Wicked Random Wednesday

Wordless, my eye.  This is what's on my brain today.

1.  There's a fine line between "toasty" and "burned" when talking about English muffins.  I manage to cross that line every day.

2.  New favorite breakfast:  multigrain English muffin with peanut butter, a little honey and sliced banana.  Provided the English muffin doesn't get burned.  Also provided that Sean has not eaten the last of the bananas. 

3.  My little hoover!  Sean ate two helpings of macaroni and meatballs at daycare yesterday.  He put away four mini toaster waffles and some fruit for dinner.  This kid loves to eat.  Or, as my dad told me this past weekend when he came over to watch the boys, "Man, you just can't feed that kid enough!"  :)

4.  I have a meeting tomorrow to meet the owner of my new job.  Same company, different apartment site.  "Excited" doesn't even begin to cover it!  Also a little nervous, anxious....and whatever else comes with it. 

5.  My purple sock has been on hiatus for a couple of days now.  I got to the gusset and that's when I got lost.  Someone at knitting tonight has offered to help me, and I'm going to take her up on it. 

6. I've been following a news story about the shelter we got Joey from nine years ago.  Two weeks ago, somebody (actually a group of somebodies) broke in and stole NINE DOGS.  They've arrested four people in connection to the case, recovered seven of the dogs (alive)  I logged into Facebook earlier and discovered that someone found the eighth dog and took him home.  Four days later, they saw a newspaper story about the robbery and brought the puppy to the shelter.  One dog still missing.  Hope the lil' puppy makes it home!  (And those people fry, fry fry.)

I guess that's all I've got today.  Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Wordless Wednesday: KP Duty

Sock-In-Progress

Wellll......it's starting to look like a sock!

I cast this sock on and frogged it  (i.e. ripping it out and starting over) no less than three times.  There was lots of cursing involved.  I also went to the doctor for a sinus infection the other day, so I haven't been feeling well.  I may (or may not) have at one point chucked the yarn and needles into a bag and thrown a hissy fit.  But I'm not admitting to anything.

Finally, I got the round going.  After two inches of ribbing, it was time to make a heel flap.  Easy as pie.  Next came turning the heel.  It wasn't the easiest thing, but I did it!  There is a nice round heel on this sock.  Next is the gusset, and well....that looks like the hardest part.  And the thing about socks?  There's two of them.  So if the first one kicks your ass, well, the second one might, too.

I posted on Facebook that I was knitting my first sock and having some difficulty.  I got some interesting responses.  One knitty friend in California said that knitting with dpn's  (double pointed needles) is not unlike wrestling a porcupine.  You know, I can agree with that.  Other friends offered pointers and in-person help.  One friend in PA (a friend of my husband's from HS days) said "The only part I understood in your post is the cursing.  The rest of it...well, knitting is just plain weird!  Why yes, yes it is weird.  And I love it.  :)

Ham and Cheese....

One of the coolest things about my boy Sean?

Show him a camera and he knows exactly what to do.  The flash goes off, he smiles more.   Pretty soon he'll be able to say the word "cheese" to go with this.  

I love my little ham.  :)

Ready, Set....Socks

After 2.5 years of knitting, I'm ready to hike my Everest:  Sock-making.  

Socks, to me, are the ultimate, non-straight edge Knitted Item.  They are the one thing that I suck in my breath in awe in viewing someone's finished socks.  They mystify me somewhat, and I've always shied away from casting on a pair.    Not today.

 Pattern:  Easy Peasy socks on Ravelry.   Yarn:  Cascade 220 Superwash in a purple-y, heathered hue.

I'm out to prove that this pattern is indeed "easy peasy" and am going to become a sock knitter.  Yes, a sock knitter.  Purple socks seem like a natural choice, since purple is my favorite.  They're a shorter ankle sock, and the pattern is written as a sock class of sorts.

Casting on-----ready, set, go!

Springtime Equals Outside Time!

 My little Slide Monster!  

 Sean enjoying his first swing ride...I have this same exact picture of Will somewhere, around the same age, at the same park and even the same jacket.  I really need to make sure I label this one so that we know who it is!

 Mom and Will riding a purple dinosaur

 Sean "walking" with Daddy in the field.

 The makings of another Slide-monster!

