We got our closing date for the sale of our hizz-ouse...it should be either April 23 or 24. So yesterday I started packing. Uuuuuugggghhh. I did A LOT, and my body now hates me for packing and carrying eleventy thousand books down from the second floor. Along with several bins of fabric, bins and boxes of sewing paraphenalia, bins and bags of Daughter's clothing (from birth to 3 years, oh my word that's a lot of clothing), and so on.
The house is 1.5 stories, so the second floor is really just one large room plus a half bath. The closet in the bath is empty, the closet in the room is empty, and most of our stuff is downstairs, packed and stacked and ready for a dolly to wheel it out. That's my plan...to have everything packed and stacked well before "moving day" so as to make things move more quickly. We've all had that sucky move where we're scrambling to pack up the last few things when the truck is already there, yeah? IT BLOWS. So I'm trying to avoid that.
Problem is, we are not living there and it is 45 minutes away, so getting out there and having time to do a lot of packing is challenging. Thank God for my parents, who watch the kids so we can get it done. I'll be heading out Friday, I think, to do the kitchen cabinets. Then again over the weekend to do, oh, I don't know...maybe one of the bedrooms. Luckily we've been moving some of our crap out piecemeal as we need it. So it's not going to be a totally hellish move. Just kind of hellish. As moves generally are.
Oh, I am so tired. There is much to do in the next 30 days or so.
And no, we don't have a new house picked out yet. We're going to hang out and save up a few more dollars for a bit, so we can buy more house and make a better downpayment. It's not the ideal situation, staying with my parents (we feel like losers, even though we're not, thank you very much), but we can really sock away some extra dough this way. We're trying to go from a cheap area to a very expensive area by sneaking in - perhaps a foreclosure or something - so our children can have a better life, basically. The schools where both our parents live are #1 in the area, and with a very bright preschooler and a baby who may or may not require services in the future, we really feel we need the best. So we're trying to shoehorn ourselves into a ritzy suburb even though we're not technically on the same financial footing as most of the residents. In a few years it should be so much better...I'll be able to go back to work, probably part-time, and we'll hammer down our debts. But it's going to be tight for the next 5 years or so.
Still, a better life for the kids. That's my focus and my goal. We have to do it for them, they deserve all we can possibly do for them. But wow, it is stressful and exhausting. I've taken to grinding my teeth...during the day. I can't wait for the time when I can start living my life again, rather than scratching and clawing my way through the days. That time will come, right? Please tell me that time will come.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
hey, i thought this was a knitting blog
Wow, when was the last time I had a picture of some knitting on here? Good heavens. It has been awhile.
I've been pretty much knitting soakers for the Etsy shop, and socks. I'm on a major sock kick (ha! funny!) right now for some reason. Perhaps because I only knit TWO PAIR of adult socks in all of 2008. That's just ridiculous for me. I did knit 3.5 pair of child-size socks for Daughter, but that hardly counts. They are teeny.
This is the most recent pair I finished for her. The yarn was purchased last summer when I first discovered Red Heart's Heart & Sole sock yarn (I went on a bit of a buying spree because, hey, only like $2.50 with a coupon, awesome), and the socks were started when AJ was still in the hospital. I couldn't concentrate on anything more complicated at the time, and still they took months.
Heart & Sole sock yarn, I believe this is the "mellow stripe" colorway.
US size 2 Brittany Birch double pointed needles, two of which inexplicably broke during the knitting of these socks (yes I will be returning them as they are guaranteed).
Cast on 48 stitches, 2X2 rib for the leg, work heel flap, etc, etc, kitchener stitch toe. Couldn't be easier.
And for me:
These are some interesting socks. If by interesting you mean fugly. What a hideous colorway! This is "Lily Pad Multi" Knitpicks Essentials sock yarn, but I have named these my "Pond Scum" socks, because that is what they remind me of. Ugh!
The yarn came as part of a sock sampler that Hubs gave me for Christmas 2007. I thought it was about time I used some of that up! (Perhaps the reason for the sock knitting obsession these days...) Anyway, I would never have picked out this yarn on my own. It's gnarly.
The pattern is from Knitting Vintage Socks - which is not in the room with me so I can't recall the exact pattern name. Gentlemen's socks with lozenge pattern? Could that be it?
Here is a closeup:
I love the pattern. Very textured and it lends some interest to an otherwise boring old sock. I decided it's also time to start working my way through some of the umpteen pattern books I own. How many of you do what I do - just collect the darn books and look through them every once in awhile, but never actually use them to make stuff? How lame! Time to start putting these yarns and patterns to use!
I did modify the pattern a bit, as I will have to do for ALL of the socks in this book. I can't make it work with the tiny needles she recommends. I used a US 2 for these socks, and modified them down to 60 stitches, as I am not a gentleman and do not need 80+ stitches for my socks. They came out very nice and I will wear them, but boy are they ugly.
I've got some other projects in the works, and will try to post about them soon. The problem I have is finding the opportunity to take pictures. I'm definitely knitting...can't stop knitting...if the house were on fire I'd be all, "coming! Just let me finish this row!" But it's tough to blog about it for some reason. Just busy these days, I guess.
Things are going pretty well with the kids and stuff, though, so I'm slowly, slowly easing back into some normal life activities. I'm hoping blogging will come along as well.
I've been pretty much knitting soakers for the Etsy shop, and socks. I'm on a major sock kick (ha! funny!) right now for some reason. Perhaps because I only knit TWO PAIR of adult socks in all of 2008. That's just ridiculous for me. I did knit 3.5 pair of child-size socks for Daughter, but that hardly counts. They are teeny.
This is the most recent pair I finished for her. The yarn was purchased last summer when I first discovered Red Heart's Heart & Sole sock yarn (I went on a bit of a buying spree because, hey, only like $2.50 with a coupon, awesome), and the socks were started when AJ was still in the hospital. I couldn't concentrate on anything more complicated at the time, and still they took months.
Heart & Sole sock yarn, I believe this is the "mellow stripe" colorway.
US size 2 Brittany Birch double pointed needles, two of which inexplicably broke during the knitting of these socks (yes I will be returning them as they are guaranteed).
Cast on 48 stitches, 2X2 rib for the leg, work heel flap, etc, etc, kitchener stitch toe. Couldn't be easier.
And for me:
These are some interesting socks. If by interesting you mean fugly. What a hideous colorway! This is "Lily Pad Multi" Knitpicks Essentials sock yarn, but I have named these my "Pond Scum" socks, because that is what they remind me of. Ugh!
