Life in the Carpool Lane

Music to My Ears.

2012-02-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

It's a busy Saturday, with errands, cleaning and the usual running around. For the first time in over...oh I don't know how long....we all slept through the night! So that made all the running around a lot easier, though my sleep debt is still pretty high so I feel groggy.

Will was a lucky kid today, he got to go out on errands and spend time alone with first Dad, and then Mom today! Daddy took him to BJ's for some staples, and he came home really excited. "Mommy! Did you know that you can eat a little bit of EVERYTHING in BJ's before you buy it? I had a little cheeseburger, and some hot dogs with mustard. And guess what? I like mustard now!" Ah.....so he's been introduced to the food samples. And he likes mustard.....he is such a picky eater that if BJ's food samples got him to try something new, then I'm pretty stoked about it.

Later on, Will and I went to the library. I had a bagful of overdue books, and a couple books on hold. We spent about half an hour browsing books in the children's room, and he sat on the floor "reading" a book about the dentist. We took another big bag of books home, including two DVD's of The Wiggles. As we were walking out the door to the parking lot he said with a big smile and a satisfied sigh "Mom? I LOVE the library. Everything about it. I love the books, the movies, the librarians. Well, maybe not the parking. But everything else. I could just stay here all day!

Music to my ears. I'm so glad to be raising a kid that loves the library as much as I do!

Cookies for Valentines

2012-02-09T21:31:00.001-05:00

~~#48: Participate in a Cookie Exchange~~

My friend Rochelle is hosting a Valentine Cookie Exchange tomorrow night. I LOVE this idea, because I've heard of Christmas cookie swaps but not a Valentine's Day one. The holidays are pretty hectic, so this is a good time of year to do this! I'm "cheating" by bringing cookies from this great bakery in the city. The invite said baked or bakery, so I'm not breaking the rules. Things have been hectic around here for the past week with illness and work, so that S'mores Cookie recipe that I found on Pinterest is going to have to wait. Mmmm.....cookies!
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UPDATE: Thou speaketh too soon. Been up since around 4:30am with a five year old with the stomach bug. Hubby was the unlucky one who got to stay home with both kids, 'cause the daycare's got it too. Caregiver AND other kids. Apparently it's all the rage, everyone's doing it! I don't dare say something stupid like "Thank goodness the 2-year old was spared!" Blerg. (But at least I have the cookie platter from the bakery. It's the little things that make the sucky things suck a little less.)

"Meet Virginia"

2012-02-05T04:44:00.001-05:00

After about a month of knitting, the Virginia Shawl is complete! I actually finished the knitting of it about a month ago and haven't found the time to block it until now. It definitely needed to be blocked, to show off the rows of lace edging. FYI: Spreading out a shawl and pinning it to foam boards with two children running circles around you is a daunting task!

It's a bit bigger than I expected, but I am absolutely in love with it. The Dream in Color Smooshy yarn was perfect in this project, and from my stash.

Later on, I'll make this again for my mother, also a "Virginia" (as her middle name.) Hers will be in natural and tan variegated sock yarn that she chose from HER stash. (hooray for stashbusting!)

The Best Toys

2012-02-04T10:28:00.000-05:00

At this stage, the best toys aren't even "toys" at all. The best toys are commonplace things, like laundry baskets or boxes. These two boys of mine adore boxes! And with the furniture that we ordered from Ikea, there was certainly a lot of cardboard. While I was in Florida, Brian sent me pictures of the boys sitting in their cardboard boxes (which Will lovingly calls a "cabinet") with their blankets, and markers. Later on the boxes became "planes" so they could fly down to visit Mommy in Florida. The possibilities are endless. So while it's driving me a little batty to have ample amounts of cardboard around the house, the creativity that's going around is really great.

We're loving our "new" office and family room. So much has changed in this house in the past couple of weeks, with moving everything into the office, setting up the family room, etc. Brian and I agree that the house feels cozier and there's definitely more space in the family room to move around. There's still some work to be done: the walls in the office are bare and need some decoration, we're going to get some baskets for the storage unit in the family room and we're going to do away with the toybox. However so far, we're quite happy with the results.

Sunny Surprises

2012-01-31T20:55:00.000-05:00

Sunny Florida: I got the opportunity to surprise Heather for her baby shower. It's not often that something is truly a surprise in life, and this one went particularly well. She and her boyfriend met me at the airport, I just walked up to the car and said "Hey Lady, can I get a ride?!" She was FLOORED! She thought it was going to be her brother, so when it turned out to be me she could've been knocked over with a feather. We had a great extended weekend, with two baby showers, taking the boat out to the Gulf of Mexico, eating, sharing stories from the past and laughing so hard our sides hurt. It was truly a fantastic, relaxing time.

Well. The only NON-relaxing part was when I found out that the package of baby things that I had sent the week before hadn't been delivered. Then it turned out that it had been delivered, but WHERE??? There were a couple of streets with similar names so we did some investigating and left a note at this kind of creepy-looking house. The next day, I was just settling in for lunch salads with her mom and stepdad when the doorbell rang. It was a guy...holding my package! He had gotten my note and brought it over to the correct address. Turns out his wife was also expecting a baby, and they were getting stuff in the mail too so when they got the box they opened it without looking. When they opened the box and discovered girly stuff they were like "What the hell?" They were kind enough to return it, and I won't be spending countless hours knitting things that I had already made and cursing the Post Office.

I came home to a clean house, and not only did the kids behave for Daddy, Daddy had time to move the desk to our new office! AND set up our new TV stand! Everything looks great.

Tomorrow it's back to the daily grind. I'm not looking forward to it, I'm still visualizing the Gulf of Mexico, palm trees and good food and friends who really are family. But it is good to be home with Brian and my boys!

Knits for Heather's Baby

2012-01-29T04:46:00.001-05:00

My friend Heather is expecting a baby in February/March. And I am knitting up a STORM for her! It's going to be kind of like the Yarn Harlot's baby pile for her friend. (If you follow her blog, you know what I am talking about.) Since I can't do what she did and crank out an item a day towards Heather's due date, I am just working on things as I pick them out.

Why am I doing this......well, because Heather is my oldest friend. Honestly, she's like a sister to me. We used to play house with our Cabbage Patch Kids together, we endured junior high together, graduated from HS together, and guess what...we're still sharing life's ups and downs together! We have a 27-year old friendship, from second grade to today. And now it's a long-distance relationship because she moved to Florida last year. So yes, I am knitting stuff for a baby that is going to be living in Florida. It's tough to choose knits for a sunshine baby. But they ARE out there. And babies need a little warmth from the air conditioning in the Sunshine State. Reason #2 for these knits is because I am a sucker when it comes to making things for girls. I love making girly baby things!

First up: the Big Bad Baby Blanket from Stitch n Bitch. This pattern gave me a hard time last year, and I just knew that I would want to do it again and show it who's boss. And I did! Even a wayward glass of Pepsi couldn't get in my way. The blanket is blue and white because the first ultrasound hinted at Baby being a boy. But you know what....baby girls can love blue, too!

Next up is a Sleep Sack for the little lady. I chose pink, white and green acrylics from my stash, because acrylic is easy care for laundry. I love these colors together, kind of like a candy stripe. The buttons on the bottom make it so you can change Baby's diaper without taking off the cozy sack. Ingenious of the patternmaker, no? :)

And of course, a sweet little baby sweater. This is the "Threes" Cardigan, which I nicknamed "Three's Company." Because Baby will make three, although a different "three" than the TV show was all about! It's purple cotton yarn, which is perfect for a Florida Baby.

Last but not least, a cotton lace hat.

Can't wait to meet you, Miss M!

Wake-Up Call

2012-01-24T09:56:00.020-05:00

Nothing good comes out of a morning that had you going to bed late the night before, because you couldn't fall asleep. Adding a toddler crying outside your bedroom door at 4AM, bringing the toddler back to his bed, only to have his older brother fly into your room a few minutes later and crash the bedroom door against the wall, causing you to jump and strain your neck? Pure chaos.

We finally got the Big Kid settled, on our bedroom floor. When he comes in like that and is scared because of nightmares, there's no successful "putting him back to bed." I know that this phase won't last forever. (I'm repeating "This too shall pass" right now at this morning hour, at the ungodly 4AM rush I was likely thinking something along the lines of four letter words)

No sooner do we have him settled, I hear a little cough. Brian sighs and says "Who's coughing?" He was really hoping that it was me, but alas, it was not. I open the bedroom door and there's Sean, lockedin a staring contest with the door. This is a losing battle, and I need some more sleep, we all do! I get his little blankie and bring him back, settling him down on the floor next to his brother. He bursts into tears and I point to his brother and say "Look! Bubby is sleeping right next to you." He glances over and, reassured by the presence of his big brother, puts his fingers in his mouth and falls fast asleep.

Brian and I were like the walking dead today, neither one of us could get out of our own way. It was definitely a "more than two cups of coffee" kind of morning. But when I woke up and stepped over two sleeping boys, they looked so precious. And THAT is what I choose to remember about the whole ordeal. :)

Here's an Oxymoron for You

2012-01-20T19:35:00.000-05:00

~~#79: Replace the kitchen trash can with a fancy Simple Human one.~~

This blog post is brought to you by an oxymoron: "Wow, that's a really pretty trash can!"

But it is. I can't help saying it, it's really pretty! (Yes, I'm aware that I'm posting about a TRASH CAN and am excited about it!)

When looking at photos that I've taken I always can't help but notice the ugly, gross white trash can in the background. My eye is drawn to it instantly, and I'm always thinking "ugh, I should've moved that thing before I took the picture!" We've tried re-arranging the kitchen but the spot that it's in is pretty much the only spot it fits.

The new trash can opens with a step of your foot, and you can lock it open. And the best part of all? Brushed stainless steel, meaning NO fingerprints. Will and Sean gave it their best shot when we got it out of the box and it seems to be holding up. Which is definitely an improvement over the old one.

Little Boy Bed!

2012-01-15T12:15:00.000-05:00

As you can see, someone was VERY excited for his "little boy bed!" Last night was Sean's first night both in a toddler bed and sharing a room with his Bubby. Will even made a "Welcome Sean!" sign so that Sean would feel at home in his new bed. (Never mind he can't read....he did enjoy kicking it like crazy.)

So, how did he sleep? Eh.....it could have been better. For one thing, he's not used to having so much freedom. He must've jumped out of bed and ran around the kitchen about fifty times! Will came out a few times too, to let us know that Sean had climbed into bed with him. Both boys didn't go to sleep til about midnight last night, so I see naps in the day today. I'm really glad that we decided to try this on a weekend.

Time for some Soup

2012-01-15T11:55:00.000-05:00

Working on #71 of the Day Zero List: Make four different kinds of soup from scratch.

First soup: Italian Wedding Soup. Check it out on The Blue Plate Special.
http://blueplates.blogspot.com/2012/01/italian-wedding-soup.html

One Fun Saturday

2012-01-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

Saturday....ahhhhhh. It was a completely chaotic week and I wasn't sorry to have it end. We all woke up around 8:30am, which is certainly sleeping in! I am so lucky to have kids that like to sleep. After a fantastic breakfast of omelettes and potatoes, we were looking for something to do to get out of the house for a bit. Ikea!!!!

With Sean going into a toddler bed and the boys sharing a room, we'll be finding ourselves with an "extra" room. Look who's getting their office/craft room back!! And by craft, I just mean yarn stash because under the desk is where it's stored. We'll send the crib and changing table to the basement for now, take down the Winnie the Pooh border, re-paint the walls a summer sky blue (leftovers from the nursery) and move the desk in there. Then with the desk out of the family room, we'll be able to turn the whole room into a playroom. Which is perfect, because that's pretty much what it is already. Perhaps a little more space can make it so all of these toys are easier to organize. A Mom can dream, right? :)

So to Ikea we went, and spent a few hours looking at storage solutions. We ended up purchasing a new TV stand with lots of storage, and a bookcase. And all of it was way too big to fit into our car with the boys and their carseats, not to mention the double stroller too. So it's all being shipped tomorrow.

After Ikea the boys fell asleep in the car, and Brian suggested that we stop at this place that has cup singles for Keurig machines. We recently became the owners of a secondhand Keurig, after mulling it over for some time. Neither of us had ever heard of this place and were pretty intrigued. As we pulled up in front of the plaza, I went absolutely bonkers. Not only was there the coffee place, it was next door to a yarn shop!!!!!! Brian wasn't entirely pleased to stay in the car with the two sleeping princes, but he was a good sport about it. For his efforts I brought him a cup of coffee, and we got a whole bunch of new coffee cup singles for our Keurig. The yarn shop was cute, small but lots of gorgeous yarns. I came out with a couple of skeins to make a cabled winter headband for myself and a hat for Hubby.

I'd defintiely say that our weekend of "Nothing" is certainly off to a good start. And mine is going to be three days!

A Weekend of "Nothing"

2012-01-13T08:27:00.000-05:00

In looking at the calendar last week, we noted that we have nothing going on this weekend. No birthday parties. No appointments anywhere. Just the four of us, no commitments. As soon as it was mentioned, Brian was quick to get up and write "Nothing!" on both days on the calendar so we could keep it that way.

A weekend of "nothing." That is so rare. I'm sure we'll find a lot of "something" to do to fill it. There will be sleeping late and some laziness in pajamas, and I suppose some laundry. And I guess we'd like to eat next week so that makes a trip to the grocery store necessary.

But nothing. I'm looking forward to it! It's been a long week and we deserve a little "nothing."

There's Always One More....

2012-01-12T08:36:00.000-05:00

Putting up Christmas decorations is exciting. You're full of anticipation, and excited to see the things that celebrate the holiday. By the time Christmas is over, you want to take it down because you're a little sick of looking at it and kind of just want your living room back. It's also a well-known fact that for however much time it took to decorate your house for the holidays, multiply that by two and that's how long it's going to take to get it down and put away.

And in our case, after the holidays are over we always find at least ONE thing that we forgot to take down or put away. Say hello to this year's item, spotted right before Sean's birthday celebration this past weekend:

A fabric wreath, above the family room TV. Ah well. January 8th to find the item is actually not bad, usually it's closer to Valentine's Day. However, this probably means that there's another thing that I just haven't spotted yet.

Wordless Wednesday: Dinner!

2012-01-11T05:01:00.000-05:00

It's not often the camera gets turned on Crafty Mama. Enjoying Hubby's bacon Brussels sprouts after a long day's work. Mmmmmmm. (You'll just have to trust me....the Brussels sprouts were there!) I'm so lucky to be married to a man with many wonderful qualities, one being that he's an incredible cook.

Happy Second Birthday, Sean!

2012-01-10T09:55:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, Seanie! Mommy, Daddy and Bubby love you so very much.

Sayanora, Vera

2012-01-07T13:27:00.000-05:00

First Day Zero Item Completed: #20: Trade In Old, Faded Purse for Something New and Swanky

I'm very picky about purses, and I don't buy them often. When making my Day Zero List it occurred to me that I haven't purchased a purse since Will was a baby. The purse on the left is my old purse, it's a black Vera Bradley bag that I didn't buy at all, I won it in a raffle WHEN Will was a baby. Yes....five years of motherhood and this purse has been everywhere. It shows it too, the top is faded out, there's dog hair embedded in the zipper that I can't get out and it's just tired-looking. So when I went to Kohl's today with some returns and found myself with store credit, I knew just what I was going to do.

Yes, the list item says "swanky new purse." Swanky means different things to different people. I'm a classic, "Black Purse in All Season" kind of girl, so branching out into a silver leather bag is pretty big for me. I actually hemmed and hawed between silver and plum, but silver is more neutral and will go with more.

Also as a side note: I still had about $20 of store credit after the purchase of said silver bag. After wandering around the store for about an hour, I didn't see anything that I had to have. So I went back into the purse section and bought a black purse as well. It was a great sale, and a new black purse as well was tough to pass up. Like I said, I'm a "classic black" kind of girl. Patterns are hard to break!

Bittersweet Day

2012-01-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

It's the end of an era and a big day of growing up in this house: First, Will is going to kindergarten full-time next year! Second (and sad): it's the last night of a baby crib in use in our home.

Will was selected in the lottery for full-day kindergarten! Hubby and I both stalked the online link this afternoon to find out, we were going to start the weekend elated or depressed? ELATED!!! Just knowing that come September, that we won't be scrambling to make afternoon kindergarten work with our schedule, that is a real stress-reliever!

