So, explain this to me

I took the kids to Target so Ben could exchange his Hot Wheels toy that he already had. We also went to Borders, each child with a $15 gift card. What did we come home with? A waffle iron. How the heck did that happen? Serves me right for watching Good Eats before going shopping. Waffles for brekkie tomorrow, though! Yay! The kids are getting along well today, considering how long the vacation has been. I haven't had to punish anyone all week, knock wood. Now that Webkinz is down for maintenance, though, I don't know how much longer they can hold out. Playing Mouse Trap together was a nice thing for everyone. So, I joined Spark People yesterday. If you haven't heard of it, let me enlighten you. It's like Weight Watchers Online, only free. I can't figure out what WW has that Spark People doesn't. So I signed up but I probably won't kick into the program for real until after New Year's Eve, because I want me some cannolis from Uncle Guiseppe's, which is what we usually bring to our friends' house for their yearly party. And the wife's mom usually sends over her homemade samosas (they're Indian) and they are SO delicious I could eat them all. But in the spirit of preparing for a healthier attitude toward food, I will try to control myself and enjoy the company more than the treats. I didn't set ANY weight loss or health goals last year, and I didn't gain any weight at all this year. But I do want to try and get down to my goal weight before I turn 40 in November, and I know I can do it. Anyone else setting weight loss goals? Want a buddy?

KnitwearNYC

Today we had tickets to see the Christmas spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. How many points do I get for KIP-ing (knitting in public, for you scrappers reading) in the audience before the show started? :P Sadly, I discovered after a few minutes that I was missing a stitch somewhere and had to stop because the lighting wasn't good enough to see what I had done wrong (turned out to be an accidental K2tog). The best part, though, was walking around the streets before and after, admiring all the knitwear that I never truly noticed in winters past! There were lovely scarfs and cabled hats, and some absolutely gorgeous sweaters. I of course had on my Calorimetry with matching mittens, so maybe someone somewhere was scoping me out too. The worst part was the crowd. I hate crowds. I grew up in rural North Carolina. There were cows across the street. Trying to cross the street in front of Radio City nearly gave me a panic attack. And that was nothing compared to the crowd in front of the tree at Rockefeller Center or the drive alongside suicidal cab drivers on the way home. I wish I loved NYC, I really do, but I don't. I tolerate it a couple of times a year. With heartfelt apologies to my city boy husband, who I tried to pacify by suggesting we spend our 10 year anniversary there. That was a fun trip, I'll confess, because we parked the car at the hotel and walked everywhere. DH is going in to work tomorrow for the first time in almost a week. I plan to park the kids in front of some Pokemon videos and knit for a while. I need to calm my nerves after today's insanity. We may also visit Target to exchange the gift that Ben received that he already had, and maybe hit Borders too so the kids can spend their generous gift cards from my brother and his family. Who knows, I may even peek in the knitting book section for me!

New Year's Resolution

I will not cast on a new pair of socks until these three pairs are done. I will not cast on a new pair of socks until these three pairs are done. I will not cast on a new pair of socks until these three pairs are done. I will not cast on a new pair of socks until these three pairs are done. I will not cast on a new pair of socks until these three pairs are done. I will not cast on a new pair of socks until these three pairs are done. I will not cast on a new pair of socks until these three pairs are done.

Sob.

I think I'm going to have to rip out almost the entire second Sailor's Rib sock. I increased to 80 stitches instead of 70, so I have an entire extra pattern repeat. :groan:

The Meatloaf Thief

Today I took a package of meatloaf mix out of the freezer and left it on the counter to defrost. It made it through most of the day. However, at one point I came downstairs and found DH holding the styrofoam plate that it came on...empty. He said, "I found Seeger in his crate licking this." No mystery where the rest of it must be. So the options were A) roast and eat the dog or B) go to the store and get more. We debated and came down on the side of option B. Plus a special bonus for the dog when Ben accidentally dropped his plate as he was clearing, because he had a little meatloaf left over that fell on the floor. At that point, I wasn't arguing over whose domain it was. Having the dog lick the grease and ketchup off the floor means only one thing for me: less mopping. Bonus for me as well, then. Things are going well with the second Sailor's Ribbing Sock. I've gotten past the toe and into the foot pattern. What I have to look forward to is boring boring boring, then WHEE turn the heel. I love turning the heel. I got my order from Eat.Sleep.Knit. the other day, and I have to tell you that the tencel sock yarn from The Unique Sheep is so soft I want to rub it all over me. When I realized that I had ordered too little of the Lorna's Laces, I placed another order and had to throw in another colorway of the tencel as well. It's so delicious. I can now see why sometimes people leave yarns in their stash for so long, waiting for the absolutely perfect pattern to come along to match it. I have to go serve dessert. I made my mom's famous (off the sweetened condensed milk can) Cherry Cheese Pie and some decaf. Rebecca won't eat it, the little snot, but Ben is looking forward to it. So am I. I've been buying the premade cheesecake filling by Philadelphia in the freezer case, and it's okay, but the cheese pie is definitely my favorite. Off to indulge!

