with the effing potty training again

It dawned on Hubby this morning that we have one weekend* to get B trained so that he's not "held back" again by the stupid daycare with the stupid, arbitrary potty guidelines. Seems Hubby doesn't want B with the 2s again. I, too, would like B with his peers, but I don't think the new "Teacher" is going to do something magical to make sure he gets into Harvard.

Now, he's saying we should cancel my birthday trip down the shore and the trip to VT for my sister's birthday party over Labor Day Weekend. So we can focus on intensive potty training (almost his exact words).

What in the hell are we supposed to do?

B's not telling us when he has to pee. I don't know why he's not telling us. He likes to pee on the potty because we sing silly songs and give him stickers. He knows if he poops in the potty he gets a new train and if he pees in the potty everytime for a couple of days he'll get the other new train. He'll parrot the whole thing at you, and will add "no more pee in pull-ups."

But he doesn't tell us. I can't read his mind. And our sitting him on the potty at intervals to keep his pull-up dry isn't the point. He needs to be able to know when he has to pee and either alert an adult to help him or be able to go do it all by himself.

I'm at the point of giving up and saying he'll do it when he does it, but there's all this pressure (see above) that isn't going to let me let B's maturation take its own course. I don't like what this situation is doing to me and to my relationship with my son. I don't like that it makes me want to curse out my husband and any other person who tells me my son is behind. I don't like that I can't think about anything else. And I'm sure all the focus and pressure we're putting on the situation is not helping B in the least!

*We have one weekend because my sister is visiting the weekend of the 10th, we'd planned to go down the shore the weekend of the 24th, and we plan to be in VT Labor Day weekend. I guess the weekend of the 17th is out since Hubby's got Yankee tickets the 18th and we're going with his dad the 19th. Since the new "school year" starts right after Labor Day, that's our deadline.

snapshots, sweaters, sisters

My new camera was waiting for me when I got home. My only complaint is how long it takes to snap the picture. I took it out of the box Friday, but really didn't play with it until Saturday. B and I had fun with the watercolors, so I had to take some pics of our work. Here he is contemplating his next move.

I can't help it, we sit and paint for a while and then it devolves into him trying to ge my arm and me making him even more cute.

I must admit not too much success on the potty front, as many pull-up changes as peeing on the potty. But, I did learn one thing, if he says "i hafta go bafroom," just take him. Don't ask for confirmation, because then he'll deny and I'll be changing a wet pull-up. Just go, no questions asked.

CeCe is done. She had a bath yesterday at naptime and is currently drying on the blocking board. She's 10" from underarm to waistline. I hope that's enough for M-i-L; it wouldn't be enough for me, but she's much thinner. I hope she likes it. M-i-L does so much for us, I love giving her the handknits. I don't know if she knows how much I appreciate her. I'll have to tell her, won't I?

I did the math and cast on 116 stitches for my sister's birthday present. I'm not sure if she's still occasionally checking in, but since she decided the party shouldn't be a surprise, I guess her gift doesn't have to be either. Although she probably has some idea since I needed her leg measurements.
She's coming down the 10th. Not sure if her husband or our other sister is coming with her. But, we'll have fun anyway!

Nearly forgot to mention that my ear cleared up last night and I'm nearly back to normal, finally. It's so nice to not be able to hear myself so much when I talk.

illness subsiding?

Is the fact that, although my head is still very congested (as in my right ear is now an echo chamger) and I haven't taken a decongestant since 5:30 this morning, I'm not very uncomfortable a sign that I'm getting better? Or am I just inured to the congestion?
Since it doesn't hurt so much to bend over, I think I'm getting better.

potty time

Thanks, as always, for your support Amy and Thora. It helps to hear from moms in the trenches, or recently so.