It's also a day of sadness, though bittersweet. The boys have been bunking together in Sean's little room the past few nights, with Sean in the crib and Will in a sleeping bag on the floor. We'd been trying a little experiment, and it turns out that Will sleeps better when he's not alone. He never really "took" to his room on the other side of the house, and is much happier with his little brother. And Sean doesn't seem to need to "cry it out" as much with his "Bubby" in the same room. But the nursery is tiny with the two of them in it, and Sean really needs to get into a toddler bed. I was in a bit of denial, that my "baby" is almost two and getting big. But even I couldn't ignore the inevitable when I saw him practically climb into the crib tonight! So tomorrow Brian will bring up the "little boy bed" from the basement and we'll start practicing the two of them sleeping in "Bubby's" bigger room.

The crazy thing is, I thought it would be easier with a second child, transitioning them to a bed. Turns out I'm just as sad and sentimental as the first time. Surprise!

Lottery Week

2012-01-05T19:59:00.000-05:00

It's kind of an exciting week....lottery week! Today was the housing lottery for my new building. 76 applications, 30 brand-new apartments. So in other words....30 thrilled people and 46 well, not so thrilled. 46 people chilling on a waiting list. That means that the initial application period is now over. Once I get all of these people entered into the computer, it's all about calls, scheduling interviews, schlepping from my current building to the new one, yada yada yada. (And I thought I didn't like Seinfeld. Humph!) As much work as it is going to be, it's gonna be great. Why? Because I got a tour of the building today!! Oh my word, it is a sight. I feel like *I* played the lottery, and I'm taking home the jackpot. Everything is brand spanking new, the office is spacious and has built-in cabinets and file drawers, it's in a nice neighborhood, lots of well-lit parking....wow. I took cabinets and file drawers for granted when I had them, it's been a couple of years and my files have lived out of boxes and a crappy cabinet from Craigslist. Stuffing all of my tenant files in drawers has been nothing short of mayhem. "Will Crafty Mama lose a finger while filing today? Tune in on the Adventures of Crafty Mama!" *

Tomorrow is a lottery of a different kind: Will's Kindergarten Lottery. Honestly, I had kind of forgotten all about it, til my husband reminded me. (that makes me really glad that the paperwork was sent back the day after we received it. Good call on my part!) We're crossing fingers and toes over here, hoping the Big Kid gets into full-day kindergarten next year. Or that will be another adventure altogether.

*Probably not, since I haven't filed since October, and that was only because there was a power outage. But this week the entire company's laptop users were left with no computer access, so I did some filing. Oh the horror! (shudder)

A Fine Line Between Love and Hate

2012-01-04T22:28:00.000-05:00

I'm inspired by a post today from a blog that I like to read called The Yarnista. She writes of things that she simultaneously loves/hates. So here's mine:

--Fountain Pens. I love how smoothly that they write. I hate how much they leak.

--Separate shampoo and conditioner: love the smoothness and softness of my hair for what is a few extra minutes in the shower. Hate that it takes precious extra minutes to pull off. (I guess I can add "highlights" to the same list. Love the look, hate the upkeep!)

--The TV Show "Criminal Minds." A lot of cringe-worthy cases and creepy, sadistic storylines. I don't enjoy scaring the bejezus out of myself. But I love it, I always want to know whodunnit, and the writing is incredible. Just make sure to save a half-hour comedy in the DVR queue for afterwards.

--The "Stephanie Plum" novels by Janet Evanovich. So cheesy. Cheezy, even. But cheese is delicious. The past few have brought disappointment, but I have, have, HAVE to know how it ends. And more importantly, Morelli or Ranger? Frankly, I'm a Morelli girl. Though Ranger has his finer points. (And yes, I am going to see Katherine Heigl in "One for the Money." That was the first book and IMHO, the best one of the bunch. Probably wait for it to come to Redbox.)

--Bedtime. As in my bedtime. I hate to see my "quiet time," what little there is of it, come to an end. I fight it, not giving in til I've read the same book page twice or start to make knitting mistakes. Once I'm there though, I'm happy to be there.

G'Night All!

A Chalky Start

2012-01-01T18:14:00.000-05:00

The first day of the year is always a slow, lazy one. I stay in my pj's until the afternoon, and I putter. A little knitting, some TV time with the boys, or perhaps even a little "sit and do nothing" time. But we had to cure some cabin fever and it was pretty nice out for a January day in New England, so we went off to do some shopping. When we got home, the boys still had some energy to burn. So hey, why not run around the backyard for a little bit?

And if there's sidewalk chalk too, then that's great. :)

2011: A Year In Review

2011-12-30T09:45:00.002-05:00

It's that time again...to see what went down in 2011. I always enjoy reading my answers from the year before.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

I went on my very first cruise. And it was everything that Brian and I had hoped that it would be: the most relaxing and fun vacation that we have ever taken! It's become an inside joke, when things get hectic one of us will sigh and say "I miss Josh." "Josh" was the cruise director, and responsible for our fun for four days. It was a trip without kids, and it was awesome. Someday we'd like to do a cruise WITH the kids too, when they're a little older.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I really don't "do" New Years Resolutions. However, in 2012 I will be starting the "Day Zero Project..." which is like a list of things that you want to accomplish in 1,001 days.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Good Lord, who didn't? It was the year of babies, with friends and family having children. Plus, my beautiful niece Abby was born in November. So excited for my brother and his wife, and thrilled to have a girl in the family to knit for!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My uncle passed away unexpectedly in May. He was my Dad's older brother.

5. What countries/places did you visit?

Our cruise took us to Saint John New Brunswick, Canada. I had never been there before and it was a nice little city. I was especially happy to be there at the time that we were, there was a horrific heatwave going on at home and it was a balmy seventy-five degrees in Saint John!

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Sanity! Just kidding..... 2011 was a tough year in some ways, but we are all healthy, have plenty of food and a roof over our heads. We're both employed and have many other things that lots of people out there don't have. So I feel blessed.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

I don't remember any of the exact dates, but this year's weather has been particularly noteworthy. First, the winter brought heavy wet snow once or twice a week. Then in June, there was a tornado. A pretty big tornado that devastated cities and towns to the west of us, and got into Central MA. Then it was followed by a hurricane at the end of the summer, a HURRICANE! We got a bit of rain damage on that one in our bathroom, rain was blowing into the house vent and it ruined our ceiling. Again, the cities and towns to the west of us, who hadn't recovered yet from the tornado, got dumped on once again. And just to keep things interesting, a freak snowstorm the last weekend of October! Halloween was certainly interesting this year. Many people were without power around us for up to a week, we hosted friends and families for food, showers, recharging devices, etc. We were very, very lucky through all of this, never losing power more than a couple of hours. Based on the year that it has been weather-wise, I don't dare ask what Mother Nature has up her sleeve. Or question her mood. :)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I managed to work three jobs at once. I worked at my current building while running applications at the new building, plus did some coverage at yet another building. It was a ridiculously busy November and December, but when I am sitting in my new office next March, it will be all worth it.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not taking care of myself better. I tend to do for everyone, and forget to take care of me. I really need to work on that. Plus, I tend to take on too much personally and professionally, and not realize until I'm in the thick of it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

It's been a good year. (knocking on wood right now!) No trips to the hospital, nothing crazy to get the doctor's opinion on! Some antibiotics in our household, but nothing serious. We are very, very lucky! Especially with our daredevil younger son!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The best thing that we bought was time and memories with the boys. We took them to a couple of children's museums, parks, and shows. We went to PA to visit Grandmom and Grandpop. Best money spent: going places with the kids.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All of those Secret Santas that paid off people's Walmart and Kmart layaways this year for kids' Christmases. I loved, loved, loved those stories!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Crazy Black Friday shoppers. I mean really....is a video game system for your kid worth your life?? Do you really need to bring pepper spray? This is why I stay home on Black Friday. No deal is worth it to me to get trampled, shuffled or pushed around.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Bills, bills bills. Same place they always go. BUT we did pay off my husband's car and get our driveway re-done in anticipation of putting the house on the market in the next year or so. A little bit at a time, we'll get there.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Hmmm. Well, not to sound repetitive, but Brian and I really got excited about a vacation without kids. Four days of just us, enjoying the hell out of everything that a cruise has to offer.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Sadly, nothing comes to mind.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? I've been some of both this year. Some times have been harder than others. But I've always been a "glass half-full" kind of girl and I've got lots of blessings to count. (I liked this answer so much from last year that I decided to keep it.)

b) thinner or fatter? about the same. but I feel really good about myself and NOT putting on more weight during some pretty stressful times.
c) richer or poorer? Richer in some ways....poorer in others. I'm rich where it matters...in love and family.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Living in the moment. Relishing life's simple pleasures. Saying yes more.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Multi-tasking. Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With my family, having a simple dinner, eating lots of cookies and watching the kids play.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

I fall in love a little bit more each and every day.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I enjoyed True Blood this past summer, and the usual primetime dramas that Brian and I watch. And I got a bit more into the Food Network. Brian, Will and I really enjoy "Chopped."

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I make it a point not to hate anyone. There's people that annoy me or I dislike, but hate's a pretty strong word. (yes it's last year's answer, but it still applies!)

24. What was the best book you read?

I didn't read nearly as much this year, and honestly, I don't know if I can pick a "favorite."

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nothing, really.

26. What did you want and get?
I got to start accepting applications for my new elderly apartment complex! 2012 will see me in my new office and out of family housing for good!!!

27. What did you want and not get?

More time to knit. But there's never enough of that. :)

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Hmmmm. I went to see Bridesmaids and Breaking Dawn in theaters this year. And Brian and I spent my birthday playing hooky, going out to lunch by ourselves and getting a Redbox movie. So there you have it....my favorite movie was "Friends with Benefits," for the sheer reason that we got to watch it at home, uninterrupted. :)

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

See above for birthday plans, and add "finished Christmas shopping." Plus, the day before, Brian cooked a Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan feast, and made chocolate cream cupcakes and my whole family came over! I dreaded turning 35 this year. Once it happened though, I was OK with it. What's with the anticipation???

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Not worrying so much about money or childcare. Comes with the territory, I guess.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Thrown together and harried. My personal sense of style is a bit stunted. I'm trying to break out of my "comfortable" colors of purple and dark pink, and trying different colors.

32. What kept you sane?

my yarn stash, and knitting my way through it. Teaching myself new tricks involving needles and yarn. I knit 12 MILES worth of yarn this year. That is just crazy.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None of 'em.....so over it.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

I don't know if I'd say I was "stirred" over them....but the ones that I will remember the most are the "Occupy" protests all over the country, and the quiet end of the war in Iraq.

35. Who did you miss?

The people I missed most are the ones far away. My friends Jen and Heather, Jen is in Illinois and Heather is in Florida. Heather is pregnant with her first child and I so wish I could see her. I'm planning a solo trip to see her in early 2012 when Baby Girl is born!

36. Who was the best new person you met?

I've made some new friends in my knitting group, and gotten to know others better.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:

It's important to look up once in a while and assess the situation. It's equally important to recognize when you've taken on too much, and either let go of some things or learn to delegate. Also, take good care of yourself, you deserve it.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"You can't live your life, in the baby seat. You've got to stand on your own, don't admit defeat."
Barenaked Ladies, "Baby Seat."

A Boy and his Dog

2011-12-29T16:47:00.003-05:00

Just last week, Will and I were talking about dogs. Specifically, it was about how much dogs love to be petted. I remarked that our dog Joey was certainly no exception, that is his favorite thing in the world. Joey loves nothing more than idle hands in a free lap, and plenty of snuggles. Will said, " Well why doesn't he ever want to be in my lap? I'd love to snuggle and pet him.

Joey must have heard, because the photo is the 2 of them in the car on monday, headed to my parents to celebrate Christmas. Either that, or he just wanted a little piece of Will's fleece blanket!

Yeah, I wear hats now.

2011-12-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

I used to be such a priss about hat-wearing in the winter time. I grew up in New England, I mean, c'mon, it's cold enough here for hats a good part of the year. As a kid, I'd take it off, because I was "too cool" and apparently hat-wearing was a sign of weakness here in the Bay State.

Well, those days are over. I am a dork, a weakling and most of all, a hypocrite. Especially when it comes to my own knitted hats! The older I get, the colder I get in the winter. So there. I wear hats now. And I'm proud of it. :)

100 Things in 1,001 Days

2011-12-27T14:04:00.001-05:00

I'm not one for making New Year's Resolutions. They always seem to be the same thing....things that you feel like you HAVE to do. "Lose weight." "Stop Smoking." "Join a Gym." Blah.

Recently though, I heard about this curious thing called the Day Zero Project. Or perhaps its better-known name, "100 Things in 1,001 days."

Here's what it entails: the participant makes a list of 100 things that he/she would like to accomplish in the next 1,001 days. (roughly three years) You can put anything on your list: self-improvement items, volunteering, silly stuff...but it has to be clearly defined so when it is finished you get to cross it off.

I took over a week to write mine, and I made it hit a lot of categories. There are books that I've always wanted to read, parties I've wanted to throw, places to visit with the boys, etc etc etc. I also asked my husband for some input (since he is my biggest motivator/cheerleader), and borrowed some ideas from other people's lists.

Here is my list: Due Date September 28, 2014. I won't blog about every single one, but have created a separate page so people who are interested can click on the tabs above to see what I've accomplished. Now.....just have to pick out the first one and get moving! Care to join me in making your own, or have your own going already? Leave me a comment so I can make sure to follow you!

100 Things in 1,001 Days

1. Read "Anna Karennina" by Leo Tolstoy

2. Rent a dumpster and clean out the basement

3. See Les Miserables

4. plan a family trip to Disney World

5. perfect macaroni and cheese from scratch

6. learn colorwork in knitting that’s not just stripes

7. send a box of handmade baby items to Stitches from the Heart every six months

8. take a sewing class

9. plan a better vegetable garden

10. go away for a weekend to a bed and breakfast

11. visit three new restaurants in Central MA

12. take the kids to the following places in PA: Sesame Place, Crayola Factory and the “Please Touch” Museum.

13. organize all of the photos into albums

14. make a donation to a food pantry every quarter

15. get our wedding video transferred to a DVD copy

16. Participate in the “Ravelympics” and Go For the GOLD!!!

17. Participate in NaBloPoMo once.

18. Give up subscriptions to womens’ magazines

19. Practice three acts of random kindness

20. Trade in old, faded purse for something new and swanky

21. Fold a paper airplane

22. Read the Harry Potter series

23. Drive a convertible

24. try yoga

25. give a 100% tip

26. start a charm bracelet

27. take a cake decorating class

28. let the boys splash and play in puddles

29. take the boys to their first drive-in movie

30. go kayaking

31. Attend a state fair

32. Write a love letter to my husband

33. Try a new hairstyle

34. Get pictures done in a photo booth

35. Get a tattoo

36. Picnic in a park

37. Ride in a hot air balloon

38. Buy a lottery ticket

39. Go ice skating

40. Watch 5 classic movies

41. Plant flower boxes

42. take a “knife skills” cooking class

43. Build a sandcastle with the boys

44. build a snowman with the boys

45. go tent camping

46. Floss every day for a month

47. Start taking a multivitamin and continue for a month

48. Be part of a cookie exchange party

49. Watch 5 movies from the American Film Institute’s Top 100 list

50. See a Flyers home game with Brian.

51. Send a secret to Postsecret

52. Go to the beach once every summer

53. Successfully knit a pair of socks.

54. Mow the lawn myself

55. send flowers to someone “just because”

56. learn how to play either Gin or Rummy

57. visit the Ben and Jerry’s factory in Burlington, VT

58. Make Baked Alaska

59. Eat at a Spanish restaurant and speak no English while there.

60. spend a day in Northampton with just my Mom.

61. write a short story

62. use the snowblower by myself

63. learn how to throw a football with my kids

64. Play flashlight tag outdoors

65. Have a yard sale

66. Dye yarn again with my friends

67. make lemonade from scratch

68. bake homemade cinnamon rolls

69. write the boys letters each year for their birthdays

70. read all of my old diaries

71. Make four different kinds of soup from scratch that I have never tried to make before.

72. Put our house on the market.

73. Switch banks

74. Cash in our change jar.

75. Bake fresh bread, not in a bread machine

76. Ask my parents to tell stories of our family’s past, and write them down.

77. Renew our passports

78. Visit three local yarn shops that I have never been to.

79. Replace the kitchen trash can with a fancy “Simple Human” one.

80. Open “Joy of Cooking” to a random page and make something on that page.

81. get black and white photos taken of our family.

