New Year

Hello, Blog. You know what I like about you? You're like that old high school friend. The one you haven't talked to in years, but every time you run into each other, it's like time hasn't passed at all. Let's catch up over coffee, shall we?

I'm now into my third month of doing transcription. Some days I feel like this is amazingly awesome. Granted, I'm not making a killing at doing it, but it has really done a lot for my sanity, and J's sanity, as well. He seems to be thriving more in school, even though he still maintains that he hates it. I guess when you get off to a bad start, it's hard to overcome. But my days are less pressured, his days are less stressful, and we get to spend a lot of time together, which is something that was severely lacking before with all the craziness. It feels like we can breathe again, and every other word out of my mouth isn't "hurry up" or "we're late" or "let's go." I'll take the loss in pay, because what I have gained is priceless.

So, it's a new year. 2011. I'll refrain from all the 'where has the time gone' crap. I think 2010 pretty much sucked a big one, and I'm not the least bit sad to see it go. Sure, good things did happen in 2010, but I'm eager for this new start. Yes, I realize it's just a day, and nothing really starts fresh and new on January 1. There's no reset button that wipes the slate clean each 365th day, but let me enjoy my little delusion for a moment. If nothing else, it gives us a chance to realign our goals and actions, right? It's a time to reflect and maybe set some new goals in motion. Notice I don't call them resolutions. I think resolutions are sort of dumb, really. As if we can only chose to make them this one day of the year, and then set ourselves up for failure when we decide, somewhere in the second week, that we don't really feel like hitting the gym this morning, or that a danish does sound like a good breakfast after a month of plain oatmeal. Nope. Not going to make 'resolutions' this year.

What I am going to do is make an effort to live more simply. Don't get me wrong. A 5-minute glance around this house will show you that we aren't real extravagant people. What I mean by that is that I'm going to make more of an effort to really enjoy the little things that come our way more. Five minutes of snuggle time on the couch with the dog, or the 30 minutes of uninterrupted knitting time in the car loop. Simple things. They don't cost anything. They're there all the time for our taking. That's what I'm going to try to focus on more this year.

Hopefully I'll also find more time for spinning and knitting, which are some of those simple pleasures that I often don't make/find the time for. This year I'll let go of the guilt if I'd rather sit and spin for half an hour instead of fold the laundry. I'll read that book with Jonas rather than sweep the floor for the third time (yes, I have a very fuzzy, sheddy dog!) In short, I'll do my best to find the happiness that's already there, and not worry so much about the little things. It's really a pretty big little goal, isn't it?

So, what are you setting as your goal in this new year?

Bullets... or numbers really.

Hello blog. I realize that I have a lot to share with you, but since I only have about 10 minutes, we'll just do a quick list, then maybe I can come back and expand upon those things at a later date.

1. I started a new job this week. I'm now working from home doing medical transcription. It's not the glorious, quick money sort of job that the schools would lead you to believe, and the market sucks when trying to find a job, but I have one, and I'm loving it, even if young children in India are making more money in sweatshops than I currently am.

2. I still work at the vet on Saturdays until January, and might actually ask to keep that position for a while longer while I work on my speed and increase my production. Otherwise we won't even be able to afford the ramen noodles J is so fond of.

3. Speaking of J, being home with him has really allowed me to take some to the stress off of his little shoulders. He's already showing less anger and frustration, and we're getting school work done. He's even (finally!) learning to read and taking an active role in it. Makes it all seem like it's the right thing to do.

4. We took in a new dog about a month ago. He's a sweetheart, even if he does chew up anything in his path and seems to think the floor is a much more suitable toilet than the yard.

5. We still miss Kelli something awful.

6. Mocha's been not feeling well for a while now. We've attributed it to her arthritis, mostly, but when she started having diarrhea I took her in for a checkup. Her labwork looked fine, so we just sort of shrugged and figured it's just part of her getting old. After two really bad days we did x-rays today. It ain't good news. There's no fixing it. So, we'll begin preparing ourselves for another big loss here soon.

7. And so we don't end this on a sad note-- Jonas has joined Cub Scouts and is loving it.

All blogworthy things, and I hope to revisit these topics soon, but just wanted to get them all on here so that I'd remember and feel more obligated to come back.

Random bits of catch up

Hello blog. I won't even bother with the old 'long time, no see' crap that usually precedes my posts. Let's just agree to the fact that our relationship is a flighty one. Perhaps a numbered list will serve as a post today?

