Smellyann Strikes Again

A Little Off The Top

 

(Click pics for larger view)

 

Today, I finished the hat to match the Matinee Coat. Isn't she lovely? I just adore this set.  I barely used any of a 3rd ball of yarn, so I still have 3 balls left of the Rowan Tapestry, in case I decide to make booties and/or a blanket. WDYT? Leave it as-is, or make more? As usual, I am already on to the next thing(s), so... it would be a step back!

Another bad migraine today, and it turns out I have used up all of Rob's vikes, so I was SOL for the morning. Not a great start, but by the time he finally went out and came back with some Rapid Release Tylenol, my head was fine. I think it's the way I'm sleeping lately? Whatever the cause, they are brutal, and I can feel the pain all the way down my neck and into my armpits! Very strange.

The kids and we watched The Incredibles and Cars on the family channel tonight. At some point, we parents dozed off, but they sat there with rapt attention. They did manage to decimate the living room with toys and dress-up clothes, though. Doesn't seem to take much for three children to kill a clean room!

Rob again worked on fixing our master shower today... don't think I ever mentioned that the last time he "fixed" it, it wasn't, really. Nor is he happy with it today. I WISH he would just call in the pros already - I've been waiting since at least September, if not August!

I guess that's about it. Slow day!

Fin.

Christmas Begins

Jack was very excited to go to his friend Natalie's birthday party on Saturday. We had purchased her gifts earlier in the week, and he couldn't wait to give them to her. He was all smiles before the party, and he even came up to tell me that he loved her!

Rob dropped him off around the corner, at the location, when it was time.  I was supposed to get in the shower while he was gone, but I was knitting. When he came home, he made the mistake of sitting next to me, and we cuddled up and went right to sleep (the girls were napping).  The party was two hours long, and Rob abruptly woke up five minutes before he was supposed to be back to pick up Jack! Oops.

On the way home, Jack informed his father that he told Natalie he loved her, and kissed her! Aw, first love.

When Rob again returned home, it was time to get into action. I finally showered, while he and the kids got ready for church. As soon as I dressed, it was time to go. No time to dry my hair, so I looked wonderful. Oh, well. I'm just glad we were actually going for once!

We hadn't been in so long. With three kids, we have just found it difficult to coordinate their napping needs with church time. Lame, I know.  But we were recognized and remembered, which felt good. The service was nice, and the music was Christmassy. We'll go again on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. I love the candlelight service, so that's one we won't miss.

After church, we came home and started dinner when Stim arrived to do our Christmas "exchange." It wasn't much of an exchange, though, because their present is on order and will arrive in their mail at some unknown point, when they'll probably be out of state for the holiday! Wish I'd thought of it sooner... They gave us a gift card to Panera, which is well appreciated, of course! How did they know? ;)

Stim gave Chloë a Cat's Cradle string and instruction book. Awesome, possum! I used to love CC when I was a kid and was eager to get it away from her and play with Steph! Chloë tried hard to figure it out but kept doing her own variation of finger placements and messing it up, but this morning she's more into figuring out the right way. As in, Bloggus Interruptus! This post is taking about five bazillion hours to do because of that one multi-colored string! Fun times.

 

Sophie received a Wonder Pets coloring book and...

 

...Ming Ming stuffed toy, about which she was very exclamatory! She squealed and jumped around and shouted to Jack, "This is for YOU and ME!" Soph was generally in top "hoot" form and made us laugh and laugh.

 

Jack received a plethora of Matchbox cars and was too excited about them to look up for the camera! Of course, he loved them and hasn't stopped playing with them since, except maybe for a short sleep. But possibly not.

Great gifts, Stim, thank you so much!

Fin.

Completion

 

(Click pictures for larger)

 

I finished the Matinee Coat I was working on, early this morning. I actually finished the knitting at about 0300 or 0400, and then I did the seam sewing at 0800 when the kids woke me up.

I love it! I don't think I am going to block it, because I love the wooly, fuzzy, squishy way it looks unblocked, and I don't want to affect that character. It took just under two balls of Rowan Tapestry yarn, although I'm going to use at least the rest of the second ball, and maybe some of a third, to knit the matching hat. I haven't decided whether to add booties and/or a blanket to make a complete set, or whether to use it for CARE Package or sell it on Etsy to raise money for the charity.  It's really lovely, though, and I'm interested to see whether it would fetch any dough.  I just love the color variation, especially on the back!

