Swim Mom Knits

Moving

2007-05-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally did it. I am moving to typepad. Come see my new home, a work in progress.

New home of Swim Mom Knits

2007-05-01T14:59:00.000-05:00

Where did Monday go? Thanks to two big deadlines and a procrastinating bossman, Monday disappeared before I really even knew it began. Luckily, I knew he was putting off what had to be done so I was prepared for a little overtime and a very busy day. With the weather so nice, my evening was almost entirely spent outside with the boys.

Saturday, Nate and I played. We jumped on the trampoline, played frisbee and all kinds of ball and went for a bike ride. Then Ben and Shane got home from swim team. We played some more. Shane's friend James came over that night. I escaped to my room and knitted while they did guy talk. Sunday they got up early and took Ben fishing at my grandparents. Nate was so upset that they went fishing and he didn't get to go. So, I loaded him up and we went fishing. We only managed to catch one fish (didn't get a whole lot of bites either) even though we fished for over three hours. Ben of course caught the most fish, I have never seen anyone as lucky as him. Once when he was a toddler, he put the hook in with no bait and still caught a fish in less than a minute. Anyways, I was hungry so I bribed Nate with food to get him to leave (it works so much easier if he thinks it is his idea) and we went back to the house while the rest of the boys fished more. Then more playing outside.

Once the boys got back, Shane loaded Nate up for swim team and left Ben and I at the house. Ben wanted to go on a bike ride, so I agreed. Mistake two of the day. (The first being a lack of sunscreen, I get bad rashes from the sun, so my legs are big rashy messes). My bike still had flat tires so this was my second ride on Ben's bike. My ass is bruised like you couldn't believe. It hurts to sit on my nice comfy office chair. Plus with the fibro, I have barely been able to walk. It is hard to play outside with your kids when you don't want to move because it hurts. (Okay that is all with the whiny). Yesterday, Ben and I went on a bike ride (he loves to ride his bike and we don't allow him to cross the highway without us, that and he doesn't really get to ride that many days with his swim schedule) but Shane had aired back up my bike tires. Much better. I love my granny bike.

I nearly finished my scarf while watching Heroes last night. How can there possibly only be three episodes left? I feel a little shortchanged on that but anyways. The scarf is the multidirectional noro scarf. I gotta say that the Noro is endlessly fascinating for me. I was a little concerned because it feels mighty scratchy to me but I don't have a whole lot of issues with it and I love watching the colors change. This scarf will likely go into my gift stash which became surprisingly empty after Christmas last year.

The dinosaurs are from a pattern on the X-treme knitting website. The patterns look pretty easy, if I ever start them. I decided this would be my break from the clapotis which I haven't touched in 5 days. Tonight I may have to start back on it. I also plan to block Nate's scarf and the silk scarf if it rains. If it doesn't, well I will probably be outside getting even redder.

Fun with Lights

2007-04-27T14:44:00.000-05:00

Nate and I spent our evening together last night. We played board games and then Nate asked to play with the Lite-Brite. I agreed that would be okay. So he got it out. He would pick the color and I would punch the holes. Then he would put the pegs in until he was done with a color (he wanted to do a pre-printed sheet). He was so excited the whole time. I was able to knit some in between my duties. We also watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Nate deemed it good music and said he liked the movie. (Of course, he likes Barney so his taste is somewhat suspect). He was so excited when he finished that we had to take a picture.

We tried a self-portrait but apparently I am not very good at taking them. So this was the best we got.

I did give in and go to the LYS after work. I was going to get some cotton yarn for Nate. He wants dinosaurs. I got him purple, brown and green. They will be the ugliest dinosaurs. We wound the purple last night.

I also gave in and got three balls of Noro Kureyeon. (It has more blue and green than the photo would suggest) I am making a scarf with short rows (I don't know the actual pattern). This will go into the Christmas pile for next year. The final expenditure was the book. I had this on my wish list, but couldn't resist when I saw it in person. So many patterns that I would actually make (not that I will ever get around to them but hey I like books). It was a nice little trip and I felt much better after the evening with new yarn. This feels like a pay ahead for the overtime I will likely be working this weekend.

Bike Rides

2007-04-26T15:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Ben finally got his final present for his divisional times. Pokemon Pearl. He got up a half an hour early this morning so he could play before school. Nothing like a video game to motivate him. It has been all Pokemon all the time since they announced the new games. Best yet he and his dad can battle each other.

Tuesday, I went on a bike ride with the boys. Bad for me -- my bike had flat tires so I had to ride the bike Ben got for Christmas (which is to big for him). My bike has a nice cushy fat butt seat. Ben's has a little hard seat. So besides hurting from the exercise, I was hurting from that little bitty seat. On the plus side, Nate has finally gotten fast enough on his little bike that we could ride without to much trouble. I hope we can get him off training wheels this summer. He really needs a slightly bigger bike (which we have in the garage. You know, second kid gets all the hand-me-downs).

We also played some badminton. Which mainly consisted of me chasing the birdie after Ben had hit it. Nate tried to make it even more interested by throwing footballs and baseballs to me while I was playing with Ben. This was why we ended up on a bike ride.

It has been over three weeks since I was last in the LYS and I am really feeling the itch to go. Not that I need anymore yarn or anything else really. Of course, what does need have to do with it? I did start looking at patterns for the Cashsoft I bought last fall. I have four balls in a deep red. I think I want a really pretty scarf, this is for me, any suggestions?

Nate and I were looking at patterns last night and he told me he wanted one of every pattern he found in the book we were looking at. He was somewhat disappointed when I told him that wasn't something I would do for him. He got all snugly with me when I got home (girls' night out). We won't have to many more years left before my snuggle level will go way down.

Rambling

2007-04-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

I spent the evening cleaning. First I had to shovel out my car. Talk about gross. The boys had spilled all kinds of snacks in the back. I am surprised the vacuum didn't give up in protest. Seriously, there was goldfish, trailmix, nerds and I am afraid to know what else. I took everything out of the car and a bag of trash (mostly from the back). Then wiped down the inside and vacuumed. Nate even helped me for a bit. Now I just need to wash the outside. I keep putting it off because there is rain in the forecast. Plus I park under a maple tree. Which of course means every morning there is sap all over my car.

After the car, I cooked supper. Stunned my husband since I don't cook real meals very often. This has more to do with a serious lack of desire to cook more than a lack of talent (although we could have a lengthy discussion about my kitchen disasters, they are legendary in my family). Then I had to fold the laundry that Shane washed for me while I was sick but of course he didn't fold it (that's okay because I don't touch the dishes). I had asked him to mop the floor in the kitchen, but realized he wasn't going to do it until I was ready to sleep so I started it. Why do people do that? By the time I am doing something myself after I asked Shane to do it, he should just stand back and let me finish because I am ticked. Anyways, I switched to cleaning up the living room and vacuuming the floors. White carpets + black puppy = disgusting carpets. Good thing he is so cute.

I spent my tv time knitting my square which I am getting gauge on but is turning out much smaller than it is supposed to. I guess I will see how it turns out. But I am terribly lame with no pictures of knitting content. I will distract you with photos of Nate in his dress clothes.

That is Nate's camera. I think all the kids at the wedding took pictures with it at some point during the wedding. Mostly, I had picture of various family member's nose hairs, the floors and ceilings. I ended up taking some pictures on it. I really need to invest in a new camera.

Nate came into my room this morning after Shane had left but apparently didn't see me in bed. I heard him crying in his room. He was upset because Daddy wasn't there and he didn't know where I was. Poor guy just doesn't wake up very easy. He came in a slept with me for the rest of our morning.

Sleepover Success

2007-04-23T15:22:00.000-05:00

Ben's first sleepover was a complete success. He had a great time and came home exhausted. Then he got to go to swim practice. He slept on the way to grandma's that night. Unfortunately, I left work Friday with a huge migraine which did not leave me alone until Saturday. Shane took care of the boys both days without a whole lot of help from me. After he dropped the boys of at my mom's he went to hear his cousin's band while I sat at home with the dog. I couldn't even knit I felt so bad. I did manage to watch a couple of B rated flicks on my cable until it died in the middle of the second movie (which was definately not worth watching second time).

Sunday, we met my parents at my Great-Aunt's house to get the boys. They were having a little lunch to celebrate my Aunt moving to her new house and starting her new job in a whole different town. Nate was playing with my Great-Aunt's husband, G. G is easily 85 (maybe more, I haven't ever asked). Nate and G would play and then G would come in and nap for 20 minutes and then they would go back out and take a walk and then nap. It was incredibly amusing. The funniest was watching them play hide and seek. Even their neighbors watched that. During naptimes, Nate entertained all the rest of the adults.

Hopefully, I will have some knitting to show soon. I have a mitered square mostly finished and still need to block my silk scarf. I am thinking tonight will be cleaning the car and rummage sale work since I missed out on that this weekend.

First Sleepover

2007-04-19T15:27:00.000-05:00

Ben has his first with friend sleepover scheduled for tomorrow. He stays with relatives all the time, but this will be the first time with a friend. He is so excited he talks about it constantly.

Last night, I brought home some poster paints for the boys. Nate had been painting with watercolors, but they just don't give the pretty colors very easily. He must have painted six pictures last night. The final one, which he gave to the sitter, was a tornado about to eat flowers. I think he was trying to mimic a painting Ben was making with a pond and flowers, but when he described the picture he decided it was a tornado. I should have bought two sets of paint though. Ben is constantly complaining because Nate mixes the colors when he doesn't get his brush clean (which is pretty much every time he switches colors) and while I think they can get along okay with one set, I am pretty much with Ben on this one. It would irritate me terribly to have my paints mixed when I don't want them to be.

I picked up Ben's sweater again last night. I had worked on the Clapotis for around an hour and needed a break. It's a little dull and I am switching between two balls because the colors were so different. I am half-way done with Ben's second sleeve, then I will have the seaming and hood to do. I hope it will still fit next year. Sometime this weekend, I am going to weave the ends in on the silk scarf, wash it and block it on my new blocking board. It has been patiently waiting for some use (although Nate claims it is a gameboard).

I was hiding my head in the sand.

2007-04-18T13:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was hiding my head in the dirt. When really bad things happen in the world, I have to just shut down for awhile and regroup. In this particular case, that meant tuning out of all media coverage. So I stuck my head into the ground and pretended it wasn't happening. This involved mindless DVDs and playing Dora dominos.

My free time was nice. (There are always advantages to letting my husband have his fun time. Guilt- his anyways, I don't ask for this when I always leads to mommy time.) I read some, did some laundry and napped. When the boys got home, Nate had to tell me all about what they did. Ben wanted to leave to play with his friends.

I have been working on my mom's clapotis. I have a month and a half to finish it. This may require more will power than I typically manage in staying with one project. I am nearly done with the increase section which has always been a little boring for me.

Last, it turns out that I am allergic to the chemical in the mothproofing of the yarn. So, I have two skeins of Lamb's Pride Bulky, one orange (slightly used I started a hat and frogged it) and one teal. I would love to give these to someone who could make charity projects out of them. I originally bought them with the intention of making Dulaan projects, but if you have a charity you knit for that works for me to. If you want 'em, just leave a comment. First commenter who wants them, gets them.

Weekend Away

2007-04-16T15:06:00.000-05:00

The lack of posting on Friday was thanks to the nice bossman who allowed me to go home an hour early to that I could travel to the otherside of the state for a wedding. I hadn't bothered to check and see how far it was to this particular town and was a little stunned to realize it would take at least 4 hours to get there. So we decided to go early (I didn't want to run into bad weather on the way to the wedding the next day).

The wedding was nice. My husband's family is catholic some more so than others. This particular couple did the full-blown catholic ceremony. Nate asked when it would be over very loudly at one point. Thankfully they are the type that understand kids so it was laughed about.

Everyone proceeded to the reception where my husband and a goodly number of his relatives got completely silly (way to much alcohol). But there was a band and good dancing. The boys went back to the hotel with some relatives so that they could swim with their cousins. I went back to pick them and my nieces up for the night so that my husband and SIL/BIL could go to the bars with a group of already drunk people. (like I wanted to walk to the bars at 11:30 in my dress and heels. I was perfectly happy going to get the kids. Although getting to sleep was another story). Then one of the groomsmen was so drunk that he walked out of the bar without informing anyone (apparently he wanders when drunk) so there was a frantic search culminating with me being woken up at 2 in the morning. (And really out of all the family at the hotel mine would likely have been the last room he would have come to. So why the drunks all thought I would know if he was back is beyond me). He arrived at the hotel, apparently he walked from the bar to the hotel and all was right with the world so I went back to sleep.

The next morning I got to enjoy all the rather hungover people at breakfast. There is nothing better than being clear headed around a bunch of people who imbibed to much. Unfortunately, the boys were exhausted and Nate had a meltdown before we left. He wanted to live at the hotel. I think I would be willing to do that except for the cost. All three boys were beyond cranky yesterday and I was glad to be home.

Tonight as payment for my labors (dealing with the drunk, tired and cranky) I get alone time while the boys go out to eat.

In which I must face reality

2007-04-12T15:11:00.000-05:00

I had my checkup with the rheumatologist on Monday of this week. Unfortunately, this brought me a horrible reality check. You see, they weigh me every time I go. Typically this is the only time I am weighed since I don't keep a scale in my house. I also have no full length mirrors so I can completely lie to myself. Anyways, Monday I realized just how much damage I have done to my weight by drinking soda and not sticking to my diet. How much -- 10 pounds in four months. There was no getting around the weight gain. My brother is getting married in two months, I will have to get a grip on my diet by then.

I also have a wedding to attend this weekend and had to go shopping for a new dress (all the cute ones I bought last year are to small). I hate shopping when I feel fat. But I did it anyways. I found some really cute dresses and one even followed me home. I found one I would have loved last summer (when I weight 15 pounds less than now) but just didn't care for it with how I look now.

Ben is still doing fine. He goes to his swim practice tonight. He is looking forward to this immensely. In fact he is willingly doing two practices. I think I will be glad to go back to four days a week.

Blogger, Ben and Pics

2007-04-10T14:06:00.000-05:00

I think I will have to add to the cacophony of voices sounding off in disgust at the new blogger. It is terribly irritating.

Anyways, my mom informed me on Sunday that if her clapotis would be done in time she would like to wear it to my brother's wedding. No pressure there. I of course told her it would be done. I have since frogged the previous attempt, rewound all the yarn (so I can alternate the skeins and keep the color difference from being as noticable) and washed the yarn I had to rip. I did manage to get it restarted but I hardly think the first ten rows counts as much progress. I also want to finish my silk scarf/wrap. I was hoping to wear it this weekend, but I think it will be way to cold for any of my dresses (which are all sleeveless) with a silk wrap. So it may get saved for the brother's wedding (I'm am not in the wedding party, thank goodness).

Thanks for all the well wishes for Ben. The doctors believe that this episode is likely unrelated to the previous seizure and more from lack of oxygen after his fall. I am not sure if this makes me feel much better since he fall was really just your basic slip & fall, it could happen any time (he is not the most graceful of kids -- well outside the water anyways). He kept his hospital ID on until today so that he could prove he was in the hospital. I am guessing some of the kids in his class are big liars.

Now for some pictures. Nate and Ben finding eggs. Ben was instructed to look for the "hard" ones. I ended up having to give him clues for the final two.

Grandma and the boys.

As you can see, our backyard is a huge mess. The mound of dirt is from when we dug out for the pool. Shane hasn't wanted to get rid of it all because he has hopes of being able to put in a culvert in our front ditch. But since this pile has been there for two years, I think it is time to get rid of it.

Test

2007-04-10T11:12:00.000-05:00

Okay I'm testing out some of the changes. If someone would comment and let me know how everything looks and if I am able to email back, I would be a happy girl. Thanks!

More medical fun

2007-04-09T14:25:00.000-05:00

So the weekend started out nice enough. We were all home on Friday and cleaned house. I got my haircut and Ben and I bought groceries. Saturday, I got a nap and cleaned more. Sunday, we were all prepared for company and I was starting the potatoes for lunch when it happened. Ben came into the kitchen and fell. Shane helped him up but he couldn't breath. Then his eyes rolled back and he started to have a seizure. Fun all around. We had the ambulance there and the guests started arriving. By this time, Ben had come to and was joking around with the EMTs (one of whom is his best friend's dad). But we still had to go get him checked so I got to ride in the ambulance to the hospital and spend some time knitting while he had his tests done. (This is his second seizure, but he doesn't have a seizure disorder.) Ben and I got home after everyone had eaten. He is doing fine but I am sure we will get to visit the neurologist again.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see my nephew hunt easter eggs although I did get to watch my boys. Pictures soon.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-05T15:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! I won't be posting tomorrow since I get the day off. Thanks for all the well wishes for our anniversary. I am going to attempt some changes to get the comments to work properly, so if anything doesn't appear to be working properly, let me know.

BTW we play all kinds of pinochle but my favorite is racehorse. Six players and you pass cards around the table. I learned when I was really little so I don't remember to much of the learning process, but my husband still isn't confident enough to play with my family. I usually get roped into playing at his side to because so few of them know how to play. At least it is less bloodthirsty than my mom's family.

Wedding Anniversary

2007-04-04T15:31:00.000-05:00

Today is my anniversary. Best yet, I actually remembered and wished my husband a happy anniversary before he did. This is a best record for us. Neither of us tends to remember on the actual day although we usually go out to dinner around the date. 9 years ago today, Shane and I were in Vegas getting married at the chapel of the divorced stars. (They advertised by saying they were the chapel of the stars, but every last couple they named were divorced. Didn't exactly indicate a good success rate. Shortly after we married there, Billie Bob and Angelina Jolie married there. Scary, huh?)

I have exactly one picture from our wedding day. This was not due to lack of pictures being taken. I left my camera in the cab and of course it was never found again. I had two aunts and two cousins fly to Vegas for our wedding. Their camera ended up with the film exposed. I didn't think I got any pictures. (I did have the video) My Aunt surpised me at Christmas and gave me the one photo to survive of me and Shane at the gazebo outside the chapel.

Shane had never wanted to marry and when we were dating I certainly never imagined our relationship would be long term (well, until he got me pregnant). But here we are nine years, two kids, one dog and a house later and still in love.

Love you Shane.

