Isn't it ironic...

that now that I am in the 2nd trimester and my energy levels are starting to return that I have started heavy duty packing and am therefore wearing myself out so much that I am more physically exhausted than I was during those 1st trimester weeks? Or does that just suck? :)

We have 2 more days to pack (Wednesday and Thursday) because Friday is dedicated to painting. Then the movers come on Sunday and deliver us to the promised land - er..... the 3BR condo. OMG am I beat. Sad story. I was so tired after putting DS to bed tonight, but I was really really thristy and we had no bottled water in the house (and the tap water tastes truly nasty here) but I was too tired to walk out onto the front porch to lift the 3 gallon jug into the kitchen and into the dispenser. So I had to rest for about an hour before I regained the energy enough to go get the water. Just pathetic. But, in my defense, I seriously got a lot of packing in today. I should be able to hit my 2 day cutoff without a problem.

Tomorrow's tasks? Another bunch of toys, most of the rest of the kitchen including food, except for absolutely necessary stuff and perishables, the rest of the non-essential clothes and all the little piddly stuff that is starting to form piles. I will put together my piddly last minute stuff box, but leave it open for access as well.

And where is DH during all this? Poor guy is in crunch time at his office. He is still at work at 9:35pm and isn't planning to leave anytime soon. They are going final on their game within a week so he is at work feelign super guilty that he is leaving his pregnant wife to pack up the house. I am under strict orders to not move the boxes I fill though, only tape them up and wait for him to get home and direct him where to move them.

Hopefully this time next week we will be mostly settled in our new place and all this will be behind us.

The Cat is Out of the Bag

I can't believe I forgot to mention it the last post. Duh. Anyway, the whole family knows and it is a bit of a relief to be sure. Although I can't figure out a way to tell the moms in my playgroup who I have been hiding it from as well. A big "I'm pregnant" email seems a little silly after dodging "Are you guys trying?" questions for a few months (while I was pregnant I might add!).

I had my 1st homebirth midwife appointment today and she seems really great, but a little hung up on the whole Bradley diet thing - to the point where they ask you to keep a food log every week and go over it with you at each prenatal appointment. Ugh. Like I need that kind of pressure. And they want me to eat 80-100 grams of protein every day. First of all for a vegetarian like myself, that is a little difficult and second, vegetarians generally have lower protein needs. I hope I don't end up butting heads with them about the protein issue. I'll stick to my beans and occasional dairy and eggs and tofu and see how I do. Maybe the protein is measuring up and I'm just not aware of it because I don't have her chart/checklist?

She's also really into waterbirth and I am just not attracted to it. I wasn't with my 1st and it really doesn't appeal to me like you would think it would. I liked my 8 hour shower while I was in labor with posterior lying DS, but the concept of climbing into a pool of water doesn't do it for me. Maybe it is because I am not thrilled about being wet in general. Even during my 1st (home)birth I never once though how great it would be to climb into water. Whatever.

In other news, we are moving in about 2 weeks. We found a great condo to rent with a common backyard and a great private deck and 3 BR for the price of a 2BR. We got really lucky. Only problem? It isn't walking distance to any synagogues. Again. We only found one place during our entire search that was within walking distance and it was rented before I could get over to the place to see it about 1 hour after it was listed in the MLS. It makes me crazy, but we can only do so much. You can't make places appear out of thin air. Here's what it looks like from the outside:

Miss me? Again?

My diligent updating is bound to build my readership, dontcha think? Seriously, I am exhausted lately and I hope very very much that the 2nd trimester eases this in a few weeks because nothing is getting done around here. Things to do that aren't getting done:

1. Packing. We are moving to a new apartment in a couple of weeks. I have around 7 boxes packed. FWIW, last time we moved we had 90+ boxes.

2. Cooking. My poor child has had bagels with cream cheese every morning this week. I simply cannot get it together more than that.

3. Cleaning. My house is a wreck. Oh sure, the big stuff is getting done - dishes, laundry, etc. but the clutter...? Well, it has moved in to stay awhile. DS is too quick with the toy scattering and my energy level is no match for him.