For those interested in the details, this is Plymouth Yarn Design Studio pattern P594, which uses size 4 and 6 (US) needles. I made the 0-3 month size. I did no modifications. As I mentioned previously, the Rowan yarn was purchased at The Yarn Co. in Manhattan in February. I bought the wooden buttons at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in May and think they go perfectly with the yarn! I'm so excited to use these materials, finally.

Do you like it?

Fin.

TGIF

 

Thursday.

Again, Rob was off from work for Special Liberty.  Again, I made him get the kids up and ready for school while I lazed. Again, we enjoyed each other's company.

I spent much of the day in a chemical haze, thanks to the horrible headaches I've been having. Rob to the rescue! I'm out of my migraine med, and Tylenol wasn't cutting it, but he had some Vicodin left over from something else. I'm not admitting to taking them, but my headache's gone for the time being...

As soon as Chloë came home from school, Rob rushed her off to Brownies to start cooking the troop Christmas feast. I showered and got ready to go to my appointment, and we all raced around getting ready to leave for the doctor. We were going to go there together, and then head over to the feast.

I'm glad I checked my Palm just before we left for the appointment, though.Everyone was buckled in, all the gifts and camera and things were packed, and... it turned out, my appointment wasn't until Monday afternoon! Duh! All that racing for nothing.

Rather than undo everything, we decided to just sit in the car and hang for 45 minutes! At first, everyone talked at once, but then...

 

 

...boom, boom, out they went like a light.  There's no question, these kids still need their naps! We are just blessed with some sleepy, sleepy babies. Thankfully, Sophia woke up on her own when we got down the road to the feast, but Jack was still knocked out. As Rob predicted, he was a bear at the party, from having to be woken up. Fun times.

 

I don't think I lifted a finger to help at the feast; it was all well under control, and I was just tired and uninterested in doing anything but observing. My dad will tell you that is typical Melanie behavior...! Once everyone was there and had been seated, Troop Leader Nikki led us in saying Grace, and then we chowed down.

 

It really was an impressive little feast that the girls put on. There was a ham and a turkey, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mac and cheese, carrrots, broccoli, gravy, bread and butter, cookies, cupcakes, three kinds of pie... I mean, it was mostly bland food, but still edible, and a good spread. And I didn't have to do a thing, did I mention that?!

 

While we finished eating, the girls put on their "show." First, they recited the Girl Scout Promise & Law. Then, they sang a few Girl Scout songs. Next, they split into three groups and acted out three playlettes demonstrating parts of he Law. It was really cute, and they did a wonderful job. All of this was for their Rededication Ceremony, in which they promise to live by the Law and Promise.

 

Typical Sophie pose, showing off that it's time for dessert!

 

Jack ate a miserable dinner of a half-piece of bread, two carrots and some applesauce, but he was all about having some cookies and a cupcake for "tessert." Since it was a party, we acquiesced.

 

Time for the gift exchange! The Girls each picked out a gift - without peeking - and then siblings were able to choose a sibling present. Weird how it worked out, though; Jack and Sophie just chose the presents we brought to exchange. Oh well, they were happy!

 

The girls - and Jack - all sat around afterward and showed off their pressies. Chloë was given a Hello Kitty journal set, which she adored. We gave Gabrielle a Webkinz Cares L'il Kinz, which I'm not sure she loved, since she was pretty stoic about it. I had to explain to her how it worked. Jack got a little Spiderman car and Sophie received a now-empty-and-tossed bubble necklace, purchased by Rob from the Dollar Tree. They loved their gifts, and I made a mental note to myself that they like dollar store presents, hello!

 

Rob and I got plenty of cuddle time with Baby Vivian, who will be a year old right after Christmas!! She loves the camera and is growing up to be quite a cutie. She always wears the best sweaters, too!

Soon after, we left, but I wasn't ready to let the evening fade yet. I had seen a lot of nice holiday lights in the neighborhood where the last Bunco was held, so I thought a drive around there was in order. Everyone was up for it, so we put the Christmas disc in the player and off we went.

The neighborhood must have been really competitive with the decorations, because we found lots of houses that were just over the top. Fun for us, though! We all "oohed" and "ahhed" appropriately and could have kept going longer if Sophie didn't have to go potty for the 3rd time that night! We Jingle Belled and Ho-ho-hoed all the way home, and Rob and I held hands and exchanged looks telling each other that this, this, was what it was all about. Our sweet, happy family.

