Have you been known to drive your kids to school in your PJs? Or send your kids to school without brushing their hair? Go on, admit it -- you can tell us! (survey from Parenting magazine website)

Apparently most people (that read Parenting Magazine) think that homeschooling is detrimental to a child. Based on the survey above, I cannot believe that continuing this way of life is healthy. Why are we encouraging our kids to rush around, not think straight, forget keys or homework, slack off, and lie (about why we're late). This is just ridiculous. Our country needs a big slap to the face to see why we act the way we do and what effects it will have on the outcomes of these kids. Will they be addicted to prescriptions before they are 16? Ritalin just to get things done and Ambien just to sleep at nite?

I am appalled today...

Working....I swear I am

I am behind in my writing. My assignment (chapter 1) is due next week and I have barely been thinking about it, let alone writing it. I try to emulate Mozart on my composing. I try to come up with the scenarios, words, descriptions, etc in my head before I ever sit down to paper (or computer screen). But I have been so busy with preparing for our homeschool project that I haven't been giving the writing the time of day.

The homeschool project is near planning completion. I have all the materials and now just need to sit down and write out the goals and paths to getting there. I have most of it "written" in my noggin, but I am writing here instead of working on the curriculum and I have a 3 year old begging me to "play our Legos". What's a Mommee to do?


Oh my head is spinning with so much to write about on here. So I think I will take a break and come back later after my cream has risen to the top...no, seriously. We drink raw milk and had a bit extra (like 1.5 gallons) and so I have decided to let it sit on the counter and let the cream rise. We will make yummy butter later.

Off I go. Must go help with Legos!

I am soooo Boned...

I'm dead. Here are my Socks of Death, knitted by the fabulous Frostie. (I love them! Big & slouchy and comfy!)
So here I am, knocked out in the first round by a new sock knitter. Sad really, to have aimed so high and to have fallen so far.

It's not like I haven't knit socks before....I just didn't do much knitting the last 2 weeks. I carried the bag around with me lots of times, but that doesn't a sock make. So sad.

Truth be told, I made an error in the cuff of the pattern and I tried to let it go and just keep knitting, but I couldn't see the pattern with the ragg pattern of the yarn and so once I got far enough into the sock, I was able to block it a bit with my hands and I realised that there was a horrible mistake (in my eyes anyway) and no self-respecting knitter would pass on such schlopp to anyone, not even her sister, let alone another competitive knitter. Many say I hold my knitting aims too high. Bah! I just like the feel of the yarn frogging.

So I have sent the yarn off to the assassin up the chain, not without a bit of cattiness on both sides I am ashamed to say (well, not really ashamed so much). Anyway, she'll have her new ball of yarn tomorrow and my victim can breathe for a few more days. Pics of my Death Socks will soon arrive here. I didn't capture a pic of the sock I was making, so in the interests of keeping all people aware, it was being knit in Tofutsies, 797 Two Step - a lavender & white ragg. I wouldn't blame the new assassin if she ripped the rest of the stitches out and started over. I couldn't bear to show anyone how horrible I was knitting, so I have lengthened the game a bit (by frogging the part of the one sock I had completed poorly).

I am so done here...I am running on 3 hours of sleep and have been up for too many hours ....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Beautiful Weekend to ReAwaken the sleepy Seattleites

Wow! 85 on Saturday. A mild 75 today. Just gorgeous. There are flowers everywhere and the breeze is divine. M & I spent the afternoon replanting veggies & flowers in our community plot, 21 Acres. We were the only folks about for most of it and it was quite pleasant & very productive. Hopefully these plants will live. Last set died from too little water, too many slugs, and too many birds. Probably a squirrel or two helped as well.

THIS time we have a fence!! Cuz I am SURE chicken wire will keep out all animals from eating our precious summer foods. Especially the slugs. They are very receptive to things like galvanized wire. They respect the boundaries quite well...


SOCKS - I am still alive in the Sock Wars competition but who knows for how long? I am hoping to at least finish one sock before I die. ITs ridiculous really. I am not usually THAT slow of a knitter..okay, I admit I have tendency to take awhile, but that's because I don't knit for months at a time on a project. This one I knit at, contemplate whether or not to frog, knit for a bit, contemplate frogging...you see how this is going. The socks are soo soft, but the ragg pattern on the yarn doesn't make the pattern pop, so I can't tell if I am doing it right or not...very frustrating, because the only place where I tend to fudge things is in the seams...not in the pattern. I am quite particular about patterns and how correct they are...but with Death on the line, I am willing to suck in my gut and just offer them up. I am sorry that they aren't as fabulous as they could be...I didn't know the stitch pattern would be so integral to the project. I was expecting something a bit more basic....wherein my ragg dye lot would play out much nicer...

