Ch...ch...ch...ch.changes....

I know I'm not unique or original, so when the title for this blog post popped into my head, I had to Google it (along with the word blog) to see how many people have used that title..... Turns out, it was exactly as I thought.... TONS.... I quickly scanned through the first 10 pages of blogs with "Ch...ch...ch...changes" as the post title before I realized that I could never use it..... However,  I couldn't get it out of my head, so I've decided to use it ironically.

In the quest to post more frequently, I'm going to try moving my blog in a different, albeit similar direction. Think of it as SAHM Knits 2.0 Beta (because I'm not sure yet). The same amount of knitting and spinning interspersed with some daily life, but with the addition of other things.  For example: I made Eli some adjustable waist pants today (I didn't make the pants, just the adjustable part) and rather than sew, clean and be done... I photographed the process and I will do a blog about it this week (not tonight, it's getting late).... and I never did show off the indoor garden we have growing in the basement (yes, it's the kind I CAN show off.... sheesh people! I have children!).

I will admit that this slight change in direction may be influenced by Pinterest, an online pin board chock FULL of inspiration for craft projects, home projects, cooking, reading, art, music, style, makeup, hair... you name it, it's on there. I decided to learn how to do French Tips on my nails after seeing a cool nail picture that someone else had pinned. I've found websites that are great inspiration for braiding and styling Chey's hair (she is not impressed by this for some reason, perhaps if I let her watch slasher Dinosaur Documentaries while I do it, she'll be happier? She is quite thrilled that I learned to colour her hair green with pastels for the day so there is hope for her yet in the girlie department). Someone pinned an indoor Vermicomposting product, so naturally I had to find out how that worked... Can you guess what an upcoming blog post might be about???  Not all of my new flashes of creative brilliance are fanned in  Pinterest, but they are most definitely sparked there...


and you get to read all about it.....

Updates....

Wow! It's been 3 weeks since my last post.... I didn't realize so much time had passed. What have I been up to??? Being sick, mostly.... We had both a stomach flu (which I managed to avoid and Chey was only minimally affected) and a cold come through the house. I knew it was going to happen; both kids are in new schools this year, which means a whole new crop of germs to bring home to share with the rest of us.

We also been waiting for October 22, the date set for Eli's Tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy. I've been trying (in my own way) to have Eli's tonsils removed since he was 2. He had more than seven bouts of tonsillitis between 15 months and 2 years and we were referred to an ENT who said that although his tonsils were abnormally large, he would "probably" grow into them......

He hasn't.

Now he only has one bout of tonsillitis per year, but they have caused other problems. My latest mission to have them removed began when I read that enlarged tonsils (and the related obstructive sleep apnea) can cause many ADHD-like symptoms and that by removing tonsils in children that have been diagnosed with ADHD and obstructive sleep apnea, the symptoms of ADHD can disappear (due to improved sleep). Now, in Eli's case I don't think this will happen, I truly believe that his ADHD is the garden variety genetic version, but..... if his symptoms can improve once he starts sleeping properly........ need I say more?

To further this cause, Eli had an overnight sleep study done this summer at Alberta Children's Hospital and it was determined that he did indeed have moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Brooks (his new ENT) then recommended that his tonsils and adenoids be removed. The most interesting part of this for me, was that Dr. Brooks felt that part of the reason that Eli is so small (he's eight and the size of a small 5-6yr old) was also probably due to the obstructive sleep apnea. Because Eli never really settles into a deep sleep, his growth hormone release is restricted. Not only that, but it takes an enormous amount of calories to snore and toss and turn and choke in a person's sleep, which means even the few calories he does eat, get expended during his sleep cycle........

The surgery was Thursday and I didn't know what to expect. I had my tonsils removed when I was around his age and it was no big deal, but I, apparently, am unusual because everyone else I talked to said that the healing was brutal...... Eli also tends to be...... excessive.... in his response to pain..... The crying and screaming children in Day Surgery certainly didn't help settle my concern.... But, Eli went into surgery like a champ and came out..... fine. He said he didn't have much pain and the worst part was that he couldn't blow his nose. That night was difficult, but not because he was in pain... because when Eli is very tired, he can no longer control his emotions and he HATES (and I cannot emphasize how much he dislikes) medicine.... he would rather be in pain or sick than take any form of medicine... which is not a choice after surgery... he HAD to take it and the nurses came in every 4 hours to enforce the rule..... This resulted in out of control hysterics on Eli's part and frustration on mine (and the nurses) part..... Each time, the nurses were unable to convince or force him to take his medicine and I had to step in. That and the constant beeping and children crying and uncomfortable chair to sleep in made for a very tired Mommy, but at least I could be with him...... that's all that was really important. Now that he's home, he's totally back to normal. He probably won't even have any pain meds today (he only had a dose of Tylenol yesterday morning and night and a small dose of codeine, which was my decision, not a result of him being in pain) unless he complains of a sore throat or ear.... It's only day 3..... I think it's even been easier for him that it was for me.....




On the knitting front, I am nearly finished my handspun scarf for Syd. IF I had brought more of the yarn to the hospital, I would be done, but I didn't realize that I knit that fast...... I had finished all of the yarn I brought by about 4pm on Thursday..... good thing I brought a super-secret project along with me...... I even nearly ran out of yarn for that!










