Ronni's Roundup

HSKS 12 Spoilage!!

2010-11-24T18:57:00.002-05:00

Gifties for my girls: Wizarding bags with their names on them, Slytherin pride stickers, Slytherin bookmarks, and floo powder (edible ;) )

MY Wizarding bag. It's covered up, but has my name and looks like theirs, only black. Filled with coffee, soak samples, CIRCUS PEANUTS!!!!!!! Dementor's Kiss candies, and a "Horcruxes Got Soul" bumper sticker

Closed shot of my handmade item. Wait... It gets COOLER!!!

Ta-da! It's a secret quill holder!!! Filled with quills of all colors!!!

"Snake in the Grass" sock yarn with the Nagini pattern (not photoed)

Owl Ribbon, which WILL find many more purposes, an Owl iron on, fridge magnets and stitch markers.

Ready for my close up, Mr deMille...

maddy.

2010-11-23T19:34:00.003-05:00

(theme for this and the following post shamelessly stolen from The Pioneer Woman)

she is...

stubborn

opinionated

beautiful

loud

growing up so fast

wise beyond her years

she is not...

complacent

"girlie"

shy

anything one would expect her to be

a happy reader

a morning person

I've been MIA...

2010-11-20T16:47:00.003-05:00

But I'm back! Here's what I've been up to:

We took the girls to have their Christmas photos taken.

I re-organized the craft room:

I finished my MIL's Sweater for Christmas:

And my parents' blanket for Christmas:

And my FIL's scarf for Christmas:

And a pair of socks for me. It's recently been pointed out to me that during times of trauma, I cast on for socks. So, since I was dealing with a pretty big-assed size trauma in the past few weeks, I knit these:

Oh! And we had Halloween, too. We went to Lucy's for Halloween, and walked around her neighborhood to trick or treat. The girls were princesses, Jake was a three hole punch, and Lucy and I had our towels handy, just in case!

Anagrams

2010-11-01T09:53:00.000-04:00

SPARSE VENUES = Severus Snape
GO UNLOAD LOVE = Luna Lovegood
A MOTH SEDAN = Thomas Dean
FLUSH CIGAR = Argus Filch
SLICK AIRBUS = Siruis Black
DUMB ANALOG = Ludo Bagman
A DRY MOO-CALF = Draco Malfoy
UNSNAP THE SKI = Stan Shunpike
PIT-A-PAT RIVAL = Pavarti Patil
AN OLD JEER = Lee Jordan

Photo Scavenger Hunt

2010-10-26T12:56:00.003-04:00

Week 5 Matching

2010-10-16T20:37:00.000-04:00

1. Vine wood and Dragon Heartstring-i. Hermione Granger
2. Walnut and Dragon Heartstring-k. Belatrix Lestrange
3. Hawthorn and Unicorn tail hair-m. Draco Malfoy
4. Hornbeam and Dragon Heartstring-d. Viktor Krum
5. Ash and Unicorn hair-g. Cedric Diggory
6. Rosewood and Veela Hair-l. Fleur Delacour
7. Elder and Thestral Hair-b. Albus Dumbledore
8. Mahogany and an unknown core-j. James Potter
9. Elm and Dragon Heartstring-e. Lucius Malfoy
10. Cherry and Unicorn hair-c. Mary Cattermole
11. Yew and Phoenix Feather-h. Tom Riddle
12. Holly and Phoenix Feather-f. Harry Potter
13. Willow and Unicorn Hair-a. Ron Weasley

Busy Bee

2010-10-08T17:42:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy house here lately. My mother-in-law and her mom came to visit for a week, and we were going non stop the whole time. They arrived on Wednesday and we did a grocery shop at Costco (always an event, that place is crazy). Thursday, we went to the Strip so they could see where Jake works. That was slow going, because his Gram needs to stop a lot to rest. Truth be told, so do I right now, so that's okay. Friday, we went on Maddy's field trip in the morning and then stayed up late playing games. Saturday afternoon was lunch out and "Legend of the Guardians" at the IMAX theater. Saturday night was Shakespeare in the Park (MacBeth). Sunday we grilled a really nice lunch and then went to Cirque du Soliel: Beatles Love in the evening. AWESOME show. The girls loved it especially, and the Aussies sitting behind us were completely enamored of the fact that Laura fell asleep 3/4 of the way through, mid-clap. Monday, we finally got to relax a bit as they were leaving around 4am Tuesday. We've spent the entire of this week trying to get back into the swing of our routine and waiting for the supplies for a change in Maddy's curriculum. :) Here's hoping that next week is a bit calmer!

Long Week

2010-09-25T10:46:00.003-04:00

This week was long, and isn't really over yet. We had an ultrasound. It was great! I got to see AND hear the baby's heartbeat. That was reassuring, since I've miscarried before.

Maddy's lessons are going okay... She's still struggling with reading, but is making progress which makes us feel better. We're going to give it a few weeks, and if we don't feel like there has been enough progress, we're going to get her a tutor.

Jake and I are going to spend the remainder of this week deep cleaning the house in preparation for the visit from his mother and grandmother. They will arrive on Wednesday, the 29th, and be here for about a week. We're looking forward to seeing them, as it's been since June for me, and since December for him since we've been face to face with them.

2010-09-16T15:39:00.000-04:00

Someone with the same craft as you (either those listed above or another one).Emma Wigworthy
Someone who was born in the same month as you. Cayden Brocklehurst
Someone from a different country. Lizzie Wychwood
A new HSKS Family member. Schmutzerella Oglethorpe
Someone who has been in 3 or more HSKS swaps. Wisteria Lovegood
Someone who has a bigger stash than you! (And if your stash is the biggest, proudly say so! Fleur Sweeting
Someone who both knits and crochets. Hermione Bagnold
Someone who has the same favorite color as you. Siobhan Mooney
Someone who has the same favorite season/holiday as you. Ambyr Phoenixfire
Someone who has the same favorite fiber as you. Morgianna Defeufaucon

Photo a Day, Week 1

2010-07-25T13:56:00.002-04:00

buttons for Lucy's Peaks Island HoodBlush and First Blush Sundara sock for a Daybreak Shawl
The fabric for Lucy's apron
A photo of my Grandmother with Maddyson in her Christening gown.
Peaks Island Hood
My Chef accessories
My Baker's rack

My Kit from Emma

2010-07-16T10:57:00.003-04:00

My kit finally made it through customs and to me, yay!!!!!! Let's see it all, shall we?

The yarn and pattern and stitch markers. The yarn was hand-dyed for me by Emma in a beautiful Aqua color. It's laceweight and over 600 yards!
The stitch markers up close, and their pouch. They're runes. She included the meanings of the runes, and if you're curious, I'll list them for you later.

The hand made items: A tea cup pin cushion, a mini sock, a snitch for my Christmas tree, and a gorgeous thin scarf that can also double as a head wrap (I got a Trelawney kit, in case you were wondering!)

The goodies: German hot cocoa (YUM!) a quill pen, and sheepie candles. She also sent along purses with gummy bears for the girls but I didn't get a photo of them.

Photo a day and Knitting for Yarn

2010-07-16T10:40:00.003-04:00

So Lucy and I have vowed to take a photo a day from now to the beginning of August, and two a day from the beginning of August to our trip, so that we'll be in the habit of photo-taking and won't forget to photograph our trip. I've decided to blog my photos on Fridays, so that I stay in the habit of blogging as well.

Wednesday, the girls played dress-up in old Halloween costumes. Here's Laura as Spidy.

Thursday, I photoed some yarn I've been spinning. This is Lorna's Laces roving in Vera.
This is my "Happy Scarf". I work on it when I'm sad, upset, or unable to focus on anything else.

I've also been knitting for yarn lately. I just started, but the basic idea is that someone sends you the yarn and pattern they've been wanting to knit, you knit it and send it back to them, and then they send you yarn as payment/a gift for helping them to knit the things in their queue. I've currently got a scarf, a pair of socks and two sweaters going. That's why my facebook status constantly says "Knitting" or some variation thereof. LOL!

On the Road Again...

2010-06-15T08:47:00.002-04:00

We're off to CT this morning. We'll be there until Sunday. I'm so looking forward to seeing my SnB friends Saturday morning! We'll be staying with my in-laws, which should be fun!

Keeping Busy

2010-06-10T07:24:00.002-04:00

I've been keeping busy while I've been here in PA, but am missing my home and my friends there something fierce. Next week I go to CT and get to see my in-laws and my friends there at my knitting group on Saturday morning. I have to say I'm pretty excited for that, because I've been missing them nearly as much as I'm missing my home. LOL

I've been working on a few pair of socks for me and for Lucy and a surprise for an angel kit in a swap I'm in (so no more details there, lol)

The Time Has Come

2010-06-02T09:20:00.002-04:00

Today is the day that I fly cross-country (First from Vegas to Boston, then from Boston to Baltimore) to visit my parents, in-laws and friends for 24 days. It's just me and the girls on a red-eye to Boston, so I'm a little nervous, but I think we'll do alright. They travel very easily, especially by air, so I'm more worried about me than them I think.

While there, we intend to do a bunch of fun things which I'll take photos of to post here as much as possible.

See you on the other side!

Sudoku- Arithmancy

2010-05-25T09:25:00.002-04:00

I'm so proud of me! I actually DID the puzzles and didn't read someone else's answers!

1. Dobby
2. Harry Potter
3. Hog's Head

Exciting new ventures

2010-05-21T10:36:00.002-04:00

Lucy and I are opening an Etsy shop together. We'll be selling an amalgam of things that showcase both of us to the best of our abilities, and hope to have lots of fun with it. I'm going to keep the details of everything we want to see in our shop under wraps, but suffice it to say, we're VERY excited and now VERY busy prepping for our self-imposed launch date of Aug 31st. Watch here for more info to come!

Busy Lady

2010-05-13T10:49:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Jake had a friend over for brunch, so I was cooking my fanny off starting at 6:30 am!

Today, I think I'll go to the LYS and try to see if I can't enjoy some knit time there.

At some point this weekend, I need to book three round trip tickets to Pennsylvania (yay for red-eye cross country flights when traveling with a 4 and 6 year old!) And can I just take this opportunity to say what pros my girls are with flying? Their first flight was in December, when we moved to Vegas, and from that very first flight my girls can navigate through baggage check, security, and find their way to a gate with relative ease. They impress me.

Then will start the epic list making, packing and repacking, and triple checking. That will pretty well take up the entire two to three weeks between now and the time we go.

DONE!!!

2010-05-08T19:46:00.004-04:00

The ruffled apron I talked about a couple of posts back is done, and look how cute it turned out!

potions homework

2010-05-07T18:15:00.000-04:00

Part 2:

Answer the following potions questions:

1. Sneezewort, scurvy grass, and lovage are used to make what?

A: Allergen Solution

B:Confusing Draught

C: Babbling Befuddlement

D: Wandering Agent

2. Porcupine quills are to be added when to a Boil Cure Potion?

A: It is the second ingredient you add

B: Before it is removed from the fire

C: You don't add them, they aren't part of the potion

D: After it is removed from the fire

3. What potion, if brewed correctly, should change color numerous times throughout brewing including deep purple, lilac, and finishing clear?

A: The Draught of Living Death

B: Amortentia

C: Calming Draft

D: Elixir to Induce Euphoria

4. This ingredient in the Draught of Peace, would likely bring you permanent peace since it is poisonous, what is it?

A: Murlap

B: Belladonna

C: Mugwort

D: Hellebore

5. Chopped daisy roots, skinned shrivel-fig, sliced caterpillar, one rat spleen, dash of leech juice are all ingredients to what?

A: Swelling Solution

B: Deflating Draught

C: Shrinking Solution

D: Sleeping Draught

My new sewing project

2010-04-26T14:58:00.003-04:00

Soon, the fabric you see below will become a ruffled skirt style apron, much like the one seen here. Awesome, right? The orange polka dot fabric is the backing, the ties and the band. The other four are the ruffles. SO cute. I'll update when it's finished. Shouldn't take too long...

2010-04-24T22:32:00.001-04:00

We won Quidditch today, which was awesome. Way to go Rowan!

I finished those project bags that I mentioned in my last post. Check 'em out!

COMC Homework

2010-04-15T18:01:00.002-04:00

Part 1:

Five items for COMC class:
1. Ferret, for feeding to a Hippogriff.
2. Cat, for breeding Kneazles
3. Pencil, for sketching Bowtruckles
4. Wand, for jinxing Blast-Ended Skrewts
5. Lettuce, for feeding Flobberworms.

Part 2:
1. Please describe the physical appearance of a house elf. House elves are short, between 2 and 3 feet tall, have fat bodies, spindly limbs, bug-eyes, and big bat's ears.
2. Kreacher is the house elf of which wizarding family? The Blacks
3. What is Hermione Granger making for the house elves? Clothing, which she left strewn about in hopes that they'd pick it up and be freed.
4. How do you free a house elf? Give them clothes.
5. What does S.P.E.W. stand for? "Society for the Protection of Elvish Welfare"

Part 3: In the works...

How did I DO that?

2010-04-11T10:28:00.004-04:00

How is it possible that I completely forgot to blog this last week? Ugh. So absurd. I'm a bit angry with myself right now, but we'll move along, yes?

I just finished a BIG project yesterday that I'm madly in love with. Sadly, I can neither share a photo nor talk about it because it's a gift for someone who could very likely be reading here.

There are a few things, however, that I *can* talk about right now. Fleur and I have decided to start our own sock club. We knew that while lots of people (Yarn Harlot, for example) were having great luck knitting from stash with self-imposed stash sock clubs, we would not follow through. Even randomizing which bag would be pulled each month was unsuccessful when we tried it.

So, we decided that what we'd do is create a sock kit for the other person out of our OWN stash. We covet each other's yarns with a frequency and ferocity that is amusing to bystanders, so we knew this would work. Each month, we choose a yarn from our stash, a pattern to go with it, and spend a maximum of $10 on extras to round out the theme, and then on the third Tuesday of the month (because we couldn't wait an entire month from when we finalized our decision to do this, lol) we trade.

We're each going to have a binder for our patterns, just like we have for our Rockin' Sock Club patterns. And I'm making us each Japanese Knot project bags to be our special bags for our club. Here are the fabrics I'm going to use:

Cute, right? I think so. :) I'm loving the owls. I also just bought fabric for two skirt style aprons for myself, a full "Hostess Style" apron for Lucy, Ruffle aprons for the girls, and basket liners for Lucy's wicker baskets. So there'll be lots of sewing going on in my house for the next little while. :)

Character descriptions

2010-03-27T20:50:00.003-04:00

So, assignment one is to write an essay about why we chose our three characters for our kits, to help our spoilers out a bit.

- Minerva McGonagall: The Gryffindor HoH and sometimes Headmistress is my favorite bonny lass. I adore the fact that she and I are both Scots (mine descent and hers birth, but there you have it). I love that she has a tartan nightgown and cap, and wish I had something with my own tartan on it! I'm a highlands Cameron, and just adore everything about my Scots heritage.

