And we're moving...

So, Wednesday I looked down and Elias was not where I had placed him. And he wasn't doing that backwards half-scoot half-roll thing he's been doing for the last 2 months. I walked away, turned to face him and called. He looked up, grinned that goofy "I'm so cute gotta love me" grin, and crawled to me. That's right---crawled right to my feet and whined that "Pick me up" whine. He hasn't slowed down since, either. Yesterday he decided that crawling wasn't enough. Jude has a big wheel type trike in our living room and it's just tall enough for BooBoo to pull himself up onto. And he's using it as a modified walker. THREE DAYS after crawling. I guess he's wanting to keep up with big brother.
Then, of Friday, Mark called me up saying that he just looked at a duplex he found on craigslist. We've been looking for a place to live since our apartment started collapsing into itself and it started raining inside whenever we had any kind of real rain (and I live in the GROUND FLOOR). Back to the duplex...so Mark tells me about it and he says I'm gonna love it. He takes off an hour early from work and we pack up the munchkins and head over. The landlord and his wife and dad are fixing it up as the last people did a number on the place. I looked around and fell in love. There are two bedrooms (good sized), 2 bathrooms, a garage, a cute kitchen, a fireplace, new carpet, paint, linoleum, a covered porch and A BACKYARD!!! Jude instantly loved it and was playing chase me with daddy right then and there. Elias worked his I'm So Cute magic with the landlady. The price was right so we signed our application right there. And at 8pm I got the phone call I have been waiting for for 2 years---"It's yours if you want it". Do I EVER! So, As of the end of this month my apartment days are over...
Another amazing twist for our amazing Friday (sealing it all off as the day being an act of God) Mark got his first account for his new business.
The Westover Family is on our way!

Jude's Favorite Color

For some reason I never really thought about what Jude's favorite color was. I'm not sure why, it just hadn't crossed my mind.
Well, about 2 months ago whilst knitting myself a pair of socks, Jude asked for his very own. I agreed and yesterday took him to Joann Fabrics for some yarn.
I figured I would just grab and go, but a little last minute experiment of comparing colors chose the yarn for us. I grabbed a green and a yellow and he chose the green. A blue and green and he chose the blue, a blue and red and he chose the red. Red and yellow: Red. Red and black: Red. Red and Green: RED
After we got home and I looked around at Judes things I started to notice something:
Jude's favorite movies:



Jude's Favorite Tee:


Jude's favorite cars: (yep, that's 3 Lightening McQueens)


Jude's favorite sunglasses:


Now, Jude's soon to be favorite socks:


Good thing he looks good in red, huh

DA!

There it is. Elias' first word. DA. As in "Hey, that's my Dad! Come and pick me up 'cause I'm cute!" No, it isn't a fluke. We checked. Just like every mom who has nursed her baby every 4 hours for the last nearly 7 months, who has arose from her slumber every time he has called to be cuddled, who has offered the very essence of her being to the raising of her child I hoped that my reward would be that first wonderful word being Mama! But alas, it is not to be.
It happened while Jude and Elias were tackling me awake this morning. Mark walked in the bedroom and said "Hi my babies!" Elias looked up and clear as day said "Da!" We chalked it up to possible baby babble and went on with the day. Then Mark came home for lunch, which is an unusual treat. Elias again looked up and holding up his arms in excitement says "Da!" It's true. Momma gets no satisfaction.

Elias Is A Picky Eater

It's amazing how picky a six month old can be. Elias has absolutly refused to eat food that is good for starting (i.e. carrots, applesauce, pear puree. You know, typical Gerber fodder) However, he will eat pieces of pepperoni, bits of bagel, ice cream and the piece de resistance: Otter Pops. Yep, I said it. That frozen treat of ice flavored with sugar and coloring that stains your tongue for hours. He goes CRAZY when he sees that stick of yummy goodness walk by in Daddy's hand. And then, if he's just withing reach, he grabs it, chomps down on the open end and DOES NOT LET GO. I even offer to nurse and he won't let go. It's insane the sugar crazies.

Jude Loves You!