My test knit is also progressing. I am struggling with the sleeves, something is not working out.... I might chart the whole sleeve to see what the issue is, but I'm not motivated today..... It will be very pretty when it's done though.....

Weird...

My stat counter (the thing that sort of lets me know that people occasionally read my blog) must have had a coronary because it suddenly jumped from 1600-ish visits in the last year or so, to nearly 12,000.... in one day..... I'm thinking that 10,000 people did not read my blog yesterday..... which means my counter thingy is wrong, which bothers me..... 'cause I'm weird, that's why.....

I'm currently working on a blog post about my work with the raw fleece sampler, but I'm not going to post it until at least half of the samples are washed, prepped and spun...... I've finished two so far, so it's gonna be a bit of a wait......

One thing at a time...

I've discovered, over the last year or so, my true knitterly self. I am now proud to say that "I" am a one-project-finish-that-project-then-start-the-next-project kind of gal. I've always been that way; with knitting and with life in general. Within the past year or so, however, I have tried to go beyond my natural state into the life of the multi-project knitter (although, at most I only had maybe 5 going at the same time). This foray outside of my comfort zone has not accomplished what, in my mind, is the purpose of knitting.... relaxation and stress control.... You see, I like control... firm control and I get very stressed out when I have too many knitting projects on needles because I can't finish any of them in the time that I have alloted for that particular project. This is the point when I can no longer enjoy my knitting and I begin to see it as a chore. I'm not sure exactly when or why I decided that a "real" knitter has 30 projects, many of which remain as WIPs (works in progress) or that get relegated to hibernation status, sometimes for years... perhaps it was due to my sudden immersion of into the greater knitting community at large when I joined the wonderful Ravelry. Ravelry touched a place in my knitting soul... It was a place to organize my projects and stash and needles and library of knitting related paper. It was also a place where single project knitters, like myself, seem less common than those knitters who thrive on multiple projects. Knitters who seem not to be bothered by the number of WIPs and hibernating projects on their project pages. Knitters who seemed to be proud of the number of their UFOs (unfinished objects). I felt then, that I must be missing something..... I must join these enlightened beings, break out of my self and perhaps find some creative piece of me that was missing.....

I did not find what I was looking for..... there was nothing missing. I am not a multi-project knitter and so, I proudly pronounce that I will continue to work one project at a time (OK.. two projects, I need a small travel one) to it's completion, or damnation before I start another... even IF the next project is begging to be started..... it will bloody well have to wait it's turn.

25 things....

There has been this "thing" going around on Facebook lately. You are supposed to post 25 random things about yourself and then tag 25 people. I've been tagged several times and haven't bothered to post my 25 things, mainly because, although I love to READ that stuff, I absolutely hate, hate, hate bugging others. I truly feel that "read this and pass it on" type email and posting is the online equivalent of coughing without covering your mouth.... who knows what you've just passed on to the next person in line.....

I am going to post my 25 random things here though.... without a "pass it on" ending.

1. I wasn't going to do this, but Christina made me...
2. I knit, crochet and now spin (like Sleeping Beauty, not like riding a stationary bike... and no comments from the peanut gallery about my comparison to Sleeping Beauty)
3. Even though I'm almost 36, I can still *almost* get one leg behind my head... and yes, I tried it to make sure...
4. I can also touch the base of my nose with my tongue
5. I have 2 dogs, a standard poodle and a toy poodle... and I think poodles RAWK.
6. 80% of the TV I watch is documentary-ish
7. My son has ADHD and he's gifted, which means he talks at about 5,000 miles an hour and soon he'll be able to out think me....
8. My son was 3lbs 5 oz and 15 inches long when he was born
9. I also have an adopted daughter who is my sun, moon and stars
10. I once broke a boat and made an ex-boyfriend and my friend paddle us to help....
11. I have NEVER been to a concert
12. I'm basically a big ole scaredy cat. I am scared of EVERYTHING
13. I went to college/university for 4 yrs and have nothing to show for it (except the student loan debt which took foreva to pay off!).. sigh.
14. My son just informed me that being a Mom is not a REAL job... I hope he clones himself and stays at home to find out for himself....
15. I went to a 3 day knitting retreat in November and loved it.....
16. I went to 7 different schools growing up.
17. I still occasionally dream that I'm in high school...
18. I once walked straight into a light standard and nearly knocked myself on my ass. Did I mention that I was wearing a short skirt and high heels at the time... oh and it was RIGHT in front of a pub in Whistler, full of mountain biking HOT guys.....???
19. I was somewhat known in college for my car... the Blue Demon.... as in "OH?? You're the girl with THAT car".... and it wasn't a positive "Oh".
20. I have a very sick and dirty sense of humor.
21. I like books that hurt my brain, but I read lots of junk food in between to keep me sane. At least I used to like those books, now all I do is knit.
22. Dale and I have been together for nearly 16 years and I even still like him most of the time
23. I walk almost every day
24. I write a blog and people actually read it, amazing!
25. Facebook keeps crashing when I try to publish this note.. I wonder what THAT means?? LOL....