Homemade goodies

The knitting frenzy has begun. For some reason the cool crisp air and Christmas make me want to knit warm soft things for my loved ones ... as much as possible. I will succumb to a few other types of gifts as well.

I've completed (except for the sewing in of loose ends) my first holiday gift -- a pair of super quick to knit, warm soft kid mittens (not saying who gets 'em). The pattern is here.

I purchased one skein of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky (100g) hoping to get 2 pairs of kid small mittens but did my math wrong... I think I mixed up my yards and grams - oops. Anyway, so now I'm trying to see if I can manage to make a pair with a much smaller cuff and no thumb (my own creation - scary) for a younger wee one who doesn't really need that silly thumb bit yet anyway. Otherwise I'll have to go purchase a whole 'nother skein at $17.99 adding to my already overflowing extra yarn not used stash! Wish me luck on the experiment.

My kids hate this time of year (although they love all the rest) -- they hate my constant knitting and try to force lap time without that darn yarn. I also went and got 7 skeins of Cascade 220 for another long overdue gift which will take up much of my month. What are you gifting this season of cheer?

More thankful thinking

To imbue the holiday with a little more meaning than just yummy turkey and pumpkin pie, I tried a couple of things this year that went pretty well (at least the kids liked them which was really my point)... 1) We created a THANKFUL TREE and provided little green leaves. We took it to dinner at Grandma's house and anyone who wanted to write what they were thankful for on a leaf and put it on the tree. We got a few takers but hope to build on this next year.

What the kids really seemed to get into was THANKFUL FOR YOU cards. We have a big family of cousins and aunts and uncles and we filled out one of these for each and every one. I particularly liked the one about blue hair and parrots. I'm just thankful to get my kids thinking about being thankful! Hope your Thanksgiving was good -- ours certainly was.

Thankfulness

Tis the day before Thanksgiving and what have we planned?

Thanks to my boy's school, we'll be watching films made for kids by kids and others (with the added bonus that we need to bring a can of food for the food bank to get in) first...

Then we'll be helping middle schoolers to prepare dinner meals, make table decorations and deliver or serve (not quite sure on this one) the meal to the homeless men and women who are served by a church near our school.

I'm am thankful for these opportunities both to entertain my children and hopefully keep them from annoying one another (and me :-)) but also to infuse this holiday with some real meaning for them... something beyond going to play with their cousins and eat goodies at Grandma's house tomorrow.

I've got a couple of other thankfulness reminding ideas I've been thinking of trying. If all goes well, I'll share those tomorrow or maybe even later tonight. What do you do on Thanksgiving to remember the THANKS and the GIVING, especially with kids?

Stepping up

I've noticed that somehow lately, we've gotten a wee bit more organized... managed to conquer a few issues around here. To that end, I decided to step it up with the kids and be more proactive on a few items.

This weekend I happened to find (on www.pbskids.org if you can believe it) this handy journal page for kids about dealing with anger:

• The things that make me angriest are:
• When I get angry, it feels like:
• I remember losing my temper when:
• After I lost my temper, it made me feel:
• When I need to get rid of my angry feelings I usually:
• This works or doesn't work (circle one) because:
• These are some negative or destructive ways to deal with anger:
• These are some positive or contructive ways to deal with anger:

I worked through the journal with my girl and was actually quite proud of her self-knowledge. I was particularly impressed when she said that after she loses her temper, she feels SAD (me too)! She thought that some positive ways to deal with anger were to hug the cat, kiss mommy, play with her brother (sometimes yes but probably not when he's the source of her frustration) and to sit on mommy's lap. You go girl!

The boy only managed thus far to answer the first question. The things that currently make him angry are NO DESSERT, and TIME OUTS! So true.

As part of our bedtime talk, we discussed more about anger and how we all get angry. We talked about good ways to try to diffuse our anger and we agreed together to work on it.

So on this week of Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that each day is a new chance to become a better parent. And what are you thankful for?

