We are just living up the short, not too hot summer that we are allotted way up here in the tundra.  I've been slowly adjusting to the 3 hour time difference (staying up all night while flying back probably threw me off more than the actual time change), so in between my naps and Hazel's naps we've been walking outside, visiting our CSA farm, and hanging out with Amos.  Next weekend we're going to Pennsylvania for a Slavic festival with Amos's parents, followed by a 3-day stay in Geneva, NY, for a quiet little vacation together.  Geneva is a sweet town on the finger lakes, which incidentally really do look like fingers from the sky, and I am excited for our stay.  We're shacking up in a B&B run by a very sweet couple, and between his parents & us we are taking up the whole house.  That's a B&B stay I'm willing to risk!  Plus Nancy has spoken to the couple, and they are both thrilled to have a little baby there for a visit.  After that we aren't traveling again until Christmas, but my mama will be up at the beginning of August for a quick long weekend.  I'm really looking forward to seeing her again.  While she's here we're going to have a slightly early birthday for Hazel.  Oh, and I bought her birthday outfit in Portland, and it's SO cute, not to mention being orange & blue, which is just a cool bonus.  

In the grass

Trying to grab the camera

In the rocker

Party Dress

I miss my apartment when I'm gone.  I realize that I love my books, my cameras, all my stuff.  That includes Amos and Hazel.  I arrived back from Portland yesterday morning, about 11.30 am.  My flights went from 6.30 pm the night before, all the way basically non-stop until getting to Syracuse at about 10 am or so.  Yesterday was a blur of getting home, trying to find something to eat (I refuse to pay airport prices and hadn't eaten since about 11.30 am the previous day), and taking a quickie nap & bath before Hazel's dinner & bath.  I missed her so much.  

Halo Thai

Laura and I out dancing

Our bikes love each other.

Sprockettes

Hair! Happy!

This evening I leave for Portland!  I'm headed out to spend a week with my beautiful, funny, lovely friend Laura.  I haven't seen her since my wedding, which has been about 2 years, and in that time I had a baby.  So we have a lot to talk about, haha!  I'm almost all packed, the bills are paid, I pre-checked in on the Delta website, my knitting is started and packed.  I could not be more ready to go.  I will miss Hazel, though; I think it will be weird to be away from her for so long.  

Amos has been taking Hazel on these morning walks, which typically include breakfast at the fountain.  He's also trying to teach her to toss a penny in the fountain; she hasn't quite got it yet, but she enjoys it nonetheless.

At the fountain

Hazel and Amos

I'm in the midst of Christmas knitting, with about half done already.  No, probably more than half, but it's all the good half.  I don't know why, but I bought the yarn to make like 4 scarves for gifts, and now I'm dragging my feet, bored out of my mind with them.  I have 3 already on the dang needles, with a measly 4 inches or something scraggling along, and I just don't want to finish a one of them.  

On the road trip I ran out of things to knit.  I know, I was as shocked as you!  Fortunately there are a few awesome yarn shops in St. Louis, so I took this opportunity to knit something I've been wanting to for a while - the baby surprise jacket.  It's a pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman, who wrote all these amazingly awesome patterns back in the 50s and 60s that are so cool everyone still wants to make them.  I also bought the Knitter's Almanac, but that's another story. Anyway, I started this, ripped it out, started, ripped, then finally got it together and finished it up last Saturday.  It was like magic!  Anyone who's knitted this pattern knows what I mean; you basically knit this weirdly shaped rectangle, then fold it a certain way and there it is!  This will be a gift for Hazel this Christmas from me.  It should fit her right around then, a little over a year old.  I love it, and I'm going to definitely make another one soon!

Baby Surprise Jacket

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Baby Surprise Jacket

Right after Amos finished up with classes, right after my birthday and all my friends' birthdays and mama's graduation, right after all that, Amos & I loaded up Hazel for another family vacation.  We were gone for almost 3 whole weeks!  Sometimes I think we are certifiably insane.  We've been home since late Monday night, and I still feel shell-shocked from the whole affair.  

In her grandma's garden

Hazel and Nana

Thanks, everyone, for the sweet birthday wishes!  I had a great day yesterday - slept in a little, had a birthday breakfast, got all pretty and spent the day in Hamilton with Amos & Hazel, bought 2 gorgeous Christmas presents, then saw all the funnest people I know here when I got home.  It was sunny, 70 degrees, and beautiful!  Birthdays should be like that every year.

Like, bad.  So bad that I don't want to be inside for anything, ever.  That includes updating this blog, but last night I was gently reminded about not posting by my mother, who kindly said, "So you haven't updated your blog in a week.  Why?  Go put something on there."  So, mommalicious, here you go.

Hazel and Daddy just this morning.

That's right monkey, play my head