EUREKA!

My parents are still on their trip, making their way up the California coast. Tonight they're in Eureka. Every time I hear them say that I have to start singing, a la The Backyardigans. Sing it with me....scroll down and click on track 7. Has there ever been a better kids' show? I just love the Backyardigans. I never get tired of hearing them talk and sing.

Eureka! Eureka,
When you find-a what you seek-a
Eureka, Eureka
Everybody shout
Eureka, eureka, eureka, eureka!

Eureka! Eureka,
It's a word from ancient Greek-a
Eureka, eureka
Everybody shout
Eureka!

It's the best dang word
Eureka Eureka
That we have ever heard
Eureka Eureka
When you're just about to freak-a
shout it out,
Eureka!Eureka!

It's a scientist's delight
And we do pronounce it right
when you take-a that first peek-a
shout it out, Eureka!

Eureka! Eureka,
We'll sing this song a week-a
Eureka, eureka
Everybody shout
Eureka!

Eureka! Eureka,
From the top of the highest peak-a
Eureka, eureka
Everybody shout
Eureka!

It's the perfect thing to shout
when you're diggin' treasure out
when you find-a what you seek-a
shout it out eureka

It's the word you'll hear us shriek
when we find the the bones we seek
When you take-a that first peek-a
It is time to shout Eureka!
It is time to shout Eureka!
It is time to shout Eureka!

Wonderpets is a close second. And how much do I adore hearing my husband say, "This is sewious."

splitting at the seams

I have been about to burst since this morning, when I heard some long-awaited news that makes my heart sing. It's not my news to share, so I have to sit on it for now. And I am so bad at that, but I will.

silver teeth, dirt, kittens and knitting

Ben is the proud owner of a brand new silver party cap.

It's (almost) over with, he didn't feel any pain and he doesn't remember having it done. Oh, and I love that dentist and everyone there.

He drank the sedative and was getting sleepy within about five minutes. About 15 minutes in they started his chocolate-scented nitrous oxide and the work. While he was never asleep, Ben was slow moving and out of it for most of it.

The doctor kept up a constant dialogue with Ben throughout...lots of, "You're such a good helper," "You're the man," "You're doing great," etc. There was some talk of two prizes to come and he would periodically ask Ben how many prizes he had been promised. At one point Ben was too out of it to hold up two fingers and held up five. So the doctor started calling out, "OK! My best buddy, Ben, gets FIVE prizes! Everyone else back away from the prizes. They are all for Ben. No one else! You others, just back away!" Imagine it in a fairly thick Indian accent.

As it turned out, he needed two root canals and caps but the sedative started to wear off and Ben was starting to grab at the nitrous mask and turn his head. There was no sign of any discomfort--just confusion. The doctor finished up as much as he could and ended up putting a temporary thing on the second tooth. We'll go back in another month or two for the cap to be placed.

At the end he gave Ben a prescription for a local ice cream stand good for a free cone. I ended up having to call Billiam to come and drive home with us because Ben was out of it just enough that he kept trying to chew on his cheek and tongue and wasn't understanding me enough to stop. We were concerned that he would really do some damage on the way home, left to his own devices. His only complaint last night and today are that his tongue hurts. You can see what he did to it in the photo. The white part is the temporary stuff.

Remember I told you about the well pipe replacement and my poor red tulips? Here are the photos. The first photo is just before they were buried. You can see them, all unsuspecting, at the bottom of the photo.
See the guy in the trench?
At least they didn't have to break through the sidewalk.
After. I need some Mederma for this scar.

At bedtime Wednesday night, I realized I hadn't seen Mia all day. I checked with everyone else and no one had seen her since the day before. We searched the house, garage and yard (she's an indoor kitty), but no luck. I felt sick, thinking about her lost somewhere out in the dark. Yesterday before the dental appointment I made signs and when Jake got home we hung them up all around the area and willed the phone to ring. Just before dinner, Abie came running up the stairs. The goofy girl was in the garage. Jake and I had both checked the garage, separately and hadn't found her. She must have slept through us calling her over and over.

