Boring Day but a lot was accomplished.

I have a kitchen again!!!  YAY!  It’s not totally done, it still needs a new floor and cupboards/drawers etc. but the basics are in and working.  I have a single bowl sink with a removable faucet to help clean dishes.  The refrigerator is in the kitchen and running well.  The dishwaher, while looking kind of ugly without the counter top that one normally sees over it, is running well without leaking.  TJ and my FIL tell me that tomorrow night I should have my washer and dryer as well as sink basin down the basement fully functional.

My knitting has kind of taken a beating these last few days.  I did finish the Twist wrist warmer that was suppsed to complete the pair for my mother who now tells me she doesn’t know where the original is and can I please make yet another one.   G00d thing Malabrigo has a decent sized skein and this pattern doesn’t seem to use a ton of it. There’s enough left.

I ordered a bunch of Knit Picks Shine Sport last night to make the Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason/Dixon knitting.  I’m using the colors Blush, Silver Sage, Green Apple, and Willow.  All very lightish shades that I think the pink will stand out against, but not too much.  I didn’t want to do anything too traditionally girly.  I also ordered the yarn for the Anouk pattern from Knitty in the same brand and same colors that are reccomended.  It seemed like a rather non-traditional kind of gift and it will serve more than one purpose.  If it’s too big to be a dress for the new baby, the older girl who is three could probably wear it as a top for awhile first.  I love clothes like that, especially baby clothes, that can serve multi-purposes.  YAY!!

I’m planning a knit night here in the next month.  Going to look at a calendar now…brb…Maybe Feb. 3rd or 4th or else the 10th or 11th.  I’ll leave that up to the girls to decide.  Shelly said that she would attend and I couldn’t be more excited about that.  Maybe I can even convince Andrea to come down for a few days to be a part of things…we’ll see.  I’m not really sure what to serve, bring etc. to this thing.  I was thinking some pumpernicle and spinach dip b/c it’s always cool to eat the food container.  Definitely a selection of wines and some beers; a few mixies etc. along with juice, iced tea, coffee, tea, and soda.  That should keep everyone happy.  I’ll bake some bread and put out butter and I’ll leave the rest to chance.  I hope we have our love seat by then.  Otherwise we’ll be using the coffee table as well as the couches and recliners.  I just want everyone to be happy and to have a good time here.  I miss hanging out and knitting with the gang but feel like I’m a bit out of step with everyone.  ARGH!!!

I’ve picked the pattern for my CamelSpin yarn.  I can’t remember what it’s called, but it’s a VERY simple triangular shawl with eyelettes and that’s about it.  I wanted something that wasn’t too fussy nor too lacy and I want to feel the softeness all around me every time I wrap myself in it – which will be often.  Later, when I can afford to buy more, I’ll make myself a HUGE Clapotis style wrap for laying on the couch with…without the drops, of course.

That’s about it.  Nothing new to report except I might have to maim my child if he doesn’t stop asking to come and sleep next to me.  It’s been a real bitch getting him to sleep in his own bed these last few weeks.  We’ve moved his mattress right next to our blow up bed (we still have to get our bed unpacked and put back together) and that’s not good enough anymore.  Now it’s all about wanting to be right up against me while he sleeps.  UGH!!!  I adore him and I want to be with him all the time, of course, but how will I ever have another baby with him in the bed with us anytime we enter this room.  Babysitters are the key, I think.  Someone to watch him so we have time to work on baby #2…LOL

Life is good

Life is really good right now.  We just got back from spend a few nights at the new house while my father-in-law was in town to help work on the kitchen.  It was a nice, technology free few days.  Who thought I would ever use those words together?!?  No TV, no internet (unless I wanted to walk to the Dunkin Donuts which is practically across the street from us) no nothing.  I got to know my Hoyle Casino game well…LOL…and I sat in a chair and read quietly (I can’t remember the last time I did that – most of my reading happens at night in bed lately).  I got to spend some really great quality time with Jake.  We walked to DD for breakfast in the mornings and yesterday we walked 4 or 5 blocks to McDonalds for lunch.  It was such a beautiful day yesterday that it seemed a shame to waste it by going places in the car if they were close enough to walk to.

Something about this new house gives me a wonderful sense of peace.  It feels like we were meant to have this house.  Strange, huh?!?  I took a bunch of pictures, but haven’t uploaded them yet.  Will add them later.  I have a few older pictures we took when we were deciding.

I love the wood in this house

This is a view of the stairs.  The whole house is full of wood that someone lovingly and carefully stripped, refinished and varnished.  It’s my favorite thing about the house.