Good news? According to the handy dandy calculator over there -----> I only have a few weeks more of the 1st trimester and then the energy picks up a bit.

In other good news, we had a midwife appt today and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat at a lovely and strong 160 rate. DS has put 2 and 2 together and now realizes that being pregnant means that I am having a baby. No idea how he managed it, but there you go. Precocious 3 1/2 year olds..... Next appointment is with the OB for my once per pregnancy required OB visit. In other news, we have our 1st appointment with the homebirth midwife next week. We have to do prenatals through our HMO in order to be sure that there are no chances they might refuse to cover me in case of a transport. And it doesn't cost us anything...

We've got a new Due Date
 
I have been redated. So I am at February 27th now, but I am going to choose to believe that my EDD is March 1, because, frankly, I'm not too sure about that date, IYKWIM.  And I'm also a slave to dates (OK not really), so who knows if I will actually be able to keep that mindset. You'll notice my ticker is set with their dates. Of course, it is comforting to be over 8 weeks, so perhaps that's my thought process. Who knows? And have you ever been to a dating at this stage? It is like he sees a fuzzy blob and chooses a spot approximately on either side of it. When we had DS's u/s for dates, he was 16 weeks, so they measured his head and his legs and his arms. But this? Not so sure.

I thought that perhaps things were off because my hCGs were really high for the dates I thought I was, but I am not completely convinced I am 8weeks 2 days yet. So I will ask for a recount at my 20 week ultrasound to confirm dates.

In other good news, I got a very good (and high) heartrate - 175 - that seems to fit with an article I saw called SEX, HEART RATE, and AGE and the peak of heart rate seems to be around the 8-9 week mark, sooooo... BTW, the article debunks the whole boy heart rate/girl heart rate thing.

It was also a good picture of a yolk sac and an embryo. I'm pretty happy about the whole thing, obviously.  If DH got any decent pictures on the video camera (unlikely) I'll post them later.

So here's something new to keep me busy...
 
A new knitting project! I am SO buying this pattern: Little Turtle Knits Little Ribby I can't make anything really for the baby, especially since I don't know what sex s/he is. But every baby uses diapers. And since I did cloth with Ezra, I know I can accomplish it with this one. And maybe I'll knit a practice one for a friend who is due in a few months.
 
On the good news front, we went in this morning for my physical exam. Heaven only knows why they can't do this at the 1st appointment, but they don't. So I had my internal exam and then the extra bonus - an ultrasound. I was not expecting this today since I have the u/s for dates scheduled on Monday, but I was pleased.  Because I had a longer cycle than normal this time, they could not date from my LMP. I knew when I ovulated but no one will listen to a pregnant woman on that count apparently. So she is trying to tell me that I am 10 weeks along. Well, I know better. So she does the ultrasound and she says, "Well, it looks like you are around 6 weeks after all." Well, *I* knew that. It is nice to have some affirmation of what I already knew.  
 
And for the best part? We got to see the heartbeat. Woohoo!! So although they will give me an official EDD at the hospital ultrasound on Monday, We are pretty safe at keeping it at 3/10/05 for now. It may change by a day or two but we have a general part of the month to shoot for now. :) 
 
It is very nice to have a place where I can talk about this before we actually tell anyone. Since there are so few of you, loyal readers (hee hee), it mostly is between me and cyberspace. I think once I come out of the closet about this pregnancy, I will probably tell family/friends about it since we are generally so far away from everyone. They can feel like they are involved to some extent. But that probably means no venting about family/friends, huh?
 
Well, I'm off to find the softest sweetest wool out there!

My poor midwife

As I mentioned in my last post, we have a new little one expected early next year. Well, because of the year and a half that it took to get pregnant with said bundle, I am a bit of a wreck over every little thing. So I have had 3, yes 3, hcg counts on an uneventful (thank Gd) pregnancy. first came back at 3842. The next (a week later) at 34,000 and then another one over this weekend which is at 56,000. Very normal doubling (that BTW makes me and my midwife wonder if I had my dates correct for ovulation I may be 2 weeks off.) My progesterone numbers are also, (thank Gd) normal at 20.32 and then 23.6. Since they should be anywhere from 10-90 throughout the 1st trimester, then I'm normal.

