Lotsa stuff (and lotsa pics)

Ok, we'll start with Friday. Jason had his gallery opening and apparently it went really well. He's got a few promising bites on some of the paintings, which is fantastic. Here's a few of the paintings and the HUGE banner:

There's more, and once I find out of he's gonna get himself a website and post them I'll letcha know. He's got such talent, and we're very proud. Now if only he'd make a few million so we could all retire!

I finished second sock, but didnt take a pic - it pretty much looks exactly like the first one... good thing! Now it's living in my closet until Christmas when I'll figure out who will get it. And speaking of socks, remember the crochet sock project - yeah... I need to find a better pattern. The instructions were clear as mud when I got to the joining part, and the way the words made sense looked nothing like a human foot so it's sitting there waiting patiently to be pulled out and be knitted into a sock.

But until then, I have decided to make a skull cap for Jake's God-brother for Christmas (or his b-day, not sure yet). Black with white skull & crossbones around the bottom. It's fair isle, and Real Knitting, so wish me luck. I got the idea yesterday when Andrew was riding his bike outside with Jake and I noticed his helmet has the skull on it. Brilliant I thought! Andrew will be 12 (or 13?) this September, and I think he'll like it. Depending on how it turns out, I may make Cliffy one too for his Pirate cruises. We'll have to see how painful the Real Knitting is. It involves a chart. On graph paper. With repeats. I'm.Very.Afraid. I'll start it at lunch. Cross your hooks and sticks for me. Oh, and here's a pic of Stacy in her sweater... and you can see the cable action!

Here's what Easter looked like:

Gnombert enjoyed it, Sean enjoyed himself, Jake had a blast.

And finally I give you Jake's bike. With training wheels. That dont train because they dont touch the ground. It looks like he's flying when he rides - quite amusing. He knows this, but refuses to let us take them off.

...Until today. Jake is officially a 2 wheel bike rider. I'll post pics tomorrow!

He is risen.

He is risen indeed!

Happy Easter, lots to share tomorrow, stay tuned.

the bright side

Well, Sean is feeling better, or he was this morning when I brought him to daycare. He didnt need his congestion meds last night, and he did fine with pedilyte mixed with formula. Did I tell you about that? How the regular formula made him projectile vomit and the nurse said to do pedilyte mixed with half the normal amt of formula. Anyway, it worked fine. And, he slept until 5:11. !! He was cute last night and I had Travis take a couple pics, since I'm a dumbass and left my camera on my desk charging. Me! Me who ALWAYS has her camera. Eh, guess I'm not perfect afterall. Shh, dont tell anyone! The cuteness involved the fact that he's sucking his thumb like I did when I was little. (Pretend to see adorable Sean pic here)

I have been working on the crochet sock, and got to the heel part. I've ripped it out 3 times now. Hopefully tonight at crochet group someone can help me. It's not a very well written pattern and I am thisclose to making it up. I will give the pattern one more chance.

I got my new Yarn Harlot book. Go here and get yours too!http://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Pearl-McPhee-Casts-Off-Knitting/dp/1580176585/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-0794285-8771840?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175713924&sr=8-1

I have really only thumbed through it but am looking forward to reading it. I'm about 3 inches away from finishing secondsock. Thats great progress I think. And, unlike it's crocheted cousin, I have not wanted to throw it across the room.

I guess thats really about it. Sorry for the no-pics. And before you ask, I already have my pretty pink camera back in my purse where it belongs.

Froggy butt, RSV, socks (plural) and Jason's gallery exhibit

The other day we went to church and Sean looked like this (well except awake):

That would be a froggy on his butt. I love this outfit, thank you Mammaw. Just. Soo. Cute. You know, you really can't tell from this pic but the top of his head is getting bald-ish. No, really. Here, look:

He's so funny sometimes. Anyway, so yeah he'll be VERY mullet here pretty quick - bald on top and long hair in the back. Have I told you how much his hair cracks me up? No, I'm not really sure why. The color and the sheer amount in the back I guess.

So if I can backtrack a little bit, Sean had a cough on Friday. It got worse on Saturday, and he was pretty miserable on Sunday. I took him to the doc on Monday morning. Now up until now, Sean has had only check-ups with the doc, and never anything wrong... although I'm sure he's not pleased with the shots from that place. He really enjoyed himself when he was laying on the paper waiting for the doc to come in:

Now, my camera is pretty quick, but his little legs were moving so fast just to hear the crinkle noises from the paper that I couldnt get a clear shot. Oh, and he's 12 lbs, 5 ounces. So back to the doc. Doc did a nasal swab (wherein he stuck a teeny tiny swab up his nose all the way to his BRAIN) and this pissed off the baby. Sean was NOT. HAPPY. He screamed and screamed - much worse than shots. Even the day he had 4 shots. No, he didnt like that one bit. And I think he was a little offended by Dr K too, since he kept giving him madface. But Doc came back a few minutes later with the little tester thing and said he's either pregnant or positive for RSV (the little tester looked like a pregnancy test - 2 pink lines). RSV is a respritory virus that effects babies under 6 months - something like 3-5% end up in the hospital so it can be a big deal. If bigger kids or adults come in contact, they may get a little stuffy nose. I havent felt any different since he's been sick, neither has Jake or Travis. Just the usual adverse reactions to the crap in the air. So he has grape decongestant, and a VERY adverse reaction to his formula - as in I had to change his clothes 3 times last night from the projectile hurling. So, he's on a pedalyte diet. Please pray he gets better quick - its back to daycare with him tomorrow (no worries, the next youngest is 18 months).

Socks. Knit socks. Crocheted socks. Here's one of each - in progress.

