Me? A designer?

[For those of you who can't read her shirt, it says "would somebody please teach me to knit?"]

I just completed my second original design, and here is my test knitter (don't I wish). It's going to be a little cardigan sweater w/ patch pockets that I'm hoping to figure out in time for Sydney to wear to school. I'm going to try submitting it to a magazine as well, if I can find any with the right deadlines. I really would like to become a published designer, although I don't think my husband is too thrilled about the amount of time it takes (I worked on the cardigan design for about 8 hours yesterday, and I only got one size done and the gauge needs to be readjusted). I have no desire to go back to the corporate world once the kids are in school, so I'm trying to figure out how to make my knitting pay at least a little bit.

In non-knitting news, this was the weekend of picnics, picnics, picnics! First we had Bill's company picnic on Friday afternoon. It was hot and the food was okay but not spectacular, but the best part was the big inflatable toys they had for the kids. It was the first time that Sydney was big and brave enough to really go nuts in the bouncy house, and go nuts she did! I forgot my camera, which I was really sad about because in this case, a picture really would be worth a thousand words. The girl who has been terrified of going down even short slides by herself was climbing up to the top of the 2-story inflatable slide (by herself) and sliding down like a little daredevil. It was so much fun to watch - watch being the key word! It was nice to not have to go with her for once. We got another parent's report on the slide experience, and it ended up with a giant wedgie. The only bad thing was that Sydney wanted us to "MOMMY, WATCH! MOMMY, WATCH!" the entire time she was jumping. No adult conversation for mommy or I'd have a hysterical toddler on my hands (and other parents, thinking she was hurt, looking at me and wondering why I wasn't rushing to her aid).

Yesterday we had a lovely family picnic with a bunch of our playgroup families. The weather wasn't too hot (for once) and the picnic shelter we rented was right next to a gigantic play structure and sandbox. Sydney again was pretty fearless on the slides and actually ate a fried chicken drumstick for lunch in addition to her Teddy Grahams. I was feeling like the worst mom in the world as the other kids sat down and ate, without complaint, things like fruit, veggies and pasta salad. One of the little boys kept trying to offer Sydney a rasberry, to which she screamed "NO, NO, NO, DON'T WANT IT! MOOOOOMMMMEEEEE!" This, of course, only egged him on...

Since I don't have any knitting pics for you today, I'll leave you with the reverse side of the first picture. Where did she get those curls? Good thing she got her chin dimple from my husband, or he'd think she was the milkman's kid.