B had a really bad day with the potty at school yesterday. He went through two pairs of shorts and a pair of pants and needed to be changed when I picked him up. Hubby and I talked to B a lot about the potty last night and how he shouldn't be peeing in his pull-ups and needed to really try to pee on the potty everytime (Hubby even pulled out the "unacceptable" word). B seemed to get it and peed on the potty last night before bed. Three times. Seriously, pee came out three times right before bed. I was getting irritated thinking that hewas just trying to put off going to bed, what with the lenghty sitting on the potty and the thorough hand washing, but he did do something each time. And he was dry this morning when he woke up and peed on the potty.

Hubby spoke with the "teacher" this morning who said that yesterday was out of the norm for B (apparently he was still using the potty a bit at school) and suggested we keep an eye out for a possible UTI. Duly noted. They're going to call me if he's having a lot of accidents today and if so, we'll take him in for a urine check tomorrow.

The joys of motherhood. When did my knitting blog become about pottying?

In other news, I was really freaked out to get a voicemail from polaroid about the camera I sent in last month. I was stressed that they were going to want more than the original fee I paid for the non-warranty repair (I dropped it, I violated the warranty). Nope, they called because they can't fix the m635, so they're sending me a t737 Chocolate. I should have it next week. I'm getting one more megapixel and a bigger LCD screen. And it's cuter.

God as my witness, I am not breaking this one. As much as I paid to ship the other one and the off warranty repair, I'm getting a bargain, but not when you add what Hubby paid lat summer for the original one. Of course, the $99 kodak still works (even though I have to tape the battery door closed).

As for CeCe, I bound off last night. I just need to finish the ribbing for the neckline, sew the sleeves to the body at the bind offs, weave in a few ends, and she'll be taking her bath, ready to grow, I hope.

no beach for me

I'm not sure if I'd mentioned that I'd been pushing Hubby to take the condo for the weekend because we've not had a weekend at the beach since Memorial Day. So, we were going to go to a concert Friday night (not one I really want to go to, we've both seen both bands multiple times, but he's all fired up for it and bribing me with a good tailgate) and then get up and go to the beach Saturday morning. That crazy plan has been scrapped. We're still going to the concert (and as long as my cold is gone I'll find a way to enjoy myself), but we won't be going to the beach.

B's continued his potty backsliding and I was just so angry and wound up about it last night (the kid has not peed on the potty at home in days), I decided we should stay home (no zoo, no park, no nothing) and get him out of the habit of peeing in his pull-ups. Actual pooping in the potty (vs the constant telling us he's going to start pooping in the potty) would be welcome as well.

I know my anger and wound upedness last night have a lot to do with hormones and too much caffeine and taking really good decongestants all day, than the actual situation warrants. Granted the "school year" starts in a few weeks and B's next "teacher" keeps mentioning to Hubby that he can't wear pull-ups in her class, so that's a contributing factor. But, mostly I'm just irritated that he was going regularly on the potty and staying dry most of the time and now I'm back to changing wet pull-ups and it's got to stop.

I'll try to find my positive reinforcing and patient vibe for the weekend. The impatient harpy act is getting old and is probably not helping.

As for the beach, we're spending 5 days there for my birthday next month and as hubby puts it, we've got the condo for life.

I should have Cece finished over the weekend (assuming I don't have to knit a new bottom and graft) even without the car ride to Wildwood. I've got fewer than 10 rows to go (not counting knitting up the neckline).

I'd really like to start on the sis's present over the weekend. That would be good.

It looks like a baby sweater

I'm really freaking out that this thing is going to be way too short for M-i-L. I've got a back-up plan, it's called a credit card at the mall.

No, really. What I'm going to do is just finish this as is. Then I'm going to wash it and see if it grows some length.

If it still seems to short I'm going to take the leftover yarn (there will be leftovers, I've got fewer than 20 rows to go and haven't started ball 4 yet), re-knit the ribbing and as many repeats as I can, then I'm going to detach the ribbing from the completed version and graft them together. Yes, I do think that grafting lace together is a viable option. No, I don't think I'm f'ing cracked in the head.

If that doesn't work, I'm going to go shopping at the mall.

