The good one ;0)

We were sitting on the bottom step together yesterday, hurrying to put our shoes on so we wouldn't miss daddy's train when Julian totally blew me away. This two year old of mine was doing up the velcro on his runners and said, "mommy, I put on my left shoe". And it was! So I asked him what his other foot was? "The good one," he replied. "You mean, the right one?" I asked. "No mommy, it's the good one!"

Stephen was on vacation last week so we were busy little bees, soaking in the sun, visiting the sites and of course running some errands! We took the boys to the Montreal Biodome with grandma and grandpa and it was a lots of fun. Julian got to see penguins, and porcupines, and a moose, and a cougar, and giant jungle birds, and even an alligator! He was very impressed. Logan on the other hand was most smitten with the fish. I was carrying him in the bjorn and could literally feel his breathing patterns change as the aquariums soothed him. Magic!

We also got to do something a little strange...we went to a Stanley Cup parade in our little suburban town! The goaltender for the Ducks is from our little town and brought the celebrated cup over for an impromptu Monday afternoon parade.

It was strange to go for a neighbourhood walk in the deeps of suburbia to participate in a Stanley cup parade when our home team didn't even make the playoffs! It was great fun nonetheless. Giguere (the hometown hero) rode on an old fashioned fire engine with the cup, preceded by the local kiddy teams and followed by what seemed like all the kids in town on their bikes cheering and waving. It was a really cool suburban moment.

Julian was trying really hard to keep up with the parade on his little tricycle. He was so focused and determined, trying to go really really fast... despite his best efforts though, he was the very last kid in the parade. Here he is being tailed by the police escort. So cute ;0)


I did get a little knitting done, too. I started knitting a trellis of my own for Lolo and honestly it's such a fabulous little quick knit that I really don't know why I didn't knit it before. I've got half a front and sleeves left to go before I can consider this one an FO. I just hope it fits Lolo when it's done... I knit the 6 month size but it looks a little small.


The story of the week though...Buddy Bags! The response has been so heart-warming. Knitters are so wonderful ;0) For those of you who have purchased a pattern, you may want to go download it again using the same link you were sent. A few knitters send some minor errata which I have reflected in a new update (any new buyers will receive the revised file).

Here's the errata:

• The row numbers in the 'Birdy wing' section should be even-numbered starting with row 2...(all odd-numbered rows should be as indicated in row 1) - thanks Renee!
• In the basket instructions, Row 20 should read (P5, K3) - thanks Jessica and Renee!
• I added needle size info throughout to make it clearer
• I added a note up front about how the pattern is for your personal use only and should not be sold or distributed. I also ask that you not sell any Buddy Bags you make, though you can knit and give away as many as you like ;0)

Next time, some Q&A for anyone interested in self-publishing a pattern. I'll share my research and experiences with software and online tools...

Happy knitting!

Jazzy good time!

Daddy had the day off yesterday in honour of Canada Day (which technically was on Sunday, yay Canada!) so we packed the kids and drove into the city to partake in Montreal International Jazz Festival fun! It's our favourite of the gazillion festivals in these parts and it was really cool to introduce our little ones to our favourite sites and sounds...

Julian had a blast. Lolo enjoyed the stroll. And Stephen and I reminisced about our festival dates over the past 10 years. It's such a wonderful event. It was our first time with a toddler and we were so impressed with just how many activites there were for wee ones. From face painting to art class (making musical instruments) and a huge parc with music themed slides and activites... heck there was even a fruit stand for snack time!

Of course there were the usual great bands and friendly people. And the best hot dogs in town! We met a lovely retired couple on vacation from Virginia and practically convinced them to move here. We even passed along some real estate sites so they can continue to scheme. It started to rain so we covered the stroller and made a run for our car. It's a two week long festival and we'll definately try to go again before it wraps up to catch some more tunes. Such fun ;0)

I also got a bunch of knitting in while watching movies with my honey. One of my little neighbourettes turned 4 this weekend and I wanted to knit her a little something. I flipped through my knitting library and didn't find anything suitable so gave it some serious thought and came up a super easy and super cute little something something (sneak preview above). Stay tuned for the grand unveiling and details on how to get the pattern later this week.

Can't wait to see what you think ;0)