The Glory of an Extra Day Off

The kiddo was okay to go back to school today after an all night emesis session Saturday night!  Woo Hoo!  And I’m almost recovered.  Why does it take me longer?  I haven’t even been sick.  Yet.  (Yes, I know.  Somebody slept more than I did.  In fact, everything in and around the house slept more than I did, except maybe the bird that sings all the night through.)

Good thing Saturday was our all-day-out day.  Ice skating, Barney’s hamburgers, Piedmont Yarn (sale!) (replacement needles for the lace scarf!), A Verb for Keeping Warm (visit with little Cleo dachsund!) (Cricket loom ordered!).  We ran out of energy before groceries, which was unfortunate.  I had to do it Sunday instead…

Almost 5 (of 9.5) repeats done on the lace scarf!  I was so close to finishing off that fifth repeat last night, but the clock is inexorable.  And a child needed to get to bed.  3 weeks to finish.  Will I make it in time?  Oh, the thrill!

Pinche Conjunctivitis

Bloody Pink Eye.

It’s been at least a couple of years without it.  But it always comes back.  Poor kiddo.

Unexpected Bird Sanctuary

I picked up the kiddo early from After School yesterday (a little sick) and ran into his teacher.  (report:  his ear hurt in the afternoon, but he preferred music class to resting in the office…)  The school has a new building this year, nicely remodeled inside to be a comfy place.  It’s a big ole building, with a couple open-to-the-sky atrium/courtyards in the middle.  The one in the elementary school side has wildlife.  Ms E showed me the nest – with baby birds! – right by the window, just about 2-3 feet off the ground.  Perfect for nest watching!  And a little over on this side, maybe 6 feet up, is a hummingbird nest, complete with broody bird.  So cool!  All easy to see.  I hope there are no baby bird tragedies in the future, though the 2nd graders didn’t care too much when the fish died.  Wish my office had something like that…

(I’m chained to the computer, closing out some too-old stuff)

Also:  1.5 repeats done of 32 row repeat, Hamsa retirement scarf.  2 repeats per week should see it done in time!

A Very Small Joke

¿Qué comen los toreros?

Pozole

(gracias al querido esposo)   (Yup, took me a minute to realize it was a joke.)

And just for fun, while I still remember, an abbreviated list of songs the kiddo has really liked so far in his long 7 years of life.

Cumbia pa’ la luna Cumbia pa’ el sol, Cumbia pa’ la reina de mi corazon…

Cama Cama Camaleon, Yo soy el camaleon…  (another cumbia)

American Boy (Estelle, especially the mix with somebody or other I can’t remember just now)

Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2   (last night, he played it while his legos warred.  Yes, on purpose.)

It’s hard work being surprised

I just had a birthday.  (Happy Birthday to Me!) And there’s a kid story in it.

Saturday, we went by Article Pract after ice skating.  Kiddo agreed, provided we had park time too.  I needed to look at those bags of Koigu again.  Which I did, and bought a little bit of something else.  Kiddo’s looking at buttons, and I say, “Oh!  You could choose a button for me for my birthday.”  Wrong thing to say.  Immediately sad kid, because that was his plan and it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.  How he thought he would have me buy it without knowing what was going on, I have no idea!  He refused to deal with buttons anymore.

Monday, actual birthday, I made shoofly pie.  I was in the kitchen doing this and that, probably fighting with too wet pizza dough.  Kiddo climbed up to the back cupboards (where the birthday candles stay) and was very busy in the dining room.  He caught me looking at him, and once again, upset kid because he was trying to surprise me.  I looked before he told me to.  He ran crying up to his room and hid under the bed.  Too bad I didn’t know it was supposed to be a surprise.

I found my husband.  “You have to help Kiddo.  He’s upset right now because he’s trying to surprise me and nothing’s working.  Here is some card paper.  Go get him and ask him to help you make me a surprise birthday card.”  I went back to the kitchen.  He went upstairs for the kiddo.  He went downstairs.  A few minutes later, as I resolutely kept myself Very Busy, I heard the Sneaky Run (sounds like a small rhinoceros on tiptoe, very fast) as kiddo followed him down.  Not too long after, kiddo comes back up, goes into the dining room, and tells me to look at my place.   Surprise!  A birthday card from my secret admirers!

You better believe I was surprised.

Then I had to ask everybody in the house, including the dog, if they were one of my secret admirers.

Next year, I’m telling the husband what to do a week ahead (but they better wait, because kiddo cannot wait to surprise me!)  What do I tell my husband to do with my son for a surprise for me that they will both be willing to do?  Definitely not the yarn store.  Maybe the book store.  More likely flowers.  Even more likely, handmade cards (the best!) and a bag of yarn grabbed at random from my yarn closet.  I’ve got time to think about it.

What Guilt?