The bay window is another of my favorite things about this house.  I plan to set my spinning wheel up in this area and take advantage of the amazaing sunlight that filters through.  The other great thing about the house is that it’s full of windows.  I love the way the light fills the downstairs in the mornings!

Here’s a shot of the front of the house.  It’s pretty nice looking from the outside as well as the inside.  Please ignore the TERRIBLE picture of me…:)

Here’s a picture of Jacob from Halloween as well.  I meant to post it last week, but I was too lazy.  I’m working on it.  He was the most adorable little monkey and he cleaned up candy wise.

My Little Monkey

The whole week has been a great one, actually.  The new house, Halloween, and the best thing of all, Tweak came home.  Tweak is our youngest cat.  She got out the Sunday before Halloween and we had lost hope of finding her.  We took her picture with us when we took Jake trick or treating but no one had seen her.  Then the Sunday after Halloween TJ was taking Jake to the new house to check it out and there she was on the porch like she was waiting for us.  The poor baby was thin and dirty, but not hurt and she was happy to be home.  She’s pretty much been a little cuddler since she came back.  She sleeps next to me and follows me around the house, and I’m thrilled to have her home.

I just went back and read my last post and I realize that it was a pretty depressing missive.  Looking back I really have had a pretty rough few years.  I’m hoping that’s over now.  I’ve got a much more positive attitude and I’m doing everything I can to maintain it.  One of the things I’m doing is making a point to leave the house for at least a little while every day.  I’m losing weight and looking for a gym to join in Battle Creek to keep myself (and TJ if I can get him to join as well) healthy.  My girlfriend Deniece and I used to play raquetball three times a week and I loved that.  I’d love to find a place where I could start playing with TJ.  There is no better exercise in my mind, especially in the winter when you can’t get out and run around outside.  There is a great health center here in Kalamazoo that actually has a day care center, but of course now that we’re moving to Battle Creek that would be a 20 mile trip so it’s a no go.  :*(  There is a fitness center at Duncan Aviation where TJ works, but it’s minimal and there is no day care.  I don’t want to get a babysitter just so I can go and work out.  I will if I have to, but I don’t want to.  If anyone knows of a good gym in Battle Creek, let me know.

Moving on with my completely non-linear post.  I just got the most amazing knitting package.  Okay, it’s a package of yarn, but it’s amazing yarn.  I am making the Tidal Streams scarf for my mother-in-law for Christmas and I mangaed to lose the pattern.  I went back to Color Song Yarns to reorder the pattern, actually the kit b/c I really like the Silk Twist yarn.  So while I was there I went on a bit of shopping spree:  I got two skeins of the bigger sized 150g Sea Silk.

Seashore

Cezanne

Sea Silk is such a soft yarn and I’m thinking that both of these are destined to be shawl.

Here is the Silk Twist that came in the kit for the Tidal Stream Scarf kit.  The colorway is Rose Garden and I’m thinking that this is going to be…I have no idea what this is going to be.

The yarn to end all yarns, though, is Handmaiden’s Camel Spin.  OMG!!  I’m in love with this yarn.  I want to buys pounds of this stuff and roll around naked in it.  Seriously.  I fell in love with camel fiber after the Michigan fiber festival when I bought the camel down/merino blend.  I’m still working on the mitts from yarn I spun from that.  It came out kind of thick and thin but it’s soft as a cloud.  The Camel Spin yarn is just as heavenly.  I don’t usually spend the kind of money that Handmaiden yarns cost unless I’m buying a skein here or there to make something small.  This time, though, I splurged and got two skeins in the bronze colorway.  I’m planning to make a Clapotis out of it, I think.  Definitely a shawl.  I want to be able to wrap it around myself while I sit and watch TV or spin.  It’s so dreamy soft that I think it’s ideal for a wrap.  If I could afford it, I’d have bought enough to make the dressing gown or bed jacket from the Romantic Style book and then have been able to wrap myself in it’s luxury before bed and after rising every night and morning respectively.  Can you tell that I’m obsessed with this yarn? 

My precious...my precious...

Okay, time for me to go for right now.  Jacob is getting impatient to get outside and enjoy what is supposed to be the last nice day of the year.  We’re going to clean out the car in anticipation of our cross country trip in a few weeks and then off to Starbucks for me and McDonald’s for him.  I get yummy coffee, he gets to play at the Play Place and I get knitting time.  It’s totally win-win.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.  And Jana, I’m thinking of you and of Mark and hope he’s doing better soon!

I got my whee-eel, I got my whee-eel

Imagine a sing-songy voice when reading the title.

