On the up and up

Well, we seem to finally be getting better! Of course Dan came down with it yesterday, and poor Ari was still struggling with it off and on, but everyone is feeling much better today! I just got hit with my yearly winter-long sinus infection (yay) and my neck is killing me from laying at funky angles on the couch all weekend, but I feel so much better! I may have to stitch up a neck roll with flax seeds in it this evening.

So, I got my Knit Picks order! Yay! That made me feel better Saturday when I felt so crappy. I even worked Ari's sock I've had OTN for months down to the foot part. I've only got an inch or 2 to go until the toe shaping...then I can have my DPN's for MY socks with my new Wicked Witch yarn! (Unless it's not done before Saturday...then I'm getting another set of size 1 DPN's at Joann's while I'm there.) I also ordered a maple bottom whorl drop spindle from ebay and some roving so I can learn to spin! (Lori, you're a bad influence!!) ;0) I did get a set of Boye interchangeable circ's from Dan! And he also got me an interchangeable set of eensy weensy crochet hooks for crochet thread....hey, he dug his own hole with starting me on that one! lol So, now I'll be getting some crochet thread, too!

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas....

I hope yours were all better than ours! Christmas Eve ended rocky, to say the least. Then, Christmas morning (I was up before the kids....yes, I am the biggest kid of all...Dan's right)presents went okay. Ari got all the finger puppets, and she was thrilled! The girls loved their VW Hats. Atley opened his sweater and tossed it when he saw it was clothes. When I unwrapped it the rest of the way and showed him what it really was, he was so excited! I'll try to get a picture of it later.

My grandparents dropped by on their way to my dad's, and my grandma had a box full of gifts. Ari was right behind her, and one fell and the corner hit her right under the eye. She had a quick recovery after she opened her new Barbie, though.

So, I spent the afternoon working on getting the house cleaned for the in-laws. Dan and the kids watched "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo." (I get them a Love Bug movie every year.) Things went okay for awhile. Then, Mr. Stomach Flu decided Christmas was a perfect time to drop in completely unannounced in our house! Atley said his tummy didn't feel good. My BIL's girlfriend said maybe it's just gas. He said no and promptly yakked all over the couch...and my BIL. Got that cleaned up and him to bed...and Ari vomited all over her room. All.over.her.room. Then, as I was cleaning the vomit from the Barbie shoes and new Christmas clothes that were in the cross fire, I got it, too. Avoid our house like the plague! lol

Christmas Eve!!

Yay! It's almost here! The kids are SO excited today. I am almost done with gifts. Here is a pic of my last few days' worth of work! From the top left, there is 1 slipper for my dad (who isn't coming til the day after Christmas now, so I've got plenty of time to finish the other. It's already half done.) Then, there is the hat I made for my SIL. At the bottom are Atley's little wristies, and then the all turquoise ones are for my grandma, and the ones with the gray trim are for my SIL to go with the hat (I added the trim to coordinate.) Today, I've got to finish a hat for my BIL's girlfriend and do a pair of wrist warmers for her. I've got to do 2 dish cloths for my MIL and GMIL. Then, I need to do another for my step mom and the other slipper by Friday. I think I can do it!

We got our chocolate chip cookies and 7 layer cookies made yesterday. I've got work today and baking and cleaning. Oh, and we need to start tracking Santa!! If you've never done it before, we do the NORAD tracks Santa every year. It's pretty cool. The kids love it!

How Cold Can it Get?!?!

It was 4 degrees this morning when I got on the computer...not counting the wind chill!! Brrrr!!!

I finished Atley's wristies last night. I didn't put the bat symbol on them yet. Dan said to leave them plain, so I might not at all. I post pics later. Dan FINALLY got started on the kids' puppet theater yesterday! I think it's going to look great. I hope to get a few more finger puppets done for it, too.

