Nothing Fancy

3 a.m.

2011-11-17T03:19:00.001-05:00

I am awake at 3 a.m. for the sixth morning in a row. The previous five mornings I was at work, but I have no excuse today. I have been awake since 2:15 and there is no sign that I will be going back to bed any time soon. I've folded laundry, browsed the internet for new biscotti recipes, and read three chapters of my current book.

After almost three months on third shift, this is the first time I haven't been able to snap out of the work-at-night-sleep-during-the-day pattern with relative ease. I guess working five nights caught up with me this time.

Let's hope Harry takes it easy on me tomorrow, because I think I'm going to be pretty tired...

Friday Quickie

2011-11-11T20:15:00.001-05:00

I have exactly 10 minutes before I need to leave for work - ah, the beginning of five nights in a row - and decided that this is just enough time for a quickie blog post.

We had our first snow of the season yesterday, along with some truly ridiculous hail. Harry, who is sick with a cold, slept through the hail, but when he woke up he said he wanted to catch snowflakes on his tongue. I went back and forth on the issue for a few minutes, weighing the absolute pleasure he would get from going outside against his runny nose and froggy voice. In the end, obviously, I decided to bundle him thoroughly and go outside for 10 minutes.

I'm glad I did, too, because while his cold is no worse, Harry thinks I'm fun and I got to see this smile in person. And when I'm starting five nights in a row of work, and will spend most of the next five days sleeping instead of playing with him, I need that smile to hang on to.

It's a Really Big Deal

2011-10-13T18:32:00.002-04:00

Well, my excuse for not blogging in almost two months is thus: potty training.

It has been a l-o-n-g time coming at our house, but in the last few months Harry started going potty at school, then slowly working on it at home, and now we are at the point where we are running errands with underwear instead of Pull-Ups. It's scary for me, mostly because of the time Harry peed buckets in the shoe section of Kohls, but Harry is always really excited to be wearing underwear, and we've been away from the house for almost two hours sometimes without an accident. He's not scared to go to the bathroom away from home, which I had been really worried about, and he has this awesome habit of commenting loudly on how clean/stinky/noisy/busy said restroom is.

And we have a whole new subject for hilarity in our family:

One of the cars in his train set is the "potty train."
He yells "It's an emergency!" when we have to hurry from one end of the grocery store to the other for a potty break.
Harry wiggles his hips back and forth after he pees, and wants to wash his hands before pulling his pants back up.
every time he poops, he looks at it and says, "What did I eat?" and when he has Superman ice cream, he tells everyone, "This makes my poop green."

It's so amazing to me that Harry really just had to decide he was ready, and we just had to be patient and not force it.

And I'm saving about thirty bucks a month on Pull-Ups, y'all. Big win.

Been a Long Time

2011-08-11T20:18:00.004-04:00

Are you still here?

Well, busy is the name of the game. Working full time has some perks. Okay, one perk: the paycheck. And if I didn't have medical insurance through Kevin, work would have a second perk. Actually, I really like my job, but I haven't moved off of training and on to third shift yet, so check back with me in about a month and I'll let you know how that's working out.

The hardest thing about working full time, particularly after working from home for so long, is time. Getting up at 5:15 is ridiculous, pure and simple, but getting out of work at 3:00 or 3:30 is a joy, especially when I can pick up Harry at daycare by 4:00 and watch him run to me for a hug. I'm always happy to see him, of course, but after working nine hours sometimes a girl just wants to go home, swap the scrubs for pajamas, and read a book.

We're also testing the real estate waters, seeing if we can sell our house and upgrade/upsize a little, so keeping the house in a state of perpetual cleanliness, decluttered and curb appealed, is no mean feat. I feel like I spend half of my time making dinner and the other half of my time cleaning the kitchen and sweeping the dining room floor.

But if I can have a two-car garage and a master bathroom, it will all be worth it.

Welcome to the Working Week

2011-06-10T20:08:00.003-04:00

If you weren't already aware, I was offered (and obviously accepted) a job at the hospital where I finished my internship in May. It's PRN, or basically part time without the guarantee of 20 hours a week, but I'm optimistic that I can become full time within six months to a year. I also have many, many years of working the night shift to look forward to.

After a nice four-week break, I went back to the hospital on Monday and Tuesday for orientation. Since a lot of it was customer service, and patient lifting, and working as part of a team with patients and their families, I was kind of bored. There is the distinct possibility that I will never see another patient, unless I eventually get to work first shift and start doing bone marrows.

And honestly, that's not too high on my list. I observed two bone marrows, one adult and one pediatric, during my internship. It's an invasive procedure, and while the patient is completely doped up, knowing how uncomfortable he or she is going to be later is tough. And getting a bone marrow is usually not a good sign. Also, I'm still getting the hang of making blood smears and do not believe for one second that I could make a halfway decent bone marrow slide. But I digress. . .

I'm employed, in my field, for a decent wage, at a hospital where I've already learned most of the instruments and enjoy (most of) the people. Not too bad. In fact, maybe the best I could expect.

I'm Still Here

2011-05-30T19:11:00.003-04:00

Sorry if my last post left you hanging, worried that perhaps I had not survived a minor league hockey game and a day at the amusement park with Harry. All is well, life goes on, and this sums up how we spent our day today:

Ninety flipping degrees today, after two days of rain, so I will let you estimate the relative humidity yourself, Dear Reader. My adorable niece and nephew are in town this week, and we spent all today with them and Grandma and Grandpa, feeding the fish at the fish hatchery, eating McNuggets, and playing in our backyard. It was too hot to be outside, but it was too nice to be inside.

3

2011-05-20T12:07:00.003-04:00

Harry woke up at 5:50 this morning, which is nothing new. What was a little out of the ordinary was the fact that Kevin popped right out of bed when he heard Harry and me moving around in the living room. He did not want to miss the moment when Harry saw his birthday present.

Kevin picked out this gift more than two months ago, kept it hidden in the basement, and brought it upstairs last night after Harry went to bed. As Kevin went to the dining room to get it, Harry said, "Where's Daddy going?"

"He's getting a birthday surprise for you!" I said.

"Really big cake?" Harry asked, his eyes hopeful.

"No, your birthday present."

Kevin returned with the present.

Harry said, "It's not a cake."

Harry, warming up to his present. Ten minutes later, it was officially a hit.

Harry was, of course, pretty excited to see his cake after lunch. And this was the first year that Harry blew out the candles all by himself, and on the first try. More birthday festivies are on tap, including a minor league hockey game tonight and a trip to an amusement park tomorrow. If I survive, believe that I will be blogging about it.

Nursery Rhymes

2011-05-09T18:51:00.003-04:00

Harry has been working on nursery rhymes at daycare. He'll be 3 soon, so it's just plain adorable and hilarious to hear him recite them, especially because he gets really mad/embarrassed when he realizes I'm listening.

Kevin was in bed with a migraine this morning and Harry wanted to cuddle, so we all got under the covers. It was only 6:15, so I was entertaining the hope that Harry might actually fall back to sleep, thus allowing me to fall back to sleep. Instead he started chanting:

Twinkle, twinkle little star
Little star
Little star
Little star
Little star
Little star
Little star
Little star
Little star
Little star
Little star
Where you are?

And at dinner tonight:

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
And I don't need to find them

Not the most chivalrous or sympathetic thing Harry has ever said, but pretty cute none the less.

Number 9

2011-05-04T20:19:00.004-04:00

Today is our ninth anniversary, and I am thinking about all of the things that have happened to me and for me in those nine years: things I could not or would not have done if I hadn't met and married Kevin.

First and foremost, I wouldn't be the mother of an adorable, brilliant, hilarious little boy.

I also would not have seen Bob Dylan in concert twice, or ever watched Dr. Zhivago, or listened to Elvis Costello, or been to Cleveland, or hiked at Pictured Rocks. So thanks, Kevin. I love you.

Wait. . . it's April?

2011-04-11T19:13:00.003-04:00

Where did March go? Seriously. What happened? I guess things are happening a little too fast around here.

My internship is almost over. I'm in blood bank right now, which is pretty awesome. I kind of forgot how many different tests there were. It's not just types A, B, O, and AB. Well, those are the only blood types, but there are so many other tests: antigens, antibodies, crossmatching donor blood for patients, and the odd tests thrown into the department for no apparent reason, like mono.

And Harry will be 3 next month, so you know time is flying. Speaking of birthdays, my nephew turned 2 last week, and we celebrated this weekend. My sister brought her two adorable kids to town, and my brother-in-law came in a day later from a conference. Ny nephew's birthday cake had blue and green icing, which explains this:

Ice Age

2011-02-23T19:14:00.003-05:00

After a few inches of snow, a half-inch of ice, and another dusting of snow on Sunday night, I was kind of amazed that we still had power when I woke up at 5:30 Monday morning. I got ready for work, said goodbye to Kevin and Harry, and got in the car after some serious ice scraping. As I drove down our street on my way to the hospital, I saw a blue light flash behind me twice. I thought I was being pulled over, but didn't see anyone behind me. I shrugged it off and kept driving.

When I went to my break at 8:30, I had a message from Kevin telling me our power had gone out one minute after I left: mystery solved.

So, below-freezing temps, but no big deal because Kevin and I were at work and Harry was at daycare.

But then I had another message: Harry threw up at daycare, and I needed to pick him up within the hour.

And another message: Kevin was scheduled not at the main hospital but an offsite with two doctors' offices and a phlebotomy/x-ray office, which had no power, so he was on his way home too.

We ended up spending the rest of the day and the night at my parents' house (thanks, Mom and Dad!), where there was also no electricity, but a gas fireplace in their bedroom kept us all cozy, so long as we kept the door shut. And sleeping in a warm room on the hard floor was definitely better than sleeping in a cold room on a soft bed. Happily, we had our power back by dinner last night, and things are getting back to normal around here. Not nearly as much fun as Blizzard of 2011, but at least we're plugged in again.

Three Oh

2011-02-13T12:43:00.003-05:00

I've given it seven days, and I have to say, being 30 isn't too bad. It probably helps that in the last seven days I've done a few awesome things that I hadn't done before, like eat at Smashburger, see Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt in concert, and spend too much money on a too-small bottle of Soak, which is a lovely wool wash for knit projects, and some new yarn.

And then Kevin's parents came to visit yesterday and brought a cake from our hometown bakery, which is covered in icing to the point where there was not room to write anyone's name on the top. And that is not a problem for me.

Snow Day

2011-02-02T18:49:00.003-05:00

It's not very often that one gets to stay home from an internship due to inclement weather. It's even less often that a hospital employee is told not to report to work due to inclement weather. Of course, this is exactly what happened to Kevin and me today. And since we got a snow day, Harry got a snow day too. He'd probably have had as much at Grandma and Grandpa's house (thank goodness today wasn't a daycare day, as they were closed, too), but it was nice to have a day all together in the middle of week, and that we hadn't planned on.

So, despite waking up at 5:15 since Harry just could not go back to sleep, we had a pretty wonderful day. No work, no daycare, and plenty of time to enjoy the foot of snow we received last night. It's wonderful, light, powdery stuff, and after snowblowing and shoveling and sledding and generally traipsing around the yard, we came inside and ate chili and listened to The Beatles and took naps. All in all, not a bad way to spend a day.

And let me assure you that even though I am only days away from turning 30, snow days are just as good (if not better) now than they were when I was a kid.

Kindle? Really? Yes.