- Sybil Trelawney: I love how very eclectic the divination teacher is. She makes me laugh, and I suppose I can relate a bit with her predilection towards thoughts of doom and her devotion towards her chosen family at Hogwarts. I love the fact that her prediction altered the history of the wizarding world so severely, and she doesn't even know- and I think that we've all altered someones history in that way without realizing.

- Moaning Myrtle: It's hard to explain why I love the specter in the girls lavatory so much, but I really, really do. I find her incredibly amusing. Maybe it's schadenfreude, but I just love Myrtle. Her pain and lament just crack me up, and I love her spying on Cedric and Harry in the bathtub.

Favorite Things, Wish Lists, etc.

2010-03-22T10:27:00.001-04:00

Favorite Colors: Green and pink, blue and brown, pink and brown (each as combinations), Green, Blue, purple, grays. I have recently found an extreme lack of yellow or orange in my sock stash, so those colors in sock yarns would be good. :)

Favorite Scents: I'm not a fan of anything overly sweet smelling, and get migraines from certain scents, so you're probably better off avoiding smelly things. Yankee Candle candles are safe, none of their scents have ever given me a headache (knock on wood...) Ooh. I LOVE the smell of Soak's "Scent for Celebration".

Favorite Yarn Brands: Malabrigo (all weights), Cosmic Fibers, Cascade 220, Knit Picks yarns.

Favorite Yarn Types: I'm always interested in new yarns for socks or lace. I like wools a lot. I'm not usually that fond of cottons, because they feel strange in my hands when I knit. Cotton blends are good, though. I knit mostly socks and lace, so the majority of my yarns are wool, and wool blends because of that.

Favorite Snacks: Spangler Circus Peanuts (yes. Those neon orange marshmallows shaped like peanuts. I love them.), Oreos, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, Cheez-Its, Tortilla Soup (sort of hard to ship... ;) )

Allergies: None that apply to the swap, unless migraines from some scents counts.

Wishlists:
KnitPicks
Loopy Ewe
Etsy

Sole Food Swap!

2010-01-23T17:52:00.003-05:00

Overview:

Pictured are a bamboo steamer (yay!!!); gifts for the girls and DH; Wasabi paste (mmmm....); Instant Miso soup in three flavors- tofu, green onion, and wakame seaweed; breath mints; recipes; Alpaca Sox yarn; two sock patterns and instructions for the steamer with MORE recipes!
Close up of the yarn, so pretty.
The girls with their gifts-
not pictured are the buttons she sent them, which they're currently playing with.
Lots of yummy peppers. Mmmm....Yummy stuff close up.Thank you SO much to Lotusburger. I love EVERYTHING. Yes, I will use the peppers, and I've made dumplings before, so I know my way around a wonton wrapper well. ;)

Bustling

2009-12-19T16:39:00.002-05:00

Very busy around here for the next week or so. I'm sure that there are many many homes where that is the case, though.

Tonight, we're going to dinner and Nutcracker highlights with Lucy and Mauricio.

Tomorrow, we're taking the girls to Town Square to see Santa (Jake's ONLY day off)

Monday and Tuesday, not much is going on other than the normal day to day stuff.

Wednesday, I'll be shopping for all the fresh ingredients for Christmas Dinner.

Thursday will be last minute prep work, like setting out linens in the spare room, making the desserts for after Christmas dinner, etc.

Friday, my parents and brother fly in. They'll be here until New Years Day. I'm so excited to have them see our new place!

Thank You, Winnie2!!

2009-12-11T22:12:00.003-05:00

Everything:

An owl mirror, see how cute!? And *square* 40" size 2 needle. I'm really psyched to try this, I must say. And the cutest of cute gift tags. You nailed my style here, Winnie!
A GORGEOUS cowl made from Malabrigo Silky Merino. Sooooo soft.......
And owl mittens! See how cute?!? I can't resist them. lol
Perfect Day Yarns' Beat Sock in "Mermaid". Is it bad that I want to abandon everything I have on the needles to cast something on in this? I'm really coveting green combined with purple or pink right now. You *may* have quenched the craving. No definitive word on that yet though.Yarn Love's Juliet in "Enchanted". It's not at all bright like my camera is making it out to be. I'm not sure what's going on there... :( It's really dark and moody and muted. It's PERFECT. My camera has lost its mind. lol

These are going to hang in the school area of the house. They say "My Child is Student of the Month at Hogwarts" and "Hogwarts Alumni". Awesome!

Sole Food Swap Questionnaire

2009-12-08T14:45:00.002-05:00

What weight of sock yarn do you generally prefer (fingering, sport, or DK?) I like them all, but use fingering weight the most.
What is your favorite type of yarn to knit with? I love animal fibers!
Are there any brands of sock yarn that you have wanted to work with but have not had the chance? I'd love to knit with any of the yarns in my Loopy Ewe wishlist, which is linked in my sidebar. :)
What colors do you like? For socks, I use any color! I love to express myself with fun crazy socks.
What colors do you not like? I don't knit with black. Only because it's so hard to see. lol
What type of recipes do you usually cook with? Anything BUT seafood.
What type of recipes do you usually bake with? lots of cakes and breads. Not so much with the pies, only because I don't really like pie. I make them occasionally, because my husband loves pie.
What is your favorite food? I don't really have one. I'm an equal opportunity food adorer. lol
Are you a tea or coffee drinker? Coffee. The darker the roast, the better.
What type of sweets do you like? Chocolate, fruity candies, etc. Just no licorice. Blech. lol
Does your kitchen have a theme? Contemporary. My accessories are chrome and red. My dishes are white.
Do you have any allergies (to food, fibers, pets, etc) or diet restrictions? Nope.
Is there anything else you would like your pal to know? You can get to know a lot about me through my rav profile and my blog. If there's anything else you need/want to know, feel free to ask. I love talking about myself. ;) (Don't we all?)

2009-12-08T10:42:00.003-05:00

If you'd like to see photos (PRELIMINARY photos) of the new place, you can find them here: Krol Family Blog You can get a feel for how I've been spending the last week by looking at those photos. Also, Fleur and I did magic on our hair this weekend. Look what happened to mine!

I love it! It's fun, it's easy, and it feels much lighter.

Transitions.

2009-11-29T07:25:00.002-05:00

My life is full of them right now.

I'm transitioning to the reality that I'll be oh so very far away from my mother, who I never imagined I'd ever live more than ten miles from.

I'm transitioning to the reality that I am indeed a "grown-up" and it's time to make my own traditions. This one is a bigger struggle than I'd expected it to be.

My Grandmother is transitioning to her life in the rehab facility. It's something she never wanted to do, but she'll need to if she wants to be able to use her legs well enough to remain independent for longer.

Transitions, transitions everywhere. I'm really looking forward to January, when the transitioning is all done, and I can start to settle in to life as it will be.

I fly in two days, for anyone looking for an update. I can't believe it's here!

11.23 Update on Gram

2009-11-23T08:57:00.001-05:00

They've added a neurologist to her team of doctors (which already had a cardiologist, and a pulmonologist on it) and told her that she won't be home before Thanksgiving.

Update on Gram.

2009-11-21T19:59:00.001-05:00

They ended up not biopsying (is that a word?) her lungs. The CT scan at UMass didn't show the spot that they saw at the first hospital, so we're back to knowing nothing. :(

Thankful.

2009-11-18T18:08:00.003-05:00

Today I am thankful for:

being raised by strong, independent women who taught *me* to be the same way.
the freedom to be whoever I wish to be.
friends who accept me exactly as I am, without apologies.
having a dark sense of humor that allows me to find the funny in nearly any situation.
tv, books and hobbies that help me take my mind off the bad times.
modern medicine.
the laughter of my children.
my husband who mostly knows when to step in and overlap my responsibilities and when to step back and let me run over his.
my hands, which let me knit.
my knitting, which calms me when stressed, and challenges me when bored.
my brother, who can make me giggle even when I'm angry at him.

Concern.

2009-11-17T08:47:00.001-05:00

My grandmother is being transferred to UMass. They're going to biopsy her lungs. Sigh.

Love.

2009-11-13T13:44:00.002-05:00

Today is To Write Love on Her Arms Day. To learn more, go to TWLOHA's Website.

I have my kit well under way. Things are nearing completion, things are under construction, and things are done and ready to go in the box. Could I be more cryptic right now? ;)

We're having friends over for dinner tonight. They're bringing something and we're making something. I doubt it'll look like an actual balanced meal when we sit down to eat, but who cares. It's not every day, right? Plus, they're a blast to hang out with so I'm really looking forward to that, too!

Knit-wise, not much to report. I'm in that awkward in-between phase where everything's getting worked on, but nothing's getting DONE.

Moving is coming along nicely. I think we've finally purged everything that we will be purging, and now it's just packing. Starting with non-essentials, obviously, working our way through to things that are more and more essential as we go. If you've ever moved, I sound completely redundant right now. I'm aware of that.

My grandmother is back in the hospital again. Only a small part of her lung(s?) is functioning properly, so she can't breathe. Time for another long round of tests and no answers, I imagine. Not really scared this time, just annoyed and wanting an answer. I'll be going to visit her in an hour or so.

The week in review

2009-11-05T10:37:00.002-05:00

Saturday was Halloween. It went well, but Laura decided after four houses that she was done because her feet hurt, and "You buy me candy. Why am I here?" Sigh.

Sunday we hung around the house and didn't do much of anything. The time change is *still* kicking our butts...

Monday was a bit of a struggle, again thanks to the time change.

Tuesday the girls spent the night at my mom's, which was great because I'd get to sleep in! And then a garbage truck parked itself outside my bedroom window for far too long and banged around at 6:30 in the morning, so I still didn't sleep in.

Wednesday we went to visit my grandmother, as usual. The girls each lost their minds at different points of the visit, so by the time we got home I was completely exhausted and ready to give up even trying to parent them.

Today, I am sitting on the couch and working on Christmas gifts. I refuse to get up or do anything for anyone. It's Jake's day off, and his turn to handle a bit of the crazy.

Tomorrow (Friday) my nephew Michael, age 1, is spending the night here. Also, we're having friends of ours over for dinner and a game night. So, full house, but it'll be great.

Saturday will be a busy day of packing non-essentials, and dealing with the girls.

Sunday, though. Oh, Sunday... I can not wait for you to arrive... Sunday, we're using Jake's Father's season tickets to the Patriots, and going to a game! I'm SO excited. Can't wait! We're taking the train from Providence to the game, and will take it back afterwards (obviously) I'm so excited about getting to see a pro game live!

Knit Progress

2009-10-28T19:09:00.003-04:00

So, I've been keeping very busy. Care to see with what?

These are Waterfall Socks by Wendy Johnson knit in Socks that Rock colorway "Peridot and Periwinkle".
A Percy Shawl in progress with Fresh From the Cauldron's "Alcide Herveaux" colorway.
Entangled Stitches cabled gloves in progress in Wollmeise 100% Sockenwolle in "Rotkappchen".And a Clapotis in progress in Fresh From the Cauldron's "Rosalie Hale".

There are more projects in progress as well as more recently finished items, but a couple are secrets- either swap kit parts or Christmas gifts.

I also spent Sunday and Monday very busy with this:
Laura turned four on Monday, which was great fun for all of us. She loved that they sang to her at Chili's, which was where she wanted to go for her birthday lunch. For dinner? She wanted cake, so that's what we had. :) (On a birthday, the one celebrating gets to choose all the meals.)

I can't believe

2009-10-25T07:35:00.002-04:00

I forgot to blog! That's so unlike me. :( My week has been crazy, if that's any consolation.

I had a tooth pulled on Monday, but they couldn't do it normally, so I have an incision and stitch in my mouth which will be removed tomorrow.

I spent most of my week preparing for our upcoming move and Laura's birthday party (which is today). We had a few companies come and do in home estimates, and ended up deciding to do it ourselves, because it'll be about half the price.

Also, we signed our lease this week, and faxed it in. So, we're officially renting an apartment in Las Vegas! It won't be completed construction until just before we get there December 1, so we don't have to pay rent on it until December, which is a plus. :)

I'll try to be better this week about blogging. Hopefully next week will be a much calmer one.

Getting to know my fellow Quidditch Players

2009-10-17T16:51:00.002-04:00

1. Same Craft as me- Antonio dela Weasley
2. Same birth month as me- Olive Bumblebirch
3. Different Country than me- Emma Wigworthy
4. New Player- Stellwa Quinn
5. 3 or more terms of HSKS- Lizzie Wychwood
6. Bigger stash than me- Megaera Black
7. Both knits and crochets- Ginny Lockheart
8. Same favorite color as me- Andromeda Finch-Flechley

I commented on some really gorgeous projects, and got to know things about many of my fellow players that I didn't know before. We have some REALLY talented players!

Favorites and Wish List

2009-10-06T08:03:00.003-04:00

Stitch N Pitch...

2009-09-20T19:06:00.002-04:00

More photos to follow, but here are a couple.

An Owl Landed Today!

2009-09-08T13:28:00.002-04:00

And LOOK at everything it brought!

A pink notions case with polka dots (I love polka dots!), a green tape measure (green is my favorite color), a sample of soak (in a scent I've yet to try, yay!), and a little green notebook (I'm madly in love with paper. Nearly as much as I am with yarn.)

A hank of Olive Malabrigo Lace yarn (:snort: Olive yarn from Olive. This will NEVER get old.), a mini skein of sock yarn hand dyed by Olive, which will become part of my sock yarn blanket (isn't it gorgeous?!? She's so talented.), and a little felt ghosty-monster (I luff him. Laura is going to try to steal him, but she will not succeed.)

Lots of lovely stitch markers (yay!!! Stitch markers!!!), a copy of the lace shawl pattern "Percy" (which was recently on the short list for my next project), and a project bag that made me say "Ohhhhhh......" in the most reverent way one can possibly speak in relation to fabric.

Yummy yummy candies (Dagoba 65% cacao nibs chocolate bar. I nearly fainted) and the most heavenly smelling fruit tea I've ever put my nose near (Papaya and Pineapple, in case you were wondering). Holy Hannah, I'm in love.

Thank You

2009-08-22T07:24:00.003-04:00

I just want to thank the ladies in my cabin for making HSKS Summer Camp so enjoyable for me. I've loved getting to know you better, and hope that you've had a good time too. HSKS9 is in the planning stages, and I hope to see you all back for it!

Busy Week.

2009-08-14T22:40:00.002-04:00

So this week, I spent a few days at my Grandmother's house, because she can't be alone at night and my aunt (who my g-ma lives with) was going camping. I had fun with her, because my Gram is cool, but was glad to get home.

Also, I did Maddy's school shopping. She's going to look mah-velous (said in my best Billy Crystal. ;) ) in all her stylin' new clothes! I'm going to make her wear all her outfits and take photos on Monday. What fun is parenting if you don't get to torture your kids?!?!

In swap news, my package will be going out in the next couple of days, which is awesome.

Knit wise, I'm very excited, proud, and impressed with myself. I'm on the edging chart of my swallowtail shawl, which is the biggest project I've ever actually followed through on. I can't wait to block this sucker. I'm going to wear it EVERY day!

