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.