I finally have my spinning wheel.  She’s an absolutely gorgeous Kromski Sonata named Penelope.  Shannon and I went to The Spinning Loft last Wednesday to look at wheels for me.  It was a great day – I hadn’t seen her since I left for CA and I missed my favorite spinning/knitting buddy – the weather was perfect for a long car ride and Beth’s shop was amazing.  Beth (the owner of The Spinning Loft) was patient and very helpful.  She brought me about a million different wheels (the number may be a bit lower in reality) to try and told me to just treadle them and that would tell me if I liked the wheel or not.  I have to admit I was skeptical; it didn’t seem like less than a minute of pushing foot pedals would really tell me anything significant about how I felt about the wheel, but boy was I ever wrong.  I quickly narrowed it down to four wheels (Louet’s Julia, Ashford’s Joy and Kromski’s Sonata and Minstrel)  The Joy was the first to be eliminated as it was an as-is wheel with no possible add-ons for later as I got more advanced in spinning.  Next the Julia went b/c I really did like the way the Kromski wheels felt more, but also, I have to admit, b/c I couldn’t get the Julia right away and it definitely wasn’t a travel wheel.  Once I was down to the Sonata and the Minstrel it was more difficult to choose.  The treadling felt virtually identical on both wheels.  So Beth grabbed some awesome purple Corridale wool and I spun on both of them.  In the end, the Sonata won and Penelope (I named her Olivia at the store, but it just didn’t stick in my mind) became my new spinning friend.  The final decision involved that fact that the Sonata was a folding travel wheel and b/c there were more options for adding on later with it.  I loved both of them and could definitely see myself getting a Minstrel later on.  I’m pretty sure at this point, though, that my next wheel will be the Louet Julia.  Look at me, barely knowing how to use the Sonata and already choosing my next wheel.  This is addictive.  It’s crack for the spinner/knitter’s soul. LOL

We picked up Penelope on Monday on our way down to the Detroit area.  We visited Rusty and Shannon and Jake got to play with their adorable daughter Alex.  She’s a perfect cross between her mother and father looks-wise and I just couldn’t get enough of her.  I really want to have a little girl!  While we were there Jake got the most massive bloody nose I’ve ever seen.  If it wasn’t for the fact that he was totally calm and clearly not in any pain I would have thought he had smashed his face into something.  It went away pretty quickly, but it was still a horror for me while it was going on.  I managed to keep it together and not freak out, though, b/c I was afraid that would just scare and upset him.  After we left, we went to Dad’s to spend the night.  Jake was so thrilled to see his Papa and Papa was thrilled to see him.  After TJ and Jake both went to bed, I sat up until the early morning spinning and talking to Dad.  He was very intrigued by the wheel and how it spun.  The next morning we got up and Jake watched The Bee Movie twice and then we packed up and headed home.

It’s been a pretty uneventful week here at Casa Dwire.  I was supposed to (and really wanted to) go to Shannon’s to spin on Friday, but TJ took my car while I was sleeping (of course, he leaves at 5 am) b/c he didn’t want to ride the motorcycle b/c it was supposed to rain, which it didn’t.  So no spinning for me.  Hopefully I’ll have a chance to get together with her this week as Jake will be up north with his “Unkie” and “Kay” all week.

Time for me to go to bed.  Hope all of you are having a great night.  Talk at  you soon!

Sunny California Pt. 2

I’ve been here in sunny, happy Seal Beach for three weeks tomorrow and I’m having a great time!  I miss TJ like crazy, but if it wasn’t for that, this would be a perfect trip and I’d be happy to stay here forever.

Right now I’m sitting in a recliner with the laptop on my lap and the big screen TV in front of me.  It’s 80 degrees and sunny and absolutely gorgeous.  I’m sitting here instead of playing outside with Little Man b/c my feet and ankles have been really badly swollen for the last three or four days.  I’ve been trying to ignore it and just go on, but they have been getting worse and worse and today it hurts to even walk.  Not sure what the cause is:  blood pressure (but I don’t have the headaches that have typically gone with my b.p. problems in the past), sodium issues (but I haven’t been eating or drinking anything different from back home), and my favorite, pregnancy.  That would be a real blast.  I’ve had other “symptoms” of impending mommy-hood as well:  heartburn, changes in the way the areola look as well as my nipples (they’re darker and they’re bigger around, my fatigue has been crazy (I’m always crazy, but it comes and goes whenever it feels like it).  I know the odds are so small that I’m pregnant, and I also know that I always think that I’m pregnant as soon as there is one little symptom that “might” mean pregnancy, so I’m trying not to get my hopes up here.  It would be wonderful, though, and a great birthday gift to my mother to have another baby.  I guess we’ll see in a few weeks; it’s too soon to do a test – still a few weeks to go until I’d be around 6 weeks, so I’ll just keep waiting and hoping.    Keep your fingers crossed for me.