So I'm sure that my poor midwife (well the one at the HMO anyway) thinks I'm about to be a difficult patient, but really I was a model patient the last time. I just need to chill out a bit and not worry so much. So I have my next appointment on Friday and then my ultrasound to confirm dates on Monday of next week. And in 16 days we hop on a plane to go to my dad's wedding and to tell the family to set another place at the table. :) It sure is hard to keep news like this under wraps.

In other news, my SIL got approved to make aliyah, so she leaves for Israel and her semester in Ulpan January 15th. Which means, of course, that she will miss the birth of the baby and getting to see him/her until she makes her first visit home to the States, which is who knows how far away. But it is such an amazing opportunity that I am thrilled for her.

Did you check out my current projects? ------>

We aren't really telling anyone yet, but I needed to park this html graphic somewhere and since only about 3 people check this blog ever, I figured it was a good place to do it. Please keep us in your prayers. We've been trying for a year and a half and we want this baby in the absolute worst way. But if you do happen to come across this, please keep it under wraps for now. I'll let you know when it is public knowledge.

Colonial House and other sundries

So DH and I watched the first bit of Colonial House last night. I don't like it NEARLY as much as Frontier House. They spent no time at all getting the viewer into the experience with the colonists. We jumped in as they were getting on the boat to the colony. We missed training and any sort of real introduction to the players. We also never got any real tour of the colony or the homes but were told to check things out on the website. It was nice to see the brief tour through Mrs. Vorhees kitchen however brief and string obsessed it was. Colonial House is much harder to get into because it feels very scattered and without any real direction. Plus, the colonists don't really seem to be getting into the experience fully. Maybe it is just too far to go back?

I would love to see a "Fiddler on the Roof" house. Remove the romance of it a bit and at the same time get to see how the ancestors from another prominant culture in our melting pot lived. It is enclosed enough (thanks to the ghetto/shtetl restrictions) to really get a feel for the era unlike trying to replicate Lower East Side tenament house complete with shirtwaist factory. Plus it will be interesting to see Sabbath restrictions enforced there as well. Maybe do from Purim through till Shavuot. Could be interesting.

So I got The Outside World tonight at the library, started and then finished it. I do believe that I will be purchasng this one in hardback. I enjoyed her other book The Ladies Auxiliary very much, but this one just is amazing. I keep reading about how it is funny, etc, and while it is amusing in places, I was just so moved by it and I cannot begin to say how wonderful this book is. Seriously.

DS and I are having some clashes lately, which is adding a lot of stress. He has taken to meowing all the time. And he does it in place of whining when he doesn't get his way, which seems to be happening more and more often. (it doesn't help that the way he isn't getting includes things like pouring apple juice on teh carpets for effect and stuff) And he doesn't want to go to sleep at night and fights it relentlessly.

He also hasn't let anyone but me put him to bed in over a year. Major screaming and hysterics if Michael tries. I'm just at my wit's end.

So my monitor is fried

And luckily I can use DH's computer here and there if I need to. It was a dramatic ending - a lot of fizzling that ended in a going black to the line of light in the middle followed by the little twinkle before total blackness. We're in the market for a new one for me.

The weather here is hot so we've had a lot of pool days, and indoor playdays. We went to the mall to their play area yesterday. We brought our lunch and had a great time with our friends.

I read another book in between the ones I was reading called "Not Much Just Chillin' " and it is WONDEFUL. It is about middle school. It's non-fiction and follows several different kids through their year in middle school. It certainly makes you consider homeschooling if you weren't already. What a hard row to hoe for kids. I was lucky that I went to a small private school ofr elementary through 8th grade and then went stright to high school. I cannot imagine having to go to middle school. Ugh.

