Friday, February 29, 2008

By His Side

This is my red-headed step-cat. He was with my husband before me, and he sometimes lets me know it! Obviously, this is the kind of cat that is comfortable anywhere, all that hair-it's like he's a walking pillow!

During DH's sick time, Angus was by his side the entire time. He'd come down to eat, then he'd head back up to our bedroom and sleep right next to T. Pets know. When I went into labor with baby girl, Levi was my sentry. Be good to your animals. This is a lesson we are trying to teach butters, but it's not going so well!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

No Grey

A number of blogs I read say you should never knit anything grey in February as it delays the arrival of Spring! We've been enjoying sunny blue skies, but I still decided to knit some bright things this month for a birthday girl who turned three.


Alligator mittens in pink and orange from Stitch and Bitch Nation. Size: Toddler. Yarn: Cascade 220. Modifications: I skipped the embroidered teeth.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Thanks, Hon!



Perfect timing for some surprises in the mail!

Is It Over Yet?

I'm looking forward to February being over.
Someone has been sick nearly every week and it seems like bad things just keep happening. Look at the eyes on that very unhappy baby. Don't worry, she's feeling better. She even manages to smile through her watery eyes and runny nose. It's impossibly cute.






We went to three birthday parties this month, including 2 Princess Parties. Butters loves cake. It's his favorite part.








One party was at Jump Planet, here it is, my self deprecating photo, also known as, I'm Never Wearing That Shirt Again! I sustained a small injury-a skinned elbow. But, I never complain. (Yeah right, Mrs. Bennet!) I had red eye and I tried to process it out, making me look a bit more bug-eyed than I really do.



The good news: March is just around the corner, as announced by my favorite seasonal flavor of B&J, Dublin Mudslide. There it is, right next to some frozen breast milk in my fridge, should I ever get the chance to go see a movie again! But, I never complain.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Quick Check In

Just a quick check in today, DH is home sick, he spent Tuesday in the ER with a bloody nose that wouldn't stop. Loss of blood, reactions to drugs, cocaine to try to stop the bleeding and some other scary stories later-he's home, and the in-laws are here to help with the kids. Makes me wish we lived a bit closer to family, things would have been a lot easier! Note to self: ask for help sooner when you need it!

The emergency room was packed with un-insured people, leaving overworked doctors and a very stressful experience. I'm looking forward to a new President who can fix our healthcare system, then my parents could retire with fewer worries also.

I'm almost up to my 100th blog post, I think I might have a contest so be ready!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Valentimes Day



Sugar crash after the 'Happy Valentimes Day" party on Vashon Island.












I made progress on my pi shawl during the ferry ride.







Baby girl got to wear her first dress and leg warmers! I'm wearing the Wicked Sweater that I made.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Plague!

Well my darling husband's (dh) fever turned out to be the flu, not chicken pox. Unfortunately, he gave that to Butters who has been sick since Tuesday with fever, runny nose and now coughing. I'm busy trying to keep the baby and I from getting sick (washing everything in the house) and keeping everyone else happy.

Here is how I survive: when everyone is alseep at night, I'm slowing watching the greatest miniseries of the greatest book of all time! And, knitting a pi shawl by Zimmerman. I met the alpaca's of Misty Ridge who donated the fiber for this and I'm making up the pattern at I go along. I know it looks like a hat right now, but it will flatten out to be a circular shawl very soon!
We are still waiting for those teeth to come in. Teeth, if you can hear this, get it over with already! Put us out of our misery.
PS. Spell check on blogger is not working, so ignore my misspellings! *wink wink* I used to cheat on spelling tests in Jr. High (sorry Mrs. Lochle and to my parents) and I'm still paying for it. Let this be a lesson to you.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Caucusing

We took part in the democratic process today and attended our precinct's caucus! It was chaotic, but fun. Butters had his hands over his ears, the baby slept through the entire thing and we were overwhelmed. I said hello to Maria Cantwell, ("all I could say was hello!" what movie (s) is that from? Don't let me down, SAM) It was standing room only, so we didn't really get a chance to talk with our neighbors and actually caucus, but we did sign in and write in our preference. I only wish Obama had a vagina, it would make the decision a lot easier! But, I am excited to choose between two fairly progressive candidates and two people who are talking about change, something this country really needs.

