Monday, December 27, 2010

The first post in a long time, and the last one for the year!

Well I've been awfully busy! I got asked to make a few things for some friends! A few hats and a few amigurumi, so that helped keep me very busy! But all of it is done and I won't be taking any projects for others on for a little bit. I have a hat and mittens I need to make my oldest and I have a cowl on the needles for my self!

In other news, we had a really good Christmas here and a really good year all together! The kids got plenty of new toys and we'll be going through all their old toys to get rid of all the broken toys and ones that are missing pieces and the ones they no longer play with. They got me a big box of yarn! And we got Steve a new toolbox. My dad was very generous this year and got us a PS Move and I love it!

I got a lot of my goals accomplished.
1. Riley is fully potty trained and has been for about 6 or 7 months now.
2. Jim is totally not interested in potty training and we need to get him talking as well.
3. Riley can't really figure out how to trace the letters and such but we're trying.
4. The house is fairly clean except for Steve and I's room.
5. We follow a routine all day and don't tend to stray from it.
6. The knit myself something didn't work out so well... But I crocheted myself a headband!
7. I got rid of all the old clothes except a few things I'll be giving my niece.
8. Organizing the bedroom didn't work but I do know where everything is... most of the time.
9. We got a PS move instead of a Wii but I think I like our move better and all the rest were received as gifts.
10. We got rid of ALOT of stuff but still have some stuff we don't use alot...
11. Jim completely feeds himself.
12. I'm sewing alot more.
13. Never got around to that lap blanket.
14. Didn't get new glasses.
15. Packed up all the scrapbooking supplies and haven't drug them all back out.
16. See above.
17. Haven't had any patience with the computers so haven't fixed it yet.
18. The desk looks better than it did last year...
19. The kids decided they wanted to use their nick jr. backpacks instead.
20. Did not make dish soap.
21. I've lost a bit of weight and am not quite as squishy as I was.
22. Riley can read bits and pieces but I don't think she realizes it.
23. We fixed the glider but have not reupholstered it. When we do we'll most likely give it to Steve's parents.
24. Made a cabled headband.
25. Read most of them but not all.
26. I have all my knitting stuff in between two totes in the bedroom and in a couple boxes next to the couch in the living room.
27. I dunno if we had a date night every month or not but probably not.
28. Steve got laid off and our savings went down the tube. We have the bills caught up and now that Christmas is over we can start saving up again.
29. I have my first sock almost done, I have turned the heel and just have the ankle and ribbing left.
30. I did not get back into theatre:(

So Yeah. Looking forward to another busy year and hopefully a new job coming soon... But more on that if it actually works out.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Goals update!

1. finish potty training Riley- Riley is in big girl undies 100% of the time! even at night with NO accidents!
2. possibly potty train Jim- He understands where he is supposed to go when he needs to go potty
3. Teach Riley how to write her letters(0/26)- She shows interest and we have begun tracing the letters
4. do a thorough cleaning of house once a week so that it no longer gets out of control(2/49)- I failed! We got super crazy here with trying to move and I just failed.

5. set and follow a nightly routine. - We actually follow a basic schedule for the full day. So I have accomplished this.
6. Knit myself something- I'm working on a cardi as we speak..!
7. get rid of all the old clothes none of us wear. - I got rid of everything except for some of the kids clothes in their closet.
8. organize bedroom.- HA! How unrealistic of me!
9. get sewing machine, iron, ironing board, wii(2/4)- Still don't have that Wii and don't see it happening either
10. dejunk-I've gotten rid of alot but still have alot to go through
11. get jim to feed himself- For the most part, still doesn't have great control of the utensils though.

12. pick up a new craft- I'm going to start sewing which I haven't done much of in the past.
13. knit a lap blanket in a nice yarn- have yarn
14. get new glasses
15. finish Riley's first year scrapbook- I found the scrapbook I had started
16. make Jim's first year scrapbook- no progress
17. get third desktop computer set up and working- no progress

18. clean computer desk- largely decluttered mainly has paperwork on it.
19. make library bags for kids(0/2)- looking at patterns
20. make dish detergent- no progress
21. not necessarily lose weight but get into shape- Argh but I'm getting there
22. help Riley with reading- working on small word recognition
23. reupholster rocking chair and ottoman- decided on color to reupholster in otherwise no progress
24. learn how to knit cables- no progress
25. read all of Riley's Dr. Seuss and Disney books to her one a night(0/ALOT!)- She keeps choosing the same book..

26. figure out a better way to organize knitting stuff or at least get it all in one spot-all in one large tote in bedroom
27. have a date night with Steve at least once a month(2/12)- 
                    Jan- Concert
                    Feb- Valentines
                    Mar- dinner
                    April- dinner
                    May- weekend at the lake
                    June- 28. save up for a house- We have most of our down payment and are going to go apply for a mortgage in a few days!
29. Learn to knit socks.-I am half way done with my first sock!
30. Get reinvolved in Theatre. - Probably not gonna happen :(

Bad Moods, Good Drinks and Starting a Bucket List

I'm in a bad mood tonight. We're working on moving and as my good friend said I needed to get out of my apartment because I need something I can be proud of. This is such a true statement I almost died. I can't remember the last time I was proud of something that I did and I brought through. It's been all about my kids learning new things and my husband's success at work. Which is NOT a bad thing, not in the least I love my husband and kids more than anything. But I've been out of my parent's house for almost 4 years now and I have no "accomplishments" of my own to show for it. We're so crammed in our apartment that no matter how much I clean it doesn't actually look clean and that depresses me which gets me into a bad state of mind. Which gets me thinking about things....

