I love math.

I really do. I think, in part, it's just a good fit for my brain. Much of my (albeit intro) study of formal logic appealed to me in the same way - with the kind of math I like, it's concrete, it's either right or wrong, and you can actually figure things out and know them. For a control freak like me, it's very comforting.

Even though I have approximately 400 projects in flight right now, well, I had a hard day, so I decided to start a project that's been calling to me, a crocheted hat for my little girl. Well, not so little! In about 2.5 months, she'll be three. And she decided to potty train on Saturday. Seriously, she announced she was wearing undies from now on, and that's it. She's doing great, and since it's one of my least favorite moments of parenting, I'm sort of glad she took matters into her own hands and decided to do it. :) Anyway, she's got this cute crocheted hat made out of some sort of straw-type-material and she *loves* it. And it's getting way too small for her. So I thought I'd try to make her a different-but-similar hat. I'd forgotten how crocheting makes my wrists hurt! That hooking, it's tough on the joints. ;) I also chose white, which may not really work with her very fair coloring. Whatever, it's fun and I'm enjoying it.

I made a friend laugh as we had the following text exchange.

Me: I think I must be crocheting tightly. I'm bending this aluminum hook...and I'm only on the second row.

Her: A little tense?

Me: Ya think? Switching to steel.

Her: I love that that's your solution.

It never occurred to me that perhaps I should, you know, loosen up a bit!

The math part is that I need the hat to fit the circumference of her head, but I am crocheting a flat circle. To see if it's big enough, I just measured the diameter, multiplied by an approximation of pi and voila! Circumference.

I think, like most of us in New England, I just need this winter to be over. It's be a tough one. Thankfully we've all been pretty healthy (unlike last winter when we had swine flu, pneumonia, strep, and the stomach flu) but the weather has been hard to take and I've been struggling. I finally acknowledged that things just Aren't Right (again), and that I need some assistance. I'm getting it taken care of, and I'm very confident that all will be well...but it sucks to be back in this dark place. What I've learned from my many bouts of this is that it will pass, and I have enough clarity to know, really? My life is not just fine, but AMAZING. Yes, there's a big stressor (which isn't really my story to tell) but there's so many wonderful things too. This simply feels like neurochemistry gone awry, and so I'm going to correct that.

Hopes and Dreams

I was incredibly blessed yesterday to be able to go visit a friend and her family, including her 10 day old new little guy. It's been a painful road, and it's wonderful that he's here!

These pictures confirmed some things for me - that I have a *lot* to learn about the art of photography; that I *love* taking pictures (well, I already knew that!) and that I want to pursue a more formal study. I could see what I wanted in my head, but learning how to get that image is something I'm going to need some assistance with. I have A Plan and I think it's doable. It's exciting, it feels like the beginning of a journey that I put off 20 years ago because of time, money and practicality.

The other interesting thing was holding this beautiful little baby. I know many people who are not baby people, they like kids when they get a little older. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for a baby. Holding and snuggling this little guy was just sublime, but I will say, there really wasn't any part of me thinking "Oh man, I wish I could do this again!" I'd love to have a life where I get to have contact with babies...and then give them back!

New Camera Bag

Of course, it's not new, and it's not really a camera bag...

I came home from VT to a couple of wonderful packages! I've been pondering camera bags and felt like everything I saw was sort of ugly, not my style at all, and most of them screamed "I'VE GOT AN EXPENSIVE CAMERA IN HERE!!!" It's odd, I'm not a bag person, as I've said, but I have a great fondness for diaper bags. One company, Ju Ju Be, has well-designed bags with a lot of great features. Since I've not been into buying new bags for a couple of years, I was unaware that they'd come out with the BFF (let me note that I did NOT pay that for the bag!). It's a larger bag, but not overwhelming and I thought it might work for a camera bag. I also ordered this insert, which fits perfectly in the bag. I am not entirely sure how to configure it. But right now I've got it so there's one big compartment for the camera body with 50 mm lens attached, and then two smaller compartments - one for the battery charger and one for my kit lens (18-55mm). I know I'm going to want a longer zoom, which may or may not work in this insert. We'll see. But, since we've got our Big Trip coming up in April, I think this will work! I can also fit a Be Quick with 2 pulls ups and a pack of wipes on top of the insert, and the front pocket is big enough for my wallet and sundries. I can also fit some more in this bag with these things, it'll be stuffed and they'd have to be small, but it could work. I'm hoping only to carry one bag on the trip, and I know I'm going to want my camera with me.