2007-04-03T14:13:00.000-05:00

My mom time was wonderful on Friday. I ate dilly bars for supper (I rarely do this because I get hungry to quick, but I wasn't really hungry for supper so I chose to be a little bad). Then I read and watched some tv. Shane had shampooed the carpets, so there wasn't a whole lot of choices in what I could do. I couldn't get to the stash but I still haven't been knitting much. Saturday, Shane finished the carpets and I mostly stayed out of his way, not so easy to do in a cracker jacks box house. My brother and his fiance flaked on us as we figured they would so we went with Plan B celebrating our anniversary with dinner at the fancy Italian/French place. Shane hadn't ever eaten there but I had for work. We had risotto. Shane had steak au poivre and I had tilapia with a crab sauce. It was so delicious. Then Shane finished with bananas foster. We were going to go to the movies, but we had gotten such a later start and of course in a restaurant like we went to time moves very slowly so we bailed. We stopped at the book store (again) and went home.

Then we watched The Prestige. I was sadly disappointed in this movie. I wanted to enjoy it because I love Michael Caine and Hugh Jackman but I just couldn't. When it was over I was just irritated.

Sunday we went to my Aunt's to get the boys and have some lunch. I ended up playing pinocchle (in my family if they need you to play, you play). It went pretty well and my team won, which rarely happens. Then we took Nate to his first swim practice. He was so funny. The coach used him to demonstrate with while at the side of the pool. Everytime they moved to the next task Nate was always the last in line since he never pays attention to what he is told. But he was so polite and always raised his hand to ask permission to get back in the water (they only allow one per coach in the water at a time at this age group. to many of them can't swim).
He didn't want to get out when practice was over.

Ben was so ancy to be able to swim that he chose to swim wearing his regular swim trunks, no earplugs and pink goggles he borrowed from the coach. Apparently 1 1/2 weeks is his limit without being in the water. The coach had Ben demonstrate the proper technique for the kickboard to the little ones. He was so proud.

Yesterday, my copy of the new Yarn Harlot book came to my house. I had completely forgotten that I ordered it. I haven't started it yet since I was in the middle of another book.

I did start a hatfor the movie on Saturday night. It is Lamb's Pride Bulky in a bright orange color. I think I am allergic to the mothproofing. Anybody know if this would be aided with washing the yarn? The last yarn that I was allergic to wasn't helped by washing it which made me really sad since the scarf was for me.

It's officially mom time

2007-03-30T15:07:00.000-05:00

The kids will be off visiting relatives by the time I get home so it will be officially mom time. I will have most of the evening to read or watch kid inappropriate tv and to eat ice cream for dinner. Shane won't even be home until late since he is dropping the kids off at various relatives. This is one of those times I am really glad we moved back closer to the family. We are supposed to go to dinner with my brother and his fiance on Saturday which will be a first for us. If not, Shane and I plan on eating out and seeing a movie. (I will see a movie before the end of April!)

I found out last night that my Aunt (my Dad's middle sister) was in the hospital for chest pain! Last time the family copies each other medically was colon cancer (aunt, cousin and grandma) so I could do without a repeat of that. She is fine at the moment but will have more tests. On the plus side, she works at the hospital so she gets extra good care.

I really haven't been knitting much. I really have been reading way to much. I think I have finished 8-9 books in the past two weeks. I have three to go before I finish all the ones I purchased from the bookstore the last time. I need to go to the local library and get books there. I used to go to the library all the time when I was younger, but got in the habit of buying books about 15 years ago. Since I reread a goodly number of books, this never bothered me much. Plus the books get passed around the family (usually between 3 and 7 people read them). But this last grouping aren't books most of the family will be likely to read and really aren't the sort I will be rereading (Kay Hooper -- Bishop Crime Series for the curious) since to me mysteries lose their enjoyment when you know all the secrets (and for the record she is pretty good at keeping you guessing, I have probably only figured out about 2/3 of her which is a decent record for me. I always figure them out. It is one of the reasons I don't read a lot of mysteries).

My plan is to go through the WIP basket this weekend. I am hoping for some inspiration. Plus I am getting startitis and I really have enough projects started that I shouldn't cast on for anything else. Unless of course I go to the movies, I will have to cast on a hat to take with me. Hats are my favorite movie knitting. If the movie is just the right length I will be ready for decreases by the end and it keeps me from snacking during and therefore getting up to use the restroom in the middle of a movie. How is it that I can sit through a three hour movie at home without getting up, but put me in a theater and I can't make it through a 90 minute movie?

My evening of hunting

2007-03-29T15:18:00.000-05:00

I am having one of those days. The ones where everything is emotional and everything seems to take twice as long to get done. Plus, my throat hurts and I am hoping against hope that my boss didn't infect me when he came to get tissues (which sit right in front of me on tope of the shelf above my computer).

So two nights ago I am sitting on my bed knitting (of course) and watching tv when I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. It was a huge spider! I mean seriously like the size of a half dollar. Now I am a fan of spiders out in the world, but in my house not so much. So I didn't try to go get the camera to get a picture of this huge spider, but I did attempt to squish it. I failed miserably and the creepy thing got away. I spent the next ten minutes huddling on my bed furtively watching the spot where it had been like it was going to miraculously reappear there and not directly on me. It completely threw me off for the whole night. I just kept waiting and waiting for it to climb onto the bed. Finally, I decided it wasn't going to come back out but was going to nest in my stash of yarn so that I might find baby giant spiders in the future. So I got up and went to turn of the tv (I never do this, that is what a remote is for) and there it was on the floor by the wall. I crept up with the nearest book (I have lots of books so there is usually one handy although I really don't like squishing the insides of bugs onto my books. But in the case of huge a** spiders, sacrifices must be made.) and squished the living daylights out of the spider. Then I went to sleep, the hunter in me satisfied that the hunted wouldn't be crawling all over me while I slept.

Nothing at all

2007-03-28T15:47:00.000-05:00

There is nothing happening here, not that I am complaining to much. Bossman is getting ready to go on vacation for a week so I have been super busy at work which doesn't leave much time for blogging.

The boys and I played outside last night and I ended up with a rash again. Sometimes I really hate that I am sensitive to sunlight. Nate suffered another meltdown last night. I will be glad when he gets over this round of meltdowns. Both boys are ready for summer swim team. Ben will miss his first practice. He is going to spend a night with his Aunt, by himself and one with his Grandma. This hasn't happened in ages. Nate is spending it with his Great Aunt. So Shane and I will have the whole weekend to ourselves. Dinner together without kids. Then much cleaning and yard work (at least for him).

My UFO for this month -- my mom's clapotis. I must frog it.

High Point

2007-03-27T15:40:00.000-05:00

Ben got the award for High Point Earner in his age group! He was so excited and stunned. Otherwise, we have nothing to report.

Kadiddly, I have no email address for you and didn't see one on your blog, but feel free to add me to your blogroll.

Motorcycle Fun

2007-03-26T14:53:00.000-05:00

We had a very busy weekend. Friday night, I started with that trip to the LYS. First thing the owner says to me is look at the yarn on the table. Brand new 100% silk Claudia's Handpainted. Yummy! I managed to resist temptation, well that temptation at least. I can resist that $40+ plop on one skein pretty well (I eyed the other silk yarn I have for 2 years before buying it. But I still have the sea silk I got at christmas so wasn't overly tempted, yet). What did get me was the brand new Namaste bags she had in. I fell for the needle bag. I got the dark brown/teal combo. The only way this bag would be better is if it came in black (at least for me). I immediately put all my needles into it. Although, I did have to order some more circular pouches and a couple more straight needle pouches. Shane didn't even complain about my purchase.

Saturday, we went to my cousins for a house warming party. The boys charmed all of the girls there and ended up going home with the grandparents. Sunday we went to the grandparents to help my Dad tear out the bathroom. (He is doing very well, thanks for all the thoughts.)

My brother and his fiance came over on their motorcycle so Nate got to take his first ride of the year. My Dad had to dig out his little guy helmet. I managed to get a pretty decent video of him riding. He was confident enough on the back as they were pulling in the drive to wave.

I on the other hand wasn't treated so gently when my brother took me for a ride. Many years ago I used to have my own motorcycle, but after having the boys I sold it since I really couldn't use it. I usually have my Dad take me for a ride at least once a year. I had the baby brother take me this time. I hadn't ridden on this motorcycle before (it's his fiance's and they just got it last year). I gotta tell your it was the most uncomfortable bike to ride as a passenger and I nearly fell off the seat when he took off. But it was a nice day to ride. Ben opted out entirely.

Rebekah wants to know an irrational fear, I have a number of them so I am going with the one that cracks my husband up the most:

1. I can't have curtainless windows at night because I always think someone is watching me. This is true even if I am in the middle of nowhere. I think this goes hand-in-hand with my fear of people breaking into my house if Shane isn't home at night. Last time I was all by myself I blocked the doors so that if someone broke in I would hear it.

Weekend Fun

2007-03-23T14:59:00.000-05:00

Can I tell you all how happy I am the weekend is here. This has been the longest of weeks. Between Dad and work, Shane got sick, the bossman has been out for two days with the flu the kids are restless because the weather has been wacky. I am worn out. I don't think it helps to know that my Dad was planning to rip out a major portion of his house this weekend and my boss will be coming in and loading me up with work for Monday. I am going to try not to focus on all of that and just enjoy the fun and gorgeous weather we are supposed to have. Plus I think I will stop by the yarn store on the way home. I won't buy any yarn since I have already used up my free day this month, but my subscription to Interweave is gone and there might be a book I would like. It always makes me feel better to go into the yarn store.

I have girl's night out tonight. I am hoping to convince her that a movie would be good. I haven't seen a movie in the theater since James Bond and I think I would like to go. Normally, I am better not seeing any movies in the theater since I get easily annoyed by people talking. That and the BF and I have a curse with our movie going. We always end up sitting by the people who talk to each other, on the cell phone or once just for fun a lady cracking sunflower seeds open during a whole movie (American Beauty, no background music to drown this out). The BF thought I was going to cause a fight with that one, since I climbed over the back of the seat at the end of the movie and told the lady how rude she was to make that noise and leave the mess (although much nicer than she deserved). She was like twice my age and left a huge pile of sunflower seed shells on the floor for the poor people to clean up. One time, I thought the BF was going to cause the fight when she hit the row in front of us so hard the whole row shook and told the people to shut up. Mind you, we never do this without a couple of polite be quiets first.

I am down to one repeat left on the silk scarf. I am ready to move to a different pattern. The chart really hoses me up (this isn't my first chart either). I much prefer written out directions, but I am to lazy to write out what is charted.

My blocking board came in on Wednesday. So fast, I would definately order from Guardian Tablepads again. I also got a new pair of Dansko's from Zappos.com. It is like wearing slippers but that is an evil website. I may have to ban myself from it like I did ebay.

Aughhhhhhh!

2007-03-21T14:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, I feel better now. Even a virtual scream helps sometimes. I had recovered from my bad mood almost entirely yesterday, then my mom calls. My dad was in the hospital for chest pain. Of course, mom didn't call until he was out and then cuts the conversation short because she had told me he was okay -- no details mind you-- and my brother was on the other line. That's it. That was all I knew.

Now this might not be cause for real concern except for three issues 1. My grandfather and three of his brothers all died of heart attacks before age 50 (one before 40) 2. My dad NEVER goes to the doctor or hospital. He waited two weeks after he smashed his finger to a pulp to get it x-rayed, and he was at the doctor the day of to get stitches in it! So for him to voluntarily go is bad. 3. The last huge case we had was for a heart attack that was misdiagnosed so I am prone to freaking out entirely about this.

So I got to work today a little out of sorts. In fact so out of sorts that the other attorney (2nd bossman) actually noticed I wasn't my chipper self. (I am entirely too bubbly most of the time at work, especially in the morning. I can't help it, I am naturally friendly and happy.) So I had to fess up to the issue. Anyways, I finally gave in and called my Dad at lunch. He is fine. (or so he says) No chest pain or any other problems to report. He claims he didn't let Mom call because we would have come to see him in the hospital and there was no reason to panic (although I disagree with this line of thinking entirely. What I am supposed to wait until he is dying?) Little did he know we couldn't have gone to visit him that night anyways.

Then he tops all that off by informing me that he is planning on ripping floors and walls out of their house this weekend. Good plan right after chest pain (not to mention the rotator cuff surgery)! So we are going over to their house this weekend to "help".

So I spent the evening last night watching American Idol and knitting. Is it me or do all the guys this season suck? I haven't watched any season since the second so I was unprepared for how bad they were and I really only watched because it was british invasion week and I needed mindless tv.

I did manage to get pictures of the scarf. Though not in the good and pretty sunlight. I definately need to get my husband's help with some pictures.

I like the second one, it really shows how shiny the yarn is and it really is as soft as it looks.

Oh yeah, Nate passed his preschool screening with flying colors. Apparently he didn't know what a mailbox is called. He called it a mail thingy, obviously he has picked up his mothers ability to remember the names of things. They told us it was pretty likely he would be able to go next year as they base it on age and need first. Need, maybe not; but by age he should be shoe-in since he will be five in September.

Preschool and Risk

2007-03-20T12:27:00.000-05:00

Nate gets tested for preschool today. Yipee! He is so excited about all the big boy stuff he gets to do. Swim team call-outs are next week when he will be placed in no doubt the least skilled group. We don't have to do them with Ben, but we will have to find out when his practices are. I am sure he will swim with the gold group. Then practice starts in one week. Only one more week without practice... Although the practices will only be – crap I just realized it will still be four days a week, just two for each instead of all four for Ben. Well, more knitting time for me.

Shane began teaching Ben how to play Risk last night. Ben picked it up pretty quick and should be kicking his dad's behind at the game in no time. Of course, since they were playing games, Nate thought we should. So we played Candyland, Hi-Ho Cherri-O and Dominos.

I finally figured out what I was doing wrong on the silk scarf, after ripping out so many times I was going crazy. I kept forgetting to add the YO at the beginning of the wrong side rows. So I made it through one-half of the chart plus a little last night. I will put up pictures tomorrow for those of you who asked to see it. I am so happy to still have sunlight when I get home, I might actually be able to get a good picture of it.

Raving

2007-03-19T14:09:00.000-05:00

I have been in a horrible mood all day. It started out good enough and I was in a good mood. Slowly it has deteriorated to me ranting and raving about everything. The phone has been non-stop, clients have been especially whiny and lunch sucked. I finally gave in and went to the gas station and got a pepsi, cheese popcorn and some hostess cupcakes. I feel better (ah, the power of junk food) but am still really bitchy. I have yet to figure out why people feel the need to spill all of their issues to the law firm receptionist (okay, technically legal assistant, but they don't know that). Half the people who call have no idea who I am or what I do here. I could be a temp who cares not about their privacy. I just amazes me.

What totally sucks is that after work I have to take my cranky butt down to Aldi's to get some vegetables. I am not sure the world really wants me to do that today, but if not today we will be out of vegetables (well at least my two boys will be, since they only eat two types of veges and never frozen).

Let's turn to happier thoughts, shall we. On Friday last week, my boys met me for supper. They took me to TGIFridays. On the whole this was very nice. I had appetizers, pot stickers. I love the pot stickers. Seriously, delicious. Nate entertained us during the meal and Ben is finally feeling good enough and been without swim practice long enough to be absolutely punchy. We looked for new tennis shoes for Ben, as he seems to be going through a tearing them up faster than he outgrows them (but not by much) phase. However, what mom is willing to purchase and what Ben wants are two entirely different things. We did manage to come to a compromise but not one which led to shoes where we were. We have come to an agreement about where to shop next. Ben insists on non-tie shoes. He has narrow little feet so they slip on his heel. After trying some on, he realized they wouldn't be comfortable and agreed that something with a velcro might be better. So I told him he could do velcro.

Saturday we had a blissful day full of nothing. Shane had to help some cousins move, so it was just the boys and I. We did nothing but play. No cleaning, no grocery shopping (although we really should have) nothing. Well, they did sweep the kitchen floor but only because they had it so covered in play-doh there was no choice. It was quite a lovely day.

Sunday we went to the MIL's to celebrate the SIL's 29th birthday. I spent my afternoon knitting on the silk scarf, but apparently still can't read the chart even though I am on repeat #4 of it. So my knitting was in vain as I ended up right where I started seeing as how I am unable to count. I also got half of the first sleeve down on Ben's sweater. There is still hope that I will have it done before winter is over.

Finally, anyone who has made it this far deserves a little treat. Nate and his Aunt (not the birthday girl) enjoying some ice cream after supper.

Back to Reality

2007-03-15T15:06:00.000-05:00

The weather took a sharp dive back into reality today. And I was really enjoying the weather. We opened up the house and played outside. It was lovely. Today, not so much.

Monday night, I was working on the right front of Ben's sweater when I realized that I didn't do the left front properly. I messed up the crew neck shaping. As of yet, I haven't been able to bring myself to do anything with it. Tonight, my plan is to take care of it. I did order a blocking board. I was going to order it from Jo*nn's since they had a 50% sell. But I had an issue with their customer service during the ordering and could never get a person to respond to me. So I found Guardian Custom Products through the Knitters Review Forum. Their price was almost as good so I ordered it. What fabulous customer service (so far). I had emails from them within 1/2 hour. I am totally excited. I love good customer service and will frequent companies that provide it even if they aren't as cheap.

Last night, Ben has swim practice. After a week and a half off, he needed the outlet for his energy. Nate and I stayed home. He danced for me.

Obviously, we had great fun.

Chemo Cap Done

2007-03-14T14:27:00.000-05:00

I finally finsihed the chemo cap last night.

Sure sign of Spring

2007-03-13T15:12:00.000-05:00

It isn't really spring until I put on sandals, capris and paint my toenails. To bad it won't last for more than a couple of days, but the boys and I will make it count. They rode their bikes so much yesterday that at 7:30 I asked Nate if he was exhausted and he said yes. What 4 year old admits they are tired?

I had my girls' night out last night. I had to return Shane's new jeans. When I knew I would be shopping for him, we had a discussion about the size and what his new size would be. I insisted he needed a 31 waist, he said 30. (He was a 29, yes he is a very skinny man) He argued with me that the 31's would fall down. Well, I got my way. Only one problem, the 31's were to small. Let me pause for a moment while I wipe the tears of laughter off. See, I have outweighed my husband for around 10 years, since the first boy was born. He kept weight gain with me for a while during pregnancy, but he lost much more of it than I. But over the past two years he has put on 20+ pounds while I have stayed the same. I am finally skinnier than he is! So I got him size 32 and they fit just fine.

Happy Birthday, Dad

2007-03-12T15:27:00.000-05:00

My Dad celebrated his birthday yesterday. Since it fell on a weekend, my mom decided to have a gathering for it (really just an excuse to get together and eat and play cards).So we loaded up and went to their house for the day where of course the boys were completely spoiled by the whole family. I pretty much only saw Ben for about 5 minutes as he came to ask for food. The rest of the time he spent with his cousin. Nate spent his time entertaining the family with his stories and playing on Papa's computer. I got sucked into a card game and played all afternoon and most of the evening. I hadn't got much sleep the night before so I was a little grouchy and argumentative.

