Hump Day

I know, you're sitting there thinking that Wedsndays are "Hump Day" and Fridays. BUT, at our house any day can be, and usually is, "Hump Day". Wanna know why??? Because our Shih-Tzu puppy loves our kitten. ALOT She loves him so much that Mickey, the kitten, now finds places to hide. Up high where Dixie can't reach him to love him. At first it didn't seem to bother Mickey. In fact, he seemed to be a willing participant. But now, not so much. Bran and I just got done laughing our asses off. Dixie loved her some Mickey all the way across the kitchen. When it first started Dan and Darcie used to holler, "Mom. Dixie's humping the cat again." That was funny until Dailaesse told the vet that Dixie humps the cat. In her defense though the vet did ask her how Dixie was doing. So now we say that Dixie is loving Mickey. Nobody looks at me like I have 3 heads now when she tells them that Dixie loves Mickey. I think my dog is defective.

Ok...I'm sure this is the moment you've all been waiting for. We have a winner. I want to tell you all how incredibly honored I am that you all took time out of your busy lives to pop in to vote and leave some notes here and there. I appreciate all of your ideas. They were all wonderful and I can't wait to put them to good use. I so wish I could give everyone a prize. You're all winners in my book. BUT, seems how I didn't win that damn lottery there can only be one prize this time. Stick around though because I definitely plan on doing this again at the end of the month. It was too much fun! Without further ado, I give you this:

Socks won by a landslide! I've got some great goodies ordered thanks to everyone's suggestions. I'll post a pic of the box after Leslie gets it. Wouldn't want to ruin her surprise!

Again, thank you all so much for your time and for playing along with me. I hope you'll join me again in a few weeks. :-)

Shit Runs Downhill

Sorry for not posting yesterday but it was one of those days. I met with the woman who wants the hat (I know I said sweater, I misunderstood) recreated yesterday. She's very nice. Her sister made her 2 hats some time ago (more than 20 years ago as her sister passed away 20 years ago) and she lost one. She wants to replace it. It's going to be very easy to duplicate although she doesn't care if I duplicate the pattern or not just as long as it's the same style. I ran to Adirondack Yarns yesterday and grabbed the yarn to make it. I'll probably cast on for it tomorrow. I gave the Amble sock hell for about 2 hours yesterday and I think I just might be able to make it before the deadline.

Then we had dance class yesterday. Still too much fun. I wish there was a way to post a video. Maybe by the time I have one to post I'll have figured out how to do it. The Halloween recital is the 26th of October. I can't wait. I did take a picture of her in her dance clothes finally. Isn't she cute??? She picked out brown for her fingers and purple for her finger toes yesterday. One of the mothers at dance told her she looked like fall.

We left dance at 3 and I ran to get the yarn. Got back into town and went to meet my cousin at school to get the girls. The girls had decided they wanted to go to the park. So I ran home and changed Dailaesse's clothes and went back to take the girls to the park. They all had a blast and I was able to get some done on the sock. Then I ran home, grabbed my wallet and went to the grocery store for hamburger buns and Gatorade. $92.51 and about 45 minutes later I was headed home with a pounding head and a screaming 2 year old. She wanted to hold her yogurt on the way home. I couldn't find it in the bag and didn't feel like unpacking everything. Hence the screaming.

Oh, here's something you'll probably enjoy. One of the things we had to do on Tuesday was to go pick up my plates at DMV. I had custom plates on my last van which was financed and registered to me. When we bought the new van it was financed and registered to Bran so I had to put my plates in storage, send a bunch of crap to DMV including more money and then wait for a new registration so I could pick my plates up and put them back on my van. Anyways, while we were walking back to the van 2 men walked out of the Cigarette Warehouse. The first one had a long ponytail. Dailaesse spotted this right off and said in her not so quiet voice, "Look mama, that man has a nice long ponytail. Him needs a haircut." The man with the ponytail didn't seem to be too amused. However, the man behind the man with the ponytail was rolling. Me? I wanted to slither under the van and die. When I told Brandon that night at dinner what had happened he said, "Well at least she said it was nice."

So, wanna know how it is that I can tell you with 100% accuracy that shit does indeed run downhill? After running again all day yesterday and still not feeling well at all I came home from the store and started dinner. Brandon started the grill. I started the shells and cheese and then sat down to do shipping quotes for car parts Brandon is selling on eBay right now. I was right in the middle of the last one when Dailaesse said she was done. I asked Bran who was doing nothing at the time if he could wipe her quick. He gave me an attitude but did it anyways. I heard him grumbling across the room and then heard him head upstairs to clean her potty. He came back downstairs still grumbling and walked into the kitchen. That's when it happened. The ceiling started to rain crap. Literally. From the ceiling fan. Which was on. The highest speed. So, the shells and cheese went down the garbage disposal. The kids ate the hamburgers that were on the grill. What a mess. Wanna hear the best part? According to Brandon this never would have happened if I hadn't asked him to wipe the baby. What??? I guess when he flushed her potty contents he realized the toilet was clogged and then it wouldn't stop running. Brandon was so worried about the burgers he had just put on the grill that he didn't take the time to be sure that something as catastrophic as the toilet overflowing and running into the kitchen wouldn't happen. So he left it clogged and running. My husband can't multitask. He is, to quote the Yarn Harlot's mother in law, "a one trick pony". I was furious. I've been sick for 4 days and still running myself ragged making sure that everyone and everything is taken care of and he has the nerve to blame this on me? Then to make matters worse he cried to my father. Who told me I expect too much of Brandon. He works hard all day and then always has too many things to do when he gets home from work. Like cook burgers on the grill. I bathed Dailaesse and put her to bed. Finished the laundry that had to be done for Dan today (2 loads) as well as all of the towels (4 loads) used to sop up the mess. I flopped into bed a little after 2 am with a killer sinus headache and cried myself to sleep.

I'm hoping for a much better day today. But, after having cleaned up yogurt off the floor a few minutes ago I'm not holding out much hope. :-)

How's everyone's weather today? It's raining like crazy here and it's very, very windy. There's a severe thunderstorm warning out for Essex county which half of our town lies in. I'm hoping it's going to clear up by this afternoon or we're going to be cold and wet at football.

