25 Things.

There's this thing going around Facebook. You list 25 random things about yourself, then you tag 25 people to do it next. Mr. Wonderful's cousin tagged me. I listed things, then I thought it might make for an interesting blog post.

1. As a general rule, I ignore this stuff.
2. I have one tatto. A cherry blossom. On my lower back. AKA a tramp stamp, except I'm not a tramp.
3. I've been pierced 5 times. I no longer have any of those piercings.
4. I knit. A lot.
5. I only knit with luxury fibres. Spendy yarn for me!!
6. I sometimes think I spend too much time on the inter-tubes, and not enough time playing with my daughter.
7. Sometimes my daughter exhausts me, and I just need a damned break!
8. I've known my husband since we were 14 -- that's half my life.
9. We've been a couple since we were 19 -- 10 years this summer.
10. I've always been a city girl, and I was pretty unsure about moving to a small town.
11. I love living in a small town!
12. I'm too pragmatic for my own good. Unless we're talking about yarn.
13. I don't think the number 13 is unlucky. I'm not really superstitious at all.
14. I don't like winter, and I'm not crazy about summer. Both are too extreme for me. I prefer autumn and spring.
15. I really like squash. Actually, most vegetables.
16. I LOVE goat cheese. I eat it by the spoon full.
17. I'm pretty adventurous. I'm not opposed to trying new things.
18. I have worked as a playground leader, tour guide, paintball referee, in management, in sales, in retail, and in customer service. My favourite jobs ever were at the Paintball Arena, and the summers I spent as a playground leader.
19. I really dislike horror and suspense movies. Also, chick flicks. Yech.
20. I enjoy taking photos. I've also worked as a photographer, on a moon-lighty basis.
21. I've photographed 4 weddings. I was only paid for one. The rest I did 'of the goodness of my own heart' ;)
22. I'm very proud of having birthed my daughter with no drugs - completely naturally with the assistance of my husband and a birth doula. I really amazed myself.
23. I can sing beautifully if no one's listening. The second I have to 'perform', I'm off-key and terrible. That's weird because as a child, I sang at performances all the time.
24. Performing comes naturally to me. I'm a youngest child. I used to act in plays all the time.
25. As a teenager, I played numerous instruments, but primarily french horn. I was in a symphony orchestra, a concert band, and a marching band. That's right, I was a band geek.

Thanks for concern and support re: my last post. We're fine. 3 days post impact and neither Sweet Pea nor I are suffering. I didn't mean to worry anyone!!

A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum

Only it wasn't the Forum, it was the LYS - who is having a Big Sale this week. And it wasn't on the way there, it was on the way home. And it really wasn't all that funny. So I guess the title of this post should be "A not very funny thing happened on the way home from the LYS."

To explain, I must begin at the beginning.
My friend Jen drives a Pontiac Vibe. Cute, small, effective.
One day, less than 2 weeks ago, as Jen was driving along, her wee car was rear ended. By a transport truck. Now, something was definitely on Jen's side -- her car was driven away from the accident site. The transport was towed. There were no major, disastrous injuries, but Jen does have some deep tissue damage, and is in a fair amount of pain.
On Monday, Jen saw her doctor, and got some really good pain meds.
On Tuesday we went to the LYS to partake in their big yummy sale. We had just about made it home - we were turning on to my street in fact! Our turn was made impossible however by the transport truck coming toward us.
(Warning: there is an accident about to occur.)
Jen and I were both a little confused by the sound of squealing tires. The truck's tires all seemed to be turning fine. It was the sudden and rude impact from behind that made us go "OHHHHH!".
There was a loud WHACK!, we all got tossed around a bit, and then there was crying from the backseat. My first concern, of course, was soothing my daughter and ensuring she was okay. The other driver, of course, had different plans -- he wanted me to chat with him. *eye roll*

Long story short: info was exchanged. Insurance was called (there is minor visible damage to my car, but it's what you can't see that terrifies me.) An hour after the accident, the other driver called to ask how we were doing (still won't know until tomorrow . . . when the adrenaline is all gone and things aren't feeling so limber) and to tell me he wasn't going to inform his insurance company as he didn't want his premiums to increase. WHAT!? ARE YOU EFFIN' KIDDING ME? You rear ended a car with a BABY in it! Man up, jackass! Also, you REAR ENDED a car with a baby in it! Does the term neck injury mean anything to you?