Saturday I got a call from the MIL asking if I would go shopping with her my Aunt-in-lay and two SILs. I agreed to go because I really needed to get my husband some new clothes. He has apparently out grown all of his jeans, and not in the good way. Well, I didn't get home until 11:30 which is way past my normal bedtime. I couldn't get to sleep and was up until 4. Shane did his best to let me sleep in but with my dad's party, I couldn't stay in bed to long. I did get some great buys on clothes for Shane.

Thankfully, everyone in our house is feeling much better. Although Ben did have a big bike crash on his new bike which has been determined to suck. He just isn't quite tall enough for it yet but it will probably take two years to get him back on it. He really isn't very comfortable riding a bike. Nate however, just whizzes around on his with his training wheels and raced our neighbor back to his house. (Our neighbor is in his 70s and was on his moped).

I got absolutely no knitting done this weekend. I started a sock for Nate to take with me shopping, but once I got into it I realized I had made it to small and ripped the whole thing. This is what I get for not getting the pattern out and trying to do it from memory when I really don't make that many socks.

The recovery has hit a snag

2007-03-08T13:39:00.000-06:00

Ben's fever hasn't really gone away during his recovery, but last night it started climbing up again. So he is back to the doctor today. However, it is Daddy's turn to stay home and do the doctor routine. I am really hopeful that the antibiotic just isn't strong enough and that the strep hasn't morphed into something else. The last time I had strep I ended up with pneumonia and I really don't want Ben to have that. Nate on the other hand has gotten a ton better. We made it entirely through last night without a meltdown. Although I think that was only because I let him come in and sit with me while I watched tv even though it was mommy's night to be alone. (If I try to do this at home it never works. Partly because my husband has a really bad habit of napping when he should be watching the boys. This is why I quit trying to sleep in ever when the boys are home).

I did finally manage to get pictures. Not good pictures mind you. I am really looking forward to the time change. I would like to see the sun outside and not just through the window at work. I am excited about the prospect of bike rides with the boys and even the idea of sweltering through an all day swim meet hasn't deterred me from looking forward to the summer. I love the hot weather. Bring on the 100 degree days. I have totally gotten sidetracked.

This is the chemo cap I need to finish. It is the No Hair Day pattern from headhuggers.org. I am to the decrease section but haven't worked on since the weekend.

Ben's sweater is making progress. That is the left front on the left side. It curled up when I was taking the pictures and I didn't have the patience to unroll it.

Here is a picture of the stash enhancement. I compeltely forgot that I bought the two skeins of Lamb's Pride bulky. It is for hats for the Dulaan project. At least I hope, I didn't read the label carefully enough (try at all) when I purchased this and it was only after I got home that I realized it is mothproofed. I tend to be allergic to mothproofing chemicals so we will have to see how it goes. The dark red has possum fur in it! I had never seen yarn with possum fur in it before, but it is scratchy. The purple and pink are the handpainted superwash yarn. I looked at the type this morning, but of course have forgotton. I will be getting that soon.

Finally, thanks to all my readers for their patience with my utter lack of responses to your comments. I read them all, but I am still having issues with blogger allowing me to email people back and I don't always have enough time to trace them back. So just once again thanks.

2007-03-07T12:30:00.000-06:00

The recovery from strep has continued in our house. Slowly. Ben has been extra cranky. Which caused Nate to get upset. Then he didn't want to take a bath. When I made him, he started the worst fit he has thrown in a long time. He cried in the tub because he didn't want a bath. Then he cried when I got him out because he wanted a bath. He wouldn't leave the bathroom. Finally after fifteen minutes, he came into the living room to tell me I couldn't go to his blue house and cry there. I sent him to his room. (We maintain the rule that you can cry all you want but in your room). After another fifteen minutes of screaming, I made him put his pajamas on since he was still naked from his bath. Prompting another 20 or so minutes of screaming, crying, leg kicking -- the works. Finally, he stopped and came into the living room like nothing happened. He spent the rest of the evening watching Scooby-Doo with Ben. Needless to say, there will be no pictures today.

I did get to watch some of the barbarian series on the History channel. Back when I was in college, I studied the period of history they are going over in the series. So it was fun to watch. Last night was the Anglo-Saxons. Sunday, they aired a special on the Dark Ages. I started my evening with the Plague, then barbarian tech, then the Dark Ages. It was a pretty gruesome round of television. As I watched it, after we watched some nature program, Shane and I laughed about the violence level. I said no cartoon could be nearly as violent as any of the "educational" shows we just watched. It always cracks me up that Ben will watch shows with
true violence but put on an action type and he will refuse because it is to scary.

On the knitting front, I am on the second half of the front of Ben's sweater. I am to the decreases on the chemo cap and the latest Dulaan hat. I took them all to my cousins, but they smoke in their house so I had to air them out when I got home before I could work on them. I picked up some great new yarn at the LYS on Friday. I got two balls of Crystal Palace eyelash yarn in a really pretty green shade. It is the softest eyelash yarn I have ever felt and couldn't resist getting it to make a chemo cap out of. My aunt would have loved it so it came home with me. I also picked up some yarn to seem Ben's sweater, but like a fool I didn't check for scratchiness before I bought so it is to itchy. I think I may got the DMC thread route for that. I also bought two skeins of handpainted, superwash wool from a new company that the LYS just got in that morning. One in purple and one in pink. So soft and lots of yardage for the price. The newest Rowan came home as well. As the LYS owner said, I am a sucker for Rowan. I just love to look at the pictures.

Odd Math

2007-03-06T14:41:00.000-06:00

What do you get with 1 very sick boy + 1 somewhat sick boy? 1 very cranky mommy.

The boys have strep throat. Ben wasn't feeling to good at the swim meet this weekend and Monday woke with a really high fever. So, I stayed home and took him and Nate to the doctor.

Today I'm playing catch up. More tomorrow including some stash enhancement.

Picking up where I left off

2007-03-01T10:50:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the slightly abrupt ending yesterday. I was not finished when I realized it was past time to go home and I published rather than saving. So, let's pick back up.

I was telling you all about my YFC gift. Remus finished off his treats last night, Nate had to feed him the last one. Ben took his pencils to school right away. As for me, I immediately found a home for my new yarn in my top layer of stash (read laundry basked I keep what I want to use in). To my YFC pal, there is no thing as too much purple. It is all really lovely and I can not wait to use the Alpaca Cloud. I am thinking something from the Victorian Lace Today book.

During supper on Monday, Nate told me he was angry with me and then he tried to give me "the brows" as we call them. But he can't do them without laughing. I got this great picture of him trying to give me the brows. He just dissolves into laughter everytime he tries.

Tonight, Nate heads to his Aunt's house for the weekend. He is of course beyond excited to be going. Shane is meeting with the MIL for supper.

I will spend the evening all by myself, doing laundry and knitting. I have a chemo cap to finish and Ben's sweater to work on. Or if my brain is more functional than it has been, I might work on my silk scarf. I also need to frog my mom's clapotis. I just hadn't brought myself to the place where I could agree with the coldly logical side of my brain that told me mom wouldn't be happy with the way the colors differed.

That is the back to Ben's sweater. It is a slightly darker red than the picture shows. I have a question, does anyone have any suggestions for a yarn to seam with? The yarn I am making the sweater out of is fairly bulky and I don't think that Ben will like the seams to be that big. How much smaller do you go when you substitute for seaming?

YFC Swap Package Arrived

2007-02-28T14:27:00.000-06:00

My YFC swap partner sent me a fabulous box of goodies yesterday.

That is 2 balls of Regia sock yarn. 2 balls of Knitpicks in the purple and 2 hanks of Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud in a light lavendar. Chocolate truffles with smooth chocolatey filling (which have already been requested to be shared by the boys), chocolate raspberry lip balm and body butter (also shared with the boys). She also sent the Pirates notepads and pencils for my boys and beef sticks for my puppy. They all say thanks.

Here's Remus before he lost patience and jumped to get his treat. I forgave him, he hadn't had his supper yet.

I'm making progress

2007-02-27T15:40:00.000-06:00

on the back of Ben's sweater. Actually, I finished the back and started the front.

Boss is back today and I've been super busy plus our internet had to be repaired. He finally gave me the okay to get it fixed today.

More tomorrow, including pictures.

What I didn't get done

2007-02-26T14:25:00.000-06:00

I didn't get any FOs this weekend. After Friday evening, I didn't even leave the house. What I did do was laundry and taking care of kids. We taught Nate how to play Sorry. He is pretty funny while playing it. Although everyone has to finish. The poor kid lost pathetically every game we played and I even tried to throw the last game and still he came in last. Thankfully, he still thinks he wins. Now it is all he wants to do. All I hear. I'll be glad when he gets a little older and we can include him in the games we play with Ben (and by we I really mean me, Shane plays video games against him).

I did get nearly the entire back of Ben's sweater finished, one lace repeat on the silk scarf (two more to go) and two inches more on the wrist warmers.

I watched Stick It. Ben watched it with me (although he claims to have been playing his gameboy for the first part). It was cute although not as good as Bring It On. I also watched Much Ado About Nothing. I completely forgot the Oscars were on last night so I didn't watch any of them. I usually watch some of them, I really like to see the dresses.

One more week of swimteam. Yippee! Then Shane tells me the coaches are trying to get the boys into the State meet. If they succeed that will add two more weeks on (maybe more), I am trying not to think about it. Poor Ben wouldn't get much break between summer and winter seasons if the coaches succeed.

Projects List

2007-02-23T15:11:00.000-06:00

I have some progress to report. Since Ben had requested a sweater and I had the right yarn in the stash, I have begun it. Lana Grossa Royal Tweed. it is actually darker red than this horrible picture shows. I showed it to Ben and asked him to guess what I was working on. In typical 9-yr-old fashion, he had forgotten he had asked me for it and ran through the gamut of other knitted objects. I really like the yarn in this sweater much more than the last one I frogged from this yarn (Einstein Coat).

I have also been kniting on the boss' wife's somwhat christmas present. A pair of Natalya fingerless mitts. Her office has no real heat in it.

This is out of Moutain Colors Bearfoot. I decided it was languishing on my bedside table for no reason.

This weekend, I plan to finish something (there are a number of options to finish). I also need to work on my mom's clapotis. I made a mistake and my first two skeins were considerably different shades so I really need to frog the whole thing and start over. I just needed to bring myself to accept the fate of what I have already knitted. Nate's scarf is ready to have the ends woven in and be blocked.

I need to start a chemo cap for the YFC. I have about three different ones picked that would do. So I'll have to decide based on the stash what is the most likely. I also need to do hats for the BFs. I have yarn for both of them, but haven't made the hats yet.

My aunt also requested some socks from STR so I will probably start her christmas gift for next year soon. I have two shades of STR. Blue Lagoon and I think it is called Ruby Sapphire. I am going with the Ruby Sapphire for her.

I am beginning to think I need to take a vacation to do nothing but knit. Oh but that does sound lovely. Who wants to come and cook for me?

Dot-to-Dot

2007-02-21T14:47:00.000-06:00

It has been surprisingly warm in the office today considering we have no heat. I am so happy that this happened this week when it is in the 50s and not last week when it was in the single digits. This has made the day a little easier. I was concerned about working in my office in the cold. I don't function well cold and while I could work in our upstairs (which runs a different furnace) I wouldn't get much done but running up and down the stairs.

I also had to do the dentist thing today. It wouldn't have been to bad except for the derailed train blocking the way to the dentist's office. What should have taken 15 minutes to drive took 45. By the time I came back, there were policeman at every stoplight directing traffic. I am so very glad that the husband is doing swim team tonight. It would take me forever to get to the school after 5.

At swim team last night Nate discovered dot-to-dot books. One of the little girls he plays with had one with her and she traded him. She wanted to play with his Leapster L-M*x and he got to play with the dot-to-dots. He loved it. He has been bugging me since to take him to get some. I found some old ones of Ben's for him but they go up to sixty and the other ones only went to ten (which he can recognize from one to ten).

I didn't do any knitting last night. My brain was so tired after work that I couldn't bring myself to knit on anything. I think this is also because there was nothing on tv last night and I am bored with the movies I have. Tonight, however, starts the next part of Jericho and I will be glued to the tv. I have been working on my UFO for the month. A partially finished hat for the Dulaan project. It is knit out of some thick blue yarn I got for my nephew's first sweater. I did manage to work on it while I wasn't moving in the traffic earlier today. (I never knit in while I am driving since I work for personal injury attorneys and know how badly that could turn out and what stupid people do on the road but I wasn't moving and I was getting a serious case of road rage). I am nearly ready to do the decreases. I think I want to try and line this hat. I haven't ever lined a hat before but I think the people of Mongolia would be better served by a double layer.

Nathalie, you are completely right I wouldn't trade my oldest one for anything(or my youngest for that matter). My boys are the best.

Weirdness all around

2007-02-20T15:34:00.000-06:00

The carbon monoxide detectors went off at work today. This has been an ongoing problem with our furnace which will be replaced tomorrow. I have been paranoid about the levels since my boss first told me of the leak which was supposed to have been repaired. But we put in the detetctors and they noted nothing. I am glad it will be fixed but boy will it be chilly in the office tomorrow. I guess I should be thankful it didn't do this while it was 2 degrees out.

In addition, my boss's son knocked up his girlfriend. So there has been drama all around. It truly made me want to laugh since I have been through that myself. When I was just a young thing I got married. I got married for the wrong reasons. Let's cut this story shorter, my first husband tried to hit me and I left him. He wouldn't admit to an anger problem and I wasn't about to stay with someone who would hit me, so our marriage ended. That is when I started dating Shane. He was the "rebound" guy. We went out and had a good time but neither of us expected it to go anywhere or to last. He never wanted a family or kids and these were on my list of things I wanted from life. Then it happened, the birth control failed and I was pregnant. We didn't get married right away because I don't believe in marrying because you are pregnant. I mean I had just gotten out of a failed marriage I wasn't jumping into one due to the baby. My parents were mostly supportive (they wanted us to marry). Shane and I moved in together and have been together since. That was nearly 12 years ago now. Things happen for a reason and some of us are just meant to be out of the regular order.

He Did It!

2007-02-19T09:09:00.000-06:00

Ben did it. He got five more divisional times. That makes seven total. He has divisionals in:

100 Breast
50 Breast
200 Free
200 IM
100 Back
50 Back
50 Fly

He gained three seconds on his 100 Free and one second on his 50 free. Free is his worst stroke at the sprints. But he is the fastest freestyle swimmer at the 200 in his age group. He didn't swim the 100 Fly this weekend, so he didn't have a chance to improve it. He really had a great weekend. There were lots of family present to watch him. Shanes parents came and mine as well. My brother and sister showed as well as my BIL and nephew. The nephew actually watched some of the swimming. Nate did to, but I think mostly to be with Grandma. He cheered Ben on Friday night with such charming statements as "Faster Ben you can do it" and "Come on Ben I don't want you to walk home" (mind you this has never been a threat from us). The coach thinks they might start putting him in the 500 free next year. He will be the youngest swimmer on our team to race that event. Ben didn't even complain when I told him (he complains about the 200. I think he is beginning to realize that distance is his strength. Both my brother and I went through this when we ran).

Here is Ben and one of his buddies doing what they do best. Playing gameboys and goofing off. He has three boys in his age group that he hangs with and one who will move up next yeat. They all sit together and play gameboy and get goofy. They also provide great competition for each other. The last race Ben was in on Sunday, the four middle lanes were all boys from our team. It was so much fun to watch.

We have two weeks now until the divisional meet. He only gets to swim five events there even though he qualified in seven. It will be interesting to see which of the seven the coaches choose for him. They have been buggin us to let Ben swim with the club over summer. We usually swim with our local team in the summer. The coach for MAC also coaches for THT in the winter. He was our first coach for swim team. Ben doesn't get as much out of swimming in the summer sessions. What he does get is far more encouragement and mental well being. So for now we aren't worried about what he misses swimming with MAC in the summer. Nate will also be swimming this summer. MAC allows kids who can't swim to join so Nate will be taught how to swim. Nate can swim (free and back) with a floaty but he doesn't naturally float the way Ben did at the same age.

Other than the swim meet, we had the family over for the nephew's birthday. (Yes, I know we drag the birthday's out in my family. We do it with all holidays.) He was funny and cute. He loves to come to our house since we have the dog and Nate's bed. My dad made both the beds my boys sleep in. They both have loft beds (a bunk bed without the bottom bunk). Nate's has an added feature to it. A marble raceway. This is great fun for all kids who come to our house. I took him home after the meet on Saturday (so papa and daddy could shop) and didn't see him except when he ate for three hours. Such a chore to babysit. The rest of the family had come for a visit. We played cards and ate soup. Shane made beer cheese soup and I made vegetable. The beer cheese didn't make it to the end of the day but I had enough left over vege to bring it to work. The nephew's sweater fits great. I should get pictures soon. (I am horrible about getting my camera out and actually using it so I must wait for my sister).

No knitting news as I got nothing but a couple inches done on Ben's scarf and the frogging of my sister's stole since I can't count even with stitch markers helping me. You would think that with a math degree, I could count higher than 5 but apparently this isn't a requirment for high math.

FO, That's right I finished something

2007-02-16T14:35:00.000-06:00

I finally seamed up the nephew's sweater last night. It took about 3/4 of a skein of Cascade Ecological Wool. Which just stinks before you wash it. It smells like the oil used on the machines. However, it does knit up nicely.

Of course, when I finished it I thought it looked huge. Surely my nephew can't be that big. But then I held it up to Nate (who granted is big for his age -- he is 4 and wears size 6 mainly for the length. darn skinny kids). It would be to small for him so it should be perfect for the nephew. I should be able to get a picture of him in it this weekend when we have everyone over for his birthday. Unfortunately, Shane is sick and he was going to clean today so sometime during the weekend I am going to have to try and straighten up enough to not be totally humiliated by having people in my house. Ordinally on a weekend this would not be an issue, not because I keep the house neat but because I would have Saturday to clean it. But his weekend is Ben's finaly swim meet before the divisional meet. This requires us to be gone Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. I am hoping to make some real progress Saturday so that I don't make myself crazy on Sunday. Which totally reminds me that I need to request card tables and chairs from some family.

I have continued my work on Shane's sweater which he teases me about constantly. How he won't have any handknits from me until he is 80. I will really have to buckle down and finish it. I switched it from the Denise needles to the addi naturas and have found it much easier to work with. On the whole, I just don't care for the Denise or any plastic or metal needles. I may have to find a new home for them since I never use them anymore.

