fun time like this on Sunday afternoon -- drawing with sidewalk chalk. And, you have to forget about the temper tantrums and the constant whining.

Please, someone tell me that this will pass? I hope it's just her teething (I suspect she's getting some molars) and her cold. I hope. I pray.

Sunday yard

The current state of my backyard.

Maja in the morning (Aug 11)

Maja participated in an early morning photo shoot outside the house today. [click on the picture to see the rest on Flickr] Don't we all wish we looked this cute 30 min. after waking up? Maja insisted on wearing these overalls -- and even tried dressing herself by putting them on her head... I convinced her to wear them this way instead. It was a good morning! No screaming, temper tantrums, or whining. Phew. Hopefully the evening also goes smoothly... I anticipate finishing my dancing socks today at lunch! I'll post a pic if that happens. And, last night, I was able to knit on the Bear Claw blanket for a yet undetermined recipient. I think it's going to look really good... I'll try and take a picture this evening of my progress thus far.

--- sorry. dancing sock didn't get finished... so close, though!

he looks scared

richard
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Here's Richard! The past 2 days Richard and I have dropped Maja off at school together and then we walk to the 37th St. trolley stop -- TOGETHER -- at which point Richard then goes down to the trolley and I continue on my walk alone to work. It's nice, to walk together in the morning as it allows us to have a conversation. This morning conversation is much more relaxed than the usual evening conversations we have.

So, this morning we were talking about photography. I claimed that I was a photographer because I owned a camera and took pictures! So, I whipped out the camera and took a close-up of R's eye, just to prove my point. ha ha. Of course, R thinks it's most amusing that I feel the photo has more validity as an artform because I did it in b&w.

Ohhhh, I'm so classy. Yes I am.

breakfast with dad

breakfast
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Maja likes to sit with dad and have breakfast. What better way to start the day then to have a sippy cup of milk and cherrios from dad's bowl? Here you can see Maja doing the sign language sign for 'more'. This is always accompanied with Maja saying the word 'more' in a questioning tone. More? More? More?

Sometimes she does the sign and says more? at the most random things -- and I have no idea what she wants 'more' of! Maja also does the signs for: all done, milk, and water. Her spoken vocabulary these days consists of:
more, all done, water, please, thank-you, up, down, hi, dad, mama, dog, yes, NO, bye-bye, ... and I'm probably forgetting a few.

-----

House wise: I organized the spare room/office space on the third floor last night. It's not a big room, and we have the dbl bed in there, R's desk, 4 filing cabinets, 1 bookshelf... anyway, I got everything to fit in a way that you won't trip or have to climb over anything to get to the bed! We're ready for overnight guests... once I find the sheets.

dancing sock the second

dancing sock the second
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Well, three times is the charm. I knit the heel twice incorrectly: once last Friday, probably because I was talking too much; once on Sunday night, probably because I got distracted by Hans Solo (aka a young Harrison Ford) while watching Star Wars.

Yesterday, however, I sat on my bench outside during my lunch hour, and concentrated! And got the heel turned correctly. yeah!

Today I started the modified Feather & Fan -- and I'm attempting to make the swirl go in the other direction. [insert astonished gasp here] Stay tuned... because I think it's working.

Maja and the toybox

Aug 7
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Maja always likes to crawl INTO things. Primarily boxes. And, what better box to climb into than her toybox? Hey Elyn, do you see Lola the Elephant there???

I'm at a loss as to what to do with Miss Maja's crazy hair. It's too short to put in elastics; I'm not allowed to send her to daycare with barrettes... and I don't want to cut it. Guess she'll just have to be shaggy until it gets a little longer!

living room

house Aug 6
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Weekend... Saturday Maja and I went to the pool while Richard ran errands -- dog to the groomer; groceries; bank; recycling.

Sunday we all went to Ikea! We used up our store credit and got a toy chest for the 1st floor (beside the lamp), black leather cushions for the Poang chairs, 2 bases for some cabinets that Richard has had since his bachelor days, the missing cupboard doors for my desk... and a few other odds and ends. While Miss Maja napped, Richard and I assembled the haul.

So, a quiet weekend.

The house is almost ready. Just a few more boxes need to be unpacked. It was really helpful to put all the books into the library room -- we spent most of Saturday afternoon doing that. We still have some empty shelves ... but then, I think there are still some boxes of books hiding in our closet. I'll dig them out this evening.

family picture

family picture
Originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Whoa. A family picture, taken by our nice neighbour this morning as we were on our way to work/school.

Maja's got the Andy Warhol look going.

----

The temps are about 10 degrees lower, but not cool. It's 29C at 8am! Well, thank goodness it's Friday.

bloglessness

I have nothing major to report today. Many small things. A LIST! 1. The floor that's being refinished is going to look really good. Should be done by tomorrow, so we can move stuff in by Friday. 2. 115 F today (that's 47 C). I'd complain, but everyone is suffering the same fate, so it's not worth it. Mind you, my mom kindly told me that it was only 59F (that's 15C) up in the Soo. I am not impressed. At least we still have electricity. 3. We went to the pool yesterday afternoon and the water in the tot pool was actually hot. Gross. 4. I haven't knit much lately because I've been running errands at lunchtime. Today, however, I will knit on my socks. Don't know if I'll try and find a shady spot outside, or if I'll just hang indoors. Probably the latter. k

40xx Pine

I'm not going to complain about the forecasted 110F temps for today. ----------- I love my walk to work at the Ivory Tower. Mostly because of the amazing houses that I see on my way, like this one which was once part of the Hamilton Family estate. I love to imagine what life was like when these houses were first built, how the neighbourhood functioned, what the people were like. I envy them, I think, because they must have had a much calmer life! No running around trying to get 1 zillion things done -- a taxing day might have involved telling the cook to make a cold soup for lunch and then taking a leisurely stroll in the garden or sitting on the porch with a cooling beverage. I think I would have done well in the mid-19th century.