Proof

• Housework has not commenced. But I am inviting friends over on Saturday to force myself to get things picked up.
• Work is moving along nicely.
• Homeschooling is back on track.
• We roughly have a handle on our LTC projects.
• And I finished and blocked Norwegian Mitten #1 (which is why the house isn't clean)

Here is proof:

EZ Mitten

Messy house

Desperate for some organization!

I was so on top of things the first few weeks in January. Then I started the Twilight book series and everything has laid by the wayside since. I do that. Get lost in books and then half do my other responsibilities. So now I got to get cracking. Joy #2 is slacking in his schooling, dinner menus aren't planned, LTC projects aren't done, and the house is quite dirty. We need to get back to our scheduled programing before that great book series derailed me.

So tonight...No rereading favorite parts of the series. It will be dinner, clean up, and homeschool work! And maybe a load of laundry if I can get over to my moms. And those kids need to give me their proposals*!

Knitting: I do have pictures of one thumbless mitten but we can't find the camera cord. :)

*I have Joy #1 & 2 write me proposal on what they are going to do (housework wise) during tax season and how much they think this job is worth. Last year Joy #1 kept the kitchen clean and Joy #2 did the household laundry.

Norwegian Mitts

This is what the mittens looked like on Wednesday. I am now half way through the tree chart. I should have the first mitten done this weekend and the second started. They are really knitting up fast. I just haven't given them much time. It snowed again today. I'm glad the weater is holding out for me to finish these and deliver them.

Mittens it is!

I decided to begin another set of mittens to the ski lodge yesterday. I am here to report that I did not get gauge and forgot my other DPNs at home. So I visited with the other moms instead. But at least I have something I want to knit. I am using knit picks telemark. I will take a progress shot soon.

Sorry for the lack of photos. I use my daughters digital camera and I never have it around when I want it. I do feel the need to knit a sweater so I need to order some new yarn since I am not in love with what I ordered most recently.

I gifted my Anemoi mittens to my sister and she loves them. They really are perfect for her. The Norwegian mittens in progress will be for my sister-in-law. I really love mittens.

Desperate for a project

I am all over the place right now in my knitting. I ordered some yarn but I don't really care for it. I started Starsky but I am not enjoying the cable pattern. And it feels so bulky. I'm wondering if I am even going to wear it. So right now I'm not really focused on anything. Tomorrow I am taking Joy #2 skiing with our homeschool group and will have a perfect opportunity to knit something but I have nothing I want to knit. I'd better hurry up and get my act together tonight because I don't want to waste valuable knitting time! Maybe I'll start a baby sweater. You can never have enough baby sweaters! Or maybe another pair of mittens. This time for my sister in law. Surely there is something in the stash I can get to work on!

No Complaining!

Last night we started our Ladies bible study on complaining and we all are taking the complain free challenge. You wear a pink bracelet on one wrist and when you complain, grieve, or gossip you have to move the bracelet to your other arm. Now let me toot my own horn. I only moved it four times last night and once this morning. Last night was more sarcasm than anything and today I was driving to work. I have found myself being very quite but more thoughtful. I like a challenge and I have been working on "my tongue" for quite awhile. It is my blessing and my curse. Sarcasm is going to be the hardest thing to cut. I would like my whole family to take this challenge but it is only something you can challenge yourself on. You can't do it for anyone else.

Knitting: I got my yarn in the mail a couple of days ago but am unsure as to what to cast on for. I was going to knit Starsky but now I'm unsure. I haven't work on the basic cable hat because I have been devouring the Twilight book series. I listened to the first book over last weekend. Bought the second one on Monday and started the third Last night. I am really enjoying these books. I am going to be sad when I'm done with them!

Tonight is knit night so I'll get myself in gear to start my "tax season" knitting project.

Craziness

Yesterday was just plain busy! We left for church at 9 am and didn't come home until 5 pm. Keeping these hours is a sure sign that LTC is upon us! When I did finally get home I was exhausted. I decided to rest and let everyone fend for themselves for dinner. By 8 pm I knew I was not feeling well! But I refused to let myself be too sick because I have been looking forward to Masterpiece theater for a week now! I watched Persuasion and would of enjoyed it more if I had not felt like I was going to throw up at any minute. I made it through and less than 5 minutes after the credits I was in the bathroom! I feel better today but now Joy #1 & #2 are not feeling well. I'm not sure if I am up to cooking tonight or not. Even if I do there may not be anybody interested in eating.

