A Tiny Hat for a Tiny Head

I found a great pattern for a hat to fit a brand new baby (it's soooo tiny). So I knit one up (with a few modifications to the pattern of course) the other night when I was supposed to be folding laundry. So, our little one is certain to be the most stylish, fashion forward baby on the labor & delivery floor at USNH Yokosuka!

Miyajima and Monster Feet

Over the weekend, we went back to Miyajima. We visited back in August when we first arrived here, but it was so darn hot that we never got to go up Mt. Misen. So, this time, we took the ropeway up to the summit. It was a great day for it too! Not too hot or cold. While we were there, we had a local specialty called Okonomiyaki. It's a thin crepe-like dough with lots of cabbage, pork, egg, and special sauce on top. Tim got it with shrimp and squid. I got it with oyster which is abundant in our region. Bennet tasted squid and oyster! He seemed to like both of them!


After lunch, we walked around the market for awhile before we went up to the mountain. It was a gorgeous walk on the way to the ropeway. We of course had to stop to take pictures along the way!


Once we got to the top, we saw deer and monkeys all over the place. Bennet was very interested in all the animals running around! We walked around the summit for awhile, but poor Tim soon learned that pregnant women and three year olds are not the best hiking partners! On our way back to the ferry, Tim had squid on a stick, a popular street vendor food. Yum!


And on a completely unrelated note, I knit some monster feet booties for Squiddy!

I'm such a proud Mama!

In the past week, Bennet has started to show an aptitude for classic literature and knitting!! There couldn't be a prouder Mama!!

He sat on my lap the other day while I was knitting him a scarf (shhh, he doesn't know it's for him), so I put the knitting needles in his hand and laid mine on top. And we knit hand over hand for about 15 minutes, with little B staring intently the whole time. He enjoyed it so much, I found some yarn and needles from my stash for him and he's been walking around clicking the needles together and sticking them in the yarn!

For the last 3 evenings, I have been reading a chapter of Journey to the Center of the Earth before I tuck Bennet in for the night. I bought the real version of the book, not the watered down children's junk they sell. So I wasn't sure if he would be interested (I had to sound out a few of the geological terms), but he listened the whole time. Now here comes the cute part!! I found him in bed each of the last three nights, fast asleep, curled in a little ball, with the books in his arms!!! So, I guess he is enjoying it after all!!

What a smart and creative little person my baby is growing into!

Filling the void with crafting

Bennet goes to bed pretty early each night, which means that I am in an empty, very quiet, house all alone for a few hours. So, I've started crafting again. I finished a knitted x-back tank top a few days ago and did a knit dish scrubbie last night. Currently, I've got a pair of socks for Tim on my needles. I also have been researching organizational tips for small apartment living. This should come in handy in August when we move into an 800 sq foot apartment in Japan. So far, I have found a very cool way to get all of my spices into mason jars with magnets, so that All my spices are hanging on the side of my fridge instead of taking up space in my cupboards! I'm kind of proud of me!