As I’m sitting here I’m watching my mom and Little Man playing outside.  They’re blowing bubbles together and it’s the most heartwarming thing I’ve ever seen.  He’s really taken to her and she’s so in love with him.  Just watching them together makes my heart swell with pride and joy.  It’s like she’s 20 years younger when she’s with him.  I can’t remember the last time I saw her happy like this and I love it!!!

****ETA****Didn’t finish writing until now; I was called outside by Little Man to participate in the bubble blowing and leaf finding and said to hell with my legs and went for it wtih him.  Bad idea, for the most part.  Lots more swelling and a little more pain as well.  I’ll be okay, though

Sunny California

Hi all.  I’ve been absent for almost a month…not good for the old blog stats…LOL  I’m still here, though.  I’m in Sunny (or rainy as the case may be today) Seal Beach, CA visiting my mother with the little man.  It’s been almost 2 years since he’s seen her; shameful, isn’t it?!?!

We left Kalamazoo on the 5th for Chicago to catch a JetBlue flight on the morning of the 6th, managed to miss the flight on the morning of the 6th and get stuck in Chicago for an extra day.  This would not have been such a bad thing if it hadn’t been for the MAJOR snowstorm that hit; they actually canceled over 1,000 flights out of O’Hare that afternoon/evening.  We were going to take in some of the tourist sights for kids:  the Aquarium, the children’s museum, maybe even the Art Museum so I could see a genuine Monet, it was a fun and exciting day that we had planned and then we went outside.  We made it about 50 ft. outside the hotel and towards our car, took one look at the roads and the amount of snow already collected on the car, turned around and marched right back inside for a day of ordered in food and old TV (Bewitched, Green Acres, Beverly Hillbillies etc.).  All in all, not a bad day at all, I must admit.  TJ and I got to cuddle while little man pigged out on pizza and “colored” with the Super 8 pens and tiny pads of paper.  We also watched The Devil Wears Prada that night, which was a really good movie.  I was surprised that TJ enjoyed it, but he did.  He does have a feminine side after all, LOL.

So the next morning we get to the airport early enough, they allow TJ to go through security to go to the gate with us b/c of my back problems and the little one and things are good.  Except for one thing:  the day we were leaving, we realized that my ID had been in my jeans pocket the last time I went to knit night, b/c I didn’t want to carry a purse, and the jeans had been watched, dried and folded.  Somehow, the ID went missing during all of this.  ARGH!!!  Luckily I still had the expired ID from when I renewed, so that gave me a picture ID.  We called the airline to make sure it would be okay, which they assured us would be fine.  When we got to security, though, it was a different story.  I got “chosen” for “selective screening” b/c of my lack of picture ID.  They pulled me aside to frisk me from top to bottom and they took my bags (we gave the bag with the knitting stuff to Jacob, b/c we were afraid it wouldn’t make it through the “special” screening) and rubbed a cloth through most of my things to check for explosives etc.  Needless to say, there were no explosives in my stuff and, all in all, it was a pretty interesting experience, if a little inconvenient time wise.  By the time we got through the check point (did I mention the airport was packed with people trying to make up for missing their flights the day/night before?) the plane was boarding.  We had to rush a little, but it was kind of nice not to have to wait for the plane to land, get cleaned etc.  We said goodbye to TJ and we boarded.  I was a little nervous about Jake flying, especially without his car seat, but he was an absolute angel.  JetBlue is a wonderful airline.  Love the DirecTv on every seat, the variety of snacks and the entire can of pop (soda, out here) they give you; they even encourage you to ask for seconds if you want them.  Jake was an angel on the plane, he didn’t even want to watch TV channels, rather the channel with the picture of the plane and which state it’s currently over.  Strange kid.  LOL

We landed a half hour early and it was in the mid-70’s here.  Big change from Chicago.  I was dying in my sweat pants and my sweater while we were waiting for the luggage at Long Beach Airport.  It’s a really small airport and we could deplane from both the front and back of the plane and had to wait for our luggage outside.