Our brakes also went out this week. Well they were seriously grinding metal to metal (no warning squeak or anything) so I eased it back home and called DH to get a ride home and he fixed it the next morning. Ugh. Now that was freaky. DH said the rotors were ground down pretty far.

Now I have to drag DH out of bed (it IS 8:30), get him to work and start getting ready for Shabbat. This weekend is Lag B'Omer, so we have haircuts on our agenda. My long-haired 3yo is going to get his first serious haircut. He has only gotten trims, but he wants it short for the summer and I think it is time. I'll miss the little surfer boy look he has going on though.

Back from the weekend

We had a busy one. Trains and the California Science Center figured prominantly. We had a terrible time at the latter. It wasn't nearly as engaging as most other Science Museums I have been to. the Air and Space Gallery was particularly awful. They had shut down many of the exhibits and it was mostly an abandoned building. There was only one person working there at all and she was the greeter at the front. At least the trains kept the weekend from being a total loss. Now that was fun.

We are so pooped and, since it is supposed to be seriously hot here today (90F in April. That's just wrong.) we are staying home. It doesn't hurt that the apartment looks horrible and needs some major TLC. I will never understand how I can have it spotless on Friday evening and by Monday morning it looks like no one has ever even thought to clean up in here. It doesn't hurt that the carpet in here is totally gross because it is so darn cheap. We have had it professionally cleaned 4 times in the 2 1/2 years we have been here. It just gets gross again the next week. And we even get the truck mounted guys to come out. and of course we are way overcrowded in here, but we only have a few months left on that. As I've mentioned before, our lease is up in August and we are going to move then. 1BR is okay when you have a small baby, but now it is just too tiny. We stayed this long because we have been working to clear ourselves of debt. Our consumer debt will be gone as of June. Yay us. This last year is the one where it just got to be too hard. It was inconvenient before this, but it wasn't until DS turned 3 that it got really icky. I can't wait to have a 2nd BR so DS has his own space for his toys and bed and all that and we have space for a dining table inside the house (We currently have it on the balcony. One of the benefits of living in Southern CA I suppose. Very little rain and warm enough to eat outside most of the time.)

But of course, all that means time spent looking for a new place. And since we are pretty committed to living near the synagogue this time around, that limits our search radius. I trust that what is meant to be will be and we will find something appropriate when the time comes.

Booktalk

I still haven't added a "What am I reading" and "What am I listening to" etc section, even though I want to, mostly because I don't want to mess with Design elements too much. It drives DH crazy. :)

Anyway, so we'll start with my current reading list. For the fans of Jewish fiction with an Orthodox bent, I am currently rereading The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis.

I lived in Memphis and was a part of the Orthodox community there for awhile, well as much as a college student and newly married who couldn't afford to live in the eruv could be. Anyway, it has a lot that is thinly veiled and some things are exact descriptions like the description of the purple and silver shul. I'll never forget the day I first walked into that shul. Plus, the story is just plain wonderful. Here's an excerpt from this one.

Also on my reading list is her next book - The Outside World.

I have it on hold at the library and hopefully it will show up this week. It is brand spanking new - out last month in hardback - and everything I have read about it has been overwhelmingly positive. Since I already know I love her style, I am looking forward to reading this one too. Here's an excerpt.

And then there is the book I just bought online and cannot wait to arrive: Lawrence Kelemen's To Kindle a Soul.

I've read excerpts in Natural Jewish Parenting and heard reviews by several people I know both IRL and online and I finally bought it. Yay!! And only just in time. He's coming to do a Shabbaton and Seminar at my local shul. I am so going! Oh wait. Maybe not. I'm going to be out of town. As DH just said, sucks to be me. D'oh. This happened when Rebbetzin Jungreis came too.