Hope you all have a wonderful day! Don't forget to get those votes in! Today's the last day. I'll announce the big winner tomorrow!

Foreskin

Sorry to keep you all waiting so long today. I had a ton of stuff to do this morning and then this afternoon I was lucky enough to get the baby to take a nap with me. If only it had made me feel better. I didn't sleep at all last night. I think it was a combination of being totally in awe after seeing the Yarn Harlot live. In person. Can you believe it??? I still can't. And being sick. And hearing every little creak in the freakin' house last night. At some point I did doze off because I woke up with my face stuck to the pillow case. There is nothing worse than having a runny nose. Bleck.

Anyways...let's talk about the Harlot. I have to tell you that she is one of the funniest people I have ever met. She's amazing. I'm still star struck today. If you've never read her blog you must go there now. If you ever have the opportunity to see her in person you must go. Even if it means boarding a plane. I'm serious. She's that good. If it weren't for the kids and Bran I would totally pack up and become her groupie. The one thing I found most amazing about Stephanie...she thanked us for going to see her. Can you believe it? Thanked us. We should have kissed her feet as she entered the room. Really. We were incredibly fortunate to have her visit us. So Stephanie...if you should happen to read this...THANK YOU. Safe and happy yarn crawling to you, eh? ;-)

Oh, and while I was there early I did a little shopping. I picked up a couple things for my secret pal. Who, by the way, should be receiving my first package any day now. I hope my pal likes it. And, I bought another hank of Fleece Artist Meino sock yarn, 2 hanks of Art Yarns merino and a hank of some really awesome Cherry Tree Hill superwash that I've been wanting. Bad. I'll post some pictures later tonight if I don't go to bed early. Gorgeous, gorgeous stuff.

Since I already mentioned the pillow case ordeal I really don't feel the need to elaborate any more on my health. 'Nuff said right? BUT...the noises last night...let's talk about that. My parents had their house appraised last week sometime. I think on Tuesday or Wednesday. The appraiser is from a land far, far away. Ok, not THAT far. BUT far enough that it's not a convenient trip. He really had to go out of his way to get here. So...when I got home last week from dropping the girls off at school the appraiser's truck was parked in front of my parents house. Nice white extended cab pickup. I think it's a Ford. I never saw the appraiser, just his truck. On Thursday while I was waiting for Bran to get ready to leave for Dan's football game I took the baby out to load up all of our stuff in the van. The white truck pulled up and stopped in front of our driveway on the other side of the street. He just sat there and stared at us. I got everything loaded in the van. He was still there. Staring. He finally pulled away and turned around in the neighbors drive. He then drove very slowly in front of our house and then again stopped at the end of the driveway and stared. His windows were open. He never asked a question. Just stared. After about 5 minutes of this I got a little uncomfortable and took the baby inside. He drove away. Last night coming home from Lake Placid what do I see coming up our street? A white extended cab pickup. I saw his brake lights come on and as we passed I saw his face pressed up against the window of his truck. Staring. I kept driving and watched him in my rear view mirror. His brake lights were on and then his backup lights came on. He started backing down our street. I floored it. I was doing 45 by the time I hit my driveway. My heart was racing and I sat in the van with the doors locked until I was confident that he wasn't following me.

This morning I called my dad and told him what had happened. He in turn got angry and asked why I hadn't said something sooner. I did. I told my mother what happened Thursday when she called after we got home from the football game. Daddy called the appraiser. 4 times. No response. He called the bank. Seems there was some mix up with the appraisal and the bank ordered him back out. The funny thing...he's still not contacted my parents yet. Just stared. At me.

I'm sure you're all wondering about the title of today's post. It's really quite simple. And I thought very funny. While performing spell check on the post freakin' came up. The suggested replacement? Foreskin. I'm still laughing.

The Winner Takes It All

By 7 o'clock tonight I will have my ass firmly planted on a seat at Adirondack Yarns. Don't forget, the one and only Yarn Harlot will be there. I CAN'T WAIT I have been looking forward to this for about a month now. I'll brag...I mean tell you all about it tomorrow.

How about an update on the names I've drawn so far?

9/22 - Leslie
9/23 - Mar
9/24 - Cindy Lee Lee
9/25 - Leslie

So far the favorite is socks. And everyone loves the idea of a fall theme. I also really like the idea of having a box with a present for each day of the week. I just might have to use that no matter what.

Keep those posts and votes coming in!

Funniest Home Videos

Last night Dailaesse fell asleep early. I called my mother to let her know she had gone to bed and to take her up on her offer to babysit. She came over a few minutes before we had to leave. All was quiet and Mom had settled in for a round of solitaire at the computer. You all know where this is heading don't you? About half way back into town we got the call. Dailaesse was no longer sleeping and she was looking for her mommy. I tried to calm her down but she was screaming so hard that I don't think she could hear me over her own screams. My mother took the phone and screamed even louder for me to hurry. I walked in the door a few minutes later to find my daughter sitting on my mothers lap getting ready to put her socks on. She was already wearing her coat. I assumed my mother was taking her to their house. No. She was going to put her in her car and go find us. I hope my mother would never, ever put my child in a car without her seat. I am going to assume that my mothers level of desperation rose with the pitch of Dailaesse's scream and that she was temporarily driven insane. It took 10 minutes to get Dailaesse to settle down after I got home. Wanna know how I did it??? ICE CREAM. I'm telling you...it's magic.

I took the baby to Kinney's today to get some medicine. I tried Claritin yesterday thinking it would dry her up but it didn't work. So today we went to get some Dimetapp. The pharmacist told me to start with a half teaspoon because it sometimes makes little ones hyper. I asked how I would tell the difference. I was really just joking because she's a good baby. The only time she tends to get wound up is when she's overtired. We also got some more hair clips and ponytail holders. And lip gloss. And body glitter. And nail polish. I went for a $6 bottle of Dimetapp and came out $36 later. I forgot the rule about bringing a sick child to the pharmacy. And I made the rule.