Startitis Big Time

So, I have decided that I have the worst startitis habit in the world. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, startitis is a disorder that knitters get. We will start a project. And start another project. And start another project. And start---well, you get the idea.
The problem I am having is a bit of stash burning ickies. Due to the fact the we have 2 kids in diapers and gas is $4.25 a gallon, my yarn fund has dimished to a skein a month if I am lucky. This is not condusive to sweater knitting or any other large project for that matter because the same lot number is not going to be there for 8 months. So, I have been burning through the 1/2, one, two and three skein onlies in my stash. A pair of socks here, a purse there, a throw on the needles, etc. However, there are only so many mittens and ear warmers one can make before totally losing your mind! What makes it worse is I am a total pattern whore. I have THOUSANDS of patterns---internet patterns, .pdf files, books, magazines (ohhhh, I heart magazines!). So, whenever I need inspiration, I meander through the pages of my computer, notebooks or magazines (ohhhh, I heart magazines!). I know, someone with startitis doesn't necessarily need inspiration (as we usually have too much), but I do it anyways. Now, I can't focus. What I have been doing is whilst trying to burn my stash creatively, I start several things and realize I really don't like the color, shape, stitches, or yarn. And then I start something else. Repeat. And I long for a knit/crochet sweater and this beautifully cabled jacket that I am DYING to make, but can't unless I want to bring my own costume to tryouts of Joseph and the Tecnicolor Dreamcoat. UGGHH!!!
Now that I have vented on you I will obediently return to my stash. I will pick ONE (ok, maybe three) projects and finish them. Maybe I will post my projects here, and show my progress and use you as my check. Ohhhh, the gears are turning....

I've Been A Bad Blogger

So sorry y'all for the lag in posts. I'm not going to just start a blog and then leave you hanging for the rest of all time and stuff. Let me bring you up to date.
The boys are great. Elias is working on 3 more teeth, and he is FINALLY starting to sleep through the night. I can say that I have slept over 10 hours total the last 2 days. Now that's a miracle short of the Red Sea Parting. Jude is looking forward to his first movie in a REAL theatre. We are planning on going to a showing of wall-E as soon as it's out. He just became the proud owner of Toy Story 1 and 2 over the weekend and we have watched them a total of 16 times EACH. When he gets on a kick, he goes. Thankfully the weather here is looking up so we can have some outside time. Did you know it SNOWED here on Monday? Yup. Big fat wet flakes in the rain. It's June, people. And they say we have global warming. OBVIOUSLY they haven't been to Vancouver/Portland lately.
News in the world of Angela: An essay I wrote has been accepted for the Cast-On podcast! I just recorded and sent it to Brenda, said podcast's host. As soon as it airs I will post a link to the specific podcast, but until then here's a link to the page: www.cast-on.com Go, explore, enjoy.
My battery on my laptop is dying and until I get the socket for the charger cord repaired, I have to sign off and shut down to prop the computer in this weird cockeyed angle to get it to charge. I have more pictures and stories to post, so I promise I will get on that soon! Until then, enjoy the SUN!!!

Announcement of the Day

Elias has his first tooth! Its the lower left front eye tooth. He is NOT happy about it, either.

I Am Who?

I had a request the other day to tell a little about myself. So, here goes:

I'm the crazy mommy, knitting for my built-in cuties between diaper changes in running interference. My 3 year old Jude is already wielding the needles, even if it is just to bang out a tune on the kitchen table. My 5 month old Elias watches my every stitch and 'holds' my yarn for me when I am doubling up (kid in one arm, knitting in the other). The talent for needlework follows the women in my maternal family like the Charmed Ones. My grandma is a master seamstress, a knitter and quilter. Both my aunts sew, one crochets like a crazy lady. My mother is also a master seamstress, a cross-stitcher and LOVES to quilt (ok, LOVES is an understatement. when Connecting Thread's warehouse/store moved to Ohio, she was inconsolable for a week). I, however, have a hate-hate relationship with my sewing machine, cross-stitching is nice, but has it's boring limitations, tatting and creweling drove me crazy. My aunt taught me to crochet when I was 5, and so I could do that, but didn't as the same combination of stitches and stiff fabric drape made it unappealing to me. Then, while on bedrest during my pregnancy with my firstborn son, I found knitting. Now, I had seen my grandmother knit, and was totally confused on how on earth you could create this fabric of loops with two straight needles. I never thought I could do that. But, when you are limited to your bed, only being allowed to get up to use the restroom, you find you have all this time to focus on a new skill. So, intrigued by a sweater my mom bought me for my birthday, I went to our library's website, borrowed several books on knitting and history of, and dove in. I dug out my little yarn stash from my days of crocheting, sent my mom to the store to fetch size 8s and went to town. I was instantly hooked, Or, perhaps 'needled' is a more appropriate adjective. So, for the last 3 years I have lived in bliss with my yarn and needles, experiencing every emotion, testing the very limits of my imagination. My favorite thing to do is to find a pattern that I instantly think I couldn't do, and then do it. Yea, I have all kinds of amphibianic moments, but every stitch is a thereputic learning experience. I look forward to many more years of knitting, and watching people enjoy the fruits of my hands.