I have several people I feel that I am good friends with but have no idea where I stand in their eyes. I don't know how to approach them about it. I feel as if I try and try and try to include them in my life and they can never show up. I try to show up to as much of their stuff as I can barring work and kids and stuff but I never seem to be invited to stuff I actually can or would make a point to attend. When I do talk to them it's because they've found out something big is going on with my life and I get stressed and I feel like I'm just bitching to them and I don't find that fair. So if you're reading this and you've figured out who you are please tell me what our relationship is to you because I am so confused and I've smugged the line so much I'm not sure where it started anymore...

Then I was cruising around facebook one day being bored( bad idea just fyi) and found a bunch of people from my high school who have done way cool things since graduating that I've never even thought about doing. Hence the starting a bucket list. Now I'm sure most of it is because I have a family that I attend to and they didn't. I've had all the same opportunities as these kids just used them is different ways. I don't regret at all having a family but I am a dreamer and my mind does wander. I really wish it didn't sometimes.

I wish I could write down everything I'm feeling but I'm such a mess right now I don't even know what it is I'm feeling. I look at people, observe them, and I wonder when they smile is it real? is it forced? or is it completely fake? I try not to fake anything and if you know me well enough  you know that. I wear my emotions on my sleeve which makes it hard. I feel like erupting in tears and I don't know why. I want to sleep all the time and I don't know why. Maybe not having the "college experience" and normal teenage life is finally catching up to me. I wanna just yell and scream and get everything from forever out. I want to be able to cry in my daddy's arms again and not be seen as the teenage mom or whatever other stereotypes people plug on me.

I am a 21 year old wife and mother of two. I am a music enthusiast, a theatre aficionado, a knitting dork and deep lover of people. I love without caution. I don't think my poor husband knows what to make of this yet. It makes being a friend of mine hard. I'm not a cleancut Stepford wife or perfect daughter or perfect mother. I have fat on my body( that my husband won't admit to), I lose my temper, sometimes I cry myself to sleep when its been a hard day, I have self confidence issues, I clean to take my mind off things.

I really think and hope that getting a bigger home for our family will help me get out of this funk. I don't like feeling confined and in this apartment that is how I feel. I can't go out as the car doesn't have working AC and staying in depresses me. My home is a mess and I have nothing I can do about it. I try so hard to help my husband but feel like my efforts are futile. I don't earn enough to make much of a difference, I clean endlessly and you can't tell. I am so lucky to have such good friends in my neighbors and I really don't know what I would do with out them. Hmmm I think I'm done now, I feel a bit better. I'm sorry for ranting and I will post my Bucket List when I have a good start on it...

Monday, June 7, 2010

Lake Trip...

First I want to say that I'm sorry I haven't written in forever. I've been stressed out with alot of things. I haven't even been knitting that much. I keep starting projects and then they just sit... 

We've gone down to our friend's farm a couple times and we really like it. We went mother's day weekend without the kids as a mother's day present to me and this last weekend we took them with us. They loved it! We went out on the boat and went swimming. They really loved the boat ride, they stood at the little gate on the pontoon boat and let the wind fly through their hair and the water hit their face. Steve and I of course got sunburnt but they didn't. Riley also caught her first fish! She caught a total of two fish, a largemouth bass and a blue gill. She was very excited about this. We spent most of Saturday blowing bubbles and chasing the dogs. I can see this as being a big thing for them as they're growing up. I remember going to the lake all the time when I was a kid and those are some of my best memories.

Riley and her blue gill with Badger(official fish inspector)


The Kids On the Boat...

Steve On the boat...

Our Friend Andy
Jim, Steve and I swimming.

Friday, March 19, 2010

My Knitting List!

This is a list of alot of things you can do with knitting. I am going to tell you what I have done, want to do and have no interest in doing. THIS IS NOT MY ORIGINAL IDEA! I got the list from a fellow knitter on the Ravelry.com forums who got it from a fellow blogger.


BOLD- I Have Done this
ITALICS- I want to do this
NORMAL- I have no interest


Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl- IN PROCESS
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down- IN PROCESS
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat-IN PROCESS
Knitting with silk- IN PROCESS
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL- IN PROCESS
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with bananafiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffitti knitting: knitting items on, or to be left on the street
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch pattern
Lace patterns- IN PROCESS
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Household items: dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…
knitting socks- or other small tubular items- on two circulars
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living - sort of... I want to be able to be at home with the kids and knit alot
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with selfpatterning/selfstriping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys-IN PROCESS
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
JewelryKnitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair (my kitties hair slips in :-))
Hair accessories
Knitting in public


That's all for now!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Crazy Days

We've been very busy. I cast on a lace shawl(twice). We've all been worn down lately. Riley had yet another ear infection...ugh.