2011-01-30T16:34:00.004-05:00

All by himself, Kevin decided to get me a Kindle for Christmas. I had never thought of buying one for myself. All that stuff about going to the bookstore, having the physical pages in my hands, the smell of the paper: these were all reasons why I thought I wouldn't buy an e-reader.

I just finished The Girl Who Played with Fire this afternoon during Harry's nap, the first book I've read on my Kindle. (True confession: I was halfway through The Count of Monte Cristo when I downloaded TGWPWF and could not resist.) I was kind of skeptical when I opened my Christmas present, but after having it for a month now, there are some definite advantages.

First of all, portability. It weighs less than pretty much every book in my house. It holds thousands of books, so if/when I go on vacation, instead of packing three or four books, I'll just pop my Kindle into my carry-on and never run the risk of being caught without a book.

Second, there are literally thousands of free books out there, either offered free by new authors trying to build a reputation or classics that are a part of public domain. In short, free = Kate will be reading a lot of classics for a while.

Third, and this is a big one for me, no bookmark to be yanked out and misplaced by a toddler.

The only downside I see so far is that it's way too easy to fall asleep while reading when you don't have to physically turn the pages.

"I've Had Worse"

2011-01-14T16:42:00.004-05:00

Two weeks of the 18-week internship down, and that's what one of my training techs said when someone asked how I was doing. I have neither harmed nor killed anyone, so "I've had worse" is not exactly how I'd sum up my experience so far.

I've spent eight days on the modulars, which is a fancy way to say multiple instruments that are connected to each other in a line. The mods run a ton and a half of chemisty tests, like glucose and sodium and cholesterol, but also things like therapeutic drug levels, for instance, seizure medications. The most intimidating things in modular chemistry were the first few times I had to call the ER or a doctor's office to report seriously out of whack results and sitting at the helm, managing data on three computer screens.

Today I moved out of modular chemistry and onto two smaller analyzers. It was a pretty smooth day, since I've really got a handle on the lab computer system already, and these two analyzers run significantly fewer tests and in much smaller volume. The coolest thing is probably the blood gas analyzer. You use this tiny little plastic tube adapter and it just sucks blood in and shoots results out the other side: slick. (Okay, it may be slightly more complicated than that, but not much.)

My shining moment today was locating a specimen that was MIA, and two different departments were waiting for it. According to my training tech, I was, "as the French say, kicking ass." And that is how I would sum it up, too.

The Price of Two Incomes

2010-12-17T12:18:00.004-05:00

My house is eerily quiet. Tons of things are getting done: groceries put away, bills paid, and backpack emptied of a semester's worth of crumpled paper, highlighters, flattened granola bars, and my long-lost ruler.

And the source of this quiet and productivity? I dropped Harry off for his first full day of daycare. He spent a few hours there last week, but today we're going all-in and I'm not going to pick him up until 4. I cried last week, when Kevin and I left Harry at daycare for the first time, but today it was Harry doing the crying. I tried to psych him up this morning, reminding him of the kitchen he could play in, outside time, and showing Miss Judy his stuffed animal. I guess I should have known it was too good to be true when Harry walked right over to the back door and started putting his shoes on, ready to get in the car. By the time we arrived at daycare, he was asking me to pick him up, hold him, not put him down, and he made the wrinkly crying face that I can't handle when I put him down and told him I'd be back later.

Part of me is really excited that I'm starting an internship. I know that it will be good for me to be out, being productive and working with other adults, and the income that comes when I get a job is going to make a lot of things more available to us. I want Harry to have swimming lessons, and I want to put more than a few dollars in his college fund, and I want for us to be able to take a vacation, to go somewhere that isn't a family obligation but an actual destination.

But the other part of me is heartbroken that I can't be with Harry, as crazy as he makes me and as frustrated as I get being home with him sometimes. I think that it's a cryin' shame that one income isn't enough, even if we were to give up some of our comforts and go to one car and move into an apartment. I love that I have the opportunity for a career, but sometimes I wish I didn't have to have one.

If I was at work right now, daycare might seem like the greatest thing ever, because the alternative would be leaving Harry home with a 1-pound box of Cheez-Its and half a dozen sippy cups strategically placed around the living room. (Joking. Please don't call CPS). Maybe I wouldn't feel so guilty about Harry spending the day somewhere else if I was actually at work. But I doubt it.

Just Checking In

2010-12-04T06:41:00.004-05:00

Cosmic forces are lining up, people, providing me a few minutes to write this morning. Harry, unbelievably, is still asleep at 6:30 on this cold Saturday morning. Kevin, who thankfully has not (yet) been called in to work, is also sleeping. I thought I'd get a jump on the doctor's Friday dictation, but apparenty his office manager sent me the dictation of another partner in the practice. Until my boss sorts it out, I have the day off.

So what's new, you ask? I have two weeks left of class, and the Great Unpaid Internship is looming. The great news from last week, though, is that I will be doing this internship at the hospital where Kevin works. It's five minutes from my driveway to the hospital parking lot, I'll be a 10-minute drive from Harry's daycare, and once in a blue moon I'll get to have lunch with my husband on a weekday. Not too shabby, eh?

Stress Beaters

2010-11-23T09:25:00.003-05:00

It's been a little, well, insane for me lately. Classes are winding down, which is great, but that means I start the Great Unpaid Internship soon, which means Harry will be going to daycare for the first time, which is really expensive, etc., etc.

So, to maintain a little sanity, or just enjoy a little break from the nontuberculous mycobacteria and spectrophotometry, I've been wasting an awful lot of time here. And here. And here. Enjoy.

You Can Leave Your Hat On (the Hat Rack)

2010-10-31T20:28:00.002-04:00

When your child does not tolerate hats, it really limits your choices of Halloween costume. In fact, I came up with zero ideas that Harry would like that didn't involve a hat, so I got every other thing a cowboy might need.

Harry's Aunt Kristi found genuine Toy Story cowboy boots at a mom-to-mom sale and I made a quick little vest out of flannel and calico, stuck fringe down the seams of his jeans with double-sided garment tape, and picked up a red bandana. Maybe a tin star would have been the cherry on top, but I think overall this is the best hatless cowboy costume I've seen: yee-haw.

Harry, posing, and trying to put the outdoor thermometer sensor in his ear. I think he thought it was part of Kevin's iPod.

Mommy Fever

2010-10-28T20:09:00.003-04:00

This is Day 4 of Harry's first real bout of Mommy Fever. He's had periods of attachment, some episodes of separation anxiety, and the normal leg-hugging when being introduced to someone for the first time, but every night this week he's been asking me to put him to bed.

And I have put him to bed the last three nights, instead of alternating with Kevin, because the crying from Harry's room has been too much to take. I don't know if this is his newest bedtime-avoidance tactic, or maybe something deeper.

I feel like a bad mom right now. Is Harry asking for me because I'm gone too often, spending three full days a week at school? Am I not 100% present on the days I do spend with him, checking my email and trying to sneak five minutes to review microbiology while he's playing with his Hot Wheels? And is a full-time internship next semester going to hurt my relationship with him? Is daycare drop-off going to be this hard?

Harry just opened his bedroom door and said, "Daddy, get Mama." I want to go in there and hug him and tuck him in again and help him fall asleep, but I don't want to set a precedent where he cries and I run, and I am the only person able to do the bedtime thing. But it breaks my heart, people. It really does.

It's That Time of Year Again

2010-10-15T12:08:00.002-04:00

Autumn is here, and we made our third annual trip to the pumpkin patch.

The tractor-pulled wagon dropped us off in the actual pumpkin patch, and Harry searched high and low for a pumpkin that he liked and wasn't too heavy: success!

Just Adorable

2010-10-11T16:37:00.005-04:00

If you'd been hanging around my house today, you would have died from the cuteness.

This morning, Harry tried to spit out his toothpaste, "like Daddy!" He uses that fluoride-free toddler toothpaste, which doesn't produce much in the way of foamy goodness, so Harry just kind of went "puh" a few times while leaning over the sink.

While we were taking a walk with his wagon today, Harry said, "Harry and Mommy nice friends."

And at the end of the wagon ride, Harry made sure that his new imaginary friend, Baby Dino, got out of the wagon so we could all come inside for milk and pretzels. He also held up his open palm (where Baby Dino was sitting, of course) to make sure Baby Dino indeed likes pretzels.

I've loving my Monday.

The New Normal

2010-09-26T18:27:00.004-04:00

With 12 credit hours (and 18 actual hours of class), a 2-year-old, and a part-time job, time is precious, and free time is just a memory. I still have the incredible help I've had in semesters past, with childcare and meals provided by Mom and Dad, and parenting and household help from Kevin, who is possibly the best partner I could ask for, but since I was the one who decided to go back to school, I'm trying to make sure most of the burden falls on me. I'm delegating when I can, and sacrificing when I must. There's a fine line, a balance to making sure Harry has all the attention, apples, glasses of milk, and hugs he needs while studying enough to maintain my grades and working hard enough to finish a quality product without literally losing sleep over it.

The only purely selfish commitment I've made is to guarantee a half-hour every week to watch Community. And knit while watching. And possibly make myself a drink. Maybe I don't have enough hands for this plan. . .

Same Song, Different Verse

2010-09-10T16:33:00.003-04:00

Once again, I'm back in school, and, like clockwork, I'm sick. I managed to get a 3:30 doctor's appointment on a Friday, which is a big score for me, but after being told I don't have strep but "something viral" I mostly just wish I had my $25 co-pay back.

The doctor's hilarious suggestion that I just take it easy this weekend will be completely ignored in favor of work, homework, and housework, but I'm seriously considering her recommendation of a mostly liquid diet, since I've somehow managed to pack on three more pounds since July. Bleh.

Eight Hours and $157 Later. . .

2010-08-29T18:10:00.003-04:00

. . . and we have a playset in our backyard!

Kevin, Dad, and I went to the building supply store yesterday for various 4 x 4s, carriage bolts, and playground equipment. We built the frame yesterday evening and then picked up again this morning, adding braces, building a platform for the slide, adding the swing and steering wheel, and my favorite part, the climbing wall:

Harry was super excited to help and walked around the backyard like a big man, alternately holding a mallet, a rachet, and a screwdriver, all under Grandma's watchful eye. He was pretty excited about the finished product, which was unveiled after his nap, but he did ask us what happened to all of the fun tools.

I Did Not See That Coming (Up)

2010-08-25T13:33:00.005-04:00

I just hosed down the kitchen stool, which Harry vomited all over after eating a lunch of strawberries and potato chips, one bite of brownie batter, and his iron pill. Rest assured, the brownie batter was not harmed, and Harry immediately smiled and said, "Bubble bath time!"

If you told me that this would be my day today, I would have laughed. Or possibly cried.

And what did you do today that could never have predicted this morning?

Fiber Festival in 100 Words or Less

2010-08-21T19:34:00.005-04:00

It's Michigan Fiber Festival weekend, people! It's my fifth summer living with in a 40-minute drive, and something like my 12th year knitting, but I'd never been to Fiber Fest: until now.

Harry, tickled by the sheep:

He kept asking them to smell him, and told me which ones had boogers.

Just one of three dozen adorable sheepies:

And yarn:

It's even more lovely in person, and the woman who dyed it has a Ph.D in chemistry. She uses a spectrophotometer! My knitting world is colliding with my medical science world, and I love it!

Good Reads

2010-08-14T13:49:00.005-04:00

Last night I finished Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell for the second time. I love this book, and I always tell people to read it, and I invariably find myself saying it's the book that you should read if you liked Harry Potter, or Charles Dickens, or both.