A few pictures:

Insert with camera (Nikon D5000 with 50 mm lens attached)

BFF with Insert

BFF with Insert and Be Quick

Well, so much for that!

Tomorrow we're heading home. On the one hand, I'm not looking forward to it, but on the other...I am. I love my family, and it's wonderful to be so close with them, but it's hard to be a visitor. My kids are...well, spirited at times, especially my oldest, and he can be a real handful to manage. I had what I think is a MAJOR insight into my relationship with him and why it can be so challenging - all on my part, nothing on him, and I'm hoping it's something I can work with. I get so angry and impatient sometimes, and I have to keep reminding myself, HE'S 7!!! He's just a *little kid*! He's not easy, but I am the grown up, for whatever that's worth.

It's been a good visit. COLD. I'm really, really looking forward to Spring. I know, like everyone else in New England. It's been a tough winter and I'm ready for it to be over. Soon, right? I mean, I don't want to wish my life away or anything, but I'm ready for less cold, less snow, more light, more warmth! This spring may bring some really cool things to my life, and I'm excited.

I think I've said this before, but every time I come home to visit, I am reminded that this really is *home* for me. In many ways I'd lovelovelove to move back here. It's just not logistically possible, but it's a nice dream. And, in any case, I can visit.

So, tomorrow, back to my regular life. I can't wait to see my lovely husband and my sweet kitties. It will be good to be home!

We made it!!

We're here at my parents' house! Yes, it's not a vacation in the sense of lying on the beach drinking a margarita or anything, but the thing that's so awesome is not having to be in charge of any of the cooking or cleaning! Dude, I *hate* cleaning.

That's not actually true, as I think about it...I don't hate cleaning, what I hate is not having the time or energy...or having them and having my efforts TRASHED 20 seconds later, which is what happens and is so demoralizing.

I'm also coming to grip with the idea that we're just DROWNING in STUFF and we really, really need to get rid of it. I'm so bad at letting go of things, and we just need to do it. I need to get inspired. If I could have a week at home with no kids or husband, I think I could get a lot done, but that's not happening any time soon!

Anyway, I'm hoping to keep up the posting while here, we'll see!

Vacation, all I ever wanted...

Vacationing with kids is a slightly different experience than vacation without kids. When the kids were littler, honestly, I really disliked going anywhere because it was all the same work but with none of the comforts of home. Going to my parents' house was sort of an exception to that attitude, because my mom has gone above and beyond to provide a kid-friendly experience. Why am I talking about this? It's school vacation week and I'm taking the kids off to visit my parents, without DH. It's not that big a deal, I do this 2-3 times a year. But it is a 4 hour drive with just me, and my oldest is getting to the point where I don't want him going into a restroom at a rest area alone, but he's 7, and it's getting weird to bring him into the ladies room. And DD has decided to potty train herself, so it's going to be interesting.

I did some actual knitting today, in anticipation of the visit. I have almost finished the first one of these for myself. I've apparently already knit a pair for my oldest already, and I have the yarn for a pair for my middle kid. I had a pair and loved them, and wore them out, so a new pair (or two) is necessary. And, they'll match my frog jammies. I'd love to get these all knit over the time I'm there, so I can felt them in my mom's top loading machine. I wonder why I call it my mom's machine when it's my dad who does all the laundry? Anyway. I really like this pattern, it's one of those things where never in a million years could I have come up with something like this, and it's so clever! And you're knitting on big fat needles, so it goes quickly!

So, there's a lot to get done before we go, and I can't do any of it on Sunday (the day of departure) because we're going to church and then leaving from there. And tomorrow, my MOA (that's "made of awesome") friend is taking all three kids for the afternoon and feeding them dinner (HOLY CRAP IT IS REALLY POURING AND WINDY OUT THERE!!!), so DH and I can have a date. Which we really, really need.

But, tonight I'm going to go catch up on Glee.

Good News!

I got a wonderful piece of news today, and I've been grinning all day because of it. Since it's not my story to tell, I won't, but I'll just say that someone who deserves something wonderful had it happen. And that's always nice, isn't it?

Crazy-busy day today! I did manage to get some knitting in at the library while my daughter ignored story hour and played with trains. She informed us tonight when asked what she had done today, "I poked someone really hard in the head." *sigh* I didn't hear any crying so I guess it wasn't too bad. She's a feisty one. I knit a few inches on her hat, and I'm thinking it may be too small, even though it's the same number of stitches as the curly ear flap hat that's too big. Knitting is baffling some times.

