lazy day

Today is a 'teacher professional day', so the kids have a three day weekend. Hooray! Naturally, it's 14 degrees outside, so I can't even kick them out to play. Which, by Sunday, I might have to. Coincidentally, we only have one soccer game all weekend. I hardly know what to do with myself! For now, we are all doing our own thing...in Emma's case it's cuddling with Ben on Mom & Dad's bed. Have a good one!

I am totally traumatized by my kids

Evan on his birthday 11/09

Scene: last night at the dinner table

players: Emma, Evan & I

We are sitting at the table enjoying our homemade pizza. Many topics of conversation are bandied about. Many mentions of "Put the pop down and eat" are heard.

Evan: "Tomorrow we have to watch the health development movie"

Emma: "HA HA! You have to watch the girl one this year. HA HA"

Evan: "I don't know why we have to watch the movie about girls."

Mom: "So that you will better understand what goes on in a female body."

Emma "HA HA"

Evan: "I don't need to know what's going on with my sister's body."

Mom: "Don't think of it as what's going on in your sister's body. Think of it as what goes on with all women. Half the population. You are better off not thinking at all about the private parts of your sister or any of your relatives for that matter."

Emma: "I thought the funniest part is when they talked about growing hair on it" (lots of giggles and laughing)

Evan turns to look at Emma.

Evan: "I'm gonna get hair on it?"

Mom: "Well, not on it, exactly, but..." (wondering why Bart is never around for these conversations...)

Emma, laughing hysterically

Evan sticks his hands down his pants, at the dinner table

Evan: "Wait I think I can feel some now."

Mom, banging her head on the table, repeatedly "Stop. stop. There are just some things I don't need to know. I don't need to know that about you. Stop. My ears! My ears!"

Both kids laughing hysterically.

This is why I am traumatized.

And they say kids are embarrased by their parents. Whatever!

I have babies on the brain

You know how when you are in your twenties, and everyone you know starts getting engaged? Then you go through the period of attending several weddings a year. Wedding showers galore. The baby boom starts to hit, and all of your friends are having baby showers. One right after the other. And second babies are born, third babies. Your number of friend who are procreating starts to dwindle. You reach a place in your life where you are more likely to be invited to a graduation than a baby shower, or the showers are for kids of your peers.

So I find it sort of bizarre that this year I know 4 pregnant women. It hasn't happened in a long time! One just had her fourth child, a boy. Nicole is pregnant with her second baby, a son. Julie is pregnant with her sixth baby. And my sister-in-law Tracey is having her first, a boy as well. And coincidentally, they are all due right around the same time. It would be extra cool if Julie had a boy as well! (Although she has beautiful daughters!)

Add in the fact that I have been knitting vintage inspired baby items, and you have one 40 something year old girl who has babies on the brain! And I like it. I like that I can enjoy everyone else's bundles of joy and not be jealous that I'm not having one of my own. I am past all of that in this stage of my life.*

Emily inquired as to whether I had ever knit any soakers, so I gave it a try. A fun, quick little project! Look how cute they are!

I am totally going to make a ton of them and sell them in my shop! I want to make a bunch of newborn ones as gifts, too. They are just adorable. Love them. Wish I had used them when Em & Ev were babies.
Isn't this fabric scrumptious? I ordered it piece by piece on etsy, until I had enough to make something for my new nephew. Right now I am just enjoying looking at the colors, but soon I will start creating something special just for him.

I am working on another baby sweater, and then I owe the shop 3 more, so I have my work cut out for me! Time to start dyeing some more wool!

*But I am totally free to babysit! You might even find your baby coming home with a new handknit :)

OH p.s.!!! I have the best baby name of all time. Ace. Just listen to it; Ace Johnston. Tell me that name doesn't kick ass. Tracey & Greg want to name him something normal like Max, but I'll bet there are 10 Max's in his class that year! Ace will stand out. Ace is cool. Ace is everyone's friend.

iced

Because we were too lazy yesterday, and yesterday was the nicer of the two day weekend, we failed to go to the Plymouth Ice Festival. Naturally. Instead, we popped over there today between soccer games to get a peek at the ice sculptures. Or what was left of the ice sculptures. It wasn't a pretty picture. Last year it was 5 degrees and fa-reezing. This year, rainy and 42. They didn't even last a day. So sad. And a total waste of an awesome parking spot. 15 minutes and we were outta there.

