Armed with Textbooks & Knitting Needles

Christmas Addendum: Knitting List

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:40:08 -0500

Oh yeah - this is what I was getting to in that last post. Duh!

I am basically done with all the knitting I had planned for Christmas, which naturally means that I have tacked more on already. Here's what I have left (if I don't write this down somewhere it will never get done!):

Pumpkin hat for Lindsay Done! 11.06.09
Purple scarf for Olivia Done! 11.03.09
Red dress for Hazel
Clapotis for Granny -- YARN BOUGHT!!
The extra somethingsomething for Emma -- YARN BOUGHT! DONE!! 11.06.09
Extra thing for Hazel 11.07.09
Finish the huge baby bedspread for Hazel (or take that on the trip - yeah do this option)
Maybe some baby pants with the gold/orange leftover yarns?
2 Christmas dishcloths

Ummm...I should get started. LOL

PS - That red dress for Hazel??!?!?!?!!! Yeah, it's crossed off because I was looking at it and I realized that it would totally fit her perfectly in about 8 years. Why can't I knit anything that will fit a 14-month-old?! It's like a curse!!! So, I ripped all that out last night, and that soft, beautiful Malabrigo (Bergamota is the name of the colorway) is going to sit there until I can stand to touch it again, which won't be too long, because it really is gorgeous.

PPS - I have finished up all these tiny little projects, which feels pretty awesome, but I really should be working on the proposal I have to write. So it's down with the needles & forward with the highlighter!

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Christmas Stuff - Yes, I Know It's Early.

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:26:13 -0500

That's right bro - it's officially Christmas season up in this mother!!! Why? I'll be happy to tell you! I made full-on caffeine coffee today!!!

We live in NY.
Most of the people I buy gifts for do not.
That means each gift involves extra time & money for shipping and strategic (wrinkle-free) packing.
That also means we travel every Christmas.
We don't like the snow.
So, we leave ASAP in December and come back ALAP.

The last two years I've been orchestrating this huge Christmas endeavor have been learning experiences. The first year I think I spent about $80 US DOLLARS on shipping alone, not including the cost of tape, boxes, and paper to stuff inside the boxes. That's just too much. Last year was better, and this year is going to be phenomenal. I made sure to buy things that were generally lightweight or small, so shipping will be a breeze! So, I've basically got that covered. It helps that I start buying really early, like when everything goes on after-Christmas sale.

Also, because we leave for Christmas pretty early, it means that everything has to be done by about December 10th at the latest. When I've tried to let things go longer in the past I have ended up crying red & green tears of despair, curled in a ball under a half-decorated tree, holding lights that won't blink in my hands. This year I hope to avoid that scenario. To that end, I have about 80% of my list bought, wrapped, and packed to ship. About 10% is staying here (bought & wrapped already), and the other bit I haven't made/bought yet. I have also already written & addressed every Christmas card, and the whole stack is sitting tight in the box in which they came.

I know - I'm like this Christmas Nazi. I start shopping and planning my Christmas knitting in January; every sale is potential Christmas fodder. I can't help it; my tendency to over-achieve, combined with our kind of weirdly stressful Christmas situation, makes for a total organized Yuletide dictator. But you know, when I'm sipping wassel and knitting in the evening with Hazel playing in the flickering glow of Christmas lights, I'm going to be enjoying my holiday instead of worrying about completing all the things I wanted done.

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Happy Halloween!

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:53:17 -0400

Trick or Treat from Liberace (and her parents)!!

Daddy & Liberace

Liberace & Mama, Halloween 2009!

The whole dorky family

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Fall in Clinton

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:59:13 -0400

A few more fall photos, this time from the village green in Clinton; these were extremely difficult to take, since I had a one-year-old who was kind of walking by herself (but not really, for whatever reason this morning) and a purse slung over my back. So, they aren't the greatest, but the trees are pretty.

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Outside Today

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:25:59 -0400

When I pick up Hazel on Mondays we always have about an hour to kill between then and when Amos is done at work. We usually spend that time pacing outside at SUNY while I hold Hazel's hand...today, she was running and walking all over without me!

Running!

Red Leaves

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Hazel in the Kitchen

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:54:27 -0400

Y'all know what a good little eater Hazel is, right? Normally I fix her food and hand her the spoon. My job is basically done at that point; she can feed herself until just a smear is left on her plate. She does make some messes, particularly with food falling down onto (and under, somehow) her pants legs, so I get baby girl totally undressed before eating.

Today I got her all set up and turned to wash dishes. I think she was finished before her food was all gone (dinner would be the first time - EVER), and so got bored.

Food Face

There was food all over that baby, and a peculiarly large amount on the floor. Oh, and also that little snack she was saving for later on her shoulder, there.

Later on we were having some water and I thought it might be a great time to take the lid off the sippy cup and let her pick it up herself.

So, she can't use a cup just yet.

Turns out I should not take my advice all the time. :)

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Two New iPhone Pictures

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:35:32 -0400

I took this picture last week; I had to walk over to the store, so I got Hazel all bundled up and we strolled over. After getting outside we realized that it was freezing - in the mid 30's - so we hurried! But this tree was so pretty, and so is my daughter, so we made a quick pit stop.

October_hazel

This one I took last weekend in the grocery store. She likes to hold the list, and suddenly she stuck it in her mouth and started laughing! She's making all these little jokes on her own, or doing things that we do but not immediately after we do them. What a big girl, huh?

Inthebuggy_oct09

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"Theme in Yellow" by Carl Sandburg

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:03:33 -0400

I spot the hills

With yellow balls in autumn.

I light the prairie cornfields

Orange and tawny gold clusters

And I am called pumpkins.

On the last of October

When dusk is fallen

Children join hands

And circle round me

Singing ghost songs

And love to the harvest moon;

I am a jack-o'-lantern

With terrible teeth

And the children know

I am fooling.

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Tickling

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:31:08 -0400

Another video, taken last week, where I'm tickling Hazel. This was a brief respite in the middle of hell-week, which is my affectionate name for the week(s) she's cutting 2 teeth that refuse to break through the thin tissue of her gums. YAY. But she was happy here, for a bit, and it's adorable.

13 months - Tickling clip

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It's a Baby Shower!

nobody@vox.com(Laura) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:50:28 -0400

Not for me, but for our friends Amy and Chris, who own the CSA farm of which we are members. Today we attended their sweet baby shower and had a great time. This is the sweater I worked like a madwoman to finish:

BSJ Gift

They are going to wait and find out the sex when the baby is born, so I thought orange and gold would be perfect and more appealing than pastel colors. I used Knit Picks machine washable sport yarn, which is super squishy soft and great for a baby. They loved it, which made me happy :)

In that the spirit of new parents, I made a video today of what we like to call "Please Take a Nap."

13 months - stair climbing clip

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