This morning we all went to my parents for breakfast. Every weekend my father invites us for a big breakfast. He does all the cooking. Eggs to order, bacon, sausage, toast, real fried potatoes. And every weekend he loses his temper and tweaks out on us. He can't stand the noise. But it doesn't take much noise to get him annoyed. Usually about half way through breakfast he's wondering if we're almost done. He makes sure to let us know that he'll do the cleanup so we don't have to stay. He might as well come right out and tell us to leave. So I finally asked him why he bothers to invite us every weekend. His response: I love cooking a big meal for all of you...I just wish you'd eat it somewhere else. Now granted he was laughing when he said it. But. Dan thinks we should bring the camcorder next time and send it to AFV. He says we'd win for sure because breakfast with there is like a circus.

I Toad You So

First of all, I want to take a minute to thank everyone who has been stopping by. It's nice to know that Leslie and I aren't the only ones around here. Thanks For sticking with me Leslie! And, I really appreciate all the great suggestions. Especially the fall theme. I don't know why I never thought of that. You'd think it would have been the first thing that popped into mind given fall is my favorite time of year. Now, with that said...I still hear crickets. LOL They're not as loud anymore but they're definitely still there. C'mon everyone...stop by and leave a note and get a chance to win a great prize!

No noteworthy knitting news again today. The baby has a cold so we've been snuggling ALOT the past day and a half now. When she was new and I could just lay her on my chest I could still knit but now that she likes to be a big helper I can't knit and hold her at the same time.

I do have a picture of our guard toad though. Isn't he cute? He comes out onto the front porch steps every night. I think he's sitting there trying to catch a meal. There are a bunch of spiders on the peak of the overhang for the front door. We hose them off every few days but they keep coming back. Bran named him Kermit. I know...he's a toad not a frog. My husband has a sick sense of humor sometimes. Like naming our all black cat Whitey. The neighbors all laughed when he got out one day and Bran chased him up the street screaming his name.

F is for Fall and Fall is for Football

My little man had his first game yesterday. I'm not sure who won because they don't officially keep score until they start playing in high school. I'm sure Dan will tell me when he comes home tomorrow night. They did really well though. I love to watch him play. He takes it so seriously but he really loves it and it shows. The worst part? Not being able to run over after the game and give him hugs and kisses. I just want to squeeze him and gush all over him. This takes a lot of restraint on my part. But, I know that it's way not cool to do this to your children in public. I consider myself lucky that I'm permitted to speak to him in public. I very calmly told him in a low voice that I was very proud of him and that he played a great game. I also snuck in a whispered "I love you". He looked around to be sure no one was in earshot and whispered back "me too". I love my baby boy! Of course Dailaesse was allowed to give him all kinds of hugs and kisses. His face lights up when she snuggles with him. And it doesn't matter who's around to see or hear. He's a good boy.

Unfortunately, I have no knitting news to report today. I don't even bother to bring it to football anymore because I never work on it. I get way too caught up in watching the game. Plus, Dan isn't all that fond of my knitting in public when he's there. I mean what if his friends found out. Hello, my name is Kerry and I'm a closet knitter. I did call the woman that wanted the sweater reinvented but there was no answer. I left a message but haven't heard back from her. I'm very excited about this project now. Probably even more so now that I can't get in touch with her.

I sure hope we get some more comments and votes. The chirp of the crickets is deafening isn't it Leslie??? LOL

Reinventing the Wheel

I guess if I'm going to ask you all to leave comments I better get my ass in gear in the morning and post huh? It was so nice to see that Leslie stopped by and left her vote. Hi Leslie! Today is crazy as usual as I'm trying to get ready for Dan's first football game of the season. It's an away game so that means packing a little bit of everything for the baby. It also means stopping at McDonald's prior to the game to get Dan some McNuggets. Even though I'll be at the game and would love to bring my son back to town when it's finished, my ex-husband makes him ride the bus because his visitation begins at 5pm. He's such a loser. And believe me, that's put it mildly. If I thought I could control the amount of expletives used I'd tell you what I really think of him.

I got a call from Lisa at Adirondack Yarns today. There was a woman in the store looking to have a sweater that her sister knit her over 20 years ago recreated. Lisa called me. I'm very excited and yet a little nervous at the same time. She said it's a nice thick yarn and there are some cables. It sounds like a lot of fun. And, what's better than getting paid to something you absolutely love? The only thing that makes me nervous about knitting for pay is that I always worry about people liking what I've done. I guess that comes with being an anal retentive perfectionist freak. Wow, that's quite the mouthful isn't' it?

Finally Finished

Don't get too excited...I'm not finished with the PAIR of Amble socks but I did finish the first sock yesterday. I like to work 2 socks at the same time but because of the pattern on this one I decided it best to do one at a time. I cast on for the second while waiting for Dailaesse at dance class today and got the 2" of ribbing almost finished. Yes, almost finished. Not completely finished. No, I can't talk and knit at the same time. Why, you ask? Because I have to watch what I'm doing. And I find it incredibly rude to not make eye contact with the person who is talking to me. Just a me thing. My Aunt Linda can knit like the wind. She doesn't need to look at what she's doing. At all. Ever. She just knits away and looks you straight in the eye and talks. Or watches television. I can glance away from my work often enough to be able to watch television. But, if something good is on and it sucks me in my knitting gets put down. I want to knit like my Aunt Linda.

Dance class was today and my little Dailaesse danced her heart out. She's really something. She told me last week that she was going to do all the dances this week and she delivered. The last little bit of class is spent twirling around with pretty scarves. Melissa, the instructor, has the kids wrap them into balls and throw them in the air. Now, my little angel is the cutest baby in that class but she lacks something the older girls have...grace. There is absolutely nothing graceful about my little girl. Either one of them come to think of it. Anyways, Dailaesse crammed her scarf into one hell of a little ball and instead of tossing it gently into the air she wound up and chucked it as hard and high as she could. She would have put a MLB pitcher to shame. She got all excited watching it come down until...where did it go??? She twirled around and around trying to find her special pink scarf. Nothing. She looked up. She looked down. Nothing. Finally she reached her hand up and found it. It had landed right on top of her little head. She giggled so hard. So did Melissa and her helper.