I loved this skier...it looks like Death on the downhill!

Here's a shot of Kellogg park and the mass destruction. There were supposed to be carvers here, but apparently they all gave up and headed to the bar. I would have.

A very few sculptures were weathering the day.

Look at her poor, tiny little mermaid arms!

Here's one for the Grandparents: Emma's braces! Can you see the barely surpressed growl she was giving me? "I don't care if my eyes were closed the first time. Go away." She's so sweet.

2 wins on the soccer field today! Evan scored twice, and his team played outstanding in the second game. It was good to see-been awhile since they clicked like they did :)

a new look for me!

I have been wanting to change around my blog for ages, and I finally found a design I like! You would never know it, but this is two hours worth of work you are looking at. AND all I did was paste the code. I must have tried 6 different designs on for size. I found one that I really really loved, but couldn't figure out how to change the pics in the header. Dealbreaker!

We are enjoying a lazy Saturday after our 7:30am soccer game. I took a huge nap and have done noting productive since! Good times.

Happy weekend to one and all!

The kid is alright!

So, after all my worry and sleeplessness, everything is ok with Emma. For which I am very very glad, don't get me wrong. I just thought that she would milk the situation for a little longer than one day. As I type this, she is in her room practicing the french horn!

She has been on a constant dose of Motrin, so that helps. And Mom has been making smoothies on demand, which also helps. Planned on making lots of her favorite soft things, but she really is ok. Smaller bites is the key.

And why WHY do some kids have to tell her that it's ok to chew gum? We talked about it at length, and the oral hygenist and dentist both said no gum. Then I get 2 pre-teens that tell her it's ok, and that makes my life that much harder. Aaah!

Time to finish making dinner. Happy Thursday!

brace yourself-today's the day

Last shot of Emma this morning before heading to the orthodontist.

She was such a trooper. Only once did she complain about the 7 am appointment. She did ask me if I could turn back time, innocently. In more ways than one, I wish I could, sweetie.

Bands are baby blue. We weren't even out of the parking lot before she was sticking wax to various sore spots. The Dr. said that around 19 hours will be the worst.

I, on the other hand, was a wreck. Didn't sleep even one wink. I think I absorbed all of the nervousness, tension and was wound tight. It's starting to hit me hard, and I will probably sleep the entire day before the kids come home from school.

And for some reason I can't shake the feeling that this is the first big sign of impending adulthood.

mid-January rambling post about nothing

• The temps have warmed up considerably in the last few days, so I took Ev & a pal up to the sledding hill for a little outdoor fun. There was no one there! The boys had a great time snowboarding and sledding down the hill while I watched from the warmth of the car. He's even taken to wearing the hat I made for him !
• Almost 24 hours to the minute after getting the spacers in her teeth, Em had picked one out. She is totally my kid.
• My good friend Lisa from high school is coming over today, and I am super excited to see her. We have sort of lost touch over the last year, so I can't wait to spend some time with her and just hang out.
• This week was filled with appointments galore. I am so glad it's over!
• Evan had soccer practice last night from 7:30-8:30, which cheeses me off because Thursday is a great night of tv and who wants to go up and sit at the soccer place again? Well, I discovered that on XM radio 80's on 8, Thursday nights they are playing awesome 80's tunes. I sat in the car and knit, jamming out to some of my favorite tunes from the 80's. The time went by quick.
• I am grateful for seat warmers :)
• This weekend, somehow miraculously is soccer free.I don't question it; I just celebrate it.
• Maybe we'll finally take down our Christmas tree. We've never ever left it up this long, and usually I am chomping at the bit to get it gone, but this year it just doesn't bother me. We have a bunch of unused ornaments that we need to sort through before we put away the loved ones. Probably the biggest reason we haven't done it yet.
• Yesterday I was listening to 'Mamma Mia' and trying to get rid of a headache when Emma came home from school. She says.. "Glee?" As if! I need to work on her musical education. She is totally not my kid.
• This is the same kid that watched 'Pants on the ground' on YouTube 50 times yesterday.
• Happy Friday!

