Friday, September 19, 2008

I'm Back!

More than 2 months with no posts, but here I am again. My lack of posting started with family vacations. Then BoyMonkey was out of summer school and home all day with me. We kept ourselves busy, but I had almost no time to myself to even consider knitting, let alone blogging about it.

(To the right is BoyMonkey after eating blue cotton candy at a Giants game this summer)

Even though he's been back at school for 3 weeks, I haven't done any knitting or blogging because I feel like crap. All the time. Well, mostly in the evenings, but even if I felt good enough in the morning, BoyMonkey now goes to school in the afternoon and is home with me all morning. I've lost my mojo. My knitting mojo is non-existent. Actually, my mojo for everything beyond watching TV and sleeping is gone. Hopefully it will be back soon. But there is a good reason for feeling so horrible: I'm almost 11 weeks pregnant!

Baby2 is due April 12. I have a couple of ultrasound pictures, but they are not much more than a smudge in the middle of static. My morning sickness has been evening sickness this time. 5:00 hits and I'm nauseous and miserable for the rest of the night. I can also be nauseous and miserable at any other time of the day, especially if I don't eat almost constantly. But the last few days have been better. I actually knit a couple of rounds on my Kaw Kaw Monkey socks while waiting in the car for school to start today.

BoyMonkey is very excited about being a big brother. He talks every day about "our baby" and what he needs to teach the baby (how to eat, how to crawl, how to walk, etc.). We've read him a few books about being a big brother that included a page or two on how the baby grows. So he knows what an umbilical cord is and what it's for. When I eat something, he tells me that the baby is eating it too. "Does the baby like yogurt? Does it feel cold to the baby?" It's beyond adorable. He's going to be a fabulous big brother.

Wednesday was a very special day in our house. It was BoyMonkey's 4th birthday! I can't believe he's so old already. And so big. And so grown-up. We gave him a special day with waffles for breakfast, a couple of presents before Daddy went to work, cupcakes for his class at school, dinner anywhere he wanted (Boston Market, of all places. I tried to convince him to go somewhere else, but he wasn't having any of it.), and more presents before getting to bed way past bedtime. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share since we were so busy having fun that we didn't take any. His birthday party is this weekend. I plan on having an incredibly casual event. We're going to show up at the park to lay claim to the single large picnic table, have bagels and fruit, let the kids play, eat birthday cake, and go home. No goody bags. No elaborate food set up. No organized activities. Just a bunch of kids playing at the park while adults chat.

This post is already so long, totally link-less, and mostly pictures-less. Something more exciting next time, I promise. And it won't be another 2 months.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Whole Lot of Nothing Goin' On

There's been quite a bit going on here, but not a whole lot of knitting. I am further on my Kaw Kaw Monkey socks. But that's all the knitting I've done this week. Here's a poorly lit picture of my progress. Enjoy it; it's the only picture in a very wordy and mostly knitless post.

On Thursday and Friday, I subbed in my son's preschool classroom. This is the first time I've worked (paid work, that is) since I was about 6 months pregnant, 4 years ago. About 7 years ago I worked at his school as a Kindergarten Teacher. That's also how I managed to get him into such a great preschool. Honestly, getting your child into a good preschool here can be as hard as getting into college! It's absolutely dumbfounding. I have at least 2 friends who each applied to 10 different preschools and got into none of them. For our preschool, there were 200 applications (or so I've heard) for a class of 24 kids. But since a lot of those kids were legacy admissions or siblings, there were only about 4 open spots. I had a good time being in the classroom again. In fact, I'm going to continue subbing over the summer. I've even (briefly) considered going back to school to take the classes required to be a preschool teacher. The hours are good, the pay isn't bad, the kids are fun. But until BoyMonkey is in school full time, all day, it just isn't worth it for me.