1. J-man continues to grow and do lots of amazing things. This year has posed many new challenges to my role as a parent. Most notably, the fact that school absolutely sucks for him. He's a smart boy. Exceptional, really. But school isn't his bag. It's become apparent that he learns differently than most of the other kids, and the classroom is not his ideal situation. I've spent these first 9 weeks in and out of meetings and conferences with the ex-ed department discussing his services and we seem to be getting nowhere fast. The system is designed so that it takes nearly a year to get the appropriate steps completed so that he can receive the things he needs- namely, a reading coach. Meanwhile he continues to struggle in class, or simply do nothing at all, and then bring home nearly his entire day's worth of work to be completed at home. It leaves me struggling with whether I believe that mainstream school is where he belongs. Yet, with our busy schedules, I also doubt my ability to dedicate enough time to education to even entertain the idea of homeschooling. And have I mentioned that working the system requires a degree of its own? It's baffling, and no one can provide me with a schedule, timeline, or roadmap. *sigh* So we press on, me butting heads with a lackluster teacher, and trying to encourage my boy to do his best while secretly wondering what value can be had by him cutting and pasting and coloring worksheets at home when what he really needs in order to learn is a solid foundation in reading. A skill he has yet to even begin to master. Math? No problem. The concepts of science, social studies, even story comprehension, he gets it. But unless he can read the questions, read the stories, read the damn instructions on his work, none of it really matters. He can't do the work.

2. The above situation has caused me to take a long, hard look at our home life. The world, and the economy dictates that I HAVE to work. We, along with most of America, don't have the luxury to allow me to quit my job and be home with munchkin full-time, living the June Cleaver life of wholesome meals, bake sales, and sparkly clean houses. My job has, for the past several years, allowed me to work only three days a week, plus occasional Saturday shifts, which has been a blessing. But those days are long. I'm gone from 7:30 in the morning until after 8:00 in the evening. By the time we get home, it's already past bedtime. That, of course, means that no homework gets done on those nights. Or, if it MUST be done that night, we have to skip bedtime, which sets the next day up for complete failure.

I've been resenting my job, and the long hours, for a long time. And now that I can clearly see the way it affects Jonas, I've made the resolution that it's time to move on. I love my job. I love what I do and where I do it, but J is my first priority, and if that means eating Ramen noodles exclusively for the next few years, I have to believe that it's worth it.

Sooo...

3. I landed a new job as a transcriptionist. I know, right? All these years later, I'm finally going to put that education to use. I started the transcription training program back when J was just an infant with grand hopes of breezing right through it and working blissfully from home before his second birthday. Now, finally, I'm going to be doing that, and no one could possibly be more excited and nervous about it. I wasn't exactly the star pupil in my studies. I squeezed by the final with the lowest possible passing grade-- an 85%. Not the stellar grades that make companies jump at the chance to hire you, or even give you a second glance. After nearly 100 applications and company testings, I finally found one willing to give me a chance. So, in about a week I'll begin a new chapter of my working life, after 8 long and mostly fabulous years at the vet's office, I'll be a work-at-home mom.

4. New jobs are scary things. I don't feel the need to expand on that. We've all been there. We all know.

5. J is now officially in cub scouts. This is a fun little adventure for us. He seems to be enjoying it much more than he did Karate, which was a big expensive failure. Note to self: Do not commit to a contractual sort of thing when a 5-year-old is involved. They are fickle and their interests are fleeting.

6. My knitting mojo has flown the coop. I've got a project stalled on nearly every pair of needles I own, with no real hopes of finishing any time soon. I still love knitting, but when I have 10 minutes to myself and the option to either knit, or just sit and breathe. I usually choose the breathing thing.

7. After gaining something like 30 pounds in the last year or so, I've gotten back on the healthy eating wagon (pay no attention to that cheeseburger behind the curtain) and I'm about 1/2 way back to my goal weight, and to fitting my fat ass in my jeans again. I refuse to go buy new fat girl clothes after finally donating them all to Goodwill.

And that's the last few months in a nutshell. Not very exciting, but good to get them all back into the open. Now, when I decide to pop in here and rant about something, at least you'll have some sort of idea of what the heck I'm talking about.

Where does the time go?

Hello to the few of you stragglers that still drop by from time to time. The blogging world seems to have fallen silent lately. Not just in regards to mine, but many of the blogs that I have religiously followed for years as well. I think Facebook and other social networking sites are to blame. I'm just as guilty as the next person, but there's something to be said for the blog and it's intimacy. It doesn't need to try and condense a thought into a single concise line. No, I can blather on all I want in this space.

So what brings me here today? A thought on the passage of time.

Remember when you were growing up and things seemed to take forever.

"Are we there yet?"
You had to wait a whole year for Santa to make his rounds.
The Easter Bunny.
Halloween.
A school year.
That mail-order toy you are dying to get your hands on: Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Really? That's like 2 months!
Anything worth being excited about was pretty much guaranteed to take an eternity to arrive.

So why is it that in adulthood things are so fleeting? The moments you wish to preserve forever seem only like brief snippets. Nothing is static. Maybe it's because we're busier. We're juggling more things on a daily basis than we ever imagined we'd have to. Maybe it's because we know our time is limited. The childhood threads of immortality have begun to unravel. Whatever it is, things seem to press on at a maddening pace. And that, my friends, is why I'm here today. To preserve this moment in time. To attempt to hold onto it for just a few seconds longer.