Four years old and still loves a push from Mommy.

A Perfect Saturday

Sleeping till 8:30am and still getting up before the children.

Taking time to drink coffee and chat at the kitchen table.  Eating, the four of us sitting in the kitchen and enjoying each other's company.

Heading out solo for a fabulous spa day!  My parents get me a spa gift card for my birthday every year and today was the day....an awesome massage and a fabulous pedicure.   I've been going to this spa for so many years that even though I go once a year, they always remember me.  And now I have feet as soft as a baby's and I just feel Lovely!

Treating myself to a snack and iced tea at Starbucks afterwards, and spending half an hour knitting on my silver shawl.

Bringing home coffee to hubby, who I find is watching a movie all curled up with the boys.  And the boys are in great moods.  Deciding to head to the park up the street and treating Sean to his first playground trip.  (LOVES the swings!!)

Taking a trip together to the grocery store to get some fish to make fish tacos.  Something that Hubby had previously said he'd never like, but he DID!  Homemade fried tilapia tacos with fresh pineapple salsa.  Mmmm.....

Winding down the day with my bunch, then chilling in the living room, watching hockey and knitting.

Yeah.   It doesn't get much better than that!

Ready for My Close-Up

Wow Mom, you're right!  It IS frustrating when you can't close the tupperware drawer! 

 Oh, you're going to take my picture?  Nevermind the drawer...."cheese!!!"

 Sean, my little ham.

Wordless Wednesday: So Proud of Himself!

Sean pulling himself into his brother's rocking chair for the very first time, 3/11/11.

Not the Greatest Start

Monday:  Chest Cold.  (Still) teething baby.  Realizing said baby isn't a baby, but a toddler.  Need to stop saying "baby."  ( But I don't want to!)    Poking myself in the nose with a permanent black marker.  (pretty AND graceful!)  Realizing the label I've been waiting for with UPS is actually electronic and I just have to print it out so I can ship back a crate of foam plates that's been hanging out in my car for like two weeks.  Not the greatest start to the week.

However, the week has a lot of potential.  So Hello Tuesday...what do you have in store?

Potty Time

I haven't mentioned much about this because I was afraid to jinx it.....but it appears that Will is on his way to being potty-trained!  There have been fewer accidents and he's spending a bit of time in underwear lately.  And he is SO proud of himself, as we are of him.  It's been a long, long, LONG road and I'm glad to see the intersection ahead.

Had a bit of a challenge today though....I took the kids out to Target so Brian could get some homework done in a quiet house.  Sean's teething and has been miserable for most of the weekend.  (So taking him out might be admitting that sometimes I have rocks for brains.  Well, maybe I do.)  I was able to snag a double cart at Target and stroll with the boys and our shopping list.  Right before we were to head to the checkout, Will announced that he had to use the bathroom.  Uh-oh....this is the first time I've been in public with the kids and had to handle it.  Thank goodness for those "family" restrooms in the pharmacy section!  (and for Target being pretty quiet and being able to leave my cart o' stuff outside the door without incident.)

I treated the boys to a chocolate milk in the "Target Kitchen" on the way out.  Sean adores chocolate milk, and doesn't get it very often.  He wasn't finished with his milk when we were leaving, so I let him have the sippy cup in the car....which is rare.  I took the long way home, since we hadn't been out all that long.  Peeking in the rearview mirror at the boys on the way home, Sean was fighting back sleep, with his hands firmly clenching the cup and his precious chocolate milk.  So sweet.  :)

The Jewel-Box

I was searching for a pair of earrings this morning.  I'm not very organized when it comes to jewelry, as I change earrings/rings/necklaces, they usually end up on a little plate on top of my jewelry box.  Yeah...I have a jewelry box, a lovely Christmas present from my husband for one of the first Christmases of our marriage.  But most of what I wear most days is ON TOP of it instead of INSIDE OF IT. :)

I didn't find the earrings that I was looking for on top, so I opened it up.  As I rifled through, I came across some things that made me think of my jewelry as a timeline of Crafty Mama.  Join me, won't you??


Silver Unicorn Pendant

This is the first piece of jewelry that I remember getting as a gift.  My dad gave it to me when I was four or five  years old, it came with a chain but the chain is long-gone.  I loved wearing this!  I thought I was pretty special with my unicorn necklace. 