Over the long weekend, we tried to get some stuff done around the house. We (okay, it was really Roger) cleared off the shelves in the office, tossed everything we don't need anymore, and put everything else back on the shelves in a much more organized manner. I was hoping to change a couple things in BoyMonkey's room, but we didn't get around to it. For the Fourth of July, we mostly stayed home and cleaned. We barbecued chicken and corn-on-the-cob for dinner, with watermelon and strawberries for dessert. The only fireworks we saw were some illegal ones being set off down the street, but we did watch fireworks on TV. Roger and I weren't very impressed, but BoyMonkey enjoyed it (and loved getting to stay up so far past his bedtime) and was glad we weren't too close to the noise. He didn't want to go see the fireworks in person because he was afraid they would be too loud and scary.

Yesterday we went swimming at the JCC. We had a great time. BoyMonkey and I especially love swimming. Since the pool was warm and indoors, the chilly weather outside didn't affect us. After swimming, we bought a couple toys at The Ark (awesome toy store, but nothing on their website yet) and then went for a lovely lunch at Ella's.

The past few days I've been noticing once again that BoyMonkey is a different kid. He's been so loving and affectionate lately. I hear "I love you Mommy, no matter what," many times a day. One of his favorite pre-nap and bedtime activities is to give me "so many kisses." There are normal kisses, eye kisses, ear kisses, cheek kisses, head kisses, hair kisses. The list can go on and on. He's so tall. When did that happen? All of the sudden, he can reach the doorbell without even having to reach. It seems like just last week he could barely touch it when he stood on his tip-toes. His vocabulary is constantly impressing me. His adorably incorrect pronunciations are still there (he is a boy, Mommy is a girler; he likes to play on the pinano). His ability to focus on one activity has greatly increased. He already knows our full address including city and state. I remember learning that in kindergarten. He's just growing up so fast! I have to write down all of this before it changes again. I wish I had kept better records when he was a baby. There is so much that I was sure I could never forget (he is my first and so far only child; how could I ever forget?!?). So many mannerisms and mispronunciations that he's grown out of (he used to say "aye" for yes). So much I know I've forgotten. I am especially loving this age and don't want to forget the magic that is 3 1/2.

Monday, June 30, 2008

11 Years Already?


Roger and I had a lovely anniversary weekend. We slept in, ate leisurely meals at distinctly not-kid-friendly restaurants, saw a play, and saw a movie. It was really nice. But we also missed Nathan and were excited to get back to him Sunday afternoon. Below are couple of pictures of our wedding day, June 28, 1997. We look so young. But I was just 22, so I guess I was pretty young. We were married at the Dolph Rempp, a drydocked boat close to where AT&T Park is now. It was moved/destroyed not long after the park was built. The ceremony was outside and the reception was inside the boat.





















While we didn't have a child to take care of this weekend, we apparently had too much fun to find time for knitting. I took 3 projects with me and never once picked up a knitting needle. I hardly even thought about knitting. I still have lots of yarn to photograph and post on Ravelry. I've been contemplating photographing my old, to-be-tossed stash an labeling it toss/trade. Maybe that will really convince me to not buy any more. Just mere days after saying no more yarn, I bought more. It was just 2 skeins from Knit Picks to take advantage of free shipping with the books I bought, but still. I need to stop buying yarn!

Friday, June 27, 2008

SABLE

For the last two days I've been making a big push to photograph all the FOs around that haven't seen the light of day in far too long. I've also been trying to do something even bigger: photograph and post on Ravelry everything I bought this year at Stitches West and at Sock Camp, along with the miscellaneous yarn that has been acquired in the last 6 months or so. Oh yeah, there's also the yarn I bought last year in Alaska. It hasn't been photographed yet either. How will I ever knit it all? That's it! I'm officially on a yarn diet!