I found a pattern for a crochet sock that is supposed to fit in a shoe (my problem with crochet socks until now). I started this sock yesterday when I really should have been finishing up secondsock, but we know how I am. This yarn was a Christmas giftee from one of my crochet group friends and I really like the colors. It may or may not be for someone for Christmas, not sure yet. We'll see how they fit. If they fit me they will be mine. If they are a little too small, they will have another home. So far they are ok, and almost too small but I'm not sure how the heel will work out. I'll let you know.

So my brother-in-law Jason is an artist, and a darn good one at that. He's had his paintings in galleries throughout Tampa, and they sell well too. I like his work, and a bunch of others do too. Anyway, he's got a gallery opening - a big one! Friday night (4/6) from 6-9pm at Hoffman Porges Gallery on 7th in Ybor, he is opening his exhibit of 12 Tampa Boomtown era paintings for the 2nd "From Cracker to Flapper!" Exhibition. You can check out this collection here: www.heritagecelebration.org. Here is one of the paintings he did a while ago of Stacy (my hopefully soon to be sister in law)(HINT HINT JASON)(moving on):

If you can make it out to the gallery, the show closes April 30, and it would be great to see the arts being supported.

I am...

I did this in August of '05 at the challenge from a blog somewhere. I just found it again and wanted to share.


I am from Nanny’s Afghans, from Glazier hot dogs and 160 acres of Heaven.
I am from the compost heap with the snake that pokes his head out just to say hello when you kick the wood.
I am from the garden on the side of the house, the wild strawberries growing in the front yard and shooting stars.
I am from Tree trimming parties and crooked teeth, from Nanny and Pop Pop and ReRe.
I am from the crafty and homemade.
From Jacques Cartier discovering the St Lawrence and this is how you make a crochet chain.
I am from Christians, Catholics and Jews. I am from the Love of God and the Fear of the Lord.
I'm from Waddington and Massena, pecan pie and Daddy’s fudge.
From the dollhouse that my father made when I was born and Nanny & Pops restaurant where I would get a hot dog and chocolate milk, sit on the red swirley seat and listen to I love a Rainy Night on the juke box.
I am from an old scrapbook filled with memories tucked away in my closet with my purses and comic collection. When I feel lonely I dig it out and pour over the newspaper clippings, family pictures and wedding invitations. Look into the smiling faces of my family and friends and you will see laughter and trust and love.

Baby Math, sorta.

8:15 Time Sean went to bed last night
5:22 Time Sean woke up last night
0 Number of ounces of formula Sean drank because I forgot to explain to Travis that cereal formula will not work in a Stage 1 nipple.
5:40 Time Mommy realized Sean wasnt really drinking anything
2 Number of ounces Sean drank once I fixed the nipple problem.
6:38 Time Sean woke up this morning.
2 Number of ounces Sean drank while waiting for Mommy to get dressed.

= One happy, well rested-ish Mommy.

Ho Hum

I really dont have anything to talk about, but figured I'd pop on anyway. You should go read Yarn Harlot (www.yarnharlot.ca/blog) to see how the NYC event went. Over 100 knitters in Central Park, almost 750 knitters at her book launch speech. That is a lot. A Whole Lot. It freaked out the muggles (er, non-knitters). Great times, I wish I could have gone. Instead, I stayed here, worked on the sock and ignored the sweater.

I am about half done with the heel flap of secondsock. I have been using a combo method of knitting and it's working well. It makes purling almost easier than knitting, ironic, no?