Also, Jessi gave me a GORGEOUS woven scarf tonight. It's an early going away gift, and I almost cried when she gave it to me. I'm going to wear it to our knit group tomorrow, and see how long it takes the ladies to notice it. I wonder if they'll recognize it. They saw her working on it... :)

2009-08-08T08:16:00.002-04:00

Thursday- spent time with Jessi, then Kyle so that we could see each other before he goes back to school and I move cross-country.

Friday- beach until 2pm (NOT easy with Maddy, aka The Albino. Spf 50 every half hour, and a shirt at all times. Fun times.) Get an angry sunburn (on purpose, so that I'll tan in a few days. Didn't think it through very well though, because my busy weekend isn't even half over.) Then, fair entries. Followed by giving the girls dinner and getting them into bed.

Saturday- a.m. baking and cooking for a party two hours away. Then getting everyone ready to GO to said party, packing bags, etc. Then, 2 hour drive to party. Then spend the day micro-managing the kids because Jake's family makes me more neurotic than I usually am. Then two hours home, and drop into bed exhausted.

Sunday- cook and bake for the VJ Day parade/picnic/Jaimie's birthday party. Go to said p/p/p without Jake, because he needs to sleep for work.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

2009-08-04T12:36:00.000-04:00

I feel like singing from the hilltops!

2009-07-28T21:39:00.003-04:00

Look what I've accomplished this week! TWO finished objects, and a shawl that's through the second chart! Only a bit more to go! I'm SO proud of me, I just have to say.

Here's the shawl... Look how pretty it is. Just wait until it's DONE! And blocked so you can actually SEE the lace! These are a pair of fingerless mitts that I made. The yarn is a pink and green handspun/handdyed by a local dyer. She does GREAT work! The yarn was a gift from Lucy, when she was here in Feb.

A cozy for my sunglasses, so they don't get scratched and broken when they're not on my face. This was necessary. I'm very mean to sunglasses...

Summer Games #5 part 1

2009-07-20T17:09:00.002-04:00

1. Animagus
2. Daily Prophet
3. Bowtruckle
4. Extendable Ear
5. Radish Earrings
6. Forbidden Forest
7. Golden Cherub
8. Thestral
9. High Inquisitor
10. Educational Decree

Progress

2009-07-17T08:50:00.002-04:00

This has been a week for finished objects and frogging. I finished the sunglass cozy I was working on, as well as one of the campanula mitts out of the pair. If I ignore my knitter's ADD, the other will be finished before the week is out as well. I'm happy with the way it ended up, but then again, I adore green and pink.

As for frogging, my swallowtail got pulled back to nothing again. :sigh: I'm going to wear this sucker every day when I actually finish it! I'm now on attempt number 11. This time, I'm doing the smart thing and using lifelines. I'm not sure why I wasn't using them before this... Stupidity? Over-estimation of my ability to knit lace perfectly always with no mistakes? Who knows. Bit of both, most likely. Anyway... Back to square 1 today on that.

Also, I'm test knitting a pair of socks (for Jake when they're finished), and had to rip that out as well. I miscounted somehow, and the pattern on the top of the foot (don't worry, they were toe-up, so not too far in) was messed up.

Back to the drawing board!

Redikkulus!!!

2009-07-10T22:47:00.001-04:00

Hahaha... Snape eating a lollipop in a candy shop! Who could be afraid of THAT?!?!

Summer Games #2, Part #2

2009-07-05T15:16:00.000-04:00

17-4, 14-1, 9-6, 3-3
18-2, 3-3
19-4, 11-2, 9-3, 8-5, 15-9
7-1, 11-2
15-9, 11-2
15-9, 14-1, 9-6
13-8, 18-2, 8-5, 16-3, 6-5, 16-3, 5-3!

"When in doubt, go to the library!" ~Ron Weasley

Summer Games #2

2009-06-30T07:52:00.000-04:00

Phew...This was NOT very easy for me to get started, I have to say! But once I got started, I was on a roll.

1. Chamber of Secrets
2. Harry Potter
3. Ron Weasley
4. Hermione Granger
5. Gryffindor
6. Dark Arts
7. Gilderoy Lockhart
8. Chamber of Secrets
9. House Elf
10. Harry Potter
11. Moaning Myrtle
12. Harry Potter
13. Ron Weasley
14. Harry Potter
15. Voldemort
16. Horcrux
17. Ron Weasley
18. Ginny Weasley
19. Gilderoy Lockhart
20. Prisoner of Azkaban

In the second volume of the HP books by JK Rowling, The (#1)Chrome Cab Festers, we continue to learn the incredible adventures of Hogwarts student (#2) Parry He Trot and his friends (#3) Oral Weensy and (#4) Angering Her More. Belonging to the house of (#5) Dry Off Grin, they attend Defense Against the (#6) Ark Darts taught by Wizarding celebrity (#7) Oracle Dorky Light, a none-too-bright fellow who cannot even handle pixies!
In The (#8) Chrome Cab Festers, we also meet Dobby a (#9)See Flu Oh for the first time. Determined Dobby seeks to sabotage the return of (#10) Parry He Trot to Hogwarts and is pretty persistent but is unsuccessful. After a few weeks at school, the deceased Ravenclaw student who haunts the girls lavatory, also known as (#11) My Molten Grain, shows (#12) Parry He Trot and (#13) Oral Weensy an old empty diary that dropped through her ghostly form out of thin air!
Many nifty things continue to happen for the next several months… we won’t go into all the juicy details right now… however, the ending is prime reading indeed!! (#14) Parry He Trot finally kills Tom Riddle’s (a.k.a #15 Mold Voter) sneaky diary (which we now know is a #16 Crux Rho) and saves the sister of (#17) Oral Weensy, (#18) Gayly Nine Sew!!!
Oh! Of course, we must mention that the thickheaded (#19) Oracle Dorky Light unintentionally erased his own memory, so he won’t be back for book three, The (#20) Snob In A Froze Parka…

My lie...

2009-06-24T14:50:00.002-04:00

Nobody guessed mine! My lie was number 3. My middle name is NOT Beulah. That is, however, what my father wanted to name me. I still don't know why... My middle name is Paige. So, yes. I *can* cross my toes, I *do* change the sheets at 3 a.m. if they're wrinkled, and as for photos? Far more get deleted than get kept. I was never so thankful as the day that we converted to digital photography!!!

Vegas, so far.

2009-06-21T17:26:00.002-04:00

Thursday morning we were up at four to get to the airport on time. We had just enough time to get through the airport security, get a bagel, and board the plane. Perfect timing! I took a couple small naps on the plane, knitted a little, and looked out the window to see this:We got to Vegas, and Lucy picked us up at baggage claim, where I started to cry like a baby when I saw her. Oy. LOL! I finally composed myself, and away we went to the hotel. We got there at around 10:30, so we couldn't check in yet. We checked our bags with the baggage handlers, and went to breakfast with Lucy. After that, I walked her back to her car so she could go back to work, while Jake got us checked in. We went up to our room, and this was the view out of our window:

Thursday night, Lucy picked us up at six when she got out of work. We went to her place to visit for a while, and got some Chipotle. Jake and I hadn't had it before, so it was quite a treat for us. So yummy!!! Around 10 (which felt like 1 a.m. to us) we went back to our room. This is what it looks like at night:

So pretty! We're facing New York, New York; MGM Grand, and Paris. We can see lots of fun places out of our window.

Friday we spent the morning walking around the strip and doing souvenier shopping. We're now finished with that, which is nice. We don't need to worry about running around like crazy next Sunday to get gifts for people! Friday night, we went to dinner with Lucy and Mauricio at a local Mexican restaurant which was very good. Then, we went to Town Square (I think that was the name... Lucy will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure. By the way, what was the name of the restaurant???) I needed makeup brushes, because I managed to forget mine at home, then we saw "Year 1" at the movie theater. I loved it, but then again, I love every movie that Michael Cera does.

Saturday, we wandered the strip some more, and had a lot of fun exploring the M&M World. Here's a photo of Jake with the yellow M:

Later on (around 5) Vanessa (sinknitty on Rav) picked me up at the hotel, and we went to Batista's for dinner. It's a great little hole in the wall Italian place. There was a tiny old man with an accordian who cracked me up. Dinner was great, and from there we went to Fremont Street. We had a vampire (a cosmo, but with black raspberry instead of triple sec. Very yummy) in a cute little bar, then walked Fremont. Being the tourist that I am, I took photos of all the pretty lights. But I'll spare you those. Instead, I'll show you Vanessa and I posing with a couple Chippendale models, how's that sound? Good? Good. Take a look...

Sigh...Good times, good times. Hahaha. We had so much fun! I can't wait to move here so I can spend more time with her, she's a blast. Oh, and there's another photo of just me with the boys. And they grabbed my butt! When I told Jake, he just shook his head, and laughed at me.

Today is Sunday, and Father's Day. Lucy will be coming over to the hotel after she spends some time with her Dad. Then, we'll work out our plans for the coming week. Can't wait to figure out all the fun things for the rest of the week!!!

Summer Games #1

2009-06-16T14:40:00.003-04:00

Part 1- Ten Things In Your Trunk ("R")

1. Rubber bands (long hair gets hot in the summer!)
2. Rope, to make a hammock
3. Ranch dressing, in case there are veggies to eat up. Mmm...
4. Robert Frost poetry. Need something to read!
5. Radio, because music is like air to me.
6. rook from my chess set...don't know HOW that got in there...
7. rupees from my last trip to Nepal
8. my fishing Rod
9. a Right shoe with no mate. How does this HAPPEN to me? Did I pack in the dark?!?

10. Road map to the nearest mall. I don't do well without shopping around me. ;)

Part 2- "Wingo"...One space shy of a blackout. Bummer.

Part 3- Commenting on your spoiler/ee's projects.

Spoiler- Olive Bumblebirch. I commented on her Celtic Tote, which is GORGEOUS! Go look at it if you get a chance!

Spoilee- Patonga Pinkstone. Did you know that she makes tons of beautiful socks? I commented on her Serendipities Socks. It was hard not to comment on all of them, because they all deserve mention!

Need help with "Wingo"?

2009-06-16T13:11:00.002-04:00

W1- I live in NE Connecticut, so if you're within 100 miles of there, there you go...
W2- Yes, I'm a Ravenclaw
W3- Ram
W4- Yes
W5- Yes
I1- Yes, if you count quidditch played in HSKS
I2- No, just one brother, unless my "in-laws" count, which I doubt.
I3- No
I4- August
I5- No.
N1- chocolate, Spangler's Circus Peanuts, ice cream, gummy candies, jelly belly jelly beans
N2- No
N3- No
N4- Clarinet, poorly
N5- Not unless novelty trains at theme parks or retired train cars turned into diners count.
G1- No
G2- 238
G3- yes
G4- No, I left my owl at home
G5- A little French, a little Latin, a little Polish
O1- USA
O2- No
O3- Clowns
O4- No
O5- No

I hope these answers helped someone. :)

Three Truths and a Lie

2009-06-14T19:15:00.002-04:00

(About Me, obviously)
1. I can cross my pinky toes. The way that most people cross their fingers.
2. I hate the way I look in photographs. That's why there are so few of me.
3. My middle name is Beulah. My father chose it.
4. I'm neurotic about my bedsheets, and will change them at 3 in the morning if need be.

No playing, Draco.

Wish List

2009-06-14T07:16:00.002-04:00

Some ideas, to aid anyone wishing to gift me...

Dark Chocolate (no nuts, please)
Journals. I love to write, and am working on my first novel as well as an anthology of poetry.
I love wooden needles and hooks, and am slowly trying to convert all of my crochet hooks to wood. I love the Brittany hooks, but they're all I've tried. I've got a wooden "g" hook. More for my collection would be lovely.
Much like the journals, I love new pens. I like to try all kinds. I'm a tactile person, and write on paper, then transfer it to the computer- rather than just writing there straight away.
My favorite yarns are Cascade 220 and Malabrigo. I'd also enjoy checking out new laceweight yarns, or new cottons. I've pretty much only tried Sugar 'n' Cream and Peaches 'n' Cream. I like to make washcloths, dishcloths and market bags though, which all lend themselves to cotton.
Here's a link to my Amazon wishlist: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html?ie=UTF8&type=wishlist&id=2P4RXSQLQMML3
And Loopy Ewe... http://www.theloopyewe.com/wishlist/show/20135/?token=ea5fadf058eb
And finally, Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/favorite_listings_public.php?user_id=5330998
As for bags, I adore everything I've seen or bought at both Slipped Stitch Designs and Julip Bags. In my opinion, one can never have too many bags.
I love fun, kitchy designs, as well as geometric prints...
I also love to sew and adore fabric.

I have no allergies, but can't drink coffee or tea, and don't like nuts, except cashews. :) Thanks for looking, happy swapping!

Thankful for women.

2009-06-09T08:38:00.002-04:00

I've been reminiscing the past few days, and am finding myself waxing nostalgic. I never had many female friends as a teen, or until recently, really. I tend to vascillate between surrounding myself with men, and being a self-proclaimed "loner". The longest friendship I've ever had is with my husband, and he and I have no similar hobbies or pastimes.

Recently, I've found myself with girlfriends for the first time. I met Lucy a little over a year ago, and we're now inseperable even though there is an entire continent between us. I think about her, how she's doing, what's going on in her day. I do this every day. Her being pervades my existance in the strangest ways. Ways that no friend has ever done before. It makes me realize that I've always been a solitary creature, even when surrounded by people. Lucy will say something in passing that seems insignifigant, and then weeks later, something will remind me of it, and I laugh for a while to myself. It's like I'm suddenly a part of something that I never understood, or particularly wanted to be a part of.

Then there's Heather. I find myself linked to her as well. On paper, we have many differences. And yet, we mesh so very well. I wonder if that's because of our commonalities, or the differences? If I'm having a particularly difficult day, I can take solace in the knowledge that if I were to call Heather, she'd be able to relate experiences so similar that she could be telling my story. And after many conversations with her, I know that it's the same for her. We've become a boon to each other in our difficult days. Again, something I never knew I needed. I've always felt that my problems are no one's but my own, and that I'd soldier through to the other side. No one wanted to hear about my problems, they had plenty of their own. I never knew how liberating those two little words could be... "Me too!"

Jessi is my local mom friend. It's so wonderful to be able to call someone and say "I'm about to lose my mind. Can you stop by and hang out for a few minutes so I can talk to an adult?" To have someone to make plans with so that the kids can play together, and stop making each other crazy. That's incredible. And she's so funny! And witty, and smart, and charming. And she looks at things differently than I do, which helps me look at things from a different point. And when I'm having a rough patch dealing with my husband, there are again those two little words that keep me from feeling like I'm on an island to myself.

My knitting group on Saturday mornings is filled with such diverse, incredible, intelligent women. I love spending time with them. I always come away with something that helps me get through the rest of the week. All of these women fill my heart with such joy, and I just don't know how I ever thought that life was easier without girlfriends.