Okay, enough of that. There is no knitting news. I left the knitting in my trunk all day. But that's okay because Ezra and I had a really nice day. We took a long walk (well, I walked and he rode his tricycle) and played ball, bubbles, climbed on the play structure at the playground, drew with sidewalk chalk and generally had a nice time. We also redid the balcony and put our glass dining table back up out there so we can eat outside. We vacuumed the indoor/outdoor carpet reorganized some of the stuff out there and it is now a nice space again. We had dinner out there this evening (baked beans, polenta and steamed broccoli) It was wonderful. Oh, BTW, broccoli, organics and kashrut don't always go together very well. 4 large stalks of broccoli hit the trash during dinner preparations. Once aphids take hold in the broccoli florets there is no getting them out fully. Bummer.

Because once I mention it, I can't leave it alone...

So I have updated the blog to reflect more current projects and to fix Alysia's link, which somehow got messed up in the last blog update. See you later!

Two posts in one week! Don't get used to this!

Who knows how long this energy will last? Or the free time to do it. Actually I only have free time this afternoon because DS decided that he would in no way at all want to go to the park for the scheduled playdate. And you know what? Since he's playing nicely and quietly and not getting into everything, he must be happy to be here this afternoon. Granted we did a lot this morning (Mommy and Me at the Chabad) so its no wonder that he could use the downtime. So we'll head off to the farm at around 5 to get our CSA basket and then go get Daddy and come home to a lovely dinner of butterfly pasta with Swiss chard.

I still need to update my website itself (maybe later?) but for now, I'll simply settle for getting a few posts up.

OH! I forgot to mention! My dad is getting remarried in July after having been a widower for 2 1/2 years. I'm really happy for him and Karen, his fiance, seems like a great choice. She's a little like my mom in looks, but totally different in most every other way, but she is warm and personable and I think will be very good for my dad. She is also a widow who, coincidentally, lost her husband just a little before Dad lost Mom. So they can understand each other in that respect as well. Welcome to the family Karen!

And last, in knitting news, I've made good progress on the French Market Bag I hit my goal of finishing the base by Wednesday and now it is just stockinette in the round for quite awhile. Some good solid mindless knitting. Too bad I don't have a TV show to obsess over. Although I do have a couple of Netflix movies here that might be interesting. Oh and 2 weeks worth of 24 to sit through with DH.

Almost forgot, and since it is amusing, I wanted to add it: DH's office has to be out of their current space by next Friday because a new tenant has rented the space. (they never renewed their lease because they have been saying they would move for some time now.) And they have nowhere to go as of yet. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh? We're wondering if there will be a point at which Michael will be telecommuting for a little while or if they will all move into his boss's living room. Did I mention his boss's wife is in her last trimester of pregnancy with their 2nd (their 1st is about 2 1/4 years old)? They've got a lot on their plate about now. I hope the company doesn't move into their living room. :D

Of course all the places they are looking at are farther away from us then his office currently is which could add an additional 10-15 minutes of commute time (going from 8.5 miles to 15 miles or more) and possibly necessitate freeway travel. That is going to make sharing one car extremely difficult. So much so that I don't think we will be able to do it. And we've been sharing one car for 6 years now. I don't really want to think about that, because a new car isn't in the budget right now, so we will have to get a beater car. And if we get a beater car, then we'll get stuck in car inertia, so I'll never get a new car and continue to be kicked in the ribs and kidney through my car seat by my 3 year old. That child (who obviously I love dearly, BTW) cannot keep his feet down at home or in the car for love nor money. Drives me nuts. Drives DH even more nuts.

Good Gravy, I just can't seem to get anything typed anymore!

I started on the French Market bag and I hope to have the contrasting bottom completed before the week is out. Actually hopefully it will be done before Wednesday. I've already knitted enough that I have moved it to the circular. Did I mention I much prefer dpns? I know many people think it is "like knitting with a porcupine" but I think the needles on the circulars are too short. But I do like my addi naturas though. If you need to use a circular... Maybe after I have knitted a whole bag on them I will get into the groove of the circular thing.

