Good News Bad News

The good news: When we woke up this morning, everyone was well!

The bad news: I really messed up my knitting.

EEEP! I had my first knitting class this morning. I have not been out of the house in the past week except for an hour to go to the grocery store, so I enjoyed it that much more. I am working on an afghan and got some actual work done. Marie, the wonderful, patient lady that is teaching me, said that I am going to pick up knitting very well. I knew enough to go ahead and start today. I also learned how to use circular needles and now I wonder why anyone would use anything else. It made things so much easier. This is it! A lot of work for two hours, right? HA! This is a picture of the afgahan that I am going to make.
So, this is what I accomplished today. It is not a lot, but after showing Marie that I could do the knit and purl stitches, learning her cast on technique and making a gauge piece, this is a good bit for me. In case you were wondering, the stitch is called reverse garter stitch rib. And also in case you were wondering, that is my husbands little booty at the top of the picture. I hope you can see the pattern in it alright. I am really having a great time and I hope to have a lot finished before my next class next weekend. I am really glad that I decided to take a class. I never would have tried making something like this so it is really good for building up some confidence. I will post more when I have some work to show. I am going to try to keep myself in check and not post every time I knit another inch.

Isaac is still sick. He has had a fever for a week now. I had his ear rechecked and it looks fine, so that is a relief. They said it could take up to two weeks for him to feel better. That is a long time for someone so small to feel so crummy.

My husband took Lillian to the movies this afternoon. They saw the Veggie Tales movie. And yes, he took her on a Monday afternoon. Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. What? Your husband doesn't get four days off for this national holiday? He didn't even get the day off? Oh, I'll bet you wish he was in the Army now. Also, because those uniforms are pretty sexy.

While they were gone, I had a peaceful shower. No one came and knocked on the door needing to potty and no one was crying in the other room. I did some laundry and the dishes, read for a while and took a nap on the couch in front of a sunny window. It was a very nice afternoon. The moviegator (as Lillian puts it) was supposed to be a family outing, but since Isaac is still so sick the two of us stayed home. I was a little disappointed because I happen to like both family outings and Veggie Tales, but I can't imagine a better day than Lillian having daddy time and me having a peaceful afternoon that included a nap.

My poor baby boy has a fever. I took him to the doctor today and even after a dose of Tylenol it was 102. It just won't go down. He has an ear infection. I have been a parent for over 4 years now and this is my first ear infection. Luckily it isn't a bad one and besides the fever he is fine. No cold or major congestion yet. I just hate holding him and feeling his little body all hot against me. Meanwhile, I still have a sore throat and a headache and crampyness. My husband totally bailed me out today by cleaning the house. In the midst of all this is sweet cheerful Lillian, singing her songs and playing her games and generally getting on all of our nerves with her healthy self.

Wow, I haven't posted in a long time. I have been caught up reading a couple of books and all my free time has gone to that instead. The first book was Three by Ted Dekker. I just love his books and if you like suspenseful books then you should really check him out. I read it through in a couple of days because I just couldn't put it down. It pulls you in from the very beginning and then throws a major twist at you at the end. Um, that isn't a very good description of the book, so you should just take my word for it and pick up any of his books.

I am now reading Animal Vegetable Miracle. I remember reading about it over at scratchin' the surface so when I spotted it at the library I decided to pick it up but I didn't actually think I would read it. Since I started reading it, I have been thinking about this book nonstop and I have not wanted to put it down. In case you haven't heard about it, it is about a family in Virginia that decided to only eat what was found locally for an entire year. Did you know that the US imports over a million pounds of potatoes and also exports over a million pounds of potatoes? The thinking behind it, of course, is making money on our potatoes while buying other countries potatoes for much less so that the farmers make pennies on the dollar while the oil companies make a ton on transporting and the middle men make a lot as well. Have you ever had a tomato or corn that was actually grown in your own county, even your own back yard? It is amazing to taste one. It is like remembering what one really tastes like. The book is a very interesting read and one that can really open your eyes to the way food is grown and consumed in the United States. (There is some information about Canada as well.)

So, in a nut shell that is what I have been doing. Reading. But today my baby is sick and I have a sore throat and my laundry really needs to be caught up and my floors need to be mopped and we have Bible study at church tonight so I don't think I will get a lot of reading time in today. Well, I am sure I can find a little time.

Just a few things

(my sister said I needed to start putting titles on my posts, so there you go)

My husband is reading The Hobbit to my four year old daughter at bedtime. I think it is a little too old for her but he was really excited about it so he is going for it. Then today a girl came to the door selling girl scout cookies and Lillian stood there quietly watching her, like she was thinking of something to say to this older girl that she had never met. Then, Lillian announces "I have big, harry feet." Then she turned and ran back into the house. I was laughing so hard I could hardly fill out the form and when I tried to tell Chris what I said I couldn't get it out. Oh, that girl. She kills me.

Isaac, who is 10 months old now, is saying a few words. When he sees Chris he says da or dadada. It is pretty adorable. I am na-na. Or, I should probably say that is what he says when he wants to nurse. He is also waving and clapping and pointing. Also, copying everything his big sister does. If she makes a noise, he makes it right back. Already I can tell I am in a lot of trouble. He loves her more than anything. She just wants to play with all of his toys and not share any of her own. Then, she wants to lay on him and see how mad she can make him before I make her leave him alone. All this before he can even walk.

I am not making any new years resolutions again this year. I think I started this last year. I never keep them, so it is just easier if I don't make any. Then, I can't fail. One less thing to feel guilty about. I can't wait to see what is in store for us this year. It is going to be a good one, filled with lot of big changes. I can't wait to get started!

My poor baby was sick today. Of course it would happen on the crazy warm day we had today. It was supposed to be 73 degrees here today! So no riding bikes or playing at the park. We spent the entire morning in front of the television. This is the first time my daughter in her 4 years of life has been sick with the stomach flu. That is a good thing because I can't handle it very well. Cleaning sick up off of the bathroom floor is enough to make me want to jump ship- and be sick myself. I don't know how she does it, but by this evening you would never know anything was ever wrong except for the pink shirt, purple pants and yellow socks she was wearing. I think for her the worst part of the day was having to miss school. She cried when I told her she would have to stay home.

Today was one of those days that you don't really imagine when you don't have kids. The day when you have planned to run errands while your daughter is happily playing dolly house with her best friend. Errands that MUST be done today. Perhaps stopping by for a coffee on the way home. Or a cranberry limeade. Instead you are at home cleaning up puke from a green child while a baby is on the floor outside of the bathroom screaming because he wants to come in, too. Then spending the rest of the afternoon nursing a baby to sleep just to have him wake up and cling to you the moment you put him in bed. Hey, Isaac- you aren't a newborn anymore! You are 10 months old! Go. To. Sleep!

Then around four o'clock everyone wakes up cheerful and hungry and the horrors of the afternoon forgotten. We went to Wal-Mart with Lillian in her crazy clothes and finished my errands. We even stopped and got a cranberry limeade.