Winding Down

School is winding down and I am SO done with being a homeschool mom. It has made me unpleasant, cranky, and bitchy too much of the day. My kids need space from me, and I need space from them. I know we have to make it through the summer still, but at least I don't have to bug them about doing schoolwork. We have 5 school days left.
My baby is done with her first year of preschool and I'm actually sad about it. She had the best teacher in the world, Miss Jeannie, but Miss Jeannie and her family are moving to China. It would make it a long trip to take her to preschool. We are weighing our options, and the best one is to put her in the same school the boys will be attending. The good part is that is is full day preschool, 3 days a week M-W-F. She would be able to ride the bus with them and I'd have 3 days to myself. On the flip side, it costs over $200 a month. There are 2 small preschool options here, they would be 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hours for around $75 a month. I think that the full day thing is a bargain if I l0ok at their prices. Our plan is to save as much money as we can over the summer and if we can get the full years tuition all together by August 1, we'd get a discount and have her tuition all paid up for the year. Then we'd only have to worry about paying the tuition for the boys every month. It's scary to think about so much money going out of our budget every month but I think it's worth it. Money will be really tight. We can do it though.
We are going to a Mariners game next weekend. I'm excited, but right now all I can think about is how much money the trip is going to cost us. Dan's work will pay mileage, and for the hotel (he is going to do some work up there) but we have to pay for food and for stuff at the game, and the kids always want souvenirs. Maybe they'll just have to forego them this year because of the money situation. I hate that though.
On the knitting front, I'm working on a pair of socks (Mockery Socks) and the Hey Mickey skirt for Cee-Cee. I think I made it a bit too long but hopefully she'll grow a few inches over the summer. It's a little slow going and lots of purling, which I hate. I have to alternate between the two to not lose my mind. I don't have any new projects in mind. I also have my Mr. Greenjeans
on the needles but it's too warm to work on it much. I'm at the sleeves which are boring too.

I've been thinking a lot......

My topic of the day is advice. Lately, I've been involved in several situations where unwanted advice has been given. In one case, it was me giving the unwanted advice. And it wasn't even advice, just expressions of concern, and it ruined a very close friendship. I'm terribly sorry I ever said anything and I wish there was a way to repair the damage. I've tried, and so far it just hasn't worked. What I did was a big mistake and I've vowed to never give advice when it's not asked for.
People always want to give advice. They think that they have better ideas than you, or ideas that you might not have thought of yourself. In most cases, people do it out of love, but I'm to the point where I don't want to hear it from people. I'm doing the best I can to make the best decisions for my family and I don't want to hear from other people who think I am making the wrong ones. I don't always agree with the decisions my friends and family make, but I sit back and keep my mouth shut. I wish more people would just do that.
Unwanted advice hurts friendships. Even if it doesn't destroy them, it puts cracks in their foundation. Everyone is just doing the best they can with the cards they hold. Why do we as a society think that we have better advice to offer? We don't always know all the details surrounding a decision so we don't have all the information to understand a decision. And just because I wouldn't make that decision, doesn't mean that it's not right for someone else.
From now on, I'm only giving advice when someone asks for it. And I'm not going to get upset if they don't follow it if they do ask for it. I only wish the rest of the world would follow suit.

Stay Tuned.....

My blog suffered greatly when I started homeschooling my boys. The school year is almost over, and so is my term as a homeschooling mom. They are going to a private Christian school next year.
So I should have more time for blogging soon. So stay tuned.....

I want another one!

That is what my 3 year old is screaming in the background. She wants another cheese sandwich. Because somehow she has come to the conclusion that if the piece of bread breaks, the sandwich is poisonous and she needs another one. She's howling. She won't just eat the cheese, she won't eat it without the missing piece of bread.
So I take the said sandwich, break the slice of bread in half, and put the sandwich (albeit a bit smaller) back together for her. She seems pleased for a second, then starts to cry "I don't want a little one."
I can't win against a 3 year old.........

Butterfly Toes

My first published pattern, and you too can download it!
Butterfly Toes Baby Socks

P.S.

The monkey is off my back. I finished the Argyle Vest with a week to spare. He's even worn it once. He better keep on wearing it. It was a real labor of love.

Long time no blog

I think I used this post title before. Oh well, it's the truth. Since my trip to the ER I still haven't felt completely myself, then the kids have been sick, etc. Last week it was B with a sinus infection, this week was Cee-Cee with a stomach bug that had her throwing up curdled chocolate milk in the car. Grosser than gross, I tell you. Poor kid couldn't keep anything down for 24 hours but she's better now. She had chocolate milk this morning and all of it stayed inside her. I feel like celebrating!
Last weekend my mom and I did a little yarn crawl and visited 4 yarn shops. I bought stuff in only 2, which was seriously restrained. I love yarn shopping and could have spent a ton of money, but alas, I didn't have it. I did buy 3 skeins of LL Shepherd Worsted to make a Neckdown Bolero for Cee-Cee.

I'm going to do the trim in Chocolate, but I won't post that skein since it just mainly looks like the brown part of this skein. I got the pattern yesterday. I wound up the yarn (or should I say, Cee-Cee wound while I directed) but won't let myself start until I finish the Baby Hat from One Skein. I need to send it off to a friend in Canada who is going to have her daughter prematurely any time now. She's been very sick and in the hospital for weeks. She has a daughter with special needs who is the same age as Cee-Cee so I know it's been tough on her.
I got new glasses yesterday. My first pair of bifocals are causing me to walk around like I'm drunk and I feel seasick. I hope I get used to them soon. Good thing my old glasses are in good shape so I can switch back if I feel too yucky. I love the new frames though, and I also got a pair of sunglasses. Different frames, but they are lovely too.
I think the kids and I are going to make cookies or pastries or something this weekend. Since it's Easter Sunday, I'd like the snack table at church to be full of homemade goodies instead of the packaged crap that's shown up a lot lately. Maybe we'll make cupcakes or muffins. I had a good cupcake recipe but it's been misplaced.
I have test knitters for my socks and as soon as I can get a little more feedback, I'm going to publish the pattern. I think I'll give it away free since it's my first. I'd like to get into designing a little more but we'll see how this one goes. I've received good feedback that has helped with my pattern writing skills.