And knitting? I have another pair of socks going. This pair is Handmaiden Sea Wool Bordello. 70% merino and 30% seacell. Oh, the joy of knitting with this yarn! It's so silky and just glides through my fingers as I go. And dig this:

Seacell is a cellulose based fibre made from seaweed. That’s right – seaweed! It is highly breathable and very soft. When worn, your skin’s natural moisture will release magnesium, calcium and vitamin E contained within the seaweed. It has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to protect the skin. Amazing. (from Handmaiden's site)

The pattern is from the label.

Tomorrow? Sheep and Wool, baby. Sunday? Sheep and Wool spindle class. WOOT!

Murphy's law

If you get those tulip bulbs in the ground, right around the time they bloom and are looking oh, so pretty, the pipe between the well and the house will need to be replaced and wouldn't you know it runs by the tulips?

They were pretty for a few days, anyway.

look at me, all celebrity-like

So last night was Clara's first field hockey game. We've been t-ball parents, baseball parents, marching band parents, and punk band parents, among other things, but this is a first. We were standing there, basically picking our noses, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. I suggested that it was probably like soccer, but with sticks.

After a while, another mom came up and started talking. I've told y'all about how socially inept and weird I am in person, but she was very friendly, explaining different things about the game, equipment, helpful hints on scoring equipment for less, etc. A seasoned field hockey mom. She asked me which girl was mine and I pointed out Clara. Her girls, high school field hockey players, were coaching Clara's team.

"Heh," I thought.
"Look at me, all making a friend."

I ended up chasing Lydia as she bolted away from the field and the mom followed me, telling me that she had a funny story to tell me.

"I knit, too."

My eyes darted left and right, trying to figure out where this was coming from. While I brought a knitting bag with me, it was stuffed with snacks, not knitting. The kids had their hats with them, but in their pockets. I haven't put my knitting sticker on my van, yet, because of winter dirt. My mind was racing. How did she know that I knit?

Then the bombshell:

"I read your blog."

I'm laughing right now as I type that. At the time I believe I screamed, Home Alone style. Several times.

She happened across my blog a while ago with a google search for a baby hat pattern. She commented during National Delurking Week (look how I capitalize it--it should be a bank holiday) and I mentioned the name of my LYS so she knew my general area. She also asked if I knew of any good local knitting groups, but I don't. Way back then, I almost asked her if she would like to get together with my one knitting friend and me but then decided not to...she might be a crazy person or, worse, think I am.

Then I mentioned Clara's debate team in a blog post. She grilled her boys, debate team members, about whether other schools were doing the same topics. She gathered then at the screen to see if they recognized anyone. And, being boys, they shrugged, or something like that. At the game, her girls were egging her on to ask me if I was the one. And there she was, trying to match my face to my photo (I look much better in my photo, just sayin').

People, her boys are on Clara's debate team. Her boys are on another academic team with Hope that I haven't mentioned here because, you know, Hope forbids me to (and I wanted in the worst way to brag about it when they won the state competition but that would make it easy to identify the school they go to so I didn't, but please let me take a moment to say that Hope's academic team of some sort won the state competition!). I have pictures of her boys on my computer right now, from the debate and (insert other academic team name here) competition!

How freaky (and fun and scary and cool) is that?

After the game Clara told me that one of her coaches was asking if she has a brother named Jake.

So, yeah. I was feeling all famous. Next time I'll wear a little lipstick.

(Hi, Jane! Let me know if you want me to send you those photos of your boys.)

Viginia Tech

Busy with the college visit yesterday, I didn't hear about the events at Virginia Tech until we were home. As I prepare to send my son off to college in the fall, I worry about whether he will get along with his roommate. Whether he will do his homework without me asking if he has. Right now he is "straight edge:" opposed to drinking, smoking and otherwise messing with his body with mind-altering substances. I worry about whether being around kids who are not so inclined might make him decide to experiment. I worry about him sleeping through morning classes.

Never in a million years would I have thought to worry that a fellow student would walk into a class my son was attending and start shooting.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who lost a child, a brother, a sister, a friend yesterday.

back at school--yea!

Emma went back to school today. Friday night she started limping around (instead of hopping) and then woke up Saturday with it more swollen and painful. More ice and motrin and that gradually improved over the day. By yesterday she was able to walk around without limping. Based on this, I am guessing that the rest of the blood work will not show anything. Weird. Just plain weird. I'm just glad she's feeling better.

