Well this last month has been interrupted by first a trip to Las Vegas to visit my brother and mother, and then coming home to my family getting some sort of gastro-intestinal flu. I've become way too familiar with my washing machine, but in that time that my Whirlpool front loader and I have had together, I've made a discovery you would think that I would have already known.
My washer has a spin only cycle.
Yep. I will now be able to process more wool at home (oh I can hear my husband groaning over that now...) and I can spin out the fiber that I've dyed.
The drying time has been an issue here as we just don't have space, but it now appears that we will be able to get more dying done, and I won't have to worry about my nosy neighbor calling the city to say my house is covered in an odd stringy substance.
It is April, and there are Daffodils showing signs of being ready to bloom all over the place and the weather is just getting so beautiful out... I am fielding more interview calls for QA Manager positions, and I've taken on some new clients for web-design. At the end of the month is the CT Sheep and Wool Festival that I will be going to with Sunny. In between all this I'm working on getting my Etsy shop re-stocked, and consider getting a production wheel.
That would make 4 wheels for those who are counting...
I'm actually considering selling my Colonial Wheel. I don't have space to set it up and it really deserves the room to be on display. I guess I'll have to give that some thought. I know that I really want the jumbo flyer for my HitchHiker Roadbug from the Merlin Tree and hope to pick one up at the CT Sheep and Wool fest.
In the mean time, since I've discovered this new setting on my machine, I will be stocking the Etsy shop with hand dyed, locally processed sliver! I'll announce when I've done my latest updates there.
It's really nice, with my daughter getting ready to start homeschooling in earnest, it's been a relief that we have the Etsy shop to supplement income. Homeschooling can be done very inexpensively, but we're making sure we can provide our kids with the tools they need to succeed in the world - as it takes money to make money, I am hoping we can cover some of her foundations costs this year with the profits from TGTreasures.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
New England Spring - Festivals begin!
So - we're home, it was a heck of an adventure and my kids are happy to be home, and I even got back to my Thursday evening spinning - something that just hasn't happened in a while due to my spinning partner in crime being in her first trimester of pregnancy (she's out now and finds out tomorrow if she has a baby boy or girl in there *grins*.)
If you are around Bristol CT on Thursday night and want to come spin with us - please do! We meet up at about 6:30 PM and are there until they close up. This week is iffy as to if we'll be there or not, but other weeks you can definitely find us there.
So that silk and merino/tencil I promised pics of?
I had hoped to post more when I was in Las Vegas, but my little Diva didn't get as much done on her homeschooling programs during the days like we'd have liked, so before bed at night this became a frequent visage in the window...
She's a bright little cookie and has figured out how to use my cell phone as well. She has started texting folks, not content to work on her homeschool website, - no she also wants to Text Daddy, Auntie Reesa, Grandma, and a few others. It makes things a little challenging as she's got my phone figured out better than I have.
So it's spring, shearing season is upon us, and more than likely I will be going back to the same farm in June to pick up more fleeces. Sunny and I are going to wash them out in her backyard this time though, so when we send them off for processing we're not paying an arm and a leg for processing gunk out that we could do ourselves. We also hope to do a bit more dying together than we did last summer. We'll be doing as much as we can outside in the shade as she'll be getting rather large by then...
I am really excited for both she and her husband - this is their first baby, and my Husband was best man at their wedding. As her husband's a police officer in the next town over, there are very few odds that we'll ever have pictures of him posted here, but for future reference, I'll just call him Kel here. Kel's a pretty good guy and I've known him for ages... I don't think he really grasps what we're doing yet with the spinning though. *grins* When his house is overtaken with yarn, as well as all the baby paraphernalia I'm sure I'll get partial blame.
I am looking forward to the CT Sheep and Wool festival as well. It is the 100'th anniversary of it, but I can't find a functioning website for it anymore. Which completely stinks. I know it is happening though - and on April 26, Sunny and I will be there. I'm hoping that Claire can make it too - it's a small enough venue that we may bring my little Diva and if Claire brings her daughter, I expect they will play well together, leaving the adults to be able to oggle spinning wheels and fiber as well as let Sunny get a chance to try out several types of spinning wheels to see if she likes one over another... until then she's using mine and really enjoying it - when she's not having tension problems. ;-)
And speaking of Tension - I'll have a whopper of a tension problem tomorrow if I don't get to sleep now. I'll be bringing a wheel with me to my daughter's dance class, so I should get some sleep now.
Until later!
If you are around Bristol CT on Thursday night and want to come spin with us - please do! We meet up at about 6:30 PM and are there until they close up. This week is iffy as to if we'll be there or not, but other weeks you can definitely find us there.
So that silk and merino/tencil I promised pics of?
I had hoped to post more when I was in Las Vegas, but my little Diva didn't get as much done on her homeschooling programs during the days like we'd have liked, so before bed at night this became a frequent visage in the window...