82. write a fan letter/email

83. Knit sweaters for my husband and children

84. Repaint my front door

85. treat myself to a spa day

86. take part in a yarnbombing project

87. Finish up paperwork to close BVWA

88. let the boys have a sleepover

89. Donate supplies to the shelter that we adopted Joey from, once a year.

90. Give up soda for a month

91. Go through all of our cookbooks, get rid of some that we aren’t using to make room for new ones

92. take the boys to a baseball game

93. go snow tubing

94. clean out my bedroom closet

95. donate blood

96. Host a dessert party

97. complete a crossword

98. play every board game that we own, get rid of the ones that we no longer enjoy

99. Visit Washington, D.C.

100. Put $5 in our savings account for every item not completed.

What'd you get for Christmas??

2011-12-26T21:12:00.000-05:00

So, what did you get for Christmas? I'm not talking gifts....I'm talking memories, experiences.

For our holidays, I experienced....

...the excitement of a five-year-old in waiting for Santa! Though he had to be ROUSED from his bed at 8am, the first sleepy question that we got was "Did Santa come?" Once he heard the answer he was alllll about jumping out of bed and checking out the scene. But...roused? I still find that hard to believe. But it's true.

......the "whatever" factor of an almost-two year old. Sean, teething still, wasn't really interested in much of it. Once you open one gift, he's interested in just that. So his gifts got opened slowly as the day went on. Plus, there's really no such thing as "into it" until breakfast has been consumed.

.....the power of overwhelming a kid. Gift-opening, playing with lots of new things, getting dressed up, running around, skyping with Grandmom and Grandpop, more gifts, visits from Nana and Papa, dinner, no nap, lots of cookies.... They get so excited, and it's a little hard to keep them going. There were some tears and tantrums, but all in all it was a great day. Gentle words and understanding went a long way yesterday!

......that my husband, though I already knew this, cooks a MEAN roast. Lord, I love roast beef and mashed potatoes.

........that if some things don't get done, you don't miss them. I insisted that we had to bake up the sugar cookies on Christmas morning so that we could decorate them as a family event. It was a lot of fun the previous year, frosting them before dinner as a way to keep Will occupied. Anddd....we forgot to do them, after all that baking. Oh well. Something to do tomorrow when I'm home with the boys!

Hope your holidays were fun and full of memories. :)

Christmas Knitting: 2011

2011-12-26T19:44:00.000-05:00

Christmas has come and gone, and (most) things have been put away. There's still leftovers in the fridge, and it's time to tell you, Dear Reader, about all of the lurrrrvely things that I knit for Christmas gifts.

Mom: Saroyan shawlette

Dad: Irish Hiking Scarf

Nancy: Cabled scarflet. My mom made her the hat, which matched nicely with my scarf!

Kim: Old Shale Scarf

Brian: Dudester scarf. He is hard to knit a scarf for, I learned. That is because he is over six feet tall....it required a LOT of yarn!

I also knit a little cotton cardigan for Abby but I can't locate a picture of it. And I know that I took one! Rest assured, it's really cute, in a "seaspray" blue and will look great on her in the spring. Perhaps I'll post pictures then.

Yes, I did notice that there are no hand-knits for Hubby or the boys....this is because I had a major FAIL in sizing for Hubby's Hat. And I did start some stuffed monsters for the boys, but didn't get them finished in time. So now they're going to be a "just because" gift on a gloomy winter day. Which, I think, sounds even better. :)

Christmas Eve Snuggles

2011-12-24T14:05:00.000-05:00

Snugglin' with Sean...taking a break from wrappin', bakin', cleanin' and otherwise preparin'. Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Christmas Spirit and Kindness

2011-12-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

I feel like I've heard a lot more stories about "helping your fellow human being" and paying it forward this Christmas Season. This is wonderful! Given all of the negativity out there in the world, random acts of Christmas Kindness out there don't get as much publicity as they should. I mean, we all heard the story about the woman out in California who, while shopping at Walmart on Black Friday, sprayed pepper spray into the air so that she could purchase a video game system before anyone else could get to it. I mean.....that is a disgusting display of behavior. And for every story like that that's publicized, you know that there are more just like it that you haven't heard.

So when I read stories like the ones about Secret Santas paying off people's layaway bills for Christmas Gifts for Children, it shows that random acts are alive and well. And I know that this one is true...I know one person in real life that had her Walmart layaway for her three kids' Christmas gifts paid off by an anonymous donor. I say, way to go!! THAT's the Spirit of Christmas! This morning I saw on Facebook that one of my FB friends was in Burger King yesterday, buying dinner for herself and her three kids after a trip to see Santa. She realized that she didn't have enough cash on her for everyone's dinner, so she bought dinner for the kids and nothing for herself. Soon after, the manager on duty brought her out a tray of dinner, because an anonymous person had seen that she didn't have any dinner, and bought dinner for her. BRAVO!

All of these little stories like this, they reminded me of the movie "Scrooged" with Bill Murray, the big speech he gives at the end about changing himself and believing in the Christmas Miracle. I'll close this post with a little blurb from it. And with this: I feel the Christmas Spirit this year, for the first time in years. Merry Christmas to all!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"And if you give, then it can happen, the miracle can happen to you.

Not just the poor and hungry, Everybody's gotta have this miracle!
It can happen tonight for you all!
If you believe in this pure thing,
the miracle will happen and you'll want it again tomorrow!
You won't say, "Christmas is once a year and it's a fraud." It's not!
It can happen every day! You've just got to want that feeling!
You'll want it every day! It can happen to you!
I believe in it now.
I believe it's gonna happen to me, now. I'm ready for it!
And it's great. It's a good feeling.
It's better than I've felt in a long time." --Billy Murray, "Scrooged"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nothing Says "Merry Christmas" like Two-Year Molars

2011-12-20T22:47:00.000-05:00

Poor Seanie. Those two-year molars are making my bud miserable. Teeth have always been tough for him though. Turns out some snuggling and Tylenol were just what the Doctor ordered. Oh, and the piano player from "The Snowman Band." It's especially funny to have Mommy start singing along and then turn it off to see if Mommy can sing without the back-up. Kind of like my own singing gameshow!

All of the Christmas wrapping for the boys is done. We took an hour tonight and did it quickly, before anyone could jump out of bed, looking for a glass of water or complain that he "wasn't tired." And man, it feels so good to get that out of the way!! No 1:00am wrapping in sleep deprivation, cursing. Yeah!!!

Birthday Celebration!!!

2011-12-18T20:26:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I am going to be the dreaded 3-5.......I don't know what it is about birthdays that end in "5" but they bug me. Still, I have a lot to be thankful for, and I am going to have a great day tomorrow!

My family came out to celebrate with me today, and my husband cooked such a great dinner. Chicken and eggplant parmesan, and "hostess" style cupcakes. And even sweeter--he's doing the dishes while I'm typing.

Awesome cupcakes that spell my name. There's even mini-cupcakes for the exclamation points!

My mom made me a shawlette designed by Steven West. It's knit in a beautiful, tweedy dark green wool. I love it!

Posing with a decoupaged box that Mom also made, with spa gift certificates inside!

Me and my boys. Can't get everyone to look at the camera. MWAH!

Me and my "Big" little brother. He thought that he'd be funny and teased me about turning 36. Love you too. :)

Dad and his pups, Luke and Lilly. Big ol' lovebugs.

The fam....or some of us.

Will and Sean enjoying their cupcakes.

Papa, dogs and boys.

The Virginia Shawl

2011-12-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

As 2011 is starting to wind down, I am looking for my newest knitting project. To be honest, nothing has really excited me recently. I had mentioned a LONG time ago about a pattern that I was interested in, it's a triangular shawl. "Shawl" just sounds so...OLD to me. I mean, it's mentioned in the Little House on the Prairie books. "Laura wrapped herself in Ma's old shawl to get more wood for the fire." Not exactly the image that I had in mind. I am really into neckwear lately though: scarves, shawls, and the getting-popular shawlette. And not just for cold winter days, either. So in browsing my Ravelry queue, I found said triangular shawl again, and in looking at the pattern, I was excited to learn that there are different ways to wear it. In reading the pattern through, it looks rather easy. So casting on TONIGHT! In a beautiful wool yarn called "Dream in Color Smooshy" in a fuschia/purple colorway. This was already in my stash too, so it's not breaking my self-imposed "yarn diet."

I was born to knit this thing, after all it's called The Virginia Shawl. Fitting, no? Can't wait to see how this all comes together, this first project for 2012.

Wicked Random Thursday

2011-12-15T08:29:00.000-05:00

1. I still feel sick, and it's been a week. But I'm still pushing myself to do everything that needs to get done. If it wasn't for this rent-up and the resulting mound of work, I think I'd stay home today. And we're out of cold meds.

2. Regarding the cold meds, I seriously considered for a minute this morning taking an expired Advil Cold and Sinus. (I didn't.)

3. Last night my friends at knitting tried to convince me that the hat I was knitting for Hubby for Christmas was just too big. I stubbornly refused to believe it. I brought it home, put the little bit I had done on top of his head, and it's too big. Dammit! My friends were right.

4. I am not starting a new hat ten days before Christmas. Hubby will not suffer if he doesn't have a hat on Christmas Day. And neither will the boys....the little monsters that I started knitting for them can surely be a "just because" gift during the winter doldrums.

5. With that decision made, I am DONE with Christmas knitting. . And now I will make a few things for myself. I deserve it, right? :)

6. Later on, I'll pick that hat back up and knit it for charity. Some man with a big Sasquatch head is going to be thrilled to get a hat in his size!

7. We have a big surprise planned for the boys this weekend. It involves a 90-minute drive, lots of Christmas lights and the boys' first train ride. Hope I'm feeling better by then so I can enjoy it!

Ho Ho Ho....Hoo Boy. :)

2011-12-13T20:05:00.000-05:00

The Main Stressors for the Holidays......

1. Christmas Cards. Who's with me! I know why we send them, because we LOVE receiving them. There's something really warm about coming home to a mailbox full of cards from friends and family. Since the kids came into our lives I've gone the "easier" route and gotten photo cards that you just throw in the envelope, address and stick on a stamp before sending them on their merry way. STILL--picking out a photo to go on it, and then letting the box of cards whisper reminders to you every time you come into the room "Hey...you're really late this year, when are you going to address us? Tick Tock, Woman!" I've been busy. Busy working, and taking care of the boys and Christmas shopping and all. I'm getting there.

2. Christmas Cookies. We used to spend an entire day baking cookies. I'm talking dusk til DAWN, baby. Every kind of Christmas cookie imaginable, then ship some to out-of-town friends and relatives, not to mention bring cookies everywhere with us. Ahem. Clearly, those All-Day Cookie Marathons are o-v-e-r. We still bake some, but not the magnititude that we've done in the past. And I think our waistlines are thanking us. Still---it's not Christmas without some sugar cookies, or Rollo cookies. I'll remedy that soon.

3. Deadlines. WHOOSH! (Hahahaha, I love that noise.) With Brian usually finishing a semester of school, figuring out child care for the week between Christmas and New Year's, and this year trying to fill an apartment complex....the heat is on, people. Also, why would my town put out their kindergarten pre-registration stuff in December? You can bet that I filled out the forms online for the all-day kindergarten lottery the day they hit my mailbox, there's just too much room for forgetting this time of year.

4. And the toughest one of all this year? Keeping up with Santa Claus. This is the first year that Will has really begun to question just how Santa gets gifts to everyone, and how does he really know if he's being naughty or nice? Me: "He just knows. Now, help me clean up this mess."

Happy Holidays and give yourself an extra pat on the back. We all deserve it.

The Family that's Sick Together, Sticks Together

2011-12-12T19:47:00.000-05:00

There's been lingering colds in our home already this season, and it's not limiting in the number of times one of us can get it, either. Two of us are affected currently: me and Sean. Sick of the sickies already, and it's not quite mid-December. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come!

Sean and Will, do Mom and Dad a favor: when germs want to come home with you, say NO! :)

The Advent Calendar

2011-12-10T17:17:00.000-05:00

Will and I were recently in a Hallmark store, purchasing the newest member of the Snowman Band. While we were at the counter to pay, he spied a cheap Advent calendar featuring the cast of Peanuts. Having read "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" recently he begged for the calendar, and I relented.

This little cardboard calendar has turned into a wonderful Christmas activity. In the mornings, he asks to open that day's flap to see what we're going to do today. So far, Nana has made paper snowflakes with him, he's gotten to bake cookies with Daddy, we've sung Christmas songs and learned how other countries celebrate Christmas. But I think my favorite was when Will and I set out last weekend to pick out toys for charity. He was especially excited to go out to Target with Mommy, and get two toys to donate to Toys for Tots. The only activity that I put the kibbosh on was making treats to feed the birds. Because in our backyard, it would be the squirrels and frankly those nuts have plenty.

I find myself looking forward to each morning's unveiling, too. What will tomorrow bring? And who knew that a little cardboard "toy" would bring so much fun to our home?

Christmas Card Outtakes

2011-12-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

The Christmas Cards came in the mail yesterday, ready to be stuffed, addressed, stamped and mailed. It was NOT easy to get a photo this year!! While I won't post our actual Christmas card, here are some of the tries to get a decent photo of my two lil' monkeys: these were all taken at my parent's house on Thanksgiving.

The Face Says It All

2011-12-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

I've been told that I have an authorative look. I apparently carry myself in a way that people assume that I am in charge. Many times I am at a store (be it groceries, clothing or otherwise) and people stop to ask "Excuse me, is this on sale?" "Do you have any more of these steaks in the back?" Or my personal favorite, "Miss? The bathrooms could use some freshening." Really? Do I look like I work here? Or do employees usually walk around with a coat and purse, masquerading as other shoppers? I'm obviously lacking the butcher's white coat, orange Home Depot apron or red polo at Target. And rest assured, I do not wear a nametag.

Yesterday was a pretty funny one, though. I've been working at my new site, taking applications from seniors while the complex is being built. My mom has been kind to come out of retirement for a couple of days to give me a hand. (And who better, she was in the business for many years and knows exactly what to do!) It's been a little slow-going, but it's just the beginning and we have thirty spots to fill, not a hundred. Anyway, I took a short break to go to the post office and the pizza place downtown, to pick up lunch and check our mail. I was driving on the backroads to get back to the church hall, when I see a silver car coming in the opposite direction that I am traveling. The woman driving sees me, and starts flagging me down. What is that about, is everything ok? Confused, I stop in the middle of the street and roll down my window. "Can I help you?" She is lost and is looking for the church. I start telling her how to get there, but after a couple of sentences I know that she is not going to find it on her own, and she says something to the tune of "I just want to fill out an application for a new apartment, I really hate where I'm living and need a change." So I sigh and say "Well, I'm the one giving out the applications. Why don't you just follow me back there?" And off we go, at an incredibly speedy five miles per hour. It ends up taking half an hour to fill out the application interview-style, because "she just doesn't get paperwork." On the way out, she compliments Mom on her short haircut, saying it's like her own and it's great, because "Only pretty girls can pull off short hair like ours." I take a gaze at my own shoulder-length locks and think, "What, I'm not pretty?" :)

So as you can see....I don't even need to be in a store for the "authorative look" to be present. Apparently my car is "I'm in Charge" looking enough.

Note: the only time the "Do you work here?" convo doesn't take place is when I have the boys with me. Score one point for shopping with them. (And deduct a few for the taking off of shoes and socks in the aisles and begging for candy.)

All Grown Up

2011-11-30T22:04:00.000-05:00

If the "last day of daycare" post in September didn't make me sad enough....I got Will's pre-registration letter for kindergarten next year in the mail yesterday. It's official: he's a big kid and our world is gonna change come September.

The other day, he was filling up bags and toting them around the house, telling me that he was parking for college. (What, are you trying to kill me??) I didn't have the heart to tell him that he probably will have little use for ten stuffed animals and a blanket whilst in college. I wish I'd gotten a picture. (sniff)

These are the days that I want to capture forever.

Application Day!

2011-11-29T07:10:00.000-05:00

I'm driving out to eastern MA today, to my company's Central Office. Today, I will not be answering tenant calls or depositing checks. Today, it's all about putting the applications together for my new site!!! The better part of the day will be spent sorting attachments and brochures into envelopes, and running a hundred or so thru the postage meter. Why is this exciting? Because I wasn't sure that this day would ever come! But yet it's here....after almost two years of waiting, it's here. The newspaper ads have been placed, and the inquiries have started rolling in. It's finally happening. I'm already feeling busier than a one-armed paper hanger, and a little stressed to boot. But do you know what? It will be SO worth it, once I can move into my new office outside of the city, and I plan to retire from there. :)

Boston-Bound

2011-11-18T13:05:00.000-05:00

Summer 1997: I had a temp job for a computer training company. The job was in Framingham, MA, and was a long-term assignment for the better part of the summer as their front desk receptionist. It was kind of a fun job, one that I had to dress nicely for every day. This was a far cry from my college uniform of jeans and t-shirts! I did rather well with the company assignment and they eventually asked me to cover their Boston office for a few days that summer as well. I remember being excited, asking my mom about which decorative scarf I should wear with my black business suit, and taking the train to the city by myself. Getting off with the hundreds of other "Boston Businesswomen" at South Station, most of them wearing sneakers with their sensible skirt-suits in order to make the walk. I wasn't quite as smart and wound up with blisters...but who cares? I was working in "the city" for a few days! Walking up Atlantic Avenue, feeling stoked that I was part of the Working World, the Real World.