Thanks for all of the good wishes and hello to Pippi--small world, indeed! As soon as my brother said your name and the word yarn I knew who he was talking about. I've been reading your blog and coveting your yarn since I first saw it last summer. To the rest--my brother was telling me about someone that he knows in real life from way back when who does the yarn thing and it was none other than Pippi! It's like one degree of Pippi. Way cool.

favor

I've been getting some unusual (for lack of a better word) hits on my statcounter lately. Someone has googled my name and my kids' to find me and I'm a little bit weirded out. If you know me in real life or live in my area, but haven't ever discussed the blog with me, would you mind leaving a quick comment (you don't have to leave your name if you don't want to--just a 'hello, I'm here,' or something would be fine)?

So, if you've ever talked to me in person or in an email about the blog, it's not you, unless you're suddenly logging on from someone else's isp.

Thanks.

maybe she was just having a bad day.

I was in a local, small shop today. Just before going in I realized that I couldn't find my cell phone. Not so unusual. I routinely lose track of it in my house, in my van and even in my purse. I call myself from the house phone and my husband's cell phone all the time to locate it. Thank goodness the ringer is always on.

So, back to today. I had my cell phone when I left the house, so when I couldn't locate it before going into the store, I knew there were only so many places it could be. It could have fallen out of my sweater pocket when I was at the post office, the grocery store, the parking lot of either of these two places, or it had craftily hidden itself in my van.

So I relied on my tried and true method. After my purchase was rung up, I explained my situation to the clerk and asked if she would mind calling my cell phone from her phone so that I could listen for the ring as I got into my car. She stared at me with a blank expression for what felt like forever but was likely closer to ten seconds. During this time I am thinking, "Oh, she thinks I'm an idiot...she is feeling put out....she's......" My thoughts were interrupted by her response:

"But I don't know your cell phone number."

Alrighty, then.

p.s. it was in my van--while turning a corner it suddenly leapt from its hiding place to the floor.

why I love my computer

When I was pregnant with Emma, I joined an email list group full of other women all due in October of 1997. If someone had told me then what I am about to tell you now, I would have thought them mad.

I'm putting my firstborn on a plane Wednesday night to head to the other side of the country and he will be staying with one of the women I met on that list.

Honestly, I didn't expect to get much from the list. I was pregnant with my fourth and so many were having their first or second. But I stuck around. We posted photos of ourselves for each other to see--excited to share our burgeoning bellies with others on the journey.

I clearly remember my first impression of Laura: L.A. chick, nearly ten years my junior, having her first baby...a cheerleader type. If you weren't part of the in-crowd in high school, you know the voice that I use when I say that. Her photo showed a cute young mom-to-be with thick hair hanging most of the way down her back. Nothing in common between us. I was sure of it and didn't give her a whole lot of thought.

But after the babies were born, something clicked. This was back in the days before unlimited long-distance and we burned up the wires between here and there, carefully weighing our phone bills against the need to share our days with each other in voice. With both households on tight budgets, our husbands were not always happy the day the phone bills came.

When Emma was 15 months old I took her and flew out to the west coast to meet Laura (and others from the list) in person. I think my father thought I was crazy and would surely be greeted at the airport by a serial killer with a chainsaw in his trunk.

When I was pregnant with my Abie, Emma and I flew out again, my ticket paid for by a wonderful group of women from the list, so that they could give me a Blessingway. I remember there was a huge storm coming into this area in the early morning hours just before I was to fly out. My flight, along with a bunch of others, was going to be cancelled. I got on the phone with the airline and a sympathetic woman got me one of the last seats on the last flight out (Oh, Honey. They're throwing you a shower in LA? Then we just have to find you a seat to get you there!"). I just barely made it. What is another word for amazing? That's what that weekend was. With a group of women I would never have met, if not for the piece of crap computer we had at the time.

When Abie was born, Laura and Pam (another mom from the list) flew here to be with me (and take charge of our older kids) for his birth. It says a lot about them that my husband and I (both shy, shy people) never felt a moment of unease with them there with us at such a personal time. One of the highlights of his birth was when, as I held him--fresh and new--I looked over to see Laura and Pam, hugging each other and bawling their eyes out with joy over our brand new baby.

A third mom from the list flew up from NC the day after he was born. We were shoe-horned into a tiny little house and, having just had a baby, were horrible hosts, but they never complained.