She's a bright little cookie and has figured out how to use my cell phone as well. She has started texting folks, not content to work on her homeschool website, - no she also wants to Text Daddy, Auntie Reesa, Grandma, and a few others. It makes things a little challenging as she's got my phone figured out better than I have.
So it's spring, shearing season is upon us, and more than likely I will be going back to the same farm in June to pick up more fleeces. Sunny and I are going to wash them out in her backyard this time though, so when we send them off for processing we're not paying an arm and a leg for processing gunk out that we could do ourselves. We also hope to do a bit more dying together than we did last summer. We'll be doing as much as we can outside in the shade as she'll be getting rather large by then...
I am really excited for both she and her husband - this is their first baby, and my Husband was best man at their wedding. As her husband's a police officer in the next town over, there are very few odds that we'll ever have pictures of him posted here, but for future reference, I'll just call him Kel here. Kel's a pretty good guy and I've known him for ages... I don't think he really grasps what we're doing yet with the spinning though. *grins* When his house is overtaken with yarn, as well as all the baby paraphernalia I'm sure I'll get partial blame.
I am looking forward to the CT Sheep and Wool festival as well. It is the 100'th anniversary of it, but I can't find a functioning website for it anymore. Which completely stinks. I know it is happening though - and on April 26, Sunny and I will be there. I'm hoping that Claire can make it too - it's a small enough venue that we may bring my little Diva and if Claire brings her daughter, I expect they will play well together, leaving the adults to be able to oggle spinning wheels and fiber as well as let Sunny get a chance to try out several types of spinning wheels to see if she likes one over another... until then she's using mine and really enjoying it - when she's not having tension problems. ;-)
And speaking of Tension - I'll have a whopper of a tension problem tomorrow if I don't get to sleep now. I'll be bringing a wheel with me to my daughter's dance class, so I should get some sleep now.
Until later!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Fiber Shop
Really Sick of his car seat
Enjoying the cactus garden together
Terraforming at Lake Las Vegas
More Photos later... kids awake now.
Vegas, day 4 complete
Ok - today was just busy.
- Breakfast at mom's
- Finish laundry/fold and bag to go back to hotel
- Springs Preserve with all 3 little ones.... wow can I have some of their energy?
- Back to Mom's to check on step dad and grab anything we left earlier.
- Off to Coldstone creamery - 3 quarts custom blended for us, Tessa had to have strawberry gummybear as one of them.
- Lake Mead for a Sunset Dinner cooked by my uncle Paul who really is a bit of a gourmet. He makes Spaghetti and Meatballs something amazing... and OMG home made cinnamon buns, from a yeast dough. All this in a 5th wheel camper - wow.
- Post dinner Kids went for walk with Uncle WegasWingnut and Grandma Oulin fretted when it was post dark and they weren't back yet.
- Kids and Uncle return - Garret has soggy shoes - someone danced in Lake Mead while wearing Sneakers, and Tessa was hungry.
- Tess and Liam fed again, and then we headed out...
- 10 minutes on the road Garret starts crying that he's broken his mouth. Interpreted as teething, those nasty 2 year molars, we stop at the first CVS we see and pick up some children's advil. Once dosed he's a happy camper within 20 minutes and is singing his favorite song - the Boobie Song. His own composition.
- Mom dropped off at her house, we come back to hotel. I panic - can not find hotel key, do not want to treck across casino with bag of folded laundry, tired preschooler and shoeless toddler just to get to front desk. Hotel laid out inconveniently unless you are a gambler.
- Key found in crack of passenger seat - mom drove to Lake Mead, so I must have lost it out of my pocket. All is well again.
- Upstairs again, kids skip bath tonight in favor of feet in sink while teeth get brushed, while I scrub assorted body parts of kids with washcloth while they sit on edge of sink and giggle.
- Kids dressed in night clothes, put in bed and within 10 minutes of heads to pillows they are OUT.
- Mommy (me) now laughing to self as it's before 11 on a Sat night in Las Vegas, and I'm looking forward to going to sleep more than anything else.
- Unemployment filed for electronically and now I'm going to finish uploading pictures and then go to bed.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Vegas, Day 3 complete
I actually took pictures for day 3 day. I can't upload them right now for fear of waking the kids with the noise of trying to find the memory card adapter for my new cell phone camera's memory card, but they really do exist.
It's 6am local time in Las Vegas while I write this on day 4, but I fell asleep last night so I didn't get to write it.
Friday was a busy busy day for us. I started out the day with a shower while the kids were still asleep and while trying to blow dry my hair the blow dryer popped and caught on fire in my hand. Unplugging it and holding carefully, the flames went out quick, but that was an experience. After the kids were up and dressed I contacted the front desk to request more towels and a replacement for the blow-dryer... one that wouldn't catch on fire please...