2 days later, I can safely say that Sweet Pea and I seem to be fine. She's been playing and trying to crawl and all that normal stuff. I have a headache, but aside from that . . . nothing as of yet.

As for Jen though . . . Poor Jen! She's developing a complex - thinks the fates are out to rear end her. And she said her recovery was set back by a few days. She certainly did not need this.

In the mean time, the car has been in for a look at the collision centre. Sweet Pea's car seat may need to be replaced, and my bumper has to go. Thank heavens for insurance.

Want vs. Need

A year ago, I fell in love with Jared Flood's Hemlock Ring blanket.

This week, this happened:


And there was much rejoicing!

Then, SIL put a bug in my ear. Mini-niece keeps stealing her birthday gift -- a knitted stuffie -- and perhaps I could make her one of her own? Nothing burns quite like having what you WANT to knit put on the back burner for what you feel you must knit.

Yellowphant. (Rav Link)
Pattern: Oliphaunt
Yarn was some leftover Cotton Ease.
Really quick to knit, pattern isn't half bad. Tiny elephant = cute.

I also crocheted a bug for Mini-Niece. No pics though -- I've exceeded my flickr allowance for the month.

Cripes. WTF?

What happened to my knitting blog? Now it's all baby and everyday life.
I haven't even talked knitting in weeks! I have, however been knitting - nonstop- as I am inclined to do. Allow me to demonstrate:

Since the hat I showed off in-progress was completed, I have made mittens for me

And the joker got away (ravelry link)
Pattern: Herringbone Mittens with Poms
Made in leftover Cascade 220, already considering another pair.
These are great and so warm!

A mini-mitt keychain for myself that I did not photograph.
A Doddy For Sweet Pea

When big bro and his family took custody of Doddy #1,
it gave me the excuse I'd been looking for to make doddy #2.
Dk Doddy (Rav link)
Pattern: Doddy
Sweet Pea likes this better than the other one.

An adorable cardi for Sweet Pea called Little Mabel

Little Sweet Pea (Rav link)
Pattern: Little Mabel by Sublime. It's not online, but in booklet #612
Yarn: Baby Bamboo
Seemed like more trouble than it was worth at first. Now that I've seen it
on her, totally appropriate amount of trouble. I might even consider making it again.

And just in the last 2 days, a sweet little sheep

Seascape Pygmy Sheep (Rav link)
Pattern: Pommel in English
Leftover bits of DK
Pattern was really futzy, Sheep is really small -- but totally cute.
Now I don't know what to do with the FO.

And that's just the stuff I've started since the hat!
I've also finished a few things . . .

Sweet Pea's Blueberry Jacket (rav link)
Drops pattern can be found here.
Yarn: Sublime Soya Cotton - interesting stuff. Lots of broken plies, but I really like the way it worked up. I would use it again. Note: doesn't get along real well with the dryer.

Also finished another pair of mittens, but no photos.

And of course, Nephew's Pea Pod was finished and gifted for Christmas.

So you see, even though I may not blog about knitting, I am still knitting!

The Great Shoe Migration

I don't know what it is about babies, and footwear -- but I think they're in cahoots.

Every morning, I get Sweet Pea out of bed. I change her diaper. I blow raspberries on her tummy. I get her dressed in a cute outfit with equally cute shoes.
Later in the day (sometimes sooner in the day) I am sure to note that one of her shoes, or sometimes both of them, is/are off. Typically, that shoe is also missing.

Rarely, the shoe has not gone far.

Frequently, the shoes are in hiding.


But without question, what remains is this:

Because after one has removed one's shoe, the sock is not far behind.