I have not yet played with the crochet/knit idea, maybe next week. I keep getting the urge to get some more sock yarn - in solids to make socks for boys, but have not yet committed. I already have I think 4 more balls at home of stripey/dotty/patterned yarn that I really should knit up before buying more. Should. Hrmf. We'll see how that works out for me.

~~~the above is from yesterday but I got interupted by 5 O'clock. Now it's today.~~~

Sean has been laughing, or giggling a lot, especially at Jake. Its funny how babies react so differently to kids. Very sweet. And Jake seems to think it's his mission to make Sean smile, so thats great! This morning he hurried up to get dressed so he could talk to Sean before we (Sean and I) left. So sweet.

Jake got his report card day before yesterday. Last 9 weeks he had all S's. This 9 weeks he had 5 S-'s. I wrote them down, but left them at home - whoops. Lets see if I can remember.
*Finishes assigned tasks *Works without distrubing other students *Has adequate attention span - nope, thats all I got. They were all pretty much the same thing - not paying attention and talking too much. Apple? Tree? I dont know what you're talking about! So, he didnt get his gameboy game and he will try harder this 9 weeks.

Can you beleive there are only 9 more weeks left of school! Yeah, me neither. Summer will be long this year, which is fine by me, but not really fine by our budget. Right now daycare is $180 for both kids, in the summer it'll be $260. Travis is just a tad freaked out. But, I did point out to him that we would actually be SAVING money by taking a week off and going to NY, once I get the gas cards from mypoints. Sounds logical to me! Unfortunatly I dont get my bonuses until fall and winter, but that will hopefully help in hindsight. (That's probably not how to say that, but ya'll understand, right?)

I worked a little bit on the sweater, a few rows anyway. I can see it will be one of those that I have to do other stuff while doing this because otherwise I will go crazy. Miles and miles of stockinette is kinda boring.

Speaking of knitting, I was watching Knitty Gritty last night (I dvr 2 a day) and they were doing an Aran blanket. The cables were so beautiful, I want to try some of them, and I think a blanket is a good choice for that, so I can try more than one - unline if I were doing a sweater. Maybe I'll find some yarn to do that with. On the show there were 9 panels, all in same darkish green color, about 15 inches each with a 3 stitch garter border on each square. We'll see how that goes. The project rated an advanced on the knitOmeter. And since I am NOT a Knitter, that concerns me, but socks are supposed to be hard too and we all know how I feel about THAT. I am thinking of doing maybe 16 squares that are a foot each instead of 9 bigger ones, we'll see if I can convert the patterns - we all know how much I love math!

That's it for now, I suppose I should get some work done. Cheers.

lalalalalala

Lets see, I have zero yarn on a hook (well, except for that scarf that I've abandoned, er take a hiatus from)... and I call this a crocheting blog. HAH. On needles I have the secondsock which is up to the heel flap as of the end of my break, and I've gotten about 4-5 inches or so done on the sweater. I'd show you but it's at home, only the sock is with me. And, how clever am I... I have my ball of sock yarn inside firstsock to hold it in place as I knit from it. Pretty slick, eh? I thought so. Moving on.

I have decided that I would really like to combine knitting and crochet, but not in the traditional sense of adding a crochet border to knit stuff. I lovelovelove the Stacy sweater:

and have purchased the yarn to make one of my very own in dark and light green. I would like to crochet the body but do the cable up the middle (you cant see it, but there really is a cool cable up the middle that then seperates at the v neck)(I will harass Stacy again for a pic). I know you can do a "cable" in crochet, but I want a real cable as pseudo-shown here. I've stayed awake at night trying to figure out how to do it. Here are my theories thus far:

A) I could crochet the body except for the 3-4 inches in the center front torso, knit the cable with some garter stitch on either side and then whip stitch it together.

or

B) I could crochet the body, then when I get to the bitOknitting I want to do, have a needle stay in there to do the knit stitches, and somehow connect it to the other end of crocheting, and keep carrying on that way. *the somehow part HAS actually kept me up one night. I know, I know.*

Option A would be easy enough but I dont want my seams showing. And I have NO idea if option B would actually work. Guess I could try it and see, and I may just do that once this sweater is more than 4 inches long.

I really cant justify having 2 sweaters for myself on needles at once when there is all this Christmas knitting to do. No, I dont have any idea who/what is next on the non-existant Christmas knitting list. Yes, I'm fine with that. I have 4 balls of sock yarn and eleventy two friends that want socks (yet complain when I knit, ahem). I could just knit socks and then decide to whom they will go, but I cant do that since these are kind of fitted.

Rambling, sorry. Oh, Mom pointed out that I forgot to show you this from Friday's boat trip.

The Miss Tracy (spelt wrong, but still)

Busy Busy. With Pictures!

Ok, so Wednesday night I started this for myself (current pic). It may or may not end up being cap sleeved.:

Thursday we met Tony, Nette, Ty & Bailey at the park, and it looked like this (nope, not a black eye, just dirt):

Friday we went on the funboat (www.thefunboat.com) and it looked like this (yes, that is a sock, what of it?):

And also, how not to tie up a boat:

Saturday was nice when my in-laws took both kids overnight. Oh blessed sleep and the damn cat that kept waking me up... and survived! Moving on.

Sunday was Aliceon's birthday and we went over for the party. Loads of fun, and it looked like this:

Now I'm back at work, and I was thisclose to showing you what it looked like by taking a pic of my screen ;). Consider yourselves lucky. Have a great day.

On socks and sock yarn...

Dear Sock Yarn Makers,

When you are making sock yarn that is self patterning, it would be very helpful to us sock knitters to have the sock yarn go the same direction. What I mean is that my first sock, with my first ball of sock yarn from your company, went along very nicely. However, when I started second sock, and since I like my socks to match eachother I started going through the ball (from the center, like all good yarn addicts do)(and JUST LIKE I DID FOR THE FIRST SOCK) looking for the point where green and blue meet and for some reason, there was only where blue and green meet.

This is bizarre, I thought to myself. It should be green, then blue, not blue then green.