Post Breakfast (and Tessa discovering why we we are careful when walking past cactus and not INTO Cactus - or else you end up with spikes poking holes in you) we checked out a local fiber shop where I was able to pick up silk caps for spinning, for a song... as well as Tessa picked out some Merino/Tencil blend. I didn't even spend 10.00 there and feel like I've really gotten a good deal. The Store owner was a lovely woman and has invited me in for her saturday spin/knit day today, but I think I'm going to have to skip it. We have a full day ahead of us. But that is skipping ahead my self here... I have to say that I've never felt that comfortable in a yarn/spinning/weaving shop and if I lived out here, I'd have to be pried out of there with a crowbar frequently.
Following the trip to Wolly Wonders, we went to the Ethel M chocolate factory. Tessa thought it was pretty cool to watch them make little candy bars, and loved the chocolate sample we got at the end of the tour. We picked up something for Daddy, who the kids miss terribly, and then went on to walk their Cactus Gardens. Tessa loved it, and Garret loved the ability to practically run about - it's been a long winter back home with very few days that were really good for playing at the park in comparison to the weather they are experiencing here.
At this time everyone was ready for a late lunch. We piled back into the SUV and headed north towards the region where our hotel was - Gas, Grub, and then Naps were in store for us. Tessa worked on a homeschooling reading site on my laptop, and Garret and I slept with the door bolted and unable to be opened from the outside, nor by little girl if the Starfall games got too boring for her and she decided that in the hour I was going to lay down with Garret that she wanted to do something else. She didn't and when Gaelon called us to make sure I got up on time to get to Mom's for dinner, she answered the phone like a big girl and brought it to me.
Dinner at Mom's with my brother and his family, and my Aunt and Uncle was wonderful. The kids had a blast together, and all three are close enough in age to really enjoy playing together. Liam was more verbally expressive when playing with my kids, so I think his quietness is just because his big sisters do so much for him. Seems to be a family trait - as my brother and my cousin Nick both were the same way as small kids.
Following dinner (and my brother's bunch leaving a little early due to an allergic reaction by his middle girl to construction dust and pollen - and we're talking severe reaction, the poor girl) I loaded the kids up into the SUV while my mom got ready to take her sweetie out to Lake Mead for the night in the rig.
Tessa had requested that we drive the strip at night time as she wanted to see all the lights. As it was a friday night - well I was a little concerned about traffic on Las Vegas Blvd, but it was early enough that we could start out on Fremont, and make our way south. I had expected Garret to sleep through this, but he was awake, and giddy over all the lights as well.
The Spinning Shoe, and Martini Glass made of lights up at Freemont Street really blew her mind, and made Garret babble in the back seat. They were chanting "Glitter Gulch" and having a blast over what they were watching go by. Tessa kept seeing all the chapels and gal's in Wedding Dresses and she wanted to know if the white dresses got dirty from all the pollen and dust... I told her that I bet they did. All the lights, and the fountains impressed them, but the big point that caught their attention was the fountains at the Bellagio - all in patterns with music in an amazing light/sound/water show that both wanted to come back for. I told them when it wasn't Mama alone and they were bigger that we'd discuss it and likely walk around on the strip instead of driving on it.
They were highly amused by the Luxor yet again, and Excalibur blew Tessa's mind as there was a big story book castle in the middle of this sea of lights... driving on the highway back to the hotel, we got to see the other side of the hotels and Tessa told me she was greatly impressed with all the flash and color. She thinks it's very pretty and is very much a grown up playground. I told her she was very smart and that's exactly what it is.
She still isn't really understanding what a casino is - other than that they don't let little kids in there, and people come in to lose their money so they go home with an empty wallet... I have told her I didn't get the allure either so we are sharing a case of "I don't get it's" and she is happy with that.
Completely exhausted she was in bed and asleep before Garret, and he and I followed shortly afterwards. I'm going to grab a bit more sleep my self for now before we go back to my mom's and finish laundry and begin our Day 4 adventure.
It's 6am local time in Las Vegas while I write this on day 4, but I fell asleep last night so I didn't get to write it.
Friday was a busy busy day for us. I started out the day with a shower while the kids were still asleep and while trying to blow dry my hair the blow dryer popped and caught on fire in my hand. Unplugging it and holding carefully, the flames went out quick, but that was an experience. After the kids were up and dressed I contacted the front desk to request more towels and a replacement for the blow-dryer... one that wouldn't catch on fire please...
Post Breakfast (and Tessa discovering why we we are careful when walking past cactus and not INTO Cactus - or else you end up with spikes poking holes in you) we checked out a local fiber shop where I was able to pick up silk caps for spinning, for a song... as well as Tessa picked out some Merino/Tencil blend. I didn't even spend 10.00 there and feel like I've really gotten a good deal. The Store owner was a lovely woman and has invited me in for her saturday spin/knit day today, but I think I'm going to have to skip it. We have a full day ahead of us. But that is skipping ahead my self here... I have to say that I've never felt that comfortable in a yarn/spinning/weaving shop and if I lived out here, I'd have to be pried out of there with a crowbar frequently.