Hello, Gorgeous.

I had a 'girls day' with my favorite girl today. And while it didn't involve a trip to the spa or a fancy lunch, we still had some fun!

Em had a teeth cleaning appointment this morning and an orthodontic appointment this afternoon, so we decided it would be best for her to just skip school and hang out with me for the afternoon. I was able to get us a last minute haircut appointment too, so we spent the day zipping from one place to the next. Em got about 4 inches cut off and soft layers around her face. It looks fantastic and healthy and light. (she can't stop touching it)

I was pleasantly surprised that she let me take a 'before' braces picture. The spacers she had put in today are no big deal...yet. She's had some Tylenol but I'm sure by bedtime she'll have some discomfort. After her soccer game, that is. Stupid 8:00 games. So we're going to miss American Idol and the Biggest Loser. pbbbbth!

So now we have officially signed our lives away and must all stay healthy for the remainer of the year because our entire health care fund will be eaten up by her braces. Nothing like starting the year out in the hole!

Next time you see this smile, it will be perfect!

Return of Fat Squirrel

Last week, as it was beginning the 'snowstorm of the year', one of the tasks at hand was making sure the feeder was full for the birds. They are always extremely active in snowfall, like they might not get another meal in a long time, so I like to make sure they have what they need. I also stuck a suet cake into the holder and threw it out there. Someone had been nibbling at in in the garage and it was making a mess.

It didn't take long for FS to notice the new feeder. And for my amusement, it's hung where he can reach it with a little stretching.

In this photo, FS is balancing on the head of a metal woodpecker with one foot, while his other foot is on the post behind him. He is on his toes. While he is holding on to the wire cage, he is swinging back and forth and almost in a circle (which then crosses his legs) while never letting go. I really need to catch this dude on video, because he is just so funny. The good news for him is that Buddy doesn't notice the squirrels too much anymore, so he has plenty of time to try and work his squirrel magic. The bad news is that he gets to be laughed at daily and photograped by me.

pretty snow

Yesterday and into the night was our first big snowstorm of the winter. Overall I think we got 6 inches,which in the scheme of things is not too much. Not enough to close school; just enough to make a big mess of everything. But the neighborhood looks lovely and is quiet, the way one can only be after a snowfall.

I am enjoying the birds and how active they were during and after the snowstorm. They add little specks of color and motion to an otherwise still vista out my back door. We are headed for another deep freeze, so I'll enjoy the beauty of the chill from inside, until it warms up and the kids can go sledding or chase each other in the yard.

Tomorrow brings 4,...count 'em...4 soccer games. And just like that, a day is gone. This is the one thing that I really don't like about travel soccer; the year round play. Sure, we had a few weeks off for the holidays, but then we get this crazy schedule where every weekend is like this again. And I truly love to watch them play, so I hate to complain, but the hours dedicated to it are just ridiculous!

Have a great weekend!

FO-hats

Skull Isle hat (Rav link) for Evan. I love the way it turned out, but he thinks it's too tight. It's supposed to be a little tight. I am going to wash it and see if I can stretch it a bit. Otherwise, I'm wearing it. It's a cool hat!

Knit in Cascade 220 wool.

Cabled beret in alpaca for me. This hat is scrumptios, even though it's not very 'beret'y. The color is rusty red, and it's soft and warm and just plain lovely. I loved it so much that I made another one for my Aunt Roberta...

...in purple wool/ mohair. Hers is even fuzzier and lighter. My first time knitting with mohair. Don't hate it, but don't think I'll be making a lot of other things with it. Just too fuzzy for me.

