"Nice Knits"!

Slow Down

Already holding hands with boys. And to think her father was a chaperone on this excursion. I suppose I had better be the one who volunteers for prom!

The Last Day of Vacation Always Sucks

Back home today, and back to the real world on Monday.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I ended up and didn't go to work today because of the rainy mess. I was totally oblivious to how severe the flooding was until I got ready to leave the house. The traffic was so bad getting out of my street I decided to wait a while, but after I called work, everyone in my department (all 5 out of 22 who made it in) said not to bother trying to get to the office.

What a waste of make-up and an ironed outfit. Oh well, guess I'll have to sit here and knit the rest of the day ;-)

Doing the DC

Since I didn't have any time to take new knitting pictures, I thought I would put up some other stuff from when my mom and step-dad were here over Memorial Day weekend. On that Sunday, we decided to take the Bean to some museums while the boys went to a DC Nationals game. Little did we know that Sunday was the day of the big Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally. It had just started when we got to the Natural History Museum around 11:00. Four hours later, it was still going strong.

Here's the Bean riding the Metro with my mom. It was the Bean's first time on the Metro, and she was pretty underwhelmed. I think she thought there would be snacks.

Here she is at the Natural History Museum. She is pissed off because it took me so long to get a good shot of her and the elephant. Besides the fact that people kept walking in front of me. I love the expression on her face. It is one I have come to know quite well.

The Museum of American History has a new Jim Henson Muppet exhibit. Here are a few pics:

This last one is my favorite thing in the American History Museum. It is a huge statue of George Washington. I love it because he looks so buff. Who knew George was such a hottie...wood teeth and all!

All in all the Bean was not that impressed with the museums. She didn't understand why you couldn't try on Dorothy's shoes, why anyone would want to look at skeletons, and why would you want to see a bunch of stuffed animals when you can go to the zoo and see real ones. She had a point. When I asked her what she liked best about the day, she said seeing the motorcycle parade. I guess I'll have to keep my eye on her and her taste in boyfriends!

Crying and Smiling

Today is both a happy day and a sad day for the Bean and I. On one hand, we are excited because my husband is coming home tonight from his almost-2-week trip to New Orleans. On the other hand, we are very sad because my aunt is going back to Pensacola today. She was the BIGGEST help while he was gone. Just from the fact that the Bean was so busy with her I didn't have to hear every five minutes..."I miss my Daddy, I want him to come home!" (I love that she misses him so much when he is away, but she has a tendancy to bring up how much she misses him everytime I piss her off in the slightest. And then it gets annoying.) Oh, and I loved having dinner waiting for me every night when I came home from work. My aunt truly spoiled us.

As I predicted, the Bean was NOT happy about going back to school after being off for the past eight days. The drive to school was quite unpleasant..."all my friends are too bossy", "they don't want me at school", "I'm not going to look or talk to anyone when I get there", "I'm not getting out of the car", etc. I was still listening to it when we approched the door that opens to the hall of classrooms. As soon as I unlocked the door and pulled it open, a huge wave of food smells hit us.

"Wahoo...we're having english muffins for breakfast!"

And she was off running down the hall so fast she overshot her room. I barely got a kiss good-bye.

Good-bye, Aunt Lisa. We'll miss you more than english muffins.

Single Life

The Bean and I have been on our own for the past week and a half. Well, not totally on our own as my aunt has been visiting us*, but we have been without the male member of our family for that time. My husband is currently in New Orleans helping to make tree damage assessments for the Gulf Region (that's him sitting in the tree there on the left). You can read more about his trip on the blog he started. When he first told me about this trip and that he would probably be gone almost TWO WEEKS, I almost died. TWO WEEKS alone with a very demanding and precocious 4-year-old...what was he thinking! After I got over the shock, I understood what a great opportunity it was for him. It is totally in character for him to want to go and help, and I am so proud of him. Growing up for the most part north of the Mason-Dixon line, the experience has given him quite the exposure to Southern culture! We have talked every day, and he has told me about what he has seen...particularly in the most devastated areas of New Orleans. This trip will be one he will ever forget.

*My aunt has come to stay with us while my husband is away. The Bean and I are being spoiled rotten, and if she wasn't already married to my uncle, I think I would marry her! (Well, besides the fact that we are blood relatives.) Although we are anxious to have my husband home, we will miss her terribly when she leaves Thursday. The Bean is going to be REALLY pissed when she has to go back to school on Thursday!

Culturally Challenged

Wahoo! I can actually say I have seen a movie nominated for an Oscar! My husband and I rented "Crash" a few months ago, and I will admit it was a very thought-provoking movie. Normally, I do not get around to seeing a movie until years after the Oscars...or until it comes out on DVD and I happen to think to add it to Netflix. We are just not big movie-goers. The last movie I saw at the theater was "Chicken Little"...and that was more for the Bean than myself. Before that, the last time I was at a movie theater was to see "Spiderman 2", and even more embarrassing is that the time before that it was to see "Plant of the Apes."

But I do sit and watch movies at home...sometimes. One of the last movies we had from Netflix we ended up keeping for three months. And still didn't watch it.

BUT, I can recite word-for-word every line (in the correct character voice) and describe every change in lighting in the "Incredibles." Bet those movie-goers to Oscar-nominated movies can't say that!

Sporting a New "Do"

Since I let the first anniversary of my blog's existence roll on by with nary a wave, I decided that the next best time to do some redesign would be around the first of the new year. I am a few days late, but here you go. I had been admiring this great pinup drawing for a while, and finally broke down the other day and purchased her. A few swipes with some Photoshop, and a new knitting chick was born. You know how us knitting chicks love to sit around in nothing but our knits! Her sweater is so groovy...particularly the stags "fighting" amongst her cleavage. She reminds me of the pinup my grandfather had in the back of his garage. There was a piece of acetate with clothes painted on the front that laid over top of the picture. She looked innocent enough, but when you lifted the acetate, there she was in all her glory. Of course now that I think about it, I am pretty sure all of her "details" were airbrushed out. She looked exactly like a Barbie. I wish now that I had saved that picture when my grandparents sold their house. I really liked how she had that secret...and those perfect red lips.

Blessed

I am very thankful I have such a wonderful family to come home to every day. Hope you and your family have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Winter Is on the Way

You know you'd best get the snow shovel ready when the Woolly Bear caterpillars show up and they are basically all black...hardly a brown stripe to be found. Time to get those sweaters done!