Following the trip to Wolly Wonders, we went to the Ethel M chocolate factory. Tessa thought it was pretty cool to watch them make little candy bars, and loved the chocolate sample we got at the end of the tour. We picked up something for Daddy, who the kids miss terribly, and then went on to walk their Cactus Gardens. Tessa loved it, and Garret loved the ability to practically run about - it's been a long winter back home with very few days that were really good for playing at the park in comparison to the weather they are experiencing here.
At this time everyone was ready for a late lunch. We piled back into the SUV and headed north towards the region where our hotel was - Gas, Grub, and then Naps were in store for us. Tessa worked on a homeschooling reading site on my laptop, and Garret and I slept with the door bolted and unable to be opened from the outside, nor by little girl if the Starfall games got too boring for her and she decided that in the hour I was going to lay down with Garret that she wanted to do something else. She didn't and when Gaelon called us to make sure I got up on time to get to Mom's for dinner, she answered the phone like a big girl and brought it to me.
Dinner at Mom's with my brother and his family, and my Aunt and Uncle was wonderful. The kids had a blast together, and all three are close enough in age to really enjoy playing together. Liam was more verbally expressive when playing with my kids, so I think his quietness is just because his big sisters do so much for him. Seems to be a family trait - as my brother and my cousin Nick both were the same way as small kids.
Following dinner (and my brother's bunch leaving a little early due to an allergic reaction by his middle girl to construction dust and pollen - and we're talking severe reaction, the poor girl) I loaded the kids up into the SUV while my mom got ready to take her sweetie out to Lake Mead for the night in the rig.
Tessa had requested that we drive the strip at night time as she wanted to see all the lights. As it was a friday night - well I was a little concerned about traffic on Las Vegas Blvd, but it was early enough that we could start out on Fremont, and make our way south. I had expected Garret to sleep through this, but he was awake, and giddy over all the lights as well.
The Spinning Shoe, and Martini Glass made of lights up at Freemont Street really blew her mind, and made Garret babble in the back seat. They were chanting "Glitter Gulch" and having a blast over what they were watching go by. Tessa kept seeing all the chapels and gal's in Wedding Dresses and she wanted to know if the white dresses got dirty from all the pollen and dust... I told her that I bet they did. All the lights, and the fountains impressed them, but the big point that caught their attention was the fountains at the Bellagio - all in patterns with music in an amazing light/sound/water show that both wanted to come back for. I told them when it wasn't Mama alone and they were bigger that we'd discuss it and likely walk around on the strip instead of driving on it.
They were highly amused by the Luxor yet again, and Excalibur blew Tessa's mind as there was a big story book castle in the middle of this sea of lights... driving on the highway back to the hotel, we got to see the other side of the hotels and Tessa told me she was greatly impressed with all the flash and color. She thinks it's very pretty and is very much a grown up playground. I told her she was very smart and that's exactly what it is.
She still isn't really understanding what a casino is - other than that they don't let little kids in there, and people come in to lose their money so they go home with an empty wallet... I have told her I didn't get the allure either so we are sharing a case of "I don't get it's" and she is happy with that.
Completely exhausted she was in bed and asleep before Garret, and he and I followed shortly afterwards. I'm going to grab a bit more sleep my self for now before we go back to my mom's and finish laundry and begin our Day 4 adventure.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Vegas, Day 2 complete
We were supposed to get together with my Sister in Law today, but she didn't realize the plans were firm and when her sister came into town from Ohio unexpectedly, she spent the day with her. No harm, no foul. We had a nice restful morning and mid afternoon we went out to Walmart for more pull ups for Garret, and Ensure for my Stepdad and then over to my mom's favorite shop, where my beautiful diva had a nightmarish moment that made me take her outside and threaten her with us coming home to Connecticut on the first airplane that would take us home. She didn't like that threat at all and after we discussed it further she was apologetic for her behavior, and she actually contritely gave her "I'm sorry's" to my mom, and not because of what I had threatened her with, but because she was in the wrong. It made me very proud of my little girl, although I was mad at her for her poor behavior for a little while.
We went back up to my Brother's house for dinner, the kids all had fun with each other and I got time to talk with my brother and his wife. She's really a lovely woman, and I have to say a spectacular mama. Liam was a little cutie-pie, and the three littles were all over the place... at one point Garret snuggled up on the couch with Nicole - the middle girl, and was watching TV with her, and happily chirruping to her. They've stolen their cousin's hearts, and the admiration is mutual.
It's tough seeing how hard things are for my mom with my step dad. You take the normal Mother/Daughter dynamic and then factor in a man that you've never liked being an emotional and physical drain on your mother. Next add in the fact that once upon a time he used to make her so very happy, and now he's an invalid and mentally/emotionally not the man he used to be and see the toll on her health and center and it's heart breaking. I want to scream at his children "Where the *F* are you, as he's *YOUR* Dad."
Mine is gone, both my brother and I greatly grieve that he doesn't get to his lovely three little grandchildren playing together and getting along as wonderfully as they are. I'd give anything to have him in our lives, and they are squandering what life their own father has left.