Here's my big boy getting cozy with Santa.

Gear Hound

I'm sure I've written about this before, but those who know me, know that I...well, I really like gear. Whatever I'm into at the moment, I'm sure to learn all about the STUFF that goes along with it. I can be a tad obsessed focused about such things, one might say.

One such obsession was diaper bags. It's a bit odd, really, as I was never a bag person before I had kids. Seriously, I've carried some version of a backpack my entire adult life. But once I had a kid, I became enamored of the idea that there might be that one fantastic bag that would make my life easier! Once I had two kids under the age of 2, well, I needed some sort of hope that something would make it easier. :) Then someone turned me onto the baby bags group on Yahoo, and I'm a bit embarrassed to say how many lovely bags have made their way into my home.

Now, my youngest is headed towards 3 (HOW DID THAT HAPPEN) and, coincidentally, seems to be potty training herself, so my need for a diaper bag has faded. But now I'm rehooked on photography and have been looking at camera bags. They're all...ugly. Or if not ugly, then fancy girly high-end purse looking, which also is sooo not me. And most of them, to me anyway, seem to scream "Hey! I have a really expensive camera in here!" It occurred to me that I have many lovely bags which could work for putting things in. The fact that I have many lovely bags didn't stop me from dropping the rest of my birthday/Christmas money on another gorgeous bag, but more importantly, I found a camera insert that I really hope will work well! Sadly, it's shipping from South Korea (we'll see if it ever gets here, I suppose), so it won't be here until March, but hopefully it will be here in time for April vacation and our planned odyssey to visit the cousins in Philly and Starry Night at MOMA in NYC. I'll let you all know how it works!

Happy Valentine's Day!

My Valentine's Day has consisted of my usual Monday routine, except during my time off while my girlie was at baby swap, I got a tooth prepped for a crown. And my husband is taking his time off tonight, so I had dinner/bath/bedtime duty solo. S'okay, we got through it.

I got a few rows of DD's non-ear-flap hat knit while at Little Gym for DS#2's gymnastics class. The woman sitting near me was intrigued by the self-patterning yarn. Apparently she used to be a knitter but said she hadn't bought yarn in many years, and didn't really know what was out there. I restrained myself mightily, figuring if I demonstrated the depths of my obsession, she'd think I was, well, crazy. Which I am, a little...or a lot, I guess, depending on how you think about it. I just said something along the lines of "oohh, there are a lot of nice yarns out there."

I was remembering my very first Valentine's Day with DH. We'd been dating for about 3.5 months, but had already decided to get married (yes, we got unofficially engaged 2 months after we met). He took me out to a lovely dinner, bought me flowers, and we saw a sappy movie. Ahh, those were the days! Things sure have changed! I think, though, the only thing I'd change about today (well, other than the very expensive dental work) would be to have had him here with me! Life is so busy and so full of the mundane details of it all, it's easy to lose sight of the other person that you're sharing this life with. When we have those moments to reconnect, such as this weekend, it's so lovely to be reminded that I not only really love my husband, I really *like* him too.

"Because the condition of marriage is worldly and its meaning communal, no one party to it can be solely in charge. What you alone think it ought to be, it is not going to be. Where you alone think you want it to go, it is not going to go. It is going where the two of you-and marriage, time, life, history, and the world-will take it. You do not know the road; you have committed your life to a way." -Wendell Berry

More Socks

My MIL was here for the weekend, and was admiring my fleece socks, so I offered to make her some. She picked out a couple of different fabrics, and as things went on around me, I put them together. It took about a half hour, and she was thrilled. I realized that I've gotten very comfortable with the pattern, as in, I don't use it anymore at all. But, I figured I've probably made about 50 pairs of these things at this point! I'm a bit nervous, I really do prefer sewing them with the serger and it's so much fast, but I'm concerned about the inside seam. I really hope they're still comfy!

And then since I had the sewing machine out, I made my younger son a neck warmer to go with his hat.

Too tired to think of a good title.

I love the fact that there are quirky people in the world, happy to be doing their quirky thing.

I went to a Regency ball tonight, and it was a blast! Which probably makes me one of those quirky people, huh?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

TGIF

Today I was reminded that I have amazing and wonderful friends. Some of them even read this blog and commented. :)

In the interests of reminding myself of the good things, here's an AMAZING thing that happened!