Today I took a great step in making my life more peaceful. I separated my checking from my husband's. I have never thought separate finances were a good plan for married people but Shane has a terrible habit of not telling me when he spends money (usually for bills). So I don't have the transaction written down thus leading to balance issues. We had discussed in December separating the accounts and bills and I finally was fed up enough to do it. So I am financially my own person again. Now I just have to give him a list of all the bills he will pay and I won't have to mess with his spending habits (and he won't have to mess with mine. I have my own spending issues). Hopefully this will end our money discussions (we rarely argue so these are annoying and not arguments per se, but issues we have been dealing with).

Wish Ben good luck in his meet! He has one more divisional time to get or he owes me money. (I replaced his gameboy -- not counting the Christmas money he gave me for it -- with the understanding that it would be his present for a divisional or he would owe me money for the remainder). He is also doing two races tonight he doesn't normally get to race the 200 free and the 200 IM (all four strokes). He loves the IM but doesn't like doing the freestyle so isn't looking forward to it. It is the one free style race he can beat the other boys at so I think it is good for him. I am anxious to see what events he is swimming Saturday and Sunday. They are only allowed three events a day so one of the offered events he will sit out. I haven't been able to ask if they are going for divisional times or if they are going for points. If they go for points, Ben will swim events he already has divisional times in.

We have more snow on the way tonight. I don't mind the snow, but the cold could stop. Seriously -4 (F) on my way to work this morning without the wind chill. There should be some kind of law against having to work when it is that cold. Of course, if I wasn't so stubborn I would have had an extra day off this week. Nobody else in our town went to work, why did I? (or for that matter everyone in our office showed up, we must all be crazy). I am hoping for just a dusting so that the kids can play outside on Sunday while Cameron is down. We still have enough ice that sledding could be very fun (and grandparents crazy enough to go with them).

Back to Normal

2007-02-15T15:17:00.000-06:00

School started back today. Thank goodness, Ben had more goofiness in him than is good without swim practice. Work is somewhat back to normal, although I am way ahead compared to normal. It is a rather nice feeling.

Nate started a new line of story this weekend. Apparently, Shane and I didn't "grow him". We made him out of robot parts. According to Nate, we should have made him a sister because brothers fight to much. I would like to know where he comes up with this stuff.

I started seeming my nephew's new sweater last night. Hopefully I will finish it tonight. I really need to start a new hat for myself. Ben kidnapped mine last night. I have a feeling he won't keep it but it makes me nervous since I wear it everyday.

Still Here

2007-02-14T12:57:00.000-06:00

I am still here! I took Monday off to recuperate from the weekend. Nate and I had a great time. The birthday party was fun. Except for Nate peeing his pants and having to wear a diaper while I ran to buy him some new ones. He cried the whole time I was gone. I made him leave the bathroom with the diaper on, very humiliating when you are 4. I'm not so sure it wouldn't be a good thing for him to be reminded of that a little. After the party we went to The Fold. Liz got some great fleece including some 100% silk. I got a couple pairs of needles and a book.

The nephew has connected my name with who I am. He would chant my name and grin at me. It was amusing. He gave me lots of snuggles and giggles. I can't wait to see him again this weekend.

On Saturday night, we hung out and played Imaginiff. It was great fun with all these crazy questions like If you were a light, what kind would you be. Then everyone has to pick the answer they thinks best suits you.

Sunday we went shopping and then Nate and I headed home. The nephew was so sad that we were leaving. Nate on the other hand was ready to be home. Monday, I had a blissful day filled with nothing. I napped and watched tv. I knitted a little. I am on the home stretch on the silk scarf.

Yesterday, I headed into work for my first day back only to find out there was a gas leak in our office over the weekend and to have the sleet and snow interrupt the day. They sent us home early. The drive home wasn't bad. They closed all the county roads last night and this morning they were still closed, but I came to work anyways. The drive in was fine once I got to the interstate, but the in town road were pretty awful. I even got stuck once (I got unstuck without getting out of the car, otherwise I wouldn't have proceeded to work. I am stubborn but not completely stupid). I was the first one to the office and I was forty minutes late. I have gotten tons of work done. I think mainly because everything is closed. The banks, the courthouse, all county offices. Luckily, we got a lighter part of the storm. Only six inches on top of a couple inches of sleet. (Yes, that is light. North off us by about 30 miles it was over a foot of snow on top of sleet). Personally, I love the snow. I think I would have rather had the foot. Then I could have stayed home guilt free today. Instead, I guilted myself to coming to work.

Ben hasn't had school for the past couple of days and depending on the road conditions in the country, tomorrow may be questionable. His school district doesn't cancel unless it is really bad, so I am hoping that they go back.

Weekend away

2007-02-09T13:59:00.000-06:00

Shane got home safe and sound last night. He was tired and I was in a horrible mood. I have been so tired and grouchy. The boys were excited to see him and couldn't stand still. He brought them the cutest hats from Alcatraz. I don't have any pictures of him getting home or my new yarn. But he brought me 3 skeins of Classic Elite Inca Marl in the du Barry Rose colorway from Greenwich Yarns. It is a fabulous 100% alpaca yarn, just girly enough for me to be able to keep it for myself. Now, I just have to decide what to make out of it. The ladies at that shop were fantastically helpful to Shane.

Today, Shane and the boys had dentist and eye appointments. Ben had two cavities! His teeth are really crooked so I try and make sure he brushes really well and he uses Act and a mouthwash. It just goes to show that no matter how careful you are, cavities happen. They caught them early enough that he didn't have to have a shot (thank goodness, he would never want to go back if he got a shot). Both the boys still have 20/20 vision. I am not looking foward to the day when we have to get Ben contacts or prescription goggles for swimming.

I leave right after work for Chicago. I think we are making a trip to The Fold tomorrow where I can do some vicarious shopping through my sister. She likes it when I pick out the fiber for her to spin. She likes to spin, but doesn't like the stuff she picks out as well as what I pick out. (Don't ask me, she also didn't pick out her own wheel but whatever). The hard part will be not breaking the YFC. We are talking STR. If you haven't been to The Fold, I highly recommend it. (I go everytime I am at my sisters, about twice a year).

This morning on my way to work I saw a rainbow. You can barely see it in this picture. look in the middle, it is really faint. It was much brighter in person. I don't think I have ever seen a rainbow when it has been so cold.

I want to thank everyone for their comments. If you don't get a reply it is because Blogger and I are fighting. It won't give me any email addresses and I have been trying to look them up but haven't got all the way through them yet. It is enough to make me want to look at other services, you know, the kind you have to pay for.

Today is the day

2007-02-08T15:24:00.000-06:00

that Shane comes home. He has landed and is a mere two hours from being home. YIPPEE!

I have nothing else. I am to tired to think. Staring into space has been a major theme today.

Can't wait for tomorrow

2007-02-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

I survived ths now yesterday. With the husband gone, I was forced to shovel the drive all by myself. This is a recipe for pain but it had to be done. So I bundled myself up and put on my coveralls (handmedowns from my brother and sooo attractive) and went outside with the boys. Nate of course had to go to the bathroom five minutes after we got outside. So they trucked back in and Ben helped him while I shoveled. The snow was light and fluffy so it wasn't horrible shoveling conditions. After I got the work done, I played with the boys outside. It made for a pretty nice time.

We came in and ate supper, did homework and the boys got baths. Then my parents showed up. They were going to take Ben to swim team which had been cancelled, so they stayed at my grandparents and fished for awhile longer. This did not please Nate who was expecting Grandma Pig to pick him up. He got his Grandma fix and went to bed a lot easier.

Shane comes home tomorrow and I couldn't be more ready. This is the longest we have been apart in the entire time we have been living together. Of course, he will be home all of an evening before I leave for Chicago, but I will still get to see him. He has called everyday to whine about how quiet it is and how much he misses us (very nice), but I am not felling his pain about the quiet. What is that? I haven't had any quiet in nearly two weeks now. I'm actually looking forward to coming to work just for some quiet. Mommy is in serious need of some alone time.

I haven't been able to knit much lately and even when I have had the time I haven't had the desire. Mostly I just sit there and stare at the TV or give it up and go to sleep. But I have worked on Nate's scarf. It is almost done. When I hang it on Nate it reaches knees. But he keeps telling me to make it longer. He's also decided he wants fringe, but I am still debating that. The scarf he is using now has fringe and it is always falling off and getting stuck in his zipper.

(Just ignore the mess in the background. Our house tends to have a lived-in look, you know messy)

Tonight, I have another fun adventure in eating fast food and going to swim team with no time for break. I don't know who is going to be happier to see Shane, Remus or the boys. My poor puppy is being terribly neglected without his daddy at home.

Yippee, Snow

2007-02-06T15:32:00.000-06:00

It has been snowing all day. We have close to six inches of the white stuff and I am excited. My parents were supposed to take Ben to swim team tonight and were already over by us to go ice fishing, so they will be at the house tonight. I am sure the boys will want to play outside in the snow. And with the cold not leaving any time soon, it should be around long enough for much fun.

Other than that, it has been pretty quiet here. The boys are ready to see their dad (and so am I). He comes home in two days, just in time for Nate and I to leave for Chicago. My nephew turns three this weekend, we must celebrate.

SP 10 Questionairre

2007-02-05T15:29:00.000-06:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love merino, alpaca and cashmere. I do not care for any wool that is scratchy or most acrylic (particularly the squeaky kind).
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I keep my needles in a zippered case that a set of sheets came in. Its stylish, really.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting for three years. I am self taught although I have taken some classes since learning. I would consider myself to be intermediate.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, I have an Amazon wishlist.
5. What's your favorite scent?
I love citrus scents. Orange or Lemon.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes. I love milk chocolate (does that count as a favorite candy).
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I don't really do any other crafts, although my sister spins and I get to play with the yarn she makes.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I listen to just about any kind of music, but I don't care much for rap. I can play MP3s on my computer and my son has an Ipod that I can borrow when I want (plus he listens to a lot of the same type of music I do). By any kind of music I mean I have the range from Gregorian Chants to Garange Band to Classical to Alternative to Big Hair Bands.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love blues, purples and reds. The only color I can't stand is yellow or anything with a yellow cast to it.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am married with two kids (all boys). We have one dog, Remus. He is a rat terrier.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes to scarves, hats and mittens no to the poncho.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I knit whatever catches my fancy at a particular moment. But I have been on a lace kick lately. And cables. 13. What are you knitting right now?
Actively, a lace scarf, sweater for my son, three scarves, husband's sweater, hat and stole for my sister.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, very much.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I use both straight or circular depending on the project (or how heavy it gets). Bamboo or wood all the way.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes both.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Close to three years. I frogged the oldest one not long ago so the next one moved up.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Fairy stuff.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I have a subscription to Interweave. I would love a book with cable designs in it or any of the Barbara Walker Stitch dictionaries.
Yarns
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Sure, maybe steeks
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Sometimes, I have a US 9 foot with a skinny ankle.
23. When is your birthday?
August 26

Tired, so Tired

2007-02-01T15:18:00.000-06:00

I am looking forward to having tonight at home. This being gone everynight is horrible.

I got the time we were supposed to leave with the time we were supposed to be at practice mixed up. So we were at practice nearly 45 minutes early. I took the boys to the book store. We slowly made our way back to the kids books, stopping in all the sections I wanted on the way. I was looking at the Yarn Girl's Guide to Big Kids (or Older Kids, I can't really remember) and Ben found sweater he really liked. I went to put the book back on the shelf, then he did something I was wholly unprepared for. He asked me to buy the book to make him the sweater! So of course, I couldn't refuse. Since I am doing to YFC, and I have already used my free day this month, I couldn't find yarn in my stash that is both the right gauge and appropriately boy enough and/or that I have enough of. So my next free day will include purchasing yarn for a sweater for my oldest boy.

Nate wanted to be held most of practice last night so I got next to no knitting done (there were even kids to play with). Tonight, I forsee knitting and watching tv.

Disaster Averted

2007-01-31T14:54:00.000-06:00

Well, the deadline that I about screwed up has been taken care of. It about kills me when I do that. So, where was I...

Nate found something exciting when we got home on Monday.

My final present from my Secret Pal.

Those are handmade delicious suckers. I have told the boys they are each allowed to have one. What could I do, they begged. And those are the instant drink mixes you put in a bottle which I have been using at work to help keep me off the soda. Thanks so much.

And my most wonderful secret pal is

Melly Breit

She sent the best gifts, notes, emails and all. Melly you made my first secret pal exchange a great one. Thanks so much.

Then we went to swim practice. I don't normally go on Monday nights so it was different. There were no other kids Nate's age for him to play with so he was pretty bored. When he is with me on Tuesday there are loads of kids to play with, but Monday he and I normally stay home. Nate entertained the other parents with stories about his babies. They are in his belly and will come out his mouth and he will share his toys (this part goes on for a while). He will also tell you about how his first baby died when she ran into the road and got hit by a car. This all happened at his "blue house" with his other mom. He will also tell you all about how his babies are getting ready to kick him while they are in his belly (the sitter used to let the kids feel her baby kick her when she was pregnant). Nate told this story for about ten minutes. The parents were in awe, both of his ability to tell stories and what the story included (he is a boy).

Tuesday, we had to skip practice because I don't get off work in time to take Ben to practice. So tonight, we are right back at it. I will be exceptionally glad when Shane gets home this single parent stuff sucks.

I got a call from Shane he was headed to San Francisco to the wharf and wanted to know if there were any yarn stores near there, so I might be getting a present of yarny goodness when he gets home. Of course, the sticker shock could do him in. He never goes yarn shopping with me. He much prefers I just bring it home and show him so he can nod and smile and give me a hard time because I haven't finished anything for him yet.

In knitting, I am about ready to start the end chart of my scarf/stole from Victorian Lace Today. I have a hard time working on anything else. The silk is so soft. But I have tried to work on Nate's scarf which is 3/4 of the way done and Ben's which is barely going. Here is a really bad picture of Ben's scarf, well nevermind the picture. Blogger is being a PITA. I have also started my sister's stole from Victorian Lace Today, but I have gotten far enough to make an interesting pic yet. I want to be enough into the chart for her to see what it will look like when I see her in a couple of weeks.

2007-01-30T15:02:00.000-06:00

Nate is home and doing well. We were all happy to see him. But then, Shane left for California for work and we are down one boy again.

We spent Sunday playing games and snuggling.

Ben and Nate got along really good for the first two days back together. By Sunday, it was back to the usual.

Ben woke up Monday with a sore throat, bad cough and wheezing. I am mean you could hear that boy breath from across the room (he doesn't have asthma so this was not normal). Verdict -- double ear infection. With the possible bonus of a plugged tube in his ear. After getting his medicine, we stopped at the sitter's to get Nate. I got to hold the new baby. She was adorable. She was awake and just made the cutest baby faces. She never did fuss and I held her for about 20 minutes while the sitter and I discussed pre-school (both Nate and her oldest will be eligible next fall).

More tomorrow, just realized I have a deadline!

YFC Questionairre

2007-01-26T15:22:00.000-06:00

What type of yarn do you knit with most often? Merino. I use a lot of wool but like the softness of merino.

Is there any type of yarn that you would love to try but haven't yet, such as bamboo, banana fiber (seriously they make it - although I've yet to see it in person). I am totally intrigued by the idea of banana fiber yarn. I would love to try Noro or Malabrigo.

In your opinion what is a luxury yarn? Anything super soft or hand painted/dyed. Cashmere, silk or sometimes just plain wool that is hard to find.

Is there any type of yarn or fiber content you dislike or would prefer not to receive? No acrylic please. Everything else is good.

What type of garments do you most often knit? Hats and shawls, although lately scarves are closing the gap.

What types of knitting books do you enjoy? I like ones with some history and great classic patterns. My favorite right now are Victorian Lace Today.

What is a color you like but rarely or never buy yourself? Purple. I love purple (second to blue, maybe tied with red) but I never buy it.

If you were pregnant and had to name your baby a fiber, what would her/his name be? Viscose Rayon – I don't particularly care for this fiber, but what a name that would be.

Do you spin? No. I tried on a spindle but didn't care for it. I haven't tried a wheel because I don't want to fall in love with another habit.

What is one fiber you've never spun?

If someone in your family or a best friend had to describe you in one word, what would it be? Unusual

Please tell us one odd thing about you. I talk a mile a minute. So fast that my mouth doesn't keep up with my brain and trips all over itself. I also skip topic in mid sentence. My best friends can follow me, those that can't well I don't spend much time with them.

What was your favorite cartoon when you were little. Bugs Bunny

Do you have animals? If so, please name them and tell us a little about them. Yes, one dog. A rat terrier named Remus. He is 8 years old, black and white. He doesn't look like a rat terrier. He is much broader through the chest and shorter than most.

And last but not least, if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Scotland. No contest.

Missing my boy

2007-01-25T15:59:00.000-06:00

Well, my two weeks without my Naters is almost up. He comes home tomorrow morning and I can't wait. The house has been too quiet, his room too neat. There are no kisses or lovins or snuggles. There are no stories. Nate tells the best stories. He starts out with something that happened to him and then he is off in his own world telling you all about it and so animated while he does it. Of course, the retraining will be a little rough. He has been with grandparents and his aunt for nearly two weeks. That is two weeks with no bedtime, no snacks whenever or whatever he wants, getting what he wants when he wants it. I forsee some battles ahead. I look forward to each and every one.

The Evening at home with the Grouch

2007-01-24T14:57:00.000-06:00

Ben and I had our evening at home alone last night. We played Mastermind (he won his round as a guesser but only because I helped) and Lego Creator (which he won). However, I must have been too grouchy because he opted to go take a bath rather than play any other games.

Today was pajama day at the school. So Ben wore his Spiderman pajamas with the webs under the arms. It is the only pajama set he owns as he has taken to wearing just pajama bottoms. He was cold, so he also wore his robe, took his slippers and a blanket. His backpack was so stuffed he looked like he could topple over.

Tonight is girls night out. I can't wait. I had to forgo girls night last week and am really ready for the adult oriented non-family, non-work conversation. Plus I get my car back tonight. Then tomorrow night, Nate comes home. I am so ready to have him home with me. Although I am less than sure he is ready to come home. There are far less rules at Papa's house and no bed time to speak of. Regardless, I am sure my parents are ready to go back to their adult lifestyle and grateful that they could take care of him for this time. He rarely gets alone time with his grandparents the way Ben did (being the second and middle grandson).

I am about ready to break into the third skein of yarn on the silk scarf and the second on Nate's scarf. I did start my sisters stole last night instead of pulling out something else. Mainly to get rid of the guilt that I haven't knitted anything for her and because I need something more complicated that what I have out. I have decided Shane's sweater needs to stay the UFO that I keep working on at least until the end of the month. Then I may move on to the ribbed tank I have started. I am 3/4 of the way done and would be able to wear it in the summer if I finished it. This picture makes it look worse than it is. I have finished the split part and am down to just one ball of yarn with it. The color is pretty close to accurate. I think I would very much like to wear it.