Teal and Rhinestone Drop Earrings.

 I wore these to the prom.  I can't believe I still have these!  I had a teal off-the-shoulder dress and my hair up in a twist and shoes dyed to match.  Very 1994.  I still fondly remember perusing Claire's for the "perfect" accessories and hoping nobody in my class had the same dress 'cause dude, that would be embarrassing! 

The most random thing in there?  Joey's first collar when we brought him home from the shelter.  It's funny, sometimes I show it to him he gets all excited and starts sniffing it.  I know it seems like a silly thing, but it's dear to me.



Wedding Tiara

Yes, it's busted and I'll likely never wear it again.  But I'll never get rid of it, either.  Flowered rhinestones, silver-colored metal.  I really, really wanted a tiara instead of a full veil.  After seeing the prices at bridal shops, I got this is a crafts store in Somersworth, NH.  I went for my hair trial for the wedding and can remember feeling very regal as the hairdresser put my hair in soft curls, pulled half of my hair up and topped it with this tiara.  Afterwards, this Regal Diva (ha ha ha!  I can't even say that with a straight face) had errands to run.  What kind, mind you?  Well, I had to shop for a toilet plunger for the house.  Imagine the stares that you get in a tiara, carrying a toilet plunger.  The ultimate oxymoron.  But hey, every Queen needs a sceptor.  :)

The End of the Road, But Not The Journey...

Tomorrow night marks the end of the fifteen-week weight loss program through the hospital.  In fifteen week's time, I have lost fifteen pounds and gained insight to a lifestyle change that involves fruits and veggies, fewer bouts of stress eating and several pairs of pants that are starting to look pretty baggy.  I've stopped calling myself names, which was a pretty feat to accomplish.  And I'm still hopeful!

However, with no "organized" program to go to and no weekly weigh-in where someone else sees the numbers, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit nervous.  But I've been given the tools, and I'm ready for the mission.

Over the weekend I was in a clothing store that I have not been in over ten years.  I looked at pants for work and I was delighted that they had them in my size.  However, I didn't buy anything because I decided to wait.

Instead, in a moment of silliness, I touched the size fourteen petites on the rack and whispered "Watch out, I'm comin' back for ya."  :)

Signs of Spring

The snow is finally melting!  It's taken a couple of days but look what we found peeking out at us this morning from 'his" winter slumber?

Will's turtle sandbox!  I had absolutely forgotten that "he" was out there.  Not only that, you could hear birds singing in the trees.  I have a sneaking suspicion that Old Man Winter isn't quite finished with us this early yet, but it certainly is a welcome reprieve.

In Search of Balance

Some days you have wins and losses.

Today's tally...

Grabbed an orange for a snack at work.  As soon as I touched it it squashed like a bug.  Apparently it had "some" mold issues.  Loss.

Found a camisole that I love shoved in the back of my sock drawer.  I stashed it there because it had a broken strap.  With no time to find the sewing kit, I stapled it back together and then threw it on with my sweater.  It held all day and never snagged.  Win!

Managed to make it up to the pharmacy counter with just milk after going through the "Spring Sale" cosmetics.  Win.

Discovering, with a sickening feeling, that my debit card was not in my wallet.  Loss.  Paying for my prescription and a gallon of milk with my credit card.  Loss.  Staying calm while trying to remember where I last used my card.  Win.  Triumphantly remembering that it was in my pants pocket at knitting last night.  Win!  Rushing home to look for the pants, only to find out that they're in the wash.  And that I've put my debit card through the wash cycle as well.  Loss. Loss.  Going back out to get cash to pay the sitter tomorrow, with hubby insisting to take his card too, so I don't have to make a third trip.  Loss.  Card working and ATM transaction smoothly made.  Win.

Both Will and Sean rushing to the door, excited to see me when I get home from the bank.  Will wanting hugs and to snuggle on the couch with me.  Sean dive-bombing in my lap saying "Mommommommommom" over and over.    DING DING DING DING DING!!!!!!!  Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner.  :)

Wordless Wednesday: Little Chef

This is currently Sean's favorite thing to do--pull out all the pans and cutting boards and play with them.

Perhaps we have a budding chef on our hands?