Now that Passover is done for the year, perhaps it will be easier to sit down and do things, we'll see. I'm starting to try to declutter, but when you are married to a packrat that is no easy matter. Moving is in our near future since our 1BR apartment is officially outgrown, so no matter what happens, come August and the expiration of our lease, we will be heading on to at least a 2BR place. So As things are put away, I'm trying to pack them up for moving (For example, when Passover was finished, instead of just folding up the box flaps, they got taped securely with packing tape and the dishes wrapped more carefully then if they were just going to sit in a closet for another year. Another example - kid's clothes and "winter" clothes.)

Oh, and the camping bug has bitten. We visited some friends at their campsite this past weekend (It was near enough to drive for just a short visit.) and, even though it was rainy and chilly, I really loved it. We used to camp for weeks at a time when I was a kid and I miss it. I don't know how my husband would do though. I have mentioned that it is sometimes like being married to the Princess and the Pea and I'm not joking. He enjoyed the last time we camped (many years ago) but he was much younger and we only were there 2 nights. He never had to take a shower or anything out of doors or at the camp showers. I think that a camper would be just about a necessity for him. What's more, we have a number of friends who have a camping "group" and organize many group trips throughout the season and it would be a blast to join them.

Oh and I am so glad that The Apprentice is over. It has been SO LONG since I was addicted to a TV show and I somehow got sucked in. No more! You hear that Mark Burnett and Donald Trump? My only TV will be Arrested Development from here on out, and even that will be on an "Oh is that on? I like that show a lot." basis. Not that I have to worry. Since it is so intelligent and funny it is bound to be cancelled. Happy week!

Long Time, No See

My trip was long and exhauting and I am back only to (a) get sick immediately after being sick for at least 1/3 of my trip and (b) get ready for Passover, so my time is stretched thin. Hence - no updates. There is also no knitting to report at all. No time to do it.

But here are some pictures for anyone who is interested.

First some pictures of Ezra and his Papa and Safta







And then there is Purim! Ezra wore the American Indian (Native American) costume Safta made for Ezra's Aunt Penny 20ish years ago. He wouldn't wear the headband or any of the beads. But we did get the pants and shirt on him, so that's something.





And then here are some of the pictures from my dad's house with his cousins. I could have sworn I took more pictures than this. Weird. First here is a picture from Grampy's front yard where Ezra fashioned an adirondack chair with a sunshade for himself.





And now the pics with the cousins.

Here's Ezra and Karllie:



Ezra and Dalton



And Ezra and all his cousins

We're leaving on a jet plane

And I know exactly when I'll be back again - almost 3 weeks. Yipes! What was I thinking? It seems like such a short time when we're trying to figure out how to divvy up our time between families, but a very very very long time when I think of how long we'll be away from Michael and home.

Anyway, so we're off. I will try to post while I am out of town, but I am giong to guess that won't be as easy as I'd like it to be.

Good News, Bad News

The good news is that I finished the Fuzzy Feet. The bad news? I cannot stand them. First they shrunk too small for DH's feet. I don't know why since DS's socks that I felted did not shrink that fast at all. Oh well. I decided I would adopt them. Ugh they fit all funky. They look great though. After wearing them awhile, I realized they were stretching a bit and maybe DH would be able to wear them after all. Well, yes and no on that too. They have now stretched to where he can wear them, and he finds them uncomfortable too. Grrrrrrr. 2 balls of yarn down the drain. I'll post a picture of them later. I'm going to head over to the local Waldorf School shop to pick up some Lamb's Pride worsted for the red stripes in the Accordion sweater. I have given up on Elann ever replenishing their supply of that type of wool. I've been waiting for weeks now.

I keep dreaming of puffy blue winter coats for some strange reason. I couldn't figure out where they came from until I was in getting dressed in the closet this morning and realized they look identical to the new coat I bought for DS for when we go out of town (in 4 days!!!!!) I had no idea that coat made that much of an impression on me.