In other news, we have some indication that I may not be suffering from a cold but that some sever allergies have caused a sinus infection. First clue, my head feels like it's going to explode when I bend over. There's also the echo chamber that is now my left ear and the fact that my tissues are green. (Hubby gave me a hard time when I showed B, but he thought my actual nose was green. Then he said he wanted an orange one. That kid, everything needs to be orange for him.) Hubby thinks I should try to get into the doctor, but the pseudoephidrine I took this morning (yes, that lovely old sudafed you have to sign for now) has made me feel a lot better.

the book and some knitting

So, I read THE BOOK in about 8 hours this weekend. Mostly on Saturday. I woke up with a nasty cold and it was a very good thing M-i-L had told hubby he could drop B off on his way to golf Saturday morning. I settled into my chair with the book and a juice and got up to eat and pee. By the time we got to the game on Saturday night, I only had 100 pages left to go. Those were finished Sunday morning. I'm not sure if it was the cold, but I cried tons.

Someday, I'll need to go back and savor the series, probably aloud to B, but I just had to devour the last book. Kind of like all the others before.

I'm going to miss that kid.

But, it wasn't just all Harry all weekend. There was lots of nose blowing and coughing, and some knitting (mostly Friday night).

Both sleeves are now attached. I wish I'd made the body longer but I still don't know if I'm going to have enough yarn. I've got about a ball and a half. I'll probably wind up with a short sweater and left overs.

My goal is to get this done this week. My sister's birthday is in early September and it's going to take some time to knit up her gift. That will be my focus once CeCe is done.

In B news, we took him to an MLS soccer game yesterday afternoon and had to take him to the bathroom every 5 minutes. So he could pretend to pee and wash his hands. He's driving me round the bend.

you don't have to read this post

Because I'm about to underwhelm you.

I wouldn't post at all, but since I was away from the blog for nearly a week, I feel I should put something up.

Sleeve one on CeCe is purt near done. I had it attached to the body but it was looking funky, so I took it off and am going to re-do. I think the adult beverages apres dinner may have caused some of the funk. At any rate, I love being able to knit a sleeve in the course of a couple of hours.

I'd show you a picture but the three I took this morning turned out like crap.

I started another red and black scarf last night. I'm not happy with it.

In other news our systems are down, again. If things aren't back up soon, I'm sending everyone home. No point in the staff sitting here twiddling their fingers.

This weekend should be a pretty quiet one at home, other than Hubby and I going to the Yankee game tomorrow night. Have a good one!

I'd like to see Nevada, too. All I ever see are the casinos!

I'm back

We got back to Newark at 8 am Tuesday morning, after narrowly escaping horrendous delays (thank God for stand by crews). I was in the office yesterday, but 3 hours of meetings and 200 e-mails meant no blogging.

Hubby and I had a great time in Vegas. We spent too much money and ate too much, but I did also spend time at the pool (100+ degrees and I maxed out at two hours) and saw a couple of movies. I really enjoyed Harry Potter 5. I can only look at it as a fan and it's got me jazzed for book 7 this weekend. I also saw Ratatouille. Pretty good, not my favorite Pixar.

I didn't knit too much. A couple of repeats on CeCe in the airports and a few rows on a new sock swatch waiting for Harry to start. Last night I got around to binding off for the sleeves on CeCe. I'll be starting sleeve 1 tonight.

B had a great time at the beach with the in-laws. In fact, he keeps asking for his grandpa. Little snot. He back pedalled a lot on the potty, but we're getting him back on track. Still no #2; he's all talk and no action. Hubby's going to buy a "reward" this weekend and place it on the fridge. It seemed to work to get him going #1 on the potty. Now, if he'd only consistently tell me when he has to go #1, I'd be happy.

Well, then he needs to learn to dress and undress himself and get on and off the potty himself.

It's good to be home. The problem with a cheaper hotel, besides really slow elevators, is very uncomfortable beds.

enough mommy blather, back to the knitting

I'm cruising on M-i-L's CeCe. I've completed four repeats with the first ball and depending on how the Calmer stretches, it's well over 5". I'm a happy camper. It's still a bit wide, with the Calmer stretch, but M-i-L doesn't like things too fitted.