WE GOT DH'S BIKE BACK!

Well, technically it's not back yet. Two nights ago, my neighbor called and said "I know it's a long shot but when I was stuck in traffic in town, I noticed a bike stuck in a snow bank at the Congregational Church. It has straight handle bars and a bell, and I know your husband had a bell." Husband checked it out and it's his bike! The whole thing is so weird to me, but whatever, I'm so glad for him! It's supposed to hit close to 40 tomorrow, so we should be able to get it out.

In other news, we had an okay day other than DD spiking a fever of 102. I knit about 10 rounds on a baby hat, so I'm getting into my groove. I probably won't get much done tomorrow, but maybe Sunday I can do some work.

No Words

It's the question, isn't it, on a blog...how much of myself to reveal. I had a major upset tonight. There's much work to be done. Tomorrow, I hope to put one big piece into place.

It's hard to be human sometimes.

No progress

On much of anything. Many other things swirling around in my head, and it seems to be getting in the way of getting anything done right now. I'm taking some steps to make some changes, which is good, but big.

We had a good day today, and it looks like we'll get a full week of school in this week! After all those snow days, I'd forgotten how busy a typical day is! I got nothing done, not even exercise today. Hopefully I'll do better tomorrow!

A couple of quick projects.

I made these today using this pattern. They're very easy and quick to make (which is funny given how much they cost to buy!). The monster one is for my oldest, and matches his hat. The owls are for my daughter, and match hers! I learned a few lessons. The first one, I screwed up and sewed the short side first which gives you a tube that stretches up and down, not across. Don't do this. Both of these, in retrospect, I made "upside down" meaning that I'd prefer the seam on the bottom instead of the top. Oh well, I'll know better next time! Given that we *need* to play outside this afternoon, I think they'll come in handy! Now I just need to whip one up for the other kid or he's going to be very sad.

It's been a long day.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm in awe of single parents - particularly parents who aren't in a shared custody situation. Today my DH left before the kids got up, and it's his night "off" so he won't be home for another hour or so. It makes for a long day with my darling cherubs. Daughter was off at baby swap this morning, so I came home and was ALONE. IN MY HOUSE. That almost never happens! I really wanted to spend my 2 hours on making things, but I was responsible and did a little cleaning and then swapped out all of the girl's clothes for the next size up. I packed up 3.5 big garbage bags to pass along to a friend (who is a single mom to three), and another bag of boy stuff to pass along as well. I think we're pretty well set for spring and summer clothes for the kids. It's crazy to be thinking ahead, since there's still 3 feet of snow out there, but it's coming, I know it is!

I also managed to yoga today. It's not relaxing, exactly, to have a small person chattering away and lying on top of you, but she's good company. I haven't done anything physical since I hurt my foot a week and a half ago, so it felt really really good to move my body. My foot isn't 100%, for sure, but I didn't make it worse.

So, I knit approximately 4 rows on a hat and that's about it. I also didn't take any pictures today! I need to get pictures of all the kids and their haircuts...which they all gave themselves.

On Building Community

We've been out here in this small town for just over 3 years, and I think it took about 2 years to really start feeling like we've found a good community of friends. There's a group of us - 5 families, so 10 adults and 14 kids, and we get together about every 6 weeks or so. One family had a Super Bowl party today. It's pretty much as chaotic as you'd imagine, the kids range in age from 11 to 2.5. But they all get along really well, and the adults all get along really well, and it's getting easier and easier as we build this history of hanging out. I didn't have anything like this growing up, and I love that our kids will have it. I love the idea of seeing these kids grow up - together. One woman commented on thinking about going to the kids' weddings some day. It's really really neat.

It's hard as an adult, to find your place in a community. Also, my personality is such that I've never really been part of an clique. I tend to have friends from really different parts of my life, and move from group to group. I've been feeling a bit...unsettled about it lately, so it was SO nice to have a great time laughing, hanging out, talking, with a group of people that I'm coming to feel really close with.

I am so, so weak.

So, my lovely husband and I are going to this ball with a friend so I went to her house and tried on some of her dresses to see if I could find something to wear. I did, but we want to add a ribbon under the bust, and since I saw a Joann on the way home, I swung in. Anti-pill fleece was 40% off and they had the cutest alien print that I haven't see at my local Joann. And a cute polka fleece that will be perfect for socks. A friend pointed me towards this pattern for double-layer neck gaiters, so I want to make the kids those. Call me paranoid, but handing 5 and 7 year old boys the means to strangle themselves and others in the form of a scarf seems....silly. So yes, I did bring more fleece into my house.