I'm terrible for reading books over and over again. I've lost track of how many times I've read The Diary of Anne Frank, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, or Seven Years in Tibet. Since Harry was born, the re-reading if often the result of too little time to spend going to the library, but I can't deny that I love these books.

And you, Dear Reader? What old friends do you keep going back to, literature-wise?

Spur of the Moment Summertime

2010-07-17T19:07:00.003-04:00

Harry's modus operandi lately is to ask to go outside mere moments after we've woken up in the morning and not stop asking until we've put our shoes on and ventured out into the backyard. Today, though, after checking the weather to find that it was in fact not going to rain, we packed up the car, drove through McDonald's for some pancakes to eat in the car, and headed off to Lake Michigan. Forty minutes later, this:

And this:

And this:

We spent a couple wonderful hours at the beach, especially its playground, chasing sea gulls (or "sea eagles" if you ask Harry), getting wet up to our knees (me and Kevin) or shoulders (Harry), and watching sailboats come in and out of the channel. We're so glad we let Harry talk us into going outside.

Black Tie Optional

2010-07-06T08:01:00.004-04:00

There may have been multiple inspirations - Lowly Worm, Hello Kitty, a gussied-up Spongebob - but we will never really be sure why Harry demanded bowties be worn yesterday. Whatever the reason, I cut a few bowties out of felt and used double-sided tape: voila!

As you can see, he cuts quite a dashing figure in his fancy duds.

Dirt Devil

2010-06-27T07:17:00.005-04:00

It has been a little bit crazy around here lately, but with only two weeks left in summer semester it's finally starting to wind down a little bit. Harry has been spending two days a week with Grandma and Grandpa, and he and Kevin are having a boys' night every Wednesday while I have my Microbiology class. From what I can divine, boys' night consists of McDonald's, a walk to the park, a popsicle, and a bath. Harry is obsessed with popsicles right now, in particular freeze pops. He has this charming habit of calling them "tops," possibly because "popsicle" is too difficult, or maybe because they're in the freezer, which is on top of the refrigerator. He asks for one every day after breakfast, but we remain tough and keep popsicles as an after-lunch treat.

We also bought him, with some of the profits from our yard sale, this toy vacuum. Harry loves it and plays with for an hour a day, easily. It makes a noise like the crowd at a baseball game and has a little light on the front like our vacuum, so it's a big hit. My father-in-law saw it and said, "That would be perfect for our trailer!" (I did not have the heart to tell him it was not a real vacuum.)

Kevin and Harry were our for an early-morning walk, trying to beat the heat, but I head voices at the door, so I guess my quiet morning is over. . .

Lest You Think I've Disappeared. . .

2010-06-13T18:14:00.004-04:00

To tide you over until July 20, when my whirlwind summer semester ends, a bullet list of what's going on:

Harry has slept through the night the last two nights: hallelujah!
Urinalysis is way more interesting than I expected. Also, stinkier.
$200 profit at the garage sale!
World Cup soccer, people. . . Go, watch some right now.
The Little Lebowski is finished (!) and on Day 5 of drying after a good handwashing. Will it never be dry?

Today Isn't a Full Moon? Seriously?

2010-06-02T13:14:00.006-04:00

It has just been one of those days, Dear Reader, and it's only 1:15. Begin the day at 6:15, which is later than usual, but quickly move on to a 15-minute wait on the phone to speak to the pediatrician's office, a near-miss as an idiot in the opposing left-turn lane greatly underestimated how long it would take him to turn in front of me, a screaming toddler in the pediatrician's office, a nurse practitioner we've never seen before scolding me for not giving Harry nasal saline twice daily, two lanes open at the grocery store, the pharmacy tech giving me the stink eye because I didn't check to make sure Harry's prescriptions were indeed faxed to them (Why does the pediatrician fax scripts? So I don't have to go to the pharmacy twice!), forgetting a bag of groceries at the check-out (Thank you, Check-Out Girl, for chasing me to the coin-operated horse), a 15-minute wait at the pharmacy drive-through, a $50 prescription that I may have to buy monthly for Harry's allergies, an exploding yogurt, and Harry vomiting on the kitchen rug.

The bright side: At least he had the decency to throw up on a rug this time instead of the carpet.

2010-05-29T18:38:00.007-04:00

I was determined to give Harry a very special cake for his second birthday, and since his favorite movie for the majority of the last year was The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, I knew what I had to do. I also knew that actually decorating a cake with icing was not my area of expertise, so I decided to make a yellow submarine cookie to place atop a store-bought cake.

And now, to make a long story short. . .

Make a cookie two weeks ahead of time. Wrap carefully in waxed paper, place in zippered freezer bag, and store carefully in freezer. Now you're ahead of the game!
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Remove from freezer the afternoon before the party. Oh, $#^!, right?

Convince 2-year-old that it would be really fun to make cookies with you. With extra dough, go that extra step and make your own Beatles.

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Place strategically on store-bought cake.

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Demand that your 2-year-old identify each Beatle for guests.

Fin.

2

2010-05-20T20:45:00.004-04:00

To celebrate Harry's second birthday, Kevin took the day off of work and we all went to the zoo. It was a gamble, since Harry was diagnosed with croup and an ear infection yesterday, and as we were having a power struggle over pushing the stroller in the zoo's parking lot, Kevin and I both had second thoughts. It turned out, however, to be the only bump in an otherwise perfect outing.

Harry feeding the giraffe:

We bought snacks for the giraffe. Last time it was weird rectangular "giraffe biscuits" but this time it was lettuce. Harry tore off little pieces and held them through the fence, saying "c'mere" and "treat" because that's how we do it with cats.

Kevin and Harry after getting off the tram:

Doesn't Harry look like he's walking the red carpet? Perhaps looking for his entourage behind him?

And the goats in the petting zoo:

This combined petting animals and washing hands with liquid sanitizer, so Harry was one happy little boy.

All in all, it's been an incredible year watching him grow and learn and do a million things I never dreamed. Happy birthday, Harrison!

Hallmark, Take Note

2010-05-18T20:01:00.004-04:00

I need a card that says "Sorry my little boy puked on your stuff." I guess I could always make my own, but I could have used two in the last four days - three if you think I could send one to myself.

We thought we had Harry's "allergies" under control with an evening dose of children's generic Zyrtec, but a trip out of town this weekend knocked us on our butts. Harry's nose is a faucet, he has little red racoon eyes, and he's coughing all night long. This coughing, which is due to postnasal drainage, invariably leads to puking. The allergies haven't been officially diagnosed and we've had no testing done. The advice to try medication came from the charge nurse at the pediatrician's office, and all will be reviewed at Harry's upcoming physical.

He spit up just a little bit on Saturday night at my grandmother's house, but at least I'd had the foresight to pack Harry's own pillow. The tiniest bit may have gotten on the sheets, but since he peed out his diaper, we were washing those sheets anyway.

Harry threw up twice last night, sometime around 11:30 and again around 4, which means I did two loads of laundry before the sun was even up this morning. Productive, no? Being dead tired, I dropped Harry off at my parents' house today so I could work, runs errands, and put Harry's bed back together. And, of course, Harry threw up all over my mom's bedspread after his nap and then again after his milk this afternoon.

So, as you can see, I really need some of those cards. . .

Love (or Hate) Reading About My Knitting?

2010-05-13T14:42:00.003-04:00

Well then, good news! I've started another blog, Nothing Fancy Knits, to chronicle my knitting escapades. (Did I just put a Janet Jackson song in your head? Sorry.) For the Dear Reader who wants to keep up on what I'm knitting, what I'm knitting it with, and how I'm knitting it, mosey on over. For the Dear Reader who couldn't care less about my latest yarn, just stay put.

Simple Pleasures

2010-05-11T14:44:00.010-04:00

Another rainy day after a cold but sunny weekend, and I have made the most of it.

Harry and I had a playdate with our favorite friends, who happen to enjoy potato chips in the morning just as much as we do. Harry and his buddy took turns jumping on the bed and sneaking drinks from the other's juice cup. I also really love it when another mom/wife has the same gripes and groans that I have, and we can share a "right on, sister!" moment. (Today's bonding topic: Guilty feelings when we're jealous of husbands who get to leave the house on a daily basis sans toddler.)

I finished The Secret Garden during Harry's nap, a book I have not read since second grade and certainly did not enjoy then nearly as much as I did as an adult.

And once Harry woke up we had lunch and then took a trip to one of our favorite places, the local health food store.

We, of course, go for the bulk food, not the crazy-expensive produce. Peanut butter pretzels. . .

. . . which I somehow managed to avoid polishing off on the drive home. (Pat on the back.)

What simple pleasure did you enjoy today?

It's Good to Be Mom

2010-05-09T13:05:00.004-04:00

Both of my guys are asleep right now, taking a nap in Harry's room. It's well deserved, since today they've given me a card, a bath by myself, a trip to the park, and Hawaiian pizza for lunch. Apparently, making my day wears a body out.

I hope every other mom out there is having the kind of banner day I'm having, so to my grandma, my sister, my friends, and especially my mom, Happy Mother's Day.

Frivolity

2010-05-03T20:34:00.003-04:00

Harry was playing in Kevin's and my closet today while I put away laundry, and he found a pack of socks. Kevin bought three packs, like, a year ago and kept these six pairs around for some sort of Sock Armageddon, I'm sure, or a time in the future when I've gone, say, three weeks without washing whites and he's suddenly fresh out of socks. Regardless, Harry opened the bag and dumped the socks out by holding the package upside down and repeatedly jerking it up and down. I, of course, did not pick up the socks, and when Kevin came home from work he grabbed two socks off the floor and put them right on. While we were having dinner tonight, Kevin said, "If I was really rich, I would wear new socks every day."

This got me thinking: What crazy-ridiculous thing would I do if money was no object, a la Howard Hughes? (Are you dying to know?) I would never wash a bra again. I would have an entire bureau full of them, and I'd get rid of them after, say, five wears. And I would buy every color Sharpie, just because it takes every ounce of my willpower not to buy them every time I cruise the office supply aisle.

And so, Dear Reader, your frivolous confession?

How In the World Can It Possibly Be May Already?

2010-05-01T20:06:00.007-04:00

I won't complain that time is flying, because May means that it can't possibly snow again, and there is only one week left of class, and my anniversary is literally right around the corner, and I will soon be the mother of a 2-year-old. And it's been so long since I posted a picture that you might have forgotten what Harry looks like:

The best $10 we've spent recently was this igloo tent fron IKEA. The best $40 we've spent recently was on new pillows, and since Harry has finally/again/thank heavens slept through the night recently, we're really enjoying them.

This sleep thing has been almost a full-time job lately. After cleaning up vomit in the middle of the night six times in two weeks, I was finally told to try him on children's Benadryl, and when that only helped a little bit with the nighttime coughing and postnasal drainage and subsequent puking, we were switched to children's Zyrtec. Miracle of miracles, Harry slept from 8:45 until 6 on Thursday night, and he only woke up once last night, and briefly, when he rolled off of his mattress and onto the floor. (Don't worry - it's a six-inch drop.)

If Kevin wasn't sick, I could say we're all feeling 100% better now that we've had a few good nights' sleep. Maybe I'll be able to say that in the next post. . .

Constant Entertainment

2010-04-16T14:53:00.004-04:00

I watch quite a bit less TV since Harry was born. Kevin and I are still keeping up on The Office (our old favorite), Community (our new favorite), and Lost (because Season 1 was awesome and we've invested too much time in it not to watch the last few episodes). The bulk of my entertainment now, though, comes from Harry.