How about a little drawing? It sure is awfully quiet around here. I was really worried when I started this blog that I was going to be sitting around typing and listening to the crickets chirp. I hear crickets. I'm lonely. I need chatter. I've got a package ready to mail to my secret pal and I've already been thinking about the next. I thought it would be fun for the packages to have a little bit of a theme to them but I'm having a hard time trying to decide what to send for next month. So here are the choices: socks, spinning, lace or gift certificate. Whichever choice gets the most votes is what will go out to my pal, and to the lucky winner of the drawing. Now here's how I'm gonna work this. We'll start tomorrow and end the 29th. Each day I will take the names from each choice category and pull one from a hat. I'll put it aside and enter it in the final drawing. So, if you leave a vote and a note each day for the next week you could have 8 chances to win. On the 30th I will draw one name from all of the winners from the past 8 days. The catch??? There has to be at least 10 votes and notes in order for me to draw a name for any given day. So, if there are only 2 days out of the next 8 that have 10 votes then there will only be names drawn on those 2 days. Get it? Sound like fun? Drop me a note and leave your vote! Tell all your friends. The more the merrier! Oh, and I opened the comments back up for everyone. I'll just keep deleting the crap ones. :-)

Monster in the House

I have to do a little bragging today. My husband has applied for a job with our not-so-local power company. In order to be hired he needs more ASE certifications, one more certification for his inspectors license and his CDL. I brought home the study book for the CDL last week from DMV. He read through it once last week and then again last night. He went to DMV this morning, took the CDL with attachment and air brake tests and passed all three. I'm so proud of him. He always makes everything seem so easy.

Me...sometimes the things I set out to do end up kicking my ass. Like the Amble socks for instance. They're coming along nicely now. But man, they've been a long time in the making. I think part of the problem was that I started with the preconceived notion that they were going to be difficult. They really aren't. The pattern is well written and other than the fact that I couldn't take them with me while I was working the leg because the pattern was too long for me to memorize. I also think that because I had so many other projects going at the same time that I wasn't focusing on them enough. Anywho, here it is today. Not bad huh? It fits very nicely so I'm really glad that I ripped it back out and added the stitches to it. I decided not to carry the pattern down the foot because of the twist stitches. I thought they might make the sock a little uncomfortable in my sneaker.

We have a monster in the house. It was born last Wednesday at dance class. It's being fed by my parents. 12 different shades of nail polish. How could they??? Dailaesse wants her fingers and toe fingers painted every day. Sometimes twice a day. I had to sit her down last night and explain to her that most women were lucky to get a manicure and pedicure once a week let alone once a day. We've agreed to spend quality time together each day painting her nails. And don't forget, there are 20 little fingers and 20 little toe fingers to paint each day. After all Darcie needs a day at the spa each day too. I love my girls.

Oh...I have even more exciting news! My secret pal wrote me last night. I can't wait to get to know her better. I've already got a package started for the secret pal I'm spoiling. This is too much fun!

Duck, Duck, Pig

This past Friday Dailaesse and I went and picked up lunch from the deli. Then we went and picked Bran up from work. This works out really well for him because he only gets a 1/2 hour for lunch and it takes him 5 minutes one way to get to/from work. We decided instead of going to sit out at the boat launch and eat in the van like we usually do that we'd have lunch at one of the picnic tables at the lake instead. There wasn't a sole around. The baby sat and actually started eating her lunch instead of goofing around. That is until company arrived. Four female mallards swam all the way from the other side of the lake over to the picnic area. It's obvious that people have been feeding them all summer because these little ladies weren't afraid of us in the least. They came right up to us and took our lunch out of our hands. One even took a little nibble of Bran's finger. Oh, and just in case you've never been nibbled by a duck, it doesn't hurt. It does however startle someone (Bran to be more specific) who's never been nibbled by a duck enough to make them shreak. Which was very funny by the way. Oh, and one other thing about ducks...they love potato chips. So much so that they will try to climb up your leg to get to them. When climbing your leg doesn't work they will eventually remember that they can fly up onto the top of the picnic table and help themselves. We decided we have to do this more often. Next time though I will bring a loaf of bread for the ducks.

Saturday we took Dailaesse to get a new pair of sandals. Dixie, the puppy, chewed her sandals a couple weeks ago. Seems how she had a little trouble walking in them to begin with I decided to just pitch them and wait to buy a new pair next summer. BUT, Dailaesse wanted to wear sandals. And she didn't care whose she wore. After arguing with her for the past 3 days that her size 8 toddler feet really don't fit her sisters size 7 womens sandals I decided I couldn't wait until next year to buy her new sandals. Even though there wasn't a big selection we did find a really cute pair that she liked and they were 50% off. Very nice. And, there's no better way to show off a freshly painted set of piggy toes than in a new pair of sandals.

Today all 3 of us girls are heading to a baby shower for my cousins oldest daughter. Ethan should make his appearance in December. He's already loved more than he will ever know. :-)

Before and After

Well I finally completed the Fiber Trends felted clogs. Before felting they were a little over 15 inches long. After felting they are about 12 inches. I really hate photographing socks and clogs because for some reason they always look like they are not the same size. Trust me though, they are. I've measured and re-measured and held them next to each other and against each other so many times that it's not funny. Yes, I am obsessive. I like things to be perfect. Especially when they are for someone else. Even more so when that someone else is paying me to make them. I hope the buyer is as pleased with them as I am.

Now that the clogs are done and delivered I really have to get back to the Amble socks for the 6SoxKAL. I also have to start a sweater for Dailaesse to wear with her dance clothes. We picked out a cute little wrap sweater from the adorable knits for tots book by Zoe Mellor. Dailaesse chose white Patons Astra for her sweater. While this sounds dreadfully boring I think it will work well as her leotard and skirt are pink. I'm hoping she'll choose a pretty pastel ribbon for the tie though instead of white.

Seems how I'm all about before and after today I thought I'd let you know that before the lottery drawing last night I wasn't a millionaire. And after? Still not a millionaire. One person in New Jersey won the entire $250 million jackpot. Hmm, I wonder...do you think it might be a single man?