We had Christmas at my mom's Saturday. With my "spend on me" money, I placed an order to Knit Picks today! I've ordered Imagination sock yarn in "Wicked Witch" that I'm going to do the Spring Forward sock pattern in. I also ordered the Shine Sport in Green Apple and Grass to make Charlie a Sheldon. And a few other goodies. I'm pacing myself. I'm still going to need to get my drop spindle if I don't get one from Dan. I'm also hopefully getting a set of interchangeable circs, too! (If not, momma is NOT going to be very happy!)

The kids are bouncing off the walls. I can't wait for school to start back! Poor little Ari, she cried and cried this morning because she misses her teacher. Melodie has been making loom potholders all morning. My mom got her a nylon loom weaving set. Right now, she is making a square to turn into a little purse. I still have to decorate the little canvas bag she's getting for Christmas. It's going to be for her knitting and crocheting. I got her a little pair of size 10's (I think) bamboo (I think) needles from Hearthsong. I'm going to throw some of my scrap balls of yarn in the bag and let her have at it. (Well, after I teach her how to knit, which she's been begging me to do! My mom showed her how to crochet a few weeks ago.) Ari got a fairy cookie making set, so we're probably going to be making those tomorrow. We're out of cookies, anyway, so we need something to leave for Santa. I'm also making some more fudge, some 7 layer cookies, some rice krispie treats, and probably some more spritz cookies. Not to mention, I've got 2 hats, a pair of wrist warmers, 3 dishcloths, and preferably 2 pairs of mens's slippers to make....yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen!

One more day!

We go on the Polar Express in 1 more day! I'm so excited. Even Melodie getting 2 tardies this week has not driven me crazy!! (My god, will they please give that kid a detention so I can maybe, finally break her of this habit!?!?) I'm going to get everything ready tonight. Dan is going to stay home with Charlie, and I'm going to take the big kids.

Tomorrow are the girls' Christmas parties at school. I've been in to school every day this week. I almost welcome the 2 week break of not having to get up at 6:30....but, that will be 2 weeks of extra children at home to drive me nuts while I'm trying to work! Hopefully, they will be entranced enough with their new presents that they'll be slightly subdued. They'll also have a couple new movies to watch.

I got one of Atley's wristies done last night. I didn't do it quite like the pattern said. I had to make it bigger to fit his hand, and the pattern was making it really pouffy around the hand part. I measured his hand today. I may end up frogging the one I did do and winging my own pattern now that I have his exact measurements.

Another gift down...sort of!

Well, I did the pair of wrist warmers that I was going to give to my SIL yesterday...and, even with a bigger hook, they just fit me, and I LOVE them, so I'm keeping them! ;0) Dan said to give her the pair I made myself, so I'm going to add some trim and maybe embellish those a bit and box them up for her and keep these awesome new ones for me!

We FINALLY did our gingerbread house yesterday, too. We decided it looked like Snoopy's dog house, so that's what we decorated it as! I've had some little plastic Snoopy ornaments from the top of an M&M candy cane since I was a little girl, so we used one of those, and voila!

One more down!

I got another project / gift done last night! I got Ari's set of Potter Puppet Pal kids finger puppets done...finally!

Charlie slept through the night last night! This is like the second or third time ever, and the first time he slept from 8:30-6:30 without waking up at around 11 for a snack! YaY!! Are full nights of sleep in my near future?

Our Christmas Picture

Here is the Christmas picture of the kids for this year! I tried to get one last night, but our living room is so dark, even with the cheery, light blue walls. Plus, Dan was "helping" by standing behind me to get Charlie to look. The only problem was, he was apparently standing to the left of me because Atley was the only one looking at the camera...everyone else was looking to the side. So, I did it after school, in the semi-light (though it's a dreary day, so still kind of dark in the picture, even with a light pointed at them!), and here it is!!!

Another week.....

Well, I finally got the girls to clean their room yesterday. It's not perfect, but they have a floor! And it has carpet! I thought their floor was made out of littlest pet shop and Polly Pocket.

I finished my wrist warmers yesterday. My hands are nice and toasty while I type this! I've still got enough yarn that I think I might be able to make a pair for my grandma out of the same Eco Soft I made mine and my mom's! She's got arthritis, and it got me thinking that it's probably hard for her to get her hands in regular gloves, and she could probably use a little extra warmth on her hands to keep her joints from getting as cold!