A year later I flew out to L.A., Abie in tow, to be with Laura at the homebirth of her second daughter. Abie and Claire, one year and 2 days apart in age, were betrothed before she was even born. How many husbands can say that they were present when their wife was born? Now we argue about which coast they will live on when the day finally comes. Btw, Jake is betrothed to her older daughter. He's eight years older than her, so they will have to wait until he's in his thirties and she's twenty-something so that it's not creepy, but we are patient people.

Through that pregnancy list I met my best friend (who if infinitely more smart and wonderful than I initially gave her credit for). And now, on Wednesday night, I will put my firstborn on a plane to fly 2600 miles to Laura's house. Her husband works in production and has arranged for my boy to have backstage credentials at the rehearsals for a certain music aw*rds show that is filming next weekend (look at me, being all stealth-like). How cool is that? I am nervous (about the flying, not being with Laura and her family) and green with envy but mostly excited for my music-loving boy. Thank you, Laura. Thank you, Josh. And I am eternally grateful to this little thang called the internets that has so enriched my life.

bah, no pictures.

There has been too much occupying my brain lately to post much. I finally got my tax papers from my test proctoring job so that I could finish our taxes and complete the FAFSA information.

I didn't realize that the FAFSA site would spit out a number immediately to tell us what our expected contribution will be for Jake's first year of college. It's a lot of money but we will somehow manage it. The information is now forwarded to the schools he has applied to and they will let us know what can be put together to make up the difference between our expected contribution and student loans/grants/work study. Hopefully the numbers will work.

His first choice is by no means an inexpensive school so I will be holding my breath until we hear from them. He has applied to two other schools. One is a bit less and the other is much less. I just really, really hope everything works out for his first choice.

I do our taxes and use either TurboTax or TaxCut, depending on which way the wind blows. I love the way it figures everything out for me. I can't believe I did our taxes on paper for so many years, especially when I was a licensed daycare provider and had a gazillion more forms to fill out.

This year, however, there was some weird glitch with e-filing through TurboTax. To do an electronic signature, you have to input your last year's adjusted gross income. TurboTax was nice enough to grab that from our stored info and I sent it off, along with our state. Then I got an email saying the big guys had rejected our return because last year's agi number )for the electronic signature) didn't match up with what they have. Um. Well. It matches up with what I sent them last year.

I ended up calling the big guys and spoke to the nicest lady (thank you, Ms. Parrish, for being so friendly), who checked their records of my life history looked at our 2005 return and pronounced that TurboTax had been smoking crack a glitch in their software and to call them to find out why they are so annoying when they're high how to correct the problem.

In the meantime, our state return was kicked back to, because if the big guys don't want to know us, they don't either. Let me tell you, this game is so much fun for someone with an abnormal fear of authority.

In the end I decided that the faster course of action would be to submit the return electronically and send in the signature on paper. Glory hallelujah, the return was accepted. I should have my refund in my hot little hands bank account by February ninth.

In knitting news, I've now made six hats in Fig and Plum's pattern and have started a hat for Clara based on the Fake Isle pattern on Magknits. It's Kureyon and black, like the pattern, but has a skull motif around the main part (from Hello Yarn's We Call Them Pirates) instead of the diamond pattern in the original. Speaking of pirate hats, I finished Jake's pirate hat (love the lining--I used a milk chocolate brown cotton) in that pattern but, as I feared, it is too small. He can put it on but prefers to have blood circulating to his brain, so he won't be wearing it. It's adorable on Ben and Clara has worn it a few times. I'll have to knit it again using larger needles.

I've also started Sweater Babe's Beautiful Cabled Baby Jacket for Lydia for next year in (what else?) pink. The pattern cracks me up. It's written line-by-line with little boxes to check off beside each one. Idiot-proof. I'm just about down to the divide for the sleeves (it's knit from the top down) and it's going really quickly. I worked on it for a little while last night and a few times here and there today. Gotta love Cashmerino Aran on 9's.

I need to decide on what to knit for my sister's baby girl, due on April Fool's Day. I told her that she should aim for delivering at least a day late as she could have so much fun all day long on the first, telling people she is in labor.

Oh! And if you are in need of yarn stash organization, Costco has a cool shoe organizer right that is very cute for yarn. I'm not seeing it on their website, but it's very cute and about $23. I'll take a picture of mine when it's prettier. I'm in the process of addding yarn to it.