It's not even that they are off-put by his physical state - they would have to see him to actually know what he looks like. No - they just aren't there. This means his grandchildren aren't either. So - Tessa, Liam and Garret are the surrogates for his affection as the Step Grand kids, and Tess is still in that really shy zone with him as he's just not able to be an interactive grand dad. I may not like the man, but I will not refuse him the joy of wee ones to call grandchildren, and Garret has laid claim to him in a way that is very sweet and special.
I am feeling better today compared to yesterday, and tomorrow will be a big walking day for me with the kids. We're going to the candy factory, and maybe over to the strip to see the water show, there's a family dinner with my Aunt and Uncle who will be driving in from parts south, as well as my brother's family and then I have promised Tessa that if she is still wide awake after dark we will drive down the strip so she can see it lighted up like she sees when we watch CSI. As it was her request, I will do my very best to honor it.
Garret is just as sweet as can be, and pure boy. It didn't take him long to get dirty in his cute little clothes today, and he even managed to get some soil (Literal dirt/earth from the flower garden) on my mom as well. The doting on eachother - Mom/My kids/Liam is just wonderful and I hope Tessa retains the memories of this trip.
Well - I'm tired, I should get a drink of water and go to bed. I'm not drinking enough and need to make sure I stay hydrated as the desert just pulls the moisture out of me like a sponge, my lips are feeling chapped and that happens when I get sick or dehydrated, and I'm certainly not sick.
May all who read this have a good night. Rest well, as I know outside of missing my Husband (who is back in CT,) I will be sleeping pretty hard my self tonight.
We went back up to my Brother's house for dinner, the kids all had fun with each other and I got time to talk with my brother and his wife. She's really a lovely woman, and I have to say a spectacular mama. Liam was a little cutie-pie, and the three littles were all over the place... at one point Garret snuggled up on the couch with Nicole - the middle girl, and was watching TV with her, and happily chirruping to her. They've stolen their cousin's hearts, and the admiration is mutual.
It's tough seeing how hard things are for my mom with my step dad. You take the normal Mother/Daughter dynamic and then factor in a man that you've never liked being an emotional and physical drain on your mother. Next add in the fact that once upon a time he used to make her so very happy, and now he's an invalid and mentally/emotionally not the man he used to be and see the toll on her health and center and it's heart breaking. I want to scream at his children "Where the *F* are you, as he's *YOUR* Dad."
Mine is gone, both my brother and I greatly grieve that he doesn't get to his lovely three little grandchildren playing together and getting along as wonderfully as they are. I'd give anything to have him in our lives, and they are squandering what life their own father has left.
It's not even that they are off-put by his physical state - they would have to see him to actually know what he looks like. No - they just aren't there. This means his grandchildren aren't either. So - Tessa, Liam and Garret are the surrogates for his affection as the Step Grand kids, and Tess is still in that really shy zone with him as he's just not able to be an interactive grand dad. I may not like the man, but I will not refuse him the joy of wee ones to call grandchildren, and Garret has laid claim to him in a way that is very sweet and special.
I am feeling better today compared to yesterday, and tomorrow will be a big walking day for me with the kids. We're going to the candy factory, and maybe over to the strip to see the water show, there's a family dinner with my Aunt and Uncle who will be driving in from parts south, as well as my brother's family and then I have promised Tessa that if she is still wide awake after dark we will drive down the strip so she can see it lighted up like she sees when we watch CSI. As it was her request, I will do my very best to honor it.
Garret is just as sweet as can be, and pure boy. It didn't take him long to get dirty in his cute little clothes today, and he even managed to get some soil (Literal dirt/earth from the flower garden) on my mom as well. The doting on eachother - Mom/My kids/Liam is just wonderful and I hope Tessa retains the memories of this trip.
Well - I'm tired, I should get a drink of water and go to bed. I'm not drinking enough and need to make sure I stay hydrated as the desert just pulls the moisture out of me like a sponge, my lips are feeling chapped and that happens when I get sick or dehydrated, and I'm certainly not sick.
May all who read this have a good night. Rest well, as I know outside of missing my Husband (who is back in CT,) I will be sleeping pretty hard my self tonight.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Vegas, Day 1 complete
What can I say - I'm whipped. Traveling about 10 hours with two small children (Including my layovers) has me ready to collapse, but at least I can do that in a sunbeam.
My kids are having a blast with Grandma Laney, and my son has of course stolen my mom's heart - like that was any question that it was likely to happen. "Grandma, Grandma, Grandma" has been Garret's mantra. Tess has asked my mom to be her schoolteacher for the week and both children are madly in love with her. (Oh it's quite mutual as well...) Even my step-dad has gotten some Garret Lovin's - he thinks that Grandpa is just the bee's knees, and my step dad who is bed bound seems to be amused to no end by a small child toodling in to see him in his bedroom and chirruping at him.
This trip has been awesome on the heart and hard on electronics.
My cell phone and our video camera both have given up the ghost. I have an extended warranty on the camera and the phone had insurance for repairs, but I'd be without it for the time I was out here, and that would certainly be a hardship as I'm still looking for work out here and am taking calls from recruiters.
