Countdown to the Holidays

It seems like my crafting-for-the-holidays list is getting longer. This happens every year. I find some great projects that I want to do and keep adding them to my list because the project would be great for __________. But, I have a plan, maybe.

I have made up project sheets for all the gifts I want to make. As each one is finished, cast off, etc., I check them off my list. I am also carrying a large tote with all my knitting projects in them. It goes everywhere with me- the bus stop, restaurants, doctor's offices (including the orthodontist) and anyplace else that I know I am going to have a long wait (Houston traffic). I need to make over 40 fishie washcloths and every time one is cast off, another is immediately cast on. Is it any wonder that I have the pattern memorized???

As for my sewing, when baby girl is in her sewing class, I have my sewing projects with me and work on them in a different classroom. I have cut out the pockets for the Brownie totes I want to make for my Brownie troop and I had enough fabric leftover to make tissue holders for all of them! I finished several crayon rolls and just need to sew the totes to go with those.

It may be coming together, but I may also be the one babysitting all the kids on Christmas Eve while the others go to Midnight Mass and finishing up my projects! Good thing I am Jewish and have no desire to go to church at midnight! Anybody know a good Chinese take-out in Springfield, Ill. that will be open on Christmas???

Once Again...

Evangelical Christians have gone too far. My baby girl- age 8- got a "treat" in her Halloween bag that was a blatant proselytizing tool. I think of it as more of a trick, though, to make children feel guilty. My daughter is a good girl and doesn't need to be told she is going to hell on a day that once meant fun and candy.

Yes, I do realize Halloween has pagan roots, but so does Christmas. And as for resurrection, many polytheistic religions that were practiced in the time of Jesus had a resurrection story. Osiris, an Egyptian god, is killed by a jealous brother and then brought back to life by his wife Isis- twice!! And while we are at it, the "Virgin birth?" Really? The Greeks and the Romans had their stories long before Mary, who grew up hearing them! Zeus became a bull, swan, a woman's husband, a golden rain shower and other things to lie with and even impregnate lovely young women!

Tell you what, if we decide to go pagan and have a bonfire in our backyard and sacrifice a bull, I promise not to invite you to the festivities. You, on the other hand, must refrain from handing out such overly religious propaganda!

Ummm... Yeah

Between my husband doing something to my computer and the fact that I have been asked to be my daughter's Brownie Troop Leader, I have been busy. And to top it off, insomnia has hit in a big way. I was not meant to run on only 4 hours of sleep a night.

So, not much new at the ol' ranch. DD has been home sick one more time, but I think it allergy related and not the flu. My mom came for a visit and briefly upset teh balance in my universe. Hubby lost out on a bid and we are staying in Houston and not moving to some exotic locale, like Japan. Other than that, life is quiet.

Surly teen has started to settle down and do his work. He was on the honor roll the last 6 weeks grading period. I now have an honor roll sticker proudly displayed on my car! He even told me I'm a good mom because I "encourage." How many teens say that??

Baby girl continues her sewing lessons and is making a quilt using Hannukah fabric from my stash. I can't wait until it is done. I think it is going to be great.

Not much going on with me- trying to get the holiday crafts done, but failing miserably- too tired. I need sleep now- not when I am dead.

And So It Begins...

DD came home from school with a temp of 101.1 F. Apparently the brat who is next to her in PE coughed and sneezed all over her and then boasted she is sick. Great going mom of brat, sending a sick kid to school!

Now for my rant, which I haven't done in a month or so- if your chold is sick, please keep them home so as not to make my kid sick. While I realize you have to work, you do have vaction adn sick days for this type of thing- quit being so selfish and use your d*mn sick days to take care of your kid. So you have to cut your vacation short, isn't your child's health more important?? And odn't give me that crap about I don't understand because I have the "luxury" of staying home. It's not about working mom vs. stay-at-home mom. It's about our children. You'd be just as angry at my child if I sent her to school sick and she coughed all over your child.

And PS, if your job is more important than you child, you shouldn't have had a child in the first place!

School Starts Today

...Nuff said!

Dishwasher Woes

I enjoy the Yarn Harlot's blog. I think she is funny and insightful. I had to laugh when she had dishwasher problems, but I'm not laughing now. I just spent $167 USD replacing a piston on my dishwasher. I also had them clean out the drain while they were at it. The above is what they cleaned out- minus the quarter, which is there for scale. The gingerbread button is from some long forgotten craft project. The flexible plastic ring is possibly from a baby something or other. My baby will be 8 years old next month. At least my dishwasher won't be a breeding ground for bacteria any more.

One by One...

The kids are slowly stealing my sanity. Grumperina- the 7 yo- woke up in her usual grumpy self and spent the morning complaining about everything. I tried to get the child to eat, but she refused everything. And she felt like her older brother was picking on her- he was, but not to the extent she let on.

Surly teen was not all that surly, he just enjoyed picking on his sister and seeing if she would cry. She did- twice. Not a record, but...

I have since banished the both of them outside into the outer rings of Hell (aka Houston in the summer). They are cleaning their trash out of my car. I'm not sure what I'll have them do next.

Two weeks until school starts... two weeks until school starts... two weeks until school starts... I wish it would start tomorrow!