What's so special?

On this day six years ago an amazing thing happened. Not all of a sudden and poof, like a genie granting a wish, but more like months of agonizing hard work piled on top of a load of chaos-- Hurricane Jonas came crashing into our lives. Yes, my friends. Today my baby is 6 years old.

Blink.

How exactly did that happen? No clue, really. It was one of those fleeing moment things. Seems only weeks ago that he was saying his first words, taking his first steps, walking into his first Pre-K class. Now I wake up in the mornings to a grown boy: Smart, handsome, intelligent, and the most humorously sarcastic little man I've ever met. He's phenomenal in every way. I am so honored to share these fleeting moments with him.

Of course, I realize I'm going to feel this way every year for the rest of my life. There will be Jr. High, High School, Senior prom, driver's licenses, college and a whole slew of personal achievements that will leave me slack-jawed and wondering when my precious tiny baby morphed into this amazing human. And dude, I MADE that. Amazing.

Every parent is proud of their child. I realize I'm not parent of the year, and he's not God's gift to mankind, but still, I think he's pretty damn cool!

Here's a picture from last night- his last night as a 5 year old, and missing his very first tooth. (The one I still vividly remember celebrating the eruption of so very long (and not so very long) ago.

To Remember Her

We had to say goodbye to our sweet Kelli dog today. She lived her life with gusto, and wagged that tail to the end. We love you, sweet Kelli dog.

Vacation and an evil sock

Howdy everyone. Heh, who am I kidding. I'm fully aware that there's very little reading going on around here, and it's all my fault. I don't update nearly as often as I should.

We're currently on vacation, visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday, and it's absolutely gorgeous here. Chilly, but beautiful, for sure. Yesterday J, Granny, and I took a hike through the woods. J found a snail shell to add to his nature collection, and we had a great time rolling, running, and sliding down the levy and watching the sunset through the bare trees.

I'd share some pictures with you, but I don't have the cord to my camera, so you'll just have to use your imagination.

Before leaving for vacation, I cast on several knitting projects, so as not to find myself stranded in a strange place with nothing to knit. Imagine the horror! One of the projects that I cast on for was the Nutkin sock pattern. It's lovely, easy, and zips right along, which is why I'm convinced that my knitting is out to do me in. I cast this sock on three different times before finding (what I thought) was the right needle size. Then I merrily knit away on it during the flight to Nashville. After arriving here, and preparing to start the heel, I realized that the cuff was impossibly small-- like so small that I couldn't get it over my ankle. I tried it on J-man in desperation. It fit him, but he deemed it too girly for him. So I ripped it all out and started over. After working the heel completely, I realized I'd made an error that I couldn't live with, so it was ripsville again. Ugh! I'm proud to report that I seem to have conquered the sock this time, and I'm well on my way to the toe. Let's hope that the second sock doesn't prove itself to be so much of a troublemaker!

Pictures will follow, once we return to Florida on Tuesday. For now, I think we'll go out and enjoy our last days on the farm.

The story of a sock

There were once these socks I had the idea to knit. Socks. Pshhh... they're fast. I'll whip these up in a few week's time and give them to my step-mom for her birthday. That's what I thought back in April of this year. I had a yummy yarn to use-- Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett in the colorway Landscape Earth. I chose Ann Budd's undulating ribs for the pattern. Enough depth to give these socks some life, but not busy enough to be obscured by the color changes in the yarn.

They were lovely but just wouldn't ever seem to grow. I'd knit and knit, and they'd just stay the same size. Anyone who knits knows what I'm talking about. It's the same reason that I have a hard and fast rule about sweaters. When I think it's long enough I make myself add about 5 more rounds, or another repeat, whichever is the greater of the two.

I finished the first one sometime around July, I think, cast on, and did the cuff of the second. Then came my sordid affair with crochet, which ate up all of my time, and made it easy to cast aside my eternal sock companion. You see, somehow, when I separated the stitches for the heel, I separated in a different spot in the patterning than I did on the first, and when I started working down the foot of the second, I decided to try and fix it the lazy way-- by a series of stitches cast on on one side and cast off on the other. Should have just ripped, but I'll be damned if I'm going to rip out a heel that took me nearly 4 months to get around to doing! It was much easier, and a lot less painful to ignore them. Finally, a few weeks ago-- after finishing Delia's blankie and finding myself captive in the car loop with nothing else to knit, the socks and I had a heart to heart. I agreed to finish them, as they were, if they'd promise to behave for the rest of their time on the needles.

And, now I present to you my eternal undulating ribs!




