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!

Happy New Year

With the new year comes another resolution to post more in my blog. I have people finding me on Facebook that may (or may not) want to see what I am doing with my life, so I need to be better at updating.

So, the run down of the last part of 2008:

Anna learned to knit: (Thanks Kassie at Iris!)
We had some birthdays (Nicholas' party is late, in a few weeks):

We started school:
We were a princess at Every Girl's a Princess:
We went to Florida:

We thought the snow was "cute" and "fun" and "quaint" when it first arrived in November:
(We learned snow is not cute or much fun when it comes down every day.)

I knit some mittens and a keyhole scarf for Emily (Saffy just thinks the scarf is hers):


We had Christmas:
During which time, I knit some snowflakes. A LOT of snowflakes. But they really turned out nicely:

Here's the pattern.

Today I get a yummy order from Sonny and Shear. Happy New Year to me!


And I'm currently knitting a warm tie bonnet in Caron One Pound.


So there's my life. You didn't miss much.

Happy New Year!

Pitter Patter--and are all City Engineers dicks?

I finished Emily's 2 pairs of socks:

This method is so easy, I can't wait to start another pair! It's so nice to have them both done at once.

Alright, I got fed up yesterday on my traffic issues. They closed the main street in Appleton which runs parallel to my street. And didn't put up signs that kept people off my street--people got mad and were speeding. I counted 33 cars in 15 minutes last night going down my street and having to turn around. Most were speeding when they drove away.

So I went to city hall. Who sent me to the Police department. I sent an email to the Mayor, my Alderman and Cc'd the police department about the problem. So this morning I get back an email from the City Engineer stating they reviewed the problem last week (10 times no less. I'm here most days, but they were here 9 times I didn't see them. And the one time I DID see them, they were here for 3 minutes.) That I am pretty much a complainer. That the signs were appropriate and they already went "above and beyond". But he put up new signs anyway, just for me.

So I sent back an email telling him I am glad the new signs are up, they cut down the traffic dramatically. And that I am not a complainer. And that I felt the tone of the email was that I should just sit and shut up, and I thought government was about participation, but I guess I was wrong. But thanks for the new sign.

Asshat.

I guess I shouldn't be too upset, considering I got what I asked for and it worked. But very nice attitude they have over there when you want to make them actually DO their job, isn't it? Of course I am sure they don't teach manners in City Engineer school.

I let the police department know that they didn't have to do extra patrols because the city engineer did his job. I found out why he was so pissed--because they called over and said that Public Works wasn't cooperating. So of course he had to list all the ways he went "above and beyond" If this was their above and beyond, I'm a little concerned. And I greatly appreciate the Police Department listening to me and taking me seriously.

Packer Fans: Read this

Here is the best article on the Packers-Favre saga. Pretty much tells it as I see it:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8351984?MSNHPHMA

It Works!

You know that feeling you get when something totally works out? Even when you thought maybe it wouldn't work out? Like the first time your cable works out and you think, "Dang! That looks good, and it wasn't that hard!" That's the feeling I got from knitting 2 socks at one time!

I bought the book 2-at-a-Time-Socks a while ago, and was waiting for the right moment to start. I pretty much had that moment stare me in the face when I f-d up my stole and just didn't feel like tinking 100+ stitches that I may or may not get them all. So I thought "Ok! Time for a break"

I read and re-read the directions. And re-read the directions again. I whipped out some pink and purple Red Heart and started on the toddler socks step by step pattern. And Ta Da!:
So far so good!

I wish the same could be about my street situation. We live near the pool, and they are doing construction on the street the pool entrance is on. So rather than put up signs directing people how to get to the pool, they let them wing it. Which means, when they can't turn down John street (that the pool is on) they make the next right--down my street. Which only has a walking entrance to the pool, not an auto entrance.

So my street--normally very VERY quiet--is loaded with cars. Cars who are pissed they are not at the pool, so they whip around at 40 mph. Throw their cars into reverse and slam it backwards, without looking. We live on a street with a lot of kids...kids who have been spoiled by being able to play in the street. So it's pretty worrisome.

(my very busy street)

I'm hoping even if the unsafe/bazillion car issue doesn't get the city's attention that the fact that they are illegally parking in front of the fire hydrant or that they are cruising up the walking paths and driving over the grass to get to the parking lot maybe will get their attention. My guess is by the time they actually do something about it, the pool season will be over. But ah well.

Back to knitting.

Clue 2

I finished Clue 2 of the Casablanca stole.
Just in time for Clue 4 to come out tomorrow.

It took longer than expected, but mainly it was finding quiet time to be able to read the chart properly. I had 3 "little distractions" to work around.

I think it's coming out nicely.

Look what I got!

Under my knitting links, you will see a new link to Sonny and Shear. Check out what I got in the mail:

I not only got some beautiful Squooshy yarn in a super fun color, I got a handwritten note thanking me for my purchase, and 2 packets of tea. How is THAT for customer service???? It's just so nice in this age of "Hurry up. No soup for you!" that I not only receive my yarn fast, with very reasonable shipping, but I get notes? Tea? Wrapped in a bag with hand-tied ribbon???

Seriously, you can't compete with that. Sonny and Shear now has a lifelong customer

Next post: Anna and her amazing knitting. My girl is a knitter! But I want her to show you, and she's off getting gypsy moth caterpillars off our trees right now.

And I'm off to work on my Casablanca stole. I'm up to the repeat of clue 2, and I'm hoping to get Clue 2 finished before Clue 4 comes out this Friday. Wish me luck!