I've come to a realization these past few days. Life isn't easier without girlfriends. I always said "Women are so catty. That's why I'm friends with guys." Maybe I just didn't know the right women. These women I've chosen to surround myself with have been nothing but a boon to me, and I hope I've been the same to them. It is so liberating to be able to speak my mind, and say things that I thought I must be the only one thinking, just to be answered with "Me too." How refreshing. Looking back, I can't understand how I ever survived the length of time I did without girlfriends. Or, more specifically...without THESE girlfriends.

If you're reading...I love you all.

15 in 15...

2009-06-08T09:06:00.002-04:00

15 Books in 15 Minutes
Saw this question on another blog that I read and thought it would be great to answer.
“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”
1. The Great Gatsby- F Scott Fitzgerald
2. A Fine Balance- Rohinton Mistry
3. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down- Anne Fadiman
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- JK Rowling
5. Island of the Blue Dolphin- Scott O'Dell
6. The Hobbit- JRR Tolkein
7. The Book of Ruth- The Bible
8. The Five Love Languages- Dr Gary Chapman
9. New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder- Jan Fawcett, et al.
10. America's Women- Gail Collins
11. As I Lay Dying- William Faulkner
12. Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
13. Wicked- Gregory Maguire
14. To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
15. Merry Wives of Windsor- William Shakespeare

It would seem that

2009-05-21T10:49:00.002-04:00

To Do lists WORK!

The last three days, I've made to-do lists, and have been far more productive in the last three days than I've been in the last three weeks! Granted, a few of the things on my list are "gimme" tasks. Things that are there just for the sheer satisfaction of crossing them off. (Shower? Eat Dinner? Done, and Done!) Also included in my to-do list are knitting projects. Because of this, there will be things actually knitting their way OFF the needles, rather than being ripped out in six months, because even though I have seven pair of needles that size, they're all in use... Woohoo for being productive!!!

Went to see my grandmother

2009-05-17T19:43:00.005-04:00

My friend Vanessa (a.k.a. sinknitty, a.k.a. Ophelia Ballycastle) and I are going to knit the Swallowtail Shawl together (search Ravelry for the link. It's very pretty! :) ). I wanted to do it in sock yarn, but the only thing I had enough of that would show the pattern well was Wollmeise. I am by no means a hoarder. By that I mean, I'm more than happy to USE my yarns. However, this is a bright, tomato-ey red, and if I put it that close to my face, I'd look HORRIBLE. So, it's destined for socks. Anyway... I didn't have any laceweight in a sufficient yardage that I thought would look good. So, off to Grandmother's house I went. Here's the thread I decided will become my Swallowtail:I was more than happy to leave with just that, but she started talking about steel crochet hooks (you know, the itty bitty ones? The ones where the higher the number, the smaller the hook? Yeah. Those.), and did I have any? No, I didn't. So she started looking through her things, and this is what she sent me home with. Everything pictured is vintage, some still in original packaging. But one thing in this picture is very dear, and nearly made me cry with pride.This. This right here. This is my Great-Great-Grandmother's bone crochet hook, size D. That makes this hook at LEAST 120 years old. At least. If not much older, because who knows if my Great-Great-Grandmother even got it brand new? I am very touched, and feel very proud to have been given this heirloom. It's kind of hard to put into words, actually. The shaping is gorgeous, and I keep just staring at it, and wondering what kinds of garments it made, and what it went through in it's 120+ years... The stories this hook could tell...

Sick, AGAIN

2009-05-06T11:41:00.001-04:00

This is ridiculous. I am sick, again. This time, it's bronchitis. I really wish that my immune system would reboot, because this is getting absurd.

Mad Lib, Part 2.

2009-04-26T08:18:00.002-04:00

I have to tell you about the wicked time I had in Diagon Alley last weekend! My friend Fleur Sweeting and I decided that we really needed some new socks and had to get over to Diagon Alley immediately. Fleur put on her stiletto boots because it was soft and did not want to get a cold. I grabbed my iPod and we headed to the trains.
While waiting for our train to Diagon Alley, we chatted with Hermione Bagnold and Cass Puddlemere who were planning to visit Gringott’s. Cass did not want to go alone because he/she was collecting a couch and that was very squishy and brought Hermione along for her excellence in protecting spells.
The train arrived and off we went. Our seats were very comfortable and the train sped along towards Diagon Alley and we were there in a flash! Before heading to the Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe, we went into a table that sells the clean meatballs!!! As we neared the 11, we noticed quite a lot of commotion! The table owner had set the meatball-making machine and it had gotten stuck! Meatballs were stunning everywhere! I ducked as a cream-filled meatball came stunning right at me and it cracked into Professor Flitwick ’s pencil skirt just as they walked through the door! A tomato meatball did a nose dive and splattered all over the doorway most elaborately! We made it out of the store just as a meatball frog and a kettle of Bertie Bott’s every flavor beans collided in a rainstorm of goo!
Since we were still killer, we walked the 7 blocks over to Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor! I decided on a cone with grape ice cream and Fleur got the hot fudge sundae with extra cheese! Yummy! Professor Flitwick had made his way over here as well after the incident at the meatball shoppe and had chosen a Coke float.
After that, we passed Gringott’s and headed to Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe! I tried not to look at the beautiful skeins of silk and bamboo and wool and instead, headed toward the socks while Fleur stopped to run the stitch markers. I found a squeaky sock made out of steel and made my purchase. Fleur kept hedging between the sock she came for and a pattern for a sweater. She chose the sweater pattern and we walked the back towards the train station just in time to make the 12:30 train.
After sitting down, we noticed Hermione and Cass were on the train as well. Cass looked quite shiny to have the couch with them. Hermione however did not look shinied at all. While waiting to go into the vault, a baby goblin waiting in line with his Mommy, had swam on Hermione getting bacon all over her clean robes! The smell really was just horrendous! Apparently, Hermione’s protecting spells don’t work well against bacon!! We made our way to a less smelly compartment and talked about how we were going explain missing Professor McGonagall’s lecture on the valuable ways pygmy puffs are working with the Department of Mysteries in solving unsolvable hutches!

Ravenclaw Mad Lib

2009-04-21T13:50:00.002-04:00

1- An adjective-wicked
2- A fellow Ravenclaw- Fleur Sweeting
3- A knitting or crocheting item- socks
4- A clothing accessory- stiletto boots
5- An adjective-soft
6- Something you always have with you- iPod
7- A HSKS student1- Hermione Bagnold
8- A HSKS student2- Cass Puddlemere
9- A noun- couch
10- An adjective- squishy
11- A noun- table
12- An adjective- clean
13- A food- meatballs
14- An adjective ending in “ing”- stunning
15- An adjective ending in “ed”- cracked
16- A Professor at Hogwarts- Flitwick
17- An article of clothing- pencil skirt
18- A food flavor-tomato
19- A part of a room- doorway
20- An adjective- killer
21- A number- 7
22- A food flavor- grape
23- A food topping- cheese
24- A drink- Coke
25- A verb-run
26- An adjective- squeaky
27- Something you can knit or crochet- sweater
28- An adjective- shiny
29- A past tense verb- swam
30- A food or drink- bacon
31- A Professor at Hogwarts- McGonagall
32- A magical creature in Harry Potter’s world- pygmy puff
33- A noun- hutch

Final Round of Quidditch- Term 7

2009-04-14T13:11:00.002-04:00

1. This “Harry Potter” character’s first name comes from Roman mythology. The mythological character’s twin brother is named Romulus. What is the Harry Potter character last name?
a. Black
b. Lupin
c. Pucey
d. Finnigan

2. Which “Harry Potter” character’s first name is the Roman equivalent of the Greed Goddess Athena?
a. Evans
b. Malfoy
c. McGonagall
d. Flitwick

3. In ‘Harry Potter’ World, this wizard has created the Philosopher’s Stone (called the Sorcerer Stone in the US). The historical figure from the 14th and 15th centuries was a scribe and a manuscript-seller who became famous as an alchemist. Who is this individual?

Nicholas Flamel

4. What is the first name of a character whose last name is the name of a Bulgarian leader from early 9th century who doubled the country’s territory?
a. Theodore
b. Cedric
c. Viktor
d. Vincent

5. Which character’s name is the name of goddess in Indian mythology?
a. Creevey
b. Patil
c. Zabini
d. Vane

6. “Where the Wild Things Are” tells the story of Max, a young boy sent to bed without his supper for his wild antics. Who created this winner of the Caldecott Medal?
a. Maurice Sendak
b. Chris Van Allsberg
c. Ezra Jack Keats
d. John Steptoe

7. What was NOT one of the unexpected defense mechanisms that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook encountered in their attempt to rob Gringotts?
a. The Flagrante Curse
b. The Thieves’ Downfall
c. Anti-summoning Enchantments
d. The Geminio Curse

8. What was Snape aiming at when he cut off George’s ear?
a. Another Death Eater’s back
b. George’s wand hand
c. Another Death Eater’s wand hand
d. George’s face

9. How much older than James was Lily? (Referring to Harry’s parents, not children).
a. James was older
b. 6 months
c. 1 month
d. 2 months

10. Food is one of the five exceptions to what magical law?
a. Grimp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration
b. Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration
c. Gamp’s Law of Fundamental Transfiguration
d. Grimp’s Law of Fundamental Transfiguration

Picture Hunt
George

McGonagall
Patil
Where the Wild Things Are

Knitting.

2009-04-13T09:15:00.002-04:00

On the needles:
1. Twisted Flower by Cookie A in some really pretty purple/blue/pink handspun. "Twisted Berry Drips".
2. Django by Cookie A in MadelineTosh "Alabaster". "Alabaster Swing".
3. Trystero by Cookie A in KnitPicks Imagination "Unicorn". "Every Mail Fantasy".
4. Plain sock for Maddy in Bernat Sox "Pink Camoflauge".

Thinking about:
1. Longies
2. Soakers
3. Sleep Sacks

Not for me! I have a family member, and a friend who are pregnant. One is due in Nov. the other in Dec. Thinking about gift knitting...

Need to knit:
1. Angee by Cookie A in Dream in Color Smooshy "Cool Fire". "Hot in the City" for my mother
2. Shoulderette in Caron Simply Soft, in a powdery blue, for Jake's grandmother.

Sick...

2009-04-09T18:54:00.002-04:00

I am sick, sick, sick. I've lost my voice, and have had a sore throat and a headache for three days now. I've been spending my time watching season 2 of The Tudors (Oh Henry, you rascal, you...) and napping, and playing with the girls. I haven't even gone to Thursday night knit group in the longest time. I feel so...shlubby. LOL Sunday is Easter. Tomorrow, we will be dyeing eggs. My in-laws will be over for dinner, and then afterwards my parents and brother will come over and we'll all help the girls with the eggs. Then, Sunday we'll pop down to the in-laws' for a few minutes to visit, and then to my mom's for a egg hunt and dinner.

Relief!!!

2009-04-03T13:23:00.000-04:00

I didn’t want to talk about this very much when it was still so up in the air, but it looks like we may be moving to Vegas!

Jake called me after he got done with his interview (he’s in Vegas right now, lol) and said that it went REALLY well. The interviewer is the hiring manager (HM), and they really hit it off. The HM said that he really, really liked Jake. He loved how much Jake knew about the property, and about surveillance in general. They discussed the pros and cons of the different systems, etc. The HM said that he’s about 85-90% sure he’s going to offer Jake a job. The position he applied for has over 100 applicants and three openings. The HM asked him if he’d be willing to take an “operator” (his current title) position if he didn’t get the “lead operator” (shift supervisor) position. He said “Well, that depends. It’s going to be expensive to relocate across the country. Can you give me a ball park as to the salary?” The HM quoted him a number, and it was $5 an hour MORE than his current pay for the operator position, and $7 an hour more than current pay for the supervisor position.

I’m finally letting myself start to get excited! If he gets it, he’ll get an offer in writing in September. Yay! Think happy thoughts, everyone!

So...

2009-04-01T08:08:00.004-04:00

Here's where *I* am lately:

~Jealous: that Jake gets to see/be near Lucy tomorrow, and I don't.

~Anxious: for his interview to go well.

~Nervous: about his flight.

~Industrious: I've knit a pair of socks this week, and am starting on another, See?

~Excited: About knitting group on Saturday, and about the idea of paying the first installment on the yarn club I'm in, because that means that I'm that much closer to the first shipment!

~Bored: with the idea of spending my whole day today cleaning the house, because I've been neglecting it to knit socks.

~Apathetic: about the knee socks I'm supposed to be knitting for my aunt. Upside? They're toe up, which is fun. Downside? She's got a size 10 foot, and wants a plain stockinette sock.

~Happy: that the girls are going to get time with Jake's parents and his grandmother this weekend. They don't see her nearly enough.

~Curious: about what life will bring if Jake DOES get the job, and we DO move to Vegas. I've never lived anywhere else but Connecticut. It's going to be a grand adventure, and I really hope I get to go on it.

~Playful: I just want to turn the stereo up and dance around the house all morning.

~Wistful: I miss Lucy. :sigh:

~Hopeful: That today will be a good day with the girls, with minimal melt-downs, and that things will go smoothly. I kind of need that today.

Looking forward to: mid day emails from Lucy, dinner with my family, wearing my new socks, Friday's playdate, Saturday's SnB, and Jake coming home (and he hasn't even left yet!)

My Kit Is Here!

2009-03-25T12:19:00.004-04:00

My kit from Dagmara Grindewald arrived today. Her owl was tired, but after a couple treats he perked up, and is ready for the return flight home. :)Here's an overview:My first Yarn Harlot book! I adore her blog, and she frequently has me laughing out loud. I'm so thrilled to finally own one of her books. I fear this is a slippery slope, and I will soon be huddled in a bookstore babbling incessantly. This happens all too often. ;)

Charmed Knits. Yes, I know. I may be the only knitter/HP fan on the planet who didn't already own this book, but there you have it. Now I do!

A journal! A BIG journal! Look, Lucy! A Journal! (I love journals. Adore them to a point which may be unhealthy. I love to write, and hope to someday be published, so journals are very dear to me.)

Pretty blue yarn:Look how pretty she is! Double pointed needles, size two. Thank you! :)See this little pouch? It has flair (I *heart* flair.) The flair says "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!", which (ask anyone) is generally the case with me.This was inside the flair. It smells as nice as it looks. And, it hasn't caused a migraine! Bonus!

Okay. This. This, I am in awe of. First of all, when I opened the box and saw so many books, the bibliophile in me nearly fainted. This, however, takes the cake. It's a Wandmaker's Guidebook. I wonder if this is how Ollivander learned? At the end, I get my very own wand to make! How cool is THAT? A few photos...

Overall, an exceptional kit. Thank you so very much, Dagmara! You're such a sweetheart, and the things you picked for me were perfect! :)

New Rav Group

2009-03-19T15:18:00.003-04:00

I started a new Rav group. It's called "Scarf Travels". You can find it in the recently started groups, or by searching for "Scarf Travels". It's a classic travelling scarf group, where you start the scarf with five inches, then send it on to the next person in the group, who knits the next five, and sends it along, etc. :) It's already getting quite a bit of interest, I can't wait to see it take off!