Friday

A bummer: Rob went back to work. I missed his company a great deal. And not having to jump up and get the kids ready for school! But I didn't have to do so much, since they only had half-days. Now, they are on their month-long Winter Break, and I'm stressing what I'm going to do with them...

I napped until Jack came home at 10:30, when his arrival set the dog to barking and woke up Little Sis. I gave her breakfast, and then both of them a snack and vitamins, before settling down on the couch with them to read stories. When my voice gave up, we watched Noggin while I did a bunch of knitting on the baby sweater.

When Chloë came home, the Littles were already getting tired, so I decided we would do some quick "baking" and then send them up for a rest. Somehow, and unintentionally, I had all the ingredients for Rice Krispies Treats, which we have never made together, so I thought it would be some quick and easy - and tasty - fun for them before naps.

 

There wasn't a whole lot of measuring to do, but the kids helped with the cereal and 'mallows. And the stirring pretty much all had to be done on the stove by moi, so I was glad it wasn't a very long process to make these. I did let them pull up a chair to the stove, one by one, to see the marshmallows melt into the butter, and they seemed satisfied with that.

 

While I tamped down the finished product in the pan...

 

...three little monkeys dove into the pan to pick out the bits I didn't get. "Mmmmm," was the general consensus!

Being the wonderful mother that I am, I gave each child a plate with a giant brick of cooled RKTs and some egg nog for lunch. Hey, they were happy.

Once they toddled off upstairs, I chatted with my friend Jules online and then decided to knit, clean and bake. Well, I got the knitting in, anyway. A lot of knitting; the sweater could be finished by tomorrow if I find time. I'd show you the progress, but she's feeling unphotogenic at the moment.

Rob came home early; yippee! While the children slept, he and I curled up on the couch and napped ourselves until the Bigs came downstairs. Nice.

We did some cleaning up around the house after that, he in the kitchen and me in the living room. We never did get to do any more baking, but we did put up the rest of the Christmas decorations. At least, the ones we're going to do. 

After bed, Rob and I sat while I did a whole lot more knitting, and then we fell asleep together again on the couch, both sighing contentedly.

Until I woke up with another migraine, that is! And here I am, typing away and directing Rob while he fills the stockings with all the goodies I bought. He's finished now, and we're listening to Christmas music and drinking rum-spiked egg nog. Good stuff.

Until tomorrow, my dears.

Fin.              

Odin's Day

 

 

That's the front left half of the little baby sweater I'm working on now. Along with that, I now have the back, front right half, and part of a sleeve completed. The yarn is Rowan Tapestry, which is not plied. I forget the terms for yarn types, but it's pretty splitty, and the knitting is slow going (for me). I'm kind of enjoying the process, though, and taking my sweet time. Usually the needles - or hook - are flying, and I'm whizzing through too fast to get to the end result. It's nice to just sit back and really bond with the fiber, stop every few rows to admire my work and make sure my lace is still on pattern, and listen to the tiny "click, click" of the tools of my trade. I love the gentle color changes as the cloth emerges; so pretty!

This yarn, this Rowan Tapestry, was purchased during our whirlwind trip to NYC last February. We went to the Yarn Co. on the Upper East Side, and Stephanie helped me pick out the colorway. She likes purple! I'm just stoked to finally be using the yarn from that trip, and I have more plans after this sweater for a project for more of the yarns bought there. Cute plans; wait and see!

Oh! And those angel charms; aren't they pretty? This is my first time using these; they are stitch markers I was given in a yarny exchange. I really love them, and surpisingly, they don't catch on the work at all.

So. Wednesday.

Rob was off from work; Thursday, too. It's so lovely having him home in the middle of the week for no other reason other than that he's worked hard lately and earned some time. We adore each other's company so. We stay up late, giggling, laughing, talking... and stuff.

So, of course, I took full advantage and had him get the kids ready for school in the morning while I reworked the grocery list. I had to redo it, as I hadn't shopped in time before the new ad came out, and half my list was predicated upon what was on sale last week.

As soon as the children were off, I was itching to get to the store, but I wanted his company. He wanted to sleep. Sophia wanted to sleep. But I prevailed, and off we went.

Oh, my. Because I was not alone, and Rob is relatively unused to doing the big shopping, the trip took about three times longer than it normally would have. I was worried about cutting it close to the time when Jack would be back from school! We ended up making it, but not with plenty of time to spare.

