Proudness Thursday, Jun 5 2008 

Guess it had to happen eventually. My baby is no longer a baby. Dammit.

My youngest monkey (age 6) cooked dinner for the family tonight. Well, he baked a frozen pizza. But still, he felt very accomplished! He added all the extra turkey pepperoni to it by himself, put it into the oven (under extremely close Mom-type supervision), set the timer, checked it at the halfway point, etc. He got all the salad fixin’s out of the fridge and set up a salad bar on the kitchen counter. He even put lettuce in his salad…not just olives, croutons, and dressing. Oh, he’s growing up!

I’m sort of torn as to how I feel about all of this. Part of me is sad that my baby is getting big. Part of me is really proud of him. Part of me thinks that if I can train each child to cook just one meal I’ll be sitting fucking pretty three nights a week! Lazy, me? Nah.

Until next time,

I suck… Saturday, May 17 2008 

…at being a wife. No, really. I took a test! http://www.shipbrook.com/maritaltest/

You earned a total of 61 demerits and 47 merits, resulting in an overall score of -14.
This classifies you as a very poor wife - FAILURE! (At least by 1930s standards.)

My husband, on the other hand, got stellar results. Back off bee-yotches, he’s all mine!

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FYI: My A/C did get fixed promptly. It’s now nice and cool in my home (praise jeebus). I am, right this moment, sitting in front of the computer enjoying a cup full of tequila-soaked gummi bears in air-conditioned comfort. Yay!

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I do, solemnly swear, that one of these days I am going to knit something again!

Until next time,

Some Badnessess Thursday, May 8 2008 

Screw me for being positive! That’ll teach me to have a good Tuesday. Frakking universe turned around and bit me in the ass.

Wednesday my A/C broke, and that’s hideous when the temps outside are creeping up towards 90 degrees. The A/C guy will be here tomorrow morning, but for right now it’s fucking hot in my house and all five of us are pissy and miserable.

Earlier this evening all 3 kids got into a fight outside. WITH SWORDS! The stupid plastic swords have been thrown in the trash and they’ve been told that if they catch any more at parades they may as well turn to the nearest kid and give it away. It won’t be allowed in this house. They’ve also been told not to bring any more home from dollar stores. They’ve been given enough warnings about those damn swords. Done, over, finished, no more toy swords. (Hear that, Grandparents?)

So they all got sent to their rooms, punished and pissy and hot. The little one wouldn’t stop screaming, making the other 2 even angrier. The older 2 were yelling back and forth across the hall at each other about who started what and whose fault it all was. I had to just pull back and laugh at them, otherwise I was going to cry.

Eventually they grumbled themselves out and went to sleep, but we’re all still hot. Hopefully the A/C problem is an easy fix and not something that requires waiting for parts. The high temp tomorrow is supposed to be 90. Ick.

So, in my moment of “If I don’t laugh at my children’s misery I’m going to cry” I turned to my on-line group of Mom friends and they talked me down. Wonderful bunch, they are. They gave me several amazing suggestions on how to consume alcohol without getting overly sweaty due to my lack of A/C. I never would have though of mixing my tequila with my kids popsicles! Brilliant! Or doing shots in a nice cool bathtub. Again, Brilliant! And did you know that Gummy candies absorb alcohol? Apparently you can soak ‘em overnight and it’s easier than making jell-o shots. Amazing. I’m so buying gummy bears next time I go to the store.

Until next time,

Some Goodnessess Wednesday, May 7 2008 

You know, it was a pretty good day. Nothing amazing happened, just a pile of little things that added up.

I got a new tattoo Saturday morning and looking at it makes me immensely happy. It’ll probably piss me off tomorrow because it’s just about to get to the itchy stage of the healing process, but I’ll still be in love with it.

There are not 5 people in my house who are sick all at the same time! OhEmGee! That hasn’t happened in I-don’t-know-how-long.

The school year is nearly over, so the kids are on a little bit of a high about that. Plus, there may be summer camp in their futures. (That’s good for me.)

Hubby sent me a text on his way home from work that said “I’m cooking dinner tonight”. How awesome is that? He then showed up with a couple of fresh steaks for the grill and some yummy pesto to put on pasta. I lurve that man to pieces.

I got a phone call from a friend that I love dearly. She called to talk about Days of Our Lives. Then we rambled on about other stuff until the kids got home from school. I love a nice free-flowing convo with a good friend. The funny thing is that I’ve only known her for a little over a year and I feel like I’ve known her forever. From the first chance we had to actually talk to each other it was an instant connection. We’re psychic twins!

I finished reading The Golden Compass. Good book! I need to hurry up and get the second one in the series so I can keep the story going before I forget anything. In the meantime I’ve started reading Eragon.

So, nothing truly heart-stopping, but good stuff. I think it’s definitely a sign that my winter funk has lifted when I can look back at a fairly ordinary day and appreciate the goodness in it. I like that.

Until next time,

Hack*Cough*Phlegm Thursday, May 1 2008 

I has teh head cold. It sucketh. For those who’ve had kids: you know that pregnant brain syndrome? Where you just forget every damn thing and live in a fog? That’s how this cold has had me feeling for the last few days. (No, I’m not pregnant. That’s what the piece of plastic in my uterus is there to prevent.

Topic Change:

I shall now show you pretty pictures of the yarn my husband brought back from Newfoundland (several months ago).

Pretty green Durasport with some flecky tweedy bits o’color in it. Don’t know what I’m doing with it yet, but according to the almighty Rav it’s very popular for socks.

