Have No Fear, I'm Still Here

I am so sorry for neglecting my blog recently. Peanut is still having good days and bad. Then we have the real rollercoaster days where she smiles and then attempts to poke your eye out with an American Flag balloon. Ah, the holidays. I really do appreciate everyone's comments. Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to drop me a note.

I'm still knitting, but not a whole lot. I'm yards from finishing the first skein for Clapotis. I'm getting ready to go into the straight rows. I have 2 1/2 repeats done on DBO (Double Branching Out). It really is pretty. My USM took a hit onto the floor. I have yet to attempt to put it back together. Right now, I'd rather live in denial that there's anything wrong with it.

We've had some serious day care shake ups in the last few weeks. I bit the bullet and visited a center close to our house. Don't worry, Peanuts insane devil behavior wasn't the cause of either of the shake ups. I called a couple of centers and this one was the one I felt best about after the call. Bonus is that it happened to be the cheapest, by a lot. Yeah, imagine my surprise when I begin my tour with the director and we figure out that we had 10th grade (for me, 12th for him) Algebra class together. I hadn't seen the guy in 14 years (oh man, I just figured that out..oy I feel old) and would never, ever have picked him out on the street. I adored him in highschool. Not in the "I want to go out with you" adored him either. He was funny and sweet. You always knew you'd get a sincere reaction from him and it makes perfect sense that he's running a daycare center. Peanut will be attending once the current situation runs out or come Tuesday after Labor Day, whichever comes first. She's always been in home day care, so I was feeling pretty sad about it but after the tour...she's going to love it! She went on the tour with me and keeps asking when she's going to school. She's been dragging around her new lunch box yelling at the cat, "I go to school!!!!" I can't help but think this scene won't be repeated too much more in the future, so I'm enjoying it now.

Amby suggested previously that we employ a squirt bottle to help with Peanut's behavior issues. I think this is a fabulous idea. However, the kid takes over any hose running water that she finds and promptly holds it over her head. Doesn't care that it's freezing or that she's fully dressed. She adores water. I'd think the squirt bottle might be better used for a reward. Hey, that might be something to consider. Thanks Amby! You may have just saved us thousands of dollars we would have spent on chocolate and gummy bears.

The Devil and IKEA

IKEA opens near our house on Wednesday, June 7th. Yeah, not going anywhere near it for at least two weeks. The radio commercials are announcing that people can begin lining up to get in on Monday, June 5th. I understand IKEA is supposed to be an amazing experience, but I think I'm a little over camping out for things. Good luck to everyone that will be going, though.

I do believe the Devil has decided our house is his new vacation home. Our sweet little Peanut went from a smiling, chubby, blonde toddler to a spitting, biting, pooh-smearing nightmare in the last two weeks. Lord help us. Not a whole lot of knitting has been going on while the battle of wills has been taking place. I can tell you we now have liquor in the fridge and I'm not afraid to use it. We're taking all suggestions. Offer them up if you've got them. She's 2 1/2 and I don't know that we'll all make it to 3.

On the knitting front...Erin and I started our mini KAL on the Friday or Memorial Day weekend. I have 13 dropped stitches so far. I'm going to keep increasing until the first skein runs out. Then I figure two skeins for the straight rows and then the last skein for the decrease. That's the plan so far. I also have two repeats done on my Amazing Lace partner, double Branching Out. Photos to come soon, I promise. The Baby Cashmere yarn is fabulous.

I'm off to dinner with our friend & neighbor for her birthday. It's just the ladies/moms going, so it should be nice and quiet.