The yarn came as part of a sock sampler that Hubs gave me for Christmas 2007. I thought it was about time I used some of that up! (Perhaps the reason for the sock knitting obsession these days...) Anyway, I would never have picked out this yarn on my own. It's gnarly.
The pattern is from Knitting Vintage Socks - which is not in the room with me so I can't recall the exact pattern name. Gentlemen's socks with lozenge pattern? Could that be it?
Here is a closeup:
I love the pattern. Very textured and it lends some interest to an otherwise boring old sock. I decided it's also time to start working my way through some of the umpteen pattern books I own. How many of you do what I do - just collect the darn books and look through them every once in awhile, but never actually use them to make stuff? How lame! Time to start putting these yarns and patterns to use!
I did modify the pattern a bit, as I will have to do for ALL of the socks in this book. I can't make it work with the tiny needles she recommends. I used a US 2 for these socks, and modified them down to 60 stitches, as I am not a gentleman and do not need 80+ stitches for my socks. They came out very nice and I will wear them, but boy are they ugly.
I've got some other projects in the works, and will try to post about them soon. The problem I have is finding the opportunity to take pictures. I'm definitely knitting...can't stop knitting...if the house were on fire I'd be all, "coming! Just let me finish this row!" But it's tough to blog about it for some reason. Just busy these days, I guess.
Things are going pretty well with the kids and stuff, though, so I'm slowly, slowly easing back into some normal life activities. I'm hoping blogging will come along as well.
Friday, March 06, 2009
feed me, seymour
Ok, so, that's interesting! It turns out NONE of us actually knows how to feed a baby! (joking)
Seriously, though, the comments to my last post were very interesting. And I understand all the people who were scratching their heads and trying to recall what they did when feeding their 6 month-old babies, because that's totally me with Daughter. I know I fed her. I know she liked the food - I managed to write that part down. And I have really sketchy info in the baby book about how she was eating at 8.5 and 10 months...but aside from a few photos of her in the high chair, I have no idea how I started her on solids. So, so frustrating.
And I know I will not do my son any harm by giving him minimal solids now - babies get most of their nutrition from breastmilk or formula for the first year anyway.
There are two things at play here, for me. One is that I subconsciously want to get rid of his g-tube as quickly as possible, and of course I refuse to believe that he might have to keep it for more than a couple of years. Possibly unreasonable, yes, but people, after what I have been through it is pretty reasonable for me to be unreasonable sometimes. I guess I am struggling with rushing him into eating regular foods/meals because I need to prove that he will be able to eat. It's a very tricky and emotional road to navigate when you have a child with a feeding tube, let me tell you.
And the other thing is that I am parenting my son under a medical microscope. He is constantly seeing medical professionals from many disciplines, and while my brain realizes this is totally ridiculous, I live with the constant fear that I will be "yelled at" by one of these doctor-types for doing something wrong.....not necessarily harmful, but somehow not in the best interest of my baby. So, for example, I am sorely tempted to dump one bottle (6 oz, or 144 calories) and replace it with two "food" meals (making up the calories with cereal/milk mix and fruits/veg). I have to believe this is the path Daughter went down - she could not have been nursing a total quantity of 30 ounces per day PLUS eating all the food she consumed. I just don't believe it. But the difference is, when you breastfeed, no one has any clue how much the baby is actually getting. You just have to go by their weight and general appearance and assume you're doing ok. With these infernal bottles and stinking g-tube, I have total accountability. There is no fudging or faking it. If he doesn't gain enough, it is totally on me. Talk about a tricky emotional road. Which is filled with potholes. And speedbumps. And is poorly lit, to boot. Ay-yi-yi.
Oh well, I guess I will continue to do the best I can. What else can I do? I just wish I felt more confident about it.
Seriously, though, the comments to my last post were very interesting. And I understand all the people who were scratching their heads and trying to recall what they did when feeding their 6 month-old babies, because that's totally me with Daughter. I know I fed her. I know she liked the food - I managed to write that part down. And I have really sketchy info in the baby book about how she was eating at 8.5 and 10 months...but aside from a few photos of her in the high chair, I have no idea how I started her on solids. So, so frustrating.
And I know I will not do my son any harm by giving him minimal solids now - babies get most of their nutrition from breastmilk or formula for the first year anyway.
There are two things at play here, for me. One is that I subconsciously want to get rid of his g-tube as quickly as possible, and of course I refuse to believe that he might have to keep it for more than a couple of years. Possibly unreasonable, yes, but people, after what I have been through it is pretty reasonable for me to be unreasonable sometimes. I guess I am struggling with rushing him into eating regular foods/meals because I need to prove that he will be able to eat. It's a very tricky and emotional road to navigate when you have a child with a feeding tube, let me tell you.
And the other thing is that I am parenting my son under a medical microscope. He is constantly seeing medical professionals from many disciplines, and while my brain realizes this is totally ridiculous, I live with the constant fear that I will be "yelled at" by one of these doctor-types for doing something wrong.....not necessarily harmful, but somehow not in the best interest of my baby. So, for example, I am sorely tempted to dump one bottle (6 oz, or 144 calories) and replace it with two "food" meals (making up the calories with cereal/milk mix and fruits/veg). I have to believe this is the path Daughter went down - she could not have been nursing a total quantity of 30 ounces per day PLUS eating all the food she consumed. I just don't believe it. But the difference is, when you breastfeed, no one has any clue how much the baby is actually getting. You just have to go by their weight and general appearance and assume you're doing ok. With these infernal bottles and stinking g-tube, I have total accountability. There is no fudging or faking it. If he doesn't gain enough, it is totally on me. Talk about a tricky emotional road. Which is filled with potholes. And speedbumps. And is poorly lit, to boot. Ay-yi-yi.
Oh well, I guess I will continue to do the best I can. What else can I do? I just wish I felt more confident about it.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
and again i am asking for your help
Changing tracks a bit here, I have a very important question for those of you who bottle-fed your children.
I am in a very weird place with trying to transition my son to eating solid foods. He loves the baby cereals and tolerates first foods (fruit and veg), and is just in the preliminary stages of trying a sippy cup. Yee haw.
The problem is, he is a little guy, still (just over 14 lbs at 6 months) and he can't take in the number of ounces of milk/formula recommended PLUS eat the amount of baby foods also recommended for his age. I have a chart that the feeding clinic and the pediatrician told me to follow, but it has my son ingesting 4-5 bottles per day at 6-8 ounces each, PLUS several tablespoons of cereal twice per day PLUS several tablespoons of first foods twice per day. Oh my gosh, he just can't hold all that food. I know he can't because he likes to eat, but turns away from the spoon if he is not hungry.