I'm also trying to do the seed-stitch version of the ear flap and figuring out the increases is taking a while. I've got it, but I keep forgetting to do in the increase row. And I think I need to make a smaller size than the pattern calls for since I'm using heavier yarn (it calls for DK and I'm using Cottontots).

So, things are brewing but nothing really got done today. Oh, I did cast on a simple hat for DD in that self-patterning yarn, but I knit 1.5 rows and got tired of it.

Guilt.

So, you can see, blocking did help, but the ear flaps do poof up a bit. I think the hat is just to be for my girl. I popped it on my younger boy and it fit him better. And it's green, so he loves it.

Dorothy commented on my last post about how she's working on doing her own knitting, at her own pace, and not feeling guilty about it. It's amazing to me, how insidious my guilt is - it creeps in and takes over, and just poisons life. I'm very prone to guilt, and I've come think that there's something in my oddly-wired brain that just pushes me in this direction - to be hard on myself, perfectionistic, guilty...and it's a no-win situation. I work on being "less hard" on myself and then I feel guilty and like a total slacker. This is stuff I've been working on for a good 20+ years now, and I've come a long way, but there's more to do.

For example, in a fit of insanity/generosity, I offered to make fleece socks for an on-line group of friends. I did this before, and I liked doing it. And now, the serger makes sewing the socks really quick and very fun, so it's not a hardship. But, I didn't do any yesterday, and I'm tired tonight. I started the day with an emotional storm - our driveway is very steep and icy and I just about couldn't get the car out. When I thought I was stuck (and took the passneger side mirror off my van on the snowblower which is going to be $500 to fix), and was going to miss some things I both needed and wanted to do, I had...well, let's be honest, a temper tantrum. I cried, I swore, I was angry at myself for damaging the car, pissed at the driveway and just not happy. I did get the other car out and was able to do not only the stuff I needed to do, but some really fun stuff as well. But then I came home and spent an hour and a half chopping ice up on the driveway, and the snowblower broke. So, it's been a day of highs and lows. Wait, what was my point? Oh yes! I'm *tired*. I'm feeling emotionally drained - I'm still working through the end of a friendship, I'm making some new friends which is awesome but scary, I've been really busy lately and I have a lot to do this weekend. So, I don't *want* to make socks tonight, I don't really *want* to do any knitting, I want to research how much it might cost to put a sauna in our basement and read one of my new books from the library and go to bed. So that's what I'm going to do.

I'm pretty sure this can't continue...

...but today, I knitted a hat. I really think she likes it, don't you?

I know, mean mommy taking a picture when she was melting down (because I was taking the picture). She's been very, very two today. Which is utterly amusing at times, and at times, well, less so.

Anyway, this was the yarn I picked up at the Woolpack the other day because the lime greens pick up the greens from her coat. This yarn is very *enh*, IMO. It's 75% acrylic, and it's obviously curling dramatically in the stockinette stitch - and this is *with* a crochet edging. I've soaked it and I'm pressing it flat with a book to see if that does anything. It's a cute hat, and the patterning was minimal enough that I was able just to go with it and it didn't make me crazy, but if I can't get it to relax and settle down, I doubt I'll let her wear it out of the house. If this attempt at "blocking" doesn't work, I'll run it through the washer. I used a different pattern this time (Ravelry link here). It's pretty similar, and again the ear flaps seem enormous to me. This one, however, has you simply knit the second ear flap and then start casting on with the backwards loop method. Also, the fact that your row begins and ends behind the left ear flap makes my OCD self a skosh crazy. All that being said, it's a perfectly nice and doable pattern, if you're not wired like me. :) I knit this on 7s, and didn't make the body of the hat the full 5.5" (I made the child size) because it was already a bit too long. I think my next version of this will go back to Cottontots and I'll try a seed stitch on the flaps and the band of the hat.

It's funny, I'm in the midst of doing a lot of making things for other people, and it felt a bit selfish to make something for, well, not me, but one of mine. I have to keep reminding myself that it's okay, this is a *hobby* and the whole point is to bring me joy. And I get to choose what I do when.