Daily Grind

2007-01-23T14:47:00.000-06:00

Last night I had the house all to myself while Shane and Ben were at swim team. I tried very hard to catch up on the mountains of laundry that inevitably pile up when we are gone. I also tried very hard to not cast on anything new sticking with the UFO challenge instead. I worked on the silk scarf, which is in a very dull and boring phase, and Shane's sweater which he swears will never be done. (It is also very dull and boring.) I have a birch shawl started in the UFO pile and I think I will be pulling it out to either finish it or try and rip it out. I would much rather finish it, but I am not sure if I can figure out where in the pattern I was.

My car is supposed to get fixed tomorrow. I can't wait.

Tonight, Ben and I are going to enjoy a little mom and son time. There may be board games involved. Hopefully at least one game I can win (of course this limits it to monopoly, battleship or Guess Who) instead of the ones where he wipes the floor with me (this is due to my extreme unluckiness).

Good things and bad things

2007-01-22T12:06:00.000-06:00

Bad:

3 AM wake up time to get to swim meet.
3 PM check in time when you need to check in at noon
Alarm failure and waking up twenty minutes before you need to leave the hotel
Snow, failure to stop and busted rim on my car leaving me to drive my husband's disgusting excuse for a car (I would like to note that his car wasn't always disgusting. I used to drive it everyday but he doesn't care for his cars like I do and he smokes in it. I asked him to clean it for me and if he did, I don't want to know what it loooked like before!)
Leaving a bag in the hotel with all the towels the swimmer needs to dry off and stay warm

Good

Ben getting a second divisional time, 50 back stroke this time.
Spending time with the other swim team parents and getting to know the parents of the kids we see regularly.
Seeing Nate after a week away (not so good, sleeping in the same bed with Nate after a week away. He tried to get close even in his sleep and hogged the bed which is not normally and issue for him)
A trip to River Knits yarn store in Lafayette.

River Knits was a nice store. Smaller than River Wools (my LYS) but I admit that I am spoiled for fairly small town living to have such a nice store to shop at. I have found few that really rival River Wools for good priced yarns. River Knits carried a lot of the same yarns as my LYS so it made it easier to pick out what I would bring home (I never buy anything I can get at my LYS at another store. My LYS keeps her prices in line with what you would spend on-line and I want her to stay in business, so that is just my way to make it work). The store was super busy, and the help friendly without being pushy or bugging you to much. (I browse and touch for a once over before I even start to pick what I want). They even have a frequent shopper card (with no expiration, which is good since I am there approximately once a year).

I got some nice Lorna's Laces Shepard in Whitewater, Rowan Cashsoft in a burgundy color (much more red than pink as in the picture), some rosewood circular needles, an orange Chili (I look for this one at every store I go to) and a book by Louisa Harding with nothing but scarves, hats and mittens (a book category that I sorely lack in). I also got some stuff for my Secret Pal, but I won't show you yet. I don't want her to guess to soon.

Divisional Time!

2007-01-18T15:45:00.000-06:00

Ben got a divisional time in his 100 breast! That means he gets to do another meet. I hadn't kept up with any of the times and had not idea he had gotten a divisional time. He is also within a couple of seconds on three other races. I will be watching him at the meet this weekend. He is excited about the time although not about doing the extra meet. I think he is getting a little worn down.

My bedroom is painted. I got some really bad picture of the pretty new walls, but I forgot my camera at home. Three walls are bagel and the other is a rich blue color. I can't wait to put my rug in it.

Silk Scarf

2007-01-16T12:50:00.000-06:00

I have progress on the silk scarf. It apparently has no real name. It is scarf with Clarence Border from Weldon's 1886. I am past the Clarence border and onto the simple part of the scarf. It doesn't keep me from being in love with the yarn. I can't hardly work with anything else. I have been forcing myself to do the 10 minute rule on at least two other mindless projects that I have.

We cleaned out half the bedroom last night in preparation of the painting which will start tomorrow. Tonight the easy half. My dresser, tv, DVD and the bedside tables. Its easy because all the little stuff -- books, yarn and knitting stuff -- were moved last night.

Shane isn't doing so well with his no smoking committment. At the Christmas party, he smoked far more than he had for the past week (to many smokers in the family + alcohol = Shane smoking) so we started back through the crankiness yesterday. The worst part of it is he doesn't even know that he is being unreasonable and if you try and tell him he gets defensive.
Ben suffered from it the worst. He got a game called Harvest Moon for his Gamecube. It is similar to Sims. He has played every spare minute (not that this equals a lot but he enjoys it) the past weekend and last night. Last night added up to a fairly significant time investment (he got home from his aunt's early and no swim team or homework). When supper was ready Shane pushed him to eat before he could save so he asked Shane to save it for him, but Shane messed it up and didn't save it. Ben lost his cow and horse and was so upset. Shane apologized and I know he felt bad about it, but his apology came across like he was laughing and Ben was crushed and upset that Daddy didn't listen to his instructions(he tends to be on the sensitive side anyways and he and Shane are always clashing). I sympathized with Ben to a point, but he was making far to much fuss over a video game and I had to threaten to take it away which did stop the dramatics. But on the whole the evening ended rather badly. I will be glad when Shane breaks the habit this time. If he falls off the wagon again (within the week) he may have to stay in the garage until he gets through this phase -- 3 times in 3 weeks is my limit.

Last Christmas Over

2007-01-15T12:19:00.000-06:00

Our last Christmas celebration is over for this holiday season. Ben had swim team Saturday morning, so Nate and I stayed home to pack (and do laundry). When Ben got home, we packed the boys up and headed out. Nate was so excited about going to his Aunt's house. We usually only get to her house about once a year, so this was an extra trip. Somehow, I think his excitment had more to do with the toys he gets to play with and the fact that they are supposed to have snow than who he would see, but hey you take what you can get (she still get her snuggles). We took Ben on to the Great-Grandparents.

They have a huge basement where the festivities take place. Last year for Christmas, the boys got a "flying turtle" and another vehicle of a similar nature. These are machines that you sit on and wiggle the steering mechanism back and forth to make them go. (They used to have them at the rollar rink I went to as a kid). This basement is perfect for these. Last year not only were the kids on them the whole time (we had to time them so that all the kids got to ride them) but the adults were to (they hold up to 250 lbs depending on which model you were on). Ben begged to bring these with us again, so we let him. Unfortunately, we don't have anywhere good to make them go so it is the best chance he gets to ride on them.

I had a horrible headache and stiffness and should have stayed home. I think this was from cutting out the soda and all that sugar. (Day 5 and going strong. I am no longer having cravings) I felt like I was ruining Shane's visit with his family. We ended up leaving earlier than usual, although it was 10 PM since I had to drive home.

Sunday we were to meet with my Aunt for a movie and so she could take Ben home. I opted to stay home as I was still feeling stiff and headachy and didn't think sitting at the movies would help at all.

Now we have no kids, at least until tonight when Ben comes home. I think I will be glad, it was mighty quiet in the house this morning.

I have gotten to the middle section on my silk scarf. Pictures of it soon. I have also added about two inches onto Shane's (boring) sweater.

Ben approved the Mountain Colors yarn for his scarf. It is called Mountain Twilight. He was a little disappointed it wasn't softer, but I told him it would get soft after being washed.

Nate's scarf is getting longer. He tells me to make it longer every time he sees it. Right now it is about 2 foot. I am not sure how long he wants it, but I will continue it until I run out of yarn. I have a picture, but Blogger is being cranky.

Thank Goodness the Weekend is Here

2007-01-12T14:08:00.000-06:00

I am so happy that the weekend is here. I get a haircut tonight and am having dinner with Christina. I also forgot to pack yarn with me today! (This rarely happens as I almost always have a project in my purse) So I went into the LYS to get something to knit on while waiting for the hairdresser and before dinner. Ben has been wanting a scarf but he has turned his nose up at all the reasonably priced yarn in boy colors that I have at my house (I don't have to much that isn't reaosnably priced but what I do have is definitely not "boy" colors). So I picked up a hank of Mountain Colors. (I will have pictures next time). I am hoping it is appropriately boyish. It is dark blue/purple. I think I am going to do the Harlot's one row scarf pattern with it. I started it but at the guage I am knitting it was way to skinny, so I ripped it out and am ready to restart.

Nate goes away tomorrow. I am hopeful that we will see him at our swim meet next weekend, but there is a good possibility that I won't see him until two weeks are up. I have never been away from him for over a week before. This will be a little rough. Ben gets to spend the night with his Aunt on Sunday since he doesn't have school Monday and I still have to work (we don't get very many holidays). We are supposed to meet for a movie on Sunday, but I am not sure if the weather is going to be very cooperative and it is an hour drive. If it isn't, I am sure we will work something out.

I spent most of last knit ripping out the silk scarf which I had messed up, again. I have got to stop knitting on that when I am tired. It does me no good since I seem to get to spend all the rest of my next knitting session ripping out what I knitted while tired. I also worked on Shane's sweater and am now ready for the decreases on the back.

I am on day two of no soda. Serious withdrawal is going on. I have been craving a soda all day and it took all my will power not to get one with lunch. (That would be far easier to do if they didn't provide them for free here at work). I have been stiff and suffering a headache all day. To make matters worse, I have no chocolate or gum at work! When I get home I am going to indulge in some chocolate with caramel sent by my SP. It is fabulous.

Daily Grind

2007-01-11T15:20:00.000-06:00

How is it that as my boss's desk gets cleaner, mine gets messier. And when mine gets cleaner, his gets messier? We are in a my desk is messy phase and I am about to go nuts. Tomorrow I am devoting the day to getting my desk cleaned off and a big TO DO list done.

We have no swim team tonight, so I am looking forward to getting some work done in the house. My big plans for last night were curtailed by a cute boy who wanted snuggles and games. After a game of Candyland, in which I got my ass handed to me, and four games of Hi-Ho Cherri-O, I won three of these and had to get creative with the spinner so that he would win since good sportsmanship only goes so far when you are four, I sat down to knit. I finished a ball of yarn on the Clapotis and am ready to do the first row of dropping stitches. Then I worked on the silk scarf. I think I was to tired to work on it and I ended up messing it up. Plus it has made the arthritis in my fingers flare up big time. So far that hasn't deterred me from working on it, but it may not last long.

I did get a surprise last night. Shane made meatloaf and potatoes. He hates meatloaf and only made it because I miss eating it. This makes him much nicer than I am. I never cook anything for him that I don't eat. My rule has always been the cook gets to choose (which of course means that I cook things he doesn't like to eat that I do, but he doesn't cook things I don't like). Unfortunately, my favorite meatloaf recipe calls for onion soup mix which I can't have so it wasn't quite as good, but he will learn.

I have managed to go over 24 hours without any soda. The first couple of days are always the hardest. I have decided that I need to bring an iced tea maker in to work so that I am not tempted by all the free soda they have for us. I have also resolved to stop buying any soda that I like to drink for the house. No grape, no pepsi, no nothing. I might keep some clear soda on hand (mainly because I don't really like it). Next up will be restocking all of our fresh food options. I can't remember the last time we had fresh vegetables in the house. (fruit is another story)

Third Time's the Charm.

2007-01-10T14:48:00.000-06:00

Our server is giving me fits and this is the third time I have tried to post this. I got smart after I lost the first try and saved it to a word doc. But let's try again, one last time.

I was doing a quick perusal of the upper most layer of WIPs last night. This is first up on the list. It is a sweater for Shane. The pattern is from the Rowan Vintage Knits book. It is mainly languishing because it is boring, but I have done more knitting of this type lately. It would be great for swim team events.

This is one of at least four sweaters that I have started and not finished. I have a ribbed tank, the Milinda pullover from White Lies Designs and Salina from Rowan Vintage Knits. These are just off the top of my head. I didn't get a chance to clean the bedroom last night. My aunt is coming next Wednesday, so I have to get working on it tonight. Plus try to get all the arrangements worked out for my sitter's maternity leave. She is going to take two weeks off. For Ben this isn't to big a deal. My bosses will let me come in a half hour late and leave a half hour late. Going in late allows me to put Ben on the bus and Shane is home before Ben is, so Ben doesn't have to be home alone. Except that he doesn't have school on Monday. So I have to arrange something for him on Monday. Nate, however, poses a more serious problem. My dad and my brother's girlfriend had already told me that they would watch him the second week, but the first week I still had to iron out. Dad said he would watch him, but I am not sure if he remembers. I will have to check on that tonight. I am not sure what I will do for two weeks without my little one around.

I worked on the silk scarf a little last night, I have six rows to go on Chart A of the silk scarf. I worked on it while watching House last night. Hugh Laurie is fabulous. I also did some work on the Clapotis. I am nearly done with the increase section. I would have been finished already, but I finished the repeat before realizing I had increased enough, so there will be an extra section of this one.

I need a faster camera

2007-01-09T15:09:00.000-06:00

I tried to get a picture of Ben in motion at the meet. It is a little blurry. I need a faster camera to get a good picture of him swimming. Most of the time, I get calm water with a hint that someone is swimming. Thankfully, Mom got some great video of him. This is him doing the butterfly.

Here are pictures of the silk scarf I am making from Victorian Lace Today which is one of my all time favorite lace books. I absolutely love the patterns from this book. If I remember I will find out which actual pattern this one is. The first picture is more accurate on the colors, but the second shows the pattern.

I haven't made anymore progress on digging out the WIPs. I can barely bring myself to look at anything other than this scarf. The silk is so soft (although with no elasticity somewhat of a pain to work with). I am almost done with the third repeat of Chart A and then on to the mindless part which will be good with all the shows starting back up next week.

I have been making a mental list of my WIPs. I am interested to see how many I have missed. My aunt is coming to paint next week! My bedroom will be gorgeous when she is finished (minus the ugly second hand furniture and mismatched sheets/blankets). I will finally be able to spread out my rug. The reason I didn't get anything done on the stash, Ben. We had to play a vicious game of battleship, which I barely won. Either I am getting worse or Ben is getting better. I could be in trouble in a couple more years. Then it will be Daddy's turn.

Shane is doing great with his no smoking resolution. His behavior on the other hand is not so stellar. I just keep telling myself it is worth it, but this better be the last time I have to go through his withdrawals. (He quit once before for over two years) I am not sure he will live through another. I on the other hand have sucked at keeping away from the soda. I tell myself each day will be the last, but then morning comes and that is what I crave. I have got to bring something with flavor to drink in the morning at work. Morning is my weakest time. If he can quit smoking, I can surely quit soda. Then I can move on to processed foods. With swim team, we have gotten a bad habit of cooking less and less with whole foods. We need to move back towards whole foods. Maybe some slow cooker/crock pot cooking. Anyone have any good recipes?

Paducah

2007-01-08T13:21:00.000-06:00

Ben's meet this weekend was fabulous. The pool was a 25 yarn pool instead of meters which makes it slightly longer (or the reverse with the actual measurements. I can never remember which one is longer). His 100 breast improved 26 seconds! His worst event he still improved 5 seconds on. We were so happy. He had a great time and won a number of the heats he was in and got the little prize that goes along with that. It is so funny to see the differences in sizes in the kids at this age. Ben was racing against boys who had hit the next big growth and were as tall as many of the adults. Ben is not exactly short for his age, but he is skinny (I think that could be a serious understatement. Slim sized pants fall off of him without a belt.) Of course, anymore his is all whipcord and bone. He has the full six-pack abs! Anyhoo, he was excited about his races so it went pretty well.

With all the kids staying in the hotel, it was a fun weekend for Ben. He played in the arcade and in between races they all stayed in the "team" room. Then there was a dance on Saturday night. Ben isn't yet old enough to care about girls so he spent the evening playing tag. Nate went to the dance for about 5 minutes but it was to loud for him and he came back to the room.

Saturday afternoon, we all took naps. Then my mom got restless (she carries mail and needs the activity) so we gathered up Nate (Ben was playing) and headed off to see Paducah. We drove past the yarn store, which was thankfully closed. (I need no temptation to buy yarn. It is bad enough that the LYS is just blocks from my work. It soothes my soul just to walk into a yarn store, but I still rarely walk out without something.) We ended up shopping at Gander Mountain, of all places. This worked very well for my budget.

We got home pretty early Sunday afternoon, but we were all so tired we did nothing. (Except for me, I had to catch up the laundry that we generated while gone)

I have been knitting. I have completed 1 1/2 charts on my silk scarf. I cast on for Nate's scarf (easy car knitting). Tonight, I am hoping to clean up my stash somewhat. My aunt is supposed to be painting my bedroom sometime over the next month and I don't want to be rushed getting it clean enough for her to be able to paint.

I had some pictures, but forgot the cable to the camera. So pictures tomorrow.

BTW, thanks for all the comforting words about the diet. I can cut out the soda, but I have never managed to cut out all chocolate. I work on limiting my intake. It works extremely well, especially with really good chocolate. A little goes a long way towards satisfying a sweet tooth when you are on a low yeast diet.

Trials, Tribulations and potential resolutions

2007-01-05T09:53:00.000-06:00

This week has been extremely trying. To start with (at work) it has been like starting a whole new job in many ways. While I am familiar with my duties and the staff I am working with, I have had duties added on and am swamped like I haven't been since I started. I may actually need to take work with me this weekend (something I rarely do). One of the reasons I haven't contemplated going back to teaching is due to this. I do not miss having homework everynight. (Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to believe that giving the students no homework was in their best interest -- at least most of the time. I taught math so practice is what you need). In addition, I have the added fun of merging work someone else did with what I need to do and follow. I have lost what little organization I manage to keep in my head. If it isn't written down and I get interrupted it is gone. This has made my boss be both exasperated and laugh at me. Luckily it is getting a little better.

This was the first week back to normal swim team practices. It is very tiring getting back into schedule. We also have a meet in Paducah this weekend. I am afraid it is not going to be much fun due to all those kids running up and down hallways and a dance = very little sleep and a cranky mommy.

