Christmas Knitting, Cordless Sharks, and the Cat in the Dryer

Yes, 3YO has that look of ultimate suffering while 6YO gets a turn 'vacuuming.' This is probably the only time in our lives where they will argue over to *GETS* to do a chore!

Hmm....we should buy a new vacuum more often!

So, the weather is finally cooling down and some of the trees are actually changing color. Thanksgiving is officially less than two weeks away, leaving Christmas right around the corner. I love this time of year, but so much of it seems to go by far too quickly. (Unless, of course, I'm standing in line, which is when I tend to cuss this time of year under my breath and ten minutes feels more like a week! I think we all have our own 'inner Grinch' in one way or another!) So, we are already embracing all that we love about the holidays. Yesterday marked the first day this year that we've listened to Christmas music in the house. I listened to my favorite Christmas cd in the car a week ago because it takes me to my 'happy place' without getting on the nerves of others....yet! My girls love it and we all sing our hearts out in the car together. (Another plus: It's a great change of pace from all the arguing, which DOESN'T take me to my happy place!)

It's also the time of year that the tea kettle earns its keep, along with a permanent place on the kitchen counter....at least until spring! Break out the peppermint tea and oatmeal packets...cold weather has arrived!

In anticipation of Christmas, I've been knitting like madwoman. I wish I could post what I'm doing, but that would almost guarantee that the recipients would choose to read this blog post.

It's 'Murphy's Law of Blogging'...haven't you heard?

I like having several projects on the needles at once. I am not meant to be a 'monogamous knitter' and like to have projects that could suit whatever time, place, and/or mood I might be in. Sometimes my knitting needs to be mindless to mesh with the chaos that might be surrounding me. (Okay, so that's most of the time.) On rare occasions, things get a little quiet around me and my brain needs a 'exercise,' if you will. I've got a project for every situation...along with about a dozen or so that I may never touch again because they are evil and make me feel stupid.

In other news, I broke down and bought another Cordless Shark. I bought one a few years ago and loved it...until it died on me! Those things could pick up almost anything...anything but bananas, that is! It was good while it lasted, which was a good couple of years. I was looking for a new, simpler way to pick up the confetti my children habitually leave a trail of when you give them a piece of paper and the remnants of whatever something was before Aly got ahold of it. Plus, they have gone down in price! It also give the 3YO and 6YO a chance to help with the vacuuming, which makes sense because they are usually the reason the place needs a good vacuuming anyhow. For now, they take their job very seriously. It hasn't even been a week, so any minute now they are bound to hate it. For now, they have one more reason to cry and argue.

I just can't get over how bittersweet this whole 'parenting gig' can be sometimes.

Also, with the ever-cooling temps, all the creature seem to be seeking warmth. The houseflies have invaded us and we've almost gotten a handle on it. The dogs have decided to actually share the recliner that they always fight over in a effort to keep warm. And the cat has discovered the clothes dryer.

In an effort to not get buried by a mountain of clean, unfolded laundry, I've made it a habit of folding each item as I take it out of the dryer and sorting it on top of my washing machine. I'm not able to even switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer until all of the things in the dryer are sorted, folded, and put away so I never get behind. It works well for me.

It also means that I often have the dryer open with warm clothes inside for a good ten minutes or so. Snickers has discovered this and thinks it's his new bed. I turn my back for a second to find him most contentedly curled up on a load of fresh, warm towels. He looks at me as if to say, "Hey...THANKS! Has this bed ALWAYS been here?"

You don't have to tell me that it's not a good idea to let your kitty hang out in your clothes dryer, not to mention the 'ick factor' of a cat lying on clean laundry. I tend to guard my dryer a little more closely now, closing it when I know I'm going to turn my back.

Well, these fingers need to stop typing and get back to the knitting and cleaning I really need to get done. Isn't real life fabulous?

*giggle*

"Umm...my grandma called and she wants her underwear back."

Someday, I plan to write a book about all the charming things my husband has said to me. What are the chances that Hallmark will snag some of them for their greeting cards?

That's pretty much what I thought.

We have been out of the loop, but for good reason. We spent a good part of last week at 'The Happiest Place on Earth!'

For those of you who live under a rock, I'm talking about Disneyland! It was sort of spur of the moment but it just seemed to work out so we went for it.

Once we got back home, we hit the ground running. Halloween was just a few days away and there were costumes to get ready and powdered donuts to buy. (Which, by the way, is a fairly sore subject for me. When I can actually find where I put my mind, I plan on giving the people at Hostess a piece of it for no longer supplying my local stores with the boxes of large powdered donuts. Do they have any idea how much that has complicated my life??? Do they? DO THEY???)

Okay, back to what I was rambling about. Once again, my train of thought has derailed somewhere just oustside of making sense.

Sooo...yesterday was to be my day to finally regain some control of the grocery shopping, laundry, meal planning, and blogging. However, a migraine headache had other plans for me. This one was worse than the ones I've had lately, so I tried to call in sick. NO. SUCH. LUCK. My bosses would not have it. (Yes, I don't have a job that proves itself with a paycheck, but I have three or four 'bosses' that dictate where I'll be and what I'll be doing in a day.) There was a 3YO who WON'T STOP TALKING, a 6YO with a ton of homework and THE ATTENTION SPAN OF A GNAT, and knitting group to get to. Okay, so the knitting group was mostly for me, but I had to find some joy in my day for myself, right? Besides, 3YO and 6YO were excited to go and knit. They have both learned to knit hats on a loom and were super excited to sit at a table with and 'knit' with the grownups!

Now, what is it about a migraine headache that makes my family SO OBNOXIOUS? Seriously! Is it just me? Just getting through the homework and getting out the door to get to the knitting group was so much more work than it needed to be. I blew my cool at one point, stooping down to my 3YO's eye level (Supernanny would be so proud!) and yelling, "PUT YOUR SHOES ON" with actual flames shooting out of my eyes.

Evidently, I need to blow my top more often, because that was the most peaceful car ride we've EVER HAD TOGETHER. I mean, WOW. Once they did get the courage to talk, they were super polite and got along beautifully. It's nice to see them get along and work together on their own, even if they are uniting as a team IN FEAR OF ME.

Getting down the driveway also presented its own set of challenges, as David had parked a trailer in the middle of the driveway and I had to pick it up and move it out of the way. I did learn that, even with the sheer exhaustion that a migraine headache can bring, the adrenaline rush from real anger and irritation can get you the super-human strength you need to pick up a trailer and drag it across the driveway.

So, there you have it. Now, I'm not trying to tell you that my kids are more annoying than normal kids....I just think that ANYONE is annoying if you get to know them well enough. Anyone who denies that is either LYING or HASN'T BEEN MARRIED OR HAD CHILDREN FOR MORE THAN A FEW DAYS. No one is immune...trust me on this one!

And that's OKAY.

My family is still annoying this morning, but I'm sure it's more the 'migraine hangover' that I feel. Once that subsides, I'm sure the people and things around me will become more pleasant. In the meantime, my family is just sort of staying out of my way.

And I'm liking it.

: )