I ended up at the Sprint store tonight, and renewed my contract ( it was up for renewal anyhow, so I ended up with a pretty sweet deal on a new phone as well as with a new plan that is less per month than the old one.) I ended up with a Samsung Rant, to replace my MotoQ. I think I like this one more already, but there's a lot of bells and whistles to learn on it. I can pull up YouTube on it, but that sucks down batteries like you wouldn't believe. I'm going to let it charge tonight and we'll see where it is in the morning.
Our hotel - aside from my kids finding drugs on the floor when we came in, is actually a rather nice one, and I have a view of the strip from here - all the hi-rises in a single row, coloring the sky in multi hued brilliance, complete with the Luxor calling the Mothership home...
We had breakfast with my mom, and then went grocery shopping. My kids were awesome in that they asked for fresh fruit and veggies, and not candy nor junk, although for the fun of it Tessa did the "Can I have colored cereal" thing - which if you know my mom you know it will elicit a "I don't think so." I had major issues with the artificially colored and preserved cereals when I was a child and it's left an indelible stamp on my family due to it.
I'm blessed - the kids have healthy appetites for healthy food. They could prefer junk, so I'm very content to know they don't want garbage.
After lunch we headed up to North Las Vegas to see my brother and his family.
Spending time with my brother today was just a wonderful thing. I can't say enough about how that household feels, there is warmth, and love there, and while my nephew seems to be behind the 8 ball linguistically, it seems to be only in verbalization, not comprehension. I think he's going to be one of those big guys that doesn't say much but when they do it's profound some day. And good grief - for a 3 year old, he's almost as big as my 4 year old daughter. Tess is fairly tall for her age, and is often mistaken for a 5 -6 year old physically.
The kids all had so much fun playing together today, and they truly enjoyed each other's company. That to me is priceless. My daughter and son are madly in love with Cloudy - for those who remember, Cloudy was my dad's puppy, and my Brother currently has her, although there may be a war over her as she's just the sweetest thing in the world and a great example of what Daisy was supposed to grow up to be like. :-) (I think I forgot to blog this, but Daisy passed away in January due to a heart defect.)
My brother's step daughters were darlings - well the two who interacted with us. The eldest got time with my kids as my daughter demanded to go see her, but as she was doing homework, she opted to stay upstairs the entire time we were there this afternoon. She's in honors classes and doing well, so I'm not going to fuss. I know it's not personal, it's being a Teenager, and it's homework.
Liam gave me hugs before we left, and was fairly talkative to me - something I'm told he just isn't... but then again my kids are chatterboxes and my daughter was certainly engaging him in conversation while they played. He so looks like my brother when he was that age, and has the jawline from our paternal family line. He and Garret have similar structure in the eyes and noses though - and you can see the resemblance clearly enough to know they are family. Garret however got the peanut genes, where Liam will be a tall drink of water.
We're back at the hotel, where I can write this, recharge my laptop and self, and the kids are asleep. There is a 3 hour time difference between here and home, and I'm still on Eastern time, so it's fricking late for me. I just am enjoying the quiet time and am contemplating taking a bath my self before crawling into bed - the OTHER one in the room that doesn't have small children sprawled out in it. I wonder if they'd notice in the middle of the night that I wasn't there in the bed they were in...
My kids are having a blast with Grandma Laney, and my son has of course stolen my mom's heart - like that was any question that it was likely to happen. "Grandma, Grandma, Grandma" has been Garret's mantra. Tess has asked my mom to be her schoolteacher for the week and both children are madly in love with her. (Oh it's quite mutual as well...) Even my step-dad has gotten some Garret Lovin's - he thinks that Grandpa is just the bee's knees, and my step dad who is bed bound seems to be amused to no end by a small child toodling in to see him in his bedroom and chirruping at him.
This trip has been awesome on the heart and hard on electronics.
My cell phone and our video camera both have given up the ghost. I have an extended warranty on the camera and the phone had insurance for repairs, but I'd be without it for the time I was out here, and that would certainly be a hardship as I'm still looking for work out here and am taking calls from recruiters.
I ended up at the Sprint store tonight, and renewed my contract ( it was up for renewal anyhow, so I ended up with a pretty sweet deal on a new phone as well as with a new plan that is less per month than the old one.) I ended up with a Samsung Rant, to replace my MotoQ. I think I like this one more already, but there's a lot of bells and whistles to learn on it. I can pull up YouTube on it, but that sucks down batteries like you wouldn't believe. I'm going to let it charge tonight and we'll see where it is in the morning.
Our hotel - aside from my kids finding drugs on the floor when we came in, is actually a rather nice one, and I have a view of the strip from here - all the hi-rises in a single row, coloring the sky in multi hued brilliance, complete with the Luxor calling the Mothership home...