If I knit more than I gamble this weekend, I might have an FO next week. I do have to run to Purl today at lunch to pick up some US 7 bamboo DPNs, for the sleeves.

what is with the guilt?

I've been overly anxious and on the verge of tears since last night obsessing about getting on a plane and flying away from B. I know it's guilt and the one-time anxiety jab from Hubby and I being on a plane together. I'm so glad B was huggy this morning and we had a pretty pleasant hour or so before leaving the house. If we'd had an unpleasant morning I'd be going bonkers.

He was a little parrot in the car this morning. He kept repeating every thing I said. And it wasn't that interesting. We were just talking about dropping some mail at the PO before I got on the bus. But when I said "I'll be back in a minute," he said "you be back in a minute." etc...

I've been wanting to get away for weeks now. Just some time away from the constancy of mommy. Now that it's here, I feel like a complete and utter turd for wanting to leave him and I have these fits of terror that are bringing tears to my eyes.

I love him so much and I spend so much time every day not cherishing him because we have to get ready for school, we have to eat, we have to take a bath, we have to get dressed, we have to go to bed, all the have tos wind me up and make it so I can't just be with him.

I take him for granted. He's sweet and silly and funny, and so smart. I've gotten into the habit of asking him to count for me when he says he's done on the potty to keep him from rushing. Today he counted to 20 for me, sort of. He got to 15 right, then he skipped to 20, 21, 22.

I can't believe my three year old can count and knows all his letters. He can even spell his name! I REMEMBER learning my letters in first grade (no, I didn't go to Kindegarten, it wasn't required or provided by the state at the time).

I've been taking Hubby for granted a lot, too. That's what we do to the people we love and live with, we take them for granted. This weekend is about reconnecting with him and recharging to be the wife and mommy they deserve. I know the reconnecting thing is overexposed these days, but when he feels more like a choreboy and roomie than the love of your life, it's time to get away.

At three and a half he's more popular than I've ever been in my whole life. The whole daycare knows him and loves to interact with him. And he's mine and I just can't love him enough.

systems failure

For the second morning in a row, all of the systems my team and I need to do our jobs are inaccessible. Yesterday, they came back online at twenty minutes of one. Yep, nearly four hours lost. And they are down again this morning. I sure hope they're back up earlier today.

In paranoid moments, I think it's just a plot by my European colleagues to slow us down. We've out produced them so far this month.

The other system failing is the potty thing at home. B will parrot us in saying, repeatedly throughout the day, that he's going to start pooping on the potty. And then he doesn't. And now, he's not peeing on the potty so much anymore. I know I'm supposed to be supportive and all positive reinforcement, but I'm pissed. He gets it, I know he does, so why isn't he doing it?

On a positive note, I have to thank Tracy for her elegant solution to my CeCe problem. I started again, same needles, smaller size. The pattern has the sizes only 2" apart, so the 36" size at the same gague with my ginormouse YOs will give me a 38" bust size. Perfect for lazy me who didn't feel like swatching again and couldn't find bamboo US 9 circs locally.

I've been making some good progress. I've started the second set of eyelets.

Thanks Amy for her suggestion, too. I might try that after I make a real swatch with the US 2s.

Recommended gauge for this yarn is 29 st/4" on a 2.5-3 mm needle. So, a 2 in US size. I tried that and it was flopsy (of course I only knit 2 rows). So, I went down to a 1 and it seems nice, but I'm getting 11 st/1" after the first inch of my swatch (knit in the round). I guess I need to go back to the 2, which is good because I don't want to knit knee socks on a 1. But, that means I have nothing to knit on the way home tonight!

dilemma

So, I was happily knitting along on CeCe last night when I completed the third repeat and the first ball of yarn. I was a little concerned, because I only had 4" completed. The total body length of CeCe at the 38" size is supposed to be about 19". My four balls of Calmer didn't seem like they were going to get me there. (Pattern calls for 650 yds of DK yarn, 4 balls of Calmer = 700.)

