The End Already?

Tomorrow is the first day of school. It's hard to believe, even though this was a longer-than-typical summer. Our legislature decided school shouldn't start until 1 week before Labor Day (rather than mid-August), but since the length of the school year is unchanged I have no idea what the benefit is. The cynic in me suggests it is a one-time shift in cash flow so that the state finances look a smidge better going into an election year. But I'm sure it really was about Childhood and Summer and Family Time Together, as our lawmakers suggested. Next summer break will be 10 weeks, just like before, only starting in mid-June.


The boys were on a Boy Scout camp out this weekend, and came home tired and cranky today. E and his best friend had a 3rd boy in their tent who ignored their request to put his bag of M&M's in the chuck box. E retains a bit of his raccoon phobia, but he how has another reason for No Food in The Tent: ants. E came home with 4 or 5 pimply fire ant bites on his face.



While the boys were away, M and I decided to go to a semi-fancy (not kid oriented) restaurant with K in tow. It was almost like going on a real date. While we waited for our order, she read a book and we enjoyed adult conversation. She spoke politely to the waiter, used her flatware appropriately, and kept her napkin in her lap. How wonderful to have proof that we aren't, after all, incapable of teaching children good manners.


I took advantage of the quiet weekend to catch up on housework and to crank out some knitting. At long last, I have finished the front of Josephine:

And holding it up to my front, I believe it will fit as I wanted -- draw cord below my bust, neckline saucy but wearable without an undershirt.

I had been worried that my gage had become erratic, but it looks OK here, even without blocking:

I also frogged the back down to just below the old armhole shaping, and am now in the process of adding some length to match the revised dimensions I used for the front. It's going much faster than I expected, thank goodness. Maybe I'll be able to wear this before it turns cool after all.