In other news, my car, Gertrude (yes, her name is Gertrude, and it's much cuter when you hear Wil say it with his accent!), and I shared a tender moment:


I feel like I should treat her to an oil change or something. I'm truly surprised that she's continued to lurch along this far. I'm hoping for about another 20,000 more.

Things finished, and just begun

I've found that I get a lot more knitting done now that J is in school. It probably has something to do with the ungodly amount of time I spend sitting in the car loop in the afternoons. Seriously, getting in the lineup by 1:50 means I'm about 20th in line for 2:25 dismissal. I can't complain too much, though, since it's a nice quiet 35 minutes where I can sit and get things done.

Here's the latest project to come off the needles.



Can you tell what it is? Yep. R2D2 all the way around. I'm not terribly pleased with this one, but it was good colorwork practice. I'm hoping it'll fit hubby well enough to get a little use. I might knit a lining inside to cover up the floats and sort of snug it up a bit, but there may not be much hope for it. It swallows my head, and I've got a pretty big noggin. I am going to cast on another one with one less repeat and see how that does. Yeah, sure, I could probably avoid the frustration of a poorly sized hat by swatching better, but c'mon, it's a hat. I could have finished half of this before I could get an accurate swatch, so I didn't bother, and I'm not upset with the result at all.

Now that I'm done with this, I'm back to working on the eternal socks. I somehow got all wonky on the second sock, and so I stuffed them back in their bag for quite a while and gave them a time out until I could think clearly. I think I've got it figured out enough to complete it now, and although it may not be the most perfect pair, they'll keep my feet warm this winter, and the 'messed up' part will be hidden in my shoe anyway.

This is an old picture of the first sock. I'm half-way down the foot of the second, so I'm in the home stretch now.

I'm starting to compile my Christmas gift list in my head, and I've decided I'm scaling back from last year's effort, yet still plan on making quite a bit.

I, obviously, can't share the entire list here, lest I risk completely spoiling any surprises, but I have a few ambitious things already started. First of all... this yarn, which was intended to be a sport weight, but ended up, even when plied, as a thin laceweight. I originally spun about 800 yards of singles, but then ended up cabling them, resulting in less than 200 yards of a 4-ply fuzzy sportish weight 100% alpaca, which I am hopeful will be enough to complete a certain something for someone. It's drying as we speak, and then I have to decide whether I'm going to knit it first, or dye it first. I want J to choose the color and help dye it. Not sure if he'd get more pleasure out of dying the yarn or the finished product. Here's a really crappy picture of it hanging to dry.



And, finally, I started spinning up some mystery wool today. I have no idea what's in this, but I love the colors. It's amazingly springy to spin after a long run with alpaca. I'm constantly amused by it's bounce. This was given to me by Michele, who bought it to attempt spinning on a drop spindle. I can see why she had so much trouble with it. It's slightly felted, and without a lot of predrafting it can be a little stubborn. Still, it's lovely, and I think the resulting yarn is going to be delicious.

Beating the baby

I finished up the blanket I'd been working on for Delia this past Sunday, just hours before the mom to be arrived at our house bearing the gift of a delicious Jello cake.

And then, less than an hour after her arrival here, I ended up driving her home because she was having steady contractions 6 minutes apart.

"Talk about good timing!" I told myself.

False alarm. She's still pregnant today, but baby Delia will be here soon, and doggone! I beat the baby. Here are some random pics of it in progress. Worked mostly in the car loop over the last month, one little square at a time. I think it turned out lovely, but I have sworn off the granny square forever. As much as I hate weaving ends, this was a total nightmare for me! 49 squares, plus the rows of sc that bind the squares together, plus the edging. Yeah. Not my idea of fun.











And now, being free of my car loop project, I've cast on for hubby's super-secret birthday goodie. He's always complained that I never knit anything for him. Can anyone tell from this picture what it'll be?



True to form, this is turning out impossibly huge. It swallows J's mammoth head, and mine, too. I'm thinking of adding a lining of some sort, which will also serve to cover the floats in the back. Any suggestions, knitty friends?

A month in review

The past month has been a complete whirlwind of activity!

We celebrated J's 5th birthday with a party at the bowling alley with his friends, and the coolest army cake ever! Our fabulous friend, Mary, made it for us, despite being extremely pregnant and having an active 3-year-old underfoot. She's amazing!

J had a great time, and so did we. Best part? Not having to worry about set up or clean up or anything in between. We simply showed up, had a good time, and left. How refreshing! Totally worth the cost, if you ask me. Besides, we probably would have spent the same amount, or even more, if we'd tried to have the party here at home, and we'd have all been so crowded. Bowling was a great choice!






The same week as my baby turned 5, he also started Kindergarten. The first few days (ok, who am I kidding? The first week and a half!)was a tough adjustment for him, but he seems to be enjoying it more and more each day, and I can already tell how much he's learning! He's always been smart, there's never been a question about it, but now he's begun sounding out words, he can do math in his head (which is something I still can't do!), and he's become so much more patient and attentive. I can even tell what some of his drawings are! :)

This was his very first homework assignment-- sort of an 'all about me' project.