That was a lovely weekend!  (I notice I use ‘lovely’ an awful lot.  Noted, and I doubt I’ll change it any time soon.  Lazy brain!)  Skein Lane Knitting Retreat.

Knitting, knitters, Tomales Bay, not even cold!  (I think I wore a sweater once, and took it off.  Shawl, yes.  Happy Grey Alpaca Shawl!)  Nancy Bush, Sally Melville, no dishes to wash.  Good times!    Windrush Farm, Black Mountain Artisans, and the wallet is a little lighter.

Nancy Bush and Sally Melville make an interesting combination of teachers, each coming from different places in knitting (translating knitting traditions for contemporary knitters, contemporary knitting for contemporary knitters).  Sunday morning, we had a few hours with both together answering questions.  Fascinating!  They’re both good teachers.  I happen to prefer Nancy Bush, but that’s because I’m fascinated by the traditional stuff (Estonian Lace!  I want more!).  I learned from both of them.  Now I just have to keep it all contained in my woefully small memory until I need it.  Ha!

Friday was chaotic, getting out.  And that’s all I have to say about that, other than that I made it in time to check in.  Phew!

I called home Friday evening.  (I had better cell coverage this year.  I wonder why?)  Talked to a very sad kid.  “I miss you, Mom.  I’m sad without you here.  Dad is driving me crazy.”  All in the sad voice.  When I called home Saturday, my husband told me he cried himself to sleep.  He wasn’t sure I should talk to the kid, but the kid wasn’t home yet from his birthday adventure.  Surprise for a friend’s birthday.  Ferry to SF, food at the Rainforest Cafe (I’m thankful I wasn’t there!), ferry back again.  I talked to him later.  He missed me still, but didn’t sound quite so pathetic.

Now he’s showing me how much he loves me!  Hugs and  Whine.  A lot of good whine.  Monday all the way home until after dinner.  Tuesday all the way home and getting ready for bed.  I feel so loved. 

Monday was exacerbated by an Incident at school.  When a teacher pulls me aside and says, “he really surprised me today,” I know we’re in trouble.  My sweet darling 2nd grader, in the middle of after school, said, “I’m going to break your fucking back!”  The teacher made sure to tell me he used the F word in context, so he knows how to use it.  That doesn’t bother me.  Other than that he was stupid enough to use the F word in school.  Not a school word!  What bothers me is the actual whole sentence.  Mean talk!  Bully talk!  The report is that he said it, the whole class went quiet, and he started crying, probably hiding in the corner.  On the way home, “Don’t tell Dad!”  “I don’t want to talk about it!”  Once he calmed down after dinner (amazing what food does for a person!), he told me he didn’t say fuck, but bruck.  So I talked at him a bit about how changing a couple letters doesn’t make it any better because people still hear it anyway.  And I talked at him about how what he said was talking like a bully.  And I talked at him again this morning about it, just for a minute.  I wonder if he heard anything I said?  Of course I told Dad.  But not in front of the kiddo, cause then we’d have to be serious, and I’ve already talked at him enough.  I told Dad I couldn’t scold him for osicon (basically potty mouth), and he laughed.  Cause he knows very well I’m worse.  And so is he.  We know where the kiddo picked up ‘the word.’  The threat, on the other hand, is not mine.  But he’s smart.  He knows how to put things together and build a better whole. 

And now I feel like finishing a few things.  Too bad I’m at work…

It’s Raining! It’s Pouring!

Nobody here is snoring!

Really, no one in this house has ever snored.  In fact, if you are a regular snore-er, you won’t here.  True!  We should have our own infomercial!

I may be lying.

Wet Tuesday.  Heavy rain for NorCal.  I’m happy!  Especially since I can avoid the freeway easily most of the day.  Luckily, I finally bought myself a very long raincoat.  My legs stayed dry.  Ah, the simple pleasures.  Now I need rain gloves.  And a waterproof bag or two.  It would have been a perfect day to stay home in the quiet and ignore the dishes, curled up with a book or knitting.

Funny things today.  Driving home this evening from school (after school) pick up, the kiddo said, “I’m going to tell you a story.  You already know it.”  And he started telling me something.  I couldn’t quite hear him, so I turned up the volume.  On the radio.  That’s not attached to my child.  Oddly enough, it didn’t work, but it distracted us from the story.  (and I didn’t even have the radio turned on!  I think I’m running low on sleep.  Kiddo says, “It was very funny.”)