Dollar and a Dream

We went to dinner last night half way between here and Lake Placid. When we finished we decided (on my suggestion) to take Dailaesse to Howard Johnson's for ice cream. Of course it never crossed my mind that Adirondack Yarns is in Lake Placid or that it was open until 8 last night when I suggested it. Yeah, right. I was sitting at dinner thinking of all the fun things I could get to spoil my new secret pal. Thinking of how I could lure my 2 year old and husband to Lake Placid. Ice cream. Works like magic every time. On the 2 year old and the 29 year old. I got a few wonderful gifts for my secret pal that I think she's going to love. I can't wait to get her package finished up and mailed off to her. This secret pal thing just totally kicks ass. It's like Christmas for 3 months. Of course I couldn't shop for my secret pal without shopping for me too. Sue had just gotten a ton of new Fleece Artist sock yarn. I couldn't resist. I also bought a gorgeous green Fleece Artist kid aran. See how it happens? I set out for presents for my secret pal and end up getting SEX in the yarn store. I took a picture...wanna see? If you've never used Fleece Artist before I urge you to run right out and get some now. It's incredible! And, someone said the sock yarn comes from the same mill as Koigu. I knew I liked it for a reason.

So they say on the commercials here in NY that all you need is a dollar, or in my case $20, and a dream. I've always had a "if one is good then more MUST be better" mentality. Keep your fingers crossed for me. The jackpot tonight is $250 million. I can't imagine what you'd do with that kind of money. I do know that if we won there would be lots of help heading to the Katrina victims.

Kegger

My dad had to go to Plattsburgh yesterday. He had some time to kill so he decided to go get a quick haircut at the salon in JC Penney's. When he got home last night I told him how nice it looked. He picked on me and said that he would have had me do it but after Dan losing half an eyebrow he thought it better to go to someone else. Funny, funny man my father is. We visited for a few minutes, had a really nice chat. The phone rang. I was getting ready to go anyways so he turned to go answer the phone. That's when I saw it. I'm not sure what the hell happened but there was about a 2 inch difference from one end of his neckline to the other. I waited for him to get off the phone. "Daddy, what the hell happened to the back of your head???", I ask. He puts his hand up to the back of his head and rubs. "Yeah, I thought it felt a little funny. What's wrong with it?", he asks. I told him. In between chuckles of course. I tell him that Dan's eyebrow is a lot less noticeable than the mess on his neck. "Dan's eyebrow is on the front of his face", he says. Point well taken. I'm not sure what it is with my family and hair lately but I'm telling you right now that I'm waiting for a bit before I go to the salon again. Just in case.

So we're all upstairs last night getting the kids ready for bed. Dan is in the hallway in his boxers making muscles. He's quite impressed with how "ripped" he's become since football started again. He's bragging about how the coach keeps telling him how strong he is, what an amazing player he is, how he's the only one who can do all the push ups...and on and on and on. Personally, I'm very proud of him and I never tire of hearing all about any of the kids accomplishments. I beam from ear to ear just like any other mom. That's MY boy. Darcie on the other hand tends to get a little jealous. Not right away mind you, it normally takes at least a half dozen repeats of the same brag to get her going. So Dan moves from his arms to his stomach. "Look at this buff bod", he says. And here it comes...Darcie says, "I think you better tell your coach you want a refund...you're missing 2 cans out of your six-pack."

Swan Lake

Today was Dailaesse's first day of dance class. It's called Creative Movement. Creative indeed. I have to tell you that there is nothing more adorable than watching a group of 3-4 year old little girls twirling around a room in little pink leotards...other than MY 2 year old twirling around the room in her favorite purple outfit. She refused to buy a leotard this past weekend. She didn't like them. She wrinkled her nose and promptly removed it from the cart as soon as I put it in. She wanted to wear her own clothes dance class. Leotards aren't a requirement so I didn't fight too hard to change her mind. Plus I figured if I bought it she wouldn't wear it and then it would just sit in her drawer until it was way too small and then get packed away in the basement in a couple years anyways. When class let out Dailaesse came running out and jumped into my arms. She told me she had so much fun and wants to go back tomorrow. (We may have a problem there as class is only once a week.) When we got in the van to pull away I heard her calling from behind me, "Mommy, I want a pink leotard like my friends have." I told her we'd go buy one this weekend. "And pink nail polish like my friends", she says. I promise to buy some of that this weekend as well. "And you will polish my fingernails for dance class Mommy?", she asks. I tell her of course I will. "And my toe fingers too? My friends have their toe fingernails polished", she says. Guess I'll be playing stylist to the star next week before dance class.

On to knitting news...

I've now made several of the braided neckpieces from the somewhat new Loop-d-Loop book. I had one left that was to be mine to wear with my camel wool coat this winter. That was until my friend called and said she wanted something really neat for her sister in law for her birthday. Yesterday. I went through all of my newly completed projects that I tuck away in a bin until I'm either ready to use them myself or ready to wrap them for gifts and pulled out the neckpiece. She loved it. But I wanted it. So I knit me a new one. It's worked in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky. I need to work in all those damned ends and of course it still needs to be blocked but what do you think? Cool, no? I also have one complete clog and one almost complete. I still promise to post pictures as soon as I felt them. I need to get them delivered soon so it won't be much longer. Honest.

Hair Today

Dan has been bugging for a hair cut. He doesn't like going to the salon or the barber. He likes me to do it. So Sunday after we finished dinner I got out my clippers. It started out innocently enough. I put the size 2 attachment on just like always. I mowed all the hair off his beautifully shaped little head. I removed the attachment and went around his ears. Shaved a nice clean line in the back again. Then, I headed to the front. Dan has horrible cowlicks. I have to comb down the front of his hairline and even it up. I've done this so many times it isn't even funny. I could probably do it in my sleep. I combed the hair down onto his forehead and started to carefully even it up. Dan jumped and threw his hand over his eye. I asked what was wrong. He rubbed. And rubbed some more. I moved his hand. Nothing out of the ordinary. I finished cutting. Dan stood up. That's when I noticed it. Half of his right eyebrow was missing. I honestly don't think I did it. But, I also can't imagine not noticing that half of my own childs eyebrow is gone. We laughed and he went up to shower. When he got out of the shower he screamed and came running down the stairs. He wasn't laughing anymore. We argued. He went to bed angry and I starting packing lunches for the following day. When I grabbed Dan's lunch bag off the counter there was a bandaid stuck in the front of it that had fallen out of the cupboard. It was SpongeBob. Playing football. It was like it was suppose to be there. I couldn't let it go to waste. I attached it to a sticky note to put in with his lunch with this little poem:

I'm sorry about your brow.
I really don't know how
half of it disappeared,
and left you looking weird.

