Friday, June 8, 2012

Knock, Knock!

Left over yarn balls 2
Hello Blog Friends!  It's been a while since I did a proper post.  Oops!  Oh well, I did forewarn you that it was going to get sporadic around here, didn't I?  I had meant to post yesterday but both my cable and internet service has been down intermittently since Monday.  I still have no idea why and all my service provider could say was "they must be working in your area".  So frustrating!  It seems they are always "working" in my area!  Anyhoo, this is going to be a quick mish-mash of a post as I'm overtired, under caffeinated, and am currently being used as a human jungle gym (thanks Munchkin!).

- aside from the shoddy internet connection no one noticed the absence of TV these past couple of days, other than me.  Simply because I like to have it on as background noise (the Munchkin and I can never agree on a music genre...I like variety and he likes this one track by Deadmau5.  On repeat).  This is all good though as Brett and I were thinking of disconnecting our cable since no one really watches it.  

- last weekend and all this week has been pretty darn tough when it comes to the Munchkin.  I'm not sure if it was the full moon, development, or what but I feel like I'm in a never-ending episode of Nanny 911 or Supernanny or something.  The outrageous tantrums, the blatant disobedience, the hitting (not done by me, I'm the one being hit), the destruction...I could go on and's tiring, frustrating, and it's wearing me out to the core.

- the Munchkin is at a weird stage where he's too big for the stroller but doesn't have the endurance to keep walking longer distances.  All of which means I'm either fighting with him to get into the stroller or carrying him 6+ blocks all the way home.  I thought about a wagon but after conversing with a few parents who have gone that route, decided I didn't want the hassle of something so bulky to deal with in shops.  I don't want to purchase another stroller that has the toddler standing capabilities either.  Any parents out there have a different solution?

- I was doing so well on the health front for a while there.  I knew it would all come to end but wasn't sure when.  That 'when' started a week and a bit ago.  I thought I knew fatigue pretty well...I was wrong!  I've never felt so exhausted, so weak, so...beyond lacklustre.  And the hormonal changes, oh my!  It's like PMS, only tenfold.  I was already pretty frustrated with the Munchkin's behaviour, adding lifeless energy to my plate?  Ugh.  Too much.

- while I have been knitting, I'm not getting much on the results front.  Mainly because of the last 2 points mentioned above.  I'll be surprised if I get even a round accomplished today.

- I've never missed as many knit nights as I have recently and it's really messing me up.  It doesn't help that Brett's schedule is so whack.  And totally unpredictable.  Last week's day trip to the mainland turned into him having to stay the whole weekend.  I'm really hoping that I'll be able to attend tonight's knit night.  Not only do I really need a break, but I need to make some sort of progress on Buckwheat.

- I've been making sad attempts at trying to get some sewing done too.  It's just not happening though.  I'm not sure if anyone else can relate but every time I get an opportunity to sew, by the time I get set up and get going is when I need to stop because of, well, life.  I've tried to sew after the Munchkin has gone to bed but find that I'm just too wiped out and end up making stupid mistakes left and right because of it.  Seam ripper, you have been promoted my new BFF.

- I've gotten a few emails asking about the dye workshop that I took with Felicia of SweetGeorgia Yarns that I had mentioned in this post.  Trust when I say that I had a ton of fun and that a follow-up post will happen.  Soon.  I promise!

- Hannah, of the lovely blog Ummashin (and the mommy to 2 adorable little girls), awarded me with the Liebster Blog Award.  Thanks Hannah! ♥  

"Liebster" means "dearest" in German and the award is given to up- and coming-, read-worthy blogs with less than 200 followers (I think I have like, 12 followers?).  We're suppose to share 5 things about ourselves, here's my 5:
  1. I have a massive and insatiable sweet tooth, which means there's always chocolate in some form in the house.
  2. I love the idea of tea parties and hope that one day I can host a huge tea party complete with a cookie or cupcake exchange.  Or both.
  3. I can spend forever and a day browsing the shelves of Whole Foods.
  4. I LOVE tweedy yarns, and yet I've only knit one FO using tweed. 
  5. I have a special spot for variegated yarns but can't bring myself to use them for anything other than socks.  And maybe paired up with a solid for a shawl.
I'm also suppose to give this award to blogs I read that meet the criteria.  I'm running short on time here so please forgive me if I nominated your blog and you do have more than 200 followers (I didn't check!).  So at the top of my head I'm "teilen der liebe" (sharing the love) to Natalie at A Year To Expand, Mary at One Sheep Thrill, Kat at Petticoats & Peplums, Amy at Threadpanda, Rebecca at Nook, and Cory at Indie.Knits (be careful, she has a gorgeous stash that makes you want to reach into the computer screen and snatch!).  

- before my health issues starting acting up again, I got pretty inspired and was brimming full of ideas.  I'm seriously itching to try some of these ideas out.  Health issues, please sort yourself out so that I can get some work done!