So, I looked at the piece I'd completed and it seemed a bit large. And it was! Although my stitch gauge is spot on at 5 st/in, the back is over 21" wide! M-i-L would swim in a 42" chest. The problem appears to be that my yarnovers are huge. Calmer is very soft and stretchy and the KnitPicks options glide too easily giving super huge YOs.

A re-start is in order. So, I started ripping it out, and I will finish that process tonight (ballwinder's in the office).

Question is, do I go down to an 8 (at which my gauge will be tighter still using more yarn than I want), or do I reduce the number of stitches using the KP 9 to get the right width but still ginormous YOs, or do I go get a bamboo 9 to see if that will help? (Problem is I don't think PURL carries bamboo circs.)

I'm kind of stumped. But, I'm going to make this work. I want to give M-i-L a CeCe in this yarn.

I brought sis's birthday swatch in to work on today. I tried at US 2 and it seemed floppy. I think a US 1 will work, but it will mean tinkering with the pattern if my gauge is tighter than 8 st/in.

Vegas Baby!

So, Hubby and I are taking our semi-annual trip to Vegas this weekend. We've pretty much gone every other year for the last 10 years. This will be our fifth trip and third downtown. Hubby likes to play poker at Binions and I like being able to get back to our room easily so Fremont Street it is (not to mention we're cheap like that). We fly out Friday after work and come back Monday night/Tuesday morning. B gets to spend the weekend down the shore with his grandparents.


I've pretty much planned out my wardrobe for the three days we're there and I think I've got the knitting planned. I'm taking CeCe and little sister's birthday present. Sis got me the measurements I need so I'll be off and running after some more swatching.


CeCe has progressed a bit. Since I modified the pattern and wrote down the wrong cast-on number (my math was good, the transcription was horrible, I added 16 instead of 20), it took a few tries to get properly adjusted to the eyelet pattern. I'm cruising now. (I changed the pattern to be the bust size from cast on up. Bonne Marie has an inverse V at the waist and I didn't think M-i-L would like that.)You can make out the eyelets, right? Gosh I miss my polaroid. This Kodak is crap for close-up and any non-flash photography.

Amy Lane made a good point in yesterday's comments. If Hubby had a hobby that included the acquisition of stuff, he wouldnt' have grounds to criticie my stash. Unfortunately, his hobbies do not include the acquisition of stuff. He's been a sports fanatic since childhood, but doesn't go in for the tchotchkes. He's got hats and t-shirts, but that's about it (no inflatable chairs or silly clocks). He likes to play poker and blackjack and bet the ponies, but there's not stuff there (as a matter of fact, the chip set I bought him hasn't been used in a year). Outlay of cash, absolutely and we don't really argue about who's hobbies are more expensive or cost-effective. I mean, my hobby gets him out of buying presents and provides me hours of enjoyment per skein of yarn. His problem is more that we've got a small house with a very ineffective housekeeper (my words, not his) so we don't need more stuff. Currently, I'm in agreement.

Mommy, you stay there my house

Billy didn't want me to go to work today. He didn't want to stay home with me, that would have meant giving up going to the pool with Miss Tracy, but he didn't care that my boss wants me in the office. He couldn't tell me why it was okay for daddy to take the train to work, but mommy had to stay home. I would have loved to. I enjoyed my day off on Thursday last week.

B and I slept in after our aborted attempt to catch fireworks in the rain. "Fire too loud, Mommy" he keeps saying. He totally freaked out. I guess last year's in VT, at which he fell asleep, were much quieter especially considering the smaller scale in VT and the fact that our viewing point was much further away. I took him to school and then went shopping. I hit Target to pick up some 66 quart plastic containers.

Then I tackled the stash. I should have bought more than five containers. But, all the stash is now in the basement (well, except for current projects or stuff for the frog pond, that's in under the bed boxes in our room and in the office for easier access). I have an insane amount of yarn. 6 66-qt containers, plus 6 large ziploc/shopping bags/comforter bags. Hubby has pleaded again that I buy no more yarn until I put a dent into what I have, now that he knows the scope of the problem. Well, actually, he doesn't. I have at least 60 balls of yarn here in my office.

