Our first ambulance ride

I ask you... does this look like a sick kid?
Ok, what about this...

A few weeks ago I took Piglet to Urgent Care because he was having difficulty breathing and his rescue inhaler wasn't working. After about four hours they decided that his breathing was not returning to normal in the correct amount of time and he would need to be hospitalized. The catch... our little hospital didn't have the facilities to care for him so he needed to go to the Naval Hospital at Portsmouth - about 20 miles away. I had a choice to either leave my car there for the night and ride in the ambulance or let my baby go in the ambulance alone. Guess which one I didn't do! Thanks to good friend MaryAnne my dogs were fed and pottied for the two days we were in the hospital and my car was delivered to me. Piglet was ready to go home the next day but his doctors didn't agree. Personally, I think he was so cute and entertaining they decided to keep him.

We have an appointment next week with a pediatric pulmonary specialist to make sure we are on the right track for controlling his asthma.

In the middle of everything I decided to start selling my memory boards. I opened a little Etsy shop. There are a few more boards that need to be added but with Piglet home from school the past week, I haven't had the time.

Annabelle is doing much better. The prednisone is working so they are moving her to another immunosuppressant that has fewer side effects but works a little slower. She will have another CBC next week to see how she is progressing. She is definitely feeling stronger and has even tried wrestling with Baby Baxter. Unfortunately she is still starving and has been known to chase Piglet around for a cheese stick. Last week I told Big Boy that if I had to dole out medication to one more person in this house I was going to have myself committed just for the rest and relaxation!

Speaking of Big Boy. Only 90 days left until he heads home!

I'm Sizzling... NOT!

I can't believe it has been a month and a half since I posted. This has been one wild and crazy summer. Piglet and I took a trip to Orlando to visit the parents. It was... well... like any visit with family. Shortly after returning we discovered that Annabelle, our 11-year-old Great Pyrenees mix, was very sick. We knew she was very anemic but it took several mortgage payments to figure out why. Turns out she has Immune Mediated Anemia, which, along with severe hip dysplasia, has made her extremely weak. She is now on Prednisone every day along with painkillers and glucosamine and Omega 3 fatty acids in hopes of getting her back up to speed. Our goal right now is to help her be comfortable until Big Boy gets home in December. Sadly, she was the only dog who would play with Baxter so now he is desperately in need of a friend. We decided it was either send him to “camp” every week or get him a puppy. Today he is off frolicking with new friends at our vet clinic’s daycare program!

The title of my post really does have a meaning. Last I posted I was working on Sizzle. It is finished… but I do not feel sizzling in it. The back portion is too large. Actually, it probably isn’t, but I tend to wear things that are more form fitting so I feel like it is. Last night at SnB we discussed a number of ways for me to fix this problem (without frogging) and most of them required a skill I do not have - sewing! I have to wonder if I should just stick to making blankets and scarves!

In the meantime I started two new projects. Reid is going to be a gift for Piglet’s half-sister for Christmas. It is done in light blue for the body and dark blue for the trim. She has the same blue eyes as Piglet so the blue will be beautiful on her. Of course as soon as I purchased all the yarn, the cashier at Michael’s handed me a coupon for 25% off my entire purchase this weekend. So, I returned all the yarn and will re-buy it on Sunday.

February Lady Sweater is the second project I cast on. The Superwash Bamboo from Elann is sooooo soft. I just hope the darn thing fits. It is top down construction so I get to try it on as I go. So far I am trying on each inch!

Lastly, I completed a sweater for Piglet. It is very cute. A little big, but cute. I have to make it big because the boy is growing every month. I just wish his head would stop growing, but I guess it is housing a big brain. He is coming up with new words every day and learning new stuff that scares the bejeezus out of me. His new favorite toy is my old cell phone. I never thought I would see the day when I had to tell my nearly two year old that he could not have his cell phone at the dinner table or take it to school.

Only 107 more days until Big Boy gets home… but who’s counting.

Big Boy, Don't Look!

Had to put in the warning title because Big Boy will be receiving these in the mail for Father's Day.

Poor Piglet was not in photo mood this morning. The poor baby is getting his last tooth, his nose is running and he is coughing. The photos are both for Father's Day and for Piglet's 18-month birthday.

My day was made better when I got to take these photos...

Montego Bay is done! All of the big details are over on Ravelry. As you can see, I decided to do the fringe. It took two glasses of wine and a late night but once I dove in, it was pretty fun. The pattern says to braid the fringe but for now I am going to leave it as is. I love this scarf. I love everything about it - the pattern, the yarn, the color, the weight, the smell.

And finally, a little yarn p0rn for ya'll. In case you didn't know, (and I didn't) anyone who donated 10 lousy bucks during RavelRaiser 2008 went into a drawing for prizes. I was a winner! I won a $30 gift certificate to Khetala's Etsy Shop and this is the yarn I chose. It is a laceweight and the color is called Deep Sea Follies. If you get a chance, check out her shop!

The Lady is a Tramp!

What else can you say about a pattern that is working its way through your stash? A pattern that you think will be perfect for a yarn but then leaves you hanging for a better, more expensive yarn? A pattern that looks fabulous in the dark but come the light of day its a double bagger?

Yes folks, the Lady Eleanor has once again made her way to the frog pond. I spent many months working on it in the lovely Sea Silk that Amy sent me and I did find it beautiful, but, that itty bitty yarn in an entrelac pattern became a chore. The yarn is gorgeous and deserves something light and airy - like strawberries needing angel food cake and whipped cream. I think it will be most happy as the Montego Bay.