This is how I come to have 2 'free range' socks somewhere in the house, and how it is that I spend at minimum 20 minutes of every day searching for emancipated shoes. At least 30 minutes are spent putting that adorable little foot back into the shoe.

Pink eye?

Well shit.

Turns out Sweet Pea did have conjunctivitis after all. And apparently I'm doing well at teaching her to share.

So now we have a cold, and pink eye. We are certainly social outcasts . . . and for the rest of today, I'll agree to that. We are closing in on 24 hours of treatment, mind you, so we won't be contagious for long.

Oh yeah, we're keepin' it!

Yesterday Mr. Wonderful and I did some new camera/old camera comparisons . . . no doubt about it, the new camera is vastly superior in many ways. We ARE keeping it.

Something else new-to-us that we're keeping? FRIDGE!

Old fridge:
Came with the house. Has permanent stickers on it, as well as a festive coat of rust. Lovely. Also, has the benefit of cardio exercise. It would make this death rattle from time to time that would really get my heart pumping -- not to mention the dodgy shelves that let go with a WHAM when you least expected it.

Oh yeah, and the crispers. The crispers weren't right either. They had to be lifted and jiggled to be closed properly.
In short, the fridge just wasn't right.
It came with the house, and we're not in the buying new appliances zone just yet.

Not too long ago, my parents kindly presented us with their old stove when they got a new one. My brother just re-did his kitchen and got his family a different fridge -- now our appliances are all newer!! YAY! And it didn't cost us a penny - also yay!

Note the lack of stickers and absence of rust.

So shiny and pretty and new! Mr. W spent a lot of time cleaning and setting up our new fridge. It's so awesome!
Even the freezer!

. . . and this is where I come to the full realization that 1) I'm not young and irresponsible anymore and 2) a fridge excites me, and that's a little sad . . .

Travesty.

So I see I neglected to mention that I broke the camera. Yeppers. Posts are a little light on images, no? Well, Tuesday I was cavorting on the stairs (my first mistake) when I bumped into the half-wall at the top of the stairs. The half-wall the camera was sitting on, waiting to be downloaded.
There was a SMASH.
And a CRASH.
And then the sound of batteries rolling every which way.

Turns out I cracked the camera's body, right along the battery housing. Resultantly, there is no counter-pressure against the battery door, to force contact.
Mr. W took the camera to work the next day, and used his mad creative thinking skillz to get it working . . . albeit in a hobbled manner.
Friday, I bought a new camera. Dudes, I cannot be without a camera during my baby's babyhood. I don't know if we'll keep the camera. It is not currently being used for just that reason. I mean, the old one still works . . . it's just not . . . well, it's kind of embarrassing to carry around. It's being held together with 2 washers and a random screw. So I have to ask myself, is it worth $200 to have a prettier camera? With more megapixels? And less zoom?

Cold is Teh Suck

Poor little snot monster.

She and I are at Nana's having a weekend away -- I think the two of us got 2 or 3 hours sleep last night. I'm freakin' exhausted.
I just couldn't settle her -- not with nursing, not with snuggles, not with the two combined. Even co-sleeping would only last until I started to drift off. It was a rough night.
I can understand though. She's congested, she's super snotty - she can't breath, and she certainly can't understand why not. I'm sure it's terrifying.

If cold = teh suck, then Johnson's soothing vapor bath = teh answer.
She'd been in the warm bath for approximately 32 seconds before she started giggling, splashing and smiling. She's still in a great mood. Who knows how long it will last . . . I don't care. It was totally worth it.

2009.

Holy hell, it's 2009 already.
Where does the time go?

2008 in review:

• 57 knitting projects. Some of them were very small. 2 or 3 of them were not finished.
• 1 baby. Amazing.
• No major disasters, crazy illnesses, or heavy stress.
  

All in all, 2008 was not a bad year for me. Unless I've blocked some memories, which is a distinct possibility. I hope 2009 is just as good, or better.

Of course, we're starting the year on the right foot. All of us have a cold. Poor Sweet Pea can't blow her own nose, so she looks and sounds just terrible -- but she's her regular happy little self.