Stay calm, carry on.

Goodness. 3 ER visits in a 30 day time period. Thank goodness it was different kids! Twice in May Kailey and then Corra. Then… this month Allysa, I keep telling Bryce this doesn’t mean his turn is next. Here’s the story: We go down to the bus stop to pick up Corra and Bryce, come home and Bryce looses his lego guy helmet under the middle row of seats, which you know is life or death that helmet needs to be found asap! So while I had my head under the middle row of seats Corra and Allysa where playing on the swing-set while Bryce was asking me “did you find it yet?”. I heard Corra say to Allysa “are you alright? (Later Corra told me she saw Allysa’s wrist bent the wrong way) Allysa responded with “no my arm hurts!” so I un-wedged my arm from under the seats and went to go look. Allysa’s left arm had a definite dip about 1″ from her wrist. I said “aw, crap. I think you broke your arm. Lets get in the house, get some ice and then go to the ER. Crap, crap, crap.” Couldn’t find the medical frozen ice packs, and didn’t want to waste 10 minutes looking for them since they where probably in the bottom back of the freezer. I had Corra get two big bags of frozen veggies from our freezer on the back porch and had Allysa put her broken arm on top of one bag and the other bag on top of her arm, we didn’t have any newspaper so I couldn’t make a sling, but thankfully the frozen veggies made it hard for her to move her arm. Grabbed the go-to bag (has toys the kids hardly ever get to see, perfect for ER trips and long car trips) and we where off to the ER. On the drive over there I thought, crap. How am I going to park (which there is never any parking close to the hospital unless its 2am) bring her and the other kids into the ER? So I parked in the fire lane and locked them in, went over to reception (right next to the triage nurse) and asked for help. The nice lady with her door open sent out the security guard, the triage nurse and another nurse. After a couple x-rays (which they gave us paper copies to take home with us!)

they put her arm in a temporary cast/splint gave us a sling, and sent us home with a script for a pain killer. We where in and out in 1 hour and 45 minutes tops. Amazing. We went over to the Orthopedic Dr the next day, and he set her arm in a lovely, shiny, white cast. She didn’t get to pick a color one since the Dr had to grab the supplies he needed since we where not in a casting room. (I blame the guy in the waiting area that called out when our name was called. He was there first. Thanks buddy, yeah you might have been getting your cast off, but um, she doesn’t even have a cast.) I’m pretty sure the ER gave us the wrong size sling, we went back to the Dr and got a smaller one (a pediatric small this time) which I used to make her a pretty sling.

basically I measured the pediatric sling (for reference, Allysa is 5 years old, and wears a childs size 6), it was 11″ long and 6″ tall. I cut out two pieces of fabric and added a 2″ gusset for the elbow, thinking that maybe that would hold her arm better. I used 3 D rings and placed one just after her arm to hold it back (you can see in the pic) and two others over by the end for the strap to come through so its adjustable.

Making this helped me feel better, I felt so bad that she broke her arm (ok,  a little mad too) but I also felt helpless. I can’t do anything to make her feel better or make her more comfortable. She loves the pretty sling as she calls it, and she really enjoyed picking out the fabric for it. We go back to the Ortho Dr. tomorrow, and hopefully will find out how much longer she needs to have this cast on. (Which BTW did you guys know there is a waterproof cast?? I found out about it 2 days after she got this one. *grumble*) For now though,

I’m going to “get excited and make things”! I hope to sew a little bit more, I need to get started on teacher gifts since the kids have 2 weeks of school left! Maybe make another sling for Allysa and use some of that antique lace in my stash. I started another sweater, and finished two others that I need to get photographed. Right now though, I think a nap sounds awful nice…

PS I took my GS troop horseback riding this weekend. I think they had fun.
PPS I got to ride too 😀

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FO: Obsession

This is almost like reentering blogland. Gesh.  My last knitting post was almost a month ago, even though I’ve been knitting like mad. Hell, I have a stash that could last me into my 70’s I need to have a project on the needles to justify it, so ya know the stash doesn’t make me feel all guilty… (Like my fabric stash does. *sigh*) And if I finish a project, well gee, I have to replace the yarn that I just used right? Right. When I’m not knitting, I’m thinking of knitting. I’m dreaming up or of patterns, whether they be socks, or cowls, or sweaters. I’m thinking of them. Thinking of the color of yarn to use, what weight, tweedy, variegated, solid or semi-solid. What I would want to change if the pattern already exists. Lately I’ve been gushing over sweaters. This one, you knitters understand me don’t you? Anyway, this one I found myself thinking about it while I was driving my kids to school. I knew that I wanted to use up the Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice solid in Antique rose that I’ve had in my stash for a bit, I bought it to make a sweater for Kailey but the pattern that I was using didn’t work out so well. And I had been thinking of U-necks, I’ve never knit a u-neck sweater before so I wasn’t so sure of the construction of it. I thought and I thought, dreamed and I dreamed. Then it hit me. It was a oh, well, duh moment. Basically all it is is a v-neck, but instead of only casting on 1 or 2 stitches after the increases are done before the sweater is connected in the round cast on more and there’s the U.