Fast forward to November, 2011. I'm driving to Boston next Monday for an important business meeting for my new apartment complex. I'll wear whatever's clean and in the closet on Monday, and you can bet the ensemble will include more sensible shoes. I'll hurriedly drop off the kids at their morning destinations, fight morning traffic down the Mass Pike, pay a mortgage's worth to park in the garage and then drive back after the meeting. Only now instead of feeling "stoked" I'll be mind-boggled with the amount of work there is to be done and viewing the trip home as a pain-in-the-ass.

Funny what a difference fourteen years makes, no? I miss that college "get up and go!" attitude. Maybe I'll accessorize with a scarf to pay tribute to that girl, I miss her sometimes. :)

Cheatin', Two-Timin'......Knitter?

2011-11-18T10:48:00.000-05:00

What is it about having to do something that makes you rebel? I am fairly close to finishing my Christmas knitting, and the fact that I "have to" finish this is causing me to ignore it. Instead, I've been seduced by a red lace scarf for myself. I wasn't even planning on using that yarn.....it just kind of happened. Good thing knitting projects don't care if you're unfaithful. They seem to understand that it's not a monogamous relationship.

Still, I've got three things on the needles that I am working on and three's my limit. Any more than that and I start to feel frazzled.

The "have tos" aren't limited to knitting, either. I've got an entire to-do list that I've been ignoring for some time now. Though on Monday, I made a brake appt and a snow tire installation appt for my car, booked our hotel for my brother-in-law's wedding, and ordered a couple of Christmas gifts online. So it can't be too bad!

"How do you measure....measure a year..."

2011-11-17T21:08:00.000-05:00

A year ago, I was just starting the weight loss program at the local hospital. It was a behavioral program versus a surgical track, focusing on nutrition, exercise and psychology. I lost about 15 lbs during that time, and I was pretty proud of myself.

Now, I've been away from the program for some time now. I don't follow it perfectly, there's no such thing as "perfect." As a working mom (meaning: working out of the house every day, because EVERY mom works, and hard!) with two little boys, a hubby in grad school and a voracious schedule, I eat a lot of meals quickly and on-the-go. I don't always make the greatest choices, but I'm no longer a "finish everything on the plate" kind of girl. When margaritas and chips n salsa presented themselves last weekend, I partook. Because honestly, I get a margarita maybe twice a year.

But anyway....let's do a little before and after.

This was taken last year at the start of the program. I was not at all thrilled to be having my picture taken. In fact, I was more interested in taking pictures than being in them.

And the two photos that really hit home for me? I was modeling a shawl last night that I had made so that I could post pics on my Ravelry page.

Front view:

Back view

From the back....WOW!!! I love it! Those pants are rather loose.

What a difference a year makes. "Happy Anniversary" to me, for taking steps to add "years to your life and life to your years."

Working from Home

2011-11-15T12:42:00.000-05:00

I've kind of been resisting the "thankful" posting every day this month, because I wasn't sure how much time I'd have to dedicate to posting. Of course I am thankful for all of the blessings in my life, my family, friends, roof over our heads, continued employment in these uncertain economic times, etc all the usual things. But how about an unusual one once in a while....in this case today.

Today I am thankful for sometimes being authorized to work from home. It was close to seventy degrees this morning, the ides of November. The slider door is open and I can feel the breeze. (though the sunshine is dissipating) I have the training videos that I must follow along to and take mini quizzes after each section. This will take several hours and took more time than I expected due to setup issues. But I'm perfectly happy, in my casual clothing and no makeup. Lunch at my very own kitchen table, accompanied by the dog (of course, he adores leftover chicken of any kind)

Oh, and in between videos.....I'm blocking Christmas gifts. Soaking doesn't require my attention, so while I participate in the video, the item is in the bathroom sink. After the video, I lay out and pin the item to the foam boards. The boys aren't home, so they aren't working together to comandeer my foam boards to build a play structure. And I won't be frantically trying to do this on Christmas Eve, praying feverishly for it to dry faster than is actually possible so that I can wrap the items to put under the tree at 2am. YES!!

In conclusion: working from home once in a while, where the only noise is made by me. Very thankful. :)

(Knit) Girl's Night!

2011-11-13T17:44:00.000-05:00

When I mentioned at knitting the other night that I was going to Maine to visit a college girlfriend of mine, the invariable first question was "Oh, is she a knitter?" Why yes, yes she is. She is a knitter because I "turned" her, kind of like vampires in True Blood. :) She came over to the dark side last summer when I taught her how to purl (she already knew the knit stitch) and Damn! The girl made scarves for her entire family, and is going to start her sixth pair of socks soon! I created a monster....one that loves to go and look at yarn and talk patterns with me. So this is obviously a win-win situation!

I made it up to Maine on Saturday afternoon, and we ventured to nearby Dover, NH for sushi and yarn shopping at her favorite local yarn store. (LYS for those in the know) The store's owner was very helpful and knowledgeable in their stuff, and I picked out some yarn that I will save up for to make myself a clapotis scarf. (I'm an instant-gratification kind of girl when it comes to yarn, so this is huge for me!) I figure if I'm going to spend like $80 for one project, it's got to be something that I will love and wear the hell out of!

On the way back to Maureen's apartment, we took a detour to Rochester, NH, where Brian and I lived for about a year while he was wrapping up his Naval career. The area had changed so much, I barely recognized it! Our old house had been sold again, and was being completely gutted. Since no one was around, I pulled into the driveway and we were super-nosy, peering in the windows from the car. It was so weird. Twelve years is a really long time, no? And nothing ever stays the same.

Later on, we met up with a good friend of Maureen's, for Mexican and Margaritas in Portland. Mexican and sushi in one day? Wow, that's awesome! And then after dinner we proved the old ladies that we have become and watched Bridesmaids while knitting...her working on a baby dress and me a red lace scarf for myself. I was shocked to see it was 1:00am when the movie was over and we hustled to bed. The morning found us winding sock yarn from a big, messy tangle and then heading out to breakfast. Then it was the drive back home.

What a perfect night away. I came home to both boys excited to see me, and a cleaned-up house. So now I feel recharged and ready to take on the (frantically busy) week!

The 2011 Attack of Big Bertha

2011-11-11T10:21:00.000-05:00

If you know me at all, you know that I'm a bugophobe. Just one big bug is enough to give me a case of heebie jeebies so bad, it's practically paralyzing. (And if they bring a few friends, it might as well be the Apocalypse.) I'm not proud of this. I'm not proud of the fact that a big ol' bug is enough to send me screaming in the other direction. (no exaggeration. Remember the big bug in my room above the bed in Moore Hall, Shannon??)

Anyway...back to not being proud of this fact. Nothing terrifies me as much as a gigantic bug. (Gigantic--bigger than a quarter) It doesn't matter if it's harmless. A bug, is a bug is a bug. So imagine my dismay when I was home with the boys this morning and I headed into the bathroom, and there was a big centipede lookin' thing chillin' in my bathroom sink. He (or she, doesn't matter) was bigger than the drain opening. Once I glimpsed Big Bertha (yeah, I'm making it a she) I couldn't even WALK into the bathroom. If Big Bertha had graced me with her presence whilst in the shower, I would have jumped out screaming, mid-shampoo. I texted Hubby about the bug, and sent him a photo. (I'm pretty sure this is one of the things that he just adores about me!) He writes back to send Will in there with a magazine to kill it, and to flush it down the toilet. Yeah Right.

I approach Will, and I explain to him about Mommy's ridiculous fear about bugs and ask him how he feels about killing Big Bertha. He gives me a wary eye and says "Ok, I'll help." This is the low I've sunk to....enlisting my five-year old to help dispose of a bug that I can't even go into the bathroom to see fully. He suggests a big cup of very hot water. I think....well, I could do that. So we fill a coffee can with hot water, and I bring it into the bathroom. When it comes time, though, I can't bring myself to do it. What if I just piss off this thing and it comes out to give me a piece of her mind? Then I remember......cleaning supplies! Ooh Clorox Clean-up. I go in there, trigger poised. Aaah! I spray and run, slamming the door behind me. Will, "Is it dead, Mom? Are you ok?" Ten minutes go by.....and I check. Bertha's busted. Only now I can't bring myself to dispose of her.

So I've closed the door and left it for Brian to deal with. Yes, I'm well aware that I'm a total wimp and you may judge if you must. Will though, surprised me with a hug and an "I love you, Mom." I'm a wimp, but a wimp with my family's love and support. :)

Random List, #4,659 (I totally made that up.)

2011-11-09T21:06:00.000-05:00

A random list today, of things that I miss.

1. It's been a really long time since I listened to an album in its entirety. I know, I'm dating myself just by calling it an ALBUM. But seriously, I can remember getting excited for a band's new album, then getting it and listening to every track. Sure, not everything on there was good stuff. And sometimes, you had to give stuff a few listens in order to bond with it. These days I just look over stuff in iTunes, and pick and choose songs. Is it that there's no good "albums" out there or I just don't take the time to look anymore?

2. The sound of a modem. Now you just click and Boom! Internet. It's much more convenient this way, yes. I didn't say that this list was going to make sense.

3. A cellphone as a luxury and not a necessity. Don't me wrong, I love my Smartphone and it's important to have a phone for emergencies and things. Most of the time though, I feel like my phone and I are joined at the hip. It makes one little "beep" (or birds tweeting in my case) and I'm grabbing for it to see who's texting/emailing me. And if we leave our phone at home, well FORGET IT. The day's just ruined. I'm not trying to be sarcastic. It's a case of our phones becoming part of us.

4. Letters. Letters are dead art form. I can remember taking the time to write someone a letter, and feeling happy that I was putting something in their mailbox that would bring a smile to their face. Or sometimes, a letter was a better way to take the time to say something difficult. I'm also a big letter-keeper. I have all of my husband's letters from when he was on deployment when we were dating, and he has mine. Yes, I'm aware of this thing called email. But it's just not the same.

Other things that I find myself nostalgic for from time-to-time: watching movies on VCRs. OK Soda. When the change under the floor mats in the car could buy half a tank of gas. Going to a movie and getting popcorn too and still having change from your $10 bill. Playing cards with my brother to pass the time. Pictures that you had to send away to be developed. I could go on and on.

What's some things that you miss from your formative years?

In Which History Repeats Itself

2011-11-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

Listening to the radio in the car this morning: Barenaked Ladies "Celebrity." Will, who usually adores BNL, starts screeching that he "hates this music and it hurts my ears, Mommy!" And then he says it, and my world is turned upside-down. "I want to listen to some Justin Bieber. RIGHT NOW!"

Whoa. First of all, Holy Demands, Batman! I find I say this almost every day: "Sometimes it's not about what you want but what other people want." Mommy wants to listen to this, so we are going to listen to this. Second of all.....Justin Bieber????? Bieber Fever in my car? I think not. I ask where he's heard Justin Bieber and he says that *I* am the one that introduced him to the music stylings of "Baby...Baby." Oh hell no. I'm sure he heard about it at school or something. Because I listen primarily to classic rock and alternative, with a little bit of pop. Very little. That is NOT music, kid. I report the case of Bieber Fever to my husband a little later and he says "Wow. Is it too late to trade him in?" :)

Flashback to the early nineties. I grew up classic rock. My Dad is Classic Rock all the way. WBCN (and the occasional WAAF) Led Zeppelin, Stones, Aerosmith, Doors. This is what I grew up on. Not to mention J. Geils, and one of my first concerts with my Dad is ZZ Top. I remember his chagrin when groups like Milli Vanilli and Color Me Badd were on the airwaves on WZOU. (now JAMN 94.5...which he would hate as well.) Bringing home posters of the New Kids. "UGH. That's not music, Ginny." And now that I am an adult, I can tell you that he was right. (except for the New Kids on the Block. That was just catchy. And when they played nothing but "New Kids" on my senior cruise in college, you've never seen a bunch of college girls go crazy quite like that.)

You're welcome, Dad. I'm thrilled to let you know, that payback is a bitch. I just wasn't expecting the payback so soon!

Transitions

2011-11-07T12:24:00.000-05:00

It's finally happening! The thing that I have looked forward to for so very, very long. My new property is becoming a reality. My return to senior housing.....where I've always felt that I belong.

I did a PR event last Friday and met a lot of folks who are interested in applying to the new place. I'm putting together an application packet and will be doing mailings, and reserving a hall for the housing lottery, and I'm loving every minute of it. Of course, the transition time between my current job and my new job, well, it's going to be a busy, overwhelming and stressful November/December. Add the holiday craziness to that and the daily life of Manager Mom, and I'm already feeling a bit overwhelmed. This is going to be a difficult, yet delicious chapter. One that I welcome and will perservere. With the silliness and support of friends, the patience and backbone of my family and the clicking of my knitting needles, this will be great. :)

Festival Fantastic!

2011-11-06T17:57:00.000-05:00

There are two events a year that I look forward to kind of like Christmas. One is the tent sale at Webs every May, and the other is the Fiber Festival in November. It would take something pretty serious to make me miss either one of these events.

A delightful time was had by all in my knitting group today. (And my mom too, she's an honorary member) it was the Second Annual New England Fiber Festival. No, not THAT kind of fiber. I'm talkin' yarn! Well, yarn, roving, spindles, sheep shearing, and all the accessories that go with it!

It starts with a drive to W. Springfield MA, home of the Eastern States Exposition. (aka The Big E, held every September.) The Fiber Festival is held on part of the fairgrounds. So they DO use those buildings during the year! :) There were alpacas to pet and purchase, buttons with funny sayings, piles of roving, patterns, spinning supplies, dyes and YARN! More yarn than one could ever see in a day. Everyone is browsing, chatting, and wearing their own handknits. Some are knitting while walking, which is a skill that I just do not possess. There are fabulous loaded baked potatoes, corn chowder and ice cream. And just an afternoon with a gaggle of girlfriends, child-free and full of project possibility.

And now I'm back home, going through my treasures. I got some more skeins for dyeing, some sparkly gray for a scarf for myself and some special treats for my Birthday Swap Partner. I'm a little sad that it's all over. But hey....only six months til Tent Sale Madness!

Wordless Wednesday: Nana's Favorite Chair

2011-11-02T08:37:00.000-04:00

(Not exactly wordless today!)

While I was looking for a photo and eating my breakfast (I don't know how NOT to multi-task) Will came into the room and said "Hey Mom, is that your blog??" It's pretty cool that he recognizes stuff like that now. When I told him what I was doing, he begged to pick the photo. So here you go! This is Will, circa.....2008? I know, you'd think it was Sean if you didn't know better. It's tough....we certainly have to label our photos around here. Will's snuggled up tight in a blanket, probably somewhere between awake and asleep. He loved blankets back then, and he still does today. Even on a hot day he loves to snuggle in blankets and says "My favorite thing is soft, Mommy."

Anyway, this is Nana's favorite chair, a leather recliner in her living room. I love that chair as well, probably for all the same reasons: comfy, warm, good for knitting and TV. Actually, everyone loves that chair. If I thought that she wouldn't notice, I'd steal it. (Just kidding. I know she'd notice. Right away!)

Crazy.

2011-11-01T09:16:00.000-04:00

Brian's singing Christmas carols in the kitchen the other morning. Usually I give him a hard time about bringing them so early. This year though, I was temporarily confused by what time of the year it is, exactly. There was ten inches of snow (luckily it only accumulated about five inches) and it was coldcoldcold. There is a chill in the air tonight outside, and the air smells like Christmas. Fresh. Cold.

Many people in Central MA are without power, and it's looking like it may be a few days before they get it, too. No daycare for the past two days, and many schools closed. Halloween was pushed back because of a snow day! How many times in your life can you say that? We've been fortunate, with only losing the power for a few hours overnight. And we've been fortunate to be able to offer a place for friends and family to warm up, shower, eat some hot food, etc.

Halloween was pretty understated this year. Our town didn't postpone Trick-or-Treating, though most of the surrounding ones postponed until later in the week. Some towns CANCELLED it. (that's sad.) We took our little Pirate boys to the local mall where there was an event going on. Then, since Daddy had school, we stayed home and handed out candy to all the kids that came to our door. Will enjoyed handing it out to all the kids, except when they were wearing scary masks. Then it was "mommy, you do it!"