Now, the problem is that he is bottle fed, and not only that, he is also tube fed. He will drink about 1-2 ounces out of a 6 ounce bottle, then I put the rest through his g-tube. This ensures that he gets all the calories he needs for growth - otherwise he would be a 'failure to thrive' baby because he cannot ingest enough to maintain growth.
So if he were just breastfed on demand like Daughter, I would feed him solids at lunch and dinner, and then nurse him whenever else he fussed or was going down for naps/bed. Unfortunately I can't go that way, even subbing bottles for the nursing part, because he simply won't drink enough to sustain himself. So it's not like I can just wing it and not worry about the calories. I have to because he is essentially force-fed. Ugh.
I know he still needs the majority of his nutrition from milk and formula. However, I also want him to start to experience eating and regular meals with us. I just don't know how to get it all into him, though.
Anyway, all that aside, what I would like to know from the bottle-feeders out there is this: how did you go about starting solids with your children? My son wakes at 7 am, and goes to sleep at 8:30 or so at night, and I just can't figure out how to cram all this eating into the 12-ish hours he is awake during the day (aside from naps of course, which further complicate things).
When you bottle-feed, do you always automatically start the day with a bottle? Or did any of you go right to offering cereal and fruit for breakfast? If your child ate solids well at a meal, when did you then give a bottle? How many ounces of milk or formula were your babies drinking at 6 months? I would appreciate as much information as any of you can recall. Leave a comment or drop me an email (momwhoknits AT yahoo DOT com).
We go to feeding clinic again in 2 weeks, and I'm going to ask them to lay it out for me the way they think it should be done, with specific numbers of ounces and tablespoons and times, etc. I know they'll give me crappy, sketchy information like they always do. I just want to do the best I can for my son and I'm having such a hard time with this.
Any help anyone can offer me will be gratefully accepted. I'm really struggling.
I am in a very weird place with trying to transition my son to eating solid foods. He loves the baby cereals and tolerates first foods (fruit and veg), and is just in the preliminary stages of trying a sippy cup. Yee haw.
The problem is, he is a little guy, still (just over 14 lbs at 6 months) and he can't take in the number of ounces of milk/formula recommended PLUS eat the amount of baby foods also recommended for his age. I have a chart that the feeding clinic and the pediatrician told me to follow, but it has my son ingesting 4-5 bottles per day at 6-8 ounces each, PLUS several tablespoons of cereal twice per day PLUS several tablespoons of first foods twice per day. Oh my gosh, he just can't hold all that food. I know he can't because he likes to eat, but turns away from the spoon if he is not hungry.
Now, the problem is that he is bottle fed, and not only that, he is also tube fed. He will drink about 1-2 ounces out of a 6 ounce bottle, then I put the rest through his g-tube. This ensures that he gets all the calories he needs for growth - otherwise he would be a 'failure to thrive' baby because he cannot ingest enough to maintain growth.
So if he were just breastfed on demand like Daughter, I would feed him solids at lunch and dinner, and then nurse him whenever else he fussed or was going down for naps/bed. Unfortunately I can't go that way, even subbing bottles for the nursing part, because he simply won't drink enough to sustain himself. So it's not like I can just wing it and not worry about the calories. I have to because he is essentially force-fed. Ugh.
I know he still needs the majority of his nutrition from milk and formula. However, I also want him to start to experience eating and regular meals with us. I just don't know how to get it all into him, though.
Anyway, all that aside, what I would like to know from the bottle-feeders out there is this: how did you go about starting solids with your children? My son wakes at 7 am, and goes to sleep at 8:30 or so at night, and I just can't figure out how to cram all this eating into the 12-ish hours he is awake during the day (aside from naps of course, which further complicate things).
When you bottle-feed, do you always automatically start the day with a bottle? Or did any of you go right to offering cereal and fruit for breakfast? If your child ate solids well at a meal, when did you then give a bottle? How many ounces of milk or formula were your babies drinking at 6 months? I would appreciate as much information as any of you can recall. Leave a comment or drop me an email (momwhoknits AT yahoo DOT com).
We go to feeding clinic again in 2 weeks, and I'm going to ask them to lay it out for me the way they think it should be done, with specific numbers of ounces and tablespoons and times, etc. I know they'll give me crappy, sketchy information like they always do. I just want to do the best I can for my son and I'm having such a hard time with this.
Any help anyone can offer me will be gratefully accepted. I'm really struggling.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
unbelievable
Holy &*#$^*&@, the house passed inspection, and not only that, these people want to know how much of our furniture and which appliances we are willing to sell them.
Seriously???
I am so used to having shitty luck that I truly do not know how to handle this. I'm simply blown away. This is really happening. We are being released from the worst decision we have made as a couple and given a chance to move forward. God is good. I don't know what else to say.
Seriously???
I am so used to having shitty luck that I truly do not know how to handle this. I'm simply blown away. This is really happening. We are being released from the worst decision we have made as a couple and given a chance to move forward. God is good. I don't know what else to say.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
best. news. ever.
Someone bought our house.
I'm scared to get too excited because the house still needs to pass inspection, but oh, it is hard not to get excited. I have been praying for this for so long. A better life for my children. Closer to family, friends, and everything. We have been through so much, and this feels like we are finally catching a break.
Thank you, God, for this blessing! Now please, please don't let it fall through...
I'm scared to get too excited because the house still needs to pass inspection, but oh, it is hard not to get excited. I have been praying for this for so long. A better life for my children. Closer to family, friends, and everything. We have been through so much, and this feels like we are finally catching a break.
Thank you, God, for this blessing! Now please, please don't let it fall through...
Friday, February 20, 2009
winter doldrums
Hello, all. Still here. Cold. Bored. Listless.
Winter sucks. Especially with wee children. They take cabin fever to a whole new level.
There has been a bit of knitting.
Exciting, no? No, not really. These are for sale over on Etsy.
There's a sock in progress that I pick up and put down, knitting one or two rounds at a time. I'm still sort-of working on the big, boring off-white raglan I started a couple months back. Finished Daughter's stripey socks, finally, that were started before AJ made it home from the hospital (must remember to get photo...she put them on right after the ends were woven in, and wore them for two days straight). And I've knit about 1/3 of the back of a Trellis sweater for a baby girl due in May. I remember making one for Daughter - picked out the yarn at a local shop when she was just weeks old, riding in the Bjorn carrier. Can it be that was 3.5 years ago? Holy cow.