After a little figuring, I casted on hell, if I know how many I casted on now. Because again, I lost my notes and I didn’t add this part to rav. *grumble* I knit and knit ended up increasing to 130 total body stitches (46 sts for each sleeve) CO 4 sts for each underarm (total of 8 ) Knit 2 rows back and forth didn’t connect yet, then since it was where I wanted the U to stop (or start whichever) I CO 14 sts then connected the round. Add a bit of waist shaping- decreased body sts down to 126. Ended up adding a long rib to the bottom, about 3″. Picked up stitches around the collar, knit 1 row. On the second row where I got to the corners of the U I decreased so the ribbing wouldn’t poof out. Shoulda decreased a little more.

The last sleeve felt like it took forever, and ever. It might have been because I didn’t have as much time to knit, I was knitting this around Corra’s birthday, it was a little crazy getting things ready for her sleepover party. Sometimes it feels like the sleeves take the longest. Anyway the sleeves end just a little wee bit above my elbow. Just perfect for quarter sleeves.

My final thought’s on this little u-neck obsession? I like it, I don’t love it. But I like it. I think I’d love it a little bit more if I found a shirt I liked to go under it. It’s still cute, and a little sassy, but it makes my b**bs look smaller than they already are. I’m not all that thrilled with how the yarn is wearing, its fuzzing a bit and if you look closely at the pictures you can see it.
stats:
pattern: my own, basic top down raglan.
yarn: 3 skeins (510.0 yards) of Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Solid in Antique rose.
needle: US 8 / 5.0 mm
started: March 9 2009
completed March 18 2009
4th NaKniSweMoDo
raveled here.

Again, I’m obsessing over another sweater. This time a top. After I had finished obsession, I was dreaming about a top down raglan, with lil puffed sleeves and a feather and fan lace panel on the chest. Then buttercup (rav link) was all over my friend activity. Perfect, absolutely perfect, the little bits of lace down at the bottom where even better than what I was thinking up in my head. Except one thing. its written for a dk weight yarn, and I was hoping to use some LB cotton ease in maize I’ve had in my stash for a bit. It’s worsted. I think I can work something out…. again totally obsessed.

PS. I gotta take some FO pictures,  every time I look at my rav project page and see all the WIP’s that are really FO’s I get a little cranky. I don’t want to mark them as finished, cause well they aren’t really they need finished pictures taken!

being a mom, my view

I was tagged by Meg over at Tea & Brie. This little meme started at Her Bad Mother, in a post called ‘The world according to Mom.’  To totally steal Meg’s words: “To make a long story short, she wrote out five reasons why she loves being a mom and then tagged five people to do the same.  Her goal is for this mommy meme to make it around the world in 80 clicks. I am sure she has reached her goal.”

Mommyhood has to be my best job, most challenging job, my hardest job.  We’re not raising children here, we are molding lil adults. Adults that will be able to take care of themselves, be apart of and contribute to society, be independent, loving, creative, basically know who they are as a person, and be themselves. Granted Labor Laws don’t seem to apply to this job. Doesn’t matter how many times you explain that there are labor laws in the US and for every 4 hours of work (or is it 6?) there is a mandatory 20 minute break and Mommy is, well on a damn break right now. There are no breaks, there is no second shift. There are no nanny’s in this house, its just Mommy. Mommy who gets up at 3 am blurry eyed to walk down the hall to the crying 2 year old who had in fact woke up, took off her jammies and for some unknown, ungodly, friggin reason took off her damn diaper *again* and is freaking cold, tired and cranky. Mommy who packs the lunches and puts in the favorite chips, a little treat and milk money, Mommy who provides the snack to the little league team, makes sure the hat, glove, water bottle, bat and batting helmet is ready for the game, Mommy who drives to band practice and has the clarinet and music ready to go, with a snack, a smile and grumbles though her teeth “get in the damn van” and screams during the ballgames “get your bloody mitt outta your mouth!!!!” to her center fielder and yells “great play!!!” for the whole game. Sure there are moments when I lock myself in the bathroom for 15 minutes to read a lil and regroup, (my employer doesn’t understand labor laws, I need to lawyer up!), or hide behind the island in the kitchen and eat some m&m’s so I dont’ have to share, there hasn’t been a day this month where I have fallen into bed with my bra still on, totally not giving a damn, exhausted not ready for tomorrow but on some level I’m fulfilled, happy with that warm fuzzy feeling in my heart because even though I would get a few toes for 20 minutes of quiet where I don’t have to clean up the aftermath I wouldn’t give up this job. Oh, hell no.