We ended up with two shopping cart fulls, and I was becoming worried about the food budget. I needn't have; I had done a careful job of shopping the sales and using coupons, and I ended up with $85 in savings! That's a new record for me, I think. As my dad would say, I was proud and pleased.

Of course, there was the big ordeal when we came home of bringing everything in, scanning them for Nielsen, and putting them away. Sophia - and later, Jack - love to pore over all the purchases and tell us what they want to Eat. Right. Now. I felt the same way yesterday, not having eaten before our trip. I wanted to dive in and eat a little bit of everything!

I settled for some soup, and cheese and crackers. If you're local and have a Farm Fresh by you, you may have noticed their new Culinary Circle line. Stay awaaaay from the broccoli cheddar soup. It was NOT good. Bleh.

I do believe I took a nap after that, having stayed up all night knitting. Yes, that's right; Rob woke me up when it was time to get ready for dance class. I dragged everyone along for the girls' classes but didn't bring more knitting with me. That was a mistake. Rob and I chatted during Sophie's class, while Chloë dressed for Jazz in the back.

Then during Jazz, we took the Littles to A.C. Moore's awesome sale to do a little damage. Jack has a birthday party to attend on Saturday afternoon, so that was my main reason for visiting, along with getting a bunch of non-candy stocking stuffers for the children. Indeed, I did that and am very happy with all my purchases. Oh, and I was able to find a cutting set specifically for the Linzer Rounds I love to make at Christmas, and used my 50% off coupon for that. I'm so excited to use it instead off the cap off the vanilla bottle!

We went back to the studio to pick up Big Sis, and once she was in the car, I asked everyone, "Who wants to go see the Christmas Lights at the beach?" Chloë gave the best possible answer: "Me! Me! Me! I have been waiting for this all year!!"

That giddy excitement thrilled us, and off we went to look at the lights, an annual tradition.

Another tradition is for Rob to fall asleep exactly halfway through the lights drive, but this time, he felt guilted into staying awake. It was me that was blinking heavily to stay awake, and I wanted nothing more than to stop and do a Chinese fire drill with him, but there was car upon car stacked up behind me. I just couldn't.

As soon as we exited the show, though, I pulled into a hotel parking lot and switched drivers. I was walking around the back of the van when I fell asleep, mid-stride. Rob, coming the other way, startled me and woke me back up.  So, he helped me into my seat, and I was off to La-La-Land before he drove off.

Wish I could sleep like that every other night!

*Note, if this blahg doesn't make sense, it's because I  have a horrible headache and took one of Rob's vicodins. I'm feeling smoooooth and mellow. But still pounding.

Fin.

BONUS WFMW: Cashbaq & Restaurant.com

 

This was too good a deal to pass up - I had to post again! Keep reading if you want to know how I just got $325 worth of restaurant certificates for $26.00!!!

Thanks to DealSeekingMom for the information!

Restaurant.com is offering a new code for 80% off the purchase of gift certificates through them.  Pair this with the cash back deal through Cashbaq, and you can get a $25 gift certificate for just $1.40 (or free if you’re new to Cashbaq – they are offering a $5 signup incentive right now)!

Taking advantage of this offer is easy:

• Sign up with Cashbaq and click through their site to get 30% cash back from any Restaurants.com purchase.
• Add your gift certificates to your cart in increments of $25.
• Enter the code SANTA at checkout.
• Use the gift certificate code generated to select and print out gift certificates to the restaurants of your choice.

It really works! Rob (the Hub) and I just went through all the restaurants within 15 miles of our zip code and picked out 13 that we really wanted to try. American, Seafood, Indian, French, Lebanese... and more! He was just complaining about the fact that the only dates we go out on are for mystery shops where I'm preoccupied, so now I'm going to print out all the certificates and put them in his stocking. Now he can take me out on dates for way cheap! (And we're nothing if not in need of the cheap right now.)

Also, I have known about Restaurants.com for a while and have used them in the past, so I can tell you that these certificates really are valid and do work. Nothing to worry about, nothing to lose; lots to gain!

Please use the links above, and let me know if you go out and have a great time!

Fin.

Shot In The Dark

• Woke up at 4 or 5 AM, like clockwork. Managed to get back to sleep anyway and wake up on time for school, without my alarm.

• First thing, the dog crapped all over the living room. That is some awful stench, let me tell you. The words I let loose were about as foul as the odor.

• Rob was calling and texting me like crazy, to wake me up and leave me sweet little nothings, but I couldn't find my damn phone. Nothing frustrates me more than hearing it ringing but not being able to lay hands on it. More foul words.