Sometimes it's adorable, like when he kept yelling "Snow White!" to our waitress at the little sandwich place down the street last night. He was genuinely upset when she disappeared into the kitchen, and called "Wo-white!"

And sometimes I have to hear about something secondhand, but that doesn't make it any less funny. Yesterday my parents were bringing Harry home when they stopped at the ATM machine. Harry did the only sensible thing one does when a moving car stops next to a building and the window is rolled down: ask for French fries.

Finally, there's this little number:

And FYI, the new rug covers up a big ol' vomit spot from last week.

If 4 Out of 5 Dentists Recommend Dentyne. . .

2010-04-07T14:05:00.009-04:00

. . . then why can't I find two "experts" who agree on the best way to help my child sleep?

Harry had an unscheduled visit with his pediatrician, Dr. B., yesterday to discuss sleep issues. We've been fighting the good fight since Thanksgiving, and to our credit Harry has only slept in bed with us three times. We stick to his bedtime routine, we have a consistent bedtime, Harry takes a decent nap every day, and we are really conscious (I think) of his moods and needs. Dr. B. assured me we're doing all the right things and just need to make a few adjustments (read: no rocking Harry to sleep at naptime, or staying in the room until he's asleep). I've done a lot of reading on the subject of getting Baby to sleep well, and opinions range from "Of course you should rock Baby to sleep, you idiot!" to "Never rock Baby to sleep, you idiot!" There are an awful lot of people who fall between those two ends of the spectrum, too, and I think I need to figure out where Kevin, Harry, and I fit and then really commit to better sleep for the whole family. Dr. B. recommended a book on pediatric sleep issues, which I will be reading in the car as we drive to Cincinnati tomorrow.

Dr. B. also recommended I read up on "spirited children." Apparently, this is the new, PC label: old labels for the same "type" of child include strong-willed or stubborn. For all of my frustrations and challenges as a mother, (many of which are more on me than Harry), I think Harry is actually a very good kid. He's sweet and smart and funny and brave. And he helped me make cookies today: his very first baking adventure.

Turns out this was actually a great idea (score one for Kate). It combined many of Harry's favorite things: noise, pouring, and standing on a chair.

Lime sugar cookies for Kevin to take to a Spring-themed lunch at work:

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Trying out the finished product:

And deciding he doesn't really care for our cookies:

All's the better: more for everyone else.

Must. . . Blog! So. . . Tired!

2010-03-22T22:01:00.004-04:00

Just past 10 on a Monday and I am beat. Maybe it's the Kamora and Vitamin D milk I sipped between 8:30 and 9, or the fact that Harry is waking up twice a night 13 out of the last 14 nights, or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I just now finished work for the night. The most likely culprit, though, is my Hematology textbook. (Helpful link included, in case anyone out there needs to be pointed in the direction of a 1000+ page, acronym-heavy, three-ton book written at, I believe, the masters level.) I confess I've not done nearly all the of the required reading, and have no intention of doing so. What I will confess to, Dear Reader, is an absolutely readiness for Spring Break, which is only two weeks away: only one quiz and two exams standing between me and one sweet commute-free, lecture-free, microscope-free week.

A Little Luxury

2010-03-16T21:41:00.004-04:00

I had a bit of organic cotton left over after knitting sweaters for my nephew and decided to put it to some good (and selfish) use. I ended up with a loopy, lovely, luxurious spa-style washcloth:

Materials:
-about 45 grams sport-weight cotton
-size US 4 needles
-scissors
-tapestry needle
-crochet hook in similar size to knitting needles (optional)

Gauge:
-6 sts/inch in stockinette . . . But really, it's a washcloth, so don't worry! If you're getting a nice fabric and it's washcloth-size, shouldn't you just be happy?

Finished size: About 10" x 10"

Note: I used an organic cotton yarn known for shrinking, particulary losing height. To end up with a square washcloth, I knitted an additional 15% in height. (For a 10" square washcloth, I knit until work measured 11.5".)

Instructions:
Cast on an odd number of sts. I used 51.
Work in seed st for five rows: *k1, p1*, ending with k1.
Row 1: *K1, p1* twice, k1, *k1 and leave st on LH needle, bring yarn to front and wrap clockwise around L thumb to make a loop, bring yarn to back, k into back of same st and remove from needle as per normal knitting, k1* to last four sts, *p1, k1* twice.
Row 2: *K1, p1* twice, p1, *p2tog, p1* to last four sts, *p1, k1* twice.
Row 3: *K1, p1* twice, k2, *k1 and leave st on LH needle, bring yarn to front and wrap clockwise around L thumb to make a loop, bring yarn to back, k into back of same st and remove from needle as per normal knitting* to last six sts, k2, *p1, k1* twice.
Row 4: *K1, p1* twice, p2, *p2tog, p1* to last five sts, p1, *p1, k1* twice.
Repeat rows 1-4 until work measures almost 11".
Work in seed st for five rows.
Bind off but do not cut yarn. Use crochet hook and chain 3", then attach back where chain began to form a loop for hanging. (This could also be done using DPNs and knitting I-cord.)

I'm working on worsted-weight version, too. All the same principles, of course, but I'm using size US 8 needles and casting on 31 stitches.

So Delicious He Can't Use a Fork

2010-03-02T20:42:00.002-05:00

Spaghetti Night at our house is usually a messy affair. Spaghetti Night always becomes Bath Night, but it's not always quite this bad. . .

Humbled by a Hairbrush

2010-03-01T19:14:00.004-05:00

As the mother of a pretty bright toddler, I'm humbled on a daily basis. Harry is constantly pointing to something and making a one-word yet incredibly observant or unique statement. It's also very humbling to earn a D+ on a quiz, which happened in the not too distant past.

Today, though, I bought a new hairbrush, and I used said hairbrush while drying my hair. All of a sudden, it was like I was using my feet or something. I was actually laughing at myself in the mirror, amused and yet amazed that something I've done thousands of times, something that I did automatically, was suddenly something of which I had to be so conscious. Hopefully this will be like driving a rental car -- at some point, I will get used to the sticky gas pedal.

Ravelympics!

2010-02-21T20:50:00.006-05:00

What, you may be asking yourself, are the Ravelympics? So glad you asked! The Ravelympics are a two-week fiber art extravaganza that happen to coincide with the Olympics. Those who knit, crochet, or weave challenge themselves to complete a project - or many - between Opening Ceremonies and Closing Ceremonies. The "host country" is Ravelry, which is a social networking site for knitters. I've been told it's Facebook for knitters, but as I avoid Facebook like the plague, I can't really verify that statement.

Anyhow, my challenge to myself was to knit this little sweater. As you may have surmised, I did in fact finish this before Closing Ceremonies. It's organic cotton (love!) and size 18 months, so while it would probably fit Harry and look adorable, it is intended for my adorable nephew Silas.

Maybe the coolest thing about the Ravelympics is the fact that I got medals. Nothing tangible, mind you, but look! Here they are!

My Ravthlete badge! (Probably the equivalent of "Participant" but I'll take it!)

My Junior Olympics badge, because the sweater was knit for a tiny person:

My Cable Cross-Country badge, cable being the twist up the front of the sweater:

And my Sweater Board Cross badge, because, well, I knit a sweater:

I won't even tell you how tickled I was to get these because it reveals me to be the dork that I am. (Did I just give it away there?) This was, however, the bright spot in an otherwise crap day. Full disclosure: I have a head cold, my folded laundry has been staring at me for three days, and I got a 67% on my hematology quiz. Anyone who wants to comment and reassure me that I'm not a complete and utter moron is welcome to do so.

I Will Never Be Too Old for a Snow Day

2010-02-10T10:10:00.003-05:00

Ten inches of snow and gusting wind mean that I do not have an Organic Chemistry lab today -- woo hoo!

It also means I have one more day before I have to find out the results of my Organic Chemistry exam. Let's put that off as long as possible, okay?
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My Ears Are Still a Little Foggy

2010-01-30T13:44:00.003-05:00

Finding babysitters on short notice (tip of the hat, Mom and Dad) and a quick stop at the ATM made it possible for Kevin and me to have a night out. If you're up to date on Nothing Fancy then you will have guessed, Dear Reader, that we went to check out Brighton, MA last night.

We actually saw Brighton, MA way back when, in the pre-Harry days, when they opened a show for Mason Jennings in Ann Arbor. It was the first show I'd ever gone to where didn't want the opening band's set to end, and when we did the awkward shake-hands-with-the-band-on-the-way-out thing I think I told them as much.

So there Kevin and I are last night, wrists stamped, sitting around listening to a local band, when two members of Brighton, MA drop a suitcase on the table behind ours and start spreading out T-shirts, CDs, and the mailing-list sign up sheet, which we actually signed, lo those many years ago. After a minute's debate, I turned around and introduced myself, told them we'd been at the show in Ann Arbor and really enjoyed it, and were really excited that they were in Kalamazoo. They were very gracious, introduced themselves, asked us about the live music scene in Kalamazoo, etc. All in all, a pleasant five-minute exchange.

Apparently being a friendly face in a sea of 50 people who may not have known about Brighton, MA gets a person some extra attention. Like, for instance, when the lead singer pointed at us towards the end of the show and asked, "Is there anything you guys want to hear?" Pretty cool.

I Bet You Didn't Know That. . .

2010-01-29T14:42:00.005-05:00

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. . . I can successfully make only half a box of Funfetti cupcakes. (Note: I didn't not fail to make the whole box. I made half the cupcakes intentionally.)
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. . . I can draw your blood without leaving a bruise. Since the new semester started up last week I'm three for three.
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. . . Brighton, MA is going to be at The Strutt tonight. I didn't know until this morning.
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Brobee Sweater

2010-01-16T14:15:00.020-05:00

Brobee Hooded Sweater

© 2010 by Kate Schoren – This pattern is based on the character Brobee from Nick Jr’s Yo Gabba Gabba. This pattern is not for sale, and sweaters made from this pattern are not to be sold. For personal use only.

The inspiration:

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The less-than-thrilled recipient:

MATERIALS
Size US 7 needles (circular and DPNs)
Size US 4 needles (DPNs)
350 yards worsted-weight yarn in MC (light green)
140 yards worsted-weight yarn in CC1 (dark green)
20 yards worsted-weight yarn in CC2 (red)
14" separating zipper
Stitch markers
Waste yarn
Scissors
Tapestry needle
Sewing needle and thread
Polyfil or scrap yarn

MEASUREMENTS

Gauge: 4.5 sts and 6 rows = 1" in st st
Chest circumference: ~24" (loose fit for 18-24 months)

ABBREVIATIONS

1x1 rib -- *k1, p1* repeating
k2tog -- knit two stitches together
p2tog -- purl two stitches together
pm -- place marker
st st -- stockinette stitch
st(s) -- stitch(es)
tbl -- through the back loop

NOTES

Body and arms are worked in 10-row stripes of MC and CC1. Once body and sleeves are joined, all knitting is in MC.

When working first row of new color in stripe, I suggest knitting all stitches (even those that should be purled in 1x1 rib) to prevent weird color bumps of the color not being used.

BODY

Using tubular cast on and size US 7 needles, cast on 56 sts in CC1. This will result in 112 sts once cast on is complete. Decrease by 1 st on last row by k2tog last 2 sts -- 111 sts. If using a different method, simply cast on 111 sts.
Work in 1x1 rib for 6 rows. (Work 8 rows if using a different cast on).
Row 1: *K1, p1* twice, k to last 4 sts, *p1, k1* twice.
Row 2: *P1, k1* twice, p to last 4 sts, *k1, p1* twice.
Change to MC. Repeat Rows 1 and 2 five times (10 rows).
Change to CC1. Repeat Rows 1 and 2 five times (10 rows).
Work in 10-row stripes until there are three complete stripes of CC1 and 2.5 stripes of MC (stop after row 6 of third MC stripe) -- about 8.5". Cut yarn.