Yep, you guessed it, your yarn ball makers made this ball insideout. So, since I am not in possession of a yarn ball winder, I am having to knit this sock by using yarn from the outside of the ball which SUCKS.

In the future, if you could rectify this problem, it would make me a little more likely to purchase your brand of yarn again.

From,

sock yarn chasing Brandee.

Friday... the recipe.

Oh, I forgot to share with you my shrimp enchiladas that I made on Friday. Turns out it's not exactly, um, original cause if you google it you get like 974 pages of links, but i digress. These were great, and even Travis liked them. Great for no-meat Fridays. I suck at writing recipes, so please excuse that bit.

Here's what I did:

(With this amount I was able to make 2 batches of 6 enchiladas each plus 2 quesadillas. )

1 16 oz pkg of med shrimp (the 41-60's I think) from WalMart SuperCenter
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ginger
1 clove crushed garlic
2 tsp hot sauce (it's not hot, I promise)
flour tortillas (I use the ones that are 6" diameter)
Mexican blend cheese
enchilada sauce - I used Old El Paso, the big can.

With this amount I was able to make 2 batches of 6 enchiladas each plus 2 quesadillas.

Marinate the shrimp in the olive oil, ginger, garlic and hotsauce in a ziplock for 2 hours. (I kept mine in the fridge and made my 2nd batch the next day and they were fine... marinated for like 20 hours). Warm your four tortillas 30 seconds in the micro to make them pliable. Place a handful of cheese (about 1/4 cup) plus 6 shrimps in each tortilla, roll them up and place them seam down in a sprayed baking dish (I used my rectangle and got 6 across). Pour half a big can (or 1 small can I suppose) over the enchiladas and sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

I put sour cream, salsa and black olives on mine, top yours however you like. Enjoy.

Happy Monday, er, Tuesday.

Saturday was St Pat's day, and here's Sean and I (Jake was with his Mammaw, but his shirt says "The leprachauns made me do it" and has handprints all over it):

I was home yesterday with the boys so today's my Monday. And Thursday, but ya'll know. Anyway, I had a fabulous weekend! Saturday Nanny and Pop came for a visit, and Jake and Sean kept them well occupied:

That would be them and Jake playing poker - and he's not half bad for a 5 yr old either. He just needs to understand the concept that a straight needs to be ALL 5 CARDS. He kept saying things like "I have a straight and a pair of jacks!" And this meant that he had 2 Jacks, a 6, 7 and like a 2. "But Mommy, the 6 and 7 are a straight!". It was funny. After an hour or so of poker, it was on to Sorry! Jake was doing so well reading the cards, it made me happy. I think the only word he really had any problem with was squares, which really is an odd word if you think about it! And of course the other pic shows just how easily Sean gets people to do his bidding!

My only real disappointment of their visit is that Nanny didnt bring anything to crochet while she was there. Because there would be nothing better than a pic of she and I crocheting together. She is the one that taught me, at 4, to chain. I've always thought of her as the person in my family that I am most like. And when my Dad said that I reminded him so much of her I started crying, and I told him that he couldnt have given me a greater compliment. Yeah, classy - a great big blubber fest! But I was very emotional, it was in the days right before I had Sean, and hormones and all that. You understand. Anyway, moving on.

Sunday after Church they came back over for another rousing game of Sorry, then they were off. I am thrilled to pieces that they came down, but to only have them for such a short period of time was so sad. I am trying to get home for Homecoming the first weekend of August, so I am starting to save MyPoints for gas cards now. I havent been home in 4 years, and that's entirely too long. I miss it. A lot. So much has happened in that time - Nanny had cancer, and is now almost a whole lung less. I've gained 4 cousins, my aunt & uncle had a housefire and moved to a farm. My Dad has built himself a WHOLE HOUSE, and my sister's place is in middle of getting a 2nd story. See, lots going on.

And speaking of crocheting, I finished up Heather's sweater - that would be 2 Christmas gifts DONE! And I'm almost done with the ankle ribbing of second sock. I think I know who these will be for, but I'm not quite sure. We'll see how it goes.

This Sunday is Aliceon's birthday, she's turning 6. Aliceon is Jake's little wifey, and he picked out the sweetest present. A little "diamond" heart necklace. Oh, sorry Kerry, please disregard that! I had the intention of getting her a bitty pair of earrings, but he liked this best. It really is cute, and little bitty, perfect for a 6 yr old. I'm looking forward to the party, it should be fun. Sorry to Al that I didnt get her a pony though.

I shall leave you with a pic of punk rock kid. Enjoy.

Ok, I was afraid, and had to share...

http://whatnottocrochet.wordpress.com/

I'll write more later, but there you have it for now. Rated PG (not PG13 like the willy warmers though).

Um, yeah, and all that.

So I really don't have much to write about, but I will try my best.

We'll start with Sean (the REAL reason you all are here, huh?). He is adorable as usual, and doing a bit better in the sleep department. The past 2 nights he's gotten up twice, and the second time is only about an hour before the alarm goes off, so he's almost to the once a night spot I keep praying for. Please pray with me, Mommy is getting very tired/cranky. I don't have any new pics but I'll try to take some of Jake and Sean together (!) tonight. Sean had his 9 week checkup, which Travis took him to. He weighs 11 something (eye roll) pounds and is 22.5 inches. He's still in the 50% for his age - nice and normal. He's taking his cereal bottle at night just fine, and it is actually helping him sleep a little bit longer than without it. And the doc said its fine.

Jake is doing a little better with the listening and not whining. Not much, but a little. He got prizes these past 2 weeks for 1) learning his address & phone (he knew the phone already) and 2) for tying his shoes. It's a big verse week for him - John 3:16. He learned it in K3 (it was very cute to hear such big words from a 3 yr old, lemme tell ya!) but he's forgotten it. Tonight we finish up his Leprechaun trap. I think it's a great project, fun too. They will set the traps on Friday, and when the get back from Spring Break next week, see if any of the traps have been sprung.

Speaking of Spring Break - next week is it. Normally I'd just have Jake go to the daycare at school, but since Sean's nanny is on a cruise they will both just stay home. I have Mon, Thurs & Fri, Travis has Tues & Wed - his normal days off. I'm not sure what we'll do but maybe we can do something fun. Wonder what Jakey's wife is doing, or if she's on Spring Break too (Kerry?).