In knitting news, I started a cable hat in pink using Vanna's choice yarn. I am trying it out to see the quality of this new acrylic. I love wool but sometimes I need acrylic for gifts. I would like to have a go to that I enjoy to use.

Gratitude of the day: Owning my own business so if I don't feel good I don't have to go.

When did we become vegetarian?

After watching "You are what you eat" on BBC America last weekend. I was hooked. I wanted to eat more fruits and veggies and enjoy my meals again! So on Tuesday I took the plunge. I grocery shopped and checked out cookbooks from the library and cooked my first meal as a vegetarian. Ok, I am not really a vegetarian but I have decided to make one meat dish meal a week. Maybe a nice Saturday evening meal with meat(if I choose). Other than that it is all fruits and veggies. And it has been great fun. I have made some really good meals this week and have enjoyed dinner time. Joy #1 & #2 aren't quite on board but I do the cooking so it is either what I make or PB&J. I am enjoying it and I can't wait for meal time to try something new! And it really isn't hard. I am looking forward to participating in our CSA this year. It will be our first time and I can't wait.

Challenges

This week started out peaceful and calm. All was under control and I had a sense of balance in all I was doing. And then the children revolted. Well, not both this week just Joy #1. She has been bull-headed and hmm...what's the word? Everything BUT submissive. Normally, if we have a tiff we argue respectably and come to some kind of understanding. Not this week. She has been a boulder not to be budged. Plain ol' stubborn! So like any parent I grounded her for 2 months and cancelled her cell phone. Yes, the two months is excessive and we all know that will be more like a week since I am such a forgiving, forgetful person, but I am sticking to my guns. But that phone is not coming back on. Not until she understands that we are a family that works together and is helpful to one another. One persons mood can affect the whole crew and ruin the fun. I want teamwork! I want love and respect! I want a family who pitches in and helps out one another! Do you think we could join a corporate team building event and get it all together? Or will I just have to stay the course of waiting for the teenager to realise all is not about her and while she is important and her wants are important. She is one of three people who are on this island together!

My children should bless my knitting! It keeps me from loosing it sometimes.

Introduction to my boy

This one is a whirlwind. He is always moving, creating, destroying, playing. He is never still unless he is asleep and even then he moves around a lot. The energy in his mind controls everything he does. He has a huge heart and is passionate about lots of things. He is a great friend and has a lot of them. He is lucky to live in an area that is filled with boys. They are all ages and get into all kinds of mischief but have fun to no end. I do not have to entertain this one. In fact he thinks it a punishment if he has to stay in. He loves nature and to create. He does not like to follow patterns or directions. He would rather just figure it out and if it is too hard he can try it another time. His energy isn't always productive and if I could get him to recognize when to get worked up and when things are no big deal I will say job done and be satisfied. My heart is filled with love for him and I know great adventures will come his way.

Introduction to my girl

When did this child become so adult like? And how come she hates to take pictures when other people suggest it but she is always taking crazy self portraits? See her working it there? She doesn't do that for me! Here is my beautiful babe. Yes, she is beautiful, but more than that she has a great heart. She is very attentive. She can sit in a room full of people and notice everyone's mood, actions, and conversations in addition to carrying on her own. I have never been able to shine her on about anything. She can just look at me and see directly to my soul and know that I am not giving her all the details or just flat hiding stuff. We joke about telepathy but sometimes I wonder. We are "in tune". I love spending time with her. Yes, she is 15 and with that comes eye rolls and snarky comments more often than not but she is still so much fun. And what fun are the teenage years if you can't pretend you are in angst about something.

New Year, New Blog

Hello dear readers. Are there any? Originally, I started this blog to go along with a prayer group I started. We had 2 sessions and I have kind of fizzled out. Sorry, I still think it is a great idea but I don't think I can be the one to host/organize.

So, I am changing the focus of this blog to my musing as a single mom trying to be thankful for what I have and what I can create. I started reading blogs in 2005 and never wrote one because I didn't think there was a need for one more blog. Now I realise with every passing day that my kids are growning up and I have done a terrible job archiving our lives together. I would like to express my life and my love for my lovebugs for noone really than us. I am not trying to do anything other than learn to articulate my life before I forget all about the everyday life of being a single mom with two unique and challenging children. So here is to 2008 and enjoying everyday.