Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Did I mention that it's a sanity thing?

Ah summer, how I wish ye would just end.

I know, we're barely into July. Oh how I know. September is so, so very far away, and I need to find a way to make the most of this summer with the kids...we'll only be here once, right? Enjoy them while they're young, right? I get it, problem is I'm outnumbered and I can't. 3 kids under 6, 2 dogs all day is just too much for me to deal with. I'm overstimulated all day every day, just wanting everyone to please for the love of all things sane, just leave me alone for 5 minutes!

I also seem to be in the downward spiral of bad karma. Don't know what I'm paying for, but I sure hope it was worth it, because every time I turn around something else is imploding. I'm trying to get things going in a positive direction, yet I keep getting slapped.

Want the list? Here you go: (if you don't need to hear me whine, skip the monster paragraph below...really, no need to read it, i just need to vent)

2 sprained ankles...or rather the twicely sprained ankle. (try chasing after the amazing 18 month presto climbo with that...don't know how it will ever heal. weight loss dreams that went out the window with surprise pregnancy #3 now are orbiting the Orion Nebula I think...) Parents in crisis, selling the house they've been in since I was a freshman in high school...and therefore the pool! (do i even need to tell you how much that hurts? every time i take the kids up to swim i just cry. they're so little they won't even remember it, and the baby will never even have it to not remember...and yep, am crying again...enough o' that.) Drove to Milwaukee last weekend to leave 2 of the 3 with the in-laws only to have fevers break out. (...so home we all came again...now with 2 pissed off kids begging to go swim, but not able to since said pool is in the backyard of the house that needs to stay immaculate and they have no idea is soon to be not in their life anymore...with the baby that is now sick and needing to be held 24/7. so much for the "finding the me in me again" week...SIGH!) The husband that has a major project closing up right now, not home even when his body is, which is pretty much just to have dinner, put the kids to bed and sleep. And the sock club missed 2 months running. And 2 separate spinning classes nixed as well. And we bought the much a-cursed minivan. How I hate that car. And what are you supposed to say when you go to your sister's "finally done with oral surgery residency" banquet only to have everyone you meet say they've seen and heard so much about your beautiful children, but that your sister never talks about you." Gee, thanks" didn't quite seem appropriate. My husband says I need to sprout thinker skin.

No, I am not enjoying my summer.

But I am enjoying my new summer shoes:


Rocket Dogs. They make me happy. Can you tell that the rhinestones are little hearts? Oh early 80s throwback joy!


So, in the spirit of the shoes, I'm determined to try to make lemonade with the lemons I'm being pelted with. Not quite sure how just yet, can't seem to find the sugar in this mess of my life right now, but hey, if I keep finding little things that make me happy, I'll get me that big, ice-cold glass of loveliness, right? Right?

So, on the quest for the sugar, I've put the yarn, hooks and needles to work.

Simple soothing crochet in colors that make me happy:

It's the Bella Dia pattern for the Vintage Vertical Stripe Blanket. Why I'm making it for my "off to make loads of money and live a horribly interesting life while I tell no-one about my SAHM older sibling" sister, I have no idea. (duh, she is my sister even though I'm piqued right now...) But the new "Cotton Ease " comes in such groovy colors that seemed perfect for a new bed blanket for her new place. I'm weak, I know. (and in case you're keeping track, this does in fact make blanket in progress #4. i did say i was weak, right?)

And I set my mind to conquering the DPNs. My first successful attempt:

(mitten pattern out of "One Skein Wonders" , slightly adapted with patterning at the cuff...rows of k1p1 alternating with rows of knit only...in Cestari 2 ply wool/yak)


For some reason the first flew, no troubles casting on or keeping ladders at bay. The second held ladders galore and I frogged it back at least three times to remedy them. At one point I even had ladders spiraling around as I shifted stitches between needles. (huge thanks to Annie Modesitt and the rerun on Knitty Gritty in which she so clearly showed the simple beauty of not trying to snug up the first stitch, but the second when switching between needles...and for holding them consistently so I could see what I was doing wrong. isn't she just the greatest? join me in sending undying love to the heretic by buying this pattern to send much needed support in time of medical crisis. death to multiple myeloma! and cases of double stuffed oreos for all if that's the ticket...no i haven't fallen off my rocker, read her blog. sometimes even knitters lose their minds it seems.)