SLEEVES (make 2)

Using tubular cast on and size US 7 needles, cast on 12 sts in CC1. This will result in 24 sts once cast on is complete. If using a different cast-on method, simply cast on 24 sts.
Work in 1x1 rib for 6 rows. Work 8 rows is using a different cast-on method.
Transfer sts to three DPNs. Join in the round and pm. (Seams of cuffs will be sewn later.)
***Remember to change colors every 10 rounds.
Work in st st for 4 rounds. (Change to MC after 2 rounds of st st.)
Increase 2 sts on Round 5 as follows: K1, inc, k to last st, inc, k1 -- 26 sts.
Work even in st st but inc as in Round 5 on Rounds 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 -- 38 sts.
Work even in st st until sleeve measures same length as body. Now work 4 more rounds in MC to complete a 10-round stripe -- about 9".
Place last 5 sts before marker and first 4 sts after marker on waste yarn. Cut yarn.

JOIN BODY AND SLEEVES

With right (knit) side of body facing and using MC, *k1, p1* twice, k 19, place 9 sts on waste yarn, pm, k 29 sts from Sleeve 1, pm, k 47 across back of body, place 9 sts on waste yarn, pm, k 29 sts of Sleeve 2, pm, k 19, *p1, k1* twice -- 151 sts.

Joining Body and Sleeves: All live stitches have been knit onto circular needles. White yarn is waste yarn, holding 9 sts from each sleeve and 9 stitches on each side of the body. When directed, place these stitches back on needles and graft together for a seamless underarm.

Work back and forth in st st, maintaining 1x1 rib at edges, 3 rows.

Decrease as follows on every RS (knit) row: *Work as established to three sts before marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk.* Repeat between *’s until last four stitches and *p1, k1* twice.

Next row: Work even.

Repeat these two rows (one with decreases and one even) until there are 5 sts remaining from each sleeve, 23 sts on the back, and 11 sts on both left and right fronts – 55 sts. You should end with a purl row.

Place a safety pin or stitch marker at each edge. This marks the beginning of the hood.

HOOD

Bind off 2 sts, knit to last 4 sts, *p1, k1* twice – 53 sts.

Bind off 2 sts, purl to end – 51 sts.

Row 1: Knit 25, inc 1, pm, k1, pm, inc 1, k to end.

Row 2: Purl.

Row 3: K to marker, m1, slip marker, k1, slip marker, m1, k to end

Rep the last two rows 6 more times – 65 sts.

Work in st st for 40 rows – about 8.5 - 9”.

Short-row shaping:

· Row 1: Knit 38, k2tog tbl, turn

· Row 2: Sl 1, p12, p2tog, turn

· Row 3: Sl 1, k12, k2tog tbl, turn

· Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until 14 sts remain. DO NOT CUT YARN.

Pick up and knit 52 sts along side of hood. (For me, this was one stitch for every row). Turn.

Purl across all stitches, then pick up and purl 53 sts – 119 sts.

Work on 1x1 rib for 4 rows – about 1”.

Bind off in pattern.

POINTS (make three)

Using size US 4 needles, cast on 21 sts in CC2. Tubular cast on not recommended for this step. Leave a long tail at the cast-on edge and it can be used to sew points onto sweater. Place on DPNs (7, 7, 7) and join in the round.

Knit 10 rounds in st st.

Round 1: *k5, k2tog* to end.

Round 2: Knit.

Round 3: *K4, k2tog* to end.

Round 4: *K3, k2tog* to end.

Round 5: *K2, k2tog* to end.

Round 6: *K1, k2tog * to end – 6 sts.

Cut yarn and draw it through remaining sts.

Stuff with Polyfil or scrap yarn. Pin points in place on top of hood (use picture as reference). Sew in place.

FINISHING

Move stitches from waste yarn onto needles. Graft (Kitchner stitch) underarms, where body and sleeve stitches have been on hold.

Sew bottom edges of the hood to the two bound-off stitches at either neck edge. See below.

Sew cuffs.

Sew zipper into place.

Weave in ends.

See this gap? Fix it. This is the notch where the hood ribbing (top) and cardigan edge must be sewn together.

I would love comments, suggestions, and links to any finished projects.

This Cookie Will Not Make Me Happier

2010-01-15T16:42:00.003-05:00

There is a container of chocolate chunk cookies on my kitchen counter. I bought cookie dough from the kid down the street. It was a fundraiser to buy new wrestling uniforms. When he knocked on my door with his wares, I thought to myself, "I would not want to wear someone else's singlet, so I'm going to buy some cookie dough." Said cookie dough was delivered last night, and I baked four sheets of cookies while I finished the day's transcription.

And today the cookies are taunting me. I did manage to reduce their power by 50%, sending half of the cookies to work with Kevin, but the rest of them are just sitting there on the kitchen counter. This would not be a problem if I didn't go into the kitchen every 10 minutes to get Harry milk, juice, an apple, some crackers, a cookie.

It also doesn't help that I'm in a major funk today. After 20 straight days on the Wii Fit I've lost no weight. I'm being crushed by the monotony of reading the same Curious George story 10 times a day, every day. One of the doctors I type for is ill and sleepy, making him a dictation nightmare.

And those cookies are staring at me. I just have to keep reminding myself that eating a cookie is not going to change anything: except my weight.

Pros and Cons: Thursday Edition

2010-01-07T11:46:00.004-05:00

Pro: Harry is having milk and an entire apple for lunch, happily circling his train table as I type this.
Con: He ate Easy Mac for breakfast and is walking around with his lunch. And I don't care.

Pro: I found a $2 coupon for my laundry detergent lying on the floor at Target.
Bonus Pro: My laundry detergent is not made from petrochemicals, is nontoxic and biodegradable, and happens to be kosher (if that matters to you) but is, amazingly enough, still widely available.
Con: I still had to shell out $12 for laundry detergent.

Pro: There are cheaper alternatives to Thomas & Friends wooden train track.
Con: The local Toys R Us does not actually open at 9:30 on weekdays, whatever their website may say.

Wii Are Contagious

2010-01-04T16:44:00.002-05:00

My mom had so much fun on our Wii Fit yesterday that she and my dad bought the last remaining Wii Fit in town today. I find it hard to believe that anyone else out there doesn't have a Wii yet, but if you don't and you want to catch the fever, come on over.

Never-Ending Holiday

2010-01-03T19:58:00.007-05:00

It was an extended Christmas this year, beginning on the 18th in our hometown, spending time with my grandmother, aunt, parents, cousin, and cousin's kids, as well as Kevin's sister's family, and ending on New Year's Day when Kevin's parents came to visit.

Christmas with my grandma means bread pudding (yum), and, as I've gotten older, Drinks. This year Kevin unvented a drink from a recipe on the back of a bottle of Malibu. It was pretty tasty, and feel free to try it yourself: equal (large) parts 7-Up and Malibu with a dash of cran-raspberry juice. And with three kids and seven adults in a two-bedroom condo, liquor can only make things better.

Christmas itself was spent at home, rising around 5:30 because that's just when Harry likes to get up lately, and my parents came over for lunch so Kevin and I could hook up the Wii than Santa (okay, I) got for Kevin. Turns out it was really for me. I've been on the Wii Fit every day since Christmas and am one pound closer to my 10-pound weight loss goal. All I can say is this: Rhythm Kung-Fu, people.

My sister, after working the night shift in the hospital, drove with her husband, 2-year-old daughter, and 8-month-old son for six hours to spend a wonderful long weekend with us and my parents. She should have been (and likely was exhausted), but since I don't have a picture of her looking frazzled and ready to crash, here's one of me:

This is kind of why I don't have two kids. Obviously, I need the free hand that one child provides to keep that annoying bit of hair out of my face. I also don't have two children because my child (L) has big jealousy issues, as evidenced by his attempt, captured on film no less, to knock my nephew (R) off of my lap.

Things were much rosier than I paint them, though, and we all had a great time watching Harry in his new sled. And even though the picture's blurry -- I prefer to think of it as "soft focus" -- we looked like the happy family we were this holiday.

From the Mouths of Babes

2009-12-31T08:43:00.003-05:00

5:30 to 7 each night, particular weeknights, is Harry's special time with Kevin. It gives me a chance to pull together what I will loosely refer to as "dinner" and get a little transcription done. Daddy Time usually consists of playing in the basement, which includes Kevin's drums, a big couch to climb on, a full set of tiny plastic NFl helmets, and the VCR.

Last night I was cleaning up the kitchen when I heard Kevin's uncontrolled laughter from the basement. Curious but busy, I went on with my activities, and when Kevin and Harry came upstairs, Kevin asked me, "Did you hear me laughing?"

Me: Yeah. What happened?
Kevin: Harry was sitting on my lap and we were watching The Yellow Submarine. I farted, and then he looked at me, got up, and said "poop."
Me: What?
Kevin: I told him that I didn't poop, I just farted, but he pointed at me and said "poop" again.

Then it was my turn for uncontrolled laughter.

The Dude: Fini

2009-12-27T10:21:00.003-05:00

I realize it's two days after Christmas, and I have a toddler, and my sister's family is in town for the holiday (yay!), but this is not a Christmas post. That will come later, when I have more than three minutes. What I can tell you in three minutes, Dear Reader, is that I finished The Dude and gave it to Brian last weekend. He has promised not to try to wash it himself (100% wool, people!) and allowed me to take a picture of him wearing it, so I let him keep it. It fits great, and it looks pretty good if I do say so myself.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, or Why You Shouldn't Wake a Toddler

2009-12-23T14:22:00.004-05:00

In all the excitement of his first haircut and Grandma coming over to play, Harry was (possibly) too excited to take a nap. He usually sleeps after lunch, napping for an hour or two, but yesterday that was a no-go. I gave it two attempts and my mom made an effort too, but alas, no nap.

Harry did finally succumb just before 5 o'clock, which sent me into a panic. Falling asleep that late could not bode well for a normal bedtime. I put dinner in the oven, set the table, and wrote the check for my car payment, and then woke Harry up just as Kevin was getting home from work. I picked him up, gave him a squeeze, and turned on Blue's Clues, thinking he might be so excited about the show that he wouldn't mind being woken up: BIG mistake. Harry cried, whined, screamed, cried, squirmed, cried, rinse, repeat. He wanted nothing to do with me, and Harry eventually got so worked up that he vomited.

Happily, Harry returned to his normal, happy self and we had a pretty uneventful evening. We did the normal bedtime wind-down routine, and Kevin rocked Harry until he was sleepy. Usually at this point one of us puts Harry down in his crib, he rolls around to get comfortable, and we exit stage left. This time, though, Harry immediately started crying, standing up, reaching for Kevin, etc. We let Harry cry for 10 minutes or so, hoping he'd work it out himself, which he did.

Kevin and I went to bed as usual only to be awakened by crying/screaming at 12:30. Harry had vomited again, all over his crib, which meant that I did a rush job on the bedclothes while Kevin dipped Harry in the tub. We repeated his normal bedtime routine, stories and cuddling and rocking and singing, and again Harry refused his crib. I couldn't blame the kid: I mean, he had just thrown up in said crib and I can understand not wanting to get back in. Our bed, which I'm sure was his first choice, was not an option in my opinion (or Kevin's) so we decided that Harry sleeping in his room, even if it was on the floor, was more appropriate than Harry sleeping in our room. So Kevin and I split the remainder of the night into two shifts, each of us taking our turn sleeping on the floor with Harry, who slept like, well, someone else's baby who sleeps well.