I know it seems like I'm a real prolific crafter, and I'm really really not. I can seriously go months and months without finishing anything!! Part of this is that I'm doing very small projects which are easy to finish, and part of it is that my kids are back in school and I've got a bit more time. And when my choice is between doing something fun and crafty or cleaning my house...well, you can probably guess what I choose. :)

Hey! More snow!

And yet another snow for the kids. This is the 5th in 4 weeks, and the last of the ones we had built into the calendar. We have a lot of snow on the ground, but the roads are clear and the driveway's clear. We finally bought a snowblower this year. We moved here in January of '08, and we have a long and steep driveway. We've done a lot of shoveling; we had a plow service one year to the tune of several hundred dollars, and now, the snowblower. I *love* it. We specifically got one that I can manage. I am, to be fair, a gadget-lovin' woman. I like gear, it's just my nature. But this makes it totally doable to clear the driveway, and since we just another foot and a half of snow, it needed clearing a couple of times. ANYWAY. I'm pretty sure no one cares about my joy in clearing my driveway.

I've been massively productive today. I've got about 25 pairs of socks to make (yes, that's right, I am truly crazy) and I got 7 done. I also finished the Ear Flap Hat.

It's a cute and not difficult pattern, but I'm not thrilled with this version of it, for a couple of reasons. I feel like the flaps are HUGE. It may be that this is just a bit bigger-than-newborn, and it wouldn't look too weird an on actual baby, but I don't happen to have one of those anymore, so no way to know. I added a crochet edging to help it lay flat since this yarn is nylon and acrylic, so it's not going to block. I knit this on 7s, and the ball band calls for 6s. I think they would have been better, the fabric is a bit loose for my taste in baby hats. The next version of this I do, I'm not doing the garter edge on the ear flap, and I'll plan just to do the crochet edging, and that will work better and look nicer. I'm definitely going to do a moss stitch edging as well.

Mainly, though, I'm just not diggin' the yarn. It's very soft, true, but the dyeing is just bizarre to me. It claims a "delicate stripe effect." This is what I got. There are a few places where it almost seems like it wants to be variegated, but then says, no no, I'll just stripe. The stripe transition is this weird thing of 4-5 stitches of blue, then the same of white. It repeats this a few times and then just switches color. Very odd. I don't like it for this project.

No pictures but craftiness has occurred!

In part no pictures because I just sent some excellent socks off to a dear friend who's been played a *seriously* crappy hand in life, and I thought she needed some fun socks, but she hasn't gotten them yet. I knew I was FINALLY going to make it to the post office today, so I made a couple of pairs for her last night.

My serger was frustrating me - I think I need to take some lessons. I want to figure out how to do an actual flat overlock seam. I followed the various instruction manuals and it just did not work. I think it'll make the fleece socks even more excellent and comfortable! It also occurred to me that I should shorten the stitch width so that the bump inside is smaller. I'm beat, so I think I'm going to knit instead tonight. You might have heard, there's a big of a storm going on. DD and I braved the snow this morning and ran some errands. Flannel was on sale at Joann for $2.50 a yard, so I got some for Project Linus blankets. Sadly I forgot to buy a new pad and cover for my ironing board (mine shredded in the wash), so that project's on hold for the moment.

It might not look like much, but we had a yummy dinner tonight! I made The Pioneer Woman's Butter Chicken, with a few modifications: I used olive oil instead of butter to cook the onions, I cut the cayenne in half and upped the savory spices, chicken thighs instead of breast meat, and I added paneer because that can't be wrong. Oh and I used 1/2 and 1/2, not heavy cream. Still, SO VERY GOOD! My friend just passed along a recipe for Saag Paneer which I can't wait to try!

They've already cancelled school for tomorrow, which, if the predictions are even close, is the right call. We live in a very hilly neighborhood and I was a bit nervous about the bus making it up the hill! I think it's going to be UGLY tomorrow. Luckily, I've got a few things that didn't make it out from Christmas stashed in the closet, so I may pull those out. One problem is that my husband is putting down laminate flooring in the playroom, so the kids can't, you know, play in there. The house is going to be a DISASTER by tomorrow night. Well, not like it isn't already, I guess! Thank god for lots of friends in the neighborhood, maybe we can go visiting tomorrow.

I'm working on using all this weather as practice for being in the moment and going with the flow, which is not something I'm great at. And I keep reminding myself, my kids are heading towards the age (at least the oldest) where he's not going to want to have anything to do with me, so better enjoy him now while I can.