I've entered 27 new yarns, which isn't everything from Stitches and nothing from Sock Camp or Alaska. Plus I entered 10 more projects into Ravelry, including less than flattering pictures of some ugh! projects. A couple of my favorites:










Left, Dream In Color Smooshy, Dusky Aurora (Rav link)
Right, Handmaiden Camelspin, Midnight (Rav link)


On the poop front, we have hit a rough spot. BoyMonkey pooped in the potty for almost an entire week. Then he went back to pooping in his diaper. Nothing will convince him to use the potty. On our way back from camping last weekend, we stopped at Toys R Us and bought a slew of toys he could get (one at a time) when he started pooping in the potty. Some are small and he just needs to use the potty once. Others are much more significant and will take a week or two of consistent potty usage before he earns them. But the toys haven't even made it out of the car yet. Every nap time we talk about it, since that is his normal poop time. He says all the right things. He even makes up new verses to The Poopsmith Song ("Not on the pillow, not on the penguins; Poop in the potty, poop goes in the potty). But he either poops in his diaper or doesn't poop at all. I guess I'll give up for now and try again in a month or two. Which is so hard to do since I know he can do it.

Starting tomorrow (well, really today since it's nearly 2am) I'll be childless for nearly 3 days! My mom will be coming up to take care of BoyMonkey and we won't see him again until Sunday evening. We're not even sure exactly what to do with ourselves beyond eat at grown-up places and sleep in as late as possible. Ahhhh, childlessness....

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

It fits!

I restarted the Kaw Kaw Monkey sock on larger (2.5mm) needles. Instead of the Channel Island cast-on, which I thought turned out looking a little funny, I did the Twisted German cast-on. I really like it; it's very stretchy. After a couple of repeats, I tried it on and it fits! I don't tend to like tall socks so I just did 4 repeats. Now I've turned the heel, switched back to smaller needles (2.25mm), and am doing the gusset decreases. I'm really loving this sock. The colors are gorgeous. The more I look at it, the more I like the colors and the way they look together. The pattern, as most knitters know, is also fabulous. It's easy and beautiful. Much more exciting for me than a plain stockinette sock, but not so difficult that I need a pattern.

Over the weekend we went camping at Clearlake with a couple of friends. Oh my goodness it was hot. It didn't even cool down much at night. We swam in the lake some, which felt nice since it was so hot, but it wasn't too nice since there were a lot of people in a relatively small area (why is the swimming area so small in such a large lake?) and there was quite a bit of algae. Ewww. Overall it was a nice weekend. Maybe we'll go back next year, but in the spring before it's so hot.

This weekend is our 11th anniversary! We're sort of going away for the weekend, leaving BoyMonkey with my mom. It's only sort of going away since we're staying at a hotel in the city. We plan on seeing a show of some sort on Saturday (we'll get tickets that morning at the half-price booth), maybe going to a museum, eating at nice restaurants, and just relaxing. Ahhh, to be temporarily child-free..... Since our wedding was before the age of digital cameras, I don't have a wedding picture to post. If I get a chance I'll scan in a picture and post it soon.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Crap, thy name is Kaw Kaw

So I've finished the ribbing and 4 repeats of the first Monkey sock and decided to try it on. It's too small! Crap!! Actually, once I force it past my heel it fits just fine. I have huge insteps and often have this problem. But I really had to force it on, so once the whole sock is knitted, it will be nearly impossible to get on and I'll never wear them. What do I do now?

Option 1: Use larger needles for the leg. Maybe it will have enough extra give so I can get it on my foot and I can switch to smaller needles for the foot.

Option 2: Try to alter the Monkey pattern. It might work, but I hate to mess with it. I was thinking of adding 2 stitches to each repeat. After the purls and decrease, there's always a knit 3 before the yarn over. I could make that a knit 4. Hopefully the pattern would look mostly the same.

Option 3: Use the yarn for a different pattern and find another thicker yarn for Monkeys. But I really, really don't want to do this. The pattern and the yarn both have a sentimental significance for me. I really want the Kaw Kaw yarn to become Monkeys. This option is absolutely my last resort.

Any thoughts or opinions from those more experienced than me?

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Father's Day

I posted the JibJab Father's Day card I sent to Roger. I think it came out really cute. Play it and let me know what you think.