We had breakfast with my mom, and then went grocery shopping. My kids were awesome in that they asked for fresh fruit and veggies, and not candy nor junk, although for the fun of it Tessa did the "Can I have colored cereal" thing - which if you know my mom you know it will elicit a "I don't think so." I had major issues with the artificially colored and preserved cereals when I was a child and it's left an indelible stamp on my family due to it.
I'm blessed - the kids have healthy appetites for healthy food. They could prefer junk, so I'm very content to know they don't want garbage.
After lunch we headed up to North Las Vegas to see my brother and his family.
Spending time with my brother today was just a wonderful thing. I can't say enough about how that household feels, there is warmth, and love there, and while my nephew seems to be behind the 8 ball linguistically, it seems to be only in verbalization, not comprehension. I think he's going to be one of those big guys that doesn't say much but when they do it's profound some day. And good grief - for a 3 year old, he's almost as big as my 4 year old daughter. Tess is fairly tall for her age, and is often mistaken for a 5 -6 year old physically.
The kids all had so much fun playing together today, and they truly enjoyed each other's company. That to me is priceless. My daughter and son are madly in love with Cloudy - for those who remember, Cloudy was my dad's puppy, and my Brother currently has her, although there may be a war over her as she's just the sweetest thing in the world and a great example of what Daisy was supposed to grow up to be like. :-) (I think I forgot to blog this, but Daisy passed away in January due to a heart defect.)
My brother's step daughters were darlings - well the two who interacted with us. The eldest got time with my kids as my daughter demanded to go see her, but as she was doing homework, she opted to stay upstairs the entire time we were there this afternoon. She's in honors classes and doing well, so I'm not going to fuss. I know it's not personal, it's being a Teenager, and it's homework.
Liam gave me hugs before we left, and was fairly talkative to me - something I'm told he just isn't... but then again my kids are chatterboxes and my daughter was certainly engaging him in conversation while they played. He so looks like my brother when he was that age, and has the jawline from our paternal family line. He and Garret have similar structure in the eyes and noses though - and you can see the resemblance clearly enough to know they are family. Garret however got the peanut genes, where Liam will be a tall drink of water.
We're back at the hotel, where I can write this, recharge my laptop and self, and the kids are asleep. There is a 3 hour time difference between here and home, and I'm still on Eastern time, so it's fricking late for me. I just am enjoying the quiet time and am contemplating taking a bath my self before crawling into bed - the OTHER one in the room that doesn't have small children sprawled out in it. I wonder if they'd notice in the middle of the night that I wasn't there in the bed they were in...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Back to spinning!
Well I seriously doubt I'm going to fill that custom order by Monday but I'm spinning away... it's a self imposed deadline, not one put on me by the buyer, but still... I had wanted to get it done.
This afternoon I was back at my Mother in Law's, spinning while getting a little adult female social interaction. She and I had a very hard time initially connecting leading to a stressful first few years that my husband and I were together, and somehow after all this time we've come together as kindred spirits - women who left their immediate family miles and miles away and started a family here in New England. She really has become a close friend, and I love her dearly.
The me of a decade ago would have wondered what sort of happy pills I was on for saying that by the way... just to give you an idea of how it was.
But today we sat, drinking our coffee, I spun, she relaxed as much as a Grandma with two very young grand children can (my kids adore her but they are really tiring as they somehow appear to be fueled by Jet Fuel LOL!) I managed to get maybe 15o yards spun, but it wasn't my goal, so tomorrow I'm going to be spinning again here at home, and really hoping that I can make a sizable dent in that order.
After I spin it, I'll be doing the dying. It's a bit in reverse for how I work, but I want to make sure that I can do it uniformly and want to get the whole thing done in one day. I upped my difficulty level in meeting that self imposed deadline when I brought my flyer but not the attached whorl for my Kiwi and had to return home for it.
I've decided I'll be bringing a couple of drop spindles with me on my trip. I'll take some silk and a very lightweight drop spindle and then I'll take probably 4 ounces of Tunis and use my Golding for that. I have no idea as to if I'll get enough time to spin when in Las Vegas, but I hope to try, and there is always naptime for the kids.
My daughter has been asking "Is it time to go to Grandma Lanies yet?" It's been her mantra after getting up in the morning, after dance class, after sleeping over at her Paternal Grandma's and has beat out her request for a baby sister. This one I can honestly say "very soon" and not worry about getting harangued too much. The whole baby sister thing? Thats another can of worms entirely.
The Diva has learned to knit on a Knifty Knitter loom this week. She has me wrap her loops for her, which I don't mind doing, and has had great fun knitting while mommy knits. It's funny how daughters want to be their mothers, I remember wanting to be mine when I was a child, and now I see my daughter wanting to be me - down to insisting we wear the same shoes, and trying to wear my clothing already.
She'll be using my drop spindle before I know it, and will be spinning on a wheel without any assistance soon too.
I'm not ready for her to be so grown up but she is, so I get to roll with it and just enjoy the ride.
Well it's 1am and I am likely going to be woken up by fierce little people in the morning so I should get some sleep. I'll have a post with pics tomorrow and a request for spinner's with scotch tensioning experience.