Our weekend was jam packed. Saturday we had two birthday parties. The first was for my younger cousin and the second was for one of Riley's friends. By the time we got home we were beat and the kids pretty much just passed out. Sunday Steve went paintballing for the first time in ages. I stayed at home with the kids who were much more cranky and clingy than normal. We went to dinner that night as a family and it went well but towards the end Riley was complaining of an ear ache. She laid down in my lap the rest of the meal and when we got home the kids went right out again.

The action didn't sop at the weekend either. Monday we headed right up to my dad's house and visited with him a few hours. Both of the kids think he's a riot. Then we headed down the street to my mom's and had dinner with her and my stepdad. On the way home I was able to con Steve into stopping at JoAnn's because I had coupons! I ended up getting some cotton yarn for dishcloths, a few long darning needles, and the final bits of items for my quilting project, oh and an exacto knife and mat on clearance for $3! The kids of course fell asleep no problem again.

Today we went to see Steve's parents so I am not able to do a Touring Tuesday but will be back with one tomorrow hopefully. Or maybe later tonight, I was going to do the bathroom so it should be quick but I am beat.

We also found out that my cousin(as well as one of my closest friends) is having a little girl!!!!!!!! She just entered her 16th week of pregnancy and had a hard time getting pregnant let alone getting this far in a pregnancy so please send her good thoughts. She has diabetes and has had it since were kids and its been interfering with her becoming pregnant and is now making her fairly sick. She has an insulin pump and that is helping quite a bit from what I understand.

I said before I cast on my first lace shawl and it is going great. I really enjoy it. My good friend Ashley is knitting it with me and she works bit faster so I'm trying to catch up. One advantage to me being slower though is that I'm much more meticulous about my stitches and she has needed me to comb through and figure out what she did. It makes me feel kind of good though since she's been knitting a slightly longer amount of time than I have.

For my final update and the thing I am most proud of:

Riley pooed in the big potty!
Although I ended up having to change her pull up 5 minutes later anyway because she got up a bit too soon.

That is all for now. Happy knitting!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A goal ACHIEVED!

I have gotten rid of all the old clothes that were sitting in my closet that none of us wore anymore. I do still have to go through most of the kids clothes in their closet. And I have started my lace shawl and it is going swimmingly although last night we had a bit of a freak out when I dropped a few stitches.. I was able to pick them all back up though.

My water heater is officially fixed and I can now put all the paintball and fishing stuff away again! So then tomorrow I can go through the corner by the couch in the living room. I think I may type up a list of all the books Riley has so that I can keep track of what ones I have read to her and the ones that have been read already will be read again. Oh well..

I think that's all for now.... I'm working on thinking up a 100 list but not sure what to do.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Touring Tuesday- Bedroom

I am starting a touring Tuesday and for the first Tuesday we will be taking a look at my bedroom. This will also help kick my butt into gear cleaning the house! Hopefully....


From The Door.....
My Dresser...
The Papasan....
Steve's Dresser...(not the cleanest, part of this was me tearing it apart to find a book...)
The Bed...(We now have a full size bed, when I was pregnant we were on a twin and if you know my husband I'm sure you can imagine how uncomfortable it was)
My Sewing Corner.... (MY FAVORITE PART OF THE BEDROOM!!!!)


My kids are NOT allowed in our room unless we are in there. We have the door shut unless we are in there. The kids have the rest of the apartment to play in. What room next week?

Sunday, February 28, 2010

I hate when the weather changes...

I always, ALWAYS, get sick. It never fails. So here I sit under the blankie with my computer.

ATM, I'm pretty sure USA is tied with Canada in the gold medal game. Come on USA!

I really have nothing just kind of bored. I'm going to knit on Jim's big green and red ball because he was playing with Tristan's and really liked it so I'll work on it some more. In the mean time I'm also still working on Nick's scarf, which was put away for a bi because I wanted to strangle it. I have Whitney's sack boy to do which I have cast on about 3 times now... I'm gonna choke the thing if he ever makes it far enough in production. Jimmy's hat is about half way done and I just cast on my first lace shawl. I believe that is everything on the needles right now since I finished the baby blanket for my cousin. I'll have to start on more baby stuff soon!

I'm going to curl up and knit. It would figure I finished my book yesterday.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Water Only Washing

I have been researching washing my hair without shampoo. There are several different ways listed online. Many include use of baking soda, lemon juice, and vinegar, which Sadie is using. I don't particularly care for the work that seems to go into it. In between making the baking soda mixture, and you have to put it on dry hair and blah blah blah. So I will be using the water only method. There is absolutely no products going into my hair, at all.

Here are some pictures of my hair now:

This is after wearing it in a ponytail for about a week and not washing it, so it's kind of gross feeling. I still took showers and lightly rinsed my hair to get the oils on top that were loose off. I'll post pics in about a week to see how it goes. I've been sort of using no 'poo on my kids as they don't care for getting their hair washed but I would wet it and scrub real good and rinse it. You dump water on their head and they go NUTS!

I'm thinking about cutting down other things as well. I'll tell you what I can come up with. Do you have any ideas?