Jake took an immediate liking to Aunt Marion and hasn’t wanted to be away from her since.  He warmed up to his Nana a little slower, but he loves her, too.  We’ve done a lot of shopping since I’ve been here:  I didn’t bring my laptop b/c of it’s broken all over issues, but Mom bought me this great new one I’m typing this entry on.  It’s an HP with Vista instead of HP (and I like it a lot more than I thought I would) and a nice and fast 3 GB RAM with a 250 GB hard drive and lots of other fun features.  It’s also a 15.4″ screen instead of the 17″ that my Vaio is and I’m MUCH happier with this one.  It also weighs about 7 lbs less.  I’m thrilled with it.  She got Jacob an awesome portable DVD player for the car trip we’re taking to Arizona later this year; he loves it.  We’re actually getting to watch something on the real TV other than Dora or Diego now…YAY!!! Along with the DVD player, she bought him a ton of Disney movies and he’s in heaven.  There are also toys for him to play with and cousins his age to play with.  He’s having a blast.  He does cry at night occasionally, though, that he wants his Daddy, which breaks my heart.  I know how he feels, I miss TJ terribly as well.  Tried to talk him into flying in for a few days, but I know it’s not practical.  UGH!!  The trip was originally slated for three weeks (leaving the 27th) with Mom coming back with us.  Now, b/c of her cataract surgery and other doctor issues, we’re going to be here until mid to late March before we go back.  6-7 weeks total away from home.  That’s a LONG time.  I hope Jake, and I, can make it.  We are having a good time, though, all in all.  It’s great to spend time with my mother and she’s in absolute heaven having Jacob right here all the time.  It’s going to break her heart when it’s time for her to leave Kazoo and fly back here after her visit with us.

Gotta run, but I’ll post more later about the trip and what we’ve done and where we’ve gone.  Hope everyone is happy, healthy and staying warm in Michigan and the other cold states.  Love to all!!!

Merry Christmas…better late than never, right?

I don’t post nearly enough. I’ve been in a computer funk/trying like a madwoman to get X-mas knitting done. I didn’t finish on time (should have seen that coming) but I did show the progress I had made to the people who were supposed to get gifts; they were duely impressed and I’m going to have to keep working my butt off to get things done before V-Day. LOL Mom’s moebius scarf was actually done, the knitting at least, but I didn’t finish the blocking so I didn’t want to give it to her. She liked it, though. We also gave her a collage frame with pictures of Jake and us and John and Kate (brother in law and his girlfriend of 4 years – who say they’re getting married at the beginning of the year but we’ll see) and even one of her (Mom) at Christmas Eve Celebration. It really was a nice gift. I wish we did more crap like that for our house which, after a year of living here, still lacks all but the most basic of decoration. We suck at that homey stuff. Blah. Fran’s shawl is nowhere near done, but I did show her my progress and, again, it was complimented. I feel like absolute crap about that one, b/c it was the only gift we had for her and now she’ll have to wait for it. I’m going to prioritize getting that done after a SHORT break. It’s all I’ve been working on for weeks now and, frankly, I’m sick of it.

Right now I’m working on a pair of Fetching mitts for myself using the Malabrigo that I got before X-mas. I also want to make the thrummed mittens for myself that I saw on Grumperina’s blog. So pretty. I have some bamboo roving on the way, but I’m not sure it will be warm enough. I have plenty of other roving as well, so I’m sure I’ll find something to use.

I’ve done a fair amount of spinning over the holidays. The roving I got from Over the Rainbow Yarns on Ebay is spinning up really prettily. It’s full of electric blues and vivid pinks with some deap teal and a hint of purple thrown in for fun. I’ve been reading Spinning the Old Way and it’s been giving great insight into spindle spinning and I’m getting better, I think. I still have to give Shannon too her spindle for X-mas and I have yet to get something for Emily as well. I’m lazy, lazy, lazy.

Jake had a great X-mas. Got lots of stuff: a Leap Frog computer, REAL Tonka truck (metal and everything), a Thomas the Tank Engine playset, Radio Controlled racing game, some books, some clothes (which he didn’t care about) etc. TJ and I didn’t do too bad either. All in all it was a very nice Christmas with his family. I’m hoping to be out in CA next year with my mom and family for Christmas and after that start our own “at home” family traditions. All the travelling for just a day or two is hard on me and on Jake. I’m not big on the leaving the house to begin with and I have so much of it coming up. In Feb. I’m off to CA for three weeks to a month, then in April we’re off to Delaware for TJ’s work (we will be getting a side trip to DC out of it, though and I CAN’T WAIT for that), then in June/July we’re back out west to AZ to visit TJ’s grandparents (they haven’t seen Jake since he was 4 months old) and I might make a “side trip” to Texas to visit my best girlfriend, Brooke. She’s had a tough year; she lost her father to a six year battle with prostate cancer; and I want to spend some time with her. That’s a lot of travel for the girl who went six weeks or more without ever stepping foot any father than the front porch last year. See, all this going out to knit has been really good for me. It’s opened up horizons that I thought were closed forever. I actually like being social and all that. LOL

Off to have a late breakfast with the family. TJ has been tending to little man while I play on the “puger” (Jake’s word for it). Time to do my share. Later friends.