• My friend J called until I found it. I had to take apart the back of the couch to get to it, and I was all out of breath from the exertion, but I had it. Happy, joy.

• After no new information from the weight loss surgery group about my case, J urged me to call my insurance company. After many calls to many numbers, lots of transferring, lots of hold time and lots of impatient drumming of the fingers on the desk, I found out: Despite being marked urgent (and that supposedly meaning it would be evaluated within 24 hours), no one had looked at my case yet at all. For three weeks! Highly frustrating. This is my life, here!

• Found out that Rob would get Special Liberty for Weds and Thurs but work late on Tuesday (today, yesterday, whatever) because he had duty. Which means that I couldn't go grocery shopping, which means I'll have to redo my entire list tomorrow when the new ad comes out. Suck!

• Lady came to pick up the dish cloths at 0900, not noon, while I was in a major state of uncleanness. Whatever, I got my moula and I'm happy with it.

• Did a lot of knitting. Finished the back section, the left front and am halfway through the right front. Worked on it a lot at dance class instead of napping, while the Littles argued, fought, whined and cried and generally drove me MAD.

• Got yelled at by Chloë's ballet instructor after dance class tonight, for not going inside to get her.  She didn't know where I would be parked and hated to send little tiny Chlo out in the dark where she might be hit by a car, yadda yadda. I couldn't get a word in edgewise to tell her that class ended earlier than I expected (hello, 5:30 does not mean 5:25, it means 5:30) and I just hadn't made it in yet, and hello, just keep her inside until I get there, then!

• Forgot to bring Miss Sally's Christmas present to dance. Have successfully delivered Jessica's (yesterday), and the kindy and 2nd grade teachers', along with the books for both kids' school book exchanges at their holiday parties, but will have to deliver the remaining three dance teacher gifts tomorrow. Don't let me forget.

• Nearly ran out of gas on the way home, when the light came on, but I had neglected to bring my purse. Prayed all along the miles 'til our driveway. Made it!

• Convinced Rob to take Chloë to her troop's grocery shopping trip for their Thursday feast, and to fill my tank while he was at it. I should have gone along and done our own shopping, but instead I put the whiny Littles down and took a snooze, myself.

• Had a very lovely evening with Rob, just sitting, talking, reminiscing about our past single and joint lives, knitting on my knitting, and being amused at all the children.

• Would show you said knitting, but the camera with the picture is clear down to the next room, and that would require getting up. I'm not quite ready to do that yet. You'll have to see tomorrow!

Fin.

 

Wordless Wednesday: High School, Senior Year

 

I wish I still looked like that! Well, not entirely, but the good parts! Link up here if you're playing along.

Fin.

WFMW: Facebook

 

Surely you've heard of it? Facebook, that is. I can't be bringing you news.

The thing is, I'm not in high school. I'm not even in college or graduate school right now. So what business do I have being on a social network site?

That's what I thought a year ago, anyway. Maybe two, I forget. But then people I knew, here and there, started joining and asking me to join. So I did, and now, all these months later, I've reconnected with nearly 200 people from my near-to-distant past! Well, and my present.

It's fun stuff. You can leave each other public or private messages, play music, post pictures, join silly groups and much more. It's not just for the kids, it's for us grown-up types, too. Even stay-at-home moms.

So, join. You never know into whom you might run (had to say it that way, for my friend L's sake)!

Fin.

Precocious enough?

I don't post here often, but this was funny enough to post this while Melanie is knitting, before we forget.  Sophia woke up very late from her nap, so we're letting her stay up after dinner.  She's running around being her silly little self when she turns to us and shouts:  "I wanna be gargantuan!" Melanie and I look at each other with raised eyebrows and asked her "You want to be gargantuan?" and she shoots right back with "Yeah!  I wanna be gargantuan!  That means big and strong!"  Where she got it, we have no idea.

Fin (blog rule)

Rob

Testing, Testing

I have about a billion nicknames for Rob: Bob, Bobby, Rupert, Ribbon, Ryan, Rufus, Robin, and so on.

When we first got married, though, the one thing I called him most was Robby. He was my Robby this, Robby that.

Then, of course, came my first pregnancy. We were convinced - no, I was - that it was a boy, whom we were going to name after his daddy. So along with Rob, my belly became Robby. Robby, Robby, Robby.

Then we found out he was a she, and it was so jarring to think of him, no her, in that context. Of course, only my husband was Robby (and Rupert, and Ribbon, and so on) from then on.