Anyway. Longing for more sunshine, warm breezes, longer days, and time outside. Can't wait to head to the playground and turn Daughter loose while AJ and I chill on a blanket. Soooooooo sick of winter.
Winter sucks. Especially with wee children. They take cabin fever to a whole new level.
There has been a bit of knitting.
Exciting, no? No, not really. These are for sale over on Etsy.
There's a sock in progress that I pick up and put down, knitting one or two rounds at a time. I'm still sort-of working on the big, boring off-white raglan I started a couple months back. Finished Daughter's stripey socks, finally, that were started before AJ made it home from the hospital (must remember to get photo...she put them on right after the ends were woven in, and wore them for two days straight). And I've knit about 1/3 of the back of a Trellis sweater for a baby girl due in May. I remember making one for Daughter - picked out the yarn at a local shop when she was just weeks old, riding in the Bjorn carrier. Can it be that was 3.5 years ago? Holy cow.
Anyway. Longing for more sunshine, warm breezes, longer days, and time outside. Can't wait to head to the playground and turn Daughter loose while AJ and I chill on a blanket. Soooooooo sick of winter.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
stuff 'n stuff
Ugh, people. I am so busy, and yet I feel like I am doing nothing. February, oh February, with your long dark days and freezing temps...how you torture me.
Although, with a relatively new baby and an almost 4 year old, it is going by more quickly than usual. And the past few days have seen unseasonable "warmth" - temps in the 40s and even low 50s. All the snow pack that's been hanging around through a very, very bone-chilling January has melted off. Bad for those who dwell near creeks (ice jams=flooding, big time), great for those of us who just want to walk outside wearing fewer than 4 layers of clothing and outerwear.
Today, we took a walk.
We played in the dirty snow piles.
We thought about collecting these pinecones, till it was discovered that they are mushy and soft after months buried under snow.
We splashed around in puddles in giraffe boots.
And we pondered frightening lawn decor. Seriously, in the front yard? What the hell IS this thing? Ugh. Scary.
Well, winter will be back in full force by the weekend, so we enjoyed this jaunt around the block. Despite the 51 degree temperature reading on the stroller (it has time/temp), it felt very cold and damp. AJ zonked out in his heavy sweater and blanket cocoon, so we headed back to the house for cocoa and a fire in the fireplace. It certainly isn't Spring yet, but it was a nice reprieve!
Although, with a relatively new baby and an almost 4 year old, it is going by more quickly than usual. And the past few days have seen unseasonable "warmth" - temps in the 40s and even low 50s. All the snow pack that's been hanging around through a very, very bone-chilling January has melted off. Bad for those who dwell near creeks (ice jams=flooding, big time), great for those of us who just want to walk outside wearing fewer than 4 layers of clothing and outerwear.
Today, we took a walk.
We played in the dirty snow piles.
We thought about collecting these pinecones, till it was discovered that they are mushy and soft after months buried under snow.
We splashed around in puddles in giraffe boots.
And we pondered frightening lawn decor. Seriously, in the front yard? What the hell IS this thing? Ugh. Scary.
Well, winter will be back in full force by the weekend, so we enjoyed this jaunt around the block. Despite the 51 degree temperature reading on the stroller (it has time/temp), it felt very cold and damp. AJ zonked out in his heavy sweater and blanket cocoon, so we headed back to the house for cocoa and a fire in the fireplace. It certainly isn't Spring yet, but it was a nice reprieve!
Sunday, February 08, 2009
blue screen of doom
My computer crashed.
It was the evil blue screen of doom...the one that informs you Windows will not start up because if it does surely a nuclear bomb will go off, or some equally horrifying thing. It wouldn't even restart in safe mode. I'm telling you, it was d.e.a.d.
Luckily I am married to a computer genius. His brain can do anything when it comes to a computer. Through the magic of Linux he was able to salvage my stuff, including, oh, just every single photograph ever taken of our children. We have discussed backing those photos up for the past 4 years, and now it's been done. Yikes. We'll be doing that more frequently in the future.
He was also able to rescue all my "important files," which in my world are my blog photos, patterns and pictures, scans of patterns, etc. And my budget spreadsheet. Don't know where I'd be without that.
So it looks like I'll still have most of my stuff, though I'll have to rebuild my blog list and go hunt down all the links I had bookmarked. Small price to pay to get my laptop lifeline back.
Gosh, remember when we didn't even have computers?
It was the evil blue screen of doom...the one that informs you Windows will not start up because if it does surely a nuclear bomb will go off, or some equally horrifying thing. It wouldn't even restart in safe mode. I'm telling you, it was d.e.a.d.
Luckily I am married to a computer genius. His brain can do anything when it comes to a computer. Through the magic of Linux he was able to salvage my stuff, including, oh, just every single photograph ever taken of our children. We have discussed backing those photos up for the past 4 years, and now it's been done. Yikes. We'll be doing that more frequently in the future.
He was also able to rescue all my "important files," which in my world are my blog photos, patterns and pictures, scans of patterns, etc. And my budget spreadsheet. Don't know where I'd be without that.
So it looks like I'll still have most of my stuff, though I'll have to rebuild my blog list and go hunt down all the links I had bookmarked. Small price to pay to get my laptop lifeline back.
Gosh, remember when we didn't even have computers?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
bday wrapup
Thanks for the nice birthday wishes. 33 feels kind of yucks right now - somehow the odd numbered years make me feel older. I mean, I feel fine, no different from a few days ago when I was still 32. It's just the number that makes me twitch a little!
Hubs sent me 100 multicolored sweetheart roses on behalf of the children. They are stunning! And then we went to the Olive Garden for dinner with some friends. With NO CHILDREN. It was so lovely to sit and eat my dinner in peace without having to cut anything up for anyone else, or discipline anyone, or comfort any crying, or keep anyone occupied while we waited for a table. (As an aside, crappy economy my arse! We waited 20 minutes for a table on a freezing cold Monday night at 6:30!)
Anyway, it was good. The friends we dined with are about 6 months pregnant with their first baby, so we regaled them with tales of new-parenthood all night. Isn't that the way it goes? You get out without your children, and then you do nothing but talk about them all night. Laaaaaaaame.
There has been a smidgen of knitting, and even a little sewing - well, preparation for sewing, anyway - so I will try to get some photos taken in the next couple of days. Right now it's time to prepare lunch, get AJ down for some rest before the therapist du jour shows up, shovel the front walk so said therapist doesn't wipe out, fold the diapers coming out of the dryer, clean up a little so the therapist doesn't think we're animals, and oh, feed myself and sit still for twelve seconds.