Oh well. Live and learn.

FDA defends safety of baby bottle chemical -msnbc.com

I kid you NOT!

What is our government coming to??? WHY are chemical companies MORE important than the safety of our citizens or citizens-to-be? Its innane! I cannot comprehend this!

For some reason, the FDA feels compelled to defend a company instead of doing its job, looking out for the safety of its people (its employers!). If the myriad studies have ANY degree of truth, shouldn't they just dump the product and say to the plastics companies, "Hey. This information is coming out and you need to change your product." End of discussion.

Its time to start cutting some serious fat from our government and go back to simpler government. I suggest someone in the White House call me so I can outline my proposal to the NEXT president...

Facebook

Wow there are a lot of former pals out there and they all seem to be on MySpace or Facebook. Who knew? I love it. I love reconnecting with them because I am so all-or-nothing when it comes to keeping in touch with people. (Dang it! Sean was right all those years ago...)

I don't do it on purpose folks! I swear! I just get sooo caught up in life that I forget the importance of sending cards or calling my loved ones. It's benign neglect. I still love you all and think about you often...but I suck at connecting with you.

Deal with it..cuz I haven't changed on this one...umm....ever.

Knitting and not writing and finding curriculum for the summer

Well, I haven't worked on my novel in weeks, I haven't knit those vicious socks all day (and I understand many people are finishing their second sock already....I'm boned), BUT i have found and almost purchased the curriculum bits that we will go through this summer. Huzzah!

I cannot wait to turn A from a middle-average-student in a lackluster environment into an above-average, not-behind-european & indonesian-students type of student. Keep fingers crossed.

FYI - I have been knitting with TOFUtsies (or however you spell it) and ultimately, I don't like how the two ply splits apart. But it is AWFULLY soft.

Must go attend to G.

Quiz Thang

This is too funny. You should take it.

http://www.quizilla.com/quizzes/281864/what-kind-of-yarn-are-you

What kind of yarn are you

Your Result

You are Mohair.
You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with others, doing your share without being too weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely refuse to change your position once it is set, but that's okay since you are good at covering up your mistakes.

Yea Yarn!

Okay, so I haven't been knitting quite as much as I'd like...I confess that, like a 3 year old, when I sit still that long I start to fall asleep. I napped quite a bit yesterday. It was lovely.

The pattern for sock wars is great. Easy to remember so far...my pattern recognition software is apparently still working and I can stave off the Alzheimer's for another year or so. Hurray for me!

Unfortunately, I am not sure that my colorway will show as nicely as the one on the pattern. Sorry Victim! It is a nice slightly girly, sort of neutral color....if lavender can be called that.

I have done some looking into my victim...and she's quite like me but with a MUCH nicer spinning wheel and actually has yarn to show for it. Dang it! It will be sweet to kill her with such softness for her feet....bwa hahaha

WHERE IS MY DOSSIER?!?!?

Arrrgh! I can't take it anymore!! I NEED to know who I am knitting for ... I don't want to send lavender socks to a man!!! Arrgh!

Its not like I have anything better to do...laundry, cleaning, WRITING a novel...

More Sock Stuff

Ok, I admit it. I am getting nervous. What if I don't make ANY progress on the socks I am knitting with which to assassinate my victim? What a flake I would be!! Thinking positive here....I will knit at least one sock. At least a part of one sock.

Which is faster - DPNs or two circulars? I have been working on a pair on two circulars, which I like the process of, but I suspect is more than a bit slower. But two at a time is awfully nice...With me, its a sock menage...oh never mind.

Off to gauge...yes, for once...

Sock-Wars

Last year I made a resolution to not take on any new projects, since I have so much yarn and too many hobbies.

Yeah. So since the turn of the year, I have gone ahead and started a community garden plot, started planning to homeschool my kids, took on soda-pop making and started a sourdough mother,...and rearranged the basement/family room. Oh yeah, I'm also writing a book.

So, to keep with the theme, Sock Wars III is starting this weekend. Bwa hahahahaha. I am so boned. Seriously. These women have all been knitting for like 40 years or are young and unstoppable. Oh well. At least I get a pair of knit socks out of it.

I did go ahead and get some Tofutsies yarn to try it out...since SWTC is the sponsor of the event. I thought I might as well TRY their products. I can't guarantee that I will continue with that tho...I have some awesome Opal sitting around that would be nice to use up...but that's assuming that I make it past the first round..and I have some serious doubts about that.

Psst, if you are my assassin looking at this page...I'm a size 9 and I really like orange.