Later on came the twins. When we found out they were boys, we then had our Robby again, together with Jack. Jack and Robby. Robby and Jack. The baby was never, EVER, "Robert" to me. He was and always has been Robby.

When that baby died, so did the nickname for me. For both child and father. I just couldn't call his daddy that anymore, of course, without conjuring up painful feelings for the son. "Rob" is one thing. "Robert" a totally different one. But "Robby," well, that's my little boy lost.

Lately, in these nearly-six years since, I have been finding myself calling my husband that long-lost nickname again. Just once in a while, once in a blue moon, but it trips off the tongue as if it belongs there.

"I love you, Robby."

"Robby, could you get me some juice?"

"Let's get to bed, Robby."

Just looking at it in print, here, is weird, but saying it? Confuses me. I like it; I long to say it without feeling twinges of hurt and guilt and I don't know what. It's like I just want to be able to slip it in there without it being noticed or acknowledged, and just let it be, dare I say it, normal.

Is that possible?

Is that allowed?

Rob doesn't mind. It doesn't bother him at all, so he says. Perhaps, then, I can call him that after all. Along with Rupert, Ribbon, Robin and Rufus.

Fin.

Yay. Boo. Yay. Boo. Yay. Boo.

So I planned to enjoy my newfound creative freedom today with full vigor.

How, I didn't know, but I didn't exactly plan to spend the day sitting around cutting a multitude of coupons and making my big grocery shopping list. And not much else.

I think the problem is, I have too many choices. Too much to do. Of course, there is also the ever-present mountain of laundry to fold, the rest of the Christmas decorations to put up, the refrigerator to clean out...

But the groceries are pressing, and they won out. Unfortunately, I don't find myself with too much active energy these days, and when I do, my back groans in complaint. It's a sucky situation, and I called the surgery center twice today to see about an update (there is none yet).

As far as the rest of the family, Jack went outside after school to play in the backyard and drive his truck around. I'm happy to be able to send him out there, virtually unsupervised, and let him tool around. He is so happy out there, and it gladdens me.

Sophia had a tough day. Nothing went right for her. The dog stole and ate her breakfast, she spilled her juice all over, she fell and got a bump, Jack fought with her... Eventually, I tried to put her down for a nap and give her a do-over, but she wasn't having any of that and got right back up again.  She was more cuddly and sweet then, and gave me some of my favorite kisses in the whole world.

Rob came home early from work today, way early. He snuck in, unannounced and as quiet as a mouse, but I noticed the change in light patterns when he opened the door.  Hopefully he'll get home early the rest of the week, too, and be able to get to the DMV to obtain his motorcycle permit. He gladly took the older girl to her dance lesson and let me stay home and... vegetate, basically.

Chloë had a pretty good day at school. Thank God, because when she doesn't, everyone knows it. She stomped around here pretty good the other day... but today was fine.

Well, that's about it. Hopefully I'll have something, anything, for you tomorrow.

Fin.

National Bankruptcy Day?

 

This post makes the issue much clearer than I could upon rewrite, so I'll just refer you there. Please, write to your representatives to save handmade items for children and those of us who make them!

Fin.

Operation Dishcloth: COMPLETE

Rob horsing around with Sophie and Jack

The latest, and I think the last, ornament to arrive for our exchange. Definitely my favorite! A little felt and embroidery owl. So cute, already treasured. I'm definitely doing this again next year!

I'm kind of in the doldrums this weekend. I don't know why. I'm hoping it's not a meds thing. It's not the holidays; they don't make me glum even though my grandma died on the 23rd about... oh, wow, it's been almost a decade. I think I'm feeling kind of lonely. It just seems like everyone is so busy, and when I'm not, they've no time to talk to me.

So today, I threw myself into "my work." I picked up five shops for today and took the family along for four hours of tramping through Hampton Roads to get them done, along with some other errands.

First we ran to the grocery store to get more Cottonelle wipes (have you tried them? Way better than TP IMO) and some cash for the shops. I sent Rob in while I waited outside in the van with the kids.

Then, because my oil was down to a "6," which means, I don't know, but when it gets below 20 I really start getting nervous... uh, we went and got me an oil change. The oil guy was cute and authoritative, which I liked, so of course Rob kept making fun of him. We giggled and laughed in the car together. Oil Guy tried talking me into $100+ worth of extras that I probably would have agreed to if I were alone, so I'm glad Rob was there to pinch me and tell me they weren't necessary.