It has been a crazy few months around our casa. Big Boy has been in Texas and was supposed to go to Wisconsin before heading to Afghanistan but at the last minute he was sent back home for three weeks. We are happy to have him here! On Tuesday our Calvin had a cancerous tumor removed. We are still awaiting the results of the biopsy and are hopeful that they got it all and we will have our little Chow Pei for a few more years. It is hard to watch the babies age.

My parents visited this week and spoiled Piglet rotten. He has enjoyed having attention 24/7 and I enjoyed the slight break. Next week the in-laws will visit. I am VERY glad that Big Boy will be here to act as a buffer.

The one where she is a little crazy...

The other night I thought I was losing my mind. I kept hearing a strange sound outside my bathroom window. Big Boy said that he had turned off the sprinklers so that wasn't it. The sound was too even to be Annabelle snoring. My fear was that something was living outside (and despite Big Boy's suggestion, I did not go outside in the cold dark to see what it might be) or under my whirlpool tub. I heard it two days in a row and was about to call Ghostbusters to come help when I found the source. Piglet's stuffed cow. Yep, cow has had a bad case of Insanus Bovinus ever since it arrived here. Calvin's attempts to revive him have only served to increase his unpredictability but now the random MOO's are more muted.

To add to my frustration, I finished Piglet's stocking. I know, after a year, that should not be frustrating. I attached the trim for the second time only to discover that I seamed the trim in the front of the stocking instead of the back. Now it is back in timeout while I decide if it is worth removing it or not.
The one piece of sanity in this house is that I did the sleeves to Piglet's sweater separately and somehow they came out the same length! This has never happened before! Now I have to attach them and work the yoke. Maybe it will be done in time for Thanksgiving.

As for the Thanksgiving knitting... I have been giving it some thought. I know it is still two weeks away but one has to have a plan. We have a 10-hour drive ahead of us as well as four nights in a hotel. I think I will cast on for Tangled Yoke using the Highland Silk from my stash. You would think that with Grandma and Grandpa around I would get more knitting time in, but it is doubtful. Instead I will be chasing the Piglet around, keeping him out of the fireplace, trash can and off the stairs.

Fishy Wishy in a Dishy

Jayne has a yarn called Fishy Wishy in a Dishy. Well, this fishy wishy in a dishy is just way cuter – sorry Jayne!

Is it total PWT to:
A) Own a plastic swimming pool;
B) Stick your feet in the pool while your child is playing; and
C) Allow the dog to drink from the pool while your child is playing in it.

If so, I have joined a new race. I was tempted to take my glass of wine out there too but decided against it due to the mosquitoes. Wait, Let me add another picture to your mental library – Big Boy, boxer shorts (with some sort of picnic theme), black work t-shirt, sandals.

Aw, come on, we all have our white/trailer trash/ghetto moments!

A few people have commented on spinning Baxter’s hair. It can be done but first I would have to collect it and wash it (this house barely has enough space for storing our food). It has to be blended with another yarn, such as wool, because it is so fine and fluffy. To be honest, I wear Calvin, Annabelle and Baxter hair everyday so I’m not sure I want to spin it into yarn for a sweater. We do recycle the hair, in a way. The birds usually collect it for nests. Well, the birds that dare come into our yard and are not chased off by the dogs.

Warning... Lots of stuff!

This month’s Project Spectrum colors are Red, Black and Metallic so it is only fitting that I use it to post a congrats to the San Antonio Spurs for their win last week, making them the 2007 NBA World Champions. Living in San Antonio you can’t help but get caught up in the Spurs fanfare. Watching the end of the game made me a little sad that we were not there to join our neighbor’s party!

So, knitting is making a slow but steady progress. I have many more inches to go on Crumpets. I keep going around and around and around and…

Monica is done! The final product is cute, again. As you will remember, this is the tank that had the color bleed problems. Before vacation I removed the ruffle and washed the blue body again, three times, with vinegar. It still had color coming out. Last week I washed it three more times with color still coming out. Last Thursday Christine (who is working on the never ending shrug) suggested I run it through the washing machine. Even though the instructions are for hand wash I figured I had nothing to lose. So, I popped it onto some dental floss and threw it into the washer on delicate with some Woolite and a color catcher. The color catcher came out very blue. So, I ran it through another rinse cycle with another color catcher and this time it came out exactly as it went in. When I hold up the body against the leftover yarn there is a definite difference in the color, which shows just how much color ran out of this yarn. I am contemplating contacting the Brown Sheep Company to complain! The details of this FO will be posted under the link for my 2007 finished projects.

I still have many more projects on the needles and I am starting to feel the pressure of finishing what I have started. Let’s see, the list includes:

Finish sock #2 in the Jitterbug
Finish the sleeves on Angelina (this has been waiting on a pair of Knit Picks Options needles. A group of us were going in together to save the shipping but KP has repeatedly delayed the CotLin’s arrival)
Lady Eleanor
Print ‘O The Wave shawl in Alpaca Cloud
Piglet’s Christmas stocking.

Did I mention that I had frogged the stocking? Well, I did. Now, I am recharting the entire pattern in hopes of correcting all the mistakes before they happen. I know, it would be easier to find a new pattern!

In other news, fellow SnB’er MaryAnne turned us on to Sarah’s Yarns last night. Sarah will send you a small sample of a yarn that is enough to make a swatch. The cost – the cost of shipping - $4.90 by Priority Mail. That’s it! Today I ordered a sample of her Bamboo to try out in hopes of using it for the Tubey Turtleneck in Fitted Knits. I am happy to spend $5 and get a sample to test rather than spend $50 and get yarn that won’t work for a project.

On a final note… Can you guess what this is? If you guessed Baxter, you would be correct. This is just five minutes of brushing tonight. This photo does not show the pile of Calvin. Calvin didn’t lose as much in the brushing because he has dropped most of it on my living room floor. Ugh! I hate coat-blowing season.