I was laughing so damn hard while I was writing it that I had tears running down my face. Dan has a great sense of humor. Or at least I hoped. I paced all day yesterday waiting for him to arrive home from football. He came through the door and didn't say anything about the note. I thought I would burst! I asked, "How were your Doritos?" He says, "Oh, the note?" Turns out he only read the first line and stuck it quickly in his pocket. He pulled it out and read it. He laughed until tears rolled down his cheeks. He is definitely my son.

Oh, and nobody at school noticed his eyebrow.

Train Wreck

I took my girls to Plattsburgh yesterday. We went in search of more new clothes for Darcie. We were successful. Extremely successful. She got some really cute new jeans at Old Navy and more new tees at Aeropostale. She loves Aeropostale. I, on the other hand, would prefer she bought her shirts at a different store. Low rise jeans and short tees just don't mix. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get normal length shirts in that store? We end up buying an XL to get the length she needs then she's swimming in it every where else. And no, it's not just Aeropostale. I don't mean to single them out, it just happens to be where we shopped yesterday. It seems to be a common problem in all the stores. And there's no happy medium either. It's either young, hip, bare it all or sweatshirts with collars and polyester slacks. Now I realize that Aeropostale and the other stores like them aren't targeting 10 year olds...BUT...not every 10 year old wears a size 10 in girls. And even their target market shouldn't be wearing some of their clothes. High school girls shouldn't be wandering around with their butt cracks hanging out the back of their jeans and their boobs popping out the top of their shirts. Have you seen the way kids dress these days? Some of the girls I see coming out of school look like they should be working a street corner instead of walking the halls of the middle school. I can't imagine what they'll be wearing by the time they make it to high school. And, for the price of their clothes you'd think there'd be a little more to them. How is it that it costs more for less material??? I wish they'd issue school uniforms. It would make buying decent fitting clothes for my princess much easier. I know, I know, kids express themselves through their clothes. Blah, blah, blah. But see the problem is what they're expressing. And, are the kids even really expressing themselves by wearing mass-produced clothes that the kid sitting next to them in class can wear? I imagine there's some group some where climbing up on their soapboxes right now. Yelling at their screens. Telling me that the constitution provides for freedom of speech. BUT...what if my 80 year old 300+ pound grandma wanted to express herself in a bikini...in public? Do you think those same people would still be shouting that she has the right to express herself? Or would they encourage her to put her housecoat back on? You know the kind right? The ones like all the other seniors at the highrise wear. Uniformity isn't looking all that bad now is it? Ok, I'm climbing down off my soapbox.

I filled my van before we left because my gas light had come on and was singing to me. I've been putting it off because I've been afraid. Sticker shock, you know? I had really only intended to put $20 in it because gas is always cheaper in Plattsburgh. But, once I started pumping I just couldn't stop. It was like being in some kind of daze. I had a death grip on the nozzle. My head was spinning just as fast as the price on the pump. It was like seeing an accident on the thruway. You don't want to look but you can't help but do it. You bob your head around trying to find the optimum viewing angle in your mirrors so you can watch until the last possible second. Guess what my morbid curiosity got me today? A $65.26 tank full of gas. I'm still sick to my stomach.

Secret Pal 6 Questionnaire

Wanna know the best thing about blogging? Getting to be a part of the Secret Pal exchange! I am so looking forward to this! So here, without further ado, is my questionnaire:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

I definitely prefer to work with high quality and/or natural fibers BUT I do feel that acrylics have their place. Like kids clothes that will be washed alot. And charity items like hats and blankets when you can't guarantee that the person receiving the item isn't allergic or sensitive to wool. I do have acrylic in my stash but the majority of my yarns are natural fibers.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

I don't spin...yet. I've been afraid to even go there because I don't have the room for a wheel. Which I know I would just HAVE to have if I took up spinning. When the addition on our home is complete in a couple of years I will probably dive in feet first.

I do crochet and have for many more years than I have been knitting. I learned when I was in kindergarten. Knitting is pretty much all I do lately though. Mostly because the patterns are endless and the items just as warm without all the bulk and stiffness.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

Cigarette smoke, cats and dogs. Heavily flower scented items give me a headache.

4. How long have you been knitting?

About 15 years. I tried learning when I was younger and I had a really hard time with it. My mother isn't a very patient teacher and she knits extremely fast. Her teaching approach was for me to sit in front of her and try to figure out what she was doing while she knit a million stitches a minute. Not good.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Not yet.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Cinnamon, vanilla or anything fruit scented.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

Doesn't everyone??? LOL I'm especially fond of milk chocolate and caramel.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

I like cross-stitch and I've also been wanting to start a quilt.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I love country but I also like the hits from the 70's and 80's. And yes, my computer plays MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

Blue...hands down. But I haven't met a color yet that's made me want to hurl.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I'm married for the second time to a wonderfully supportive, caring, amazing man named Brandon. We have 3 children, Dan who is 14, Darcie who will be 10 in a month and Dailaesse who is 2 1/2. While Bran may not be father to Dan and Darcie he is Dad to them and I love him dearly for that. Whenever I see him with the kids I'm often reminded of a sign I saw once that read "Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a Dad." That is so true. We also have a short-haired cat named Mickey and a Shih-Tzu named Dixie.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

I want to be Queen of the Forest. Really though...first, to have more children and to raise them all to be happy, well adjusted, productive adults. Then comes going back to college to get my CPA.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

Lately, Opal, Koigu and Lorna's Laces. I also love Manos wool, just about anything Rowan, Mountain Colors and Fleece Artist for socks.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I'm not really crazy about the really bulky thick and thin yarns.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Socks.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Socks, clogs, kids and baby itens of any kind, shawls, sweaters, mittens, gloves. I guess it's time to face facts...I really don't have a favorite.

17. What are you knitting right now?

A pair of clogs, the Amble socks from the 6SoxKAL, a zippered sweater for my father in law, 2 scarves and another pair of Chutes-N-Ladders socks.