A spiffy ball of sock yarn.

And the yarn I have coveted most in the entire world forever and ever (amen)… Sea Silk!

Gorgeous, yes?

There is also a FO to report! I made a little sweater for an e-friend who’s due to have a baby girl in July. It’s quite cute, and as soon as I figure where my camera has gotten to, I may even get a picture of it.

Ummmmmm, yeah. That’s it for now. Until next time,

The Definition of Me Thursday, Apr 24 2008 

Allie –
[adjective]:Visually addictive
‘How will you be defined in the dictionary?’ at QuizGalaxy.com

Hahahahaha! This amuses me. I doubt it’s true, but it makes me giggle.

Until next time,

Branches Up, Roots Down Saturday, Feb 2 2008 

It’s time once again for the Silent Poetry Reading! I just love this tradition. Here’s my offering for this year. Take from it what you will… it certainly speaks to me.

Be Near Me
by Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Translated by Naomi Lazard

Be near me now,
My tormenter, my love, be near me—
At this hour when night comes down,
When, having drunk from the gash of sunset, darkness comes
With the balm of musk in its hands, its diamond lancets,
When it comes with cries of lamentation,
with laughter with songs;
Its blue-gray anklets of pain clinking with every step.
At this hour when hearts, deep in their hiding places,
Have begun to hope once more, when they start their vigil
For hands still enfolded in sleeves;
When wine being poured makes the sound
of inconsolable children
who, though you try with all your heart,
cannot be soothed.
When whatever you want to do cannot be done,
When nothing is of any use;
—At this hour when night comes down,
When night comes, dragging its long face,
dressed in mourning,
Be with me,
My tormenter, my love, be near me.

Until next time,

Twitchy Banner

I’ve been ignoring you! Wednesday, Jan 23 2008 

No, really. I have. I sort of started a downward spiral a few months ago and haven’t felt like blogging much. I survived the holidays, sorta. But survive was all I really did. And knit. There was much knitting and I’ll get around to posting it soon I hope.

Thanks a bunch to all those who left sweet, thoughtful comments and took the time to contact me with regards to Patrick’s passing. The kids took it very well. Kids are like that. They bounce back quickly from these things. Plus, a new kitten does soften the blow significantly. Hilda will in no way take Patrick’s place, but she sure does keep us on our toes and provide a great deal of distraction!

I think that’s all I can muster for now.

Until next time,

Twitchy Banner

R.I.P. Patrick Tuesday, Nov 13 2007 

Fourteen years ago my husband and I found a little deaf kitten under a dumpster in Norfolk, Virginia. We were moving out of the Navy Lodge and into our new apartment and fate decided we needed a new kitty to go with that new apartment. Thus began our relationship with Patrick. He brought us countless hours of fun and laughter, he would sit with his wet nose pressed to the glass of the t.v. screen when it was turned off and watch the reflections of everything happing in the room behind him. He moved with us from a one bedroom apartment in Norfolk, to a 2 bedroom house in Maryland, to living with my husband’s family in Louisiana, to living with my mother in Louisiana, to buying our first house, to the house we have now in Mississippi. He was there when we brought all three of our children home from the hospital. He was a terrible mouse catcher. He had a squeaky little deaf cat meow. He was pretty slow on the uptake most days, but he was always my special kitty.

He liked to sleep in the kitty carrier in my bathroom, and that’s where he was this morning. I got up like I do every morning and went into the bathroom, but when I looked down his position was just a little bit wrong. I reached down to pet him and he didn’t wake up. He hadn’t been gone long, and there hadn’t been any noise so I’m pretty sure he was peaceful there at the end.

I decided not to tell the kids yet. I held it in until they got on the school bus and will tell them this afternoon when they get home. No need to start their day off like that.

Goodbye Patrick. I miss you, already.

Until next time,

Twitchy Banner

Brea Update, Etc. Saturday, Nov 10 2007 

Thanks to my uber-wonderful MIL, the Brea Bag has been assembled. Ta-Da!

That picture is a little bit dark. There were clouds. Out of my control, really. The next one is better. It’s got the fabric that I picked for the lining in it. Some pretty purple satin-y stuff. Should make for a nice bright pop of color on the inside.

Now all I have to do is finish knitting up the strap (which is pretty much just a repeat of the gusset) and figure out how to actually line a bag. And get my sewing machine to the shop. I’m pretty sure it’s got a problem since neither I (shiny sewing noob) nor my Mom or MIL (long-time sewers with more combined years of experience with sewing machines than I have years of experience with being alive) can get the thing to work right. So, yeah, eventually….

In other knitting news, I’ve started my brother’s Christmas gift and it may be done in time. Maybe not. It’s really freaking cool, and it’s really freaking tedious, and I can’t tell you what it is or show you the pictures ’cause he sometimes looks here.

I finished up another hat and gave it away before getting a picture of it. Again. But I got an awesome t-shirt and and a new knitting bag from the hat’s new owner, so it’s cool. Thanks again Britt! I’ll just have to knit up another one for me, because I really like the pattern. Rilana always writes the cutest hat patterns.

Finished up Kimmo’s Snow Devil Hat and and forgot to take a picture of that, too.

Got a bunch of yarn on clearance and whipped out the Yarn Harlot’s Unoriginal Hat.

Cute pattern. Probably gonna do it again. Especially since I got a bunch of the clearance yarn, in many colors. You know, because I might never see bulky yarn again. Right? Right. Moving on.

Well maybe not. I’m out of stuff to say right now. Huh.

Until next time,

Twitchy Banner

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