Sure hope for things to get back to normal soon. If this is what Mother Nature has in store for the winter, it's going to be a long one.

Donning Mittens for Halloween

2011-10-29T09:52:00.000-04:00

I've been listening to the squirrels in the trees in my backyard for most of the summer, and September too. I've spent a bit of time in my backyard over the past 9-ish years, and I've never heard or noticed them quite like this before. Every time we open the back door, there's usually two or three (sometimes five!) running along our back fence or skipping along in the grass. They've been going beserk out there, running up and down and shaking the trees. They're feverishly storing acorns for the season, and I think I understand their need for speed now. Dude, it's gonna be an early winter! Make that a really early one.....first snowfall was the other night and we still have autumn leaves on the trees.

Early snow is nothing new in New England, though usually that happens more often in the Northen parts. But they're predicting our first Nor'Easter, bringing down 6-10 inches of snow overnight and into tomorrow. Now THAT is a little bit ridiculous. I don't think the kids' Halloween costumes will fit a winter coat underneath! Yesterday morning I was breaking ice off my front stairs before work, my car doors were frozen shut and we were doing a mad scramble for hats and mittens. Sean's hat that I made for him last year of course doesn't fit, but he's thrilled with wearing it. Funny how that works, huh? Last year he would cry and rip it off in the car, throwing it to the floor. Will's old hats suit him just fine, and I do have yarn in the house to make them new hats and mittens. (Of course I do....my stash is legendary!) I was just hoping that I could hold off and put them in their Christmas stockings. Perhaps not....

Spooky Jack!

2011-10-27T03:47:00.001-04:00

This is Jack.

Jack is something that I knitted for the Halloween Swap with my knitting group. He was a lot of fun to make, and quite easy. Felting him wasn't quite so easy at first, I will never attempt felting by hand again! It's washing machines all the way.

After felting, I used a balloon to make Jack hold his shape while he dried. It was kind of like papier mache. remember papier mache? Good times.

Once he was dry, it was time to pop the balloon, and carve the face. I drew it on with a black Sharpie, which I intended to cut out completely while "carving" with some small scissors. I didn't get it all, so Jack looks like he has a bit of burn marks around his eyes and nose. In other words, close to an authentic Jack O'Lantern!

Insert a battery-operated votive and Voila! My family thinks that he's one of the coolest things I've ever knitted!

Wordless Wednesday: A Cake and Two Spoons

2011-10-26T09:01:00.001-04:00

In Which I Make a Decision.

2011-10-24T14:33:00.000-04:00

Dude, this sweater is breaking my heart.

I pulled Ditto out last Wednesday to work on, and got about one row into it. Then I couldn't help but notice that I was doing the stitches wrong for the reverse ribbing. And now my yoke has a bunch of holes in it because of mistaken yarn-overs. Gahhhhhhhhh......

At first I thought....I have less than two weeks to my goal of wearing it at the New England Fiber Festival. Just motor through and wear it anyway. Call it a lesson learned in paying attention. But I just can't do that. I will always look at the sweater and say "this isn't right." And eventually, it will be banished to the back of the closet, never to see the light of day because I didn't take the time to do it right. I don't want to be that girl. I want something that I can be proud of, something that I can say "Yeah, I made that. It IS pretty, isn't it!" Not "Yeah....I made that. I could've done better."

So. I've decided. The sweater hibernates. I will come back to it after a bit of Christmas and swap knitting. And I WILL come back to it. It's so close to done, even with ripping back the yoke, that it would simply be a shame for it to be doomed to a life on needles instead of worn with my favorite jeans and a purple camisole.

This is why I do it.

2011-10-22T16:36:00.000-04:00

I went outside to get the mail today, and something was waiting for me: A thank you note from Knit for Boston.
It said thank you for the adorable items, and how cute they were, and also included a Knit for Boston button for my knitting bag.

This is why I knit items for charity....I know that I made a dozen kids in the Boston area have warm hands on a chilly day. Three adults have warm heads, and two more have scarves, to keep them warm in the New England cold. It makes me feel SO GOOD to do this, to take a skill that I possess and turn it into something that helps others. It started as a fun little project, a "bet" to see how many things I could make with scrap yarn from other projects. And the joy that it has given me has been overwhelming. I already have three Ziploc gallon bags with scraps from this year's projects to start another personal mitten drive in 2012. How many pairs will I make? One can only wait and see.

Right now I'm back on baby hats for Stitches from the Heart. I have about fourteen, and a couple little baby blankets too. Those will be mailed out around Christmastime.

I get asked a lot, "Wow, how do you do it?" It's simple, really. In between every project listed on my Ravelry page, I did a pair of mittens, or a baby hat. (Or two, or three. They don't take very long.) even the baby hats are from scraps for the most part. Though my friend Patrick scored a big bag of yarn on Freecycle the other week and brought it in on a Wednesday night to share. I came home with my own smaller bag, dropping it on the table. Brian gawked at the big bag and I said "um....yeah. Patrick said to tell you that he's sorry." So I am all set for yarn for baby hats for....the next year!

So in closing, I do it because it makes me happy, to give back.

Will's Five!

2011-10-21T08:16:00.000-04:00

I simply cannot believe my older boy is FIVE YEARS OLD today. Really, I blink and this is what I see.

Everyone tells you that it goes by fast, and it does! You don't think it does until it happens to you. Because before you know it, their first birthday is here.

And then they start developing their own traits, and fashion sense too. And they love to model things that you've knitted.

Will, you're a terrific kid. Your Dad and I love you so much, for so many reasons. You're sweet and caring, and you are a wonderful big brother.

You're silly, you love to laugh and your sense of humor is impeccable. And you've already perfected the art of a drive-by mugging for the camera.

You are happy-go-lucky, and are happy to show Sean the ropes.

You love to cook, and spend time with your Dad. And you're a good sport too, with putting on stuff that Mom makes you put on. Even though you just don't want to.

You have a wild side, and a wild imagination! You have lots of ideas, and are quite creative.

And most of all, you have so much love inside you. You love your whole family, and even though you are a big ol' five year old that "shouldn't have to go to school because you already know everything, you still want Mom and Dad to "snuggle you" and enjoy things like lullabies.

Happy Birthday, my darling. We love you so, very very much.

The Famous Mind-Numbing Pepsi Disaster

2011-10-12T23:43:00.000-04:00

At knitting tonight, I was able to move past the pain, and tell this story.

Two Saturdays ago, my family was coming over to celebrate my parent's birthdays. (their birthdays are close together in September) We had a simple dinner planned with two desserts and presents to cap it off. My parents arrived first. (which is not surprising, because my brother and sister-in-law are often late. The baby coming next month probably will make them later, and that is totally cool)

Whenever my parents come over, I make sure to have some Pepsi on hand for my father. I know that it's what he likes to drink, I am a good hostess, and I aim to please. In typical fashion, my dad discovers the Pepsi in the fridge and immediately pours himself a glass. He joins my mom and I in the living room, where I am showing off something knitty I'm sure. Soon after, we are joined by the Big Kid.

Big Kid, fooling around and looking for attention, starts spinning around with his stuffed animal. Then, without any rhyme or reason, he launches the stuffed animal towards my father. He misses him, but he certainly did not miss the full glass of Pepsi! It's Murphy's Law, people. He couldn't hit the glass of Pepsi if he was trying but nailed it when he wasn't. The glass tips over, spilling its contents all over my living room, and the glass careens to the floor.

At first, I'm calm. I haven't seen it yet. All I think that I'm in for is scrubbing Pepsi stickiness out of a rug.

Oh, hell no. It is much, much worse than that. To my horror, I discover that the glass is not on the floor. It is in my canvas knitting bag. IN MY KNITTING BAG. ALONG WITH THE PEPSI THAT WAS IN THE GLASS. Pepsi. On my works-in-progress.

It was kind of like the moment in the horror movie when the woman discovers the severed head in her freezer. I went hysterical. No, scratch that, it's just not strong enough. I went completely bats*%t crazy! I start screeching and sobbing simultaneously, freaking out, thinking about what's in that bag. A half-finished baby blanket for my Oldest Friend. A cowl for a swap project. Various hats. And Ditto. Oh my. Ditto! I have worked on that sweater since May. I can NOT get those hours back. I dump the bag onto the dining room table and start throwing the items to survey the damage. All it takes is seeing Pepsi all over the baby blanket and it's just more than I can take. It's overwhelmingly heartbreaking, and that's when I locked myself in the bathroom, crying.

My mom, who is a knitter, knocks on the bathroom door and asks to come in. She asks if the blanket is made of acrylic and I said yes. She says that she is going to tie the entire thing, on the needles and all, in a pillowcase and put it in the washer. She leaves to start the task. Brian comes to the door. He has surveyed the sweater (which, like everything but the blanket, was miraculously wrapped in plastic bags) and surprise! Not a drop of Pepsi. I start crying all over again. I said, "Can you do me a favor?" He says "Get you some eye makeup remover?" "Yeah." That man, he knows me so well.

At this point in the story, someone in the knitting group says "Oh My God! I just want to cry for you! And your husband, what a great guy. He really knew how to handle the situation and calm you down. And your mom....she rocks! I wouldn't have thought of that!" Well, yes. Mom indeed does rock. Not only did the Pepsi come out of the blanket, she and my dad wound up all the unused yarn that went a little haywire in the dryer while we were eating. And kudos to my brother, who when I came out of the bathroom, was washing my dining room table from the Pepsi residue that I had spread during my panic. He had been coming up my stairs with Kim when he heard me burst into tears and had no idea what was going on. And Hubby? He rocks too. Every day. But......he rocked a little less when he brought me nail polish remover to take off my eye makeup. Good think I noticed, huh? Talk about adding insult to injury!

All's well that ends well, and I have the best family in the world! As for Will, he got a timeout and a long talk about throwing stuffed animals in the house. I'm betting he won't do THAT again anytime soon. As far as Pepsi....we can still have it in the house. Just far, far away from all this knitting. :)

Newsflash: Mom's Still Funny!

2011-10-11T19:45:00.001-04:00

Know what one of my favorite things about having a toddler is? The fact that they are so easy to amuse! I had kind of forgotten about that, until tonight when Sean and I were playing and he was pretending to push me around the room. A couple of backwards steps and a big Woooaaahhh!!!! gets the biggest giggles. And man, that laughter is contagious. Or quoting Bart Simpson....that kills, too. Sean will barely touch my arm and I say "OW! Quit it." Multiply times 100 and Sean's laughing to hard he's trying to catch his breath!

I don't remember how long this stage lasts. But I intend to ham it up, make a complete fool of myself just to keep him laughing.

Sunny October Weekends Are Good For.....

2011-10-10T17:34:00.001-04:00

1. Knocking down greenhouses. My brother had an old, crappy greenhouse on his property that his house insurance company was not particularly fond of. So Brian, armed with tools and a desire to break some stuff (who doesn't love demo work??) headed to RI to take that sucker down. From what I'm told, it didn't take much.

2. Golf tournaments. Sunday was the company golf tournament, organized by Hubby! Again, I'm told it was a great success, with several golfers, a good lunch and great door prizes.

3. Slips and slides. First Sean fell in the family room, taking out the toy bins with him. He was fine, just stunned a bit. Then I tripped over the dog, as I was climbing the stairs into the house. Will examined my boo-boo knee and said "Yup. Just what I suspected. DOG."

4. Knitting, and yarn shopping too. To take advantage of this delightful, beauty of a day, we headed west to Northampton, so I could get some supplies for the birthday swap. I had so much fun doing this last year that I decided to do it this year too. And for 2012, I am also going to help moderate the birthday swap group on Ravelry. Anyway, back to knitting and yarn right now.....I brought home some fingering-weight for a swap item. And then of course I picked something for me, some red fingering weight to make a scarf for myself to go with my new black coat. And Will begged to pick out some yarn to make him a hat, so he chose kiwi green and white, requesting stripes or polka-dots. Stripes I can do. Polka dots, well.....that might be a challenge. I did want to do some colorwork though, other than stripes. So perhaps this might be the first? We'll see.

On the needles right now--halloween swap, baby blanket for Oldest Friend, and Ditto. Still, Ditto. I have about 1.5 inches left of this weird ribbing, and then I can bind it off. Then comes the button bands, but those look quick I am at that point where I am just so tired of looking at it, and I want it done! I really want to wear it to the New England Fiber Fest next month, so I guess I'd better get crackin'. Also, I finished the last Christmas gift for people outside of my house. I don't count blocking it as something that needs to be done in order to cross it off the list, that can come later.

5. Sean discovering crayons and how much he likes them. He likes them everywhere, on paper, on the dishwasher and especially on the kitchen wall under the table. That one is going to be a b#*ch to clean! We're already thinking re-paint the wall.

6. Overall, unseasonably gorgeous weather!

Hope everyone had a good weekend, and Happy Birthday to my "little" brother!

Patience, Woman!

2011-10-04T19:01:00.000-04:00

Mantra: I will be patient for the Post office to deliver my swap package. I will not check their website a hundred million times a day. Nevermind shake my fist when there hasn't been an update since my Minnesotan Ravelry friend mailed it on September 26th. (I won't find it somewhat amusing that I mailed my package to her the same day, and she received it two days later, either.)

I will not grouch, whine, cry or mutter under my breath when it appears the damn box only made it to Des Moines, Iowa on the 28th and liked it so much there it decided to stay. (Apparently Des Moines is a beguiling place) Or be tempted to to jump in my car and drive to Springfield MA when the little ticker on the website says that it got there FINALLY today. I will not point out to my husband that geez, I could have driven to Minnesota and back in the time that it has taken.

Why? Because I am patient. Yep. Patient. That's me.

"Just another Manic Monday...."

2011-10-03T15:06:00.000-04:00

".......Wish it were Sundaayyyyy, 'cause that's my fun day. I-don't-wanna-run-day"

The Bangles really knew what they were talking about. This Monday is one of the best examples of that song. Some random Monday stuff, comin' at ya:

1. Will and I discovered that we have a mutual love of Muppets videos on Youtube, and this one featuring the Muppet Theme Song is currently our favorite. Though he really loves the "Mahna-Mahna" one too. He asked today about the Muppets not mixing with the Fraggles and was surprised to hear that the guy responsible for the Muppets also did the Fraggles, and Sesame Street too. So we "mixed them together" and what do you get? "The Frappets on Sesame Street." Frappets!!! Bwahahahahahahahahaha (The Maggles just wasn't as funny.)

2. It was better NOT to stay up for the rest of the Phillies game last night, as we went to bed at 11:30 and then they lost. Most of the time about baseball I'm very "meh" about the whole thing. But if Hubby's hometown is in, then I enjoy the playoffs in the background while I'm knitting. AND there's only a few days til the beginning of hockey season!

3. I made a preliminary call to get Will enrolled in a karate class. It's a cutie "tots" class that says it will help with motor skills, coordination and listening skills. Just waiting on a callback and a price for the boy's "first organized activity!"

That's the positive-ness that I can spread today. Happy Monday to all!

To the Curb with ye!

2011-10-01T16:01:00.000-04:00

Something about October makes me want to go through all of my stuff and get rid of some of it. I don't know where it comes from. But usually I start to itch with anticipation for throwing stuff away in the last week of September. It's weird, I know.

Right now on the chopping block: kids' toys. WOW my kids have a lot of toys. I half-heartedly started going through them a few weeks ago but right now I'm all about it. I've sorted two boxes to donate to Savers, and put two big boxes of stuff away. I plan on going through those boxes and putting some in the (finally vacuumed, hallelujah!) playroom, and some of them downstairs in the basement to be rotated later.

Next up: toiletries and cosmetics. I am quickly becoming the Queen of Lipgloss. And I don't use half of them. So a little experiment perhaps, I try one every day. And if I don't love it, it meets the trashcan.

We've known for a long time that we are outgrowing this house. And based on the amount of crap that we have, we aren't exactly helping ourselves out any. Since we're planning on putting this house on the market in less than two years, and if it actually sells quickly, then this is that much more items that we will not have to pack and take with us.

Come to think of it, that's the beauty in simplicity right there. Less stuff, less boxes to pack. :)

Growth thru Sweaters

2011-10-01T13:44:00.000-04:00

I made both of the boys sweaters in the last year, and yesterday morning Will begged to wear his to school. (What a good boy, he's always loved this sweater and that makes me so happy. Sean is Sean...right now he could care less.)