It was a busy day for us. Since today is Father's Day, I got up at the crack of dawn with BoyMonkey and let Roger sleep in. If you know me you know what a sacrifice that is for me. I really like to sleep in. We went out to breakfast, visited Roger's mom, and then had a playdate and dinner with some friends. It was a lot of fun and we need to do it again soon. I wish I had a picture to post, but we were so busy talking and enjoying ourselves that we didn't take any pictures. Since I also can't find any good current pictures of Roger and BoyMonkey together, here is a picture from last June on our cruise to Alaska. Aren't they adorable together?

As for knitting, I'm still working on the Kaw Kaw Monkeys (and still loving them!) and on BoyMonkey's sweater. I think I'm close to doing the bottom ribbing on it, but I need BoyMonkey to try it on to be sure. I just realized I haven't taken any pictures of the sweater. Tomorrow I'll do that and post them for all to see.

The thing I'm most excited about is that BoyMonkey has not pooped in a diaper since Monday! Yay!!!! It seems we've really turned a corner and we'll hopefully be entirely finished with diapers soon. We'll see how long it takes for him to be able to stay dry all night; I suppose it could still be quite a while.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Love, Thy Name is Kaw Kaw

The May Rockin' Sock Club kit came a while ago, but I'm just now getting around to taking pictures and posting it on Ravelry. I love this color! The pattern, Cleopatra's Stockings (Ravelry link), is lovely and is near the top of my ever-growing queue.


Since finishing my Leafling socks, I haven't had any socks on the needles for myself. Unacceptable, I know. So I finally cast on for my Kaw Kaw Monkeys. I love, love, love this colorway. I've only knit the ribbing and one lace repeat, but it's going quickly and it's fantastic. Love the pattern too, of course(my first Monkeys!). Since these socks are all about sock camp, I used one of the cast ons from JC Briar's class. I did the Channel Island cast on and I think it worked okay. We'll see when I actually try it on.
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Disappointed and Ecstatic

There hasn't been much knitting going on here lately. I did finish BoyMonkey's camping socks. They are too thick to be worn in shoes, but will hopefully keep his feet warm at night when we're camping. The toe ends still need to be woven in, but I wanted to check the fit first. When BoyMonkey tried them on, they seemed to fit okay, but the heel was a little funky. We'll see how they work out in a couple of weeks when we go camping again.

Yesterday was supposed to be BoyMonkey's first day of summer school. I am so disappointed that it seems we didn't get signed up. I distinctly remember filling out the paper. I'm pretty sure I asked Roger to hand it in, but I might have done it myself. But somehow, the registration never got to the school director. I had asked for 5 days a week, with early care and lunch. Now, they can only fit us in Mon, Wed, and Fri with early care, but probably no lunch. The part that makes me feel so bad is that I know some of his best friends are only there Tues and Thurs, so he won't see them at all. I feel just sick about it.

The good news is that BoyMonkey pooped in the potty today! Sorry if this is TMI for some of you non-parents. We've known he's ready for quite a while. He's been peeing in the potty with no accidents since December. But he would only poop in a diaper. Twice now he's gone into his room himself, taken off his pants and underwear, put on a diaper and pooped. All of this without letting me know at all what's going on until after the fact. After lots of talking and convincing him that using the potty is a good thing and trying to bribe him with anything at all (a movie, a new toy, even a pet even though I really don't want one), today I put him down for his nap and asked him to please not poop in the diaper. The potty is right next to his bed. A couple of minutes after I left him alone, he called me in and showed me that he pooped in the potty! We did the poop dance! We called Daddy! We'll do something special (to be determined) after nap. Finally! I'm ecstatic!
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Thursday, June 5, 2008

Here we go!

After thinking about it for more than a year, I finally decided to start a blog! While primarily about my nocturnal knitting habit, there will also be tales of my adventure as a stay-at-home-mom to a 3 1/2 year old. I'm sure there will also be plenty of loving thoughts and complaints about my husband of nearly 11 years. Here's a recent family picture of the three of us at Traintown in Sonoma. I'll be back with some real content soon!