Hubs sent me 100 multicolored sweetheart roses on behalf of the children. They are stunning! And then we went to the Olive Garden for dinner with some friends. With NO CHILDREN. It was so lovely to sit and eat my dinner in peace without having to cut anything up for anyone else, or discipline anyone, or comfort any crying, or keep anyone occupied while we waited for a table. (As an aside, crappy economy my arse! We waited 20 minutes for a table on a freezing cold Monday night at 6:30!)
Anyway, it was good. The friends we dined with are about 6 months pregnant with their first baby, so we regaled them with tales of new-parenthood all night. Isn't that the way it goes? You get out without your children, and then you do nothing but talk about them all night. Laaaaaaaame.
There has been a smidgen of knitting, and even a little sewing - well, preparation for sewing, anyway - so I will try to get some photos taken in the next couple of days. Right now it's time to prepare lunch, get AJ down for some rest before the therapist du jour shows up, shovel the front walk so said therapist doesn't wipe out, fold the diapers coming out of the dryer, clean up a little so the therapist doesn't think we're animals, and oh, feed myself and sit still for twelve seconds.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
handknits in the wild
I can't believe this sweater fits him already. Seemed so impossibly huge when I finished it...
(Karen, if you squint, you can recognize the outfit!)
(Karen, if you squint, you can recognize the outfit!)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
audacity, hope, etc
In a fit of insanity, I cast on for a wool soaker yesterday during the few precious moments when both of my children were napping.
I figure I can try to get it done before D-day...Feb. 10, when the CPSIA law takes effect. Though I am pretty confused about the act itself. If I leave this product listed in my Etsy shop after the 10th, will I be immediately fined? Is some person out there, ready and waiting to pounce on all the cottage industry folk?
And further, are all the childrens' products in all the stores already tested and ready to go? Or will we walk into Target on February 10 and see them ripping clothes and toys off the racks to be destroyed (or tested)? Are companies all falling in line to get their products tested? Will I be able to find and/or afford summer clothing for my children? And what about things like fabric on the bolt? Can I go to Joann's and get cottons for my children to wear, at a reasonable cost? Or will each yard cost twice as much because it had to be tested?
I am hopeful that this act will be reviewed and changed to be more reasonable. I applaud the government's efforts to protect children, but come on. And until then, I will knit away, in the hope that I can continue to produce and sell a few things here and there.
I figure I can try to get it done before D-day...Feb. 10, when the CPSIA law takes effect. Though I am pretty confused about the act itself. If I leave this product listed in my Etsy shop after the 10th, will I be immediately fined? Is some person out there, ready and waiting to pounce on all the cottage industry folk?
And further, are all the childrens' products in all the stores already tested and ready to go? Or will we walk into Target on February 10 and see them ripping clothes and toys off the racks to be destroyed (or tested)? Are companies all falling in line to get their products tested? Will I be able to find and/or afford summer clothing for my children? And what about things like fabric on the bolt? Can I go to Joann's and get cottons for my children to wear, at a reasonable cost? Or will each yard cost twice as much because it had to be tested?
I am hopeful that this act will be reviewed and changed to be more reasonable. I applaud the government's efforts to protect children, but come on. And until then, I will knit away, in the hope that I can continue to produce and sell a few things here and there.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
progress!!
This will not sound like much to most of you, but we have achieved several little victories around here and I really want to shout them from the rooftops. But it is too cold outside. So I will shout them here:
The boy is regularly holding his head up in the prone position, up on his elbows, and turning his head from side to side!
He is mowing down small bowls of rice cereal like a lumberjack and crying for more!
Tonight he took HALF a feeding orally (Dr. Brown's preemie flow bottles, I love you!) - the most he has ever consumed via his wee mouth!
I really, really needed some good things to happen, and my prayers are being answered. I know AJ will do great, all in good time, all in God's time. But I am impatient! And when I see these little steps accomplished, I am so grateful. Remember, my poor baby did not eat anything orally for 6 weeks in the hospital, and we didn't know if he ever would. The fact that he will not only swallow cereal, but swallow it with ease and cry for more? Nothing short of a miracle in our eyes.
Nothing short of a miracle.
The boy is regularly holding his head up in the prone position, up on his elbows, and turning his head from side to side!
He is mowing down small bowls of rice cereal like a lumberjack and crying for more!
Tonight he took HALF a feeding orally (Dr. Brown's preemie flow bottles, I love you!) - the most he has ever consumed via his wee mouth!
I really, really needed some good things to happen, and my prayers are being answered. I know AJ will do great, all in good time, all in God's time. But I am impatient! And when I see these little steps accomplished, I am so grateful. Remember, my poor baby did not eat anything orally for 6 weeks in the hospital, and we didn't know if he ever would. The fact that he will not only swallow cereal, but swallow it with ease and cry for more? Nothing short of a miracle in our eyes.
Nothing short of a miracle.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
r.i.p. Ella
Last night my in-laws had to make the difficult decision to put our old dog to sleep. I'm not a dog person, and it's really because of me that they've had her for the last 2+ years, but still, it is kind of sad.
This is Ella eyeballing Daughter about 3 years ago.
She has struggled with pancreatitis for several years, and though she was just 9 years old, she was very sick. I'm glad she isn't suffering anymore. Rest in peace, Ella.
This is Ella eyeballing Daughter about 3 years ago.
She has struggled with pancreatitis for several years, and though she was just 9 years old, she was very sick. I'm glad she isn't suffering anymore. Rest in peace, Ella.
Monday, January 19, 2009
possibly the most boring knit ever
When we went to our feeding clinic appointment last week, I asked, as always, if AJ is now big enough that I can cease feeding him every night (or morning, rather) at 3:00. I want to be clear - if he were waking up crying for food at that hour, I would have no problem with getting up. The thing is, he doesn't wake. I set my alarm, get up, feed him in his sleep, and collapse back into bed. The whole process takes around 20 minutes, but you'd be surprised how much that 20 minute interlude in my sleep takes a major toll.
Unfortunately, we still need to keep working on his weight. So unless I can work the extra 4.5 oz of milk into the other 5 daily feeds, I have to keep getting up. And since he can't quite handle the necessary volume to do that, I'm stuck.
Enter: the most boring of knits. The plain stockinette, top-down raglan sweater. This sweater is the antithesis of what I love to knit (complicated cables), but it is working out great to keep me awake at 3:00 a.m.
