Interesting Inauguration Day

I spent the Inauguration at my parent's house. My mother had Fox News on (of course. There is no other news network to watch.) She kept trying to bait me into an argument, and I refused and just kept knitting my hat. The whole thing made her agitated, but she just kept watching because "It's her president too" and she's "not going to talk about him the way people talked about Bush" while she made disparaging comments and observations about him, the crowd, etc.

Anyway, Fox News had some interesting things to say. Like how Obama's speech was full of "fear-mongering that got him elected". They gushed about how wonderful and graceful and amazing the Bush's are. They also said because John Roberts screwed up the swearing-in, and it's documented in the Constitution what he is supposed to say, maybe Obama isn't officially president.

Seriously.

Anyway, did you catch The Daily Show last night? Did you catch the "Moment of Zen"? I couldn't find a clip of it, but this pretty well sums it up:

The Year is One.

A Cold Few Days

Brrr...it's been cold here in Wisconsin-land. The kids were off of school for 2 days because of cold (unheard of in my lifetime...when I was a kid...ahh, never mind!). I think they enjoyed themselves. I enjoyed the fact that the Appleton School District canceled school Thursday night for Friday when they knew it would be too cold. It was nice to have a little notice. I am not one to complain about canceling because of cold. I think when it's -40 below with the windchill, keeping little ones inside is a great idea.

I've been busy knitting a lace project, but I can't show it to you here. A) It's a gift and B) I screwed it up royally yesterday and I don't want to look at it right now.

I ordered myself a birthday presents from Sonny and Shear. Some more yummy sock yarn!
I bought it for 40% off, which makes it even more yummy. Not that I need more sock yarn, but it's nice to splurge. I wouldn't have gotten it if it wasn't on sale.

I also finished Nicholas' camouflage fleece tie blanket.
It's so warm, now Brian wants one. I told him I'd need at least 5 yards of fabric to cover how tall he is, so when he's set to "pony up the dough", I'll make him one.

We also had Nicholas' belated birthday party at The 10th Frame. The staff was excellent and the kids had a great time. My only complaint is that it would have been nice to have been told they were having another party that day. I would have changed what day we had it--the kids had to eat on the lanes, and stand around a tiny table. "They just have to be careful". They are 5 and 6 year olds. It was quite a mess.

Here's Emily getting ready to bowl:
We're going to make dinner and have a Lego party with the family tonight while we watch football. Then I might decide if I can salvage my knitting or if I will be frogging it or setting it aside for a bit.

Yarn Rich

Ooo...my Knit Picks order came today. I got a gift certificate to Knit Picks for Christmas and of course I couldn't wait to spend it!! So I ordered this yarn (Knit Picks Gloss, laceweight, in Port) for a gift I am making:
and this yarn (Knit Picks Wool of the Andes worsted in Coal) for a scarf I am making Brian:
I also finally wound this yarn to start the January SKA Mystery beaded sock:
I was already to the second row of beads when I had either a child or a cat rip out my knitting (Neither the children nor the cats are 'fessing up), and when I put it back on the needle of course the beads were off kilter. So I ripped the whole thing out! The bad part about knitting socks 2-at-a time? When one is wacko, the other suffers. So I am casting on for that one again tonight.

I decided the one thing I desperately need is straight knitting needles. I have bazillion--that don't match. My smaller sizes are all over the house, as they are used to poke in the doorknob and unlock doors. I have 5 size 8 needles...none of which match. I am making a scarf that calls for size 8's, and I am hoping I can make gauge with 9's, because I have both of those the same.

The kids went back to school today. Nicholas found out his teacher is gone for at least a week because she had to have knee surgery. Brian picked the kids up and said they were just falling down like dominoes on the sidewalk. It was glare ice and the sidewalks near school (not school property--the homes around school) were not salted. Nicholas fell and hit his head. The sidewalks and parking lots are so dangerous right now.

I did get the girls room cleaned and organized and their Christmas presents put away. The upstairs is officially cleaned--yay! It's back to (paid) work for me tomorrow, so at least I accomplished something.

For MW, TD and BK

From Urbandictionary.com:

Asshat: One who has their head up their ass, thus wearing their ass as a hat. Asshat

or

Asshat: A person, of either gender, whose behavior displays such ignorance/obnoxiousness that you would like to make them wear their own ass as a hat.

Just had to share...

Emily got a snow globe for Christmas that plays "Fur Elise". She asked me what that song was and I immediately began singing the McDonald's Commercial, "I will have a big chocolate shake, and cheeseburger, and also whoops! and also fries. And I will eat...my fries myself...and not give any...to my dumb brother..."

I found it on You Tube and all Emily wants to do is listen to it. She's at the piano now pretending to play it:

Happy New Year 2009!

We had one kid make it up until midnight to toast, and it wasn't the oldest one. Little Emily stayed up until 1am, and would have stayed up later if we'd let her. (And don't worry--her toast was with Sierra Mist!)


*rant on*
Brian and I were supposed to go out for New Years. We were going to a friend of his house to celebrate. We planned with Brian's mom nearly a month ago to watch the kids. She calls on the 31st to tell us she's "just too tired from working so hard" and can't watch them. I told Brian he needed to call her and get the snacks and soda and stuff from her, because we had nothing for the kids.

Surprise, surprise, she didn't have anything for them. Because she never planned to watch them. My annoyance level is through the roof. It's one thing for her to give Brian's sister all her money, it's another when we ask her a favor (that we so rarely ask...she'll go weeks without seeing our kids because she doesn't want to), she agrees to it, and then cancels on us at the last minute. Granted, we just should have known. It's not the first time--and I'm sure it won't be the last. She's always "too sick" or "too tired". With Brian's sister visiting she probably has been watching her kids non-stop and just didn't want to watch mine.

*rant off*

I went back into last year's posts to see if I made any resolutions. I hadn't. I did lose weight (Yay!) I have more to lose this year. I didn't make a sweater for myself like I wanted to. Anyway, here's new resolutions (in no particular order):

1. Get healthy! Try to walk or get on the exercise bike 20 minutes a day. Even if I don't lose weight, I just need to be healthier.

2. Knit a sweater for myself.

3. Try to knit a pair of socks every 2 months.

4. Keep up with my blog.

5. Do a better job of staying in touch with my friends. These are the people I care about. MAKE TIME.

6. Try to get to the Building for Kids more with Emily. She loves it there, and since the weather got nasty, we haven't been there as much. I need to make more "mommy time" for her.

7. Alternate taking one of my kids out to lunch or dinner with me alone once a month. The one thing I find they talk about is just a simple meal out with Mom. We get to chat and it doesn't cost much to take out one kid.

8. Try not to yell at Anna so much. I get tired of hearing myself yell.

9. Get organized. It is one thing I can control.

10. Appreciate what I have more than I do. Brian and I have great jobs, healthy kids and a nice place to live (that we may be buying, which makes me very excited.)

And the biggest one: READ MORE!
"It's not fair! There was time now!"




So that's it. Pretty simple, or should be. Except that sweater part--every year I tell myself I'll make myself a sweater and every year I don't. Maureen and I were going to knit one together this year we never got around to.

And to all my friends, my wish to you: May you always have the money for the butter and milk in your Kraft Mac and Cheese!