When Butters was born, during the first Bush administration, he had a $30,000 debt to pay for this country. When Baby Girl was born, during the second, the number has nearly tripled! I'm hoping my grandkids don't have to pay down a national dept. I was born with more rights than I have today, but these are all things that we can win back. What upsets me the most are the lives that have been lost and the damage done to the environment that can't be reversed, the couples who should have been allowed to marry, but didn't the chance. Okay, I'm climbing down from my soapbox.

Speaking of kids, here is are my favorite photos of today. Butters likes to tell a fib and then say, "That's so funny." Like, "You're a doornob, that's so funny!" This is the face he makes when he says it!









Baby Girl is getting her teeth still, but she continues to smile all the time. She is just so kissable, I can't keep my hands off her, which is good because at night she doesn't want to be put down! Can you see the teeth?





Okay, if you are still reading and I haven't pissed you off yet, then you can handle this next question. I have a friend who is very supportive of my knitting, she actually told me that if I knitted a poop she would display it/wear it proudly. So, I thought, I'll make her a pair of socks. Then I found out about a book of naughty knitting patterns and I figured, who better to make a certain type of knitted cozy for a certain type of..say special friend, than for this person, who could love it! So, I'll take a straw poll, a pair of usable socks or a silly cozy for a special friend?

Monday, February 4, 2008

We had the same odds as Eli

I've been delaying some vaccines for the kids. For example, babies don't need to be immunized against Hep B when you can only contract it from IV drugs or sex! I started the baby on any serious infant related diseases and at the same visit, got Butters his chicken pox vaccine. I was on the fence about it, but I figured, I didn't want him to get cp...but my husband hadn't had cp yet and we didn't want him to get sick. It can be very serious to get them as an adult. Still, the risk involved with getting cp is more serious, so I relented and we got the vaccine.




Well, we were the small per cent of kids who break out with pox as a RESULT of the vaccine. And, husband has a fever, sore throat and feels like crap. We are home bound for about 2 weeks. Keep your fingers crossed that the baby stays healthy and that it's something else T has!

This is why he has red paint in his hair in the above photo, we stamped today with paint and cookie cutters. Butters keeps telling me, "I don't like chicken pops. Take them off." He's not too bad off, only about 5 spots, it's not as bad as it could be.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Repetition

In college, I was the one with the car. It was a crappy car, a plymouth grand am, brown. Whenever I drove down the main road to the mall or whever hell else the main road went, (I've blocked it out of my head!!), I'd pass a futon shop that had a "Going Out of Business Sale," banner. This store had the banner up all four years of college. And, all four years, as I drove past it, I'd say, "That store has had that banner up since the first time I drove by!" It was like a disease, I had to mention it to the passenger. Many times, that passenger was Beth, and she'd say, "You say that EVERY TIME!" Then, it became this big joke and I'd say it just to make her mad....anyway it was a college friend thing and pretty funny to us!

Butters has a ritual, too. A bathroom ritual. He makes the toilet talk, it says the same thing everytime. At first it was cute, then we got a little worried that he could have OCD, then I remembered that I do the same thing. We have a little training potty that sits next to the toilet and a potty seat on the toilet (Dr. Merry's Potty Pal, everyone asks about it). Here is his ritual, he does it all in a higher pitch voice and makes the actors talk:


Little potty says: You forgot to step on the stool

Stool says: Step on me, oh, okay

Big toilet lid says: Pee on me



I'll bet, if I drove past that futon store today, the sign would be there, and I'd have to mention it! We're hoping Butters grows out of this one and doesn't make the toilet talk when he's on a job interview or meeting his girlfriends parents!