It was slightly chilly, so I put both of them in their sweater that I had made. Then, even though we were running late as usual, I realized that I had never gotten a photo of the boys together in their sweaters. Well, we will just have to remedy that!

And then I realized.....Will's is a lot shorter on him since the Spring. Uh-oh....this isn't going to fit him much longer, is it!!! I panicked slightly. Ok, a lot. Must. Get. Crackin'. on. Sweaters! These children-of-a-knitter will not be like the cobbler's children, going without shoes.

I got five skeins of dark green acrylic in a de-stash event last May....I could make them matching sweaters! I hate to say "acrylic" but at this age they're very tough on their clothes. Acrylic is easy-care and not expensive. I'll get them the good stuff later on in life.

P.S> Yes, that's Joey's tail. He is pretty adamant that he be in every photo that I take. And no, I don't think he'd wear a sweater. Though I'm not above trying!

Random Thursday

2011-09-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

1. In the hustle and bustle of getting myself and the boys out the door, I forgot my work bag at home today. No notary stuff, no flash drive, no book. Damn, it's a good book too. "Couldn't Keep it to Myself" by Wally Lamb and the Prisoners of York County Prison. It's stories written by the women of the prison, from a workshop that Wally Lamb facilitated. Riveting stuff. I love Wally Lamb anyway, "She's Come Undone" will always be a favorite of mine. Anyway, I just hope that the bag is actually in the house and I didn't leave it on the front porch. Or worse, in the driveway, in the rain!

2. I abandoned a pattern the other night. If it takes a bazillion tries to get the cast-on correct before you get to the body of the thing that you are knitting, perhaps it's time to pick a different project, yes? I gave up during a commercial break and by the time the show came back on, I'd picked something else. And the new "something else" (i.e. Christmas secret) is turning out to be something that I am loving to knit. It might even be my favorite finished object later on.

3. Sean is really starting to say things. I still can't understand a lot of what he is saying, but I've figured out that he calls Will "Bubby" because he can't say Will. Every night when I pick him up, he is thrilled to see me, yelling MOMMY!!! and comes running to me. And as soon as we are in the car and I'm backing out of the driveway, he proceeds to ask me over and over, "Mommy? Where's Daddy and Bubby?" And if I don't say "Yes, honey?" in between those two sentences, he will keep saying "Mommmy? Mommy?" until I acquiesce with "Yes Honey?"

Those are your three random facts for today. You're welcome. :)

Yarn Dyeing Saturday!

2011-09-27T07:53:00.000-04:00

A group of friends and I got together at one of our houses on Saturday to play with Kool-Aid and yarn. I've had a lifetime of staining stuff with things like Kool-Aid, so I was really intrigued to see what happened when you spill it all over something on purpose!

First of all, you need yarn made from animal fiber. It's impossible to dye cotton yarn in your own home. No matter how long you soak it, the Kool-Aid just won't take. I used Knitpicks "Bare" from their catalog. It's 100% worsted-weight wool.

First, the soaking. We all had brought dutch oven pots, and the yarn had to soak in lukewarm water for at least 20 minutes. (We ended up going outside on Kristina's deck and enjoying the surprise summer weather, we kind of forgot for a bit that there was yarn soaking. No harm, no foul.)

Then, the process of adding the Kool-Aid. I added the powder directly to the pot....if I ever did this again I would make the dye first and then add the yarn. Oh well, I do like the variegated version that I ended up with, which took a whopping THIRTEEN packets of Kool-Aid!

Then it's off to drain it, making it look like the worst spaghetti ever!

Someone had taken a picture of all the used Kool-Aid packets....it was an impressive sight! Unfortunately, it wasn't me. Kristina's kitchen smelled like fruity Kool-Aid and wet wool. BTW...wet wool stinks. But the Kool-Aid is rather nice.

Here's the end result, coming out of the pot. That's my friend Kim next to me, she is dyeing hers green. Green is her signature color by the way, and mine in case you couldn't tell, is purple.

All of our yarns on the drying rack on the deck. (thank goodness for that nice "summer" weather!) Danielle went for a bright blue, and Kristina and Kim also made some variegated on the bottom rack, using a turkey baster to distribute the different flavors/colors of Kool-Aid.

The yarn came home with me, still wet and tied in a plastic grocery sack. I hung it on a hanger and let it finish drying on the shower rod in the bathroom. For two days, my bathroom smelled faintly of grape Kool-Aid. And now that it is wound up, it still smells like Kool-Aid and probably always will.

The finished product. Gorgeous. :)

Now, what do I plan on doing with this yarn? I'm thinking the Arroyo Shawl. For myself, of course!

Thanks for a fun day, ladies!

Welcome, Autumn

2011-09-18T10:41:00.000-04:00

We took the kids apple picking yesterday. What a difference from last year! This time last year, it was over 80 degrees and I was wearing Sean in a baby bjorn. This year, nice, cool beginning-of-fall atmosphere. And now we have a big bag of apples to make delicious things with. Can't wait!

Attempting a picture in front of the pumpkin patch. We didn't take any pumpkins home this time, we'll go again in a couple of weeks hopefully.

Yum!!! My own little apple.

Will's a professional apple picker now.

Gala? I think I like this better than the McIntosh!

Pumpkins need hugs, too.

Posing in the pumpkin patch. But NO, I won't look at the camera.

Fearless Friends

2011-09-13T12:02:00.001-04:00

Last week, my friend Kristina asked me how the progress went on Ditto. Sadly, I had no update, as two weeks ago I messed it up and have 3.5 rows to rip back. It has been chillin, sitting in a tied-off Target bag in my living room ever since. I give it a sideways glance once in a while, still sick with trepidation of ripping back those 3.5 rows. (Yes, the .5 is worth mentioning, since there are 323 stitches across each whole row! That's a lot of stitches, man!)

Kristina just looked at me, and said " You know, you're not that far from being done with that sweater. Bring it in next week, I'll rip back the rows for you. Then you can finish it and be proud of what you made" She could see that I was stuck, and is throwing me a lifeline. I couldn't believe her generosity. I wish I had her fearlessness regarding ripping out knitting! I graciously accepted her offer, and asked where she got this courage and she just said "You have to believe that when you're done ripping it out, you'll have as many stitches that you started with." Hmmm.

So, tomorrow night. The adventure continues. Will I be fearless with her, or will I be in the corner biting my nails as she rips back the rows?

I choose to think positively. Let's go!

Happy Birthday, Dear Brian......

2011-09-12T07:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to the best husband and father! I know that you aren't crazy about your birthday, but we love you more than words can say! So here are some of my favorite pictures over the last year. Enjoy your day, babe, even if it is a Monday!

A Fine Line

2011-09-10T16:54:00.000-04:00

One lesson that we have to stress with the Big Kid is about strangers. He is quite outgoing, and for a long time he would have no problem just approaching anyone with a big "Hi! My name is Will! What are you doing?" It could be a bit unnerving, because you want to teach your kids that strangers are bad, but you don't want them thinking that everyone around them that they do not know is someone wishing them harm. School has helped a bit with this, but still, there have been times where we have been shopping in Target and Will begins to announce "There's a stranger in this aisle! Mommy....stranger!" While I applaud that he is realizing that his world can be a dangerous place, I don't want him afraid of everyone.

The dog had a grooming appointment, and Will begged to go with me to drop him off. Afterwards, we wandered off towards Michael's, where I could spend hours by myself. :) We headed to the yarn aisle (naturally) to look for some yarn for a swap that I am participating in on Ravelry.

There was a woman in the yarn aisle, older than me and wearing jeans and a pink cardigan sweater. She sees us looking at the yarn and Will asking for me to teach him to knit, and says "Excuse me....could I ask your opinion on this yarn?" This is not the first time that this has happened to me, I enjoy talking to other yarn lovers in places like this. We got to talking, while Will hid behind me a little bit. Her name was Debbie, and she is a bus driver in a town nearby. She was going to make a pink and white blanket, and wasn't sure the two yarns that she picked out worked together. (They didn't.) We were in the baby yarn aisle and I suggested a brand and asked if she was going to make it for a baby. She said no, that she was crocheting it for her daughter-in-law. Then the bomb dropped---the daughter-in-law is 23 years old and has recently been diagnosed with ALS. (Lou Gehrig's disease.) She said that she hadn't crocheted in years....but wanted to do something to think about something other than the awful cards that the family has been dealt. I can understand that.... as I often turn to my knitting and yarn when I need some soothing.

I recommended a yarn to her for her project, Lion Brand "Pound of Love," because it is durable, soft acrylic and can be tossed in the washer and dryer. And hey, look at that, it's on sale! However, there was plenty of pink, but no white. I suggested that she ask if Michael's has some in the back room, and she thanked me. Will and I made our way to the other yarns. We ran into her later, and she said that they had no more white. After a second to think, I handed her my business card and told her that if she still wanted to make it in pink and white that I had a big ball of white Pound of Love at home that I wasn't using. She almost burst into tears, and probably didn't believe that this stranger in the yarn aisle could be so nice. She took the card and said that she would call.

When we got to the car, Will of course called me out for talking to a stranger. (He did warm up to her, by the way, and tell her that his name was Will.) I explained the exact thing that I have been thinking what our teaching about strangers has been missing. "Sometimes you have to show a stranger a little kindness, if that's what they need."

Showered with Love

2011-09-10T15:56:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is my sister-in-law's baby shower! Many blessings and happiness to Mommy, Daddy and Baby Girl. :)

Kim gets itchy with wool so I used Lion Brand Vanna's Choice for these items.

I found this hat pattern some time ago and was just waiting for a lil girl that I could make it for. The flower is crocheted, and truthfully I did not make it, my Mom did. Thanks Mom!

I was looking for a simple baby sweater pattern and I found Theodora on Ravelry. Although I like the stripes, I opted to make it all solid color to go with the hat. However, I will make this again with the stripes someday. This sweater came together so fast, it was shocking. I started it on a Wednesday night, and was done in less than a week. (That pesky thing called "life" got in the way, otherwise I'll bet it would've been a 2-day project!) The buttons are little pink elephants and oh-so-cute. They were an impulse buy at Joann Fabrics, I knew that they would "speak to me" and tell me which garment they wanted to be a part of.

I've had so much fun making these things. And having two boys, it is such a pleasure to knit for a baby girl!

Finished-Object Friday: All About the Babies

2011-09-09T09:09:00.000-04:00

Today's Finished Object Friday will focus on all the baby things that I've made over the last couple of months. Man, I know a lot of babies being born this autumn!

I didn't like the flap design on this earflap hat for a baby boy. So I improvised my own using i-cord.

The finished product, using Swish DK from Knitpicks. So cute! I'd definitely make this one again.

Purple baby-girl sweater for my friend's step daughter, due with a girl sometime in September. This came from the One Skein Wonders book and all I can say is, one skein my eye! It did come out really cute though, and I love the heart-shaped buttons.

Since I found myself with "extra" orange and green yarn, I whipped up a little Pumpkin hat. So cute, and it knit up in one night!

Last but not least, a "swirl hat" for a baby girl. When this yarn came in from Knitpicks, I was expecting a lighter pink. (It's so hard to pick colors online.) When it came, I could see where the name 'Summertime Blooms" came from, because it reminded me of geraniums! I love it! There will be a little pair of leg warmers to go with these as soon as I can put them together.

You will notice that there's no mention of anything for my sister-in-law, who is due with a girl in November. Never fear---her shower is this weekend! Mommy and Baby are so special, they'll get their own blog post. :)

Wordless Wednesday: End-of-Summer Adventures

2011-09-07T09:01:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, we took the boys to the Providence Children's Museum. It was a great little museum and off the beaten path a bit. And the coolest surprise: Bank of America cardholders got in for free. :)

Bittersweet

2011-09-02T10:11:00.000-04:00

Today is Will's last day at daycare.

We began sending him to a home daycare when he was three months old, when Mommy had to return to work after maternity leave. Since then, he has grown and bonded with this daycare provider, who he calls "Auntie." At first, I wasn't crazy about the fact that he called her Auntie. But all of the other kids called her that so I figured not to rock the boat. For almost five years, he has played there, learned and slept there, and grown up a bit in that house while Mommy is toiling at her desk. It's the end of an era. Today he is a bit sad, spending his last day at her house, but he is happy that he will still visit. And, as he said, "There's always Skype, Auntie!" :)

He's been in part-time preschool for a year now, and starting next week he will go full-time, to get ready for kindergarten next year and to get more time with kids his age. To that all I can say, is I can't believe that my "baby" is going to be five years old next month!!! He is growing up in leaps and bounds. Every once in a while, I look over at this boy and say "gee, you were in a bouncy seat when I glanced last at your sweet chubby face, where did the time go?" Today he is an energetic, full-speed ahead kid, with tons of imagination and creativity. And I know that some of who he is, is thanks to "Auntie."

Thanks for five years of taking good care of my boy!

It's good to have goals.

2011-08-31T06:01:00.000-04:00

Day 30: What are your goals for the next thirty days?

I don't know if I can call them goals, I see them more as a to-do list.

Over the next thirty days (i.e. the month of September) we will celebrate approximately half of the birthdays in my family. And then in October, save for me and Sean, we will celebrate the other half. It's a crazy time of year! It's also my favorite, from September, till right after Christmas. After that it's dark and winter-y, but at least we now have Seanie's birthday on January 10th to look forward to in the winter.

Though I have not been in school for many years now and I don't quite have school-age children (Will will go to kindergarten next year) September still feels like a fresh start every year. So over the next thirty days, this is what I'd LIKE to accomplish:

-Start working on my last knitted Christmas gift. Also, finish up the baby gifts for the plethora of babies that will be born this Autumn.

-Begin the process of cleaning out the basement. It's a crappy job, and we've put it off for a very, very, VERY long time. And the only way it's going to get done is in bits and pieces.

-Get used to having one child in preschool full-time and Hubby back in college two nights a week. That's right--summer vacation is over. :(

That's pretty much it for the 30-day blog challenge. Many thanks to Magee for getting me into this!

Rock on, Dude!

2011-08-30T20:15:00.001-04:00

After watching Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension, Will has gotten a bit obsessed with Slash, the guitar player. Remember Slash? He was the guitarist with the top hat and the dark glasses, he played with Guns n Roses. (It's been a while, thought you might need a refresher.)

Anyway, the obsession went as far as Will asking me what the names of the other band members were, and then assigning their names to household objects. I now have a duster named Duff, a dishwasher named Izzy and a vacuum named Slash!

So when Will started playing air guitar tonight and sliding across the kitchen floor, I just couldn't resist.

And naturally, Sean wants to do everything that Will does. He went and found the other guitar.

That's it, flipped over on the black rug so you can't see it too well.

Finally, there was this beauty:

Will's agent. "No Flash photography, Mommy! Put that camera away!

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner....

2011-08-30T07:02:00.002-04:00

Day 29: List ten people, living or dead, that you would invite to dinner. Include the menu.

I'm not much for hosting BIG dinner parties. But if I had ten people to invite (immediate family not included in the ten, since they live here and would be here anyway), here's my list:

1. Alton Brown, for obvious reasons (and probably more for Hubby than for me)
2. My maternal grandfather, (aka "Pa") whom I've mentioned cooks a mean roast. Plus I've always wished that he could have met my husband.
3. My mother and father
4. My old friend Jen R of Crafty Mom of 3, who I don't see often and also loves Alton Brown
5. Jen R's husband Scott, a fellow foodie and lover of the Food Network
6. Jennifer Weiner, my current favorite chick-lit writer
7. Stephanie Pearl McPhee (aka The Yarn Harlot)
8. my brother
9. my sister-in-law
10. Julia Roberts

Also, Jen R and her husband Scott have three kids, and of course they would be welcome too. They'd play together with my kids, so we could all have adult conversation. And yes, I'm aware that I included my Mom and Dad as one person. Yes, I'm aware it's cheating. Oh well!

Now, Dinner. This is harder to come up with than the list, but I will give it a shot. We're going buffet style.

The name of the menu: All of Crafty Mama's Favorite Things!

Appetizer: chicken nachos from Chilis, (I really wanted these the other night!) shrimp cocktail, fried mac n cheese and a big heaping bucket of Price Edward Island mussels.

Salad: Caesar with fresh croutons and plenty of shaved parmesan

Entree: Roast Beef (my Pa is going to show me how he made his so I can have it whenever I want.) BBQ Chicken, mac and cheese, fresh bread and roasted garlic to smash on it, mashed potatoes, roasted mediterranean veggies, baked shrimp and feta over rice, cornbread, Brian's "Kabobs from heaven" (pineapple, green pepper, chicken, bacon and scallops) and Chicken Francese. Hot dogs and tacos for the kids, though they'd better save me a "Chicago-style hot dog!" Oh, and ratatouille over pasta for the Yarn Harlot, the only vegetarian in the group.