Plus my washing machine had broken down. Now this machine is only a little over a year old so this was unexpected. It finished the load and I was moving it to the dryer when I noticed the carpet under the machine was soaking wet. Not good. Shane checked the hoses but couldn't see anything wrong. Luckily when I bought the machine I got the extended warranty (I don't usually but I had been screwed when my previous machine died 5 years into ownership and it was a fancy model). So I called up the service people and scheduled an appointment for Thursday. Now being a family of four and going without a washing machine for three days is practically a recipe for disaster. We had laundry everywhere. I usually do about two loads a day and then a few extras on weekends for sheets and my work clothes. The service guy shows up yesterday and there is nothing wrong with the machine. He thinks it was probably overfilled and water spilled over the top of the barrel. I went three days without doing laundry in the week prior to a weekend away for nothing. Shane started some laundry (probably what caused the spill to begin with as he always overfills the machine but I don't want him to not help out so I say nothing. Bitching about the way a guy does something is the surest way to keep him from even trying. Probably why he doesn't fold laundry unless I ask.)

I got home from work last night ready to do some packing and serious knitting. (I got that lace scarf I am working on) Except that I was hit with a huge migraine. I have gotten migraines for around 8 years and they suck. They suck in ways that aren't even thinkable unless you have had one. Since I haven't found any true migraine medicine that works, I took a Vicodin and waited for the pain and nausea to subside. If there was any better sign that I have been a very bad girl on my diet this was it. Back before I started my weird diet, I used to get migraines all the time. Apparently, cola and chocolate trigger migraines in me. Big time. This may not be such a big deal for some but for me this is huge. I drank nothing but soda for years. And chocolate is a food group all its own. When I started the diet one of the first things I did was cut out soda. Unfortunately, over the previous six months or so I have started drinking it again. It started out one a day and then went up from there. Basically soda is my equal to smoking. My husband agreed to quit smoking again and I agreed to go back to the diet. I feel much better when on it, it just doesn't work well with our schedule right now.

So I have only the one resolution – stick to my diet (which isn't a lose weight diet, I can still eat fried foods and desert they just can't contain certain ingredients or to much refined sugar which feeds the yeast in my body).

I do have a few other things I would like to do this year but I will just call it a TO DO list instead of resolutions – I have an aversion to making resolutions since I have never kept a resolution.

1. Continue the organization of the crackerbox house. I live in a 1000 square foot house with three closets. Organization is a must. This is an ongoing project that I began 2 years ago. Progress is being made.

2. Try to finish half of the WIPs. I am not even going to list them. It would be way to depressing. One of the WIPs which needs to be finished is my husband's sweater.

That is about all the official things I want to do. Anyone patient enough to make it through my list will be rewarded with a picture of the scarves I made my co-workers. The left is Twilley's Freedom made up basic k3p2 rib. The middle is the fisherman's scarf (I always get this name wrong. It's the one that has gone like fire around the net) out of Cascade 220 and the final I can't remember what it is out of.

And lastly, Nate and my grandpa playing cars.

Expectations

2007-01-03T13:28:00.000-06:00

Last night I was sitting at swim practice with Nate and realized yet again just how much I expect from my kids. When did it become the norm for parents to expect their kids to misbehave? As I sat listening to the parents chatting last night, I realized that I have completely different levels of expectations for my kids (or any kids I may be put in charge of such as neices and nephews). I expect to be listened to and for the kids to mind what I say. If I say to do something I expect it to be done, maybe not in an instance but within a reasonable time (if an activity) if for behavior I shouldn't say it more than once. People are always remarking on how well behaved my kids are, but that is how they are expected to act. As a former teacher, I always believed that kids will act how they are expected to act. If you expect a kid to be a clown, they will.

This came in to play at work as well. Some of the previous secretaries didn't do some things that they should. Like change the toilet paper roll when empty. In a small office without a custodial staff is it really necessary to not change the roll when empty. How much time did it really take to change it? I am sure I changed it over 50% of the time. The rest it was changed by the only remaining secretary here now. That is just one of many similar things. It makes me wonder if I kept my job more because of these little things and less because I was "better" at the technical parts of my job. And I just have to say thanks to my parents for raising me to do what is right rather than letting someone else take care of it.

Happy New Year

2007-01-02T15:10:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! We went to my grandparents to celebrate Christmas on the 31st. It was a nice day. We played Euchre and visited. The boys played so nicely together I was beginning to think something was wrong. On Monday, Shane and I tackled the boys' rooms. It is an annual event in our house to make room for Christmas goodies. Nate thought Santa Clause had brought a ton more than he did thanks to the rediscovered toys (and some hand me downs). I got a new camera cable so be prepared for pictures. But first one from Nate's new digital camera and taken by him.

I got my first tag for a meme, Thanks KT. So here goes.

Six weird things about me:

1. I never ever stop my car under an overpass. It makes me insanely nervous so I just wait until there is enough room. I do the same thing with stopping on railroad tracks.

2. I love cheesy B rated sci fi/horror. There is nothing better than a really bad sci fi film. The worse I hear a movie is the more I want to see it. That is how I went to Battlefield Earth in the theatre.

3. I do algebra problems for fun. I love algebra, in fact if I didn't have to get through geometry I would have a math degree.

4. I hate talking on the phone and will go out of my way not to do it. This includes walking upstairs at my office instead of using the intercom.

5. I can not do a light cleaning on anything. If I clean it is a deep clean with rearranging and throwing out of trash. It drives my husband crazy.

6. I laugh all the time. I constantly find things that entertain me that no one else understands. LIke someone will say Oliver Cromwell and I will start hearing Monty Python in my head. This was a real problem in college as I was older than a couple of professors (by just a couple of years) and they took it personally. It took one a long time to learn not to ask why I was so amused because he never understood why I was amused.

Well, I am not tagging anyone as most everyone I read or email has already done this.

End of the Year

2006-12-29T13:42:00.000-06:00

Today marks the end of an era at my work. The attorney who ran for judge (and won) will be starting his new job on the 2nd. Yesterday, the other secretaries celebrated their last day (if you can call it a celebration). It has been super busy here trying to coordinate all the files and work and still have time for the social aspect of ending employments of long duration. Thankfully, the worst two are over and today is more happy than sad.

The boys came home the night before last and have been rebuilding their energy. Nate has been working his way through his new toys. He plays with each thing for a couple of hours and then works his way back through all the open ones.

This weekend, we will bring in the New Year at my grandparents' house with wine (homemade), cards and fun.

See you next year!

No kids and a Dirty House

2006-12-27T14:52:00.000-06:00

The kids have been gone since Christmas night. They went home with their Aunt since we had no sitter on Tuesday and Shane had volunteered for overtime. Apparently, they aren't coming back until Thursday sometime when Grandma brings them home. It will be just enough time to recharge their batteries for this weekend when they will get to stay up until midnight. Unfortunately all this childless time isn't allowing me to get much housework done. Last night I washed what felt like a hundred loads of laundry, but I still have four left to do. I did managed to get through Nate's closet and get out the clothes he has outgrown. They all go to his Aunt's to a family that is going through a tough time. I still need to get to Ben's, but most of his outgrown clothing will either be tossed (if holey or really ragged) or kept for Nate.

Christmas Aftermath

2006-12-26T12:24:00.000-06:00

We have survived 6 out of 8 Christmas celebrations. The remaining two aren't for a bit. One is next Sunday and the other not until the 15th of January. I have to apologize for a total lack of pictures (I still haven't replaced my camera cable).

The office Christmas party was a great success. With the attorney leaving to become Judge on the 1st, we had a huge turnout. I actually mingled more this year (mainly because I didn't knit) instead of letting the people come to me. I got to hold three babies which was fabulous. Ben and the 8 month old were having a great time. She would lean over to get hugs and give him big kisses all over. It was adorable. Nate charmed his way through all of the ladies at the party and at one point had some lady I had never met helping him get some food. We left pretty early since we had the kids and I had a big deadline the next day. I think that was probably a good thing as the alcohol consumption grew as the night went on.

Friday, I got to work to the aftermath of the party. I had never experienced that before as it was always cleaned up by the next workday. Unfortunately, I had to finish my BIG deadline item before I could help clean. On the plus side it didn't take long. I headed to the copy shop with it and while they were copying it, I went to Toys-R-Us to finish some of the shopping. I really needed to go to the mall as well, but I couldn't take the crowds and traffic so I gave up and went back to work. We started our small office party at around 1 with leftover food from the previous night. (Most of the food was made by our Office Manager. She made all kinds of cookies, candies and 13 separate types of cheese balls). Then we opened gifts. I had given the ladies their scarves and they all responded nicely. At least nice enough that I think they will each wear them at least some. I gave booze to the attorneys, since I know it is one thing they will definetely use. I got some really good chocolate -- Godiva and Hershey's. I also got a couple of gift certificates and one of the best scented candles ever. It is bayberry and cinamon and you can smell it in the room without even lighting it.

Bossman gave me a LYS gift certificate (he has every year that I have worked there, he knows I will use it and it requires very little thought). I used it immediately. I had planned all year what I wanted to buy with it and had begun to worry that he might have bought me something else this year. I got a copy of Victorian Lace which I loved when I first saw it, 4 skeins of ArtYarns 100% silk yarn in a beautiful blue/green/yellow colorway and a Addi natura in the proper size to make a pattern with the silk. This is the first year the gift certificate went entirely for stuff for me.

Friday evening, Shane went to Lowe's to finish the shopping. My parents also brought by my nephew for his visit. He had been feeling pretty sick and was just starting to perk up. But with the boys and Remus (our dog), he was very lively at our house. He can talk quite a bit but is very soft spoken most of the time, plus he had been away from his parents for over five days at that point and was missing them something terrible as he rarely is away for more than 24 hours at a time.

Saturday my cousin came over for a visit and my boys monopolized her time while Shane and I sat in the living room. She went back to college this fall and between college, work and her fiance she doesn't have much spare time so we hadn't seen her in months. (This is very unusual for my family and we were both missing each other). It was nice to see her and it kept me from killing my boys who spent the day bickering.

My MIL tried to do me in. I had to send Shane to get a gift card for Ben after he got home because I had miscalculcated what I had spent. When he got home, he checked the message from his mother only to find out she had decided (one day before Christmas Eve) that she was going to give him the bike she picked up for us. I could have killed her. I mean a couple of weeks before Christmas is one thing but one day before you need the gift, come on! Since I had already gotten the gift card and had no intention of going to any store big enough to carry anything he might want that he wasn't already getting I was at a loss for what to do. I called my sister who saved my bacon (and my MIL's). She was in a bigger town with some shopping potential and picked up a couple things for me.

This just goes to prove that I need to keep all the boys gifts at hand until the day I need them. Next year I will definetely also save back a little of each of their lists so that I am not scrambling for things to buy them. My boys don't really put a lot on their lists and we both have pretty good size families so their lists were dry by the fourth person or so. I try to get them to go for things like legos and train tracks for Nate, but Ben doesn't really do much beside swim and play video games. For some reason, the MIL would't buy the swimming items he wanted. If I had known she wasn't going to get them, I would have.

My sister gave me Handmaiden Sea Silk yarn in Amethyst and a set of Crystal Palace needles. My sister-in-law gave me ebony needles. I was as happy as could be.

We ate to much. Visited a lot. I played some pinocchle (racehorse my favorite). I could barely get out of bed today, besides eating stuff I wasn't supposed to I didn't get to bed early enough any night and got up way to early. I had planned on taking the day off, but the big deadline that ended up being on Friday was supposed to be today so I couldn't take it off. It is a good thing I didn't as we had a sick call and one girl out with vacation time. The office is what it will look and sound like after the 1st.

Tonight, I get to enjoy the putting away of gifts and washing of new clothes. Anybody else wash new clothes before wearing? I never used to but Shane is allergic to the dyes or packing materials and breaks out if we don't so he makes me wash everything.

Christmas Party

2006-12-21T11:46:00.000-06:00

Today is our office Christmas Party. Well part one of two. This is the big invite all the other lawyers, judges, clerks, etc. Tomorrow is the small party. Just wanted to check in as the blogging has been sporadic of late.

Wedding Take 2

2006-12-20T13:03:00.000-06:00

Where did yesterday go? It has been crazy busy trying to get ready for the big office party and all the normal deadlines.

Let's start wedding pictures with more of the hair.

Two pictures of girls in the process and a post hair picture. Steven did a fabulous job!

Post hair and dressed up ready to go, with shawls.

And with flowers.

Surprising the groom (pictures were before the wedding but they wanted to see their faces when they saw each other for the first time in their finery)

Post-pictures, pre-wedding resting.

The wedding party (well at least the girls).

Lastly, some really cute boys dancing at the reception.

Christmas knitting is progressing. I finished blocking the scarves for work. I am finished with the back of the nephew's sweater so will likely get it done in time. Hopefully, pictures will be forthcoming.

Accidents, theft and the flu

2006-12-18T13:53:00.000-06:00

The weekend started out simply enough. Friday night, we did nothing. Sat around and rested. It was my brother's 31st birthday, so I had spoken to him on the phone earlier that day. We could have gone to his house, but it is an hour drive and with the swim meet on Saturday I didn't really want to chance it. Saturday morning we got up and got ready to head to the meet. My dad was to meet us at our house so we could go down together. He got there, maybe a little rough around the edges from the late night and booze (apparently they celebrated the birthday into the wee hours of the night) and we headed to the meet. Shane's parents met us at the meet shortly after Ben's first race. Ben did pretty good. His times were faster in three events and slower in two (he is working on technique which at his age will cause big flucuations in times, or so I am told).

Halfway through the meet, Nate vomitted all over the bleachers. And his Grandma. We took him to the bathroom to clean him up. Luckily we had a spare shirt with us but his shoes just had to suffer. We sat out in the lobby away from other people (I didn't want to share anymore germs than necessary, but we weren't going to leave until Ben was finished). Nate managed to make it to the bathroom the other times of illness. He slept on my lap for about and hour and a half. (A sure indication the boy was ill. He never naps, let alone in public on his mom's lap) After his nap, he woke up and was fine. Maybe not perfect but definetely not violently ill. We headed home.

Once we got to our house, Nate started crying because he thought he was going home with Papa. So, Papa took him home (yes he is terribly spoiled by his grandparents). He wasn't sick again but did end up running a fever. So we ended up in the house without the boys. I watch the movie the Three Burials of Melquides Estrada with Tommy Lee Jones in it. What a weird movie. I made it through it but it was an odd, odd movie.

Sunday morning, I got up and made two apple pies, one for the family gathering and one for my brother for his birthday and we headed off to some cousins for a Christmas gathering. Shane stopped for gas and I went to get a drink. We drove on. Halfway to our destination I asked for the receipt for the gas, I thought he paid at the pump. He thought I paid inside. So we stole our gas. I called the gas station to explain, luckily the cops hadn't been called yet.

The gathering was great. I got to see some relatives I haven't seen in a while. Then I got roped into playing Pinocchle. My cousin and her husband left to go home and hit a deer. They totaled their car, but were not hurt, thank goodness. We made it home just fine (same route they were taking).

This morning, I got pictures from the wedding. Tomorrow, I will put in a bunch. But for now, my favorite. Shane, Nate, Aunt and me.
And my favorite of Shane, Nate and me.

A little more Christmas shopping

2006-12-14T15:05:00.000-06:00

Girls' night was great last night. By the time Christina got to my house, the boys were off to swim team so we got to eat in peace at home. Then we decided to go and do some shopping. Ben has asked for an IPOD which I told him wasn't likely to happen (not entirely true since my sister got him an IPOD Shuffle, but it isn't like I could tell him that). So I was looking into video players. I had priced and researched online, but I always like to see things in person. What a waste of time. The stores we went to had nothing (I didn't do a real in depth search in person). Thankfully, when I saw him after practice he had come up with another thing he would like to have. A new bike. Grandma is researching that.

We ended our evening at Toys'R'Us. I still had to buy for one neice and the boys. I had pretty good luck finding what I needed. Unfortunately, I still have 5 gifts left to buy for not counting the big ones left for the boys (a bike and a huge lego set for Nate). I will be exceptionally glad when the season is over this year. Which for us won't be until January 17th. I will have celebrated sven times by the last one. This is the one part of having large families and a close knit (ha) office staff that I really don't like.

Tonight I hope to wrap more gifts as I have barely started doing that. I also need to finish a couple more wash clothes as I was two short for the gifts I want to give. I haven't made a bit of progress on the MIL's scarf and I am starting to worry that it won't be done in time.

No pictures yet. I didn't think to take the camera with me last night so I could get a new cable. Hopefully I will remember this weekend.

Grumble, Grumble, Snarl

2006-12-13T14:23:00.000-06:00

Last night, I took pictures of the three scraves I made for my co-workers. But can I get them off of my camera? NO! It is absolutely making my crazy. So hopefully, I will be able to get more pictures off my camera at some point.

I didn't get much done last night. Between swim team and normal evening stuff, I just didn't have much energy for knitting. I did cast on the nephew's sweater. But I think I will have to concentrate on my MIL's scarf so that I can be certain I won't be staying up until the wee hours of the night to finish it in time to wash it.

Tonight is the first girls' night out since the wedding. I can't wait.

One down, two to go

2006-12-12T14:47:00.000-06:00

I decided to knit my nephew the sweater with the condition that it might not be done until after Christmas. The thing is my sister appreciated the previous sweater so much, she even had his picture taken in it. It was the highest compliment she has ever given me. She knew that it didn't take me long to make the sweater last year and she crafts herself (including a little dabbling in knitting), so she knows it is time intensive on the whole. All in all, I had to say I would make the sweater. Plus, if I don't get it done, it can always be a little late since it is not an actual Christmas gift. So, she bought the yarn (Cascade Ecological Wool) which I got to pick out and I got to pick out the pattern.

I also picked up yarn to make Nate a scarf. He has specifically requested a blue one also out of Cascasde but I can't remember specifically which type (not the 220 though). He has really gotten into wearing scarfs since it got cold. I didn't put one on him yesterday since it was nearly fifty when we left the house and he pointed to his neck and said it needed something to keep it warm. So I had to go get him a scarf to wear. He has also told me he wants to knit with me when I make it.

Nate and I put up the Christmas tree last night. I let Nate decorate it and all the ornaments he put on are in about a quarter of the tree. He picked a spot at his eye level and down but only for half the tree that he felt the need to decorate. It looks a little lopsided, but he had so much fun that I didn't have the heart to stop him. I did save a few ornaments for Ben to put on the tree and he is looking forward to doing that. Now I just have to wrap some gifts to put under the barren bottom on the tree.

Yesterday, I finished the last co-worker's scarf. Now I have to block and wrap them so that they will be ready to go when we have our office Christmas party. That leaves my MIL's scarf and the sweater to be finished. I also need to add up the washclothes I have made and decide if I need to make anymore (I am giving three a piece to all the ladies in my family).

My weekend was totally relaxing a peaceful. I didn't step out of the house for a minute altogether. Shane and I even had time to watch a movie together on Saturday. It was fabulous.

Yippe, it's the weekend!