I bought two big balls of Lily sugar n cream at Michael's last Thursday to make a ball-band dishcloth-style bathmat for our bathroom. That's going to be it for a while. I'd like to empty at least one container before I buy another sweater's worth of yarn and finish another pair of socks before I buy any more sock yarn.

I cast on for M-i-L's birthday sweater, a CeCe in Khaki Calmer. Here's the ribbing Billy let me knit while he was in the kiddie pool in our back yard yesterday morning.



The queue of upcoming projects to help me tackle the stash:

• M-i-L's CeCe (started)
• Baby sis's birthday gift (swatching)
• Mom's birthday sweater (possibly Freya from Rowan 36)
• Hubby's St. Andrew's sweater (swatched)
• More red scarves
• Dad's Birthday Sweater
• Billy's Birthday Sweater (a kelly green cotton aran)
• New socks for Billy

And the current WIPs:

• Serrano
• Here there be dragons socks
• Last ballband dishcloth
• Crocheted baby blanket (only needs 1/2 edging)
• Beaded rib anklets

yoinked from JenLa

It’s SCATTERGORIES, and it’s harder than it looks!

Here are the rules:
~Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following.
~They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up!
~If you can’t think of anything, skip it.
~Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial.
~You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Your Name: Annette
1. Famous Singer/Band: Axel Rose
2. 4 letter word: Amen
3. Street: Avenue of the Americas
4. Color: Aubergine
5. Gifts/Presents: Amethysts
6. Vehicle: Astin Martin
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Ashtrays
8. Boy Name: Angus
9. Girl Name: Ariel
10. Movie Title: A Few Good Men
11. Drink: Appletini
12. Occupation: Actor
13. Celebrity: Ashton Kutcher
14. Magazine: Atlantic Monthly
15. U.S. City: Asheville, NC
16. Pro Sports Teams: astros
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: asteroid strike
19. Something You Throw Away: apple core
20. Things You Shout: Asshole
21. Cartoon Character: Annie

If...

If you got to go to the pool with your friends, wouldn't you want to get dressed and get out the door without fighting with your mother over which shorts when?

If your boss wrote you an e-mail telling you to do something yesterday, wouldn't you have done it? Or if there was a reason you couldn't do it, wouldn't you have told your boss?

If your wife was in pain from a bum shoulder and PMSing, wouldn't you cut her some slack about being grumpy?

If your significant other had always re-heated pizza in the toaster oven, no matter how many slices he was heating, wouldn't you expect him to use the toaster oven again, not the oven?

If it were the Tuesday before a National Holiday and your office was closing at 3 pm, wouldn't you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand?

first scarf

Here's my first red scarf posing in the morning sunshine. I've got just over 3" done which means I'm past the half-way point. I knit on it a lot on Saturday, but I had to go to bed early Friday with a migraine and spent last night making new 8 shirts for Billy (seems his father had told him that if they bought plain t-shirts Mommy would make them 8 shirts so he'd been asking about them asking in that obsessive pre-shooler way).

Late last week I was dealing with some arm pain in my left arm. I'm pretty sure the culprit is my fingering technique when crocheting. That's been corrected and taking yesterday off from doing either really helped. Today, I have a different arm problem. I woke up at 4 am unable to get comfortable because my right shoulder was killing me. A couple of weeks ago, I hear a small crack when pushing B on the swings. No biggie. It was a little sore for a couple of days but went away. I think the ironing last night may have aggravated whatever and now I'm very uncomfortable. I'm taking Aleve and tylenol. If it lasts for more than a day, I'll have to go see my doc, but I have a feeling it's similar to what I struggled with in my left shoulder a few years ago. Just an aggravated bone spur. Thanks Dad, for passing down the joint health.

We had a great weekend, though. We took B to his first baseball game (a minor league game in NW New Jersey) and he loved it. He sat through all nine innings and said it was better than the beach.