The first shop was at a Wawa about ten feet away from there. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes, but still long enough for Rob to be snoozing in the front seat. I had to buy a Jr. Hoagie for the shop, and we were all so hungry that Rob shared it amongst the five of us. Delish! We all wished we had more, but...

... we were headed to an IHOP out in Norfolk for another shop. Three people walked in behind us, an the man brushed past me and strode up to the podium, waiting for someone to appear to seat him. He was knocking on the podium, looking around all erratically, and then gave his seating preference info when someone showed up! I went over and said, "Excuse me, we were here first, and there are five of us," but they still got seated first. Then, of course, I was seated directly facing them, and they glared over throughout the meal. Too bad that doesn't count for anything in the report! It made me uncomfortable and annoyed, though.  And my chicken was tough, so there.

Time was running short, so we raced back out to Virginia Beach, where I did two more Wawa shops in the space of 25 minutes. They were all about the same, so I was glad I'd brought along three different colored pens to keep them straight.

Then we had to head way down past the Farmer's Market so I could do an hourlong audit (not a mystery shop) at a pizzeria. I had to take lots of pictures, interview the employees, and check virtually everything in the restaurant for safe and consistent practices. My back was killing me when I finished, but it paid really well, so I'm glad I took the job.

Our last stop was the post office, so I could mail my friend Nicole's tutu. Yay, another sale. Now, what am I going to do with the rest of the the three bags full? (Isn't that a nursery rhyme?) Rob's grand idea: "Sell 'em!" Gee, I hadn't thought of that, dear.

Back at home, I uploaded my shop pictures while Rob took the kids out to the backyard, such as it is, to play with Jack's Cadillac. That only lasted a half-hour, and then it was dark. Suddenly, I was winded and needed a nap. My catnap turned into several hours of crazy dreams, and I was annoyed to lose that much day. I still needed to go out and get some printer ink, but it's too late now. Tomorrow, I suppose. Always tomorrow.

Last, but not least, I set to work watching TV and making the last of the 50 commissioned dishcloths. I'm finished! It was such a relief and has taken me, what?  A month? I never expected it to take me that long, but I guess I don't often have 50 waking hours to string together, and when I do, I like to putter online.  So I'll call the lady tomorrow and hopefully get them out of my hands and cash in.

 

Here's what 50 crocheted dishcloths look like, ends all sewn in and pointing the same way. Now they're bagged up handsomely in the shopping bags I purchased for craft shows.

I don't know what to make next! I'm itching to knit something, I'm itching to scrap and finish my 2008 book, I'm itching to bake, I'm itching to clean this house! (Yeah, believe it.) Guess we'll just have to see what tomorrow brings!

Fin.

Rip Van Winkle

I have nothing to report. From the time Rob came home from work yesterday (early, thank goodness) until now, I have slept like the just. The just plain tired.

Fin.

Apropos Of Nothing...

... Seen at Darci's World, loved it, stole it:

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin''
I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain..
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

-Maya Angelou

Fin.

Back to Business

I love it when Rob scratches my back. He's doing it now. It feels soooo gooooood.

Today's agenda was all about the Girl Scouts. After lunch, the kiddies and I bundled up against they yucky, rainy weather and headed out to meet troop leader Nikki at the bank. We needed to get ourselves listed at signers on the troop account and get everything sent to me, as Treasurer. The Littles found the bucket of  Toys for Tots at the entrance and could barely tear themselves away, so they were itchy throughout our meeting. They each wanted a lap on which to sit and kept begging for candy. Embarrassing! But they know about banks and candy, all too well... and in the end, each was given a DumDum.

We ran 'round to the post office afterward so I could mail out some 10 or so packages, including the seven for the ornament exchange. Of course, as soon as I stepped up to the automated postal machine with all my mail, a line formed behind me, and I had to fight the urge to rush, rush, rush and blush, blush, blush my way through the process. I messed up once and exited out of my transactions, forcing me to redo the whole credit card mess... and, I'm sure, aggravating the queue behind me. Oh, well. I soldiered on.

When I was finished, Rob called to say he had gotten home early, so I picked him up and the four of us went grocery shopping. We had exactly $100 to spend on necessities, and there were a lot of them to buy. It was a lesson in humility for me; I haven't had to put back an item at the cash register since I was a single college girl living in Miami. But we were able to get everything we really needed, and we'll live to see another day. Now that payday is upon us, we can breathe a little easier.