Dessert: Ice cream in several flavors, double-chocolate brownies, cookies for the kids, a flan and individual pumpkin creme brulees.

Now, who's hungry?

(Cross-Posted at "The Blue Plate Special")

I'm Missing....

2011-08-29T08:21:00.000-04:00

Day 28: Something that you miss.

Sometimes I miss being responsible just for me and Hubby. Don't misunderstand, I am thrilled to be a parent and I love my two kids to bits. These little pangs usually come after an evening of arguing about bedtimes and sending someone back to bed four or five times. Or running late because someone else has in few words announced that he just WILL NOT sit in the highchair today and would rather take his breakfast from the dog's dish. I know that our first few years of marriage weren't 100% carefree and full of nothing but fun and the pursuit of happiness, my rose-colored glasses aren't that strong a prescription. But, just having myself to get ready in the morning, not racing out of work for the 5:30pm pickup, and being able to watch what I want WHEN I want on the TV.....yeah, I miss that.

But although I miss that, being able to do all of that again is certainly not worth the trade of the hugs and kisses, the I-Love-Yous, the jokes about tornados, the Phineas and Ferb references, the excited cries of "Mommy! Mommy!" when I come home. Those are worth their weight in gold.

Oh, Mornings....

2011-08-28T06:01:00.000-04:00

Day 27: A problem you have, or have had in the past.

My problem is in my past, present and future. I am not a morning person. I am a night owl, and quite frequently the last one to bed by a long shot. Even though I'm tired at night, I get sucked into a movie or whatever I am knitting, or the worst one: Facebook. And then when the morning comes, I'm slower than a three-toed sloth. (Which I've never seen but I hear is very slow.)

I'm also ill-prepared most mornings. Despite my desire to do so, preparation the night before is not achieved. Clothes are rarely laid out the night before and if they are, it usually starts an argument of "I don't wanna wear that shirt!" Bags packed by the door lack diapers for the daycare or I've forgotten a towel for "Sprinkler Day" at the preschool. And my own bag? Forget it. There's a reason why Hubby brings me coffee while I'm getting out of the shower: it's an act of love but also one of necessity. I can't get out of my own way!

It is something I am always trying to work on, though. And I hope that SOMEDAY I'll get my act together. It's not a truly hopeless case. Though history is certainly showing that from HS to today, mornings are certainly not my friend.

If I had a million dollars....

2011-08-27T06:22:00.001-04:00

....I'd buy you a fur coat. (but not a real fur coat, that's cruel.) We wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinners, but we would!

Day 26: If you had a million dollars, how would you spend it?

Buckle up, kids. If I had a million dollars, the first thing I would do is pay off any debt that I have, and add to the college funds for the boys. Then I'd set up a good investment retirement plan for us. With the responsible decisions set aside, we'd have a bit of fun. I'd book a cruise for my whole family to go on! A fantastic vacation, and it would be all about making the memories. With any money left, hmmm....a bigger house ahead of schedule? Maybe. Some fun money? possibly. A charitable donation or two? Definitely.

Yeah, it's a boring dream, but it's MY dream! :)

Frankly, You're Fascinating!

2011-08-26T09:05:00.000-04:00

Day 25: Someone who fascinates you and why.

Recently I was signed up for People magazine. I say "was" signed up because I did one of those silly things that I would get three free trial issues. Well, I cancelled before the trial even started, yet People for some reason is being kind and sending it every week. I used to love People, I was a subscriber for many years. Now, with such little time for reading and due to the cost of said People magazine, I stopped getting it. So this has been a bit of a treat, reading the "in" news when it's still news and not recycled copies at the hairdresser or doctor's office!

This week's had Sandra Bullock on the cover. She fascinates me. No, seriously. She has for many years. She is a talented actress, a Mom, a divorcee and many, many other things. Including a knitter. AND, she only knows how to knit in German, because her mother spoke German and that is how she learned. I enjoy her movies, and her down-to-earth charm. She's really got it together, even when her life is falling apart around her. I admire her deeply.

As far as everyday, I am fascinated by Moms. All moms, but specifically, working moms. My own mom said to me recently, "I don't know how you do it." And the fascinating answer? It's a real stumper: I don't know either. 'Cause half the time I think I'm screwing it up, with my mind on my kids when I should be writing notices, and my mind on my accounting when I'm coloring with the boys before dinner. And I know that I am far from alone in thinking these things. Here's to working moms everywhere!!

Favorite Movie

2011-08-25T08:30:00.001-04:00

Day 24: Name Your Favorite Movie and What it's About....

Hmmm. I really love the movies Dirty Dancing and Forrest Gump, neither of which need a description. But I'd have to say.......oh wow this is really hard! I also loved A League of their Own, Pretty Woman, Save the Last Dance, Sweet Home Alabama, August Rush, The Breakfast Club and Where the Heart Is. As a kid, I adored Back to the Future, and Adventures in Babysitting. And in high school, I loved a little movie called Dead Again with Kenneth Brannagh and Emma Thompson. I can't do it, internet! I cannot pick a favorite. So there.

How about I tell you that I have never seen "Thelma and Louise?" But I'd bet that I would like it. And the next kid-free night that I get by myself (in 2020, likely) I am going to queue it up on Netflix! Will we have Netflix then??

Easy on the Eyes

2011-08-24T07:34:00.001-04:00

Day 23: Post Five Pictures of famous people that you find attractive.

Jonathan Rhys Myers

Bradley Cooper

Taye Diggs

Matt Damon

And of course...Brad Pitt

Harnessing the Tornado

2011-08-23T20:50:00.000-04:00

In deciding on re-doing the floor in the living room from carpet to laminate, Brian has started to plan. As I've fondly said before, when Hubby has a project on the brain, it's all that he can think about. (Well, he does remember to eat.) At times I poke fun because of his tendency to plan every move, but really I'm grateful. After all, it's because of his ability to think ahead that allowed us only a three-week disaster area when gutting the entire kitchen. Not bad, if I dare say!

So in the plan, the first question is "How do we move all of our stuff so that this job can be accomplished? The living room has all the usual furniture, plus a television. Oh, and a fish tank. The fish tank is specifically what we're worried about. The very idea of moving a fish tank strikes fear into our hearts.

Enter Will. He has a simple plan for everything. Will wants to move everything via tornado. That's right, tornado. Send in the tornado, have it pick up our stuff, rip up the carpet and install the flooring, then call back the tornado to put our stuff back. When I gently explained that tornados don't typically work like that, that they're pretty destructive, he kindly offered to build one. Complete with a "nice button" that he would push before allowing it to suck up our belongings. Upon coming home from preschool that day, he even had a "blueprint" for me that he drew at school. Imagine if....building a tornado to pick up stuff, swirl them gently above your house and then have it place things lovingly back where they belong after the work is complete. Harnessing that kind of power. What a spacesaver, not to mention money and time going back and forth to a storage unit, or busting your back pushing everything to one side of the room!

This kid kills me with his imagination. If only the world was as simple as a four year-old's take on things.

It Works for Santa....

2011-08-23T11:50:00.000-04:00

I am going to break my own rule about not posting about work, because this is just too funny not to share. And it's too ridiculous not to be true.

I received a phonecall today for an application request. The caller spoke Spanish, and the call starts the way that all calls like this one starts. I answer "Good Morning, ______ Apts, May I help you?" The caller, right away: "Se Habla?" (translation: you speak Spanish?) I reply, the same way I always do. "Si, hablo un poco." (Yes, I speak a little.) She proceeds to tell me that she saw our ad in the newspaper and really needs an apartment right away, that her living conditions are bad and she needs a place. I explain that we are currently full, that anyone who applies right now and qualifies will be put on a waiting list. She tells me that she needs a three-bedroom, and how can she get an application? I tell her that she can pick one up in person, or I would be happy to mail her one. She asks me to mail her one, and tells me her name. I ask for her address, and she says her zip code. I say, no, your address. She repeats her zip code. I say, no....I need your address where you receive mail, so I can mail your application. She doesn't understand. I say, "Address. You know, house number, street? Where you get your mail." Then she says..... "I don't get mail. I have no way of getting mail." At this point, I slap my forehead. "Well, if you are unable to get mail, then you need to pick up your application in person." "Ok, thanks. have a good day and God Bless You." Click.

Did I handle that incorrectly? I mean, how does one receive mail if they don't get mail? Am I supposed to address the envelope with her name, slap on a stamp, throw it in the mail box and hope for the best? Fingers crossed, Lady. I hope, hope, HOPE it gets to you!

In relaying this story to Hubby, here's his fabulous reply. "Well....it works for Santa!"

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-08-23T09:01:00.001-04:00

Day 22: How have you changed in the past two years?

2009: I was a mom to one child, and expecting another child. I was back to working full-time, and quite busy with my new-ish job.

2011: I have two children, and I am working full-time, anticipating a new position with the same company.

Well, I guess not a whole lot has changed in the last two years. But, my knitting has improved tremendously. :)

"Have You Met Ted?"

2011-08-22T08:45:00.001-04:00

Day 21: One of your Favorite TV Shows

Brian and I watch this show on Monday nights: How I Met Your Mother. Freakin' hilarious. The actors work so well together, and I'll watch Neil Patrick Harris act himself out of a paper bag. The show features a comedic ensemble of six characters, the narrator of which is Ted. It's all about Ted telling his kids about what life was like before he met their mother and the things leading up to that. And it keeps you guessing who the mother is. Brian and I quote the show a lot:

"We're going to need a general idea here." GENERAL IDEA. (with them saluting as they say it.)

Suit up! It's gonna be legend- (wait for it) dary!

If you like to laugh, and you haven't seen this show, then you are cheating yourself. It's even in syndication now. Seriously....go!

The Start of "The List"

2011-08-21T17:31:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned before, I am a chronic list-maker. I also like to plan things up front big-time, so I know what to expect. (Having children has made me realize just HOW MUCH that doesn't work sometimes, and sometimes the best laid-plan is just that...out the window.)

Anyway, we've been meaning to sit down and have a conversation for a while now about selling our current home and when we are going to do that, where we want to live, etc etc etc. We've batted it around a little bit in the past year, and we have arrived at the realization that our cute lil' starter house that we bought almost ten years ago (TEN? Really?) for the two of us is now pretty much bursting at the seams. The two of us, adding a dog and two children ten years later, and it's chaos. We do the best we can at paring down belongings and trying to keep things not too cluttered, but it's really hard.

So today, we started making a list of the things that we think need to be done before we can put this house on the market in two years. And we actually grabbed a notepad (Phineas and Ferb, natch) to jot these things down.

And after the list was written, I felt the need to sit down, perhaps with a stiff drink in hand:

Wow. Flooring, carpet, painting, ceiling, countertops, wiring, roofing? Piece o' cake. (hahahahahahaha)

Will was sitting with us, making his own list:

"did we eat lunch? Check. Did we mop the floor? Check. Am I having fun, playing on the "bus" that I built with the kitchen chairs? Check, CHECK!"

First up:We have decided to turn the living room and dining rooms over from carpet to laminate or bamboo flooring. We are NOT crazy enough to do both at the same time, so the living room will be first. Next up, our helper was only too happy to measure out and help price laminate, and to peek under the carpet to see what was under there. Not what you'd expect....vinyl in the dining room and subfloor in the living room.

Can I just tell you how excited I am to be getting rid of this carpet??? :)

Education

2011-08-21T11:13:00.001-04:00

Day 20: How important do you think education is?

To me, education is VERY important. Time shows us again and again that knowledge is power. Also, it's tough to get a job that pays well without an education. Most jobs these days require a master's degree, even.
Brian and I have always been students that are eager to learn. I went to college right after HS, full-time. Brian's path was a little different, choosing the Navy first and the college education later. But the Navy is an education in its own way, with it's own rigorous academic schedule. With the GI Bill, he was able to get his Bachelor's in business by going part-time. Now he is getting his Master's Degree in Information Technology part-time as well.

Our oldest has a thirst for knowledge, and loves to learn. I'm continually impressed with what he knows about at his age. (And I know that I have Nick Jr. to thank for some of it) We encourage the boys at every chance, instilling a love for reading and knowledge.

I also believe that you're never too old to get an education. My mom, who started college after high school in the sixties, didn't finish her degree because she got married. I was so proud to attend her graduation ceremony in 2004 as she graduated with honors with a degree in business.

What are your thoughts on education?

With Regrets...

2011-08-20T17:01:00.000-04:00

Day Nineteen: Your Biggest Regret in Life.

Honestly? There are no big regrets here. Sure, I have small(ish) regrets, like the big scratch in my car from getting too close to the bollard in the parking lot at Subway. Or that awesomely awful shade of purple-red hair that I had in college that I loved back then but pictures of it make me cringe now. But I feel pretty lucky to have lived my life thus far without any major regrets.

Open Book, Turn Pages, Repeat :)

2011-08-19T10:30:00.000-04:00

Day 18: What is a book you could read over and over again and never get sick of?

I have many, many, MANY books like this. But if I have to pick just one....I choose "Good in Bed" by Jennifer Weiner. (and this year is the tenth anniversary of "Good in Bed...hard to believe!)

Get your mind out of the gutter, it's not that kind of book. My mom reads this blog! Shame on you! :)
The main character is Cannie Shapiro and at the beginning of the story, her boyfriend has just dumped her and written a column in a magazine about falling in love with a "larger" woman. She is of course mortified and the book takes off after that.

I've lost count of how many times I have read this book. It's my go-to book when I am looking for a quick couple of paragraphs to keep me company at breakfast, or bored with nothing else to read. The characters and Cannie's life as a whole just seem very realistic to me, and the ending is beautiful. No, I won't spoil it for you, if you haven't read it go and check it out. It was Jennifer Weiner's breakthrough book, and she has gone on to write a few others. None of them grabbed me the way "Good in Bed" did, but my second favorite of hers was "Little Earthquakes" and I did enjoy the others. She is also now the writer and (I believe) producer of the show "State of Georgia" on ABC Family.

Other runners-up for books I could (and have) read over and over:

"Not Without My Daughter" by Betty Mahmoody. The story of a woman and daughter being kidnapped by her husband and whisked off to his home country of Iran in the eighties. Riveting stuff, especially since it's a true story.

"Sleeping with the Enemy" by Nancy Price. Fiction, about a woman who escapes her abusive husband by faking her own death. My copy is worn out from reading it.

Both are dark choices for my usual sunny disposition. Both feature strong women getting out of bad situations. And although I enjoy the work of both Sally Field (Daughter) and Julia Roberts (Enemy), I didn't like either film adaptation.

What books do you have on your "repeat" list?

Highs and Lows

2011-08-18T11:06:00.000-04:00

Day Seventeen: What are your highs and lows of the past year?

"I cannot change the waves, but I can learn to surf." -Author Unknown.

Highs and lows.....I ride 'em like everyone else, but I try to forget the lows. Or at least, keep my blog about the highs. But for the sake of following the challenge, I'll share some.

Lows: Just the general stress level around some of the time. Having my patience tested every single day, in all aspects of my life. With the boys and trying to see things as "just a phase" and trying not to get angry about "typical" behaviors. But as far as patience goes, waiting on my new job. That has not been easy. But I am strong, and I just keep plugging along.

Highs: Watching my boys grow and marveling at the skills that they are learning to possess. Sean learning to talk, and the boys playing together. (Albeit not nicely all of the time) And taking a cruise with my husband by ourselves, getting a little "us" time.

What are your highs and lows?

Billboard's Top Forty? Not in about ten years.

2011-08-17T11:18:00.000-04:00

Day 16: Your views on mainstream music.

Today's topic in the thirty-day blog challenge is going to be a very short post. Because.....I know nothing about mainstream music. I'm an old fart when it comes to music, whatever "current hits" that I have heard accidentally I have not liked. I am very much stuck on what I grew up on, and what was popular when I was in HS or college. I guess that is a little bit sad, but oh well. If it's not on my iPod or on a handful of radio stations that are preset in my car, chances are good that I haven't heard it. I do realize that I will hear more current music as the boys get older, and perhaps I'll appreciate it. Anything's possible.

The Big Fifteen

2011-08-16T12:00:00.001-04:00

Day Fifteen: Write 15 interesting facts about yourself.

15 "interesting" facts? I don't find myself to be all that intriguing but I will go for it!

1. I won a radio contest once. You had to call in with an answer related to an article in Cosmo Magazine. I don't remember the question, but the answer was "Viagra." I remember being slightly embarrassed hearing my voice say "Viagra" on the radio! I won a pair of tickets to see Tori Amos in Boston, which I never used.