Christmas Break movie review

We made the best of the looong winter break by renting lots and lots of movies. Almost as good as going to a warm locale, no? No, definitely not. But we were entertained more often than not. Here is a quick review of each movie we saw, in case you were thinking of catching a flick or two.

'Star Trek' This movie was way better than I thought it was going to be. Bart & Evan had seen this at the theater, so I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. Great story, great cinematography. Gotta love JJ Abrahms! Two thumbs up!

'It's Complicated' Really funny movie. Just as good as I hoped it would

be. Meryl was adorable. Steve was wonderful. Alec was awesome. The theater was packed (which I usually hate) but only added to the fun of the movie. And I can't forget John Krasinski-he was a riot.

'Avatar' in 3D Even though I saw this a few days before the break, it's worth mentioning again.

A visually stunning movie, a must see in 3D just for the forrest scenes alone. James Cameron made a fantastic movie. Two thumbs up!

'Land of the Lost' a totally ridiculous movie, but highly entertaining. A love for Will Ferrell is a must. Beware-the language is a little racy for kids! Mine thought they died and went to double entendre heaven.

Best line of all movies watched: "Matt Lauer can suck it!"

'Funny People' I really wanted this to be funnier,

considering the title and all. Good performances, but sort of depressing. And the best line of the movie was cut. You'll have to watch the gag reel to catch it. One thumb up.

'The Taking of Pelham 123' Never saw the original, but kudos to the remake! Great performances, inventive storytelling, made-my-palms-sweaty action sequences. Lots of swearing-not kid friendly. Two thumbs up!

'Up' Out of all the movies we saw during the break, this was by far my favorite. I wish I had seen it in 3D at the theater. I wish I hadn't

discounted it as yet another cartoon movie. This movie had me crying at three different spots. Crying! The story was incredibly moving and the animation was fantastic. Two thumbs way UP!

'(500) Days of Summer' Our very first 'on demand' movie almost turned into a disaster, but once we got the glitches fixed, all was good. Totally delightful. Two thumbs up!

'Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen" Totally stupid. A major disappoinment after the cleverness of the first movie. This movie is a teen boys' wet dream. The rest of us, not so much.

'District 9' Now here is an interesting sci-fi movie! Very creative storytelling, good performances, and kick ass aliens. Two thumbs up!!

' Nine' I love a good musical. (In fact, I have had the soundtrack to 'Funny Girl' stuck in my head for weeks. Thank you, Glee!) The performances were good, the songs were good, the story was good. But not great. Fergie was great, Who da guessed.

'Four Christmases' Another good but not great film. I usually like Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, but something about them was a little off. Whatever. It was enjoyable. A fine way to pass 2 hours.

It's quite possible I missed a movie or two. Pretty much when I seal up the Netflix envelope I forget what I am holding in my hand. Anything is possible. I hope my reviews helped and will make you want to see a few of them in your spare time.

Monday re-do

This joker stayed home from school today. He claims to be 'sick'. And while he has spent the day laying low, there is no fever, no aches, no cough, no discernable sign of illness at all. {Lest you think me unsympathetic, last night he said that his legs were shaky and his feet were red. He has a million excuses stored up in his noggin}

So my Monday routine was hampered by kid. Bah. If all goes according to plan, tomorrow I'll get a Monday re-do. Except that I have to go to the grocery store. Double bah. I'm trying to meal plan for two weeks, and get all the things I need for those meals and have them in the house {see: be on top of things}. Which turns out to be the easy part. I also have to empty out the fridge and look thru the cupboards to see what ingredients I already have. The sucky, not so easy part. I'll see how the meal planning thing goes. In theory it's full of the awesome! But my reality involves 2 nights of driving to soccer practice during peak mealtime hours, and there are just so many thing I can make in the crock pot.