Turkey Day recap…

Thanksgiving is over and we’re back home.  It seems like the holidays go by faster and faster every year.  This year’s trip to Detroit, which I have to admit I was rather dreading, turned out to be one of the best that we’ve had in years.

Weds:  We left Kalamazoo around 4:30 (later than planned) b/c I was in bed much of the day with a splitting headache and some back pain.  The ride down was uneventful if long and tedious.  There were at least 3 accidents/slow downs on I-94 between Kalamazoo and the exit for I-69 which is basically Lansing (I think).  TJ made the executive decision to get off there and take I-96 instead.  2 more accidents were found.  People had apparently completely forgotten how to drive in the rain.  What should have been a 2 hour ride turned out to be about 3 and a half.  We got to Dad’s and unloaded then got ready to go to the bar.  Little did I realize that the night before Thanksgiving is the biggest bar night of the year.  I guess I really am very much out of touch.  The bar, Shots, used to be a little hole in the wall where Bubba and friends were the only people who were there regularly.  I was expecting a quiet night of drinking, playing pool and/or darts and catching up with old friends.  What I got was a VERY crowded bar (well over capacity) and not being able to spend any time at all with friends b/c of the crowds.  Andrea and I spent most of the evening sitting at a table in the back of the bar; it was less smoky and, more importantly, if we had gotten up we’d have lost the table.  TJ ran into Eds Sr. and Jr. so he was all set.  I did see Robin Young (who is pregnant with baby #4) and Jackie Poulette (who I haven’t seen in at least 7 or 8 years) so that was kind of cool.  Sean and I didn’t say two words to each other all night, how odd.  I suppose, though, that I was the one who was being cold.  He hasn’t returned phone calls, though, so why would I think he’d want to talk in person?  I don’t regret it, but I hope that he doesn’t think that I don’t want anything to do with him.  Friendships become so complicated when there is a jealous significant other in the picture.  It was really much too late a night for me, I’m not used to closing down bars anymore…LOL

Thursday:  Woke up hungover (I only had a drink and a half for Pete’s sake) but it didn’t last long.  We spent part of the day just sitting around Dad’s house.  It was a nice little relaxing day.  Went to Mom’s house for a pre-dinner drink and to visit.  Jake didn’t want to leave for dinner b/c his Thomas the Tank Engine set was there, but we got around that fit by taking it with us to Aunt Nancy’s.  Dinner at Aunt Nancy’s was divine!!   Small group of people, delectable food, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.  We were back at Dad’s early and stuffed and in bed by 10:30 with Jacob.

Friday:  A day for relaxing.  Got up and lolled around Dad’s house through early afternoon.  Got some work done on my Circular Shrug – I really think I’m going to like this pattern (or at least the yarn; it’s my first time using the Silver Thaw).  It really is such a simple shawl.  I wanted to get work done on the Blue Jean Leaf Lace Shawl, but it’s the kind of pattern that you need to concentrate on and can’t sit and have conversation and watch Jacob while working on.  In the afternoon we went back to TJ’s mother’s house and had a second turkey dinner and just hung out for awhile.  Jake loves going there; there are so many toys for him and he knows exactly where that toy box is.  After leaving Mom’s, we went to Rusty and Shannon’s house.  Their daughter Alexandria is 16 months and she’s just the cutest thing.  I want to make her something, I just haven’t decided what yet.  Suggestions are welcome.  She’s a bit of a tom boy and she’s definitely a bigger toddler.  She’s already almost 25 lbs while Jake (who is admittedly smaller) is only 30 lbs.  Rusty’s brother Ed and sister Renee came over as well.  She brought her five year old, Jason, who Jake loved playing with.  I really do wish that he had the chance to grow up with his “cousins” as it were.  Finally Jimmy and Stacy Jean showed up with their son, Griffin who is an adorable, if somewhat timid two year old.  Stacy is also about 4 months pregnant with number 2 and she looks so damn cute with that little belly.  I can’t wait to be pregnant again.  Maybe soon…fingers crossed.  We stayed out there for a few hours, went back to Dad’s house and watched National Treasure (great movie, btw) and went to bed.

Saturday:  Got up at 8:30 and sat around for about an hour.  We packed up, got on the road and both Jake and I promptly fell asleep for the entire ride home.  We went shopping and spent the evening at home.  Nothing overly exciting, but it’s my life and I like it that way.