Got to see a good friend for a few minutes yesterday.  She reads and knits.  (what do we find to talk about?)  She’s working with a physical therapist, who saw her knitting while she waited for her appointment.  He suggested that she prop her elbows on pillows to help her shoulders.  (Imagine!  Giving a useful suggestion, instead of saying, “stop doing that.”)  I immediately thought that would be a great use for a nursing pillow.  Too bad the one I have lying around (if it still is and it may have left the house) is floppy.  I decided I need a new one before knitting retreat this weekend.  (Knitting Retreat!  This Weekend!)  My shoulder is mad at me.  Was my lower back, but the mad moved into the shoulder.  I hate hurting myself.  And I haven’t let myself knit as much as I want to.  Or play with the spindle as much as I want (and I’m trying to figure out something other than reaching up over my head.)  (Kiddo is rubbing my  shoulder right now.  So Nice!)  Couldn’t get to Target easily this week, but found myself near enough a baby/toy store in Rockridge.  The extra price tag is worth not driving to Albany when I don’t have time.  It was pouring rain when I parked.  Someone was paying the funny parking receipt machine.  Took a while.  I waited in the car.  Got out.  Hers was cancelled.  I put my money in, nothing doing.  Nuts!  But her money was in the coin return.  So I found $1.25.  Went to the store, saw her, and promptly returned her change.  (But I didn’t actually look for her, and I would have kept it, so not as virtuous as I could make myself sound.)  Then looked at the very expensive, only one style in stock, nursing pillow.  And another woman said she had a barely used one at home, just a few minutes away.  Darned if I didn’t get a free nursing pillow!  And she knows it’s for knitting/reading.  She was happy to get it out of the house.  I think I’ll be knitting a pair of lovely mitts and dropping them off for her soon.  I feel so lucky!

Then I took Hwy 13 through the rain and the fog, then down to my house for a minute and promptly got annoyed by my husband.  Whiplash!  Good thing I was on my way to see another patient.  Didn’t have time to get more annoyed.

Kiddo reminds me to say that when we got home, I started a fight with his Dad.  He needed annoying back.  I don’t think it worked.  Now we’re in the living room, using candles instead of lights.  Might as well enjoy the dark!  Might need to buy a few more.

Good Night!  Sleep Tight with Teddy!

This and That

The importance of little words:  “…abused a child”  or “…abused as a child”

I wonder what they are doing around Lake Merritt?  I don’t like the view of water/sky as well through the chain link fence.  At least machines are out there now, so it’s clear something is happening construction like.  Better paths?

When I drive past the lake a few minutes before 6 in the evening, the late evening sky light is soft.  By the time I drive by again about 20 minutes later, the lake is dark with reflected people lights – not as peaceful a sight.  But the days are noticeably longer!

Two hats are too big.   More accurately – one hat is too big.  The other hat is too big in one way and too small in another. 

Mt. Tamalpais is a lovely mountain.  Not green enough for the end of January, but we’ll enjoy the gorgeous weather.

Winding roads down Mt. Tam make the first loose tooth!  Woo Hoo!  (I’m so glad I’ve already got a little tooth pillow made, or I’d never have it done.  And I wanted to do it.  Phew!)

We are endlessly amused by the word Way.  One of those odd little English/Spanish/slang intersections.  Great driving fun!

We are not amused by traffic getting through Berkeley.  There is no way (ha!) to get through Berkeley without traffic, unless you ride a bike.  Maybe that’s why?

Good thing there are a lot of Ways in Berkeley.  Dwight Way.  One way. (giggle, sputter!)

I’m also amused and horrified by a song.  A vampire cumbia song.  Oh yes!  Chupame!  And then there’s another cumbia with Montame! como caballito  I’m not sure if it’s more vulgar or more sexy.  I vote for vulgar, but that’s my non-native impression.

Choosing colours by what’s already wound in a ball worked this time.  I’m working on that Baby Surprise Jacket for a coworker with what’s left of the lovely green Jitterbug.  And now with purple stripes leftover from the finished (too big!) beret in, oh what’s that yarn?, Nature’s Palette orchid.  Gorgeous!  Recipient’s mother/incubator approved.  Cast on (after the unsucessful previous colour choices) riding to Mt. Tam.  It was a nice Saturday.

Doggone It! Not Again!

(The ending of a good silly kid book about Zeke and his steer.  We like that line, but I have problems with the plot line it presents.  Good thing I can’t think of the real title!)

Nice thing about having Dad visit is that he likes to go to far-off places like Pt Reyes, and he likes to drive.   So I got to carry around the kiddo’s sweater in the car and finish off the saddle shoulders.  Again. 

I persuaded the kid to stand still long enough to try the sweater on.  It’s a bit tight.  I steam-blocked the sweater (looks fabulous!).  Better.  Probably even better after a good wash and wet-blocking.  Mom and I brainstormed possible ideas to eke a little more width out of this thing.  Because I want to finish this sweater before my son has his own child to give it too.  (That’s the back-up plan.)  So, I’m not thrilled, but this thing is workable.