Speaking of going out of town, we are really starting to pick up speed on getting things ready. I've picked up things for DS on the plane. We have done this remarkable task of keeping him away from media and mass-marketed characters for years now, but I wanted to pick up a few small things like sticker books and things for on the plane and I was flattened by the fact that those are impossible to find without mass-marketed characters. So we ended up getting 2 Blue's Clues things - a sticker book and this little travel activity book thingy. I thought that it was simple and appropriate for kids at his development level. I also got Play-Doh. Both the Fun Factory and this tool set. He played with the Fun Factory for nearing 3 hours on Friday, so I have a good feeling about that one. I've put it away so it is slightly new again (to him) on the plane. That plus non-sugar snacks (peanut butter crackers, Clif Bars, fruit, GORP, almond butter and jelly sandwiches, bagels & cream cheese, string cheese, carrots and dressing) and of course cars and cards, a travel version of Chutes and Ladders, storybooks and a kids magazine. That should keep him busy for what 20 minutes? :)

Oh! Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. We had a pretty lowkey one. DH got me "A Mighty Wind: The Illustrated Songbook" and a program of the concert they gave in NYC to tape as the concert in the movie. It is so cool. We sang the songs all day yesterday. DS was as excited as I was because Kids Beatles and "A Mighty Wind" Soundtrack are his two favorite CDs. We made Daddy a card and the aforementioned Fuzzy Feet. D'oh.

I found it!

The 1st sweater that I really want to make for myself! It is in the Interweave Knits Spring 2004 issue Ah Gypsy Mesh! I also really really really like the Side to Side Ribbon Pullover. I have a feeling these are both going to be WAY to complicated for my current level of knowledge, but I'll never learn unless I jump in, huh? Of course I will be out of town when it comes out, but maybe it will be an excuse to check out the LYS where I will be and stock up?

I still haven't made much progress on the 2nd of the Fuzzy Feet. I'd guess I'm about 1/3 of the way through the stockinette before the decreases. I just haven't had time to sit down with it. But never fear, tonight is TV night as I have become disturbingly addicted to "The Apprentice." And I am SO not a TV girl, especially reality shows. But it is nice to have something to watch while I knit and this really is fascinating. I still can't bring myself to turn on Survivor though. I saw the 1st season. Well, about half of it, mostly toward the end. But I haven't watched it since.

I'm also planning on futzing with my layout soon. DH recently installed Dreamweaver on my PC, so I can update my own site rather than having to ask him to do it all the time. Maybe now I will be able to have the cool things I've been intending to have since the beginning!

The Cute Things They Say

or "Perhaps my kid is more media aware than we thought"

First some background. A few weeks ago, I stepped on one of those plastic penny whistles and broke it because Ezra had left it under a playsilk right next to the front door. Doc Martens + cheap plastic penny whistle = broken cheap plastic penny whistle. He was devastated.

Today he heard a song on the Kids Beatles tape that reminded him of the whistle and so he asked me to get him a new one. My DH tried to assure him that the next time we saw one at a store, we'd get it for him. Ezra said that he really wanted one now and DH had to try and explain that these weren't really all that common. (I mean, I don't even remember where we got the thing in the first place.)

Anyway after DH and I kept trying to convince Ezra that we really meant it when we told him we'd get him another one, Ezra suggested, "when we get home we should go whistle.com and get me a new one". I about had to pull the car over while DH and I composed ourselves.

So anyone think maybe I shop a lot on the internet? LOL

---

In knitting news, since I learned how to do a turned heel (Thanks Fuzzy Feet author!) I was able to return to the knitted duck pattern from Toymaking with Children. The pattern there was pretty sketchy, basically cast on 21 in the round, knit 13 rows, turn as though turning a heel on 7 stitches, knit 9 rows Bind off and stitch to close. (or something like that. I'm doing it from memory) Now that I have some idea of what the pattern was talking about, I was able to figure out the pattern. Yay me! So all I have left to do is stuff it and sew it together and I will have a cute little duck that took very little time to make once I figured it out.

I also am past the turned heel on the 2nd fuzzy foot and it's just 10 inches of stockinette till I reach the toe decreases. I should be able to finish it today if I can sit and knit for any length of time. We'll see.