So you wanna watch a movie...

Jude loves movies. Anyone within a 10 mile radius of him will know this. It started about a year ago with Shrek and all Shrek related things. Then Clifford, and Curious George. Lately it's been Disney movies: The Incredibles, Cars, Finding Nemo, Peter Pan, Jungle Book, George of the Jungle. And he asks for them by name. "Mom, Incredibles please?" "Why yes, Jude, thank you for being so polite!" Now, he is still developing his speech and slurs some letters together. I'm accustomed to hearing 'Bonster's Pink' when he wants to see Monster's Inc. Or 'Obots' for Robots. But the other day he was very adament about something, and in all my mommy translating power I could not understand. "Mom! Belw! Belw! PLEEEAAAASSSSEEEE!!!!!" "Jude baby, I don't understand, can you show me?" (grabbing my hand and pulling me to the TV and his movie pile) "Belw, Booty a Beast?, Booty a Beast please?" And so I came to discover his new favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast. It could be the girl (she does look a little like me), it could be the songs. It's likely the music because he likes to twirl to it. Yep, twirl. Not just dance. TWIRL. I think he would like a kilt. What I can't get over is what poor Belle is called when he asks to watch "Booty a Beast".
But it's not as bad as what he used to say before he could name titles of movies.
And he would say it at the store when ever we passed by a DVD.
"Mom? A Boobie?"

That's my boy.

Ice Cream

Over the weekend we had record breaking temps. 96 degrees in Vancouver, Washington in MAY just doesn't happen. So, because we had ZERO preperation (i.e. air conditioner in the window, short that fit, ice in the freezer) I stopped at wallyworld and picked up some Drumsticks ice cream. My boys pounced when I walked in. Now, Elias is 5 months old and I have just started giving him tastes of things. I can give him bananas and cereal and whipping cream, whatever. Just not ice cream. That is Mark's first food privelage. When Jude was about the same age he got his first taste of, you guessed it, Drumstick ice cream. And now he can smell ice cream 8 isles down at the grocery store. Mark decided it was time for Elias. I think Elias thought it was long past his time by the way he was trying to will the cone into his mouth as Mark was eating off the chocolate and peanut piece coating. And the tradition of Ice Cream Radar continues:






Mmmmmmm..........

Jude in the window

Jude is 3. He has 3-year-old ideas of what Mommy wants. Mommy wants a picture---Jude poses. Now, all his life I have been taking pictures. I have like 2500 pictures of Jude and all Jude related things, so he's quite used to the camera being aimed at his face. And he would be completly abliging, shining his most beautiful smile and flashing those big blue-grey eyes at just the right moment...until about 3 months ago. Perhaps he is just being 3, perhaps he has been flashy-thingyed too many times, but this is what I get:

Then came Nikki. Jesse (my baby brother) has the most wonderful girlfriend who my son adores. He was over to my brother's apartment (the next building over from mine, wouldn't you know) visiting Jesse and Nikki and she snapped this:

Go figure.

Day One

Hi everyone~

So, here's where I will be posting my life for you all to keep up. I assure you it will be boring for a few days until I figure out this blogging thing, but hopefully it will have all kinds of info and interest for you. I will keep you up to date on the family, the PartyLite specials and what's on my needles. Drop me a line if you have any q's

Angela