On the yarn front, I've finished the front, back and 1 sleeve of the mystery Christmas item, and I started on sleeve #2 at lunch today. I figure that by Monday I'll be done with it. In theory, anyway. Then I suppose I should work on second sock, eh? I havent decided where these are going, maybe my Grandmother? We'll see. OH, Pop Pop, if you read this, please disregard that last bit, will ya? That, or act supprised!

Speaking of grandparents, my other grandparents are coming down from NY on Saturday morning. I am thrilled to pieces, I havent seen them in 4 years - FAR too long. Now, if I can just get the house clean, and figure out a suitable dinner to make I'd be golden. Any suggestions? Wish me luck.

Wow, guess I had more to say than I thought.

Smiley boy.

So, how much of a cop-out is it to just post pictures of SuperCutiePie?

I thought so. Therefore, I will tell you about my Christmas gift making progress. Yes, I said Christmas. Yes, I understand that Christmas is more than 9 months away, and I think thats what makes this so magical! No, I am not touched. AM NOT! lol. Moving on.

I am 1.5 gifts into my Christmas gift making. And, that is only because 1 was already done. Kerry, if you want to be suprised, let me know and you shall know nothing. If you have the patience of, oh, ME, than I shall disclose what your offspring will receive - as they(it) are being made. So, yeah, 1 is done and I'm creating another one just like it, only smaller. I'm very excited about this prospect. I shall create my Christmas gift making list as I go plus 1. Therefore, right now on the hook (yes, I said hook) is gift 2. Next shall be a sweater for a girlfriend's daughter in purple boucle. No clue what pattern I'll use, I'll figure it out when #2 is done. Once I'm working on #3, I shall figure out #4 and so on. So, there you have it, a plan.

And with that, I shall leave you with this:

That is Gigi the 3-legged wonder licking Sean's feet. She's a strange one.

I should be flogged

Sorry about the MIA thing, really. Yesterday was my first day back at work and I had over 200 emails to wade through. Guess I'm popular with the penis enlargement people, huh? Anyway, here are some of the pics I promised.

Baby smiles:

"That's a cute baby, Mom!"

The cat's new favorite position. On TOP of the baby!

And here's the sock in all it's glory. I'm finally on the round and round bit of the foot, and I have a few more inches before I do the toe. I have no idea who these will be for, maybe I'll save them for Christmas.

Um, I guess thats about it, really. Oh, Gnombert! Here are a few pics of him.

Land of the giants and finding some friends! SOO glad the Joann's people didnt throw me out!

I'm fine...

Just a little too busy to blog lately...it's about all I can do to keep up with bloglines! Sean is doing just fine, I'll post pics soon, I promise! I start back at work on Monday, and I'm thrilled about that - it will be nice to feel like I'm part of society again.

I did a knit coaster project using Laurie's (www.crazyauntpurl.com) magic scarf pattern, but parred down - I'll show ya'll a pic later on but here's the pattern:

cast on 25 sts - I used cotton and size 8's.
row 1 - k5, p5, k5, p5, k5
row 2 - p5, k5, p5, k5, p5
repeat until there are 5 rows, then swap them - knit on the purl rows and purl on the knit rows - it maks a checkerboard effect. I did this for 5 repeats so there were 5 "blocks" up and across. They are squarish, I'm sure a real knitter would get a more square square. I made up 6 of these for Travis' new den. I also need to make a manly bookcase cover (read: macho doily) and that will come soon.

I've been working on the sock still, it's been going very slowly since I've been cheating with the coasters but there you go. I haven't been working on the scarf though. Maybe once the sock(s) and the man-doily are done, we'll see.

That's really it for now. More soon, I promise!

Sorry,

but I have not been a very good blogger! No I havent really been terribly busy, just tired, and lazy. Sean is doing very well, and it turns out that his 3 chins weigh 3 lbs, 1 oz (how much he's gained since birth) - so now he's 9 lbs 6 oz. He's still pretty confused about the "nighttime is for sleeping" theory, but we're working on it. He also didnt take too kindly for me trying to trick him by putting cereal in his formula. Covertly too, he drank it dutifully and slept for 2 hours and woke up to be fed again. THATS when he struck... drank an ounce then yakked all over mommy and her night gown and his sleeper and the burp cloth and the couch. Tricky, that one! Very sneaky. So I'll wait a few more days (this was on Thursday) and try again. I'd think to try less, but it was only a teaspoon in 6 ounces of formula, so I thought that was as diluted as I could get and not be wasting my time trying to trick him. Wish me luck, I am very tired.

So, how was your V-day? Travis got tickets to Cirque du Soliel at Disney (La Nouba) so we went to that. I love that show, I've seen it 4 times now. This time we were on the 3rd row, off to the side. For most of it we had perfect seats, but not so much for the trapeeze thing - we were directly UNDER one of the ends. We saw the intimate bits of the performers, hazed a bit by the net. It was a very interesting vantage point though. These seats were fantastic for hot-silk-ribbon-flying-guy. He kinda flew over us which was great. Also, hot-bmx-guys came pretty up close and personal. And it was great for my favorite part: adorable-Chinese-yoyo-girls. We ate at Raglan Road - I had Shephards pie and Travis had steak. Yummo. It was a nice evening.

Yesterday (Sat) my mom and Cliff came over to visit. Cliff and Jake went to see Bridge to Taraibithia (or however you spell that) while Mom, Sean and I walked around the shops at the outside mall where the theater is. It was fun.

Then last night I swipped Cliff's ticket to join my mom, grandparents and aunts to see Riverdance. I was SOOO excited. I had wanted to see it but I couldnt do the $60 ticket! It was awesome. I think my favorite part was a song called "Trading Taps" where 2 street tappers (think Gregory Hines but young) were "challenging" 3 Irish tappers and it was hysterical. The street guys had a saxaphonist, the Irish guys had a fiddler and hey went on for a few minutes like this. Then they switched sides - the street guys were "Irish tapping" with the fiddler, and vice versa. It was hysterical - especially when the Irish guys were trying to dance with loose rythmn and the street guys did a couple bit where one was twirling the other like he was a girl. Such a great show. Anyway, moving on.

And because I'm a dork, I want to share a recipe I found. I made this Chicken Divan the other night after watching Rachel make it. It turned out really good, I impessed myself, but Jake wasnt impressed. Win some, lose some. Oh well. here ya go.

Chicken Divan
4 chicken cutlets (1.25-1.5 lbs)
1 tsp each salt, pepper, poultry seasoning
flour for dredging - about 1/4 cup, 2 Tbsp for sauce
2 Tbsp EVOO