I'm just proud that he finished it at all. Even that is a big step from last year.

But enough about the J-man, what else has been going on?

I truly have nothing to show for it, but plenty! Heck, just trying to get ourselves back on a schedule after a summer of staying up late and sleeping until 10 or so has been a challenge. I've been knitting and crocheting and spinning, but so randomly as to have no real FO to share except for this pink wig I knit for a coworker's granddaughter.


Yes, I know it looks a little small on my enormous head, but it was made for a 3 year old. I tried to get J to model it, but ewww! It's pink!

I'm almost done with my second bobbin full of laceweight singles. I'm really proud of how even they've turned out. The wheel and I have sort of figured each other out, and we're getting along fabulously! I'm hoping to finish the bobbin this week, then work on getting it all plied up. I have specific plans for this yarn, but those will have to remain a secret for a while longer. I'm not positive on the yardage I've got going on, but I'm thinking that two bobbins full of lace singles will be probably double what I need, so I'm already dreaming of what to do with the rest. :) And, of course, at the same time I'm spinning lace, I'm dreaming of sweater knitting. No specific pattern in mind yet, though. We'll have to see. I promised I wouldn't cast on anything new until I finished the socks I've got going on, but I might have to let myself down on that one. I just can't seem to find sock inspiration right now. I do, however, owe someone special a new Sheldon, and a coworker has requested a pillow inspired by one she saw in a store for $60 or more. Hubby has been sulking for a vest for quite a while, so I might have to give in on that sooner or later, too. And I still have the Star Wars hats that I intended to make last year for Christmas.

Maybe once the temperatures drop below the boiling point I'll be more productive and start crossing some of these things off my list!

Obligatory Blog Post

Hello, dear blog. It's been so long, I know. It's not that I don't love you. It's simply that there's only so much of me to go around, and lately Facebook has been courting me with it's instant gratification and speedy interaction. I highly doubt people are interested in reading one line snippets here in blogland.

But, dear blog, you are my true love. If I had to choose between the two of you, you'd win hands-down.

Where shall I begin in catching you up.

How about with a picture?

Here's a hat I recently finished. It's the Fake Isle pattern, and I adore it. Too bad it's about a million degrees and I won't get to wear it for about 6 more months, if at all. I really love it!

I've also been doing some spinning when I get the chance. Little bits here and there. I'm working on some lovely white alpaca my parents sent me, and trying my best to spin a laceweight 2 ply. I've been somewhat successful. I'm proud for a first attempt at something so fine.

Really, there hasn't been much in the way of knitting or spinning going on. Things have just been too busy and hectic this summer!

In the never-ending quest to get J ready for Kindergarten, we've been spending a lot of time in doctor's appointments. So far we've managed to finally eradicate the strep that he's been carrying around since about December or January, eliminating the need for a tonsillectomy this summer. *whew*

We've also visited the neurologist, who ordered a sleep study and an MRI to be done. The sleep study was completed 3 weeks ago, and it was a story all to itself. Be glad that I'm sparing you the details. Imagine hooking any 4-year-old up to about 30 various wires, then instructing him to go to sleep in a strange room, without his beloved tv or lights. Oh, and did I mention that it stormed like crazy all night, just to add to the creepy effect? He did fine, but it was a long night for both of us.

We've got an appointment with the pediatrician next week for a physical, which is a prerequisite to the MRI that will be taking place the following week. Being 4, they're going to sedate him for it, which scares the bejeezus out of me. I know that anesthesia is pretty darn safe these days, but still... The day after the MRI he has a dentist appointment to fill a cavity, and the day after that we have our meeting with the school board to discuss his services and approve his education plan.

ARRG! Enough to make your head spin, right?

Now add to that a crazy-hectic work schedule, the fact that I'm also working my butt off to finish my transcription course. I finished my very last report yesterday. Now it's just a matter of submitting them all and taking my final exam. Yippie! I'm really, truly almost done. And just in time, as the girl that does our transcription at the office is going on vacation the first week of August, and I'm hoping they'll let me take over.

And to top off our crazy summer, our shed was burglarized last week and they stole all of our lawn equipment. More of a pain in the ass than a major crime, but still, a HUGE inconvenience in the middle of rainy season when the grass needs cutting twice a week.

But I don't want to end this post on a sour note. Let's focus on something good, shall we?

Our house sits right on the border of three school zones. Two of the three schools are decent schools, but unfortunately, we're about two streets to the other side of the decent schools, and J is zoned to go to a failing school. I put in a request for transfer before the end of last year, but wasn't holding out much hope. Due to budget cuts and capacity issues, most of the schools in the county are not accepting any transfers. Today I got the letter in the mail letting me know that J's request was approved, and he will be able to attend a different school! Yay!