2006-12-08T15:33:00.000-06:00

I am so glad it is Friday! I haven't had a weekend with no traveling in so long I can't even remember. It's going to be all cleaning, knitting and playing this weekend. (I can't believe I am looking forward to cleaning! But that is the price I must pay if I want to not be nauseated by being in my house)

Have a great weekend!

Swim Team

2006-12-07T14:03:00.000-06:00

Well, Shane has been sick the past couple of days. Since the honeymoon is still on, I didn't have girls' night out last night which worked very well with a sick husband. I got roped into taking Ben to swim team. I didn't have to take Nate as well, once a week with that is enough. I needed to stop at the book store to pick up a magazine and a book so we left a little early. Now Ben enjoys reading, but he typically only reads real books at school for the AR program. I have bought him countless books for home, but he always ends up not reading them or checking them out of the library at school (I don't mind the reading them through the library as much). Last night he surprised me by showing real interest in a couple of books. He has been reading the Hank the Cowdog series through his library. He complained that they don't have enough of them so I told him to look at the store. Well, he was completely sidetracked by the City of Ember. Apparently, the teacher had read a snippet of this book to the class at one point and he enjoyed it immensely. Then we found the whole Hank the Cowdog series. He was hard pressed to pick just one book to take with him (I would buy him more when he proves he will read them).

Practice was hilarious. They did a new drill with their kickboards between their legs sitting up using their arms to pull them along. Ben could hardly keep his board down. I managed to knit a repeat of the MIL' s scarf at practice and two cable repeats on the fisherman's scarf for my co-worker. So it was time well spent.

My sister emailed me yesterday with a request to knit my nephew a new sweater. I was stunned to say the least. She is extremly picky about things and buys his clothes in expensive stores (vs. Kohl's and Wal-mart like me). The problem is she wants it done by Christmas, I told her I would have to check and see, but I think I could potentially get it done. I just don't want to stress about the gifts this year. I have the two scarves to finish and I think that is it. The co-workers has to be done well before christmas and I think I am in good shape to do that. But my MIL's I am just not sure about. The pattern takes a little more concentration than I really care for in a deadline project. Time will tell.

Holiday Meme

2006-12-06T15:12:00.000-06:00

Holiday meme shamelessly stolen from Arletta's.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Hot Chocolate with marshmellows

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?

Not just under the tree, but ready to be played with.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

I prefer colored lights but in all one color. Our tree has blue lights on it.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

Never

5. When do you put up your decorations?

Whatever weekend I have free or when I am finally forced to by my relatives. I don't get to celebrate christmas at my house ever and don't always put up a tree anymore.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?

Beef N Noodles, no question.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

At my grandparents, there was a little house with a Santa on a pole. It you tapped the Santa, he climbed down the pole and to the chimney of the house. When he reached the house we got to open presents. We spent all day trying to sneak Santa down the pole until Grandpa would get fed up and take him off. It was great.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

When I was six, we had a huge snowfall in December. My brother and I went to get the sled down out of the garage attic and found a bunch of unopened Star Wars toys. Then on Christmas they appeared under the tree, and that was the end of Santa.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Yes, at my parents house we open all of our gifts.

10. What kind of decorations are on your Christmas Tree?

I have homemade decorations, some glass balls and icicles and beads. It is pretty bare in truth.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread?

Love it. As long as I don't have to drive to far.

12. Can you ice skate?

Yes, but not well.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

Not really, but probably my body pillow.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

Family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

Divinity. The once a year treat.

16 What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Taking turns opening the presents by age so that all can see what you got.

17. What tops your tree?

An angel that Shane had from a boy.

18. What is your favorite holiday book?

The Fallen Angel, by Christopher Moore.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?

Bugundian Carol

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yummy?

YUCK, I can't stand peppermint.

Damn &#ing Camera

2006-12-05T14:45:00.000-06:00

Okay, I managed to get some of the pictures off my digital camera, but it isn't working very well. I think it is definitely time to invest in a new camera.

So let's start with photos of the stoles. The few that I have. I am horrible about taking pictures during actual events. I get way to involved in what I am doing. Thankfully, Morgan took a ton (seriously over 200) of pictures, so I am waiting to get them from her.

First up, my stole. Not on, just blocking. I did not get any pictures of myself in the stole, but there will be some later.

Next up the Bride prior to hair and makeup but wearing her tiara (because who doesn't want a tiara?)

During hair. (That's Steven. He is fabulous. Used to be my hairdresser before I moved to far away to make it reasonable to see him)

Last, the Bride modeling her full hairdo, makeup, dress and the stole.

Wedding

2006-12-04T14:34:00.000-06:00

What a busy weekend! I was swamped at work all last week (a soon to be commen occurrence again). I managed to get my dress on Thursday evening along with the Bride's slip. Turns out my dress had been taken in to much! Luckily, they had only taken it in about 1/2 inch and it was easily let back out. Friday started out busy but smooth going until I found out that part of the wedding party wouldn't make it in from Oklahoma. Again, it was easily fixed by having the step-dad stand in for the groomsman who wouldn't make it. I would have never guessed that snow would be an issue the first week of December (other than just to slow down the drive a bit).

Then about five minutes before I left work, the Bride called completely stressed out. I was supposed to spend the night with her but she didn't think I would be able to stay in her room as she still had much packing to do. I couldn't understand most of what she was saying on the phone so I just agreed and decided to sort it out later. The rehearsal went smoothly although the sanctuary of the church was frigid. I wore my wool coat through most of it. At the dinner, I worked it out with Christina about the night. I ended up staying at her house and sleeping on the air mattress (I take sleeping pills and can truly sleep about anywhere if tired). She was still stressing out after the dinner, so Morgan (a friend) and I helped finish up last minute tasks so she could pack.

The morning of the wedding dawned clear, bright and cold. We got up and went out for breakfast to fortify us. After breakfast we were ahead of schedule so we went back to the house to organize all the items we needed to take to the church. Then it was off to get the hair and make-up done. (I will have some pictures as soon as I find my other camera cable). I think I had nearly as many pins in my hair as Christina had in hers and mine was only half up! We were a little late getting down with the hair and makeup, but still had plenty of time to get to the church. We sped off to pick up the groom and then went to get the dresses which we layered on top of the groom in the backseat of the car. Then pictures.

The ceremony went very smoothly with no hitches or mess ups. Except one. I carried kleenex in with me for when Christina started crying (I have yet to be in a wedding party where the Bride didn't cry). But I was to far away to give them to her discreetly. I didn't even think to have the groom holding the kleenex. Luckily she got within reach and signaled me so that I could give her one.

Afterwards, one of the bridesmaids lost her keys. Christina was worried and wanted to stay to help look, but was already stressing about being late for the reception so we sent her on and found the keys. (They were in her bag in a compartment she didn't know was there) My main job all through this has been to keep Christina calm. She tends to stress easily. Apparently, I had one more job. I had to supervise and schedule all of the reception. Christina and John had no idea how they wanted to time everything or how to do it, so they conferred with me. (I have been a bridesmaid numerous times, although I eloped for my own wedding). The reception continued pretty well, until I had to give my speech. I totally blew it by crying and couldn't finish.

Nate spent most of the reception hitting on the bridesmaids. He certainly likes the older ladies.
He showed off his "HIGH-YA" kick and how he dances. Everyone was in love with him by the end of the reception.

Then we made sure everything was gathered to leave and went home.

The stoles were huge successes. I got loads of compliments on both. I was somewhat amused during the pictures. One of John's cousins was knitting a sock. So we had a nice conversation about knitting, yarn stores especially in the Chicago area, and the Stitches conferences. It was nice to see another knitter at such an unexpected place.

Next up Ben's swim meet and weekend with Papa. (His knot is gone. He was able to do all four strokes by Thursday night's practice)

Panic!

2006-11-29T14:45:00.000-06:00

I have got to block those stoles tonight! I didn't make it into the store to buy any foam board to block them on, so they will end up on the floor. The question is can I keep my dog from them. I hope so. It won't be so noticable on the Bride's which is mohair but mine, it would be very obvious. I also need to block a couple of the scarves for the girls at work. I need to give one her scarf ahead of the Christmas party which she doesn't intend to attend. She asked us not to give her presents, but I informed her it was tough she was getting it. Luckily, she agreed.

Ben is feeling better and actually swam last night at practice. He couldn't do the freestyle or backstroke, but he used the kickboard and did the breaststroke. I thought he probably practiced for to long, but I couldn't get his attention to get him out of the pool. Needless to say, he was a little stiff this morning. I am hoping he is well enough to be competitive this weekend as it will be just him and papa and I know he will want to do a good job.

In addition to needing to block the stoles, worrying about Ben and preparing for this weekend, I just found out we are supposed to get upwards of 6 inches of snow tomorrow night into Friday morning. I am totally not prepared for this. Could have something to do with the 70 degree temp we are having today and the fact that I haven't worn a jacket in over a week.

In addition to Thanksgiving, I had my annual shopping trip with Beth. She comes home to visit her parents and we make a special day trip each year. We shopped for a while, found some good bargains and when we were tired went to the movies (also part of the day). Usually, we can't pick a movie we both like, but this year Beth wanted to see Casino Royale. Floored me. She doesn't care for Bond movies which I love. I had wanted to see this movie so bad but had written it off for the day. More stunning, we both loved it! Daniel Craig is a superb Bond and the script was good. Then we went back to my parents and they had cooked supper.

Saturday, I got up and talked to my sis. Turns out all the presents I bought for my nephew he already has. She is going to return them for me (I got them at a store I only get to a couple times a year) and she picked up what I am giving him. Then Nate and I headed home to clean house for Sunday. But Shane was in a snit and had already cleaned the house because he thought I wouldn't have time (I got home at noon, how long does he think it would take to clean house?). So I had most of the afternoon to play with Nate. Unfortunately, he was so tired all he wanted to do was watch Scooby-Doo.

Sunday my two aunts and parents came over. We had turkey potpie, veggie soup and my mom made lemon pie. Then Nate had all that attention to himself for three hours. We played every game he had. Nope not a spoiled boy, at all.

It's been awhile

2006-11-28T15:09:00.000-06:00

This weekend got away from me. Thanksgiving was pretty good. We spent the day at the in-laws minus Ben. He went to his cousins (my mom's family) for the weekend. Nate got spoiled being with papa and grandma by himself on Friday while mommy shopped and daddy worked. He loves going to papa's because papa has no rules which is what papas are for. I got some great deals shopping and more on that later as I am running out of time.

Ben came home with a huge knot in his neck muscle. He couldn't move his head without crying and for my boy that says a lot. He doesn't complain much and for him to cry over something means it really hurts. So I took the day off yesterday to take him to the doctor. They gave us stretches to do. It has helped, but it still hurts to hold his head up. I am sure he spent a goodly portion of today in the nurse's office.

Wedding, 5 days and counting. I must block the wraps.

Safe

2006-11-22T13:18:00.000-06:00

It is definite -- I am keeping my job. According to the boss man it was a no-brainer that they were keeping me. So all my worry was for nothing. I am definitly sad for the other two secretaries who will be leaving. The boss man was the one delegated to do the "letting go". He was dreading it and after it was done, was miserable for the better part of the day. I felt horrible for him. Today, one of the two leaving called in sick. I told the other secretary leaving that I would have called in. Why not? You have the sick days accumulated and you get a five day weekend. The secretary who was here asked that we not give her any christmas gifts. I had to explain that I had hers already and that I was giving it to her regardless and she was not to feel bad that she didn't have anything for me. Since my plan was in place before the decision was made and her scarf was the first one I had finished. I may just give it to her early as more of a going away present rather than christmas present, so that she doesn't feel obligated to get me something at the christmas party (if we have one). The office will seem so quiet and empty with them gone. We will only have four employees total (including the two boss men) versus the seven+ we have had over the past 2 1/2 years.

Alright, on to happier stuff. I teased with news of a Secret Pal gift that I received Saturday. Even though I got home at 3AM I still opened it right away. It was filled with great stuff.

What you see is a set of black pens for work. Some pampering body care products. Lindt's milk chocolate which I have been saving. And a set of rosewood DPNs (Size 1). I can't wait to use those babies. I have been wanting to try out rosewood needles for awhile. Now I just have to finish some of the gift projects on my list so I can start some socks. Thanks Secret Pal.

This weekend will be busy for our family. We are going to the in-laws tomorrow. We used to trade off Thanksgiving and Easter, but I have Easter at my house now so we always do Thanksgiving at the in-laws. Ben is not joining us. His cousins are up to visit with the grandparents and he is going to spend the day with them. Technically, he will be with my parents, but I doubt they will see him except for dining. Then Friday, Dad is keeping the boys so I can do my annual shopping trip with Beth.

For the past couple of years I have gotten up for the early bird sales, but this year nothing has struck my fancy. Beth and I meet about 8ish and have breakfast. Then we shop at a nice slow pace, have lunch, shop some more and then see a movie. If we don't make it to all the stores, we don't. It is the best time.

Saturday, I will be cleaning house so that Sunday we can have my Dad's family over. I haven't seen my two aunts in forever! As this in unusual for us, I invited them over. The only thing that saddened me about this weekend is that my nephew isn't coming down. My sister usually spends this weekend with her in-laws as they are jewish and don't celebrate christmas but she had teased about possibly coming down this year and I was totally ready to see the nephew. But no I will have to wait until christmas. I think I might kidnap him for the day before christmas eve. An aunt has to do what she must to get that special time alone (not that I will see him except for feeding if he comes to my house, but I might be able to sneak a kiss or hug in).

Bachelorette Party and Swimming

2006-11-21T12:24:00.000-06:00

Well, I had a great weekend. The bachelorette party went fabulously. I started the bride off with a full body massage and facial (her first ever). Then we met up with the rest of the girls for dinner. We ate at Biaggi's, a fabulous italian place. I had the most delicious short ribs and garlic mashed potatoes. I also splurged and had tomato and bread soup. After dinner, we opted to go to the chocolate bar where we all indulged in some truffles. I had a wonderful Bailey's Irish Creme truffle. I also took home a milk chocolate truffle which I gave to my mom on Sunday. We hung out at the chocolate bar for a while just talking. Afterwards we went to Boltini's which is a martini bar, for drinks. Now since I can't have alcohol, I was acting as the DD. I decided to try Voss which is some fancy artisian water. What a waste of $3.50. We had a great time there until it hit about 10 and the smokers came in (one more month and Champaign will be smoke free). Half of our party bailed then.

So the remaining members (me, the bride and one more) decided to go dancing. But we couldn't find the club we wanted to go to and ended up freezing our behinds off. Thus we stopped at a hole-in-the-wall bar to warm up and have a drink. We played cricket (a type of dart game). I used to play darts quite a bit with my husband, but I was thumped into the ground by the other ladies. One other lady joined us (neither the bride or I knew her, but we are always ready to meet new people) and we figured out where the dance club was located. We headed off to the bar where we danced for the remaining hour or so we stayed up. It was a fabulous time except or course for the bedtime. I didn't get home until 3 AM.

Sunday, I had to get up because I was meeting my mom to go to Ben's swim meet. He had gone with Shane and my Dad (and Nate) on Saturday for the first day, but Mom couldn't go until Sunday and neither could I. So I had to get up at 8 AM. Five hours of sleep does not a happy swim mom make. Ben's did wonderfully at his meet improving the times of all his events except his 100 back. The 100 back was on Saturday and Shane told me the coaches pulled him off to the side after it to give him a serious talk. Apparently whatever they told him worked, because his times improved at least 3 seconds in all the rest of his races.

When we got home Sunday night, we were all exhausted. There was a surprise waiting for me at home -- a package from my secret pal. More on that tomorrow. Also, I am supposed to find out whether or not I still have a job today! Wish me luck.

Weekend Fun

2006-11-17T14:55:00.000-06:00

Thus ends another week. The bosses are having issues deciding what to do (and who to do without) so no decision was made. My bosses thoughtfully informed me of this without my having to be asked and even though I may lose my job I can somewhat console myself with the thought that it is all about the financial aspect (that and the fact that I am way low man on the list).

Anyways, on to happier thoughts. The fabulous bachelorette party is tomorrow. It should be lots of fun. Then I will be taking my mom to meet with the boys and my dad for the second day of Ben's swim meet. It's in Greenwood. Last year when we went to this meet, I drug Ben all over Greenwood looking for a yarn store listed in the phonebook. We finally found it and I got to purchase some Mission Falls 1824 (wool) and some Fleece Artist. I was looking forward to going back to this store until the Bride and I went shopping for shoes in Greenwood and the store was gone. Very sad.

Knitting ADD

2006-11-16T14:17:00.000-06:00

I must be suffering from Knitting ADD as I cast on yet another project last night. This makes the following newly begun projects (or must be finished):

1. Scarf Co-worker No.1
2. Scarf Co-worker No.2
3. Bridal stole
4. Hat (current Dulaan knitting)
5. fingerless mitts
6. X-mas present for my mother

Plus I need to block my stole, the baby kimono and the scarf I made for the sitter's daughter. Now if I can just find the time to finish all of that.

I think I am finally on the mend from the stinking cold that my son gave me. Between the cold and the utter lack of sunshine (yet again, this has to be one of the grayest falls I can remember), I was having a bout of crankiness yesterday. In particular worrying about the job. I talked with the bossman today and there are apparently problems in working out a new partnership agreement. So it will be some time yet before we know who will stay. Luckily today, I am back to mostly ignoring the issue.

Ben is taking practice off tonight (he gets one practice off a week as I think five is to many for a nine year old) so we will all be home tonight. I am hoping the husband cooks steak, but it is so cold that I doubt he has enough charcoal for the grill (our preferred way to cook steak). (Also, yes my husband does 99% of the cooking. I hate being in the kitchen longer than necessary)

Getting Back to Normal

2006-11-15T13:27:00.000-06:00

It has been so very crazy here. Let's start with the weekend.

Friday, Ben and I enjoyed an evening by ourselves. Shane had taken Nate to his Aunt's house, which left Ben and I rare mommy/son time. Which he promptly used to watch Pokemon and play video games. Sometimes I miss him being little. Saturday, I volunteered to work so that my boss could have his brief to work on when he came in Sunday (a normal thing for him). But, I went to the LYS before I went to work to get yarn for the scarves for the ladies at work. I came home with Jaeger Naturespun and Twilley's Freedom, both in natural. That makes three scarves in the same color -- I know, seems a little much but two of the three have multiple winter coats in multiple colors so I wanted the scarves flexible and the third picked her color. I also picked up some yarn to make a gift for my mom, but since she reads this blog occassionaly that will have to stay under wraps.