Butter - 2 Tbsp for cooking, 2 Tbsp for sauce
8 white mushrooms sliced
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup half & half
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp chopped tarragon

Season chicken cutlets with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning on both sides. Shake chicken and 1/4 cup flour in a gallon ziplock to dredge. In skillet over med-high heat, add 2 Tbsp EVOO and 2 Tbsp butter until melted together. Pan fry chicken until done - about 5-6 minutes on each side then remove to plate with paper towel, then cover with foil tent. Add 2 Tbsp butter to pan, let melt then add mushrooms and saute for a couple minutes. Add flour and combine evenly and cook a minute then add the wine. Let wine cook out for a minute then add the chicken stock and half & half. When the sauce bubbles again, add the dijon and tarragon and let simmer for a few minutes. She suggested serving it over white rice, but I had herb rice on the side.

This was really very good, and still good the next day for lunch. I was happy. Anyway, that's it for now.

Oh happy day!

So today is the opening day of the fair, and when I entered the pink angora baby dress into competition they gave me a free ticket. Handy that, since the kidlet is free and so is parking so I could spend money only on fair food! Anyway, so we went to the fair today because my logic was that with it being opening day AND Thursday while most are still working that it wouldnt be too busy that it is a good time. I was right - not really a ton of people yet. I went straight away to the building housing the competition stuff. Here's what I saw:

And that my friends would be a blue FIRST PLACE ribbon! As you can tell from Sean's face, he was so thrilled for his Mama! I am officially an 'award winning crocheter!' Yes I am excited, and also a dork! But YAY me! Wanna see 2nd place?

In my memory I was remembering the blue one, but really its the white one that was in my section. I also saw this really, REALLy cool thing:

This the best in show for yarn (I think thats how the breakdown was - since I didnt see any yarn clothing BIS. Anyway, this tapestry, for lack of a better description is done in what looks like Icords all manipulated into circles and lines and zigzags to create the picture. Brilliant and beautiful - I am happy to loose BIS to this creation. Anyway, moving on.

I know that I really should have kept up with the unfinished scarf, since I said I would and all. However, I'm not so god with the sticking to things once I start to not like them anymore. So, I started a sock. Whoops! I got this pattern from the Sensational Socks book, which I love but it is so easy really! Knit 1 row, K2P2 the next row, and repeat, using a normal sock pattern. I like how it is turning out, ribbed, but with the little purl bumps showing intermittenly through the recessed bits of the rib. Anyway, hers a pic so far. BUT, I did get some crocheting on the scarf done at the crochet meeting yesterday - go me.

Thats it for now, more later.

Oh happy day!

So today is the opening day of the fair, and when I entered the pink angora baby dress into competition they gave me a free ticket. Handy that, since the kidlet is free and so is parking so I could spend money only on fair food! Anyway, so we went to the fair today because my logic was that with it being opening day AND Thursday while most are still working that it wouldnt be too busy that it is a good time. I was right - not really a ton of people yet. I went straight away to the building housing the competition stuff. Here's what I saw:

And that my friends would be a blue FIRST PLACE ribbon! As you can tell from Sean's face, he was so thrilled for his Mama! I am officially an 'award winning crocheter!' Yes I am excited, and also a dork! But YAY me! Wanna see 2nd place?

In my memory I was remembering the blue one, but really its the white one that was in my section. I also saw this really, REALLy cool thing:

This the best in show for yarn (I think thats how the breakdown was - since I didnt see any yarn clothing BIS. Anyway, this tapestry, for lack of a better description is done in what looks like Icords all manipulated into circles and lines and zigzags to create the picture. Brilliant and beautiful - I am happy to loose BIS to this creation. Anyway, moving on.

I know that I really should have kept up with the unfinished scarf, since I said I would and all. However, I'm not so god with the sticking to things once I start to not like them anymore. So, I started a sock. Whoops! I got this pattern from the Sensational Socks book, which I love but it is so easy really! Knit 1 row, K2P2 the next row, and repeat, using a normal sock pattern. I like how it is turning out, ribbed, but with the little purl bumps showing intermittenly through the recessed bits of the rib. Anyway, hers a pic so far. BUT, I did get some crocheting on the scarf done at the crochet meeting yesterday - go me.

Thats it for now, more later.

Purl's horoscopes

I do love my aunt purl. Here's the Feb horoscopes via www.crazyauntpurl.com . She's up for an award - go to The seventh annual Weblog Awards nominations at http://2007.bloggies.com/ to vote, she's under the craft blogs section kinda far down. Go vote. Voting ends on Friday! Thanks. And enjoy. Oh, and I'll probably post something tomorrow. I know this is cheating, but you understand.

February2007 Horoscopes
By laurie on Hor-o-scopes
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I really wish they would have let Pluto stay a planet and would have taken stupid Mercury out of the mix, always retrograding like it's just having a party over there in the fifth house of "Make Your Life A Horror Movie." But that's okay, that's fine. I'm going to pretend Pluto is still a planet. You might want to remember that when you read my prognostications. And then later I may have some real estate to sell you, beachfront property! and we can have a sleepover where we do a séance to talk to your childhood puppy.
But in all seriousness, because that is how I am you know, very serious, February has a LOT going on for such a short month:
? Stupid Mercury, always retrograding when the rest of us want to par-tay! That is from February 13 to March 7.? Full moon on February 2nd to taunt us. ? Groundhog Day, while not astrological in nature, still. It's a day.? Valentine's Day. Let's just face it.? New Moon on February 17. ? Oh, and Mardi Gras. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
And it keeps going into March, I guess since February was short there was some astrological spillover:? Major eclipse on March 3 in Virgo. Go Virgo, Go Virgo!? On March 7, Mercury turns direct. Then we all have wine.
Actually, the really scary part of all this is that I woke up this morning and ... it was already FEBRUARY! How the heck did it get here so fast?
- - - - - - - - - - -