Spinning stuff

I finally finished spinning, plying, washing, and skeining the alpaca that Amanda sent me for my birthday last year. I absolutely loved every minute of working with this and wasn't in a hurry to finish.

I taught myself the long draw method with this in hopes of making a light and airy two ply. I succeeded to some degree and this is a huge improvement over my denser worsted spun yarns of the past. Here's a pictorial timeline:







Last week my friend Tracy agreed to sell me her barely used hand carders, and today I spent the better part of the morning learning how to use them. I've pretty much turned my leg into ground beef with the sharp little teeth. For future carding adventures I'll be sure to wear jeans instead of shorts. I'm hoping that as I improve I will stop being so clumsy with them.

I managed to make about 40-50 little rolags, which barely even put a dent in the bag of fiber my parents sent me. I'm so excited to get this stuff started and see how it spins up. I'm going to aim for a very light fingering weight/heavy lace weight with which to make a lacy scarf. Being so new to spinning, there's really no telling how it'll turn out, though.




Tomorrow J will be here again:


Wish us luck!

What I did on my summer vacation

Summer is here, and we're off to a busy start.

Saturday we met up with Michele for one last pre-baby afternoon together. We wandered the mall a bit, let J play in the mall playground while we sat comfortable and knit on our respective socks, and then met up with Wil and the in-laws for dinner at Olive Garden.

Yesterday we headed over to Mary's house for a barbecue and swimming day. Unfortunately, it rained like crazy, so there wasn't a whole lot of swimming, but the barbecue was good, and the company even better. J had a great, even if he did have to play with girls.

Today we had our appointment with the neurologist, which was a treat all in itself. Both he and his staff were rude and cocky. But I wasn't really there to make friends, so I can let that go. Overall, he seems to feel that J-man is neurologically intact, just awkward and slow. That's a relief, huh? Still, he wants to run a few tests just to be sure, or to line his wallet. He's got J scheduled for a sleep study next week, which means that I need to stock up on some good coffee and yarn since I'll get to stay there all night with him. I'm sure it'll be a real treat, and I'm positive I'll have no trouble getting him to fall asleep at 8:00 with wires glued all over him.

I have to keep reminding myself to think positive.

We're still waiting for the hospital to call and schedule his MRI. So for now it's just a waiting game.

What else are we doing? Well, next week, before the sleep study, J's having two fillings done. We're looking to signing up for karate lessons, and I've got J signed up for a 3 day a week playgroup with one of his teachers.

My original plan for this summer was to simply work on my transcription and get it done (we've heard that before, right... yeah, for the past 3 years or so!), and simply enjoy these last few months together before 'real' school started and routines got crazy again.

I'm sure we'll still find time to enjoy ourselves, but as the days go by, and the calendars fill up more and more, I'm starting to think I'll need to set my alarm an hour or two earlier just to fit everything in.

Oh well, that was a boring update, wasn't it? No pictures, no yarn. I'll do better next time.

All good things must come to an end

Tomorrow is J's last day of preschool. I can't express how sad I am about this. Not only because it means I'm stuck with a bored 4-year-old for the entire summer, but also because it means that tomorrow when we walk out those doors it'll be the very last time I see so many of these faces that have truly become part of our family.

Some of you may remember the struggles we've had with previous attempts at daycare. It was with a heavy heart and a huge weight of trepidation that I decided to entrust my baby to them, but they have blown me away with their love, dedication, and compassion for the children.

I've watched my son go from a clingy, crying, self-conscious little boy to a confident, boisterous, intelligent little man right before my eyes. I can't even begin to describe the bonds he's formed with his teachers and his classmates. Ms. Tracy 'gets' him, turns her curriculum on its ear on a daily basis to accommodate him, and does so in a way that makes him feel successful, even at things he's not so astute at.

Last week when they had the school circus, and J was sad because he wanted to be a clown, but got stuck as a tumbler (certainly not in line with his motor skills) Ms. Tracy talked him up, velcroed the beanbag to his head, and held his hand as he walked the balance beam. And when it came to the actual tumbling, while all the other kids did summersaults, she got down on the mat with him and they barrel rolled together.

And I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I wasn't bawling like a baby behind the camera lens when he walked across the stage in his burgundy cap and gown at graduation, pausing to hug each of his teachers-- a display of affection that even I rarely get the privlege of receiving.

Yes, my baby, you've grown so big, so strong, so smart, and so capable this year. You take my breath away, and I owe so much of it to this amazing school, and the beautiful women who are a part of it.