And I'm off on DPN mastery project 2: (though I think I have to get a smaller size, this be working up preeeety loose. pattern is for bulky on 8s, I'm working worsted on 7s, think I need 6s.)


Same book. Wavy fingerless mitts/wrist/arm warmers. The loverly yarn my Lime and Violet bud sent me this spring...browns and purples and pinks with bits of blues and greens. In alpaca. Yeah!

Want to help? Bring ice. (seriously. have you seen what the weather's been like here? only plus, low mosquito count.)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Somehow I wonder how my mom survived with 3 of us under 3 all living in a trailer home at the time....

Oh wait.

That explains it!

Robin said...

Sorry to hear you've had a crappy summer so far. Have you seen Loop D Loop Crochet yet? I just started a dual crochet/knit along for it and its knitting sister, Loop D Loop. I have pictures of the crochet designs on my blog today. Come on over and play when you get time!!

Stasia said...

When the hubby's more available, you need to pack up the yarn and come for a visit. We'll sit outside, drink mojitos or martinis, knit and crochet, and watch the sheep and goats. I've had a spell of bad juju, too, and I just need a BREAK! (Don't get me started on the fact that my satellite internet isn't working and the yahoos up here can't fix it!)

Cool shoes. :-)

Jennifer said...

I just want to tell you I feel you girl. Today has been stressful. husband tells me they are having a fundraiser at work tomorrow and to please bake anything and everything we have. Of course that means look online, find good recipes, jot them down, take kids to grocery store to get items, stop at Mcdonalds, come back home, bake instead of crochet while kids take naps, laundry, ironing, clean mess in kitchen after baking 4 batches of cookies and 2 batches of fudge, think to myself 30 more minutes and hubby will be off work and on his way home, remember oh no, bowling league tonight, go up there for the first time to visit, try bowling with 2 yr old hyper son who doesn't listen to one word I say and 3 yr old pretty good daughter, only to realize after my son picked the ball up 10 times (nont wearing shoes) that we need to leave now before he drops that 10 lb ball on his toe and breaks something. Drag the screaming, crying kids out of the bowling alley in front of all hubby's fellow co-workers, to have kids scream their heads off the whole 45 minute drive home. Feed them, off to bed. Yeah right. 2 hours later I put them back in bed for the hundredth time and pray it will be the last. All the while wanting to hide in some closet and cry my eyes out. Why can't they listen? Don't pick the ball up means just that. Its bed time, now go to sleep means just that. Don't hit your brother means just that. ARGH! Am I the only one who's kids dont listen? Yeah right. I know better. But I also know mine listen lesser than everyother kid. Seriously I thought I was going to have a melt down during that 45 minute trip home. PLEASE JUST BE QUITE AND ENJOY THE SCENERY FOR 2 MINUTES so I can collect my thoughts. Anyways, sorry about the long comment. Just wanted to let you know you are absolutely not the only one hating the summer. And preschool 6 hours a week is not cutting it. LOL. Hope tomorrow is much better. Jennifer

Dawn said...

Hey thanks lynn, robin, stasia, jennifer for taking a mo' to drop me a note. Nothing like mail to brighten a day! ...and stasia, one of these days the roadtrip will so happen. next time you get up the the cities, let me know, we'll do drinks...or better yet, a yarn crawl WITH drinks!

Kim Werker said...

YOWZA. I totally feel your thwarted-by-a-sudden-rush-of-crappy-karma blechness. Conquering DPNs is a good feat, though. And those shoes are awesome. xoxo