Who are you today?

Today I am definitely Grumpy... you know...pal of sleepy, happy and sneezy? Grumpy with a big G today - that's me. Can't think of anything else to say much at all. Ever had those days where you can't get past your mood? Trying like heck to think of a way to cheer myself up without spending money... hmmm - nothing yet?

And who are you today?

Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, Happy, Bashful or Sleepy (I'm a little Sleepy too)!

Tis the season

Tis the season... Even though Halloween has just ended, I'm in full knitting mode getting ready for the holidays. Mind you only 2 projects thus far and I can't say just what they are. I have been in brain hyperdrive thinking of things to knit, although I'm not sure why since it isn't as though I suddenly have more time on my hands. I was thinking about mittens for nephews and something fun and stuffed for baby nieces. The girl again says she wants a dress and the boy would no doubt like fingerless gloves (without the flap like on the ones I purchased).

Don't know what I'll manage to get finished (luckily if I don't finish the girlie dress - which I haven't completely committed to -- I could make it for her birthday just about a month after the Ho Ho Ho day).

Speaking of knitting, the boy asked me the other day why I like to knit and blog so much... to which I replied "well, it is sort of my Legos and reading." He seemed to understand.

I've got a pigeon

in my fireplace! Ugh. Anyone else ever have this experience? We are currently attempting bird rescue #2. Our first rescue operation went well sometime last year. Not sure what kind of bird it was, but we managed to lure it into the pet carrier (above) for some seed and then release it back into the wilds. The trick here is to get it into the carrier and shut the door quickly enough that you don't end up with a bird loose in your house. Cross your fingers for us. Maybe we can contact the Girls or Boys Scouts or our local animal rescue people about being certified as DA-TA-DA-DA... Animal Rescuers!? Or maybe we could get our own small show on Animal Planet (or not). What wacky things are you up to this Friday?


And on a slightly less wacky note... I finally painted our bedroom. Hallelujah! I feel almost like an adult. Out with the white, in with the terra cotta (which my children swear is NOT a color)! Happy holiday weekend from Casa Mama Zuzi.

*** UPDATE *** after the girl complained of hearing a loud thump behind the couch, I investigated only to find the bird flying into our various windows (front living room, dining room, CRASH-BANG-BOOM kitchen, back to the living room, under the couch). I managed to leave the front door open, and move the side table and the couch and a blur of black - one soot covered pigeon -- apparently managed his/her way out our door to freedom - Phew! I think we'll be doing a little chimney work this weekend.

Enough already

Toys linked to a date-rape drug recalled

I don't know about anyone else out there but I'm not buying any toys I know were made in China for the holidays or anything else right now. Mind you I don't have anything against the Chinese people or the country for that matter except that it is ridiculous that they keep sending us toxic toys! And then there's our government which is supposed to keep our kids safe by screening out things like this before they enter the country, but NOOOOOOO apparently can't do that.

If anyone out there really thought our government was looking out for us or our kids before this, think again. As parents, we have to protect our kids on all kinds of fronts that our parents never dreamed of. The hardest job (and most worthy) on earth just keeps getting harder. As much as possible, buy local, buy natural products, pass down things we know AREN'T toxic and live more simply.

A hankerin'

Apparently the girl got a hankerin' for some fall gardening. She planted an old package of multi-colored carrots we never quite managed to get to as well as some sunflower seeds. She was all prepared -- with "shovel", watering can, seeds and gardening glove -- before she even asked me to help (someone had to help carry the stuff)! She did all the rest. I didn't have the heart (or frankly the time... she is determined and fast when she wants to be) to tell her the plants may or may not (most likely not) make it before the frost... we'll just see what happens. It is kind of fun to get caught up in the fun of believing that all things are possible - and who knows, maybe they are.

What am I missing?

For two days I've been thinking about what I'm missing...