So tomorrow I promise I'll try not to cry too much, and I promise that we'll do our best to keep these people as life-long friends. I know that all good things eventually end, but will try to remember that for every ending there is a sweet new beginning.

yummy

Computers baffle me

I've been trying, for nearly a week now, to upload video of J's graduation so I can share it with family and friends. Hubby bought me new software so that I could edit it, etc. But it seems that software now comes in a DVD format, and my computer does not have a DVD drive, so we installed it on his laptop instead. No big deal, right? Right. So I go to connect the camera to his laptop, and imagine my frustration when the camera drivers weren't compatible with Windows Vista!

Can't anything just be simple? Seriously.

I'm going to look around and see if there are any updated drivers available, and if not I'm probably just going to go and get a DVD drive for this computer. It seems I need one anyway if I intend to keep up with modern technology.

Processing

I took J-man to the doctor today to have a follow-up strep test, which revealed that he is, indeed, a carrier. No big surprise there, right? He's had strep 4 times since February! The course of action for now is Clindamycin for 10 days, and that's supposed to knock it out of there. We'll go back to the doctor in 2 weeks and have him re-tested. If he's still positive then the next step is a tonsillectomy. There's something so unsettling about considering any sort of surgery for your baby. Yes, I know that a surgeon can probably perform the procedure with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back, but still... it's surgery, and it's my baby, and it rattles me.

And while we're on the subject of being rattled...

I also talked with his doctor about his motor skills, the testing we're going through with the school board, and what her opinion was about it. She's referring us to a neurologist for evaluation, and lightly mentioned that there's a possibility that he has a defect in his corpus callosum, which is the band of tissue that joins the two hemispheres together. Sounds scary, but she assures me that it's really not a big deal and that with some special services, he'll be able to do fine in school and life.

So, the proper paperwork has been submitted to the insurance company for the referral, and I'll be calling next week to get an appointment with the neurologist. They'll most likely schedule an MRI. Yikes!

It's a lot to swallow. I came home and did a little reading about this whole corpus callosum thing, and here's a blurb:

"Signs and symptoms of ACC and other callosal disorders vary greatly among individuals. However, some characteristics common in individuals with callosal disorders include vision impairments, low muscle tone (hypotonia), poor motor coordination, delays in motor milestones such as sitting and walking, low perception of pain, delayed toilet training, and chewing and swallowing difficulties. Laboratory research has demonstrated that individuals with ACC have difficulty transferring more complex information from one hemisphere to the other.[4] They also have been shown to have some cognitive disabilities (difficulty in complex problem solving) and social difficulties (missing subtle social cues), even when their Intelligence Quotient is normal."

Umm, yeah, so if a paragraph could be written to sum up J-man, that's probably it. Scratch the vision impairment, though. As far as we can all tell, his eyes work fine.

In the meantime I'm supposed to go through and gather as much info as I can for the neurologist-- things like when he reached milestones like sitting, walking, talking and also any significant family history of abnormalities. Umm, yeah, it could be a long list! :) All joking aside, I've got a lot to process and try not to worry incessantly over.

The Yarn Harlot Comes to Florida

Yesterday Michele and I took a short (shorter for me than for her!) trip down to Vero Beach to attend Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka The Yarn Harlot's book signing. This is only the second time she's ever come to Florida, so there was no way I was going to miss it. Last year she came to Jacksonville, which, lets face it, is just barely Florida, and it was on hubby's birthday, so I couldn't really justify it.

Even on just a few hours of sleep, after a nightmare of a traveling experience, she was hilarious and engaging. I'm so glad that someone with her publishing company realized that there really are knitters in Florida, despite the unfathomable heat. We're tenacious like that. I know that we didn't produce the same sort of turnout that she might get in Portland (ahem!) or some other more fiberlicious venues, heck, we don't even have a LYS to show off, but we do love our sticks and string, and our Harlot, Just as much.

We met up with three of the other girls from our knitting group at the book store, and sweet baby Sarah, who totally steals the show in the Harlot's blog post. In this post you can also find us sitting on the far left of the group shot, about 5 rows back. You'll recognize me by the enormous and shiny forehead. :)

And here are a couple of shots swiped from Hannah, who most certainly has a more superior camera. Thanks for taking these for us!




After the signing, Michele and I tooled around Vero for a little while. We stopped at the outlet mall and snapped up a few bargains at the Children's Place Outlet store, both for J and for her sweet little baby to be. See picture above. Doesn't she look fabulous for someone who's due any moment now?

We also had lunch at Olive Garden. Who can resist their soup, salad, and breadstick lunch? Not us, apparently. While there, Michele helped me figure out where I'd gone wrong on my current sock in progress and came to the rescue with a teeny-tiny crochet hook so I could pick up the stitch I dropped. Apparently I can't knit and laugh at the same time. I've never dropped a stitch, in a pattern row, and let it ladder back 8 rows before realizing something's wrong! All's right with the world of sock again, I'm happy to report.

After that, we headed back to Melbourne, stopped in at Jo-Ann to pick up some stencils for the baby's room, and some yarn, of course, and then to Starbucks for coffee.