I also started a pair of tube socks for Charlie. I wanted to make leg warmers, but Dan says that's too girly. I had to modify the pattern because they were newborn size and didn't even come close to being wide enough for the ham hocks that make Charlie's legs! I think I made it a little bit too big, though. I'm going to make the second one a bit smaller and longer and if that fits, I'll just frog the first one and make one to match the better fitting one!

Tonight, I am FINALLY going to take the kids' pictures for our cards. It got too late yesterday, but I actually got an almost full day of work in again! Dear lord, this check might actually be somewhere close to normal! (I know, I won't have any work the rest of the week now. I just jinxed myself.) Last night, Dan and I gave Ari her Christmas dress. I had wrapped it for her. She's going to wear it in her picture and to her program at school next week. She's so excited for her program.

ETA: Melodie was late for school today! She pulled her not getting out of the bathtub thing again. This time, I know she was late. Ari got in there right when the kids were going to their classrooms. It took another 10 minutes or better for me to get Melodie's hair brushed and her finish her waffle. I just don't know what I'm going to do with that kid! They've instituted detentions at school recently. My friend teaches high school, and she said more than 3 tardies gets detention. Do you think that might actually be incentive enough for her? I asked her today, as she was crying she was cold, if that would inspire her to get ready...she said maybe. Not yes...MAYBE. I give up!

Snow, Snow, Snow

We got a couple of inches of snow yesterday! I hate snow, so bad. I hope after Christmas, we don't get any more snow this winter. I know that won't happen, though, because this is crappy Ohio, and if this winter is anything like the last couple winters, we're looking at another foot or so sometime in January-February.

We had fun at the b-day party yesterday. The girls had a blast playing, and there were all kinds of little boys there for Atley to play with.

I made myself a wrist warmer last night. I'm halfway done with #2. I used the same pattern and yarn as the ones I made my mom. Quick, soft, and easy! I'm going to knit a nice super warm wool pair after the X-mas stuff is done in my hand dyed yarn from the black walnuts.

After a marathon present wrapping stint, I've decided if I don't get anymore stuff done for the kids, that's okay, so I'm not stressing about it anymore. They have got plenty, and I am, for the most part, completely done with my X-mas shopping!

Tonight, we are going to take the kids pictures to send out in our holiday cards. Hopefully it will go easier than the last time. I think it should. The kids are all older (last time they were 5, 2, and 1) and Charlie is a good, smiley baby, so as long as the big kids cooperate, we should be good to go!

No More Herbie Hats!

I did it...it's done! Everyone in this family (except me) will have their Herbie hat! Of course, now Dan says his is itchy, and he wants me to have it because he thinks it shrunk. (Yeah, like acrylic can shrink.) So, now he says he wants me to have it and make him a new one out of cotton!! I just can't win. Out of all the projects for this pattern on Rav, I have done 1/10 of them personally!! Anyway, it's done.

Now, since I got new hooks Tuesday, hopefully I can go back to my Harry Potter Puppet Pals finger puppets for Ari. Dan still needs to build the puppet theater. He needs to do it soon, because I'll have to measure for material to make the curtains! (We're trying to give the kids a handmade Christmas and thought it would be really cool to make them a puppet theater they can all use!)

It is crazy cold out today. I'm thinking about making matching mittens for the girls' hats. Atley wants a pair of fingerless gloves. (He saw me making ones for grandma, so now he wants a pair.) I'm going to do them in black and embroider a Batman symbol on it, I think. I'll never be done!

Well, I tried to post yesterday.....

BUT, I got caught up in work...we had some, so I took advantage of it and almost got a whole day's work...even being at the bad hospital! I am back and blogging today, though!

I had tried to blog about how glad I am to be knocking out my gift list. I got another project done last night. I made my MIL a pair of fingerless gloves: If I keep up with this pace, I might actually get most of my stuff done this year!