Quidditch, Round 2

2009-03-14T09:04:00.004-04:00

1. On which day did the Order of the Phoenix come to get Harry?

a. Tuesday

b. Sunday

c. Saturday

d. The day of his 17th birthday

2. During all this chaos with voldemort and the Death Eaters, people still had lives to live and Ron's oldest brother, Bill decided to marry Fleur Delacour. Who were the uninvited guests at Bill and Fleur's wedding?

a. Voldemort

b. Death Eaters

c. Scrimgeour

d. Grindewald

3. Voldemort had seven Horcruxes hidden in different places. Six of them were hidden at the Gaunt shack, Hogwarts, a cave, inside Harry, inside his snake, Nagini and Tom Riddles Diary. Did Voldemort hide the last Horcrux inside the Malfoy's vault at Gringotts?

a. Yes

b. No

4. Why did the Dumbledore's move to Godric's Hollow?

a. The reason is unknown

b. They were tired of their old home

c. The father went to Azkaban

d. It was a better place for their children to grow up

5. Harry and Hermione read a part of "Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore," written by Rita Skeeter. Then they met Dumbledore's brother Abeforth and he told them the same story, just with a few details changed. Which of the following did Aberforth and Rita Skeeter agree on about Dumbdore's past?

a. Why the Dumbledore family moved to Godric's Hollow

b. That Dumbledore was friends with Grindelwald for a while.

c. Why nobody outside the family noticed Ariana much

d. The reason for Dumbledore's father's imprisonment in Azkaban.

6. When Harry and Hermione visit Godric's Hollow, they visit the graveyard to see Harry's parent's graves. Harry walks by a tombstone that we later learn belong to tone of "The Three Broother'. The brother buried there once owned what?

a. The resurection stone

b. The cloak

c. The wand

d. The sword

7. The Trio finds out that Luna had been kidnapped by the Death Eaters , and that they won't give her back until they got Harry Potter. Why did they kidnap Luna?

a. Her father sided with Harry and Dumbledore

b. They though he would come to her rescue

c. She was a muggleborn

d. Her father failed as a Death Eater

8. After Voldemort killed Snape, he left the room and Harry came out from under the cloak. Snape gave Harry some of his memories all the way from when he was a child to just months before. Harry dived into the Pensieve and which of the following did he not see?

a. Dumbldore telling Snape that at some point Snape had to kill him.

b. Snape telling Lily she was a witch

c. Snape and Lily having fun in a potions class

d. Snape talking to Dumbledore on a hilltop

9. On the search of the Lost Diadem, Harry finally gets to takl to the Gray Lady. Who was the Gray Lady when she was alive?

a. She didn't remember because she had been dead for so long.

b. Rowena Ravenclaw.

c. Helena Ravenclaw.

d. A girl who was put in ravenclaw 800 years previously

10. Which of these is not one of Harry or Ron's children?

a. Rose

b. Hugo

c. James

d. Victoria
Picture Scavenger Hunt

These pictures must either be posted to your blog or linked to from your blog.

Lily

Ron

Snape

Luna

Godric's Hollow

Yay

2009-03-13T09:50:00.003-04:00

Scheduling is going quite well. Yesterday was an unpleasant day, because when I opened the girls' closet to get their underpants and socks, there was an avalanche. Those of you who know me, know that I can NOT stand messes of any sort. So, I spent three hours culling the mess in the closet. Donating, Tossing, and then Organizing what was left. Which wasn't much. When I get angry, I toss a LOT. But now? Now there won't be an avalanche when I try to get out socks and underpants!

Anyway...Other than that the week has gone pretty well.

Wish Us Luck!

2009-03-11T09:59:00.003-04:00

This is day 1 of our new, stricter schedule. EVERYTHING is written down and accounted for, down to toothbrushing. I'm really hoping that this helps us have less meltdowns (both Maddy AND me). So far? Well, it's 10 a.m. and nobody has thrown a fit yet. This is unusual. LOL I'm liking it. I hope it continues like this!

Oh, our neighbor is opening a produce stand down the street selling fresh produce at about half the price of the grocer's produce section. He's opening on Friday or Monday. I can't wait to go over there and see what he has. It's great timing as I've also decided to stop being lazy with my cooking. No more boxes! No more cans! FRESH pasta sauce! REAL potatoes! (Can you see me shaking my fist at the sky?) I'm thrilled about it. Jake and the girls? Not so much... They like their preservatives. Oh well. They're going to learn to like fresh!

Regional Yarn Swap.

2009-03-09T14:50:00.002-04:00

Here's an overview:

Included was a lovely note; a postcard of Madison, WI; a doll made for Laura; Spiderman gloves for Maddy; pink handspun (that is oh so yummy); green yarn from a local spinner/dyer to make Cookie's Stricken socks (also included); natural worsted weight and kool-aids so the girls can dye the yarn!; a project bag from her LYS with a pocket on the outside (not sure what it's intended for, but it's destined to hold the water bottle that goes everywhere with me!); local cheese (yummo); a spool from her DD to mine; and a stitch marker (you may be able to see it dangling from the green yarn, in front of the natural?) that is gorgeous, and was made by someone at her LYS!

Close up on the yarns and the stitch marker. And on Stricken! :)

The girls' gifts... A little washed out, but a photo nonetheless!
The girls saying "Thank you!" for their wonderful gifts. They absolutely love when they're included in one of mommy's packages. It makes them feel so special!

All in all, a WONDERFUL experience! Thank you SO much "LearningLace"!

'Claw Homework

2009-03-09T10:50:00.002-04:00

~Gryffindor~
My spoiler, Dagmara, has just completed the prettiest pair of Fawkes socks I think I've ever seen. Well done!

~Hufflepuff~
Mantacora Chrimson has a knit meter on her blog! It counts how many meters of yarn she's transformed into other things since the first of the year. VERY neat!

~Slytherin~
Lily of Flitwick got herself a GORGEOUS new black Bella bag when she went to Stitches, and I am officially jealous of her/it. :)

Look what I made!

2009-03-05T11:53:00.002-05:00

If I make it again, I'll probably make it wider and longer... It's a big "snug". On

another note, my grandmother asked me today if I got hair extensions. I said "No, you clearly just haven't seen me with my hair down in a while." You moms will understand... It's usually in a ponytail so that it's out of the way. I decided to be pretty today though. :) Then she asked if I dyed it today. No again. I just put effort into it today, LOL. The more that I look at this photo, the more I decide that the baggy nature of the shirt makes me look "fluffier" than I am in reality.

Happy Days Are Here Again...

2009-03-04T10:27:00.002-05:00

Ahh, a return to relative normalcy! How nice it feels. I'd almost forgotten what it was like! My day alone helped, as did a couple of well placed phone calls and emails from Lucy (I swear, no one on Earth can make me laugh until I can't breathe like you can!). I've finished the vest I was working on, which I am SO proud of, because it's the first "large" thing I've made with any sort of shape. :) My parents are moving out of state in the next couple of weeks (6-8 hours away- depending on what part of the state they move to, to Pennsylvania), so I need to set up a new blog with our day to day happenings, funny things the girls have said, daily photos of random things, etc. because my mother will lose her mind if she doesn't remain a large part of the girls' lives. Also, she actually told me that I needed to move to PA with them. Um, no. LOL

Things making me laugh today? Lucy and pink eye (yes, still.), Laura getting her hair cut (Don't cut my eyebrows!!!), Maddy's Violet Beauregard face, and Jake trying to pronouce Grand Marnier (He said "grand mariner". I realize that this isn't nearly as funny in print as it was actually hearing it. But it cracked me up. "Grand Mariner? What is that?" I then pronounced it correctly and said "It's liquor." LOL)

Update:

2009-03-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

For those concerned (you know who you are, and I love you for it!), Jake took a vacation day today, and I'll be locking myself in the bedroom for 24 straight hours to reset myself. All should be right again tomorrow. I love you for caring!

This week, in review.

2009-02-28T17:07:00.002-05:00

Sunday- Dropped Lucy off at the airport. Looked kind of like this, only with sad faces:

Monday- Woke up, went downstairs, remembered that Lucy was gone, and got a little bit sad all over again. Bucked up quickly though, and went on about my day.

Tuesday- Found out that not only are my parents leaving the area (They are currently about 5 min. down the road from us), they're going to Pennsylvania, and want us to go with them. This is NOT happenening. If they want to go, I'm thrilled for them. I however, will NOT be joining them.

Wednesday- Made said parents a Very Yummy Dinner and worked up four different invitation options for the planning event Thursday night for my grandmother's surprise 75th birthday party. It felt good to actually put some of the thousands of dollars worth of scrapbook/card making supplies to use.

Thursday- I should have just stayed in bed. From the moment I got up, everyone and everything was wrong. I had a very strong urge to punch a stock boy at the grocery store, because he was in my way, and wouldn't move. I didn't punch him. I feel like there's some measure of growth there, since I controlled the urge. I got angry with Jake for not going to bed when he was supposed to, thus messing up my routine/plans for the day. He reminded me that it was Thursday, and therefore his day off. I cried. It didn't get any better after that.

Friday- I had to set my alarm to wake up early, because we had to help a friend move. So, I didn't sleep on Thursday, because I knew my alarm was set for the morning. The kids were easy to feed, dress, and get to my mother's for babysitting while we helped with the move. We got there, and got started. I knew it would be hectic, so I took an anxiety pill before I got out of the car. All was fine, until we got to the new place, and there were FIVE men there that I'd never met. That made 11 people standing around in the cold, in a Very Small Apartment, while the people moving in tried to get their heads out of their butts and decide what was going where. I don't do well with new people (when they're sprung on me). I don't do well with small spaces. I don't do well with chaos. I wasn't doing well. Jake kept touching me, which was just making it worse. When I start to have an episode, I need space. I need to be left to myself. I need to not be touched. He kept touching me, because there were men around who hadn't met me, and he needed to "claim his territory", I suppose. If it had all been people I know well, I could have said "I need a break." or "I need to walk away." or "I need to go home." But they weren't, and I couldn't. We skipped breakfast because of how early we were starting. We worked through lunch. By the time we were done, it was too late to eat lunch, because we were going to Jake's parent's for dinner. We went home, and I jumped into the shower quickly to get the grime of moving off of me. Jake jumped in too, proceeding to scare the bejezus out of me. To the point that I screamed, and fell. :( Which, of course, caused me to cry. Then, I went to my mom's to get the girls, and found out that one had drawn all over my mother's brand new sofa, and the other had used a sharpie on the dry erase board. Ugh. We went to his parent's house, where he proceeded to ignore me. Then, during dinner, he opened a brand new bottle of soda, and dropped it, spilling it all. over. my. clothes. I had to wear my mother-in-law's clothes home. She's three sizes bigger than I am. Then we got home, put the girls to bed, and he fell asleep. :( I spent the next hour and a half crying because my mother wasn't answering her phone and I wanted to talk to her.

Saturday (today)- went to Target to buy Maddy a belt. It came in a two pack, and she informed me that the pink one was ugly. The girls watched with fascination while I did my hair, which was sort of cute. The girls and I went with my parents to visit my brother at school, so that they could explain to him in more detail what the move would mean for him. We went to Chuck E Cheese's. I HATE, with the passion of a thousand firey hells, Chuck E. Cheese's. I left there with a migraine. From there, we went to Joann's where I found cute kid colored sock yarn to make socks for the girls, and some pretty cotton/corn yarn to make faceclothes out of. Then to TGIFriday for lunch. First thing after we sat down? Laura knocked a pepper shaker onto the floor, shattering it. Then, she insisted on using the bathroom three times, even though she NEVER wants to go to the restroom in public. I finally got to eat half of my food after it was cold. I say half, because the girls didn't want to order anything, because they'd gotten pizza at "The Devil's Playground" and said they were full. Yet, when MY food came, they magically wanted what I had, and proceeded to put their hands all over my food and plate. I salvaged what they hadn't touched. Now don't get me wrong. I have no problem sharing food. But do NOT touch my plate, and do NOT touch my food. Ask, and I will gladly give you some on a seperate plate. But if it gets touched? No. I will no longer eat it. Is this stupid? Probably. Doesn't mean it changes it at all.

So where does this leave me? This leaves me with all the signs of a downward spiral. This will end one of two ways: 24 complete hours of solitude without anyone or anything messing with me, so that I can reset myself; or hospitalization. It's a sad truth, but it's mine.

The 6th Picture

2009-02-17T18:37:00.002-05:00

Here is what you do:
1. Go to your pictures on your computer
2. Open the 6th folder
3. Choose the 6th picture
4. Show the picture on your blog and write something about it.
5. Invite 6 new people to this challenge.
6. Link to them and let them know they have been tagged.

This is Laura, checking out her new toy pizza this past Christmas. She's still in her p.j.s. My mom is in the background. The pizza has velcro on the top of the "cheese" and on the bottom of the toppings. This was just about the only toy she wanted to play with all day. Also in the photo were a pair of her new p.j.s, which she also carried around the whole day.

Tagging Fiera Firenze (http://fierafirenze.blogspot.com/), Fleur (http://dobbysmyhero.blogspot.com), Olive (http://pieceofthesun.blogspot.com/), Quinn (http://slytherinquinn.blogspot.com/), Olivia Gaunt (http://oliviagaunt.blogspot.com/) and Helena Lovegood (http://loverofallemo.blogspot.com/).

Quidditch, Round 1

2009-02-17T18:22:00.004-05:00

1. What momentous event was the reason that the members of the Order of the Phoenix felt it necessary to move Harry out of the Dursley’s house?
a. The start of the new school year
b. The Dursleys kicking him out
c. Voldemort’s escape from Azkaban
d. Harry’s upcoming birthday

2. Who revealed the actual date of Harry’s transfer to Voldemort, despite the misinformation the Order had been spreading around that the move would occur on the eve of his actual birthday?
a. Mundungus
b. Snape
c. Yaxley
d. Shacklebolt

3. With the use of Polyjuice Potion (and to confuse any possible attack by Death Eaters), six member of the Order were disguised as Harry and escorted out of Privet Drive, along with the real Harry. Which member of the order did not survive that night?
a. Mad-Eye Moody
b. Nymp0hadora Tonks
c. Hagrid
d. George Weasley

4. Who informed Harry, Ron and Hermione of the bequests left to them in Dumbledore’s will?
a. Kingley Shaclebolt
b. Minerva McGonalgall
c. Arthur Weasley
d. Rufus Scimgeour

5. During the wedding celebration for Bill and Fleur, Kingley Shacklebolt sent a Patronus to tell the guests that the Ministry had fallen, Scrimgeour (the Minister) was dead and the wedding celebration was about to be attacked by Death Eaters. What form did the Patronus take?
a. A lynx
b. An otter
c. A doe
d. A stag

6. Escaping from the wedding to London, our three friends found themselves confronted by a pair of Death Eaters, disguised as workmen. This close brush impressed on them the need to find someplace to hide. Where did they decide to go?
a. The Leaky Cauldron
b. Sirius Black’s house
c. The Dursley’s house
d. Ron’s Auntie Muriel’s house

7. Kreacher’s animosity towards Harry, Ron and especially Hermione (a Mudblood) was well documented in book five, “The Order of the Phoenix.” His initial interaction with them showed that his attitude had not changed. How did they win him over?
a. By giving him clothes and his freedom
b. They didn’t win him over!
c. By giving him something to eat
d. By giving him Regulus Black’s old locket

8. Who did they eventually find was in possession of the locket/Horcrux?
a. Severus Snape
b. Lucius Malfoy
c. Lord Voldemort
d. Dolores Umbridge

9. What did Harry find embedded in the door of Umbrdige’s office?
a. Moody’s magical eye
b. Nymphadora’s purple hair
c. Hedwig’s head
d. George Weasley’s ear

10. After retrieving the Horcrux, they tried to return to their safe place but they were pursued (actually Yaxley tagged along when they disapparated). This meant that the Death Eaters knew their hiding place and they had to go somewhere else. Where did Hermione take them?
a. To Godric’s Hollow
b. To the Forbidden Forest
c. Back to the Burrow
d. To the site of the Quidditch World Cup

Picture Scavenger Hunt
The pictures must be posted on your blog or at least linked to from your blog. Make sure that the links work or you will not get credit.