Dear Reader, I am not willing to do this sleep training thing again.

Lazy Sunday Project

2009-12-13T18:31:00.007-05:00

I had half a skein of Noro Daria Multi sitting in my yarn stash, so today I got it out and whipped up a little cuff/bracelet in, literally, an hour. I forget how fast crochet is!

Lazy Sunday Cuff

Materials:
-size G crochet hook (or size needed to obtain gauge)
-25 grams Noro Daria Multi
-tapestry needle
-button or bead for closure
-needle and thread
-hot glue/glue stick (optional)

Gauge: 3.5 sts/inch in single crochet.

Directions:
Chain 8.
Work in single crochet until piece measures about 7.5 inches.
Slip 4 stitches, chain 6, slip 4 stitches.
Cut yarn. Weave in ends.
Sew on button.
Use button and the loop formed by 6 chain stitches to close the cuff.

Optional step:
Use a dot of hot glue or a glue stick on the ends, after you have woven them in. Daria is a plain cord wrapped with the shiny, silky exterior, and this tends to unravel/unspool if left to its own devices!

Enjoy!

The Dude: Progress

2009-12-08T12:03:00.003-05:00

As you may or may not remember, I took on a massive knitting project earlier this year. If you haven't seen The Big Lebowski, or perchance do not remember the sweater in question, here is the movie poster/DVD case image. It's been about eight weeks since the project began, and I'm pleased to report my progress here:

All major pieces are knit (large back piece, two smaller front pieces, two sleeves). I have yet to knit the collar and the long, skinny facing pieces that will go down the center, onto which the zipper will be sewn. And speaking of zippers, if you have a 25-inch zipper, preferably metal and preferably ugly, that you would like to give me, please let me know! (My back-up plan is to find an XL sweatshirt at Goodwill and poach the zipper.)

Above picture is for scale. Not really: Harry just likes to sit on my knitting. But yes, this an incredibly large sweater: 30 inches long, and 50+ inches around. As soon as this sweater is done I go back to knitting for tiny people.

Slow Down, Please

2009-12-03T11:37:00.002-05:00

Harry is just growing up too fast. Period. He's drinking from a straw, getting up onto chairs himself, and two days ago, as his first cold of the season kicked in, he wiped his own nose.

As documented in the previous post, he's also helping with home improvement projects, but this morning is the real kicker -- Harry dropped his head on my shoulder at 10:00 and said, "Nap." I sat down and started rocking, and a few minutes later I said, "Give your mama a kiss." This is my standard move to gauge his actual tiredness. If he looks at me and laughs, he's not really tired and we're just playing. If he actually gives me a kiss, he's probably tired. If he doesn't respond, well, then he's asleep. This time he gave me a kiss, put his head back down, and started snoring.

How is it possible that Harry is old enough to decide when he needs a nap and verbalize the sentiment? Crazy.

This Moment Brought to You by IKEA

2009-11-29T15:57:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving took us to my sister's house this year, which is a seven-hour drive without a child and a two-day trip with a hotel in there somewhere with a child. We had a lovely time, with my little family, my parents, my grandmother, and my sister's family all under one roof. We had turkey and delicious sweet potato casserole and ready-made mashed potatoes, because, according to my mom, if you know how to make something you're allowed to buy it already prepared. (I do not understand this logic, but I wholeheartedly agree with it.)

The trip home took us past IKEA, and as it so happens Kevin has never been there. We went in with two "needs": toy kitchen for Harry's Christmas present and a back-up bathmat, for those rare instances when I have washed our bathmat and it's drying in the basement. We left, of course, with significantly more. First of all, Harry absolutely, positively fell completely head over heels in love with a stuffed kangaroo that it as big as he is. He refused to release it, so it traveled the store with us. And eventually Harry fell asleep on it, and the decision to buy it became final.

We also bought a shelf for our dining room. I knew the day was coming when Harry would replace me as Kevin's handy helper, but I thought it was still off in the future.

Harry helped Kevin put in gigantic bolts, and aside from the crying while the drill was running, he did a great job.

The final product:

A small selection of my Fiestaware, including some pieces I love but rarely have occasion to use: for instance, the gravy boat. I guess that means I should host Thanksgiving again.

Good News/Bad News

2009-11-17T10:13:00.006-05:00

Good news: I made peanut butter oatmeal cookies, and they're delicious.
Bad news: I have eaten three this morning. And our furnace died. . .

Good news: Our new furnace will be super efficient.
Bad news: Our new furnace will cost three months' of my income.

Good news: Half of the cost will come back to us in tax credits and energy rebates.
Bad news: The price just went up $700 because our air conditioner is leaky, and since it sits above the furnace, the leaky part will have to be replaced.

Good news: I didn't have to miss class for the furnace installation.
Bad news: I am home all day with Harry, we have no heat, and we can't watch Yellow Submarine because the VCR is in the basement (AKA furnace replacement central).

UPDATE: 5:00 PM

Bad news: It is 64F in my house.
Badder news: They are still working in the basement. That's right, "they," as in, three men. Still. Working. For the last nine hours.

Parade: Highs & Low

2009-11-14T16:10:00.002-05:00

Let's get the crap out of the way first thing: these four teenage girls. Yes, these girls standing in the street, where normally only small children looking for candy stand. I took this picture from where I was standing, which was the side of the street. You know, where adults stand during a parade. Kevin, my dad, Harry, and I arrived about 20 minutes before the parade was due to start and found a nice spot where Harry would be able to see. I had my back to the street before the parade so I could talk to my dad, and when I turned around a few minutes later, these four girls had made camp directly in front of me. Once the parade started, they all jumped up, moved several yards into the street, and actually collected the candy, stickers, etc. that were intended for children. I was not the only parent to be a little irritated by this, but my favorite comment had to be this: "What, you didn't get enough candy at Halloween?"

Onto more fun. . .

The Rudolph balloon, which Harry hardly even noticed. I can't decide if the deflated ear happened at a previous parade and our parade rented a "discount" balloon or if this is something that occurred earlier on the parade route. There were an awful lot of telephone lines and street lights. . .

And Kevin, Dad, and Harry. Doesn't Dad look a little bit like a weird stranger poking his head into my photo? Harry did a great job, other than refusing to sit in his stroller. His favorites were probably the dogs from the ASPCA and, of course, the fire truck. My highlight of the day is when Kevin asked a police officer how to best avoid the parade when driving home, and she said, "You know, I really have no idea."

Unexpected Pleasures

2009-11-05T16:09:00.004-05:00

It's just been that kind of day. I was at the grocery store today and ran into a friend of mine from our knitting group. Since we both have husbands and kids and housework, neither one of us makes it to Saturday knitting all that often, but it was just fun to actually see someone I know, to talk to an adult for a few minutes.

Harry and I also went to the hospital pharmacy today (employee discount!) to pick up what we hope will be the silver bullet for Kevin's migraines, and one of the little old lady volunteers said, "Doesn't that baby look just like his mommy?" After hearing that Harry looks just like Kevin about one thousand times, it felt pretty good to think that someone believes my adorable child favors me, even in the slightest.

I also finished knitting Christmas Item #3 this afternoon, which means I can get back to working on The Dude this weekend!

Edited to add a few more bits of wonderful:

Pumpkin pancakes: I made these for dinner and only wish your computer came equipped with Smellovision so you could understand how unbelievably good my kitchen smells.

AND my sister and brother-in-law were informed today that they will be traveling to Ethiopia in December to meet their son and bring him home!

You Suck, Daylight Savings

2009-11-02T07:13:00.004-05:00

This is the second morning of daylight savings, which means it is the second morning that I've gotten up before 5:30. I am literally so tired that I'm nauseous. It's only 7:15 and I have already done the following:

Given Harry his milk
Changed a poopy diaper in the dark because I thought maybe Harry would go back to sleep
Watched 10 minutes of Aladdin
Watched 10 minutes Yellow Submarine
Stopped Harry from going into our room to wake up Kevin three times
Allowed Harry to go into our room to wake up Kevin
Fed Harry breakfast
Put back all the towels Harry pulled out of the bathroom cupboard
Read three Curious George stories
Checked my email (Hey, Frances!)
Eaten breakfast

Costume Crisis

2009-10-31T20:28:00.005-04:00

If you know Harry at all, you know that Blue's Clues is his all-time favorite TV show. So when my sister called me and said she had found a Blue costume at a mom-to-mom sale in Kentucky, I was very excited. However, this costume has a hat, about which Harry was not excited. And this pig costume, which you may recall seeing on Lydia last Halloween, has a hat that velcroes securely. Bonus: The pig costume is polar fleece, and the high today was about 48F.

Furthermore, Harry is no longer enamored of Blue's Clues and has moved on to The Beatles' Yellow Submarine. So I guess it wasn't really all that much of a crisis. I mean, it's not like he was sobbing because he couldn't dress up as Blue.

And for those of you feeling nostalgic, a look back at Harry's first Halloween can be found here.

My Camera Is So Smart

2009-10-21T15:22:00.018-04:00

We bought a new camera a few months ago, and while I've played around with it and tried my best to become an expert, I've come to the conclusion that it is best to let the camera do the thinking.

Harry and I played outside for quite a while yesterday afternoon since we finally had a day warmer than 50 degrees, and I remembered to take the camera with me this time. Harry found the lone dandelion left in our lawn. Then he "smelled" it, which resulted in yellow pollen mustache.

The above-mentioned camera also takes pretty decent videos. Here's Harry drawing on the driveway, which is probably the thing he (and I) will miss most once colder weather prevents us from going outside every day. FYI, the weird noise he makes at 16 seconds is what he perceives to be a pig oinking.

Night Out

2009-10-19T10:45:00.011-04:00

WARNING: This post is link heavy. Prepare your mouse for a workout.

Kevin and I went to a concert this weekend, our first in almost a year: Andrew Bird with special guest St. Vincent at the Kalamazoo State Theatre. I went into this totally unfamiliar with St. Vincent, knowing only that the singer was a woman and there would probably be some expiremental jazz involved.

Andrew Bird, who Kevin has been fairly obsessed with lately, primarily plays violin and whistles. I know: Weird, right? Every time he opened his mouth to whistle last night, I thought about the episode of 10 Items or Less in which Leslie releases a CD of himself whistling well-known songs, and then plays it in a loop over the store's PA system.

Anywho. . . Andrew Bird played 80% of the show solo. He records loops of himself singing, whistling, clapping, and playing violin. He has this elaborate system of foot pedals that he taps, once he's pulled off his shoes and is comfortable in red socks. Once all this is done, and it only takes a minute or two, he plays along live, either with his violin or a guitar. He's (dare I say it?) a one-man band. See for yourself:

This song, "Sweet Matter," was probably my favorite of the night. It's a combination of two songs, "Sweet Breads" and "Dark Matter," and pretty much any song that mentions neurons is going to be a hit with me.

Feelin' Groovy

2009-10-15T18:32:00.006-04:00

I'm feeling pretty grateful and upbeat today. Not sure what's put me in this positive mood, but I'm not going to question or knock it.

Harry and I had a really nice playgroup today, which involved tiny cupcakes and messing up someone else's house for a change.