To be exact, I've had this sneaking suspicion that I would miss some appointment or another that is coming up either this week or next. I've got tons of little notes and calendar listings and yet there is just a sense that I'm not on top of it and something's gonna get missed.

Thanks to finally getting our bedroom painted something other than white, I missed a Stand for Children meeting on Sunday.

Thanks to an ocular migraine (geez I haven't had one of those in awhile) and the after-headache/fatigue, I missed another Stand for Children meeting last night.

To my knowledge I have nothing other than work today. Hmmm.

I know there's a guitar lesson, a marketing plan to write, at least one appointment, a school event, elementary volunteering, a girlie playdate, a hike to take and then... well there's next week to keep together.

Does anyone else struggle with this sense of keeping it all together? Is it just having the right calendar for your family and is that a wall calendar, or a book-type calendar you keep with you or one online? I've tried all three and maybe that is part of the problem. With the holidays coming, I feel as though I've got to nip this in the bud right now... Argh.

And if you are wondering why I'm posting this before 6:00 a.m., well here's how it goes:

After said ocular migraine yesterday, I realize I'm not taking as good of care of myself (gee that's a new story) as I should be, so I came home early from work yesterday and rested in bed (thanks for letting it happen hubby and thanks for the clean basement too!). I got plenty of sleep and vowed to get up at 5:00 a.m. Now I am trying to manage fiddling on the computer, having my coffee, actually eating my own breakfast before I leave the house (not an afterthought) and exercising too. Oh plus taking my daily vitamins and such and drinking lots of water. Ugh. I realized while sitting at my desk at work around 3:00 p.m. waiting for my ocular migraine to pass, that I what I'd eaten since waking up was coffee, a quarter piece of peanut butter toast, a bite of apple and one piece of ham lunch meat. That is just not good.

Since I'm responsible for making sure the kids get where they are supposed to and do things like taking their vitamins, brushing teeth, getting to bed one time -- shouldn't I be able to ask them to do the same for me? Somehow I don't think that would help very much :-) Enjoy and take some time to take care of yourself today!

Saturday morning musings

As I try to wake up this beautiful fall Saturday morning (don't forget to set your clocks back this weekend), I'm struck by just how amazing and difficult and sometimes truly absurd this parenting gig can be. And in honor of the craziness, I share with you a few of our more absurd moments of the week:

• Finally finding the girls good shoes (which have been missing for over a week), stuffed full of cat food and hiding in her dresser... which just might explain why all her clothes were on top!
• Having the girl lose one brand new mitten within hours of purchase!
• Finally volunteering in the classroom, only to have the teacher try something new and despite my best efforts, having a bunch of confused, defiant and melting down 1st graders on my hands!
• Having the boy's best friend invite him to a music class "bring a friend" day, which led to "I want to take that class!" Mind you, this would be a good thing except that the class is close to $200/semester and goes for a year and would no doubt involve little sister wanting to go too, etc.
• Having Papa try to take boy to after-school math circle but not being able to find where they were meeting (apparently missed by one room)!
• Having one 1st grader who pretty much bursts into tears if I ask her what's in her lunch (I've stopped looking at her or talking to her - apparently it is more than she can bear),
• Having a preschool fan club of one -- the boy who I rarely interact with and lately when I do makes me frustrated beyond belief, apparently LIKES me! With my new found status, maybe I can convince him to stop talking potty talk for a few minutes!

Ahhh... now what will the weekend hold?!

OMG... It's November

I can't believe it is NOVEMBER!!! and we are in full holiday mode. Time to get serious about Christmas plans and presents. Hmmm. But one last nod to Halloween:

The best parts of Halloween were a lovely party complete with soup for dinner and hot buttered rum for the big people (thank goodness and thank you Sarah), watching people open their door to the astonishment of about 20 little ghosts, goblins and super heroes, and mostly the "safety bracelet light show" afterward (see above and below).

Now if I can just get the girl to drop the "I'm almost 5-years-old" attitude for a few minutes, we might enjoy the holidays! Happy, happy.