Also, in keeping with my desire to save some money (see previous post), I am using up the Patons Decor yarn I got last summer for $.98 per skein. This is going to be a big, loose, hopefully cozy, totally washable sweater for me. I wasn't planning on this for myself this year, but I needed something easy to work on in the dark.
The pattern is great - it's old and kitschy and easy enough to follow:
Raglans Unlimited! Oh, the raglan possibilities! Just look at those hipsters, modeling their raglans. I mock it, but dudes, this pattern book was $2.00 brand new, and has patterns for any kind of raglan sweater you could want (crew necks, v-necks, turtlenecks, cardis, pullovers...the possiblities are, well, unlimited!), and it goes from toddler size 2 up to a 52 inch chest. I'm not sure where my mom got this copy - she thinks she got it about 20 years ago from an older lady who was kind of her knitting mentor at the time. It's good stuff.
But you'd better have good eyesight if you're gonna use it.
Ahhh, I hear crying children. Gotta run. See ya at 3 a.m.
Unfortunately, we still need to keep working on his weight. So unless I can work the extra 4.5 oz of milk into the other 5 daily feeds, I have to keep getting up. And since he can't quite handle the necessary volume to do that, I'm stuck.
Enter: the most boring of knits. The plain stockinette, top-down raglan sweater. This sweater is the antithesis of what I love to knit (complicated cables), but it is working out great to keep me awake at 3:00 a.m.
Also, in keeping with my desire to save some money (see previous post), I am using up the Patons Decor yarn I got last summer for $.98 per skein. This is going to be a big, loose, hopefully cozy, totally washable sweater for me. I wasn't planning on this for myself this year, but I needed something easy to work on in the dark.
The pattern is great - it's old and kitschy and easy enough to follow:
Raglans Unlimited! Oh, the raglan possibilities! Just look at those hipsters, modeling their raglans. I mock it, but dudes, this pattern book was $2.00 brand new, and has patterns for any kind of raglan sweater you could want (crew necks, v-necks, turtlenecks, cardis, pullovers...the possiblities are, well, unlimited!), and it goes from toddler size 2 up to a 52 inch chest. I'm not sure where my mom got this copy - she thinks she got it about 20 years ago from an older lady who was kind of her knitting mentor at the time. It's good stuff.
But you'd better have good eyesight if you're gonna use it.
Ahhh, I hear crying children. Gotta run. See ya at 3 a.m.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
debt snowball
I've been doing a lot of soul-searching in the past year or so about finances and debt. I have talked a bit about money on the blog, but I don't usually say much except to complain about not having enough. Then I recant and say that we do have enough and I should just shut up and be grateful we're not sleeping on the sidewalk.
Here's the thing - I obsess about money. I really do. Not because I want lots of it to buy stuff, honestly, that is NOT it at all. I really don't even like shopping, I avoid malls, and grab steals online from Old Navy a few times a year to clothe my family. I obsess about money because I have come to hate debt with a raging, fiery passion.
With the latest economic news being so grim and bleak, I have just become angrier and angrier that some fat cat at the top of the heap is taking home millions of dollars while we scrape up student loan, mortgage, and car payments every month. Yes, we have enough to pay them. However, at the rate we are paying them, we will finish paying off our student loans - are you sitting down? - one year before Daughter starts college. That is disgusting!
I will go further and disclose somewhat accurate financial info for reference. Hubs and I are both paying off just over 20K in student loans each. Mine is from graduate school, his is undergrad. Mine has a better rate, so is disappearing almost twice as quickly, even though the amount paid on mine is lower than his each month. Our car was purchased new last April at 0% financing so we could avoid paying interest on a loan. It is now 1/4 paid for (yay!) but the monthly payment to achieve this is very high.
I wish I had come to my current feelings several years ago, before we had children. I wish I had shoved more money towards paying down those damned student loans. Now I literally cringe each day as I think of the interest piling up between payments. I've started throwing a little more toward the principal payment on Hubs' loan since his is at the higher rate, and it's helping a bit, but progress is glacial.
Enter...the debt snowball. Have you all heard of this? It's pretty cool. You can tailor the calculations to your own situation, put in the amount you have available to pay towards debt, and the website will calculate the amount of time it will take you to pay everything off. The basic idea is this: you pay off the highest interest loan first, then when that falls away, take that money and add it to the minimum payment on the next-highest-interest-rate loan. You carry on like this, paying the same amount of money each month no matter what, until your debts are all gone.
In my case, we would pay only the minimum payments on the car and my loan, but put any extra we can towards Hubs' loan. Once the car is paid off in two more years or so, we have to take the amount of the car payment and add it to Hubs' loan payment. Make sense? Ostensibly, this should be no problem because we will be used to paying that amount each month anyway. Then, once his loan finally goes away, in just a few short months mine will be gone also, because the car payment and his loan payment will become a part of MY loan payment.
If we do it right, and stick with the current amounts we are paying, we will pay all three debts off in 65 months. That's 5 years and 5 months! Sounds a lot better than almost 15 more years. It's still depressing when I think I will be 38 years old at that point, and 12 years away from having received my master's degree (which got me into stupid debt in the first place). But Daughter will only be 9, AJ only 5, and we can start to have a better life for all of us at that point, with less scrimping and saving and denying ourselves experiences and things.
I used to think the only kind of "bad" debt was credit card debt. I've never had any, even though I've been using credit cards since I was 18 and went away to college. I've paid my monthly balance in full without fail for 15 years. I thought that made me so awesome. I thought that made me so debt free! I would look down my nose at all those poor suckers who run up huge credit card balances and then can't get out of trouble. Not me! I'm so great, I only have one card and I pay it off! Look at me! SO AWESOME!
But it's not true. I mean, yes, it is good to pay off the credit card every month and I will continue to do so. But I've come to a place in my life where I believe the only acceptable debt is a mortgage payment. It's a rare family that can pay for a house in cash, so I don't feel bad about having a mortgage. But I do feel horribly, terribly bad about paying hundreds of dollars each year in interest on those effing student loans. Thus the dumb ads on the blog. And the etsy shop. And the reselling of diapering accessories. And hopefully a successful yard sale this spring with my mom. Every extra penny I find goes toward knocking down that principal so "the man" can't have any more of our money. Hubs goes to work every day and deals with so much B.S. and for what? We don't have a fancy house or fun vacations. Our children don't have college funds started. There just isn't any extra right now. And that sucks!
I am aiming to dig out from under this debt heap within those 65 months. And when I can find a little more here or there, I will send it off to reduce that time period. My dream is to get it to 48 months, but I'd have to find around $400 extra each month for that. Don't think I can sell that much on etsy just now!