Sayonara!

a non-resolution or two

I hate resoloutions. I never write them down and never EVER keep them. I was thinking the other day in the shower (where all great plans are hatched, btw) and I have a list of not-so-much resolutions as things I want to change for the better. This year would be good. I'm not going to get all crazy if I don't manage to stick to them, but it would be helpful (to me) and eventually to everyone if I did!

• Be on top of things. Get your mind out of the gutter, people. Every year I tend to let things creep up on me, like the end of the school year, the November birthday onslaught, Spring Break. And for some reason, I am amazed that these events are occuring, like I had no pre-existing knowledge of them, and have to scramble at the last minute to pull myself together. Every year come October I know I'm going to need to shut down the garden. Just do it and be done with it. Enough of the 'I was gonna..."
• Be kinder to myself. You are gonna forget things, You are gonna mess up. You are gonna piss people off. Own up to it, apologize and move on. Stop beating yourself up over every little mistake already. Stop trying to crawl into a hole to escape.
• Be more active. In other words, I'm going to get off my fat ass and do something!! I keep saying that I am going to change, but it will never happen unless I force myself to get moving. I'm not expecting to look like a supermodel by the end of the year or anything, but it would sure be nice to go into a store and buy something cute to wear. It would be fantastic to not feel self concsious about my weight and appearance. I can't remember the last time I felt really good about myself. I plan to change that this year.
• Be creative, or be done with it. Scrapbooking, I'm talkin' to you. I have my own room filled to the brim with scrapping supplies and I haven't touched it in 2 years. 2 years. Either decide to jump back into it and use some of this shit or be done with it! Sell it, donate it, have a bonfire, I don't care. I need to make a choice this year. I also have to let go of the embarrasement over how much $$$ was spent on all these suppllies.
• Be balanced. work, play. Junk food, good food. Have to, want to. Me time, them time. Gotta try to get it in balance. I was diong this well for awhile and then it sort of went to hell in a handbasket. Balance is key.
• Be pro-active about my health. This one is really hard for me. I am great at making appointments, lousy at keeping them, and even worse at follow up. I hate going to the doctor, and I have suffered for it. I need to go. My headaches are under control because I went to the neurologist this fall. Imagine that! So now the next thing is going to the girly doctor nomatterhowmuchitkillsme and deal with my painful periods. I need to go to the dermatologist and have my moles checked, and about a thousand skin tags removed. I need to get a mammogram. I need to stop acting like I am 15 and will live forever.
• Be a participant in my own life. I forget to do this a lot, actually. I get caught up in all the 'have to do' things that I forget to have fun. I forget to enjoy my kids. I forget to call my friends. The longer I wait, the harder it is to reestablish those contacts and I get further away from the person I want to be.

Whew, that's a lot of self improvement to be had. I'm tired just thinking about how mature and fabulous I'm going to be.

That being said, I will smack you if come up to me on the street and say something smart assed like 'Shouldn't you be working out?' A girl should only be so fabulous a little bit at a time.

Happy New Year v.10

I find it funny and fitting that a blurry photo best represents the frivolity of our New Year's celebration. This pic was snapped moments after two cans of silly string were emptied on Evan, while I was trying to duck and get out of the way. Bart laughing, trying to wipe silly string out of his eyelashes; the floor and tables and everything on them covered with confetti. Not great composition, but great laughter and memories.

Today finds us all sluggish and in denial that the holiday is coming to an end. Bart is sleeping, because his body woke him at 5am and wouldn't let him get any rest. I am still in my pajamas trying to come up with a good enough reason to not go downstairs and walk on the treadmill. Emma is watching an endless loop of mindless television like iCarly, after having been picked up this morning by her dad. We ditched her last night. 12 year old just can't hold their liquor like us adults can. I kid! She passed out on the guest bed last night and refused to be budged, so she slept over at her grandparent's house. Blame it on her irresponsible parents who insist on keeping her out at all hours of the night 3 times this week. And Evan is being, well, Evan. Playing video games and praying that I don't ask him to do anything strenuous like brush his teeth.

Monday is going to be a rough one.

Happy New Year, and welcome 2010!