2. I am terrified of butterflies. Well, groups of kamikaze butterflies. This comes from attending a wedding at a butterfly conservatory. The bridge and groom were nature lovers and got married at one of these places, saying their vows while butterflies flitted and dove all around. It was lovely (looking.) One landed on my skirt and would not leave me alone. Butterflies are stalkers!!!

3. In high school I worked at the local McDonald's. I started out at the front counter, moved to the drive-thru and then worked in the kitchen, too. I used to love Saturdays, 'cause it was so busy and the time would fly by. However, to this day, when I am stressed out I dream about working at Mickey D's all by myself: collecting the money and making the burgers. And three buses have just pulled in!

4. I have a crackerjack memory. I can remember my first bus driver's name, and my phone number in 1982. If we were friends in HS and you don't remember the name of the cute guy you took to prom, I do. If we worked together in 2000 and saw each other for the first time since then tomorrow, I will still remember what was going on in your life then and ask you how your brother is doing. I SO wish I could apply this superpower to things like "Where are my keys?" and "Did we feed the dog today?" But alas I cannot.

5. I wish very much that I could sing. But honestly, I can't carry a tune in a bucket. That doesn't stop me from singing at top volume in the car, or lullabies to the kids at night. I don't think they realize that my singing's bad, because they keep asking me to continue, night after night.

6. In high school, I totalled my first car. Totally my fault. It also didn't help that I had my spanish exchange student in the car too. We were both fine, but I'll bet *that* wasn't the kind of "American experience" that he was looking for!

7. I kind of want a tattoo. But tattoos are forever, and I can't think of anything that I want on my body for the rest of my life. Not to mention how those are gonna look when cooling my jets at the nursing home!

8. I had LASIK surgery done in 2007. I am not going to lie: surgery on your eyes while you're wide awake, even with the aid of valium, is scary as hell! But not wearing glasses or contacts sure is worth it. Nothing compares to crystal-clear vision!

9. I named my feet as a child. The left one was "Bono" and the right one was "Adie." :)

10. I can change a tire, check the oil level and I always pump my own gas. All skills my Dad insisted on me having. Because of him, I can also drive a nail, shoot a basketball, drive a stickshift and mow the lawn. Thanks Dad, for helping shape my status as an independent woman!

11. I am not a picky eater by any means. I have a motto: "I'll try anything once." Because of said motto, I can honestly say that I don't like lamb, venison or scrapple. Especially scrapple.

12. If this family had been blessed with a girl, her name would have been Abigail. Interestingly enough, that is what my brother and sis-in-law are naming their daughter, due in November.

13. Brian likes to tease me about knowing someone everywhere we go. Once, on a trip to Disney World, he said in a restaurant: "Ginny, you're not allowed to know anyone on this trip." Not two seconds later, from across the restaurant: Ginny N____? Is that YOU?!" Brian: "Christ Almighty....what did I just say?" :)

14. I am somewhat of what you would call a "Rent-Head." What's that, you say? It's a person that is obsessed with the Broadway show "Rent." Now, I haven't seen the show hundreds of times like some people out there, or stalked the cast like others that I know. (Well hello, Moe!) But if the show's in town, yeah, I'm gonna go and see it! Of course I know all of the lyrics by heart. And I will belt them out in the car. (See #5)

15. And finally, I was once mistaken for a nun. In their defense, I was having lunch with a group of nuns in their convent. Can you see that? Sister Ginny. HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!

Dig Deep--First Memories

2011-08-15T10:10:00.003-04:00

Day 14: What is your Earliest Memory?

My first fuzzy-ish memory is coming home with my mom to the apartment that my parents rented when I was about two years old. It isn't much, just that my mom opened the apartment door and I remember their cat, Sarah, darting across the room. I don't know why this made an impression on my formidable brain.

My first very clear memory is around 2 3/4 years old, in October, 1979. I can give that exact number because of the timeline of the memory. I remember waking up in the same apartment, coming out to the dining room and seeing my father. I asked where Mommy was, and my dad said "Your Mom is at the hospital with your new baby brother!" I don't remember meeting him, or my reaction to the news, just Dad telling me about my brother's birth.

I often look at my two boys and wonder what they'll remember later on, and what their first memory might be. I look forward to asking them the same question someday!

Sometimes "Nothing" is Something!

2011-08-14T12:06:00.000-04:00

I trotted out Ditto at knitting last week, and attached the sleeves. I wasn't feeling very well and even left early, after attaching the sleeves to the sweater. All week I fretted.....did I put them on correctly? Or are they on backwards and I'm going to have to fix it? Dread, dread dread. Visiting my parents yesterday, I took out the sweater to show my mother, who has a lot more experience reading patterns than I do. Before I even showed it to her, I had an A-ha! moment and realized that the notches for the underarm seam matched up perfectly and I could puzzle out how they would be sewn together. Hooray! So that just goes to show you....sometimes leaving something alone and thinking about it will bring you to the solution, and not have to do anything. When I first noticed this I was ready to rip out stitches and try again. How mad would I have been if I had done that and found out that I had it right the first time? That's right......damn mad. Curses ablaze!

While visiting my parents yesterday Mom and I went to a local yarn shop in Putnam, CT. It's a cute little shop with lots of gorgeous yarn. And for its size, there really was a great selection. Mom needed some buttons for her current project(s) so I poked around too, and found the perfect buttons for Ditto. I don't think they'll photograph well, otherwise I would share.

On to the yoke....that's the top front of the cardigan. This yoke is a funky ribbed top, which I had to get a video on YouTube last night to figure out. Two minutes later I was humming right along. Not too minutes after that, I was lamenting the fact that I had to rip out an entire row because of getting mixed up. (Sometimes one should not knit late at night.) Tink, tink, tink. Taking stitches out one at a time, quite possibly another thing I shouldn't do late at night! I wrote myself a note not to just pick it up and start working on it, to finish taking out the blasted row. And so this morning, while watching Disney Channel with the boys, with Sean sitting on my feet, I got it right. All is right in the (knitting) world!

Side note: why would I write myself a note, reminding to finish ripping something out? I'm pretty forgetful, and I was afraid I'd make it worse. After all, I've double-bought yarn, ordering it from Knitpicks on Friday afternoon and forgot and went shopping for the same stuff! *snicker.* Better luck next time.

We're Going on a Trip!

2011-08-14T01:11:00.001-04:00

Day Thirteen: Somewhere You'd Like to Move or Visit:

There really is nowhere that I want to move, I'm quite comfortable where I am. In a couple of years, we plan on selling this home and moving into a bigger one, but plan on staying in this area. I'm a New England girl, and have a hard time picturing living anywhere besides Massachusetts. It's what I know, and I feel settled and content. When Brian and I first were married and he was getting out of the Navy, we lived in New Hampshire. We were both pretty certain that we had no interest in staying where we were, and decided to settle in either Pennsylvania or Massachusetts. Massachusetts won, because I had a job I could come back to, plus it was relatively easy to find an apartment. And with a little research, we soon found that job opportunities for Brian were more plentiful in MA than in PA. So it was an easy decision. Not that I wouldn't have been happy in Pennsylvania, I think it's a beautiful state with a rich history.

Now, the list of places I'd like to visit.....that's another story! I enjoy traveling, and pretty much will take any opportunities given to me to travel. And I'm lucky to be married to a man that likes traveling as well. However, he has no interest in traveling outside of the United States, and I have quite a few places on my list that I want to see in other parts of the globe. Perhaps when the kiddos are grown.

United States
San Diego: I've been intrigued since my parents went on a trip there ten years ago.
Seattle: I don't know why. It just sounds beautiful.
Alaska: We plan on taking an Alaskan cruise someday. I've heard nothing but good things!
Outer Banks, North Carolina: I've been once and it was one of the nicest vacations ever. So nice, we're going back next year.
Wisconsin and Minnesota: Wisconsin surprised me last year....I would really like to go back. And a blog that I read, called The Yarnista, makes Minnesota sound serene and beautiful.
Chicago: I'd love to explore this city.
And naturally: Hawaii.

Outside of the United States
Southern coast of Spain: I've been to northern Spain, but have never seen the beauty of the southern coast. Oh, and Barcelona. I'd love to go there too.
Ireland
Greece.
Argentina
I'd like to explore more of Canada. So far I've seen Prince Edward Island and Saint John, New Brunswick. I'd also like to see Vancouver, Toronto, and Halifax.
And finally, I want to see Italy. All of it. This is the one trip that I will not allow Hubby to say "no" to forever!

There you have it. The list I'm sure is longer than I've written, and over time I'm sure there will be more.

The Play-by-Play

2011-08-13T10:10:00.002-04:00

Day Twelve: Bullet your entire day.

My Day, 8/8/11

6:30am: Hubby wakes me up after he gets out of the shower. After not being able to fall asleep until 1AM, and Will coming in after having a bad dream at 4:28am, I am going to require more coffee than usual. Will is snuggled on my bedroom floor, still sleeping with his arm wrapped around "Superdog."

6:45: Hubby comes into the bathroom while I am in the shower with a cup of coffee to say goodbye on his way out. He forgets that he's working late and I'm supposed to get both kids. I remind him. And I'm the tired one!

(p.s. I wake up by Hubby's hand every morning instead of an alarm clock. And he always brings me a cup of coffee while I'm in the shower. Sorry ladies, he's taken. And I do know just how lucky I am!!)

7:05am: Will is perched on the couch, cereal in front of him and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I sit down with coffee and knit a couple of rows on my Dad's christmas present. Once coffee is gone, it's time to get ready. This is a huge stress-reliever every day.

7:30: Remind Will that he needs to get dressed instead of building a robot in his bedroom. He begrudgingly stops. Feel slightly bad for disturbing his creativity, but hey, work and school calls.

8:05am: hair frizzy, makeup applied and dressed. Time to get the Sean up and ready to greet the day. He isn't in a great mood. (Good, he hates Mondays too!) After dressing and changing, we head to give him breakfast, and he throws a temper tantrum. Awesome. Once he sees me pouring milk into a sippy cup and bringing out the blueberries, it's like he has a switch and has turned the tantrum off. Big Kid is clamoring for milk and a cereal bar. Cereal bar doled out, I find my shoes and go to put the car back into the driveway and load our mounds o' stuff into the car.

9:15am: two dropoffs completed, and I am pulling into work. I've got Oldest Friend on my phone, and I'm wishing her a Happy Birthday! It's days like today that I wish she didn't live in Florida.

9:30am: starting the day by making my to-do list and checking messages. Ugh. I think I already need more coffee, this list is ugly.

9:45: find out that a vendor wants to take us out to lunch today, to a fancy fish place. Yay! That makes the day a little better. Suddenly wishing I'd worn something a little nicer than khakis and a polo. No lipstick, and a ponytail to boot. Awesome.

(Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. I won't bore you with the details.)

11:30am: Lunch. Delicous, as always. Of course I text Hubby and he is jealous. (He always gloats when he gets to eat something special that I don't so this is only fair.)

1:30pm: Errands run. Now time for phonecalls, writing up 30-day notices, and getting ready for court later this week. Ah, housing court. It's like a vacation.

2:30-4:00pm: playing with the computer system and posting people's rents. Going into total shock over the amount of filing that I have. I seriously could build a fortress around my desk with it.

4:30pm: Surprise! Hubby calls and tells me that he's not working late after all. Now I only have one stop on the way home

5:30 pm: Supper on the table. Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo. Will had expressed some interest in alfredo, so we were happy to see if he would eat it. Eh...not so much. He did try some broccoli without screaming tonight, so I'm calling it a win. Sean swept all of his food down onto the floor for the dog. Ugh.

6:23pm: Quick run out to Joann Fabrics. (By myself!!!) I'm working on finishing a baby sweater for my friend's step-daughter and I needed buttons. I called my friend on the way so I could get the play-by-play of the baby shower. Her family is, in a polite word, interesting. When I get home, there's a brown bunny in my yard! (tell him he's cute but he'd better stop eating my zucchini leaves. And if it's not him, tell him to warn his friends)

Housework, gardening, folding laundry, Brian mowing the lawn and me keeping an eye on the boys. Picked a big bag of green beans to bring to the daycare provider tomorrow. :) Disappointed that there has been only one zucchini, though.

7:09pm: Will "gently" reminds me that I said that we could watch "Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension" today. Have I mentioned that we've watched it every day since it debuted on Friday? I don't mind though, it's a really entertaining show for adults and kids alike. The writing is excellent, and the characters are likeable. Plus I usually knit through it.

I should also mention that now both kids are hungry from not eating their dinner.

8:45pm: getting Will ready for bed. Hope it's not going to be a big production tonight.

The rest of the night? packing diaper and school bags, picking out clothes for tomorrow and knitting.

11:00pmish: head to bed, to start it all again tomorrow. Good Night!!

Shufflin' Around

2011-08-12T10:04:00.000-04:00

Day Eleven of Blog Challenge: Put your iPod on "Shuffle" and write down the first ten songs that play.

I sat in my car this morning, pen in hand and notebook poised. I'm sure that people were looking at me funny, but hey, they usually do. :) Here is my list:

1. "Sleep to Dream" by Fiona Apple. I was mildly obsessed with Fiona Apple my junior year of college. There's something haunting about her melodies and piano-playing.

2. "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie. I love, love, LOVE Queen!

3. "Honky Tonk Woman" covered by Billy Joel, live. Brian and I are huugggeee Billy Joel fans. I've had the pleasure of seeing Billy Joel in concert once and it was one of the best shows I have ever been to.

4. "Perfect" by Alanis Morrissette. To me, her best album will always be "Jagged Little Pill." There was a lot of anger there, and it suited my mood at the time that it came out.

5. "When Will I Be Loved?" from the 8 Seconds Soundtrack. Remember that movie? It starred Luke Perry as a bull rider. It's one of Hubby's favorite movies, so I am sure that if this song is on my iPod, it's his influence.

6. "Lady Picture Show" by Stone Temple Pilots. Another 90's influence.

7. "Lord of the Thighs" by Aerosmith. I am a pretty big Aerosmith fan. Though I MUCH prefer their older stuff from the seventies and a little eighties then the stuff they're cranking out now.

8. "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes. This is just another example of how behind the times that I am, everyone around me discovered the gem that is the White Stripes a while ago. I am a recent convert. Heck, my Mom had the White Stripes playing on HER iPod years ago! (that's not an old comment. Mom has always had more modern taste in music than me.)

9. "Next Time" by Barenaked Ladies. Ahhh, BNL. Brian and I fell in love listening to BNL. It's just not the same without Steven Page, though. I wish that someday he and the rest of the band could work out their issues, but it probably never will happen. More current BNL music? The remaining four BNL members did the theme song for that TV show that I've been enjoying lately, "The Big Bang Theory."

10. "Something There" from the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack. One of my favorite Disney movies, and Will enjoys listening to it in the car, too.

There you have it. Pretty eclectic taste, no?

Those Guilty Pleasures

2011-08-11T05:59:00.000-04:00

Day Ten of Blog Challenge: What are your guilty pleasure(s)?

I think everyone knows my guilty pleasures, since I write about them so much!

As far as activities just for me go, I'm happiest when knitting. I've been smitten for a few years now and I don't see the obsessiveness stopping anytime soon. Those 10-15 minutes every morning, sipping my coffee with a project in my lap, are worth their weight in gold. But I suppose I can't call it a "guilty" pleasure per se, since what I make is mostly for other people and I do make things for charity. The other is yarn shopping. I think that I may be in love more with the yarn itself than the act of knitting. Just perusing the shelves at a shop, squeezing a skein or petting it for its softness...ahhhhhh. Looking at yarn, dreaming of its possibilities.

Books are another guilty pleasure. I love a good story. When I was younger and living at home, one of my favorite guilty pleasures was if I woke up earlier than the rest of the family on a Saturday morning, to get a little bowl of ice cream and head back to bed with my book. Starting a day off with ice cream and a book in bed still sounds pretty damn good to me!

I am also a sucker for beauty products and spa treatments. I still adore beauty products at places like Sephora and Bath and Body Works, it reminds me of a candy store. I don't spend a ton of money on that stuff anymore though, so when I do get new fancy products it is a rare treat. I used to get regular massages, because they do SO MUCH for stress relief. And pedicures too, because there's nothing like pretty feet. My parents get me a gift certificate to the local spa every year for my birthday, and I still get so excited over it!

Here's an odd one: I used to love back-to-school season for the new supplies that it would bring. And I still get the same feeling opening a new notebook or package of pens. I LOVE opening up a new box of Crayola crayons for my boys, because the smell alone takes me right back to grade school.

What are your guilty pleasures?