So if you are in debt, no matter what kind, check out that debt snowball site. I'm curious what people feel about their debt. Do you have any? None? If you climbed out, how did you do it? And please, keep the comments kind. I'm not saying anyone is better than anyone else for having or not having debt. Just sharing my thoughts and perspectives, that's all. Please feel free to share yours!
Here's the thing - I obsess about money. I really do. Not because I want lots of it to buy stuff, honestly, that is NOT it at all. I really don't even like shopping, I avoid malls, and grab steals online from Old Navy a few times a year to clothe my family. I obsess about money because I have come to hate debt with a raging, fiery passion.
With the latest economic news being so grim and bleak, I have just become angrier and angrier that some fat cat at the top of the heap is taking home millions of dollars while we scrape up student loan, mortgage, and car payments every month. Yes, we have enough to pay them. However, at the rate we are paying them, we will finish paying off our student loans - are you sitting down? - one year before Daughter starts college. That is disgusting!
I will go further and disclose somewhat accurate financial info for reference. Hubs and I are both paying off just over 20K in student loans each. Mine is from graduate school, his is undergrad. Mine has a better rate, so is disappearing almost twice as quickly, even though the amount paid on mine is lower than his each month. Our car was purchased new last April at 0% financing so we could avoid paying interest on a loan. It is now 1/4 paid for (yay!) but the monthly payment to achieve this is very high.
I wish I had come to my current feelings several years ago, before we had children. I wish I had shoved more money towards paying down those damned student loans. Now I literally cringe each day as I think of the interest piling up between payments. I've started throwing a little more toward the principal payment on Hubs' loan since his is at the higher rate, and it's helping a bit, but progress is glacial.
Enter...the debt snowball. Have you all heard of this? It's pretty cool. You can tailor the calculations to your own situation, put in the amount you have available to pay towards debt, and the website will calculate the amount of time it will take you to pay everything off. The basic idea is this: you pay off the highest interest loan first, then when that falls away, take that money and add it to the minimum payment on the next-highest-interest-rate loan. You carry on like this, paying the same amount of money each month no matter what, until your debts are all gone.
In my case, we would pay only the minimum payments on the car and my loan, but put any extra we can towards Hubs' loan. Once the car is paid off in two more years or so, we have to take the amount of the car payment and add it to Hubs' loan payment. Make sense? Ostensibly, this should be no problem because we will be used to paying that amount each month anyway. Then, once his loan finally goes away, in just a few short months mine will be gone also, because the car payment and his loan payment will become a part of MY loan payment.
If we do it right, and stick with the current amounts we are paying, we will pay all three debts off in 65 months. That's 5 years and 5 months! Sounds a lot better than almost 15 more years. It's still depressing when I think I will be 38 years old at that point, and 12 years away from having received my master's degree (which got me into stupid debt in the first place). But Daughter will only be 9, AJ only 5, and we can start to have a better life for all of us at that point, with less scrimping and saving and denying ourselves experiences and things.
I used to think the only kind of "bad" debt was credit card debt. I've never had any, even though I've been using credit cards since I was 18 and went away to college. I've paid my monthly balance in full without fail for 15 years. I thought that made me so awesome. I thought that made me so debt free! I would look down my nose at all those poor suckers who run up huge credit card balances and then can't get out of trouble. Not me! I'm so great, I only have one card and I pay it off! Look at me! SO AWESOME!
But it's not true. I mean, yes, it is good to pay off the credit card every month and I will continue to do so. But I've come to a place in my life where I believe the only acceptable debt is a mortgage payment. It's a rare family that can pay for a house in cash, so I don't feel bad about having a mortgage. But I do feel horribly, terribly bad about paying hundreds of dollars each year in interest on those effing student loans. Thus the dumb ads on the blog. And the etsy shop. And the reselling of diapering accessories. And hopefully a successful yard sale this spring with my mom. Every extra penny I find goes toward knocking down that principal so "the man" can't have any more of our money. Hubs goes to work every day and deals with so much B.S. and for what? We don't have a fancy house or fun vacations. Our children don't have college funds started. There just isn't any extra right now. And that sucks!
I am aiming to dig out from under this debt heap within those 65 months. And when I can find a little more here or there, I will send it off to reduce that time period. My dream is to get it to 48 months, but I'd have to find around $400 extra each month for that. Don't think I can sell that much on etsy just now!
So if you are in debt, no matter what kind, check out that debt snowball site. I'm curious what people feel about their debt. Do you have any? None? If you climbed out, how did you do it? And please, keep the comments kind. I'm not saying anyone is better than anyone else for having or not having debt. Just sharing my thoughts and perspectives, that's all. Please feel free to share yours!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
stuff and more stuff
baby stuff
I have managed, through a careful regimen of stuffing him like a Thanksgiving turkey, to get my son ONTO THE WEIGHT CURVE!!!!! Sure, he's 5th percentile, but dammit, he is on the chart!
We had our feeding clinic appointment this morning, downtown at our Children's Hospital. It was 4 degrees when we left the house, cars were spun out everywhere, traffic was ridiculous, and a trip that should take 20-25 minutes took 50. Thankfully, the parking ramp was not full, and I even got a spot right on the first level. Hallelujah. I had allowed just enough time and we made it exactly at 8:30, so I scrapped my plan of running through the hospital lobby for a coffee and danish from the nice coffee guy I befriended during our son's hostage crisis*. However, they were just turning the lights on in the clinic when we walked in, and we had to stand around and wait! Screw it, next time I'm getting me some breakfast.
Anyway, I was more impressed with this visit than I was the last, though the only person I find truly useful is the speech pathologist, who helps us with the actual feeding of our child. I expressed my concerns about starting him on rice cereal, and she chirped, "let's try him!" So we did. And he ate it. And did not push it out of his mouth or choke on it. Yessssssss. These are the little victories that help me get through my life right now. So we are to go forth and try him twice a day with extremely thin, milky cereal - just a few spoons at a time so he can acclimate to it.
In other news, we saw the geneticist yesterday, who had nothing to offer. Well, she told my son he has a "pathetic little half-smile," to which I responded, "well, that's all you're gonna get, lady." Neither of my children has an upturned smile. And it turns out Daughter cannot close her eyes all the way, nor can she scrunch them up. It was very cute watching her try - she ended up pushing on them with her fingers in an attempt to do as she was asked. Having seen both of my children together, the doctor remains at a loss. We will return when AJ is 9 months old to see if anything else presents itself.