Meanwhile, the kid decides he’s okay with it being a vest, so I decide to try it.  I filled in the back of the armholes a bit, and finished them off with some Icord.  Looks pretty good.  Grabbed the kid again to put the now vest on.  He sticks his arms through and says, “It fits good!”  Mom and I are rolling on the floor, laughing (me, laughing in despair).  It does not fit good – the armholes are too tight.  I’m not sure he can bring his arms done to his sides.  Which means I should rip out the saddle shoulders again and add another repeat to the body and start over.  And make it a sweater! 

He still wants it.  I have to finish it.  Preferably while it’s still cold.  And I don’t have so much knitting time in my life.  Orange Snakes at the Gates of Hell.

Last night, I cast on a vest for me with Christmas Noro Silk Garden.

Post-Mortem, and a little karmic payback

That was a fun Thanksgiving!

I took most of the week off and Mom came to visit.  I want it this way every year!  Time to cook and clean ahead, with still the crazy times Wednesday night.  Time to go to the grocery store. Several times.  (Thanks Mom!)

I picked up a turkey, bigger than we wanted for 5 adults and 3 kids, but the smallest they had.

Mom experimented with the rolls all week, to find the best way to have them ready for the oven when the turkey came out.  Delicious rolls every night.

And then Wednesday happened.

In the midst of food and house prep, I decided to clean up the kiddo’s bedroom too.  Major clean-up, involving sorting and throwing out and organizing and even putting away.  Not the whole room, but a few key spots.  The day before Thanksgiving (and the day before his birthday).

My husband recaulked the kitchen sink.  The day before Thanksgiving.

I called my sister-in-law to make sure they were coming  and confirm the time.  Especially important that they come – the kiddo’s birthday was Thanksgiving day this year, and we needed the cousins for a family birthday celebration.  If I leave it to my husband to invite his brother and find out if they’re really coming, he never actually does it.  Where was I going with this?  Oh yes, the Wednesday phone call.  Yes, they’ll be coming, with another little girl they babysit who has so much fun with the kiddo and her sister’s family coming from SoCal will eat with us too.  Yup, it’s the day before Thanksgiving.

Ack!  2 more adults!  A 12 year old!  A 6 year old!  A 2 year old!  Good thing the little ones won’t eat anything.  The turkey’s not too big anymore.  Hope it’s big enough…  And we need another dish…  Mom to the store again, for the second time Wednesday.  Thank you Mom!  Guess I need to pick up the house more thoroughly.  I don’t know these folks well enough!  (the in-laws have seen my house and me at our worst, but I can still deceive these people)

Cook.  Clean.  Cook.  Clean.  Frantically excited kid.  Late bedtime.  Cook. Clean.  Late bedtime for me.  Up early.   Follow the schedule!  Cook.  Birthday presents.  Clean.  Cook.  Cook.  Cook.  Is it afternoon yet?  When are my cousins coming?  Why are they such slowpokes?  Call them and find out when they’re getting here.  When are my cousins coming?

Roasted meats always take a bit or a lot longer than I hope they will.  I finally got around to checking the turkey temp and whoa!  Already overdone!  Ack!  Turkey out.  I hope they get here now.  Here they are!  All of them…   Gravy, potatoes, rolls.  Get everybody to the table, which is nearly impossible.  Calling cats together.

Delicious food, all of it.  Even the overdone turkey.  Except the rolls.  Which were edible, but not nearly as good as any of the batches we ate all week.  ??

I made a turkey, because I was cooking for a bunch of non-US born folks, and I figured turkey was the expected food for this traditional meal.  I’m not so fond of turkey, and I’m not worried about tradition.  I’d rather make mole.  But I served turkey.

After the quiet phase of the meal, when we had time to talk between shoving forkfuls of food into our mouths, the truth about turkey came out.  “This turkey is really good.  I don’t like turkey, but this is really good.”  “I’ve never eaten turkey I liked before.  It’s always dry.”  If only I’d known!  And now I’m stuck serving turkey forever.  I said it was the brining, which saved it from the dire overcooking.  That, and it was organic, free-range, natural, yadeedah.  Happy turkeys taste better, clearly.  We all agree.

These kids play well together, running free around the house and outside.  Even quietly sometimes.  Huh.  But mostly not.  Kiddo had a great birthday, with cousins and their other cousins, and not so many presents (but they added up over the day), and Happy Chocolate Cake, and a feast.

Everybody left.  The kitchen was a wasteland.  You know how it always ends up.  Good feast.  Good party.

I went upstairs to see the damage in the kiddo’s bedroom.

Somebody, or several, painted.  Not just the paper on the easel.  Paint on the walls.  Paint on the blinds.  Paint on the floors.  Poster paint, cleanable if I do it now.  I should have taken a photo, but my camera is in a box downstairs (clearing the clutter momentarily – I started bringing the boxes back already don’t worry).

There is a story about me.  It seems I painted the walls of a neighbor’s house when I was very young.  I deny any knowledge of this incident.  But I thought about it last night.

And then I washed the dishes.