Now I’m just getting back into the swing of things…like I’ve been gone for months…lol.  It’s going to take Jake a few days to adjust, it always does when his schedule gets turned around.  I’m just waiting for Zombie Prom Date day…:)

A little of this and that (NaBloWriMo #2)

Here I am on day 2 of NaBloWriMo and I’m still at it…LOL  I’m good at this.  Right now I’m sitting here with Jake watching Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie (for the10th time in 2 days).  It’s not Beetlejuice, though, which is his current favorite, so I’m grateful for that.  It’s almost bedtime and there’s nothing like a movie in the dark to get him ready.  Of course we’ll have to watch a little Tom and Jerry before he actually goes up or there will be no sleeping in the House of Dwire.

I’ve spent a good part of today sitting on my butt (per doctor’s orders) and reading foster parenting and adoption blogs.  I finally went to the doctor yesterday for the coughing and wheezing and the bladder infection.  She said I was  “full of gunk” in my lungs and the nitrites in my urine are off the charts.  Fun.  So I’m on two antibiotics and I’m supposed to rest as much as possible until my chest clears out.  This is at least the 4th time I’ve had pneumonia; I’ve been prone to it ever since I got it from my mother in 2003.  I’ve been trying to stay away from the infertility blogs b/c I’m terrified that I’m going to end up being a secondary infertility blogger before long.  I can’t remember the last time I ovulated or had a period without using Provera.  I have an appointment with Dr. M in a few weeks to discuss this.  Last time we talked about it, she said that if I didn’t start ovulating soon we’d send me to the fertility specialist in the practice to see what’s going on.  I’m nervous, but I really do want another child and it seems this is the way to go.  I’ll write more about it as I know something. I really think it would be good for Jacob to have a sibling.

His surgery is in 6 days and I’m already wigging out about it.  I want it to be over, I don’t want him to have it at all…I’m a wreck.  I know that tonsil surgery isn’t a big deal, really, but this is my baby we’re talking about and I hate to think of him being scared and in pain.  ARGH!!!

On a happy note, I’m almost finished with the first moebius scarf for Christmas.  I think I’ll be starting number 2 tonight.  I can’t wait until they are both done!!

Spooky Little Pirates and First Yarns

Last night was so much fun!  I was worried that Jake wouldn’t get into the spirit of Halloween, but boy was I wrong.  We went costume shopping and he chose an adorable pirate costume.  We went out to lunch (which he ate all of, for a change) and came home and carved pumpkins.  That was an adventure, too.  Jake kept grabbing the carving tools and stabbing the back of the pumpkin with them.  LOL  After we finished carving, we got Jake into his costume and took off early to trick or treat.  It was supposed to rain later in the evening, but the sky was looking darker and darker, so we chose to take him early.  We left about 5 pm and it was still light out, but there were already a few of the littler kids out.  We didn’t go out for long, only about 45 minutes, but it was great fun.  Jake rang all the doorbells (that he could reach) by himself and he remembered to say Trick or Treat at almost every house.  He was also very polite, saying thank you and Happy Halloween to everyone.   After we came home was when the real fun started for him, though.  His favorite part of Halloween wasn’t the dressing up, or even the candy, it was helping answer the door and give out candy when other kids came.  He got such a big kick out of the costumes and seeing all the kids. Once he even tried to leave with a group of kids; it was adorable.  He was really upset when it was time to call it a night and go to bed.

After Jake went to bed I had my own little Halloween treat.  Not a candy treat, but a fibery one.  First I got three packages in the mail:  my hand dyed silk hankies (gorgeous), some Wesleyndale (I think I spelled that right) fiber that’s undyed for a fun Kool-aide project and a gorgeous package of merino top in shades of spring green.  YUMMY.  The best part was that the “aha” moment of spinning hit me.  I realized that my drafting had improved tremendously and that my singles were more consistent than they have ever been.  I took the singles I’d been spinning off my spindle and I grabbed some singles that I spun a few weeks ago.  It was time for a plying experiment.  I tried the “handy plying” method and it worked fairly well.  It’s not the prettiest yarn in the world, but the singles weren’t very pretty to begin with.  It’s still drying with weight on it as it’s a bit overspun even in its plied state, but I’m still proud of it.  Pictures to follow when we finally find the digital camera.  It can only get better from here.

Project Update and getting ready for Halloween

Halloween is tomorrow night.  Do you think we are prepared here at the Dwire house?  That’s a big N-O good buddies.  As I’ve told you all, I’ve been sick as a dog for the last few weeks.  (Why do we say “sick as a dog”?  My dog has been “sick” about twice in his 13 years…I’ve never really heard of a dog being  sick, per se, unless it was something pretty bad.  A common cold or bronchitis, though, haven’t heard of that.  Oh well, something to look up on the internets later…)  We have roughly 30 hours until the big trick or treat  and we are very poorly prepared.  This will be Jake’s first real Halloween experience.  When he was 2 months old we dressed him up and propped him in a pumpkin.