18. What do you think about ponchos?

I think they look cute on kids and maybe a handful of the worlds adult population...and that's it. Oh, and Martha Stewart isn't one of those handful.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

Circular. Most of the time Addi Turbos. I also like Clover Bamboo.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Raise your right hand and repeat after me..."I promise to always be faithful to my Addi Turbo needles. If I must stray I promise to use bamboo."

21. Are you a sock knitter?

Yes, yes, yes!!!

22. How did you learn to knit?

I bought a video, 'Keeping You In Stitches'.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

6 years. And yes, I'm hanging my head in shame.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

I don't really have one. I love my Shih-Tzu but I'm not Shih-Tzu crazy either. I do love those Earnhardt men though.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

You know, I think I like Halloween more than any other holiday. I know most people say they like Christmas best but I love to decorate the house all spooky and watch the kids faces when they come trick-or-treating. Plus, it's the only holiday that you get to give to SO many little ones. We always do cool stuff too like glow sticks and lighted mouth pieces with the candy. How much fun is that???

26. Is there anything that you collect?

My kids artwork, yarn, needles and patterns.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

Interweave Knits

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?

Modular Knits, Scarves: A Knitters Dozen, Junior Knits, Easy Plus-Size Knits and 50 baby Bootees To Knit

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??

Some of the Fiddlesticks patterns. I eventually want the Inky-Dinky Spider Stole, the Romance Shawl and the Tina Shawl. I think the designs are just amazing and I'd love to have a complete set.

30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?

My feet are 9 1/4" long. I'm only 4'11" so I really like my cuffs to be no longer than about 5"-6". My ankles are 9" and my calves are 11". I've yet to see a sock pattern that I didn't like but I do like my socks worked in wool. I can't stand acrylic on my feet.

Phew! Now if I can only figure out how to add a button to this blog I'll be all set. If anyone can help I'd really appreciate it.

He Who Dies

Well we all made it through last night unscathed. Bran and I went to Lake Placid for the annual listener appreciation party that the local radio station has each year. You have to win tickets to the party in order to go by listening to the radio station and being the whatever-number caller or by answering a silly trivia question correctly. Bran has proven to be really good at this for the past 2 years in a row. Last year they gave away a spa and a custom built deck which we didn't win. But this year they gave away 2 brandy dandy new ATV's which we DIDN'T WIN. Bran made it all the way to the final round too. I was so disappointed. Of course as soon as he was out of the running I was ready to go home. We won 4 tickets so we invited 2 of our friends to go with us. They decided to stay and go listen to the band playing downstairs. Not I. I wanted out. Immediately.

I don't play well with others unless I can win. Actually, I don't even play well by myself unless I can win. You have no idea how many knit projects have been thrown in the garbage because I get frustrated. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a good visit to the frog pond every now and then. In fact, I find it quite humbling. But, I have my limit. And once I reach it everything goes in the can...yarn, needles, half-knit project...it's all game. Nothing is safe. Not even Addi Turbos. This is why Bran and I are no longer able to play Yahtzee together. After losing 3 games in a row one night I threw the game pad, dice, cup and everything else within reaching distance across the living room. And although I'll never admit it unless you have it on tape, I might have also engaged in some not so nice name calling. I know, I'm a poor sport. Thank God the kids were sleeping soundly when it happened. I try really hard to be a good role model for them. I tell them it's not whether you win or lose...blah, blah, blah. I just can't seem to heed my own advice. So I play what I can win. Anyone for Jeopardy?

Later

Dailaesse is running around the house in her underwear and a purple zip down jacket happily at the moment. Why? If you ask her she'll say it's because she wants to. If you ask me I'll tell you it's because she has escaped naptime. I tried. For over an hour I tried. But it didn't work. Most days she does really well without a nap. But of course today isn't most days. And yes, like I said, she is happy right now but we all know that's going to change later. Later is the problem. Later Bran and I will be going out for a couple hours and Dailaesse will be spending some time with her Nana and Papa. The problem? We have to leave at 5:30 and my mother doesn't get done work until 5:30...which means that she won't be home until probably close to 6 pm...which means my father will be alone with Dailaesse for about 30 minutes. See the problem? No? Well, the last time we left my father alone with Dailaesse to go pick Dan and Darcie up from visitation with their father 10 minutes away Dailaesse woke up and screamed. Not just any scream. This was one of those blood-curdling screams that seem to be reached only by the little girls in my family. The kind that makes you wish someone would run their fingernails across a blackboard to drown out the horrible noise escaping their mouths. The kind that makes you check to see if you're bleeding from the ears. And yes, it is and was that bad. I've heard it. 8 times that one night to be exact. That was the number of times my father called within the 20 minutes we were gone. When I asked my parents to watch her tonight they cheerfully agreed. They both love the chance to spoil her. But when I told my mother last night that I'd be bringing her over at 5:30 and my father overheard the conversation he wasn't as cheerful as he'd been when I asked him to babysit a couple weeks ago. "Remember what happened the last time you people left her alone with me?" he screamed. We tried to reassure him that the reason she carried on and over and around last time was because she had been sleeping and that everything would be just fine tonight. She adores her Papa as much as he does her. But. She hasn't had a nap. And she knows hows to push his buttons. And even though she's only 2 she is very much an instigator. She just loves to get him going. And he's getting older. And doesn't have as much patience as he once did. I'm packing an emergency supply of Smarties just in case there's trouble. This is assuming I can get clothes on her to take her out of the house in the first place. Wish me luck.

In knitting news, I've almost completed the blue clogs. And I only have one more pattern repeat to do on my first Amble sock. I'm really feeling the itch to start something new but I really need to get some of these other projects finished. I also have a sweater in the making for my father in law. Now that it's getting cooler at night it's going to be easier to work on that. Since I've had so little time to knit (I'm literally talking maybe 2-3 minutes per day) for the past week or so I'm scared to start something new. Being back to school takes it's toll on me. There's always so much more to do at night. Plus I'm up way earlier in the morning which makes me not want to stay up as late at night. I'm usually a night person but having to get my lazy ass out of bed in the morning to get the kids up and ready for school is a killer. Some nights I fall asleep putting the baby to bed at 8. How lame am I? It'll be better as soon as I adjust to the early morning hours again. And then there will be more knitting. I swear.