Anyway.

In the evening, I had yet another Girl Scouts meeting, this time for Cookie training. The weather outside was far from delightful; the rain was coming down in sheets and it was pitch-black. I knew roughly where the location was but not specifically, and I was glad to have left ten minutes early. I drove up and down the street looking for the address, but when I finally found it, it still wasn't clear where to go! The meeting was held at a church I'd passed a million times but never noticed, and the site turned out to be an enormous, sprawling complext with no indication given as to where to turn. I ran into two other Cookie moms trying to dash about in the rain, finding the cafeteria, now running late, our hair a mess.

Finally, we found it, five minutes late.

I don't know what I missed, but I'm sure it was a great deal because the presenter was rushing through all the information. And it was a lot. I expected Cookies to be just like Fall Product, only on a larger scale. Ha! Hahaha! So much more involved.  So much work. So much information. As one of the experienced Cookie moms told us, "These are the two months when marriages are sorely tested."

Faaaaabulous.

I'm so glad I signed up! Actually, I am, because Perfectionist Me doesn't trust the job to any of the other apathetic mothers in our troop. Did I say that? Indeed. I did.

It's Friday morning now, and I have a migraine. I'm off to try and assuage that with a bowl of cereal. Never know.

TGIF, y'all.

Fin.

Funeral Homes, Catholic Churches & Treatment Addiction Facilities

And what do these things have in common?

Guess.

Anyone?

They are all places where I've gotten the invitation to do a mystery shop!

Cracks me up.

Anyhoo.

Sometimes I feel less like blogging because I think I'm saying the same ol', same ol'.

Yesterday was less busy than it was supposed to be, just because I was tired and didn't feel like running around. Barbara was supposed to come, but I canceled her due to lack of fundage, for the moment. We did go to the girls' back-to-back dance classes, but rather than finish up my dishcloth crocheting, I slept through them both while the other two poor kids sat buckled in their carseats. At least they brought toys.

I'm exhausted right now. I don't get enough sleep, and the sleep I do get is patchy and fragmented. Wah, wah, poor me, I know.

I'm still waiting on the insurance approval for my surgery. If I don't hear by Friday, I'm calling again. Pins and needles, folks!

I went to Bunco last night. I thought it would suck because I have a lot on my mind and usually Steph makes me laugh and cheers me up, but she wasn't going to be there. (You suck, Ninnie!)

It ended up being a lot of fun, despite being at the home of the woman I loathe and Steph's absence. The food was good, although I didn't eat enough of it. I'm not entirely sure the ziti I ate was meatless, but I was so hungry I scarfed it down anyway. I was supposed to bring cupcakes but felt so little like baking or cooking yesterday that I brought Stove Top stuffing Rob made for me. Hee.

The dice were really in my favor last night. I normally roll jack doody but ended up with three Buncos and three Snake-Eyes! I won... let's see... oh, a bunch of paper goods like note cards, address book, and pad, I think. 

And then we had a White Elephant gift exchange. My gift was very last minute, as I had neither the time nor the money to shop for this. I gave one of my dishcloth and towel sets from the Etsy shop, along with the beautiful notecards my MIL recently sent me (hope that's okay, Mom - I needed something nice!) that she made. The recipient seemed okay with it.

I chose a present that turned out to be very nice: a hot cocoa, mint chocolate cookies and mug set. I liked it. I wanted it. But the person I loathe stole it from me when it was her turn! And you can't steal back! Wah!! I received a very nice earring and necklace set instead - in the Greek gift bag I brought back from Europe this summer - and really like it. I'll wear it when I have somewhere so nice to go that the allergic reaction I'll get won't matter!

 

Another ornament for our exchange arrived - this cute little felt-and-buttons Christmas tree! I love it, the kids loved it, and that's all that matters.  I have yet to go to the post to mail out ours, oopsie. They were due out three days ago. Maybe tomorrow.

Guess that's all I've got to report for now. Stay tuned!

Fin.

Operation: Ornament COMPLETE!

 

 

(Click pictures for larger view)

Aren't these ornaments cool? I am loving how, just two hours and some glittery scrapbook paper, aluminum cookie cutters, beads and ribbon later, they turned out! I won't be at all embarrassed to carry these to the PO later today for delivery unto our ornament exchange partners.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have two sleepy children to wake up for school. And on it goes.

Fin.

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Buns!

   

Playing along? Link up here.

Fin.

Fin.