Heart heavy June 29, 2006

Today I dropped Owen off for his final day of transistion before he moves schools.  He has off next week and will begin at his new placement on July 10.  All of his teachers have been writing sweet notes about how they enjoyed working with Owen this year…his big blue eyes…the fun they had…and I felt as though I had failed them.  Could I have done more?  Should I have done something different? 

As we pulled up, Lori–one of his first teachers–crossed our parking spot.  We met up with her in the lobby and I started to cry.  Why hasn’t he done better?  These amazing people are not in this job for the money.  The pay stinks.  Owen has hit, bit, pushed and yelled at each and every one of his teachers.  He has also learned, laughed and loved with each of them.  Truly, the first time he ever said "I love you" was to his teacher Lorraine. 

Why couldn’t he have made it?  Not for me–but for them. 

June 28, 2006

Kathleen is to bracelets as Cara is to Jaywalkers.

Maybe not quite…but I think I just finished my 10th.  And while uploading this picture I found a few pictures Kevin took of Owen’s bath last night.  It seems to be a recurring thing for kids with autism–they love to dump shampoo bottles.  Add some jacuzzi bubbles and you got yourself quite a mess.  May your day be bubbly!

Kathleen is to bracelets as Cara is to Jaywalkers.

Maybe not quite…but I think I just finished my 10th.  And while uploading this picture I found a few pictures Kevin took of Owen’s bath last night.  It seems to be a recurring thing for kids with autism–they love to dump shampoo bottles.  Add some jacuzzi bubbles and you got yourself quite a mess.  May your day be bubbly!

the stash runneth over June 27, 2006

I have yet to catalog this mess of yarn.  Can’t imagine why, right?  UGH!  And have I been knitting?  No!  I lost the pattern for the baby sweater I was knitting in Lamb’s Pride.  And I have guilted myself into knitting bracelets for all of Owen’s teachers–all 7 of them–not to mention the coordinator and shouldn’t I also knit one for the nurse?  I don’t expect to give them all out on Friday–his last day of school–but I have requested everyone’s favorite color.  If I knit them for Cameron and Gracie’s teachers, shouldn’t I knit them for Owen’s?  They work so hard for very little money.  And we don’t have as much to give this year because of all of the construction. 

We are not going to Hilton Head on vacation this year.  With the change in Owen’s school building and transition plan to this classroom–we can’t coordinate it all.  Kevin will be taking next week off so we hope to have some fun. 

Any suggestions for stash organization?  I have already organized about 4 big bins worth.  Sigh.

Finding time to blog or knit or June 23, 2006

clean or cook… 

Today is the last day of school.  Well, that’s if you consider one hour a day.  Yesterday was nuts.  Floor got finished, shower doors picked up and dropped off, and the contractors.  They requested final payment yesterday and were a little annoyed when I said, um…no way!  Not until the house is finished.  My fence is still broken from where they dropped bricks from the chimney–in March!  And mouldings in the kids bathroom aren’t complete.  I shouldn’t even get started on the bathroom vanities.  UGH!  AND!  They have the audacity to charge $900 for closing up that one window in Owen’s room.  My mom thinks I should contact Consumer Affairs for price gouging.

To top it off, Gracie got her thumb stuck in the automatic sliding door of the minivan.  We have a Toyota Sienna and the retraction sucks!  I was always afraid of someone getting hurt.  We have made it 6  years…but still.  She was so brave though.  Kevin was out of town so getting to the ER would have been difficult at best.  She says it feels better although I offered to take her to the doctor today.  We’ll see…

Thank you for all of the kind one worder’s.  You all sure know how to make a chick feel good.  Have a terrific weekend.  Maybe I will find something blogworthy to post.  I did start and restart and restart again an EZ/Meg Best Baby Sweater Ever using stash.  Oh yea, stash…I joined the Summer of Stash.

Fear of finishing June 17, 2006

Is it truly a "fear of finishing" that prevents us from running in those ends or sewing up corners?  Truthfully, I don’t need this finished till August but still…it is done!  I knit it with Saucy Cotton based on the Debbie Abraham’s book 100 Afghan Squares to Knit.  I knit the squares in strips and generally did my own thing and saved about $400 by not using Rowan Denim.  While I don’t love cotton to knit with–this was an enjoyable project.  I would like to do another one–eventually–using Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece.

Granny very kindly presented me with a gift the other day…wanna peek?  The wrapping paper was very creative…Yup, those are wee wee pads!  Inside…some fabulous salad spoons from Tanzania–when Granny went on safari.  Those will be awesome for the weekly Stitch n’ Bitch.                                                                

Found around the blogosphere…

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June 13, 2006

Today will be spent waiting around for the delivery of shower doors.  One step closer to bathing in my own bathroom.  Installation, of course, is 1-2 weeks away.  Sigh.  But we are getting there.  We failed both the plumbing and AC inspection.  But just little stuff that could be mended quite easily.  If the contractors showed up…Just saying.

So, today I will do laundry.  Schlepping down to the basement now rots worse than ever.  If the contractors don’t carry the washer and dryer up to the new laundry room–how the heck will we ever get them up there?  Buy new?  I also need to prune my dear weeping cherry.  It hat a bit of a fungus and lost some life.  Hope springs eternal, right?  Live on little tree.

There is a bracelet to work on.  A baby blanket that really ought to be seamed  but doesn’t need to be gifted until August.  And a baby sweater on the needles for a friend.  I completely forgot about my best friends baby’s birthday.  She remembers every birthday and BOTH of my anniversaries.  I suck.  It is another one of the Rosemary’s Sweaters I have knit.  I am doing it in Lamb’s Pride and it looks pretty cute.  Pictures…hmm…maybe later.