This afternoon I was back at my Mother in Law's, spinning while getting a little adult female social interaction. She and I had a very hard time initially connecting leading to a stressful first few years that my husband and I were together, and somehow after all this time we've come together as kindred spirits - women who left their immediate family miles and miles away and started a family here in New England. She really has become a close friend, and I love her dearly.
The me of a decade ago would have wondered what sort of happy pills I was on for saying that by the way... just to give you an idea of how it was.
But today we sat, drinking our coffee, I spun, she relaxed as much as a Grandma with two very young grand children can (my kids adore her but they are really tiring as they somehow appear to be fueled by Jet Fuel LOL!) I managed to get maybe 15o yards spun, but it wasn't my goal, so tomorrow I'm going to be spinning again here at home, and really hoping that I can make a sizable dent in that order.
After I spin it, I'll be doing the dying. It's a bit in reverse for how I work, but I want to make sure that I can do it uniformly and want to get the whole thing done in one day. I upped my difficulty level in meeting that self imposed deadline when I brought my flyer but not the attached whorl for my Kiwi and had to return home for it.
I've decided I'll be bringing a couple of drop spindles with me on my trip. I'll take some silk and a very lightweight drop spindle and then I'll take probably 4 ounces of Tunis and use my Golding for that. I have no idea as to if I'll get enough time to spin when in Las Vegas, but I hope to try, and there is always naptime for the kids.
My daughter has been asking "Is it time to go to Grandma Lanies yet?" It's been her mantra after getting up in the morning, after dance class, after sleeping over at her Paternal Grandma's and has beat out her request for a baby sister. This one I can honestly say "very soon" and not worry about getting harangued too much. The whole baby sister thing? Thats another can of worms entirely.
The Diva has learned to knit on a Knifty Knitter loom this week. She has me wrap her loops for her, which I don't mind doing, and has had great fun knitting while mommy knits. It's funny how daughters want to be their mothers, I remember wanting to be mine when I was a child, and now I see my daughter wanting to be me - down to insisting we wear the same shoes, and trying to wear my clothing already.
She'll be using my drop spindle before I know it, and will be spinning on a wheel without any assistance soon too.
I'm not ready for her to be so grown up but she is, so I get to roll with it and just enjoy the ride.
Well it's 1am and I am likely going to be woken up by fierce little people in the morning so I should get some sleep. I'll have a post with pics tomorrow and a request for spinner's with scotch tensioning experience.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
ok - not so scary after all...
A couple of months ago my P, L and backspace keys on my Toshiba laptop just stopped working. No clue why at the time. On Sunday night after another key popped off the keyboard and I looked at my husband and said - it can't be as hard as they say to replace the keyboard. (They being the last set of techs I talked to over at Staples which now has a computer repair department.)
I didn't want to send it out for repair in part due to the delays and idiocy I dealt with last time I took my laptop in for repair over at BestBuy (it was still under warranty at the time,) partially due to what we just went through in December getting my Husband's computer back (after nearly 3 months when it was to take 2 weeks - thanks Acer) and in part due to the fact that I just can't be without it right now.
So - I looked up instructions on how to do it online, realizing I COULD do this my self and then ordered the part on Ebay.
Seriously - I can't say enough how easy it was. Replacing the keyboard is almost as easy as removing the battery on it.
In the past few days I've reinstalled the software for the operating system, cleaned out the muck that I don't need installed on my system (superfluous crap that they stuff in the hard drive that is supposed to entice you to spend more money on software or entertainment sites that you really don't want, ) and have repaired my system physically. It's kinda impressive to me actually. I wasn't worried about voiding the warranty, as it's just not got one on it, and the worst thing I could do was render it completely inoperable, which any tech would have that as a worst case scenario.
Why yes, I am very pleased with my self right now. That was a huge hunk of cash I just saved, and per the diagnostics program, the internal workings of the computer are just fine.
YAY me! Best part? I spent 17.00 with shipping and handling on this repair. That's it.
Bad news here is with all my computer woes, I've not gotten as much spinning as I'd like to do completed, so tomorrow Beakey comes with me when I take the kids to their paternal grandma's for the day and I will listen to their glee while they play.
I might even get some other things for the Etsy shop done, but that's a post that will have to wait...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Cheeky Monkey
So my little monkey girl is starting with the "mom said ____" to her daddy so she can get her way.Needless to say the fact that we have computers on each floor is not something she finds helpful at all as it means we can IM with each other and we tend to catch those tricks pretty quick..
Last night she asked for another sibling again, and wanted to know how long until we had a new baby in the house. I told her that we probably weren't going to (although both Gaelon and I are receptive to the idea in the future, we're not actively planning on one right now) and that if we did she wouldn't be any younger than 6 - if not older, which was NOT met with much happiness.
Upon telling her she'd need to share her things more she started listing the toys she had that she couldn't wait to share. Hrm. That wasn't what I was looking for LOL.
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