Back to School

Remember the first day of school? You had butterflies in your stomach. You couldn't wait to see you friends. Remember how a week after it started you couldn't wait to get out? My parents use to warn me that once I was out I was going to wish I could go back. They were right. I envy my children. New clothes, new shoes, new supplies...old friends. I want to go back.

Dan and Darcie were actually quite chipper this morning. Since football season has started Dan has something to look forward to at the end of the day so he was up and ready to go in the morning. Minus breakfast of course due to the butterflies in the stomach thing that I mentioned above. Darcie was up and ready to go too. Excited about her new teacher and seeing all her friends. School is becoming a social event for Darcie. Don't get me wrong, she takes her school work very seriously and always incredibly well behaved in school...but she is a little girl and she does love to hang with her friends. Dailaesse wasn't impressed much again this year as she's still too little for school. She can't wait to get bigger so she can go to school. Thank God dance class starts next week! Both the kids had great days. Football was of course the highlight of Dan's day while Darcie was quite pleased with going outside to play twice and getting a sucker at the end of the day. We only forgot a couple things this morning but they weren't anything caused anyone to skip a beat so we did good. Ready to do it all over again tomorrow.

So last night we went to dinner to celebrate the last day of freedom for the kids. Nothing fancy. Just a great BBQ place that everyone loves. My family. Together at the dinner table. Sometimes I sit and look at my kids and just drift. They are the most amazing, creative, passionate, beautiful, brilliant little people I know. The waitress comes to take orders. Around the table she goes...ribs for Darcie, hot dog platters for the baby and I, a bacon cheeseburger for Brandon...and last but not least, Dan. First let me say that Dan has found a new sense of self in the past year or so. He's discovered how much he feels like an adult when he speaks for himself instead of hiding behind us. I'm very proud of him for that. He's come a long way. So, he straightens up in his chair, finds his somewhat newly acquired deep voice and does it..."I'll have a bacon cheeseburger...with no bacon...and no cheese." He smiles so big. He's so proud of himself. We're all rolling, except the waitress and Dan who are totally confused. A hamburger. He wants a hamburger. In his defense I have to say that it wasn't totally his fault. They don't have a plain old hamburger listed on the menu. They have several specialty burgers, but no plain hamburgers. The closest to plain was the bacon cheeseburger. God bless his little heart.

Labor Day

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend. Brandon is home today so I plan to get some knitting and housework done. While the knitting isn't labor the housework sure is. Wouldn't be a holiday without it right?

I haven't managed much knitting for what seems like forever. Even though it's only been about a week. It was beautiful yesterday so we played outside. We chased a ball for miles around the backyard, we jumped in the trampoline and we watched a red squirrel throw apples out of our trees. He was quite comical to watch. I had noticed off and on throughout the day that apples seemed to be hurling themselves out of the tree and onto the ground with a lot more force than usual. The little guy was so small and the trees are so full that it was hard to see him. He started out in one tree and when he decided he had thrown enough apples out of that one he jumped to the one next to it. We're talking about 4 feet between branches. From the top of the tree. He looked like a circus dude on the trapeze flipping down through the tree, catching branches as he fell. Too funny. Ok, so it doesn't take a lot to amuse us around here.

My father in law was supposed to be camping nearby for the weekend but cancelled his trip with the soaring gas prices. I was reminded of a funny story when he wrote to tell us he would be camping. He said a friend from work would be coming along and would be bringing his Jet Ski. I laughed. Hard. I'm still laughing. Why? Well let me tell you...

When Bran and I first started dating he came every weekend to visit. He was from Rochester/Buffalo if you'll remember. He drove a sporty black Saab. He was all city. It didn't take him long to get into all the fun things there are to do in the Adirondacks. He bought a Jet Ski. We used it every weekend. One weekend, we were out with some friends on the lake riding Jet Skis. Our friends have tubes. We had three out on the lake and were taking turns giving rides. It was time for Bran to take his first ever spin. He hopped on at the dock and I took off dragging him out into the lake. It was a beautiful day. There were lots of people on the lake and lots of people on their docks. Since we were on Lake Flower there was also a lot of traffic driving by on the main road that runs along the lake. We were buzzing around and I decided to spin Bran a little. Since the lake was busy I was paying more attention to the other lake traffic than I was to Bran behind me on the rubber tube. People started clapping and tooting. People jumped up on their docks and cheered. I wondered what the hell was going on. I looked around to see who was doing what and where. Nothing out of the ordinary. I stopped and turned to ask Bran if he had seen what had happened. Turns out it was Bran that happened. By spinning him on the tube I created suction. Suction that pulled my then boyfriend into the lake. Then spewed him out. Without his trunks. Hence the cheers.

Enjoy the last day of the holiday!!!

Ambling Along

I started the Amble socks from the 6SoxKAL about a week ago. This is the progress I've made. Isn't that pathetic? I've had such a hard time with these socks. Mainly the cuffs for some reason. I'm not sure exactly what the problem is. I ripped them back 3 times before I finally got them going on track. Then, like an idiot, I decided to wait until I had completed 2" of 1x1 rib (NOT my favorite) and 1 repeat of the pattern to try the socks on for fit. Guess what? They didn't. I had my daughter try them on and they fit her great but...she didn't like them. Didn't like them??? How can you not love these socks? So I ripped them back AGAIN, added a few more stitches and started over. This time I didn't have any trouble with the ribbing. Thank goodness! So I've once again completed 2" of 1x1 rib and 1 complete pattern repeat. You're suppose to work 4 pattern repeats but I think I'll only do 2 or 3. I think 4 repeats will make the sock too long for my fat calves. And I sure won't be ripping the entire sock to make it fit.

I've made some progress on the clogs. I have one complete and the other almost finished. I'll post a picture when I'm finished. I've been busy with football practice in the morning, housework in the afternoon and one cranky toddler in the evening. It's taken me well over 2 hours for the past several nights to get Dailaesse to sleep. By the time she finally drifts off I'm so exhausted that I don't even bother getting back up. I've got to get her to go to sleep on her own. This task would be much easier if she slept in a crib and not with us. Yes, my kids are spoiled. But they're only little once and for such a short period of time that we don't mind them being spoiled.