It was great to get out with the girls for an entire day. I had a fabulous time. I sure hope the Yarn Harlot decides that Florida is worth visiting again soon.

Am I really Kreativ?

My dear friend, Myth Maker bestowed upon me a Kreativ Blogger Award today.




Despite my lack of posting lately, I really have been a creative person! Swear.

So, what I'm supposed to do is list 7 of my favorite things, and then pass the award on to 7 other bloggers. Here we go!

1. Being Jonas' mommy. Every day with him is a whole new adventure, and he never fails to amaze me. Whether we're just cuddled up on the couch reading the same book for the 10th time that day, or we're making a mess in the kitchen together, I'm overjoyed to have him with me.

2. Hubby. I may not always give him a fair shake, but I truly wouldn't change a thing about him. The past 10 (it really doesn't feel like that long!)years have been wonderful, and I love the way we've grown and changed together through all that time. We keep each other grounded and focused, but also allow each other the room to dream.

3. Knitting & Crochet. What more is there to say? There's nothing as relaxing as an hour or two with a ball of yarn in my lap and needles clicking away.

4. Spinning. I'm still in the newbie phase, but I'm loving my wheel more every day.

5. My garden. It ain't much to look at, but that tiny little plot does more than simply grow vegetables. It holds onto the memory of my Daddy Dean, and weekends and summer days spent among rows and rows of tomatoes, beans, watermelons, and the like as a child. Every moment I spend out there pulling weeds, watering, and otherwise tending to it is a moment spent with him.

6. My pets. There's nothing better than a warm kitty in your lap, or a fuzzy dog at your feet. Mo's been my constant companion for 13 years now. I only hope that I can take care of her as well in her senior years as she did me in my younger ones.

7. My friends. I don't need to list you by name. You know who you are, and hopefully you also know how much you are loved.

Ok, so now to pass it on.

1. Michele, who hasn't blogged in a while, but I'm hoping I can tempt her back.
2. My super-crafty SIL, Amanda.
3. Tracy, mom of many, knitter extraordinaire, and all around amazing lady!
4. Erin. No explanation needed. She just plain rocks, and is one of the greatest poets ever. No BS.
5. Amy. Yet another amazing knitter and really cool chick.
6. Mikey. A deep thinker with a knack for photograpy, art, music,poetry and humor.
7.The Blue Yonder Gang. Ok, so they're not personal friends or anything, but I visit this blog daily, and always walk away feeling uplifted and inspired.

Hurry up and wait

I've got a lot to share with you, but just haven't had the time to sit down and blog about it, or to upload pictures from our vacation, which was wonderful. So, until I have some uplifting bloggy stuff, allow me to vent my frustration regarding the competency of the state run speech and occupational therapy department.

I've already spent several thousand dollars out of pocket on speech therapy for J, and would do so again in a heartbeat, but since there is a free service available to all school age children in the state, I decided that we should go ahead and take advantage of it when his teacher approached me about it back at the beginning of the school year. That week I called to set an appointment, and waited and waited to hear back from someone. Just about the time that I'd given up hope, I finally got a voice mail asking me to come to the school board for an evaluation... that was more than 2 months ago. The therapist there was delightful, experienced, gave me some idea of the progress that needed to be made in order for J to be successful in school, and then mentioned that she'd also like for him to meet with someone in the OT department, and that they'd call to set that appointment just as soon as possible.

Just as soon as possible happened to be today. Two months later, and just a month before the end of the school year. Today's appointment was a total waste of time, in my opinion. The girl didn't even have all of her supplies with her. She was not very encouraging or engaging with J, and relied more on my oral history than any sort of 'evaluation'. She did toss a ball with him, and did try and get him to use a pair of scissors, and she had him try and copy a few shapes.

We signed another sheet of paper and was told to wait for the next phone call to meet with the next phase, whatever that phase may be. I've been working on this since the first six weeks of school and now it looks like we won't even get started until next year. I asked the girl if they worked through the summer vacation, and whether J would be able to get started before next school year. She was clueless. And until they finish shuffling their paper and scratching their asses, I can't apply for the necessary scholarship to get him the help he needs in public school, so Kindergarten will be a total waste of time. Homeschooling sounds like a better option with every passing day. I have no confidence in our school system or any of it's related services at this point.

And as if he's not far enough behind the eight ball here, he's also zoned into one of the most failing elementary schools in the county. I can either put him in private school, or I can let him fail a year and then have the freedom to move him to another public school. Some decision...

I know I sound pretty negative right now, but it's hard to remain positive when someone tells you that your child is in the 9th percentile for motor function, that he needs some pretty heavy therapy, and yet, you'll just have to sit and wait.

In order to lift my spirits a little we stopped on the way home and picked up a few new plants for the garden. Digging in the dirt is sure to make me feel better.