The scarf my boys showed off yesterday is the first of the scarves. The Jaeger, knit Saturday afternoon while watching Failure to Launch and The Constant Gardner on US 35s, CO 15, knit to desired lenght slipping the first stitch of every row. Ben has declared that he would like a scarf since that one was SO soft (his wording). Isn't he a wonderful model, he is so photogenic that I have never seen a bad picture of him. At one point we actually had a modelling agency contacting us about him. We opted out of that due to time issues, which seems a little odd now that we do swim team all the time.

Anyways, I am halfway done with the second scarf for work and have started the third. The third will take the longest due to the cabled pattern I am using. The third scarf I actually have the input of the co-worker I am making it for whereas the other two are getting surprises (and consequently less time put into their scarves, in case they don't like them [which doesn't worry me much] or won't wear them [a far more likely possibility). I am also planning on some fingerless mitts for my boss's wife who works in a freezer.

And the best news of the weekend, my stole for the wedding is finished! It isn't blocked yet so I don't have any pictures yet. Unfortunately, I am still plugging away on the Bride's.

So, let's see, I am up to Sunday. Sunday, I went shopping with my MIL, SIL and neice. Which made me realize why my boys don't like to shop. My neice was all over the stores, often with my SIL unaware of exactly where she was. When I take the boys shopping, they stay right by me and if there is a stroller, they must hold onto it or be in it (Nate). There is no running all over the store and touching everything in sight. Plus they must behave properly, they have to follow rules for inside behavior. It made me realize yet again just how much I expect from my kids. On the other hand, they rarely let me down and they get plenty of time to be goofy and make messes and run and scream. It was a little stressful for me and I wasn't responsbile to watch her.

The shopping was ultimately successful. My MIL finished most of her Christmas shopping, as did the SIL. I bought one christmas gift. The rest of what I bought was for now. On the plus side, the sales were fantastic.

The past two nights, I have been fighting a cold passed to me from Ben. So, I cancelled girls night to make sure I will have energy for the bachelorette party this weekend.

On a final note, Two Sticks and a String posted about a project called
Comforting Jenn
which is posted on the blog Tightly Wound Loosly Knit (linked up above). This is a project for Jenn who lost her husband, 7 yr old son and 4 month old baby in a car accident. Found out she was pregnant and then lost the baby. It gets worse, but I will cry if I put down the rest so go read about Jenn and help if you can.

Still Here

2006-11-14T15:52:00.000-06:00

Still Here. Work very busy. Distract with picture of boys and FO.

Childless, Again

2006-11-10T12:42:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I received an email requesting that my boys stay overnight with their aunt. Tomorrow they will be staying with their grandma. I have had numerous people laugh when I told them that if I wanted to keep Ben on a weekend I had to tell people (family) that they couldn't have him. It now appears that we are working our way back to that same situation. Not that I am completely complaining about this, it is great to have a big family that wants to spend time with the boys, but sometimes I want to have them. Anyways, Ben doesn't get to go tonight because he has missed to many practices already this week but he does get to go to grandma's tomorrow. Then on Sunday it will be shopping with the MIL.

I bought half the materials to make the blocking board for the stoles. I will have Shane pick up the rest tomorrow. Which should be about right because I have 22 rows left on my stole. I am completely excited about having it done. The bride's stole is growing at a steady pace and I am hoping to finish it by next week sometime.

Parent Teacher conferences went as expected. Ben's teacher coached the youngest group of swimmers over the summer, so he knew her before school started. I had forgotten that she was a coach, but remembered as soon as I saw her. Ben is doing great (as expected) in all areas. We got the normal he's a joy to have in class. Someday he is going to pay me back for all of this good behavior. The scholastic book fair was going on so I picked up some books for Nate. Ben is on a book hold from the last set of purchases. He reads great from the library but for some reason not the books we have at home. It is crazy.

Thanks for all the well wishes job-wise. I am just hoping for the best.

Sunshine!

2006-11-09T14:13:00.000-06:00

The sun is shining and it is 75 degrees outside! Now if we could only get the sun to remain up for a little longer after work is over I would be a happy, happy girl. This is the view from my driveway, looking east.

Here is my november calendar. It is Boris Vallejo and his wife Julie. Fantasy art.

Tonight is parent/teacher conferences for Ben. He will be at swim practice and not with me so it should be interesting. It is also the scholastic book fair, but he won't be getting any this time. The rule is no more books until he reads the ones we bought. He has 5 or so to go. If he would break from the library books and read some of the ones at home, it would certainly go quicker and then he could have a new book of his choice.

Last night, the Bride and I went to Priscilla's to look at games for the bachelorette party. We couldn't find any that didn't step over the line of way to inappropriate. I do think there will be a nice tasteless veil for the bride. Any suggestions for where I could get some fun, yet not slutty games?

Election Aftermath

2006-11-08T13:58:00.000-06:00

This year the election had new meaning to me. One of the lawyers I work with was running for judge of his county. He is now the newly elected judge which means our office is down one lawyer. Unfortunately this means we now have two secretaries to many. I have been worried that as the low man on the totem pole, I will lose my job but have received some reassurances that this will not be the case. I suppose this is yet to be seen.

I started the final ball of yarn on my stole for the wedding last night while watching the election results. This is the first year I have ever watched for the results and it was awfully trying. First, the only local station was the NBC station. I watch House so I missed part of House waiting for the result to scroll across the bottom. This was after I watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy to get the results. I think I much prefer not needing to know who won until the morning after.

I have decided to make scarfs for the ladies I work with since this could be our last year working together. One will be getting the Irish Hiking Scarf (she picked out the pattern), the other two I am not sure about yet. I will have to decide what I want to make them. This will call for a trip to the LYS but not until I finish the stoles which should be by the weekend. Tonight, I plan to get the supplies to make a blocking board (again) so I can wash and block my stole.

Did you vote?

2006-11-07T13:57:00.000-06:00

Don't forget to vote today.

We had a very busy weekend. The surprise party for the BIL was a smashing success. We got there plenty early and proceeded to hid the PT cruiser (it has purple flames on it and stands out) so as not to give away our presence. BIL was certainly surprised. The food was somewhat disapointing but the conversation was good. My parents came and got the boys who were not sorry to leave. Shane and I danced and talked and generally behaved like adults for a change. Since I was the sober one of the group, I made a run to buy cigarettes only to find it was sleeting! This did not thrill me as I knew I was to drive home. Luckily, it didn't last long.

Sunday we had my parents and grandparents over for a late lunch. This entailed getting up much earlier than the 2 AM bedtime told me I should be getting up. But, I had to pick up the house before the guests got there. Shane made roast with potatoes and carrots, delicious. We played some euchre, which amazingly my father and I won. (usually we lose and quite miserably at that). So my grandfather went home as he doesn't like it when he doesn't win. My parents stayed and played some games with the boys who were quite tired after their weekend.

Ben began running a fever before bedtime. Then he started coughing. I didn't make it to work yesterday and he didn't go to school. He has a upper respiratory infection. The doctors think it is viral in nature and gave him fancy cough syrup. He was up half the night coughing and I finally moved him to the couch so he could sleep sitting up. He hasn't ran a fever since yesterday, so I am hoping he is feeling better. Although he won't be swimming for a couple more days.

Today has been entertaining. The high school kids got out of school early because of parent teacher conferences and a group gathered outside our office. Then the yelling started. The F-word started flying back and forth and various threats were traded. The mother of one girl came out and put her daughter inside but continued trading words herself. (Obviously, a high class neighborhood for living in). Eventually the police showed up. Although they took long enough that if the fight had turned physical it would have been over by the time they got here. Apparently the police were called to our office yesterday as well. We had our maintenance guy working on the garage (unattached) and some neighbor thought there were breaking in a called the cops. The cops proceeded to pull a gun on the poor guys! I never thought I would be so glad to miss work. This kind of drama I could do without.

I got more work done on the wedding stoles. I have a little over one ball left on mine and half a ball on the brides. 3 1/2 weeks and counting until they must be done. I tried on my dress Friday night and I was wrong in assuming I could even wear an 1" tall heel, so I have a pair of mary janes I can wear during pictures and the walk down the isle. Then I will switch to heels when it doesn't matter how long the dress is.

Scarf pics

2006-11-03T14:34:00.000-06:00

My models deserted me for sleep this morning. So I had to take a picture of myself. This is how I wear that scarf. I have it wrapped completely around my neck and it still hangs down to my waist.

Tonight I get a haircut. Then I have to get fitted for my bridesmaid dress. I need to find out exactly how long it is so I can hunt for shoes if necessary.

Tomorrow we are celebrating my BIL's 30th birthday. It is a surprise party and should be pretty fun. My parents are picking my kids up around 8 from the pub and then Shane and I will have the rest of the evening (not that I can stay up much past 11) to dance and chat and maybe drink (Shane can drink, I don't get to. Alcohol and meds don't mix well).

I would like to thank everyone for their comments. I am not very good about checking the blog for comments and can't always respond to the emails I get. I appreciate every comment and I do read them.

The bully problem seems to be well taken care of. We have been working with Ben to get him to talk to us and to teachers when he has a problem. Part of the issue is that many teachers don't believe him as to the seriousness or think he is tattling (he has been at that age). Although this has led my husband to insist that he retaliate against a repeat offender (not dangerous, just annoying) who is jealous of Ben's friendship with his best friend. This is not against teachers (I used to teach, so I understand and support the teachers) and this is also why I called the school in this instance. Next week are parent/teacher conferences, so we should know for certain if has been taken care of.

Another FO

2006-11-02T12:17:00.000-06:00

I did stop at the LYS last night. I picked up two yarns. One was Mountain Colors and the other Classic Elite Tigress. I intend to make wrist warmers out of the Mountain Colors. Last year I had made a pair of wrist warmers out of another color of the MC but my mom ended up with them (I made her a pair for Christmas but they were to small). I have been getting a little frustrated with the knitting on the stoles (you know, knit knit knit some more but never finish) so I decided I needed some big yarn for my big (US 35) needles. Enter the Classic Elite. I have been eyeing this yarn for two years, but just wasn't willing to plunk down the money on it. However, my Secret Pal had sent me the gift certificate. So the Manos didn't come home with me but the Classic Elite did. After a night of knitting (in between Candyland and Hi Ho Cherry-O), I had a finished scarf. Of course, it ended up to long and I had to rip out about 8 inches this morning. During lunch, I finished sewing the ends in so tonight I will block it and then we will have some modelled pictures taken.

The pictures are pretty crappy, but give you an idean of what it looks like. Now for the specs.

Classic Elite Tigress, Color 7076, no idea on the gauge, it's a scarf I don't do gauge on a scarf, US 35 needles. I cast on 15 stitches and knitted until it was long enough. Started 11/01/06 finished 11/02/06.

The day after

2006-11-01T13:30:00.000-06:00

I think I am feeling the after effects of to much candy. We had so few kids come by this year, that I (who have no willpower when it comes to chocolate) ended up eating a considerable bit of the candy. To top it off, the boys brought back huge sacks full of candy. We will be eating this candy until Christmas (which is when I get rid of the leftovers).

Unfortunately, we ended up taking pictures on the regular film camera and not the digital yesterday. So I have no new pictures of the boys in the costumes. Ben ended up breaking his sword last night, leaving Nate's the only one left intact. Of course this is likely because Nate refused to carry his last night.

I had my first experience with a direct talk to the principal of Ben's school today. I have spoken to her many times, just never in the capacity of a parent with an issue. (I used to substitute teach at Ben's school) Ben has had an issue with a bully on the school bus. Normally, I leave it to him to deal with these things and he has done very well with it. But this particular kid had already hit him and threatened worse if he told. Ben did take it up with his teacher, but I just wanted to confirm that the Principal knew what happened so that if steps did need to be taken they could. Luckily, the principal is very easy to talk to and knows my son well enough that she took the issue seriously. We'll see if it does any good or not.

My secret pal had sent me a gift certificate for the LYS in my package. Once again thanks Secret Pal, those chocolate filled caramels are wonderful! I have been thinking about what I am going to get. The LYS has a great selection of yarns such as Cascade 220, Noro, Manos, and Claudia's Handpainted just to name a few. I have knitted with many of the varieties she carries but have never gotten the Manos. So I am thinking that I will be getting the Manos in a blue/green color. I never did get pictures of anything she sent me. I blame the kids, they took the stickers. Although I have hoarded the chocolates.

Hopefully, I can get into the LYS tonight. I need a break from my wedding stole. Both the stoles are growing, but are still not finished. I have two more balls of the DB cashmerino on mine and probably 3/4 of the ball of Doceur et Soie on the bride's. I have my first fitting for my dress this Friday, so hopefully I can have mine finished before the final fitting. I am not holding my breath on finishing either to soon.

I have also been thinking about the blocking process for the stoles. Normally, I block things on my bed, but I am sure these stoles will be to big for the bed. I made a blocking board last year to block my aunt's hat on (I made the knitted hat in A Gathering of Lace. I have never gotten any pictures of it, must make mental note to do so). I think I could probably manage to make one again, but I may have to invest in blocking pins. I want these to have nice straight edges and I don't think that I can accomplish that without the wires.

Nothing, I have nothing

2006-10-31T14:16:00.000-06:00

We did nothing last night. The boys were exhausted from the weekend and so was I. So here is Nate and Ben and Nate by himself modeling their costumes.

I am hopeful that we will get so Tirck-or Treater's tonight.

Swim Meet and Trick or Treating

2006-10-30T13:35:00.000-06:00

The swim meet was great! Ben improved his times in all of his events by at least three seconds and some more. He placed in all his events but freestyle, except that he got disqualified in the 100 breast for not touching with both hands at the same time. His 200 free was hilarious. He was really nervous about swimming that length so we talked about not going all out to start with. Well, he ended up sprinting the last 50 meters faster than he swam the 50 free! All the coaches were stunned watching him take off in the final 50 meters. His reasoning was he just wanted to see how fast he could go. I said he managed to show his coaches just how well he could do it and would now get to look forward to swimming that event far more often. (The face of the boy who realized he had to swim the 200 meters freestyle.)

The Halloween costumes my sister made were awesome. The boys looked so adorable and my dad had kept his head. The swords were dow rods. The nephew's was just barely 12 inches long. He hit it against a rock and broke it halfway through the night, but didn't seem to upset because he was in the wagon. Nate wore his coat over his costume (the only one of the kids that did and I think the only warm one as well) but he was still adorable. Unfortunately, the town we went to was having a costume contest at their school the same night as their official trick-or-treating so there weren't very many people at home. But the candy haul was the good stuff. One house even handed out Bon Bons! I haven't ever even seen a Bon Bon. Blogger has become uncooperative, so poor Nate's picture will have to wait. I got some great pictures of the three boys together holding the swords (well, my boys, the nephew tried to mimic) in the musketeer poses.

I have been knitting, but since it is on the stoles, they just look longer than the last time. Hopefully, I will have one finished before to much longer. I have been itching to work on something else.

Present and Trick or Treating

2006-10-27T12:57:00.000-05:00

I received my first SP 9 gift last night but of course have no pictures because I left the camera at work. So I will tell you all about it and show pictures on Monday. My SP got me caramel filled Dove chocolates, a whole bag. Delicious. Halloween stickers of various sorts. A battery operated pumpkin light, which the kids played with all evening. There was also a gift certificate to my LYS (and no Yarnfairy I haven't opened it). I know just what that will become. Thanks so much.

This weekend is trick or treat for the boys. My nephew will be down and they are going as the three musketeers. Although Nate still insists he will be Batman after Santa brings him his Batman outfit. Nate is only okay with the musketeer because he gets to carry a rapier (my dad's idea, two toddlers and rapiers (my dad made out of wood, I hope) will likely equal very bad time. We do have back up stuffed swords for the two littlest ones. The only one Ben is likely to hurt is himself). We will meet up on Saturday. I can't wait to see the nephew. It has been two months and he barely talks on the phone yet.

We have a swim meet the next two days. I am looking forward to seeing how much Ben's times have improved. Wish him luck!

Spoiled today

2006-10-26T14:16:00.000-05:00

Today is "crazy hair day" at my son's school. He opted to get the spray paint in orange. Unfortunately for him, having a hair 1/4 inch in length doesn't show the color as well. I told him this morning that we might as well have just colored it for real and shaved it off, but it was a little late for that. Of course, since all the big kids were getting their hair sprayed, the toddlers all wanted in on the action. Nate also got orange. Personally, the ones with blue looked more shocking, but not my choice.

Yesterday, I had asked the Office Manager for her pot pie recipe. I have been craving pot pie and not being much of a cook, I have never made one. Well, today she brough in pot pie for lunch. It was absolutely delicious. I feel absolutely spoiled.

I went shopping at Kohl's last night. I have been in desparate need of some winter sweaters. They were having great sales and I actually found three sweaters that I liked and that fit. I have three basic problems when shopping. 1. I am short-waisted, extremely short-waisted 2. I wear mostly solid colors or occasionaly strips 3. I refuse to pay full price. When you combine these three things together it results in some pretty disastrous shopping, so I was pleasantly surprised. Then I got home and found out my show didn't get taped which made me wish I had invested in the tivo afterall.

Swim Mom Knits

Moving

Fun with Lights

Bike Rides

Rambling

Sleepover Success

First Sleepover

I was hiding my head in the sand.

Weekend Away

In which I must face reality

Blogger, Ben and Pics

Test

More medical fun

Happy Easter!

Wedding Anniversary

It's officially mom time

My evening of hunting

Nothing at all

High Point

Motorcycle Fun

Weekend Fun

Aughhhhhhh!

Preschool and Risk

Raving

Back to Reality

Chemo Cap Done

Sure sign of Spring

Happy Birthday, Dad

The recovery has hit a snag

Odd Math

Picking up where I left off

YFC Swap Package Arrived

I'm making progress

What I didn't get done

Projects List

Dot-to-Dot

Weirdness all around

He Did It!

FO, That's right I finished something

Back to Normal

Still Here

Weekend away

Today is the day

Can't wait for tomorrow

Yippee, Snow

SP 10 Questionairre

Tired, so Tired

Disaster Averted

YFC Questionairre

Missing my boy

The Evening at home with the Grouch

Daily Grind

Good things and bad things

Divisional Time!

Silk Scarf

Last Christmas Over

Thank Goodness the Weekend is Here

Daily Grind

Third Time's the Charm.

I need a faster camera

Paducah

Trials, Tribulations and potential resolutions

Expectations

Happy New Year

End of the Year

No kids and a Dirty House

Christmas Aftermath

Christmas Party

Wedding Take 2

Accidents, theft and the flu

A little more Christmas shopping

Grumble, Grumble, Snarl

One down, two to go

Yippe, it's the weekend!

Swim Team

Holiday Meme

Damn *&#*ing Camera

Wedding

Panic!

It's been awhile

Damn &#ing Camera