Yeah, I got it.

I'd like to conduct a small poll. After realizing that you are essentially raising yourself, when does one opt to jump off the bridge?
For your consideration, I give you this week's newest language developments (keep in mind that she's 22 months old - imaging what we'll get by 3):

• when Dad tries to wake her up, he gets a groggy "what?"
• when I try to help her with her napkin, I get an oh-so-slightly testy, "yeah, I got it."
• when I tell her it's time to get pajamas on I hear "well, just a minute"
• when I ask if she wants to go outside to play, "in a second, I'm cookin"
• constantly, "come on, Daddy, come on"
• while I'm driving (and I'm a very good driver. no, really) "fareful Mommy, fareful"

Who, exactly, has enrolled my toddler in assertiveness training? Clearly she gets none of this from me (except perhaps, all of it.) How hardwired is this stuff, 'cause I'm in for more trouble than I'm up for.
Last but not least, I must shed one single tear in farewell to Keira's current classroom. I've tried to be thoughtful about this next big transition. After much consideration, angst, and deliberation, I finally decided that we should start transitioning to the next classroom. She's simply just too much older than most of the other kids in her current room. Preparing myself for a couple of weeks of transition and some hiccups along the way, this morning we dove into the move and she spent time visiting her new classroom. Need I have bothered? I come to pick her up and, I quote, "yeah, I go twos now. Play with friends, play outside. Bye bye babies."
Yep, bye bye babies, sniff, sniff...

Lace, Lagaan, and a List

What do all these things have in common? Well, not much actually, except that they are the three topics that kept popping into my mind when I tried to think of what to write. Lace, because I'm starting my first lace knitting project, Lagaan because it's a movie I was planning to start tonight, and lists because I felt like sharing some of the teasing I inflicted on my poor husband last night.
You see, he loves:

• kung fu movies
• science fiction
• movies and TV shows based on comic books
• conversations based on any of the previous
• bloody action movies (but really only those based on either ancient history or comic books)

I took up knitting because:

• my husband likes to watch kung fu movies
• my husband likes to watch science fiction
• my husband likes to watch movies and TV shows based on comic books
• my husband likes to have conversations based on any of the previous
• my husband likes to watch bloody action movies (but really only those based on either ancient history or comic books)
• we don't go out much anymore
• for work
• it's unavoidable, really

So you see, the lace really is a product of kung fu. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. How does Lagaan fit into this at all? Well, you see, if I felt okay to poke mild fun at Chad's viewing preferences, I really then ought to admit that I have some guilty pleasures of my own. I like:

• the occasional volume of chick lit
• The Spice Girls (yes, still)
• knitting
• Brit pop
• Japanese Cute Culture
• Hello Kitty
• Baliwood music

Though I've not yet tried it, I very seriously suspect that I'm bound to enjoy Baliwood movies. Since Lagaan is purported to be the quintessential Baliwood musical, I thought it best to start there. Chad is out swilling beer and watching The 300 with the boys (see earlier bit about Chad liking gory films based loosely on a) comic books b) historical events). I think I'll go pop in Lagaan now, although I won't get too far. Chad's due home soon and Heroes is on in half an hour (see earlier comment on TV shows based loosely on comics).

Cupcake Hat

Whew! One more project done. This one is all finished, blocked, and ready to be shipped off tomorrow morning. It's been done for a bit, but I hadn't yet had time to photograph the hat. I turned out really cute, if I do say so - but I only knitted it, I didn't design it. The photo on the left shows off the adorable shaping.

The yarn I used was Rowan Baby Soft, not the best choice for this pattern as it really would have benefited from a much springier yarn. Ah well, I'll have to find something else to do with my immense stash of Baby Soft. Anyone have any ideas?

If you like the pattern, you can find it on www.slumberland.org

It's "worthware," so at some point I guess I'll need to go pay her $5.

I'm a little teapot

Now that it's been delivered, I can post a photo of another recently completed knitting project, a tea cozy for my friend Pam's birthday. A birthday that I both remembered and then forgot. See, I accidentally transcribed said birthday into my 07 calendar for Feb, when it should have been March. So, I had everything ready in Feb, then realized her birthday was in March. Then, last week at work was ridiculous-busy and I proceeded to forget the same birthday. Sorry Pam.

If you like the tea cozy, you can find the pattern here. If you decide to knit it, read the pattern very carefully, you really do need both sets of dpns, but you don't need the circular needle, a pair of spns would have worked better. Also, Manos del Uruguay is a great yarn substitution (it's what I used).

Time Management

7:45 Arrive at daycare
8:00 Still trying to extract myself from daycare
8:05 Lobbying one year old to leave daycare
8:15 Arrive at work
8:30 Realize I've been staring at login screen for 15 minutes, get up to get coffee
8:35 Recommence staring at screen
8:40 Realize I need to restart computer
8:45 Log on to computer
9:00 Finish deleting junk from email Inbox
9:30 Returned 20 emails and realize I need to book travel for trade show in six weeks, go to Travelocity and begin searching hotels
11:30 Realize I've just spent two whole hours looking for a hotel for one night in effort to save $20
11:45 Finish eating half box of Girl Scout cookies only to realize that "oh crap, I've just finished half that box of Girl Scout cookies."
12:00 Should I have lunch? No, wait, remember the Girl Scout cookies, damn Girl Scouts
12:30 Notice that in time it took to look for hotel room (which I did not book) I've received over 50 emails
2:30 Come to realization that there is no possible way in Hades that I'm going to keep up with email today. I'll let everyone bounce their emails back and forth, and I'll read through the strings tomorrow morning and respond only where necessary
2:45 Finally eat lunch
3:00 Update weekly status report only to realize that due to ridiculous volume of email, I'm actually further behind than I was last week. Need to revise annual status report
4:30 Realize it's time to leave work, should just check email one last time to ensure there is nothing urgent
5:01 Sprint from work, now late to pick Keira up from daycare due to getting sucked into email vortex
That, folks, is why I make the big bucks.

What's With All the Questions?

Admittedly, the obvious question is, what happens when you feed a baby black frosting. I can tell you, but I'm somewhat certain that you really don't want to know; or that you could guess but don't actually want confirmation.
Yet, I digress. Those aren't the questions I meant. Over the last week, Keira's gone from using statements to get what she wants, to actually asking questions - just for the hell of it. Mind you, her word order is about as random as the shrapnel pattern across the face of Dick Cheney's hunting partner, but questions are most definitely progress.
What's the best question we've gotten so far? That would be Keira asking a school bus where it was going, as we drive down 465. "Baaasss, where go bus? Where going, bus? Where you go?"
And Robin, thanks for the - um - interesting diaper.

Ta-Da, Sugar on Snow

In case word hasn't yet reached you, it's time I came clean. I've officially joined a cult; become a junkie. My sinister co-workers subliminally coerced me into picking up needles, and now I'm hooked - no wait, hooked would be crochet. Anyway, since I've been having some fun with it, I thought I'd share a photo of one of my completed projects.

The best part, Keira will actually consent to wear this hat every once in a while. That is, if the blue (pink) hat isn't anywhere to be seen.

By the way, if you like hand knitted things, just send me your sizes (and those of your kids). You just never know when I'll find a yarn and a pattern that remind me of you (Becky, I already have about 20 ideas for you, and yes, I know your sizes.)

If any of you have taken up knitting, I'd love to hear about it and see some finished projects. You can find the hat pattern, for free, at Knitty.com. ttp://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTsnow.html