Just dropping by...

...to tell you I have nothing interesting to say. As one of the class moms for Ben's class, I collected the money and bought the gift card for the class gift to the teacher. I made a nice card too, using the Blustery Day kit by Susan Bartolini and Christy Lyle over at the Sweet Shoppe. I'm not going to reproduce it here, because I included a class photo and I don't want to post the kids' photos without their parents' permission. It's right cute, though. Today is the class party at 2:00. I wasn't planning to be there, but the other class mom thought it would be nice if we were both there to present the gift. I also have a knitted washcloth with some nice Body Shop soap and lotion to give her as a present just from Ben. He doesn't want me to bring it today, though. He wants to give it to her tomorrow on the last day before vacation. Speaking of vacation, I'm really glad it's almost here. I'm running low on the energy to keep on top of Ben and his schoolwork. However, I think we've come up with a temporary solution. He's decided he really likes Pokemon, so I bought a few packs of the cards and told him he can have a pack every time he comes home with a note saying he did all his classwork in a timely manner. That's the biggest problem now that the toilet issues are cleared up...he loves to daydream and not complete his work, then claim that he didn't have time. He even comes home with his snack, saying he didn't have time to eat it! He's just such an airhead sometimes. But he's dying, DYING, for these Pokemon cards and he told me he was going to earn his first pack today. So we'll see. The idea is to get him into the habit so the rewards can come less frequently. I have three pairs of socks currently on the needles. I completed the first sock for DH and need to cast on the second one. Ben's and mine are still on hold. And what did I go and do? Ordered sock yarn from a girl who lives near my parents in NC. It's pretty, though, and I hope it comes today. It's mostly for me, I'm embarrassed to admit. I also found a sweater I'd like to make for Ben in the book "The Knitting Experience: The Purl Stitch." But the socks are following me all over the house and tugging on my shirttails, so I think I better get them done first. I'm still not feeling 100%. I finished my last dose of antibiotic on Tuesday, then yesterday I woke up with one of the worst sinus headaches ever. The pressure in my head was unbearable. After waiting an hour and a half for some aspirin to kick in, I had to take some Tylenol on top of them. I even had to suffer through the gingerbread house activity at Rebecca's school, which I would have enjoyed without the pain and roar in my ears. Fortunately, right around 4:30 the pain broke and I could have started dancing, I felt so much better. Today I feel good, but I still have this nasty stuffy feeling in my ears. I called the doc who told me it could take up to 10 days for the symptoms to go away, so I'm going to wait until Monday and see if I'm better then. I feel like I'm living at high altitude or something. Wow, I guess I did have some things to say after all. Have a wonderful day!

Nice day.

Oh, okay, weather-wise it was a horrible day. But it turned out so nice I just have to sigh. First, DH and Ben went into the city for a father/son day. I just spoke to them on the phone and they went to an art museum and the Big Apple Circus. Rebecca and I went out to breakfast, walked around the mall and finished our shopping for the teachers and Ben's book exchange, and then went to see Enchanted, which we both loved. We stopped at the store on the way home, then made a nice fire and ate some spaghetti for dinner. Now I'm catching up on updating my knitting projects in Ravelry, and checking my other internet regular spots. Just overall a very pleasant and enjoyable day, despite the cold, nasty rain and icy spots on the roads. This is going to be a hectic week with the vacation coming up. I have to clean the house for the first time in too long, work on some laundry, pay the bills, and find the kids new lunchboxes. I'll leave you with a photo of Ben in his new mittens that I finished last night, along with the matching scarf and hat that I did at the end of the summer.