Mad-Eye Moody
Nymphadora Tonks
George Weasley
The Dursley's House
Kreacher

Grabbed from Waverly's blog.

2009-02-14T10:36:00.001-05:00

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Find out what heroes character are you at LiquidGeneration.com!

Ravenclaw Assignment #1

2009-02-10T07:49:00.002-05:00

1- What form does your Patronus take? What does it symbolize for you?
My patronus is a penguin. Because like penguins, I fear very little (probably far less than is intelligent for self-preservation), and am a very social animal (just ask anyone who knows me!)
2- Did you bring a cat, an owl, a toad, or other pet with you? What is their name?
I brought my owl, Langdon. I think I would wither up if I didn't have a way to keep in touch with everyone!
3- What is your favorite class here at Hogwarts?
I'm a COMPLETE geek, and my favorite class is History of Magic.
4- What is worth sneaking out of the castle for, even if you got caught?
A mid-night rondezvous!
5- What has made you laugh so hard that you've had butterbeer come out your nose?
Pretty much anything Fleur Sweeting says to me.
6- What yarn do you covet? Link please...
Look at all the pretties... http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/newmoon/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=182_4_66
7- What is your favorite flavor... the one thing you could simply not live without? Is brand important?
I am madly in love with Jelly Belly jelly beans. It's a long standing love affair, in that these are the ONLY jelly beans I will eat. I always feel so special when I get one of the pretty white boxes with all the flavors seperated out... I know... I'm pathetic. LOL
8- How many HSKS terms have you participated in?
This is number 3.
9- Do you have a birthday, anniversary or other big Muggle event during this year at Hogwarts? If yes, please tell us what.
Does Mother's Day count? Also, not a holiday, but Fleur Sweeting is coming to stay at my house for a long weekend, in 8 days! Like I said...not a holiday, but it should be! ;)
10- You in 5 words.
Silly, responsible, clean-freak, shopaholic, crafty.

Vampy Valentine's Swap

2009-02-07T12:27:00.003-05:00

First of all, let me just say... A MILLION thanks to Erika, aka "thechickwithstix" for an absolutely incredible swap package. I've been a little sad the past couple days, and that is officially ALL gone. My husband did NOT get my excitement when I was jumping up and down in the kitchen, hugging the yarn that you'll see further down in this post, and squealing like a teenage girl who just got asked to prom. Let the photos commence!

Everything: The yarn was still a mystery at this point, but you can see my patterns (Mingus, lissajous, La Digitessa, and Spina de Pesce), my truffles (I swear, I don't have a problem!), Oreos (yummy... I've already torn into THOSE!), Alice Cullen lip balm, and soap which I hadn't yet looked closely at either.See how pretty it was packaged? Even red and black ribbon! :) PAM! I got PAM yarn! (cue the jumping, squealing, and yarn hugging)The soap I hadn't looked closely at yet? ERIC soap! Swoon... (cue another round of squealing and jumping)
Erika, everything is PERFECT! I know you were anxious about it, but it's all great. It's really perfect for me! :) Thank you SO much!

This is getting rediculous.

2009-02-04T16:20:00.002-05:00

Lucy will be here in 14 days, 6 and a half hours. People are starting to get tired of being around me. It's all I talk about. I'm getting jittery, like I'm going through withdrawals. This is getting absurd. LOL What if I just go to sleep, and wake up in two weeks? Is that okay? ;)

In other news, I'm going to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods tomorrow. Yay! Food Mecca!

Wish List

2009-01-24T07:57:00.006-05:00

Charmed Knits (Can you believe I don't have a copy of this yet?)
Dark Chocolate (no nuts, please)
a journal (I love to write)
Cookie A's pay-for patterns. (I have Mingus, Lissajous, Twisted Flower, Stricken, Marlene, Django and Maelstrom)
knitpicks palette yarn in light blue (i.e. sky) or light green (i.e. edamame) for a pair of stranded mittens.
Stitch Markers are always fun! :)
I *just* realized that I still do not own a needle gauge! You know... Those things with all the holes in it so you can figure out what the heck size your needles are? LOL. Yeah. I do NOT own one of those. I'm not really sure how that's happened, but there you go!
Here's a link to my Amazon wish list: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html?ie=UTF8&type=wishlist&id=2P4RXSQLQMML3
And my Loopy Ewe wish list: http://www.theloopyewe.com/wishlist/show/20135/?token=ea5fadf058eb
And Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/favorite_listings_public.php?user_id=5330998

I have no allergies, but can't drink coffee or tea, and don't like nuts, except cashews. :) Thanks for looking, happy swapping!

Numbers...

2009-01-21T19:46:00.002-05:00

1...Day until sign-ups for the next round of Hogwarts Sock Kit Swaps.
7...days until Maddy's birthday.
10...days until her party.
11...days until Super Bowl.
17...days since my last yarn purchase.
27...days until I get to hug Lucy for the first time.

3...finished projects started AFTER Jan. 1st.
4...projects currently on the needles.
5...packages on their way to me.
10...projects planned for this year from yarn I already own.
12...pairs of socks planned to be knit this year.

11...hours until breakfast.
2...times that I cried while watching Pres. Obama's inaugural address.
1...average number of meals I eat in a day. (I know, I know. It's bad nutrition.)
3...average number of times I read the Ensign each month.
4...people I speak to every day.
1249...songs on my iPod.
11...number of days for my vacation in Vegas.

Christmas from Lucy!

2008-12-26T14:34:00.005-05:00

Lookie! Lucy Loves Me! My Christmas Letter. I'm not reading it all to you. It's a secret. :)Mmm Truffles.Lucy's favorite Christmas Time treat.Another book with a story about the Sookie-verse. :) I get to find out about Hadley. Intrigued? Ask me more!
Serenity Comics! Yay Firefly! Long live the Browncoats! Two of Lucy's favorite shades of nail polish: (L) Jewel of India, (R) Keys to my Karma.Nail Strengthener and mani/pedi cream. :)A wallet with (Top) Brand New Skates, and (Bottom) "Sheer" Your Toys.Top Coat and polish remover. (toe seperators behind)Base coat and cuticle cream."Edward's Eyes" yarn. This will be an "Omo Scarf.""Alice" stitch markers. See how pretty?Twilight flair. :) Can't wait to pin this to the bag I'll be using as carry-on for Vegas!This charm bracelet represents all the Cullens (Except Nessie. She doesn't count. ;) )

Carlisle: stethescope, with a green stone to represent life.

Esme: toolbox (for renovating houses) and a lavendar pearl to represent motherhood.

Jasper: an oak leaf (to rep. his rank in the confederate army), and hematite (also confederate, also grey designates mixed emotions)

Alice: ballet slipper, and a pink stone

Edward: Treble clef and gold, for his eyes.

Bella: the heart that Edward put on her bracelet, and the Blue that Edward loves to see her wear.

Rosalie: a vanity, and red stone, because she's bold, beautiful, firey, passionate, and loyal.

Emmett: a bear, and a purple stone because he's bold and stands out.

Oh, and Jake says I have a problem. This is my 3 quart stainless steel mixing bowl...

Part 9- Another Move and Readjusting

2008-12-13T20:43:00.002-05:00

Another Move
Finally, we were ready to put ourselves back together. We'd been in counseling, and had reached the point where our remaining issues were those that stemmed from living with other people, rather than in our own place. So, we started looking. We looked at ads for a week or two, and then found a couple of ads that looked promising. Jake called both places the same morning (a Monday). The first, we went on a walk-through. Maddy loved it. I did too. The second, wasn't open yet when we called, so Jake left a message.
They called us back, and asked if we could take a walk-through in 20 minutes. We were right down the street, so said sure. We went over for the walk through. Maddy wasn't with us for this one, because she had been acting up; so she stayed with my mother, while we went. It was two floors, and a basement. The price was right, it was in a decent area, and it fit all of our needs. We said we liked it, and wanted to fill out an application. The landlord sent us over to the leasing office to fill out the paperwork. We went over, and filled everything out. I asked how soon we'd know. The lady said that she'd have the credit scores and everything back by the next day, and to expect a call sometime Tuesday afternoon.
She called at 3:00 Monday, and said that the place was ours if we wanted it, and could we come sign the lease, and pay first months rent, and the security deposit at 1:30 the next day? We said absolutely, and had the keys in hand at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday morning, we brought over as much as we could in the car from our storage unit and my mom's until Jake had to go back to his parents' house to go to sleep (he works 3rd shift). Our first trip over on Wednesday, Maddy looked around and said "I hate it here. This was NOT my plan. This is NOT the house *I* looked at." I chuckled, and said "Well, kiddo... If you'd been behaving, you'd have been with us when we saw this house." Thursday, he had the day off. He borrowed his father's truck, and his out of work brother, and moved our bedroom furniture from his parents' house, and the girls' furniture from my mother's house, as well as everything else out of our storage unit. We slept there on Thursday. Friday, EVERYTHING was unpacked and put away. Saturday, decorating was done: photos on the wall, paintings and clocks hung, knick knacks put out, etc. We were all moved in.

Readjusting
It's been a few months (the move was in May). We still have our bad days, but then doesn't every couple? Maddy loves it here, as do the rest of us. It's been so nice having our own place. Doing things our own way, with no one to tell us we're doing it wrong, or ask us where we're going. I had a small episode in July, due mostly to the stress of trying to get into a routine throughout June. And now here I sit, typing out our story. I've come to the end of what we've been through. It's been wonderful, and horrible, and easy, and hard all at the same time. And I look back, and realize that tomorrow? Tomorrow I will have been married to this man for six years. And while the going was sometimes rough, we've gotten through everything together so far. I can only hope to remember that this is the man I chose, and pray for sixty more years to go with the six we've already had.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, for timeline purposes? The timespan from our first meeting to our wedding day is exactly six months and three weeks.

Part 8- An Ultimatum and A Break-Up

2008-12-13T20:26:00.002-05:00

An Ultimatum.

Life was more stable after PHP. I learned what I needed to keep myself safe, and how to make those things happen. I sat down with my mother-in-law, and told her that I felt lost in their house, and that it was making me worse. I needed to feel "needed", not like a free-loader. She asked how she could make that happen, and very nervously (I was terrified to step on her toes and make her think I thought she was inadequate; which is so far from the truth.) asked her why she wouldn't let us pay rent. She said she wanted us to use our money to pay off our debts, and get ourselves back on our feet. I said "If you won't let me pay rent, will you allow me to contribute in another way?" "What way?" she said. I explained to her the importance of scheduling and control of routine, etc. in managing my condition. She already knew much more than I realized, because she'd spent the whole time I was inpatient and in PHP reading EVERYTHING she could get her hands on that related to my disorders. Finally, I gathered up the nerve, and told her that I wanted to take over the grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning of the house. I was afraid that she'd be offended. In reality, she looked at me and said "Seriously? So, when I get home from work, the housework will be done, and there'll be a hot meal on the table, without ME having to do ANY of it?" She jumped up, hugged me, and said "You could have asked me this two YEARS ago!" I was *so* very relieved, and things got much better. I felt like I had control over my life, I was eating much healthier, and I felt like I was contributing.

Like I said in an earlier part of the story, though... my father-in-law and I don't see eye to eye. It was difficult living with him, to say the least. Jake hadn't learned to stand up to his father, and so his father and I would get into screaming matches, while Jake stood by and watched. Finally, I'd had enough. I made it clear to Jake that since he now had a job that had better pay and benefits, we could afford to be on our own, and that if we weren't on our own when we got our tax return, I was leaving without him. As much as I loved his mother, I couldn't be under the same roof as his father anymore.

A Break-Up.
Jake and I had been fighting. I chalked it up to stress from living with his father. But one day, he lost his temper with Maddy, and I lost MY temper with him. I'd had enough, and wasn't going to take it any more. He never talked to me, all of our conversations were one-sided, and now he was being less than the father I expected him to be. I called my mother to come get the girls and I, and I packed our things and left. His mother, who had been my best friend until that point, didn't talk to me for a few weeks. She was angry at me for not calling her and telling her I was leaving. It hadn't even crossed my mind to do so, and I felt that she didn't have a right to "meddle" in my marriage. The day I left, my mother re-arranged her entire house to accommodate the girls and I. Two days later, I called Jake to come and talk, to work out an arrangement. His father told him not to talk to me, or give me any money. Jake finally stood up to his father, and told him "She's my wife. They are my children. Even if she doesn't love me any more, I still love her, and it's MY responsibility to take care of them." Jake told me all of that when he came to see us. I was glad to see that he had finally stood up to his father (and have absolutely no doubt in my mind that his father said those things. I really wouldn't put that, or worse, beyond him.) He and I had a long talk, and worked out a support agreement for the girls and I, and who would pay which bills, and when he could see the girls. He came to see them every day, and slowly, we started going on dates, and relearning each other. We were seperated for four months, almost to the day.

Next: Another Move, and Readjusting

Part 7- An Attempt and A Recovery

2008-12-13T20:22:00.002-05:00

There's really no way to break this up, so it's all in one piece. Mental health/suicide are discussed, so if that triggers anything in you, you may not want to read this.

