And on our best behavior…

Jake, Kathy, Isaac (17 mo)

Suzie (6), Rachel (11), Ellie (7), Ruthie (9)

The idea came from Ravelry, but I needed to modify the pattern because the first attempt was too small and I didn’t care for the shape of the hat.

So, due to the still-falling economy, Jake found himself once again without a job after this past school year.  His job as an instructional coach (helping to coach teachers) had been funded by Federal Stimulus money, and all had assumed that the district would be able to fund the position themselves after two years or that Jake would simply be able to just switch into a teaching job at the district.  Well, with the economy in the state it is in, the district was actually cutting teaching jobs, so there was no continuing Jake’s job and no teaching job for Jake to move into.  Also, districts all over Ohio had to cut jobs, so the pickings were slim as Jake looked to move into another district.  After a summer of looking fervently, we entered the new school year with no job and no income.

Time to quickly implement Plan B…

Jake applied at Outback Steakhouse and was hired.  He also applied to sub in a couple of nearby districts.  And that is where we have been for the past couple of months.  Jake is learning the ropes of serving at Outback, and he enjoys his job.  He works two or three nights a week.  In addition, he has been subbing about 4 days a week, mostly for Akron Public Schools.

In the past couple of weeks, we have had a bit of a change for the better – not huge, but certainly better.

Jake makes it a point to talk to every principal when he subs.  While subbing at one school about a month ago, the principal told Jake that he was preparing to interview teachers for a tutoring job (tutoring small groups of low-income children).  He asked if Jake would please apply.

Jake got the job!  He is now at one school in Akron, tutoring 3rd-5th graders 4 days a week.  It is an hourly position, but it pays more than subbing, and Jake doesn’t have to worry about whether he will be working Mon.-Thurs.  He can even sub on Fridays (last Friday he was an art teacher).   And the hope is that this tutoring position will lead to a teaching job in the future.

So that is where we are now – Jake is tutoring four days a week, subbing one day a week (hopefully), and working at Outback 2-3 nights a week.  We are so thankful for God’s provision!

Thank you, Honey, for working so hard to provide for the family.  God is blessing your efforts.  I love you!

I can still hardly believe we have a baby boy!

Well, after Rachel and Ruthie got their dolls, we went to buy Ellie’s (they actually buy them with birthday money).  The store where we went had closed the “nursery” where the babies were sold. However, they had just closed the nursery a couple of days before, so Ellie was still able to get a doll (and even the doll she had been “dreaming” of).  For that, we were very thankful to God.  Isn’t He so kind?

But where would we get a doll for Suzie?  We were actually going to go to the actual factory/museum/shops this summer, which is just a few hours from home, but they had actually closed their shops.  Oh, this economy!!

So where is one to turn?  EBAY!

So now I introduce to you Dorothy Mae, Suzie’s little girl!  Suzie says, “She is very, very cute, and I love her!)

It was so fun to be able to give her the baby!  She had seen a picture, but she of course did not understand that I could buy her from the computer.  She truly thought that she would never get a baby because the store had closed.  Little did she know that Mommy had bought the doll (with her birthday money – was that kind of me to spend her money without her knowledge??).  So we were able to give her the baby on her birthday, and she was the happiest girl on earth!  Oh, her face when she realized what I was carrying!

We still need to do the adoption ceremony.  Maybe today…

Ruthie’s 9th birthday.  She wanted a ballet cake, since as she says, ‘I cannot stop dancing.”  We think it was a chocolate cake!

Rachel’s 11th birthday.  I love this girl!  She loves fruit, so she chose a peach dessert rather than a cake.  It was delicious – a crust of pecan sandies crumbs, a cream cheese layer, and then peaches covered in a peach jello syrup.  (And sometimes it is nice to have a break from coming up with a cake-decorating idea!)

Suzie’s 6th birthday.   Her request – blueberry cake with dragonflies on it.  I made the dragonflies by cutting out a stencil and filling the stencil with colored sprinkles.

I think they will look much better filled with goodies!!

For knitters who may be interested in details, the pattern called for knitting flat and seaming up the back.  I do not like the thought of seaming (is that a knitting term?  In any case, you know what I mean), so I chose to knit in the round.  It meant modifying the pattern a bit, so I relied heavily on another stocking pattern when it came time to do the heel and toe.  It took me a while to understand what I was doing and how the heel would come together, but I found that as I followed the pattern, the stocking amazingly took shape!

Now I know how to make socks!  Does anyone really make socks?  Anyone have a good pattern??