I'm plugging along on The Dude Sweater, and a friend from my knitting group graciously offered to put her math skills to work on some modifcations I was desiring. I'm halfway done with the back piece, (also the biggest piece!), so that's a feather in my cap right now.

We've got fun family plans for the weekend, too. Kevin's parents are in town so Harry will have an extra dose of Grandparent Attention. Kevin and his dad have tickets to a football game Saturday, and Kevin and I are going to a concert Sunday night: more on that next week.

Finally, everyone in my house remains happy and healthy, swine-flu free, which is definitely something for which to be grateful.

What are you grateful for right now?

Hello, Walls

2009-10-11T15:21:00.004-04:00

I bought an easel for Harry last week at IKEA. It is a chalkboard on one side and dry-erase surface on the other. It also has a handy post on which to load a gigantic roll of paper: good news, since I'm not about to let Harry use chalk indoors or dry-erase markers anywhere, and the paper makes the easel suitable for crayons.

As I was buying said easel in Cincinnati, Kevin was at home putting a few coats of white paint on the door and surrounding trim of our guest bedroom. This is, as it happens, where we've decided to keep Harry's easel.

After Harry went down for his nap this afternoon, Kevin and I were sitting on the couch, him watching football and me knitting. It was then that Kevin noticed baby scribbles all over the door frame. Streaks in multiple bright colors, all somewhere between the floor and Harry's eye level.

As disappointed as I am in Crayola's claim that their crayons "easily wash off walls with warm water and a sponge" I am equally thankful for Magic Erasers. And I resolve to be ever vigilant when Harry wields crayons from henceforth.

The Bluegrass State

2009-10-06T08:15:00.003-04:00

I'm happy to report that nine hours in the car with Harry was not that bad. Having another adult in the car to share the driving and child-entertaining responsibilities with was definitely the deciding factor, and I cannot say enough good things about portable DVD players.

We rolled into Kentucky late enough that my niece had been in bed for hours and I couldn't actually tell what my sister's new house looks like, but all was revealed in the morning. Lydia is as adorable as ever, and Kristi has done a really nice job decorating.

The whole family (minus Kevin, who stayed home to have a bachelor weekend of beer, fried chicken, football, and home improvement projects) went to a pumpkin patch on Saturday. (Can you spot my pumpkin amidst the sea of pumpkins?)

Harry and Lydia in the rare photo when they're both looking in the direction of the camera:

On Sunday we went to the Lexington Explorium, an amazing children's museum. Harry, of course, headed immediately for the truck. Below is one moment when Harry and Lydia weren't competing for control of the steering wheel.

Mom and I drove home with Harry yesterday, and I made my first ever stop at IKEA. I realize how provincial this makes me look, but I hope I get some credit for spending less than $70 and eating only half of a cinnamon bun.

It's Been A While

2009-09-24T08:30:00.005-04:00

I've let a few weeks slip by. . .

I went back to school a few weeks ago, so on top of that and work and Harry and the house, the juggling is pretty intense. I think I'm handling it pretty well, if I do say so myself, but I'm also honest enough to admit that housework particularly has been slipping. And I may be letting Harry watch an extra episode of Blue's Clues every now and then. (Don't tell, okay?)

But I've got a lot of things to look forward to in the near future: a trip to Kentucky, playgroup at the museum, and a chance to knit The Dude's sweater from The Big Lebowski! It's a gift for a friend, and since he's probably the only person I know who doesn't have a computer (or even an email address, for that matter), I feel pretty safe blogging about it. It will be the biggest project I've undertaken in a while (read: since Harry came along) but I ordered the yarn last night, so there's no going back now. If nothing else, it will be a great excuse to watch The Big Lebowski again.

Lazy Sunday

2009-09-06T18:38:00.011-04:00

Another weekend trip to the local nature center, which always produces some good pictures. . .

The (expensive) backpack carrier we bought last spring. Harry did eventually get in, but Kevin carried it empty half the time.

Harry found the fountain in the butterfly garden. He was only mildly wet, so I consider that successful. He did scream bloody murder when we moved on, and I hope he doesn't remember how to find the fountain next time.

It was also the last day for the barn, so we checked out the animals. This is the only picture I took in which they sheep weren't ramming heads.

And finally a trip inside. I wanted Harry to color with me, but he had other ideas. He's been going nuts for colored pencils and sidewalk chalk lately, but this coloring session lasted about 30 seconds.

The best thing about spending the afternoon at the nature center is that there is no reasonable expectation that I will be cooking dinner. And everybody likes leftover takeout ribs, right?

Playdate #1

2009-09-02T08:06:00.005-04:00

Okay. . . I actually pulled myself together and took Harry to the new playgroup. He had a great time, but we were at the park, so that was pretty much guaranteed. There were five (?) other moms there with one or two kids each, and while Harry was the youngest, there were two boys and a girl who were just a few months older. Harry didn't go out of his way to play with the other kids, but I got to talk to three of the moms, and we got beyond the usual "playground" chat: How old? Does he talk? Cute outfit!

Harry and I will definitely go back, but between school and work, I'm really going to have to push myself. And now that I've been to the group and realize that these moms are not just waiting to judge me for using disposable diapers or letting Harry watch TV, it shouldn't be too hard.

Does This Make Me a Bad Mom?

2009-09-01T08:30:00.003-04:00

I don't want to take Harry to a playgroup at the park today. I don't feel well. I'm tired. I don't want to have to walk the tightrope between letting Harry have fun and making sure he doesn't get hurt, and the tightrope between being his advocate and not making excuses, and the tightrope between being social with the other parents and keeping an eye on Harry. I don't want him to fall asleep on the ride home because I need him to sleep here so I can work.

But mostly I don't want to go because my hair looks bad and I haven't put on any make up and I have only one pair of jeans and they don't fit well and I hate all my shoes. I don't want to go meet a bunch of new people looking like crap.

I have only recently been pushing myself to get out there and make friends, and I'm not ready to have to do it for someone else, too. And since my personal efforts haven't been remarkable, I'm not so excited to try on Harry's behalf.

If things go very well (or very badly), I will let you know.

How We're Spending Our Time

2009-08-17T12:17:00.004-04:00

These days Harry and I (and often Harry and Kevin, as in the video below) spend a significant amount of time playing Harry's new favorite game.

Step 1: Harry begs to be put in his crib.

Step 2: Harry picks a random stuffed animal and crams it between his crib and the wall, then turns around with his arms out, like, "What happened? Where did it go?"

Step 3: I (or Kevin) dutifully fish the stuffed animal out from under the crib and toss it back to Harry.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until sanity is in danger.

To Lock, or Not to Lock?

2009-08-11T14:04:00.005-04:00

Kevin called me about five minutes after he left for work this morning. I thought, Great, he forgot his lunch/badge/migraine medication and now I'm going to have to get dressed, get Harry dressed, find whatever Kevin needs, and drive downtown. But Kevin was calling to let me know about the multiple police cars just down the street.

Before having Harry I would have grabbed my cell phone and headed outside to see what was going on, but once you have a baby, I guess some smarter part of your brain kicks into gear and says, Hey, maybe taking your kid out by the police cars is a bad idea. So we played inside and I stole repeated glances out of the big window. . . Until 9, by which point Harry was going to play outside or scream until he lost his voice, whichever came first. (He brings you his shoes and says "Bues!" when he wants to go out. It's really cute.) I stuck my head out the door and asked a cop, who was now talking to my neighbor, if it was kosher to bring a baby outside for some fresh air. He informed me that two men broke into several cars on our street last night around 1, but all was well and outdoor play was acceptable. He also advised removing all valuables from my car and unlocking it at night to prevent would-be thieves from smashing the windows, but I think I'm still going to lean towards locking. Leaving the car locked, no matter this cop's logic, seems counterintuitive to me.

So much for living in the second-safest neighborhood in the city, huh?

Everyday Humor

2009-08-10T17:21:00.006-04:00

I made a really quick stop at the library today and while looking for a book I noted something interesting about one of the alphabetical/informational signs: you know, the ones that explain which authors are to found on which aisles. DEF -- DUM.

This made me wonder how often these signs are changed, and if I will see something this amusing next time.

What Are You Reading?

2009-08-06T21:07:00.004-04:00

Too many of the books I'm reading lately are books that I have already read. I do admit to be a chronic re-reader of books, largely by intention, but I have not been to the library - other than for Story Time, of course - in months. I do still love me a trip to the bookstore, but that hasn't happened either, so I've been diving back into my own personal collection a lot lately. It's really nothing to complain about, and I could (and probably will) read What's Eating Gilbert Grape? every two years for the rest of my life, but I need some fresh words.

So, what are you reading?

Skype!

2009-08-02T20:32:00.002-04:00

We're finally up and running on Skype now. So if you want to chat with me (or Kevin or Harry), leave a comment, send an email, or call me the old-fashioned way. You know: with your cell phone.

One Eighty

2009-07-28T16:51:00.002-04:00

My initially-crappy day just took a major swing in the other (the right) direction. After a morning of cranky baby who would not nap for anything and was only comforted by television, I decided we needed to get out of the house. Where could we go where Harry wouldn't eat dirt and I wouldn't sweat my face off? The mall. . . I found pants at Eddie Bauer for $15. Score.

No X-Ray Necessary

2009-07-25T13:24:00.003-04:00

First of all, don't worry. X-ray? I promise, everything is fine. In fact, Harry finally cut a tooth last night. No, it's not his first, but yes, it is a big deal. There have been no new teeth since February, and seeing as it's almost August, I was starting to get a little worried. He has a doctor's appointment next month and I was prepared to ask for some imaging, just to make sure there actually were a few more teeth hanging around in Harry's gums. As bad as teething is, and as cute as he looked with only two teeth on the bottom, I do really want that smile to fill in a little more.

That Washes Off, Right?

2009-07-15T20:38:00.004-04:00

I've actually imagined how I would react when Harry came home with a tattoo. I've never actualy imagined that it would be so soon.

Kristi called this afternoon to ask if she and Lydia could take Harry with them to story time at the library. So Kristi took Harry away while Kevin and I had dinner. Together. At the same time. I cannot remember the last time this happened.

And Kristi brought Harry home with this kind of wicked flaming basketball on his arm. Kevin saw it and, pulling one of his classic verbal flubs, said, "Whoa, is that a permanent tattoo?"

I will give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that he meant to ask if it was temporary. Either way, we both agree that Harry looks pretty hard core.

Surprise!

2009-07-06T21:55:00.005-04:00

Alison was in town for the holiday weekend and came over to visit today! Nothing breaks up a Monday like a friend showing up to meet your baby and tell you about her new(ish) job. Thanks for thinking of me, Alison, and do remember us next time you're in town!

Also, Dear Readers, notice how visiting me gets you a metion on Nothing Fancy and makes you famous*. Who's next?

*Your idea of famous may not match my idea of famous, i.e., this blog has three readers.

I Am My Own Alarm Clock

2009-07-02T06:55:00.004-04:00

I have been unofficially and unintentionally, but nonetheless effectively, sleep trained. The idea was to get Harry on a set pattern, a sleep schedule, if you will, but somehow things have gone horribly wrong and I am the one waking up by 6 o'clock every morning. Usually it's not a big deal, as Harry wakes up between 6 and 6:30, but today I'm especially upset about it because I have been awake since 5:45 and Harry is still a blissful little ball of slumber at 7 o'clock.