My treatment wasn't going as it should. I was still struggling. A lot. I was having a very hard time coping with life, and was having a ton of panic attacks, and not knowing what they were. I finally decided that I had had enough, and couldn't deal with it any more.
I gathered up all my medication, and was in the kitchen with a handful of pills and a glass of water when Jake walked in. He emptied my hand, and asked me if I'd taken any of them yet. I said no, and he had his brother watch the girls while he drove me to the ER. I sat on a gurney in the hall way for five hours before a psychiatrist came to talk to me.
She talked to me for a minute, and she and Jake had me admitted. I was wheeled upstairs where my shoes were taken away, as was the jewelry I was wearing. I was only allowed to keep my wedding ring. They took my engagement ring, because it was sharp. He left, because it wasn't visiting hours, and went home.
By the time he got there, his parents were there and were watching the girls. He explained to them, and called my parents. They all met at the hospital, but weren't allowed to see me that first day. I wasn't allowed to have visitors until after the doctor saw me. The cafeteria was locked, and I couldn't get anything but a drink of water unless it was snack time.
I wouldn't eat, because I wasn't allowed to see anyone. I laid in my bed, and wouldn't talk to anyone. I didn't want to be there. I wanted to be dead. I wanted the pain to be gone. I was tired of fighting all the time... Waging a losing war against an army in my head that knew more about me than I did. I couldn't take it any more. I was ready to surrender.
The doctor came the next morning to see me. He gave me a new list of medications, and handed me print-outs to read about them. Group therapy was complete baloney. There wasn't anything there that could help me. The other people there were there for reasons entirely different from me. How could one therapy help a schizophrenic, a Vietnam vet with PTSD, a woman who was in because she got mad at her landlord and stabbed him, me, and a guy with Down's Syndrome who was there because he couldn't process his mother's death? It was a waste of my time, and I spent it sitting there staring at the wall, waiting for it to be over, so I could go back to my room until visiting hours.
I wouldn't let them bring the girls onto the ward to see me. I didn't want them to see me there. My legs got hairy, because I didn't want anybody to watch me shower. That was gross, the hair on my legs. And in my armpits too. That was hard for me to deal with. After five days, I was deemed no longer a threat to myself, was told to contact my psychiatrist, and was sent home. I was sent home on my father's birthday.
I went home, took a shower and shaved. Then I went to my parent's for my father's birthday party. I sat on the couch, and was literally ignored by every single person there. That began a trend that continues to this day. That year, Maddy didn't have a birthday party. I was released on the 23rd of January, and relapsed the 25th.
I went back into the hospital, but refused to go to the same one. Maddy's birthday is the 28th. She turned 3 that year. The second hospital was much better. I was in a room with a private bathroom with a shower, and was able to check a razor out at the nurse's station. The rule was, if the razor wasn't back in 10 minutes, they came in after it. So, I'd shave, get out, return the razor, then get back in and finish my shower.
I was allowed to have my iPod at night to sleep, and the ward looked more like a hotel lobby than a psych ward. There were maybe 12 patients on the ward. I'd say 8 of them were bipolar and there for exactly the same reason as me. The other 4 were there for substance abuse problems. Suddenly, group therapy was helpful.
The doctor actually cared, and sat there for an hour in a private session (when most are 15 min. if you're lucky to get that much time out of them) explaining what was going on with me, and what my diagnosises meant, and what they'd mean in my life, and what each of my medications was supposed to do, and how long I could expect to be on each one, and answered any questions I had, etc. I was there just shy of a week, and when I was released, it was under a stipulation. I could go home, but was still hospitalized on an outpatient basis.
I had to go to "PHP" (partial hospitalization program). From 9am-2pm, I was at the hospital for group and individual therapy, seminars on coping techniques, check-ups, etc. I was in PHP for 6 weeks, and the stipulation of PHP was that if I missed 2 days, I would be re-admitted onto D-wing (the inpatient ward). I learned so much while in PHP, and don't think I'd be alive today if it weren't for that program, and the things that I learned there. I learned to empower myself with knowledge, and to fight to be an active part of my recovery and mental health.
I learned my full diagnosis, and what it meant for me. (Bipolar I, with dysphoric mania and psychosis; OCD; SAD; Generalized Anxiety Disorder) I learned ways to cope with what I have to live with, even though none of it works all the time, but at least all of it works some of the time.

Up Next? An Ultimatum and A Break-Up.

Part 6- Another Pregnancy, and A Long Time Coming

2008-12-13T20:19:00.003-05:00

This part of the story may be difficult. Mental illness is discussed.

Another Pregnacy
I was a bit resentful this time, and understanding how women could want to put their babies up for adoption. I did NOT want another baby. I was more than happy to be a mom of one, and knew that everything was going to change when this second baby came. But I put on a happy face for everyone else around me. This time, there was no hiding it. I was in maternity clothes at 8 weeks pregnant. It was extremely obvious what was going on, so everyone was informed much sooner this time around. Everything went like clockwork, and when it came time to deliver her, I had a planned c-section. I was told that my chances for natural delivery were about 80/20 against sucessful delivery. So, I opted for a repeat section. It was scheduled for the 26th of October. We went in at 5 a.m. and started the pre-op procedures. I was wheeled into the O.R. at 7:15, and was back in my room at 7:30. Not only was Jake in the room for this one, but he stood up and WATCHED her be born. She was beautiful, and while Maddy looks exactly like me, Laura looks exactly like her father. I was able to hold her as soon as she was done in the nursery, being cleaned up, etc. She breastfed like a champ from the word "go". She knew exactly what she needed to do, whereas Maddy, I fought for a week trying to teach her to nurse, until finally, I gave up and gave her a bottle (which she sucked down in seconds). I really had no choice but to grow attached to Laura. She nursed for 45 minutes, every half hour. Around the clock. For eight months. She'd nurse for 45 minutes, sleep for a half hour, nurse for 45 minutes, play for a half hour, repeat. For eight months, I lived with a blanket over one shoulder or the other all day long. I didn't think it was going to happen, but she captured my heart completely.

A Long Time Coming
After Laura, I developed post-partum psychosis. It went so far beyond depression. It was dangerous, and scary. I was put on zoloft. When Laura was eight months old, I was reading a magazine. In it, there was an ad for a bipolar medication with a checklist of symptoms. I answered "yes" to every one. I showed the ad to my mother-in-law, who said "You know, that makes a lot of sense. Maybe you should call your doctor." So I made an appointment with my general practitioner. He asked me a series of questions, prescribed something, and referred me to a psychologist. I didn't like that one, so found one closer to home. He asked me a list of questions, and prescribed different things. But, both doctors had diagnosed me as bipolar, though I didn't *really* know yet what it all meant.

Next: An Attempt and A Recovery.

Part 5- A Struggle, Adjusting, and Moving.

2008-12-13T20:16:00.003-05:00

Warning: Not for the squeamish.

A Struggle.
I went to the hospital to be induced at noon. I was given a drug to thin and dialate my cervix. An hour later, I was given pitocin, to induce contractions. An hour after that, my New Best Friend, the anesthesiologist, came with my epidural (I knew from day one that I wanted drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.). At 5:30, my midwife broke my water. At 6:30 the NEXT morning, I was still at 7 cm. MaryJo (my midwife) told me that at the rate I was going, I'd have three to four more hours of labor, and then a couple hours of hard pushing, at the rate I was going. Maddy's heart was starting to flat-line, and they were starting to get concerned with getting her out. MaryJo asked me if I wanted to continue, or if I wanted to go with a c-section. I looked at her and said "How many babies have I delivered?" "None," she said. "Right. How many babies have YOU delivered?" I asked. "Maybe a thousand. I've been doing this a long time." was her answer. "Okay," I said "Then what do YOU think we should do?" "I'll go call the surgeon" she said, and left the room. At 7:45 the surgeon was there and the OR was prepped. In we went. I was told that I could only have one coach in the operating suite with me. I had my mom, and Jake. I told them that they had to pick, because I wasn't fighting that battle. Jake took one look at me and said to my mother "You go. I prepared myself to watch her give birth. I didn't prepare myself to watch her get cut open." So off mom and I went. Dr Raheb made the first incision, and my mother was allowed to come in. Maddy had apparently moved her bowels between 6:30 when I was last checked, and 7:45 when I was wheeled into the OR, because when Dr Raheb made the first incision into my uterus, meconium spilled out into my stomach cavity. They worked at a feverish pace to get her out, and I remember MaryJo heaving her body onto my chest, and feeling a hard "pop", and then she was out. Nobody told me that c-sectioned babies (especially ones with meconium in the amniotic fluid) don't cry right away. I didn't get to see her. They whisked her straight into the NICU, and worked on getting her cleaned up. I didn't get to hear her cry, so I didn't even know if she was alive. My worst fears, and memories of Gabe were flooding through my mind. The Dr and nurses were sponging out my uterus, removing the placenta, stitching me up, and lifting out my organs so that they could pack me full of gauze, to clean up all the meconium that had spilled out when he cut into me. Somewhere in the midst of this process, my epidural wore off completely. The anesthesiologist was trying everything, but nothing he was giving me was helping. I could feel everything. I started to go into shock. My eyes rolled back into my head, and the last thing I remember is my mother, crying and screaming "My baby! Help my baby!" I woke up in my room five hours later, and for weeks, nobody would tell me what had happened. I wasn't allowed to touch Maddy until 8 pm that night. She was born at 8:02 am, just like me. All I was allowed to touch was her foot, because she was in an oxygen hood. I couldn't pick her up and hold her until the next day. I was barely allowed to carry her for the first three weeks of her life. My incision was very sore, and got infected, and re-opened. I couldn't climb stairs, couldn't shower without help, and Maddy wouldn't breastfeed. It was a hellish month, that's for sure

Adjusting
At this point, we were living with my parents. They had asked us to move in with them in November, to help with my grandmother. Jake and I spent over $1000 converting a small room in the basement (I mean, from exposed beams and no drywall or electricity) into a nursery for Maddy. I did most of the drywall hanging, painting, wiring, carpet laying, and decorating. One thing I *didn't* do is put in the ceiling. Slowly, I transitioned into life as a mother. Specifically life as a mother, living in the same house as MY mother. Every morning, I'd wake up, and Maddy wouldn't be in her crib. I'd find her either in bed with my mother, or upstairs in my mother's arms. My mother fed her breakfast every morning, and snuck into her room every night to watch her sleep. I'm completely serious about that last part. My mother has night-vision video recordings of Maddy asleep in her crib. Finally we fell into a routine, but my mother was unhappy with Jake's contributions to the household. We paid $100 a week in rent, plus $65 a week in storage fees for all of our belongings (which was more than our rent payment was before we moved in with them). My mother demanded to know where we were going and when we'd be back every time we left. She complained to me about Jake all the time, and was ruining our marriage. Finally, Jake got tired of it, and left. I didn't see him for two days. On the third day, he came back to talk to me.

Moving
He said that he'd been staying with his parents, and that since rent prices had skyrocketed in the time that we'd been with my parents (nearly a year), we couldn't afford a place of our own at that point. He had talked it over with his parents who had two spare rooms. He asked me to come and live with him there, and put our marriage back together. I agreed, because I thought that our marriage deserved a second chance; especially now that we had Maddy to think about. His parents wouldn't accept any rent, and never asked where we were/went/etc. They doted on Maddy, and my father-in-law rocked her to sleep every night. He gave her her first solid food (pizza crust). Things were going well, but I was a bit uneasy. I felt like I was free-loading, and didn't know how to address it. It would be a long time before I was able to do so. My father-in-law and I have always had a slightly tenuous relationship, and have butted heads more than once. He has accused me of being selfish before. Another time, he accused me of cheating on Jake, simply because I had male friends who I hung out with without Jake around. A couple months went by, and his parents said "So, when are you having another baby?" I said "There's no room here for another baby!" (In reality, Jake and I had been fighting about having another since Maddy was three months old. He wanted another, and I did not.) "There's ALWAYS room for more babies!" said the in-laws. From then on, Jake was relentless. Always talking about another baby, and when would we have another baby, and another baby would be great, etc. Finally, I gave in, and Laura was concieved on Maddy's first birthday.

Next: Another Pregnancy, A Long Time Coming, and An Attempt

Part 4- A Surprise, A Sadness, A Salvation.

2008-12-13T20:14:00.001-05:00

Warning: difficult issues arise in this installment of our story.

A Surprise
We got back from the honeymoon, and I wasn't feeling all that well. After a few days, i had an inkling of why that could be, and took a home pregnancy test. I didn't even have my pants buttoned yet, when the little plus sign showed up. Jake was at work when I took the test, and I was beside myself with waiting to tell him about it! He got home, and I couldn't even speak. I just showed him the test. We both jumped up and down, and screamed, and smiled, and laughed, and shook. We were elated, to say the least. We both knew that we had wanted a baby right away, but didn't realize how quickly our dream would come true! We felt very blessed. The next morning, I called my doctor, and made an appointment to go in. At that appointment, they did blood work, and urine testing, and took history, etc. We also had an ultrasound, to make sure there was a baby in there, and it wasn't a false positive. I had never been so happy to see a little squiggly blur on a black and white screen before. We were able to see the heartbeat, and were given a photo to take home. I was told that I was 6 weeks and 6 days along. We went home, and went to my mother's house to tell my parents about it. My father, upon finding out how far along I was, went to the calendar and counted backwards. "That's December 11! You didn't get married until the 14th!" I had to explain to him that the pregnancy counting starts on the first day of your last period, NOT at conception. (Yes, I had my period at my wedding. Talk about timing). He counted forward then, and got embarrassed, because his finger landed on Christmas Day. hahaha. Needless to say, we were thrilled, and I started reading baby books, and we were talking about baby names, and we moved into a two bedroom apartment, and traded in our pickup for a car. Then, one day I went shopping with my mother, and got sick in the bathroom at Michael's in Warwick, RI.

A Sadness
It wasn't morning sickness. It was something different. I just felt "wrong". I don't know how else to describe it. My mother said "You're probably just getting the flu or something, but maybe you should call your doctor just to be sure. They can put your mind at ease." So, I called the doctor, who had me come in later that day. She put me on the ultrasound machine (I was 10 and a half weeks along at this point). She couldn't find the heartbeat. She said "It could be the machine. Sometimes it does this. We're going to take some blood, to see what your levels are. I want you to come back tomorrow morning, and we'll use the other ultrasound machine, and take more blood levels. But I've been doing this a long time, honey. I know what I'm seeing. I'm so very sorry, but you've lost the baby." She measured it, and it had stopped growing at 8 weeks 6 days. So I had been walking around for almost two weeks, thinking everything was fine, when in fact, everything was about as far from fine as a thing can be. She left us then to talk, and told us to take as much time as we needed. I think I cried for a half hour before I was able to control myself enough to get from the office to the car. And then, I cried the whole way from the hospital to my mother's house. I composed myself, walked into my mother's house, and into the kitchen, and she said "So? Everything okay?" and I lost it. I couldn't form words. I collapsed to the floor, and just sobbed. Sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed. At some point, she picked me up off the kitchen floor, and moved me to the couch. Jake explained everything, and I basically went catatonic. I got off the couch to go to the doctor's the next day, where there was still no heartbeat. Back to my mother's couch I went. I got off the couch to talk to my doctor on the phone when she called me from her home that night to let me know that my hcg levels were dropping, which was further proof that my baby was gone. Back to the couch. I got off the couch on Monday to go to the doctor to discuss my options. It was decided that since the baby had been gone for 2 1/2 weeks, and had yet to dispell itself, that it would be prudent to perform a D&C. Back to the couch. I left the couch to go to the hospital for the procedure, on the day when I would have been 12 weeks exactly. Three weeks I had to walk around with my baby there, and yet gone. That was Feb. 26th. Most years, I can't get out of bed on the 26th of Feb. And the years that I do get out of bed, it's a very bad day. Sept. 19th is a very hard day also. That was my due date. I spent two weeks on my mother's couch, completely blocking out the rest of the world. After two weeks, she forced me back into my life. It was difficult, but with time I was able to make peace and move on. We named the baby. Gabriel Michael. After the archangels. We feel that he's watching over us. His ultrasound photo hangs in the girls' room. They don't even realize it's there, I don't think. But I do. That's my childrens' room, and he belongs there.