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)Happy Birthday! My older brother is an Aquarius and he is often just a puzzle to me. He's one of the smartest people I know, and he's also very complex, with a soft heart but no one would ever guess. Typical Aquarius! Anyway, February is a big big financial month for you, although you might not see the results until mid-March when a whole bunch of planets hang out together and hand out karma dollars. I do want to gently caution that your soft heart, well-hidden as it may be, may find itself being pulled on this month, especially between now and mid-February. Luckily for you, there's a big new moon in your sign around that time which makes all the difference between merely trudging onward and actually walking for enjoyment. You have a lot of compassion inside, and I assure you that compassion doesn't have an end. You were blessed with endless amounts of it, you'll just need to trust that you won't run out.
PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20)Well, color me surprised and hand me a cocktail. I do believe our friend Pisces here has finally had exactly E-NOUGH of the craziness, the instability, the forever limbo. I think in fact Pisces may have just gotten what we refer to in highly secretive astrological lingo as "a backbone." It has always been there, of course, you're just not real fond of using it ... not because Pisces is weak, mind you, but because more than any other sign on the wheel, Pisces folks do understand the ripple effect of every action, every word, every thought. So they do their darndest to make sure they don't screw stuff up, thereby ending the universe as we know it. But all that fear of making a misstep can be paralyzing, and you end up mired in your own indecision. Like I'm telling you something you don't know. Anyway! That's all just talking, since you are DEFINITELY no longer mired down this month. I'm quite pleased with what I see, I think you'll be right proud of your backbone by month's end. Then you can get back to your old familiar worrywart self.
ARIES (March 21- April 19)You're more focused on the day-to-day aspects of your life than ever before. For an Aries, this is like the death knell of creativity. Ya'll are so dramatic! Merely resist the urge to think you're drowning in the mundane! I like to think of the really basic pieces of our day-to-day lives as our "kitchen reality" and the beauty of kitchen reality is that you develop an appreciation for the art, the beauty of life, even if it happens in your kitchen, your copy room at work, or your cubicle. Retrograding Mercury gives you the ability to rest for a moment and see your life for the very beauty it holds in the smallest places. Enjoy it.TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)I'm sorry about Mercury going all notrograde on you. Stupid astrology! But the thing about Taurus (taurii?) is that when you are pushed into a corner and feel completely pressured, ya'll manage to be absolutely, hands down the BEST VERSION OF YOU EVER! Your primary issue all month will be your core fear vs. your core reality. (I make that sound so easy. But really it's kind of HUGE.) For example, if your core fear is that you are unworthy, your main challenge all month will be trusting your own instincts in the face of a million naysayers all trying to foist their unworthy solutions upon you. Simply rely upon your Taurii vibe for innate goodness, and plow through them when they are wrong. Because really? They are wrong. You are innately good, Taurus. Defend your gut!
GEMINI (May 21 - June 21)I like to base all my fauxrriscopes on the people I am closest to from the astrological wheel. Gemini is always close to my heart because I was born right on the cusp, and I feel responsible for knowing what my neighbors are up to. This will be a trying and frustrating month for Gemini because dumb Mercury is in notrograde, making life difficult. Interestingly enough, Geminis will have a weirdly cohesive month, with strange opportunities showing up around every corner. It's ball in your court month, Gemini. Your challenge is to chase after the odd and unusual opportunities February will bring. Also, FYI. One of them may be very very goodlooking.
CANCER (June 22 - July 22)Oh crap. You got me again as your ASTROLOGER! Didn't you learn, last year, when I wanted us to start a gang called the Cancer Crips? All I can say about February is resist the temptation to ostrich! You may well want to bury your head in the sand, but truth is you're smarter and more pragmatic than anyone on Team Problem, so do not hide from your primary challenge this month. (It is hard for me to take my own advice, but I try.) The good news is that although we are prone to forget the past only when it suits us, truth is we are having a MUCH better year so far than we were having this time last year. If you need proof, just browse backward through your old diaries, old reciepts, old memories. And for a Cancer, that is progress! Also, on an unrelated note: Perfect flawed Cancer, forget about this Valentine's Day horsesh*t. Just enjoy the discount pink items on the 15th, remember that love does not get one designated day, and rise above any expectations of forced romance. Hallmark holidays are not for crabs. We prefer our maudlin romanticism on unexpected Tuesdays in June or October or March, thankyouverymuch.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)I wanted to put an exclamation sign after your name like Leo! Woohoo! You have made serious progress so far this year and 2007 is in the hizzey! (I don't know what hizzey means either, but in hiphop lingo apparently it is good.) So just love and know and appreciate your greatness. February only sucks because stupid Mercury does its hiding thing, and you'll have some financial integrity issues. Let me ask you a question. Do you rely upon your own judgment, or the judgment of others? Might I suggest that you begin to voice some Leo prowess, even in finances? You have way more roar than the other guys. You may want to inform them you are in the financial "hizz-ay" now and you will be making your own monetary decisions, yo yo. (I really have to get a handle on the bad slang. Sorry!)
VIRGO (August 23 - Sept. 22)Resourceful. Lovely. Ready. These are the three words popping up in your House Of Adjectives this month. I often don't "get" the Virgo chart, ya'll are so unlike Cancer and sometimes it feels like I'm staring into a book full of Greek and Latin words mixed in together. But this month I can see your adjectives, and that is a good start. Resourceful: Virgos are rockstars at making silk out of hay. You manage to take some rather unappealing junk in life and make it into really unique (and valuable) opportunities. You're more ready right now for financial success than you have maybe ever been, and you deserve every penny of it. You worked hard and didn't give up when life handed you junk during that three-month period last year. Lovely: Well, you are! Ready: Let me say it again, you are ready for the good and happy pieces. Your chart is very clear on this one, and those pieces are on their way.
LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 23)Libras are some of the least confrontational folks on the entire planet. Even the few Libras who will engage in an altercation from time to time are nothing compared to a deceptively nice Cancer who has finally had ENOUGH or a raging Scorpio on like, any given Monday. Ya'll just don't let emotions build and build inside you, you're far too cerebral for that nonsense. But February has all sorts of craziness attached to it, there's stuff retrograding and there's other stuff eclipsing within mere weeks and full moons, and good grief. By mid-month you may just want to haul off and hurl at someone. I don't usually advise anyone to say what's on their mind in the heat of anger, since I am Southern and we are all about repressing our feelings. However, this month would be a really good time to try expressing your emotions ... start by just writing it down, and then feel all proud of yourself for having the self-control to get over it. Because you will, of course. You're a Libra!
SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 21)I LOVE Scorpios. I don't talk about my adoration of the Scorpio very often, but the truth is my very first true love is a Scorpio and ya'll forever hold a place in my heart. Having said that, I do tend to see ya'lls little pitfalls and personality snares as mere particulars. Others, however, are not always as forgiving. There is a weird angle in your astrological chart this month, like your eleventeenth house of home and family has its panties in a bunch. Might I suggest biting your tongue with either a close friend or family member midmonth when there will be a little tension? Trust me. It would be REALLY A GOOD IDEA. Yes, you are passionate and fabulous, but also sometimes it is good to hold back a little on the passion, verbally, and let others just say what's on their minds.SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)How is the year of no secrets, no darkness, no messes going? Ahem. I am merely going to give you a gentle reminder that you are absolutely better than what you think of yourself at this very moment and you need to stop worrying over all the still-incomplete To Do lists from last December. I know the first month of this year went by a little fast, but real quicklike it will be spring, then summer, then you'll be saying, Holy Crap! It's going to be my birthday! And you'll wonder where another year went. Change your scenery to change your outlook. There is no other sign in the zodiac that could benefit from a little time off more than you, Sagittarius! Consider planning a vacation (ASAP) even if it is just a one day getaway, a long drive on a beautiful road, a field trip to a place you love nearby, or a full-fledged vacay to a new city. You need change right now as much as you need food or water.CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19)Two of my best friends are Caps and so is my Dad. These are the people closest to me in the world, and I love watching the changes in their lives as they move through their days, each so different as people yet so much alike! January was a really interesting month for Capricorns (hint: "inneresting" is the word we use to describe things that were crucial, but not always easy.) Ya'll have gotten some major enlightenment in the past few weeks, followed by periods of real frustration. It's because you hate change, and change is ALL AROUND YOU. Well, let me be more specific. You like change that you fully control, but a lot of what's happening involves your future which right now is an unwritten book and the more you try to write it down, the more changier it gets. You must MUST relax your grip a tiny bit or your head will pop off. If it makes you feel any better, Saturn (which is causing all this trouble for you) comes out of its sneaky phase in April and all these things that have been murky and scary become clear and fresh and comforting.

We're still here...

I have managed to actually be online and check bloglines and email about every other day but I have had a serious lapse in writing... sorry about that! I've been getting in a bit of driving which is good for saving my sanity! I've gone to the office a couple times, brought my angora baby dress out to the fair for competition (fingers crossed), and the grocery store. And although it does hurt just a bit on the incision spot in the evenings I think it's ok.

Jake has been spending a lot of time at the in-laws which is nice, but since Sean doesnt let me sleep more than 3 hours in a row at night, it still leaves me pretty tired. He does enjoy his brother somewhat, but I think he's looking more forward to playing with him, and I think he's rather disappointed that he cant really do that yet.

I finished Stacy's sweater, and I even took a picture but am too lazy now to show you. I hope to get a pic of her actually wearing it. I hope she likes it. I put it on me, and even though it's a medium and I'm, well, not, it fit-ish. It was a bit short on me but should be perfect on her. I do like it a lot and may make myself one too.

I had been working on a scarf too, but it's slow going. I think because it's pretty wide - wider than I like. It's easy crochet, double/single across, then single double across so its a nice looking pattern, but boring I think. I'd really like to finish it up before I start something else, and since I dont have a next project in mind, it just may work.

BTW, trying to type one handed isnt the easiest thing, let me tell you! Thats it for now, more when I can use both my hands!

Baby baby baby. And a sleeve.

Well, things are going pretty well, Sean has a schedule pretty well down, but I am trying to change it! He sleeps from 4-8pm, up until 11, then up at 1:30 then 4ish, then 6am but those are for short ones, then up at 9:30 for a while. If I can get him to wake up around 6pm and keep him up for a while, maybe I can get him to sleep longer at night, but with dinner and getting Jake ready for bed, it's actually handy to have Sean sleeping.

Travis has been sick, and pretty bad - his coughing actually wakes the baby up! Sounds like an upper respiratory infection or some such thing. If he's not better by Tuesday (his day off) he's going to the doc... weather he likes it or not! I've had some coughing but thats about it, and dayquil has been pretty helpful. I just pray that Sean doesnt get sick!

Want some pics? Of course you do!

And... a sleeve! Well, half a sleeve has been completed today during my outing at Tracie's house. Half to go, then to sew it together. I have about 2 weeks to get it done, and since I feel like I've had such a huge lack of knitting that I might as well be UNknitting, wish me luck! I would show you a pic but yeah, I'm to lazy for that right now. When it's done, I'll show you. I will even try really hard to show it to you actually ON Stacy.

That's it for now, have a good one.