So, here it goes – 5 reasons why I love being a mom.

1. It will never cease to amaze me why children pick their favorite things. Why they pick red for their favorite color, why they like turkey (hold the mayo) sandwiches over PB&J, why they pick their BFF. I love how children are the same, but different. With four kids, they have their favorites and their dislikes. It’s almost like its their individual preference and a bit of peer pressure. I love watching the kids interact with their friends, and when Kailey makes a new “friend” at the ballfield during the friggin 4 days a week we are down there. Like I said, it will never cease to amaze me why their pick their favorite things and the things that they don’t like. I love to watch them figure out how they fit in the world.

2. The feeling I get when they think of other people. Wither it be looking before they take off running at the park and waiting when they see someone coming. Holding the door for someone else, or even making something to make someone else feel good. Even a little drawing or pushing in someones chair so they don’t have too, small things have big impacts. The “I HELP!” or “me do!” and pitching in, makes the world go around for me. Kid’s want to feel appreciated just like everyone else does, they want to please the adults in their life. Children give their love freely, they are the most generous little creatures. well, most of the time.

3. Knowing that nothing heals quite as well as a hug. When the world is crashing down in tweendom, or be it a trip and fall complete with a bump a hug from Mom heals the hurt. The love that I have for my children, it seems to have no end. Its so filling, so exasperating, so real it’s almost scary. Being a mom can be down right scary sometimes, knowing that your in charge and lives depend on you. When you see that lil face smiling at you it makes it all worth while. It also helps that as Mom, I have the power over dessert. mmaahhahahaa.

4. When I think that something I’ve made or done isn’t quite the way I want it, or I’ve done it wrong. They don’t see the “mistake”, my children seem to think the world of me. (At least now, and yes, I plan to enjoy it while I can because when they are teen’s they are probably going to scream “I will never be like you” or “I don’t like you!” and then when they have children they’ll come back and say. “I.am.so.friggin.sorry.” and “you, where right Mom.” and won’t let their children whistle in the house just like I have. Slowly, but surely I’m becoming my mother, and its not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Love ya mom.) Once when I was sewing something I screwed up and grumbled “shit”. yes, I said shit. And started ripping out the mistake, Bryce asked me why I was taking it apart. I told him it was because I did it wrong and had to start over, he told me that it was perfect and he likes what I make. My heart still warms up when I think of that. And yes, as long as my children will wear them I will continue to make sweaters for them, and sew up lil creatures for them too.

5. Being there when they have mastered a new skill. The look on their faces is priceless. The baby’s first steps, the first home run, first ride without training wheels their eyes are screaming “I’m doing it!! I AM doing IT!!!” All that hard work, perseverance, a little bit of failure, and a push or two from Mom and Dad to accomplish their goal. If it wasn’t for trying there would be no accomplishments.

I love being a mom. Like I said this is the hardest, most challenging job in the world. There are no take backs, there is no fear of unemployment, just well, this. Day after day, as they grow up I grow a little bit too. Every day is a new challenge, every day I am, as a person am tested. My patience, my conflict resolution, my organizational skills, heck even my knowledge in technology is tested (thank you Wii, and your freezing up.) There are moments where my head feels like its going to implode and I want to scream “what the heck was I thinking??”,  honestly I would never give this up for the world. Never go back and change anything. I love being a mother, and I love my job, even though there is no pension and they pay doesn’t buy groceries or put gas in the car.

Aw, crap. I think I’m supposed to tag 5 people from another country… well. I don’t think I have blog readers out of the US that have kids…. but then again my memory is mush and its amazing that I’m still allowed to drive a car. So please correct me if I’m wrong, cause you know there is a dang good chance that I am. I tag… Tracey at frugal fuzzy britches, Cayli at Spin a Yarn for Ewe,  Julie at Stoneview, Mary at Right Sides Together, and Robin at Perky Knits and Stitches and anyone else too. It’s so much fun reading other people’s views on why they love motherhood.

For a little bit of fun, this video clip is from Corra’s band concert, she is sitting in the last row and is second from the left. She hasn’t been playing for very long, just 4 months. All in all, I think she did a darn good job and that group of 4 & 5 graders did a great job. Anyway I thought a contest would be quite fun. First person to guess the name of this song wins either some sock yarn or some roving. Contest closed, Robin won! Congrat’s Robin. I’ll be mailing out something good to you sometime this week 🙂

here is a link to the video in case it doesn’t embed right.

you gotta see this eye candy.

and this exciting bit of news! Go over and wish my sis the best!!
We are all very excited over here, and sis, so sorry about squealing into your ear last night 🙂