A Salvation.

After the D&C, I was told to wait a while to have intercourse, as if I had delivered a baby (because let's face it. I did.) I couldn't stand the idea of it for a while. Finally, in April, Jake and I talked, and I decided that I was ready to try again. (This part may be TMI, lol) Our very first time, we concieved Maddyson. This time, it was very different. I had ultrasounds at almost every appointment. I didn't tell ANYONE, not even my own mother, until I was in my second trimester. And even then, I told almost no one. I did everything differently. It may not be rational, but hell... it kept me sane. With Gabe I took my prenatals. With Maddy, I refused. With Gabe, I drank tons of fortified juices. With Maddy, I drank soda. I did everything by the book with Gabe, and he was taken from me, so with Maddy, I kind of rebelled a bit. I didn't relax at all until I felt her start moving. That didn't reassure Jake at all, because any time his skin came in contact with mine, she would stop moving. She wanted nothing to do with him. It was the strangest thing! LOL I didn't really start showing until my 7th or 8th month. It was as if she'd laid across my spine the whole time. Then, one night, in my sleep, she shifted. All of a sudden, I was all baby, as if someone had shoved a basketball up my shirt, LOL. So, then the cat was out of the bag. That was right before Thanksgiving, and we were spending Thanksgiving with Jake's family that year. I had told his parents, but asked that they not tell anyone. Well, we got to dinner, and I obviously had some explaining to do, lol. Everyone turned and stared at me when I walked in. I looked around, and said "Um... Surprise?" Hahaha. The men all turned back to the football game, and the women all oohed and ahhed. I gained 75 lbs with my pregnansy with Maddy, and my stomach looks like a road map, because of that night when she turned in my sleep (I wouldn't have had nearly so many stretch marks if she had allowed my skin to expand slowly) She was due on Jan. 21, and a week later, they induced me.

Next, A Struggle, Adjusting, and Moving.

Part 3- Wedding Plans, The Wedding, and The Honeymoon

2008-12-13T20:08:00.002-05:00

Wedding Plans
I agreed, and set about the daunting task of planning, throwing, and paying for a wedding in two months time. I figured November was out of the question, so started looking at Saturdays in December. That year, the first Saturday was the 7th. I automatically vetoed that, because it's Pearl Harbor Day. (May seem irrational, but for a history nut like me, it made perfect sense to not want to marry on a day that caused us to actively join WWII, lol). Also out were the 21st (too close to Christmas) and the 28th (Christmas AND New Years). That left us the 14th. Voila! We had a date! My next step was calling reception halls. The first woman said "Dec. 14th of '03?" I said "No. THIS Dec. 14th." She laughed, and hung up on me. I called the next place on the list (The Imperial Room). He looked at his books, and said "I can work with you... I have a Christmas party that night, but if you can be cleared out by 4:30, we have a deal. How about a start time of 11?" "Deal!" Voila! We have a time! Reception starts at 11, so the ceremony will be at 10:30, 10 minutes long, and 15 minutes from the reception hall. Just enough time to have a Recieving line, and get to the reception. :) Off I went to David's Bridal, where *everything* I wanted was in stock. Hooray! The dress fit like a glove, needing only a tiny bit of hemming, and no other alterations. I had just my Maid of Honor, no Bridesmaids, so I gave her a color, and said "Pick what ever dress they have here in your size that you like." Ta da! No bridesmaid dress drama! My uncle owned a limo company, so his gift to us was the limo for the wedding. We used the Church we were currently attending, but it was without a Pastor for the time being. As luck would have it, a girl I worked with's father was a Justice of the Peace. He came over, we went over what we wanted, and the time limit for the ceremony, and got that ironed out. Jake and the guys went and got their tuxes (he wanted a zoot suit. If he'd allowed me more time to plan, I'd have done a full out Roarin' 20s theme wedding. It'd have been awesome. But alas, he gave me 6 weeks.) The flowers worked out well, also. Everything seemed to be falling right into place.

The Wedding:
I woke up at 6:30, and messed around with my MOH for a while. Then, jumped into the shower. I had brand new blue undies (my something new and my something blue) with "I'm Yours" written on them in silver rhinestones. Victoria's Secret, baby! My mother came into the bathroom and snapped a picture while I was drying off. No lie, it's in my wedding album. I'll show you when you come, lol. I got into a bathrobe, and walked across the lawn to my neighbor/hairdresser/makeup lady. Got mine, and my flower girl's hair done, and my toe nails painted. My fingernails had been done the day before (french manicure all the way, sweetheart). Then it was time to start wrangling me into my dress. I had two veils. One long piece that clipped into the bottom of my hair-do, that trained as long as the train on my dress. And a short, chapel length one to go over my face. On with my garter, petticoat, shoes, etc. Every woman in our family who gets married wears a piece of my great-grandmother's cameo jewelry. (My something old, and something borrowed). I chose the ring. We got into the limo, and were on our way to the church which was right down the street from my parents' house. Got into the church, and went upstairs to hide out until it was time, and make last minute adjustments to veils, hair, etc. I made someone look over the balcony to make sure Jake was there, because I wasn't going to face everyone if he didn't show, lol. Once I was assured that everyone showed who needed to, I was like "Let's do this thing!" Every one else made their ways up the aisle, and my dad turned to me and said "You wanna book it?" I said "Meh... I already paid the bills, let's do it." ;) Up the aisle we went. The ceremony was VERY simple, for fear that my mother would get up and wander away. I wouldn't put it past her. We didn't do a unity candle or anything like that. We did however, have a reading:
Have a seat upon a cloud

and make yourself at home

You are now inside my dreams,

inside a book, inside a poem.

Where anything can happen

if you only make it real

Plunge into my waters

if you're not afraid to feel.

Take off your shoes and close your eyes,

relax upon my sand

Join me in my land of dreams,

reach out and take my hand.

Let me share my dreams with you

until you find your own

I'll take you there if you believe,

take mine out on loan.

Where birds are words so gracefully

they glide across the sky

Leave behind your worries,

here the rules do not apply.

Pick my flowers if you like

and plant a seed or two

Paint the sky in polka dots

if you do not like it blue.

Climb my trees, face your fears;

erase them one by one

See the world from up abovea

nd don't stop at the sun.

When the world starts raining down

and the sun is out of sight

Let your dreams control your mind

and help you through the night.

There's a place inside my dreams

for all who care to roam

So have a seat upon a cloud

and make yourself at home.

Danielle Rosenblatt
Our flowers were all white. Calla lillies for me, my MOH, Jake, the Best Man, Ring Bearer, and Flower Girl. Roses for the ushers, grandparents, and Jake's mom. Daisies for my mom, because they're her favorite. Lillies of the Valley for Faylene, because they have a special meaning to her. Our wedding colors were periwinkle and cream. That was that, and we were on our way to the reception. I accidentally wrote the directions out slightly wrong, so most people got lost, but it was okay, they found their way there in the end. It was a buffet dinner, and a cash bar (both of our families are full of big drinkers, and I wasn't footing *that* tab!) Lots of dancing, our DJ was great. The reception hall took care of everything! They made the cake (it had fresh callas on it too), did the meal, hired the bartender and waitstaff, even did the centerpieces, and laid out the placecards and favors! They also recommended the DJ for us. I forgot my purse at home, which was a bit unnerving when it came to the end of the afternoon and the DJ wanted to be paid (oops!) Luckily, the dollar dance had netted us enough money that we were able to pay the DJ and still have a few bucks left! The party moved to my parents' house afterwards, because they weren't ready to be done partying. By the end of the night, I was completely exhausted!

The Honeymoon

We went to Sandals Antigua. We were booked from Jan. 2-7. So, it's Jan. 2 at 3 am. We roll out of bed, and into his parents' car. They were driving us to the airport. We were scheduled to fly out at 6, and it takes an hour and a half to get to the airport in bad weather. We got there, got through security, checked our bags, and went to wait at the gate. We boarded when they called us, and then waited. It was snowing pretty strongly, but not a blizzard or anything. We were last in line to be de-iced, which meant that if we got off the plane, we'd lose our place in line, and have to start all over again. By the time we finally got in the air, it was after noontime. We ate breakfast around 1 pm. We landed in San Juan, and because of the delays from the de-icing, we had missed our connecting flight. We were put on standby for a flight that was scheduled to leave for the island at 8:30 that night. So, we wandered around the concourses, checked out the souveniers, ate some crappy airport food court pizza, and sat down at the gate to wait. At one point, I turned to Jake and said "I swear to you. If I spend the first night of my honeymoon in an AIRPORT in San Juan, Puerto Rico...I *will* divorce you when we get back stateside." I was serious too. I was NOT in a good mood. Luckily, there were seats for us on the plane. It was a 12 seater, and the flight from San Juan to Antigua took about 25 minutes. The brochures from Sandals said that the airport was 5 minutes from the resort. Which was technically true. What they fail to mention, is that Antigua has ONE road, and it's a ONE WAY road. And we had to ride all the way around the island to reach the resort. We spent an hour in a minivan older than I was at the time, going at breakneck speeds, completely ignoring the fact that every 20 feet there was either a speed bump or a pot hole. Finally, we reached the resort. *Aah!* Bliss! We were starving, and exhausted. We were greeted with hot towels, and a comfy reception area while they took care of our check-in procedure. At this point, all the restaurants in the resort were closed, so we weren't able to get anything to eat. There was an after hours grill, but that didn't open until midnight. So, we checked in, went to our room, showered, and waited for midnight to roll around, so we could get a bite to eat. We went to the grill, and it was food court type food... Over done hamburgers, stale pizza, nachos with fake cheese, that kind of stuff. We ate just to fill the hole, and went to bed, too exhausted to even move.
The next morning, we went to see the event coordinator, to see if we'd be able to do any of that fun stuff, like touring rainforests, or swimming with dolphins. Unfortunately, everything *we* were interested in, was booked solid until the day after we had to check out and go home. So, we didn't get to do any of those things. There was a pool table in the lobby though, and I owned Jake about 15-20 times before he finally gave up, and bowed down to my superior skills with a pool cue. We spent a lot of time swimming, eating, trying new drinks at different bars, and playing life sized chess. We went to the spa and got a couple's package. They started off with a champagne bubble bath for two, with local flowers sprinkled on top of the water. Then, there was a couple's massage, where they exfoliated us and prepped our skin to be in the carribean sun. Then, we showered and were given facials. It. was. heavenly. One day, we took a horseback ride tour of the island. That was incredible, and eye opening. The locals live in shacks, with no doors or windows, just holes where they should be... There are still sugar shacks standing, and ruins of a British fort, complete with cannons. The island is just breathtaking, and sad at the same time. Jake bought a hand carved dog that a local artisan had made from driftwood. It's beautiful, and he treasures it. I had my hair put into corn rows. Which looked not unlike the hair that Monica came home from Barbados with on FRIENDS. LOL Only shorter and blonde. We bought a few locally made necklaces to bring back, that we still wear occasionally. There was only one restaurant to eat breakfast at, and it was open air. Stray cats, and birds would come and sit right next to you, waiting for food. If you got up to get something, you'd come back to birds IN your plate, eating your food. We learned quickly NOT to leave our plates unattended. There were geckos EVERYwhere. There was a pool and a hot tub right outside our bedroom door. That was nice. We had to go home all too soon, and when we got home, it was STILL snowing!

Next, A Surprise, A Sadness, and A Salvation.

Part 2- The Email, The Proposal, and Gaevin's Birth

2008-12-13T20:01:00.002-05:00

The Email
That Sunday (two days later) I went out with my cousins, Faylene and Sherri (the one who set us up and went on our first date). While out with them, I got a call on my cell phone from Jake. Again, he had nothing to say so after a couple minutes of listening to Spongebob in the background, I said "Well, you aren't talking to me, so I'm going to hang up" and I did so. When I got home, I checked my email, and had one from him. To this day, I still remember exactly what it said. And I quote:
"Dear Veronica,

I have really enjoyed getting to know you. I would be extremely grateful if you would Please Please Please do me the honor of allowing me to be your boyfriend.

Jacob."

What could I do? With something so cheesy as that, I had no choice. I was hooked. I laughed, and replied simply. "Yes."

A few days later (the following Thursday) he picked me up at school, after my last class for the day. I was going to go down to meet his friends. What he failed to tell me until we were half way there, was that I'd be meeting his parents that day also. It went well, but the drive went on for what felt like forever, and at one point, after we'd been driving in the woods for a while, I thought to myself "Oh dear Lord... I know nothing about this man. He's going to pull over, kill me, and leave me in these woods here. I bet he lives nowhere near here!" Of course, we were right around the corner from his parents' house when I thought that, hehehe. The night was relatively uneventful, although one of his friends (who he is no longer friends with) did NOT like me, from the very beginning.

The Proposal.
Aug 22. My birthday. We'd already talked about marriage, what we wanted, etc. I was with him at the mall (but not in the jewelry store) in mid-June when he picked out the ring. He was in there for over an hour! Anyway, he never proposed. My birthday rolled around, and I thought to myself "He must be going to propose today. He must have been waiting for this." He sent me a bouquet of tiger lillies, which arrived early in the morning. He got to my house, and gave me my gift, which was the world's ugliest pair of sneakers ever. I took all the paper out of them, thinking maybe he'd hidden the ring in the toe of one of the shoes. Nope, nothing there but paper. So, I thanked him for the beautiful sneakers, and told him to go watch TV in my room while I took a shower. I had forgotten to grab my clothes, so came back into my bedroom dripping wet with a towel wrapped around myself. He stood up, and dropped to one knee in front of me. I thought to myself "Are you KIDDING me? He picks NOW? He can't wait two minutes for me to be dressed before he does this???" I was so busy thinking all of those things, that I didn't hear most of what he said, and didn't have the heart to ask him to repeat himself. I said yes, and then said "Now get out of my room so I can put clothes on!" lol. After I got dressed, I went into the kitchen to show my mother the ring, and she pulled me aside, and said "Do you really think this is a good idea? Shouldn't you sleep around some before you get married? How do you know he's good in bed?" I just stared at her, turned around, and walked away. I really didn't know how to respond to that.

Gaevin's Birth

My cousin Pat had his first baby on Oct 10 that year. We went that day to visit the proud parents in the hospital and bring a gift. While we were there, Jake wouldn't touch Gaevin. When we left, I turned to him and said "What was that? You were really rude back there! They probably think you hate their baby!" He floored me, when he gave his response, which was this "I don't want to hold him. He's not mine. I can't take him home, and so I don't want to touch him. It'll just make me sad." And he kept walking out of the hospital towards the car. We got in, and while we were driving home, he looked at me and said "Let's have a baby." I said "Um... Not today." He said "Why not?" Me: "We need to be married first." Him: "So let's get married." Me: "Um... Not today." Him: "Tomorrow?" Me: "No." Him: "Fine then. But I want to be married before the New Year."

Up Next: Wedding Plans, The Wedding, and The Honeymoon