Out with the Old

2009-06-19T18:53:00.007-04:00

Our gigantic annual neighborhood garage sale was Saturday, and while the weather could have been better we did manage to make over $200. After giving Mom and Dad their cut for a few big items they sold, Kevin and I each had a pretty good chunk of change to spend however we saw fit. Kevin, of course, went out immediately to buy Leonard Cohen's Live in London and a Primus DVD. I will absolutely listen to Leonard Cohen, but it will take a chair, some rope, and Scotch tape to my eyelids to make me watch Primus. Kevin, for some reason, is a superfan of Les Claypool, and I refuse to even argue with him anymore on the subject: we agree to disagree.

I spent my money on something Kevin doesn't have any interest in either: knitting! I bought a fab-u-lous set of interchangeable knitting needles and some laceweight yarn. The colorway is Jewels: isn't it yummy?

I have a 13-month-old, a job, and a house to clean (or not clean), so lace is a dream for the future. It requires counting, and concentration, and being able to finish a row in one sitting, and that probably won't all come together for at least five or six years, but it's nice to know that I have a stash of lovely wool waiting for me.

KIP

2009-06-14T18:39:00.014-04:00

I made a little time this weekend to attend a Knitting In Public event. About a half-dozen of my regular knitting compatriots were there too, as well as about 20 other knitters. The point of today's event was to bring attention to the art and encourage others to try it out. During our three-hour public knitting four people asked to learn and sat down with us, needles and yarn soon pushed into their hands. The event organizers rounded up door prizes, including needles, books, and some really gorgeous yarn: I was totally coveting some bright blue yarn, but alas I did not win anything.

The KIP was at a local coffee/tea/chocolate cafe with a fabulous patio,which we filled to bursting with knitters, overlooking the creek. We ate chocolates and drank tea and drooled over the last cream puff in the dessert case, and pledged that we would return soon with more money and emptier stomachs.

I wish every day of my life involved this picture.

You Are All Witnesses

2009-06-04T19:40:00.002-04:00

After dinner with my parents tonight, I was talking to my mom about potty training. Obviously we're not starting yet, but it's not too early to talk and think about it. I professed a fear that Harry will still be in diapers at 3 years, which I know is not a travesty, and not even that uncommon, particularly for boys. My mom said, "If he's still in diapers at 3, I'll just take him for a week and get him trained."

So, deny it if you want later, Mom, but here it is for posterity!

I Hate Fridays

2009-05-29T13:50:00.006-04:00

As someone who has been both a student and a teacher, I used to live for Friday. Thursday was almost as good, because it meant that the next day was Friday. And Friday, well, that was practically Saturday, and Saturday used to mean sleeping in, laying around the house, maybe watching a movie, doing a little laundry, and probably having a meal out.

As with every other thing in my life, having a baby changed that. Harry has no concept of "weekend" and therefore I don't either, anymore. I am still awakened between 6 and 6:30. Because I can't possibly get all of my paid work done during the week and be a competent mother, the paid work necessarily slips into Saturday (oh, who am I kidding, into Sunday). Working on the weekend kind of deflates the awesomeness of Friday, and when I work on the weekend I just feel self-pity and not a small amount of guilt that Kevin, who has worked hard Monday through Friday, has the lion's share of the parenting responsibility every weekend.

I can appreciate that he wants to escape to the basement to play video games or watch a basketball game in its entirety on Saturday, and for some reason, I feel like it's more important to foster Kevin's "me-time" than my own. Ask him and you'll probably get a vastly different answer, but I estimate that I give him at least two hours a week of unrestricted time for him to do his thing but carve out something like 30 minutes for myself (and mine is always when Harry is in bed. I cannot bring myself to knit or read when he is awake: the guilt!). There, in a nutshell, is what I have come to understand about being a mother: everyone, not just the baby, is higher on your list than you are.

So there is my crappy mood summed up in 10 minutes of typing while Harry cries in his crib, determined not to nap. This is how I developed my unpopular opinion: I hate Fridays.

What's your unpopular opinion? What do you hate (or love) that everyone else seems to love (or hate) universally?

Cold Turkey

2009-05-24T12:13:00.005-04:00

First of all, I want to brag a little and say that I breastfed Harry up to 12 months and 2 days of age, totally fulfilling my own personal goal and meeting the AAP's suggestion "that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months." It was something that I (and Kevin, too) decided was important before Harry was even born, and if you know me at all you probably heard about the trials and challenges breastfeeding presented in the first couple of weeks.

Why 12 months and 2 days, you ask? Why cold turkey? I was put on a medication on Friday afternoon that was borderline risky for Harry, so obviously I decided to stop nursing. I was not aware of the potential risk until literally the moment I was given the medication, so my plans for a gentle weaning, reducing one feeding every week or two over the next month, flew out the window.

So now there is a new challenge: getting Harry to drink cow's milk. He's not crazy about it, and we've already (in two days!) had to get a little creative. We've tried the old standard of mixing breast milk with cow's milk, but since I only had about a day's work of milk in the freezer, this is no longer an option. We've tried waiting until he's really, really hungry. We've tried adding Ovaltine to his bottle.

And speaking of bottles, we've also tried offering the milk via bottle, sippy, and juice glass, just in case it wasn't contents but container that was bothering Harry. And then there was the method this morning, which was to give Harry as many Cheerios as he wanted and then waited for him to start looking around for his water. . . which had mysteriously disappeared. . . and had even more mysteriously been replaced with milk. Hmmm. Curious.

1

2009-05-20T10:04:00.003-04:00

Today is Harry's birthday. This time last year I was lying in a hospital bed eating fruit salad while my parents and Kevin's parents were passing Harry back and forth. Or maybe I was being taken up to my room. Or maybe I was actually holding Harry. It's a little hazy. The only thing I know for sure is that I wasn't sleeping, because I didn't fall asleep that day until late afternoon. I'd been up for more than 36 hours since I went into labor at my usual bedtime and was awake all night, waiting for the anesthesiologist with her magic epidural.

But I digress. Harry is one year old today, and it's unreal. He's sleeping through the night, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and animal crackers, giving high-fives, and walking. He has different games and jokes for different people. He bites and blows kisses on people foolish enough to expose their stomachs to him. He has inexplicably begun to take two-hour naps in the morning, and while I'm definitely not complaining I'd love to know why it's happening all of a sudden. My list of things to look forward to in Harry's second year is, of course, prohibitively long, so I'll give you three: swimming lessons, front-facing car seat, and hearing him say "mama" and mean it - not just gibberish.

Random Funny

2009-05-15T08:29:00.003-04:00

Me: What do you think makes someone decide to become a colon and rectal surgeon?
Kevin: An opening, I guess.

He said this with complete and total innocence, and went on to add, "or maybe the money," but by this point I was already laughing uncontrollably.

Am I Too Old to Run Away from Home?

2009-05-04T19:23:00.006-04:00

In the past six weeks we've replaced a washer that didn't wash but did leave weird stains on our clothes, a dryer that required more than 120 minutes to dry a medium load of T-shirts and underwear, and a computer that didn't have enough memory to run an internet browser and photo-editing software at the same time. Now we have a roof that doesn't keep rain out of our garage and a dishwasher that quite literally died in my arms tonight after dinner. The washer and dryer were kind of fun to replace because they're new and shiny (and black!) and were paid for with our tax refund, and getting a new computer was easy to validate because I use it for work 85% of the time. The roof is just too expensive to contemplate, and the dishwasher pisses me off because I really didn't see it coming. At this point I think it might just be cheaper to move. So, since moving isn't really an option, I'm thinking about running away.

When was the last time you felt like running away from home?

ETA: Kevin came home with the dishwasher and it is DENTED.

We are now three for three dent-wise when buying appliances from Lowe's. I wasn't going to call them out on my blog, but I think it's about time. This thing came in a cardboard box that was braced with lumber and cushioned with foam. Oddly enough, neither box nor foam showed any signs of distress, which makes me think Frigidaire packaged up an-already damaged product or Lowe's really is out to get me.

And no, this is not how I wanted to spend my day: Crappy Anniversary, Kevin!

Baby Hairy

2009-05-02T06:38:00.003-04:00

Don't assume that the weak mohawk you style as a joke with the extra sunscreen will easily brush out of the baby's hair.

Pre-Google

2009-04-29T07:47:00.003-04:00

Even before I checked the copyright page I could tell that Wicked was written before the days of the comprehensive internet search. Naming a character Melena? Really? I type this word at least five times a day while transcribing medical records, and it isn't pretty: black stool, usually indicative of serious bleeding somewhere in the gastrointestinal system.

Note to anyone who wants to write a Lord of the Rings-type novel, where names of people and places are largely fictitious and fantastical: consult Google before publishing. Please.

Thank You, Fill In the Blank

2009-04-20T13:08:00.003-04:00

Thank you, my little Dell, for holding it together these past seven years to serve my word processing, photo editing, and internet needs.

Thank you, Federal Government, for sending my refund so quickly.

Thank you, computer salesman, for not making me feel like an idiot, and for not laughing when I told you the age and state of my computer.

Thank you, Dad, for coming over today so I could transfer the essentials onto a flash drive, and for taking Harry on laps of the store while I shopped for my new computer.

That's right, Dear Reader: all future posts will be courtesy of my fancy new computer!

Story Time

2009-04-15T21:28:00.003-04:00

I have a story about Story Time. Today was Harry's first visit to the library, and we were there especially for Story Time. I've heard really good things about Story Time. And I was assured that there were kids of all ages, even Harry's age, which I found remarkable because I cannot get him to sit still for one story unless I let him chew on the book, which I only sometimes do, and only when the books are ours.

There seemed to be an extraordinarily large number of children, more than 12 and possibly 20. (Ever tried counting moving children? Not easy.) There was a big age range, from the impossibly tiny newborn on my right to the probably 6-year-old to my left. And Miss Nancy, the children's librarian, had an impressive stack of books and a teddy bear puppet and a rocking chair. It looked promising.

Harry made it through the "Nice to Meet You" song and a book about a duck on a bike called, appropriately, Duck on a Bike. Then he spied the stroller on the opposite side of the room and immediately took off, hoping, I'm sure, to tip it over and play with the wheels, because he is All Boy. The stroller was occupied by a sleeping baby, and luckily I was hot on Harry's trial. Of course, being foiled again didn't please Harry, and he started warming up for a tantrum. I took him out of the room for a little break and to let him walk around, but the instant we left the Story Time room he was literally pressing his face up against the glass of the door, desperate to rejoin the group. We went back in for the Hokey Pokey and a story about the garbage truck, but we had to make another quick exit before the arts and crafts projects, which is probably okay, because if Harry is anything like his dad, he would have skipped the arts and crafts and just eaten his weight in paste.

I feel good that I made the effort and got Harry out there in a group with other kids, and I wasn't even really that embarrassed to have to swoop in and remove him twice, and I even managed to get a few books to bring home. The one I'm really looking forward to is Pirate Pete's Talk Like a Pirate, which I will make Kevin read aloud to Harry, and it will be hilarious because each accent Kevin does sounds exactly like every other accent in his repertoire: imagine Scottish meets Pirate meets Thurston Howell III.

2009-04-11T16:11:00.004-04:00

I'm pleased to report that Kevin and I only got up once with Harry last night, so everyone felt much, much better today. So good, in fact, that we decided to take a hike at our local nature center. We got out our new, high-tech baby carrier and, after stopping for lunch with Mom and Dad, strapped Harry in for his first ride, other than the test drive at Babies R Us.

Kevin soon learned that being the wearer of the baby carrier comes with its own risks.

Like having someone play with your ears and sunglasses off and on for the duration of the hike.

And then there's this: a build-your-own nest exhibit. We kind of just poached the nest that the last kid built and dropped Harry into it: we're cheaters.