Love for the Z

I love me some Z-pak. I didn't end up going to the doctor yesterday because just as I was getting ready to leave, the ice started coming down in earnest and I didn't want to risk my little Corolla (and my little self!) on the roads. So I went in today and got the diagnosis of sinus infection. I was surprised; I thought it was bronchitis for sure because of the congested cough. But she said my lungs are clear and the cough is caused by my sinuses. Stupid head. But I got my golden pills--they're actually pink--and I'm on my way to recovery. I also have to do nasal spray (Nasonex) which I hate. But I'll do it if it helps me feel better. I'm so glad it's the weekend. I had a large-ish meltdown yesterday because I don't know how to make my son do his work. I can't make him do it at home, much less at school. I think we have to add a line to his chore chart about doing homework in a reasonable amount of time. He sat there until dinner NOT doing his spelling sentences. I was kind, patient, helpful, and patient (yes I know I said that twice, but I had to use up a LOT of patience) for about the first half hour and then I got angrier and angrier. DH, who had come home early with an upset stomach, finally had to get out of bed to help me out before I started yelling. I just left the room entirely and DH handled it. Ben came upstairs not ten minutes later with his completed sentences for me to see. Now how come I, with love and patience, could not get that to happen? I guess because I had walked him through his first assignments step by step and I wasn't going to keep doing that. "Now do this. Now do that." He's got to start self-motivating. Sorry, I feel myself getting upset over it all over again and I have to let today be a new day. Anyway, I'm glad it's the weekend with no homework. And maybe a little more snow. And poor Ben can finally open the roller coaster toy his grandmother gave him for Hanukkah--you know, the kind with a million zillion tiny little pieces that's actually made for a 12 year old? Thanks Maddy! :smiling sardonically and waving:

Ugh, I feel like crap

I've had some cloggy throat issues for a couple of days, coupled with a decrease in my ability to taste. (Always a bad thing.) Today it's turning into a cloggy cough and I'm going to see the doctor. Every year this time I end up with either a sinus infection, or bronchitis, or strep. I'm not waiting this time for it to get so bad I can't stand it. I just hope they don't close down the schools while I'm sitting in the waiting room. Other than that, I'm almost done with DH's first sock, and it is very lovely. I just sigh whenever I look at it. I know the second one will go faster because I'll know a bit better what I'm doing. I gotta get busy on Ben's socks, though...he asked me the other day where they were! Things went as expected at Ben's teacher conference. He's brilliantly smart but incredibly distractable. He gets bored with the easy, repetitious work and as a result doesn't complete it. Which just puts him in this vicious cycle where the teacher can't mark him down as mastering the work because he hasn't done it, and therefore she can't challenge him with harder work. And he continues to be bored. I know it sounds so braggy but the fact is, he's scary smart. And since we can't afford to put him into a private school, we have to work around the liabilities of the public school system. That means we may try to supplement his regular school with a Saturday gifted program or something. Rebecca would likely qualify too (her teacher told us she might have her pulled from class to join a 4th grade reading group, since no one else in the 3rd grade reads on her level). So while we are definitely having issues, they aren't the worst issues we could have. Ben is immature and sensitive and overly dramatic. And he has major toileting issues still, which is probably the thing that bothers me most. But I just keep telling myself that when he's out wrecking my car I'll *wish* he was still little and pooping his pants.

Countdown

Just one more hour until our appointment with Ben's teacher. And he comes home with a sheepish look on his face and tells me she's going to tell me something bad. Me: "Okay. Well why don't you tell me first so it won't be a surprise?" Him: "...mumblegluemumble..." Me: "Hm?" Him: "I said I glued myself to my chair during center time." Me: "....." Him: "I'm sorry." Me: "Okay, well thank you for telling me." (walks off to the other room to giggle quietly) I'm sure she won't think it's funny. And I probably shouldn't either. But I still do.

Happy Hanukkah!