I thought this was going to be the beginning of many great baby/toddler Halloween costumes.  You know, the ones where I got to pick what I wanted to see him as.  Not so much, though.  His 2nd Halloween, we were living up north and since the trick or treating wasn’t a very feasible option (it’s hard when you have about three neighbors in a mile radius and no mall or any other big place like that to take the kids) we planned to go to the Halloween party at the local Eagles club.  When we took him shopping for the costume, though, he wanted NOTHING to do with it.  He had a full on fit at the costume shop when we got near him with any costume, even Thomas the Tank Engine which he was obsessed with at the time (still is).  So he went to the party in a sweatshirt and jeans; we called him the cutest baby in town; clearly we don’t have a problem with humility when it comes to Jake.  Last year, he still wanted nothing to do with costumes or parties etc.  so we took him shopping, got him some candy and a Halloween toy and we called it good.  This year, we’re in Kalamazoo, in a house in a subdivision and he’s going to have his very first “real” Halloween experience.  He’s been saying that he wants to be Scooby Doo, not that he understands what dressing up means, really.  He’s mostly excited about the fact that he gets to ring doorbells.  He’s been practicing saying “trick or treat” and he knows that he’ll get candy.  We’re going to go shopping for a costume tonight and we’ll carve the pumpkins (we grew them ourselves this year) tonight as well. I’m thinking about taking him to the “zoo boo” at the zoo tonight as well.  Tomorrow will be a family day.  We’re going to take him to the pumpkin patch/cider mill to do the corn maze, maybe a hay ride. I want him to experience the whole season.  I feel like my illnesses and my physical problems have caused way too much missed opportunities for him.  He’s been cheated out of a lot b/c of me and I hate that.

I still have a lot of problems with follow through on what I plan to do.  It’s so much easier for me to stay at home and take it easy, to assume that I don’t have it in me to do this or that.  I always regret it and I always swear I’m going to do better, but I never do.  I really want to, but I’m a creature of habit and this staying home all the time is a hard habit to break.  It’s like quitting smoking only scarier!

On to the knitting.  I’ve been reading a lot of people talking about their UFOs and the things that either need to commit to finishing or send to the frog pond.  Knitting Daily has been doing a series on it and it’s got me thinking about my UFOs as well.   Off the top of my head I have:  Fifi (which is about 5% or less done), Lizzard Ridge (still on square #1), felted boxes (still on #1), felted bowl (need to work on the decreases and then felt), Booga Bag (done but for the felting), multidirectional scarf (about 50% done), garden path shawl (10% at best)… this is only partial and it’s very sad.  The Lizzard Ridge blanket is something that I plan to do for sure, it’s not on a time schedule and I’m planning to work on that as I go, buying the Kuryeon as time/money allows and going from there.  All the others, though, really need to go to the frog pond for now.  Fifi was part of my first KAL and I liked starting it and I think it will be an interesting and challenging (first garment) knit.  I put it up when I started working on Christmas gifts (which was a disaster in and of itself).  The Garden Path Shawl was a part of the Christmas thing and I had high hopes for it.  I put in weeks of work on it before admitting to myself that it might have been a little bit too ambitious for a first lace project.  I ended up choosing a faux moebius pattern for a scarf and doing it in a gorgeous cashmere blend.  It’s a much smaller gift, but something within my abilities and really quite beautiful.  I hope the recipients love them as much as I’m enjoying making them.  I really don’t have as much time to knit as I’d like, but I think it’s mostly due to poor planning and time management on my part.  My newest crafting love – spinning – is taking a lot of time.  I recently spent too much money on roving and other fibers for spinning.  I’m determined that I’m going to completely master the spindle before I get my wheel for Christmas.  I started spinning the Kareoke fiber (50/50 wool/soy silk) that I got and it’s a dream to spin!  The problem that I have is that I buy gorgeous fibers and I don’t want to use them until I know what I’m doing so as not to “waste” the fiber.  I keep telling myself that there will be other gorgeous fiber and that I’m never going to learn if I don’t give in and use it.  I’m quite excited about practicing dying with the silk hankies that I just got.  They are going to be fun.  I can’t wait to learn more about spinning them.

I’d love to write more, but Jake is clamoring for attention and I don’t think I can bear watching Cinderella III again…more on my spinning obsession when there is more time.  Happy Halloween!!!