There is something else exciting going on but I have to check with someone to be sure I'm allowed to talk about it. Laura? Can I?

Thanks to those who already have (seriously, you made my day). Now it's time for the rest of you. Tell me how you found me. Or anything else.

do you go back?

I have often wondered if, when people leave a comment on a post, they go back to see if there is a response. So, when I respond, do they ever see it? I'm sure some do and some don't, but I wonder which way the scale tips.

Do you go back and check?

C'mon! Leave a comment!

It's National De-lurking Week. My stat counter tells me that someone out there is reading my drivel brilliant, well-thought out posts, so c'mon. Help my self-esteem. Leave a comment!

insert witty title here

Tonight is Hope's eye appointment to see if she needs glasses. Frankly, as bad as my eyes are, I'm surprised none of the kids have needed glasses, so far. Hope is desperately hoping that she's not the one to break that streak.

Jake is navigating his second and third college applications (remind me to tell you something about the second one that's funny) and I am about to delve deeper into FAFSA. I'm hoping that FAFSA won't turn into FAFSA HELL. Here is a situation where our large family size could work wonders for us.



I have photos from Chanukah, Christmas and New Year's to post but haven't gotten them off the camera, yet. Here's one to tide you over. Bedhead Lydia on Christmas morning.
Now we're off to pick up prescriptions, kitten food, hay for the bunny, a "kind" mousetrap (Squelge the gerbil has escaped and does not feel inclined to nicely jump into our hands and back into his home) and deodorant. Don't you wish your day was this action-packed?

A big welcome to the world to my cousin, Debbie's brand new baby boy, Caden Charles, born yesterday. I can't wait to see photos!

any correlation?

My Fortune Cookie told me: Better start drinking now. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

read this, from another Gretchen

I'll post about Christmas another time. It's late, we have a new memory foam mattress pad that's calling my name and I need to get the kids to bed. In the meantime, please read this post. Short, but so funny that as I read it I immediately felt a loud laugh coming out. In that same second, I remembered that I had just gotten Lydia to sleep and didn't want to wake her. In trying to stifle the laugh, I somehow injured my throat.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

after all that,

Emma woke up in tears with a sore throat. One baby hat, wrapped and tagged, handed off to her little brother to give to her beloved teacher. This is her teacher's last day of school before her maternity leave so Emma won't get to see her again until she brings the baby in to meet the kids. At least she won't be giving Mrs. G. a hat and a virus for Christmas.

Hope and Clara were busy cooking and baking last night for their teachers. After a burned first batch, Clara made perfect little chocolate chip cookies and lined them all up in a roll like this:

Hope went for homemade marshmallows, from Martha's recipe. They were surprisingly easy and pretty darn tasty.

They each chose their favorite teachers (and the bus driver) to give gifts (they have seven teachers, each). I don't think Jake ever did teacher gifts once he got to middle school.

Abie's teacher got truffles from these nice folks, as did the bus driver. They were simply but beautifully packaged and I will be checking back next year to buy more.

How about you? Do your kids give gifts to their teacher(s) at the holidays? What kinds of things do they give?

I heart brown.

Is there anyone in the universe who loves the online tracking at ups.com as much as I do? So much better than USPS, which lets me know they have delivered a package the day after it gets here. Click. Click. I get to see all my packages as they make their way across the country. Click. Click. That one spent just over an hour in Tennessee. Click. Click. Texas, why did you hold onto my package for nine hours before sending it on?

Seven children means that much of our holiday shopping is completed online. Click. Click. There's another, on the truck, scheduled to arrive on my doorstep today. Click. Click. One by one, sometimes in pairs, my kids' Christmas presents arrive.

I wish I could see all the other aspects of my life falling into place so easily.

brunch was lovely.

In my next life I want to be rich and eat breakfast there every day. You're all invited. I'll send my car and driver for you (I'll be rich, remember?). I told my friends that we should meet there every second something of something until we are little old ladies.

We were serenaded by a renaissance-clad choir on a balcony. Yo, yo, yo (ho, ho, ho). Santa was in the house. He went to each table, sitting and chatting, taking photos, etc.
Then the singing ren-kids, again. The food was great, the company better.

Hopefully a photo will be added. My camera decided to be petulant while Santa was at our table. Ah, well.