- I've heard quite a few people - in person and on Ravelry - complain about how once indie dyers have a kid their yarn goes down hill.  I've never given it much thought before, nor did it bother me in any way, but now I can completely and totally sympathize with these dyers.  Lately it feels like I'm being interrupted every 2 seconds and once I'm able to return to what I was doing it takes 2 seconds to get my mind back on track...only to get distracted once again!  No wonder I can't get anything done around here!  I can only imagine the pressures of constantly having to produce a new colourway every month, or whipping up a new product or pattern to keep up with the flow of demand.  I tip my hat to all you indies out there!  Bravo!  Now, I have a toddler who sleeps through the night and can get preoccupied (albeit for a few minutes at a time, but I'll take whatever I can get!!), imagine having a baby and getting maybe 2-3 hours of consecutive sleep a night.  Some people claim they can't function on only 5 hours of sleep...for a parent of a baby, getting 5 hours is a dream!  I was sent this link via Facebook and thought it was both hilarious and SO true, that I thought I would share it with you.  It's from a blog called Trying To Be Good and the post is An Open Letter to All Parents From a Non-parent.  Seriously, go read it.  I swear we've all thought these things at one point in our life and until we go through it ourselves, some people will never understand.

Ok, that's it for today.  I need more coffee, a shower, maybe think about leaving the house today (even though yesterday's venture out lead to quite the tantrum), and try to finish yesterday's mission to finish a round!

Have a crafty weekend! ♥


  1. Oh love! We've all been there or are going through this with the kiddos! You should see the scratches all over my face and neck. My little girl loves to go for the face and scratching and pinching are her preferred weapons. I'm told this is normal. I'm told this is a phase. I'm told to confront this with love and kindness and patience. F*** that! There are some days where you just have to put them down and walk away and not talk to them for 5 minutes because if you do all that loving kindness will come out disguised as a screeching mess of expletives.

    The constant negotiations during the day are doul draining. My only solution has been to stick to a fairly regular routine. Then little miss M knows when popsicle time is and when Caillou time is and then I don't have to battle her at every moment. But I work part-time out of the house so when I get back after she's been looked after by daddy or the grandparents it takes me a couple of days to get her back under mommy mode.

    Sigh. I've been asked by many people if it gets easier. Nothing gets easier. It just all changes.

    Lots of love to you. Big hugs. Lots of coffee. A couple of chocolate bars sprinkled in. And a few stitches here and there and hopefully your sanity will keep intact for another couple of hours.

    1. Meant to say "soul" not "doul". Because what the heck is a doul????

    2. Awww, thank you SO much Lynnette! You made my day and made me smile (and I laughed at your own reply). Thanks for totally understanding.

      I keep telling myself it's all just a phase and that I'm going to look back when he's older and wish he was a toddler again. But for now...arg! I can handle one, maybe 2 days of crap behaviour...but it's just been day after day...which can get pretty taxing! We have a fairly regular routine, as I discovered really early on that my kiddo NEEDS routine. But he still manages to fight it all...even though he knows what's coming next. The communication is quite the barrier cause as a little one, all he knows is what he wants, so anything I say is in one ear and out the other. :/

      Fingers crossed that this phase ends soon. REAL soon!

  2. re the stroller dilemma, you could try one of those trikes that has a parent handle attached to it. My nephew has on, and it even has a little bucket on the back where you can store things!

    1. Thanks for trying to coming up with different solutions Nat! :)

  3. I don't know how you would feel about this, but we've started posting schedules for our son. For the record, I'm a free-spirit and was just going to follow my son's lead. Well, his lead begged us to start scheduling him. Its a simple "map of our day"- 7 am get dressed and eat breakfast, 8 am read books, 9 am outside activity, etc. As each thing is completed, he gets to put a sticker next to it. I swear this has minimized the tantrums to a much more managable number :). He still loses it around quiet time (aka nap) and bedtime, but who doesn't want to lose it when they're just so darn tired :). Also, when my son hits, the other parent takes him aside and tells him that he is not allowed to hit the man or woman I love. I've said, "I love Da so much and I will not allow you to hit the man I love". For some reason, this wording embarasses Norrin, makes him feel ashamed or something and stops him in his tracks. Its weird. I read it in some parenting book or another and I still can't believe it works. Of course, when our daughter reaches this phase it probably won't do a damn thing :). Hang in there. You are not alone. I just keep telling myself, the kids that are harder to parent are the future leaders. Ain't nobody gonna turn my kid into a follower :).

    1. Thanks for the tips!!! ♥

      I've actually been told right before the weekend by a speech therapist to try using a schedule with visuals that the little one can hold, just so he knows and can see what is next (his language skills are a little behind). I'm definitely going to try this method out and am in the process of taking photos of things he normally does, as well as photos of the usual parks and places that we go to. Here's to hoping that it works!!

      I also really like the idea of that explanation for when the little one hits! I tried it over the weekend and it worked! Now to figure out how to do it when Dad isn't home! :) So thanks for that too!!

      I keep telling myself that the harder they are now, the easier they'll be as teens (or so I've been told)...and I hope my Munchkin won't be a far he's definitely marching to the beat of his own drummer!


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