Oh, Scooby has recovered from his cold.  All on his own.  Granny suggested a Vicks Vapor Steam–putting a towel over his head.  She’s a nut!  But his clock is off and he is back to waking us up at 4am for food.  Oh, and that puking–I think it was due to me moving his feedings to like 9am and 6pm.  He’s a dork!

Today will be spent waiting around for the delivery of shower doors.  One step closer to bathing in my own bathroom.  Installation, of course, is 1-2 weeks away.  Sigh.  But we are getting there.  We failed both the plumbing and AC inspection.  But just little stuff that could be mended quite easily.  If the contractors showed up…Just saying.

So, today I will do laundry.  Schlepping down to the basement now rots worse than ever.  If the contractors don’t carry the washer and dryer up to the new laundry room–how the heck will we ever get them up there?  Buy new?  I also need to prune my dear weeping cherry.  It hat a bit of a fungus and lost some life.  Hope springs eternal, right?  Live on little tree.

There is a bracelet to work on.  A baby blanket that really ought to be seamed  but doesn’t need to be gifted until August.  And a baby sweater on the needles for a friend.  I completely forgot about my best friends baby’s birthday.  She remembers every birthday and BOTH of my anniversaries.  I suck.  It is another one of the Rosemary’s Sweaters I have knit.  I am doing it in Lamb’s Pride and it looks pretty cute.  Pictures…hmm…maybe later.

Oh, Scooby has recovered from his cold.  All on his own.  Granny suggested a Vicks Vapor Steam–putting a towel over his head.  She’s a nut!  But his clock is off and he is back to waking us up at 4am for food.  Oh, and that puking–I think it was due to me moving his feedings to like 9am and 6pm.  He’s a dork!

Cats, colds, and knitting bracelets June 8, 2006

Poor Scooby has a  cold.  I don’t remember our cats–when  we were kids–having snotty noses but my mom assures me it is so.  Ugh.  Why is Typepad taking so long to load pictures?  Am I the only one having this problem?

Inspired by Emma’s bracelet, my mom got a bit hooked on bead bracelets.  She’s got me doing them now.  They are quick, fun and pretty.  They will also make terrific teacher gifts.  The washcloth in bamboo was given to Ann.  Gracie strung one for her teacher and I am knitting it now.  Her colors are lovelyl.  Can you see it up on the shelf?  My knitting is really taking over the house!  I resurrected my Lace Leaf Shawl that needs to be upsized on the needle.  Now to find the right size needle!  This weather is perfect for lace. 

the Highschool meme June 6, 2006

Found at Ann’s…the marching band…Love it!

Fill in the blanks about your senior year. The longer ago it was the better.

1. Who was your best friend?: Maria (probably Connie and Jon too)

2. What sports did you play?: no sports – President of SADD, Student Council, Yearbook, newspaper, Peace and Social Justice group

3. What kind of car did you drive?: not 100% sure of the year anymore but a 1984 Chrysler Reliant K.  Affectionately known as the K-car.  My mom had to have this car…it was a special model.  Spring Splendor or something.  White with blue, bucket seats, luggage rack…and a custom installed compass.  My dad had them on every car.  Before they were cool.  My friends made so much fun of me!

4. It’s Friday night, where were you at?: a party at a friend’s house if their parents were away…or drinking Margarita’s at Meson Ole’.  Mmm…and Fire Island!

5. Were you a party animal?: no, but I enjoyed parties and knew how to have fun.

6. Were you considered a flirt?: maybe a little bit.

7. Ever skip school?: yes.

8. Ever smoke?: yes.

9. Were you a nerd?: No, more in the preppy crowd but we were all in the top 25 GPA’s and Honor Society.

10. Did you get suspended/expelled?: No.  Just a threat of it for a protest/petition campaign I organized.

11. Can you sing the Alma Mater?: No way.  Not then and not now.

12. Who was your favorite teacher?: Sister Maupete.  She fully supported me and my campaign for equal rights on gym uniforms (only girls were required to wear them).  She backed me up when they threatened to suspend me for writing petitions and gave me the topic of Women’s Rights in the 20th Century for my research paper.  It fed my radical feminist roots.

13. Favorite class?: AP American History.

14. What was your school’s full name?: St. J0hn the Baptist Diocesan High School

15. School mascot?: cougar

16. Did you go to the Prom?: yes

17. If you could go back and do it over, would you?: no.  It was great and all, but no. (Ann’s answer–and I like it).

18. What do you remember most about graduation?: the parties, the emotions…confessing to my best friend that I hooked up with her boyfriend at college orientation.  Sigh.  I was a bitch.

19. Favorite memory of your senior year?: Two, a trip we took to Florida–like 10 of us–staying at a friends Condo.  Boys and girls.  The mom and her friend in a condo downstairs.  FUN!  And the week after the prom–we spent it out in Montauk at same friends house on the beach.  No parents.

20. Were you ever posted up on the senior wall?: Not sure what that means.

21. Did you have a job your senior year?: Small book store at the local mall.

22. Who did you date?:  I dated one guy for a couple of years–he caught my eye because he was wearing a Smiths shirt.  His life aspiration was to be a toll collector.  It didn’t work.  Not so much dating as "hooking up" here and there amongst friends.  Looking back, it was a little weird.

23. Where did you go most often for lunch?: we would sneak out and go to Bagel Boss or Burger King.  Owen loves Bagel Boss–it’s the only bagels he really likes.

24. Have you gained weight since then?: nearly doubled.

25. What did you do after graduation?: Went to Manhattan College, Riverhead, NY (the Bronx)

26. When did you graduate? 1988

How about some Senior Prom photos.  These are for Chris–I owe you some more 80’s photos…but my editing software is lost.