Turning a Corner

Let's pretend it hasn't been over two months since my last post, shall we?

Wee C has slept from 10pm until 4:30am the past three nights. When we visited my sister and her family on their ranch last month, she slept through the night for the first time. Three nights in a row, almost eight hours a stretch. I tried not to get my hopes up, but they were, and quickly came crashing down as she returned to her 3 hour stretches. Then she got a bad cold, then I got a bad cold. Papa moved out of our room for a couple of weeks. And I wavered between being more frustrated because she has the ability to sleep through the night, and hopeful because she can sleep an 8 hour stretch without waking. So, I will count on nothing, hope for the best, and be thankful for the good nights.

Christmas is quickly approaching and my resolve to start this year's gifts last January has sadly not happened. There has been knitting on my needles. Not necessarily gift knitting, but knitting none the less. I took a Toe-up sock class at Twisted, my new favorite yarn store. Great women, great space and great yarn. I started a sock for C-boy, then quickly switched to a pair for Wee C as I realized how much knitting homework I would have to do. Chrissy Gardiner is a great teacher, the toe she taught is so easy it's brilliant. The class was fun and it was good to get to know my classmates.

I am still plugging away at my first Jaywalker. I am now on the foot, so in the home stretch. I hate this Jaywalker so, but I will not let it beat me. I will conquer it. Though I don't know why. I have decided I am not a fan of the chevron pattern. I don't know if I will have to keep these socks and wear them as they are my first socks, or give them away so I don't ever have to see them again.

Started a Sweet Baby Cap. It is giving me fits. I have had to frog more than a couple of times. My count has been off, and it looks funny to me, so I keep second-guessing the pattern. Not sure I want to continue, though I know once I get past this point it will be easy and it is so darn cute. Maybe I will just knit Hello Yarn's Top Down Bonnet instead.

September has been a rough month. Getting settled into a homeschooling routine has been hard. I had forgotten how much time homeschooling a first grader can be. When C-boy was in first grade, he was my only child, and now there are three, so that counts for part of it. E is not enjoying her one day homeschool program that she attends on Mondays. The transition from Montessori to Waldorf has been difficult and has just the new people and places. She is going through a very insecure phase right now, wanting to be with me all the time and not wanting to try new things. It has been hard. Thank goodness for my dear friend who is homeschooling her second grader. Her daughter comes to our house on Tuesday for school and E goes there on Thursday. That has been fun and wonderful. We are taking one day at a time.

I did make it to the Oregon Flock and Fiber. It was great to see the Blue Moon Fiber Arts in real life, I bought too much variegated sock yarn. But it sure is pretty. We went kidless and though that was great, the kids would have loved seeing the goats and sheep. Maybe next year. I won a raffle prize for the first time ever. I received a voice mail on Sunday that I could pick it up that day anytime until 9pm. I thought that sounded late, so I called back and was reassured that someone would be there until 9pm. So E and I headed out on our 40 minute drive (one way) to pick up my drop spindle or original Elizabeth Zimmermann newsletters (the lady didn't know which one). When we arrived at 8pm no one was there. We walked around looking for an organizer, but found only the last few vendors packing up who said the others had left. I called the lady back again who apologized and said they would send it to me. Well, it has been three weeks and I still haven't received anything. I will call in a week or two to see what is happening.

Wee C and I are heading to Eugene to visit dear friends. I need the break. I am looking forward to spending time knitting and being mama to only one child.