Yesterday we went to my MIL's house in Westchester for Hanukkah. It was the first time we left the dog for more than a couple of hours, and I was a little worried he might not be able to make it without a bathroom break. But he did fine. Which is good practice for when we go into the city during Christmas break. (I HATE the city at Christmas...yes, shoot me...but I just can't tolerate crowds and the crowds are ATROCIOUS then.) So anyway, we had a lovely time at MIL's house and she LOVED the neckwarmer I knitted for her. The kids got loads of presents, many of which were science-related. I'll grant you, there were just way too many of them, but at least they're either educational, crafty, or books. I've spent the past few hours working my butt off trying to work out a heel turn. First off, I'm using directions for 2 circs but I'm trying to do it with the Magic Loop method. I must have frogged that damn heel three or four times before I figured out how to do it right. So now I"m knitting up the gusset and at a good stopping point. Considering it's one in the morning and anything I do from here on out will probably have to be redone later, quitting is a good idea. I just really want to get these socks done for DH, because he doesn't have any from me yet AND they're really really nice. Very soft, beautiful colors, just right for my sweetie. Tomorrow (oops, today) is parent/teacher conference time. We meet Rebecca's teacher tomorrow (yeah, today) and Ben's on Wednesday. I already know pretty much what Rebecca's teacher will say, and I actually know pretty much what Ben's will say too. Both need to work on their organization, Rebecca needs to chat less, and Ben needs to focus and mature a little. Despite the problems we've been having with the kids lately, I still know that they are growing up very nicely and have incredible futures ahead of them. They have their small quirks, but those are outweighed in my mind by their intelligence and wit. I tend to be an "agree-er" though, so I'm glad DH will be there with me to make sure that the teachers know that we think the kids are just fine. Heck, after being in Ben's class for the Hanukkah party I can say that he's doing VERY well despite being a little airheaded and daydreamy. There are worse problems to have. (We have a new sticker chart for him, just started today, so we can work on keeping him organized and getting his work done. Just thought I'd throw that in.) Okay, off to dreamland. Otherwise tiredness + PMS may cause me to bite the teacher's head off with no provocation!

Better!

Ben is feeling much better now. I kept him home an extra day (yesterday) because he hadn't been rid of the fever long enough for me. He just hung out with me and played on the computer. He's so sweet. I was happy to send him back to school today, though, mostly because I had a LOT of holiday shopping to do. I was able to get almost everything I need in one swell foop (heh) at Target and Ulta. I still need gifts for the cousins on my side, but I'll get those tomorrow when I go out for donuts. We're having our small family Hanukkah celebration tomorrow night. DH gets home from San Diego tonight but not until late. I'm going to put a brisket in the crock pot, then make some latkes. Donuts and gelt for dessert. I hope it's fun for everyone. I used the last of the large sized Hanukkah candles tonight, so I better find a Jewish deli or something tomorrow to restock. I've decided to make my mother-in-law's Hanukkah gift. I wasn't going to, until I saw THIS. I think it would look so nice under a dressy coat. I'm making it in a mauve-gray type heather yarn. It shouldn't take me long, which is why it appeals to me so much. That and the fact that it looks so nice on the model! Not much else going on around here except that I finally, FINALLY took poor Seeger for a walk today. DH had been doing a nightly walk pretty regularly, but I was totally slacking off on the morning walks. Now it's simply too cold to get up at 6 am and walk around the neighborhood, so I went out right before lunch. He really needs the exercise and attention. He's a very sweet dog, but he loves to chew and he's a real kitchen counter commando. He'll steal anything I leave too close to the edge. Stinker. Hope you're having a wonderful holiday season.

Sad boy.

Ben told me on Friday that his ear hurt. It didn't look red or feel hot, and his temperature was normal, so I sent him on to school and he had a fine day. Then last night he woke us up in the middle of the night sobbing that his ear really, really hurt. I got him some Tylenol and sat up with him for a couple of hours, then put him back to bed. Then he came down again and said he was hungry, so I turned him over to his daddy, lol. He was up for several more hours. When I staggered out of bed an hour late at 8:00, he was snoring up a storm. So we left him in bed and called the doc. Sure enough, he has an ear infection...and a pretty nasty one at that. Prescription filled, sick-day toy purchased, chicken soup at Panera, and first dose of amoxycillin taken. Hopefully we'll be on the mend now, especially since Dan left for San Diego today and I've got the kids all to myself. Of course, now I'm trying to convince myself that Ben's recent school problems stemmed from the fact that he wasn't feeling well. Any excuse, huh? I'm just glad we can get him well again. My kids don't get a lot of ear infections, for which I'm grateful, but when they do it's usually a double infection that causes lots of pain and trouble. Please keep my small little guy in your thoughts today.