I'm hoping to get some festive pictures up soon of the kids and the tree and all that fun stuff. Atley has been so excited!

Yes Melodie, there is a Santa Claus.....

Yes Melodie, there is a Santa Claus.....
So, we have quite the dilemma this year. Melodie is in her 3rd/4th gifted class. She is the youngest one in her class. She is with some kids who are 10 or exceptionally close to it all day long. Should we, or should we not, tell her about Santa?

When I was a little girl, I believed until I was in 5th grade. I was relentlessly made fun of, but I believed with all my heart. I even knew I saw him one year. Apparently, when my dad was about 5 or 6, one of his older cousins outed the man in red, and my dad was devastated, and he didn't want that to happen to me. So, they let me get picked on. I don't want Melodie to be picked on. She has enough going for the being picked on thing on her own, regardless of believing in a fat guy in a red suit who brings presents to millions of kids in 12 hours.

Dan's afraid she'll ruin it for the little kids. Stealth and discretion are not Melodie's strong points. I don't want her to get made fun of. I say we at least get her through this Christmas. Next year, I'm on the fence. She'll be the fourth grader. I'm very tempted to let it slide then, too. In 5th grade, she'll go to middle school, and I'm thinking we should wait until then to tell her. I'm sure Ari will have figured it out by then. (She's already started with the questions....her and her little analytical mind.) And, I know they wouldn't want to make the boys sad, so I think they might be able to keep it a secret by then.

So, who got all their Christmas shopping done yesterday? I stayed home. I'm doing pretty good getting stuff, or I at least know what I want to get. It's all a matter of having the $$$ or not.

And, for all of you wondering about me being pagan and the Christmas references, we celebrate both. As I said, Melodie has enough going against her fitting in as it is. (We do encourage our kids to be free thinkers and individuals, and they are, but there's that fine line being an individual and being an outcast, and we try to pull her back from the edge!!) Anyway, we celebrate Winter Solstice as more of a religious day, and Christmas as more of an eat cookies, open presents, play games, and watch movies family fun kind of day, purely secular.

Not much to say

Well, of course I blew it big time this week for NaBloPoMo. I missed Monday and Tuesday! I was so busy with work Monday, I didn't have time to post, or get a post set up for yesterday. :0( Well, I guess I didn't really have much to put anyway. Same old, same old around here. I have not finished that sweater yet! As soon as the kids are in bed, I fall asleep on the couch before I can even grab the yarnin' bag. I need to get moving! I also realized I wanted to do 2 vests for the boys for their holiday pictures, which I need to get taken soon or won't have them in time to send out for cards! Tonight, I am going to finish that sweater!! If I can get some work done today, I will hopefully get started on one of the boys' vests this afternoon. I don't care if they see those before hand.

Yesterday when Atley and I were doing our grocery shopping, we stopped in the Christmas section and got a Ralphie ornament! It's got him with the soap in his mouth. Atley picked it out. I think it's because he has a bad habit of spitting, and when he does it, I warn him if there is a second offense (that day) he will get to eat soap like Ralphie! I'm torn on what to do with our tree this year. I usually put it up the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (my day off.) But this year, I really wanted to get a real tree again. We haven't had one for quite a few years. I don't know, we might have to wait for next year. Things have still been pretty tight. I just wanted it to be extra special for Charlie's first Christmas/Yule. I'm pretty sure all of the other kids had real trees for their first. My Charlie is getting so big. He will be 8 months old on Christmas Eve.

One of my friends had her baby Sunday! (The one I designed the Garter Ridge Mittens to go with the sweater and hat for.) Yay, a new friend for Charlie! I made my first batch of baby food yesterday! I've been buying a jar or so at a time to see what he likes (everything but peaches) so I don't make big batches of stuff he won't eat. Yesterday, I roasted a butternut squash, pureed it, and froze it in ice cube trays. Squash is his favorite. The next batch I'm going to do will be peas. I've got a bag of frozen sweet peas to boil up. I think next week I'll get some green beans and carrots.