And, drum roll please, my sweet boy can finally lift his head in the prone position! It's so awesome to see him do it, and with no screaming and crying. I believe it is because he finally has a heavy enough body to balance out his giant baby head.
award-worthy stuff
In other news, I got Daughter signed up for a playschool! Yay! Granted, my mom did the legwork and found out the info, but on Monday morning Daughter and I toodled over there and checked it out. It's in a huge, brand-spanking-new church that has an extensive preschool program. I didn't look into preschool yet, though, just a play program for socializing. Poor girl needs to get out of the house and play with some kids her age. This program fits the bill...and you sign up week to week and pay as you go, so there is no commitment and it's pretty inexpensive too ($5/hr). I'm sending her Tuesday and Thursday mornings for two hours.
Yes, I would like an award. I accomplished something, dangit!
And now I must go seek out and consume some caffeine. I limit myself, of course, so my darling son won't spaz out, but the 5.5 hours of sleep I got last night are catching up with me. Oy.
*Thank you, Pam. I use that line all the time to describe our NICU stay!
I have managed, through a careful regimen of stuffing him like a Thanksgiving turkey, to get my son ONTO THE WEIGHT CURVE!!!!! Sure, he's 5th percentile, but dammit, he is on the chart!
We had our feeding clinic appointment this morning, downtown at our Children's Hospital. It was 4 degrees when we left the house, cars were spun out everywhere, traffic was ridiculous, and a trip that should take 20-25 minutes took 50. Thankfully, the parking ramp was not full, and I even got a spot right on the first level. Hallelujah. I had allowed just enough time and we made it exactly at 8:30, so I scrapped my plan of running through the hospital lobby for a coffee and danish from the nice coffee guy I befriended during our son's hostage crisis*. However, they were just turning the lights on in the clinic when we walked in, and we had to stand around and wait! Screw it, next time I'm getting me some breakfast.
Anyway, I was more impressed with this visit than I was the last, though the only person I find truly useful is the speech pathologist, who helps us with the actual feeding of our child. I expressed my concerns about starting him on rice cereal, and she chirped, "let's try him!" So we did. And he ate it. And did not push it out of his mouth or choke on it. Yessssssss. These are the little victories that help me get through my life right now. So we are to go forth and try him twice a day with extremely thin, milky cereal - just a few spoons at a time so he can acclimate to it.
In other news, we saw the geneticist yesterday, who had nothing to offer. Well, she told my son he has a "pathetic little half-smile," to which I responded, "well, that's all you're gonna get, lady." Neither of my children has an upturned smile. And it turns out Daughter cannot close her eyes all the way, nor can she scrunch them up. It was very cute watching her try - she ended up pushing on them with her fingers in an attempt to do as she was asked. Having seen both of my children together, the doctor remains at a loss. We will return when AJ is 9 months old to see if anything else presents itself.
And, drum roll please, my sweet boy can finally lift his head in the prone position! It's so awesome to see him do it, and with no screaming and crying. I believe it is because he finally has a heavy enough body to balance out his giant baby head.
award-worthy stuff
In other news, I got Daughter signed up for a playschool! Yay! Granted, my mom did the legwork and found out the info, but on Monday morning Daughter and I toodled over there and checked it out. It's in a huge, brand-spanking-new church that has an extensive preschool program. I didn't look into preschool yet, though, just a play program for socializing. Poor girl needs to get out of the house and play with some kids her age. This program fits the bill...and you sign up week to week and pay as you go, so there is no commitment and it's pretty inexpensive too ($5/hr). I'm sending her Tuesday and Thursday mornings for two hours.
Yes, I would like an award. I accomplished something, dangit!
And now I must go seek out and consume some caffeine. I limit myself, of course, so my darling son won't spaz out, but the 5.5 hours of sleep I got last night are catching up with me. Oy.
*Thank you, Pam. I use that line all the time to describe our NICU stay!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
road work ahead
I believe I swore I would do this a year ago, but life kind of got in the way...anyhoo, I am finally starting to fart around with making this blog look like something meaningful. Why not, after 3+ years? Sheesh!
Hubs found me a program to use for fooling with photos - it's like photoshop for dorks! Awesome! Perfect for my fried brain cells. So I've begun retooling my header, and will keep on adding stuff to the page until I'm pleased. I know the blogs that get a lot of traffic and followers are the ones with the interesting, interactive, fun layout, so I'm anxious to get going with that. I was reading over my posts from the beginning of this blog adventure, and they were pretty good, if I do say so myself. Lots of projects shown, a light tone - I miss that gal! I'd like to try to find her again and bring this place back to life. I built up a decent readership back then, and I'd like to work toward rebuilding my little online community again. (Not that I don't appreciate all of you who have been with me the whole time...you KNOW that I do!)
I have also placed ads around the page. I'm sorry for that, I really am. But if I can scrape up even a few extra pennies to put toward paying down student loans, etc, I simply must. I hate feeling like I can't contribute to the household income, and if the CPSIA thingy goes through as written, there goes making stuff to sell. Though I'm praying that changes...I have lots of scrap wool to be made into adorable soakers!
Anyway, enough babbling, and it's time to feed the wee child again. Just wanted to explain the dust and debris you'll be seeing around here in the near future as I work on this blog when I have two spare seconds. Here's to a better blog in '09!
Hubs found me a program to use for fooling with photos - it's like photoshop for dorks! Awesome! Perfect for my fried brain cells. So I've begun retooling my header, and will keep on adding stuff to the page until I'm pleased. I know the blogs that get a lot of traffic and followers are the ones with the interesting, interactive, fun layout, so I'm anxious to get going with that. I was reading over my posts from the beginning of this blog adventure, and they were pretty good, if I do say so myself. Lots of projects shown, a light tone - I miss that gal! I'd like to try to find her again and bring this place back to life. I built up a decent readership back then, and I'd like to work toward rebuilding my little online community again. (Not that I don't appreciate all of you who have been with me the whole time...you KNOW that I do!)
I have also placed ads around the page. I'm sorry for that, I really am. But if I can scrape up even a few extra pennies to put toward paying down student loans, etc, I simply must. I hate feeling like I can't contribute to the household income, and if the CPSIA thingy goes through as written, there goes making stuff to sell. Though I'm praying that changes...I have lots of scrap wool to be made into adorable soakers!
Anyway, enough babbling, and it's time to feed the wee child again. Just wanted to explain the dust and debris you'll be seeing around here in the near future as I work on this blog when I have two spare seconds. Here's to a better blog in '09!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
