Hot stuff

*Rosina didn't want to go to sleep last night, and we ended up putting her in bed with us for a bit.  She was being really cute, but we were tired!  I think she's having a rough teething week.

*Started the February Fitted yesterday.  I had to frog a sweater I knit last year anyway--but why the HELL did I do sewn bindoffs, even on the hem?!  That took forever to pick out, stitch by stitch...  I did start the bottom of the sweater, at least, but 182 stitches is slow going!

*I was a little upset that my black aria binder had gone missing, but I figured Mark had "put it away"--and I was right.  It was in a box of LPs, buried under rolls of wrapping paper and two other boxes!  I was pissed, but at least I was able to find it.  I am trying to decide what to start with for the audition.  I wish that my high B-flats would have gotten easier while I wasn't using them!  I guess I have to just remember to treat them like Bs.  I heard a rumor about one of the show's the company's doing next season, and there's nothing in it for me, so I'm not sure if this will be anything more than a reintroduction.  I guess the stakes aren't too high...

*Headed to Babies R Us, since I had a coupon and a gift card (it is not my favorite store, but it is SO much closer than BuyBuyBaby!).  There was a lot on clearance, so I picked up a bunch of things for the preggos, along with diaper cream (my actual reason for coming)--and I decided to buy Rosina a toy so we'd be using the gift card to buy her an actual gift.  I was thinking an Elmo doll would be appreciated, and there was one that was just a stuffed doll and didn't talk, so I was ready to buy that one when she started talking about Ernie.  I still have no idea why she's so suddenly into Ernie.  I think the Muppet itself hasn't appeared in anything new since Jim Henson died.  Maybe it's because he wears clothes?  I have no idea.  In any case, I bought the Elmo doll anyway.

*No big plans for the weekend.  It's going to be hot, and I am planning on staying inside as much as possible.  We may go to a city pool, if we can figure out how to beat the crowds.

My name is Ernie

*I tried a neutral henna treatment on my hair on Friday (the gray is becoming harder to ignore, and I wanted to try a non-color treatment first).  Mud, all over my bathroom.  I think it would be doable if somebody did it for me, but I know now that I can't do it myself without making a horrible mess.  I can't use regular hair dyes (they give me a rash), and my salon has a new color wash treatment which doesn't have as many irritants, but it probably costs $100 or more and is semi-permanent.  I may have to just go gray gracefully...

*Made granola yesterday.  The first batch is pretty burned, and is edible to me but not to Mark, so I have it in a separate container.  Poor me, having to eat burned granola.  I'm sure this qualifies as a first-world problem.

*TV-related musings:
1. Though she is still annoying, I don't hate Edith as much as before, and I totally think she should marry that Sir Anthony guy.
2. Arrested Development!  We're only a few episodes into the new season.  Tobias, OK?!
3. Catching up on Hulu.  All my favorite shows are having some potentially shark-jumping moments.  Without giving anything away, on show C, X should totally accept the offer, whatever happens with Y.  I am growing tired of the villain on show B--and I think next season will probably be their last.  And show N had X and Y get together after only two seasons!  Eh, these days I'm watching that for S anyway...

*We are trying to get Rosina to say her name.  Yesterday when we asked her name, she said "Ernie".  Also, she got a water table from my parents for her birthday, and she managed to climb into it while I wasn't watching her like a hawk (I was right there next to her--she was pretty quick!).  We may need to get a kiddie pool.

*I am almost done with my gift project!  FINALLY.  I think I'm going to frog the orange sweater I knit last fall (it is HUGE) and knit a short-sleeved February Fitted.

In which much is accomplished

Sorry for the delay...the Blogger app is being a jerk again.

*We had a very productive weekend!  The weather was absolutely perfect, so we spent a lot of it outside.  I wish I didn't have the mosquito bites to show for it... I was mainly on toddler detail while Mark built our new vegetable garden!  It looks great, and we have lots of room to expand.  Eventually he wants to put in a raised bed, but the soil really sucks here (all clay) so it'll take a few years to get it to the right level.  This means I should start composting again! I just need to come up with a routine or something, so I don't end up with a smelly box in the kitchen.  Rosina can be trusted enough to stay on the covered porch while I tend to the big container outside.

*We went to Beasley's Chicken and Honey for lunch yesterday.  Fried chicken + waffle + honey... whoa.  Nobody could survive eating like that every day, but Oh My God.  Rosina was loving the waffles, and I didn't mind sharing because it was pretty filling stuff!

*In proud mommy news, look what Rosina did!

Couldn't even be bothered to draw a nose.  That is just lazy, kid...

*I have been dreaming about showing up to bellydance performances without knowing the choreo.  I guess this means I'm in it for good!

*Speaking of performance anxiety, the big news is that I've submitted materials for an audition next week!  This will be my first audition in THREE YEARS.  Whoa, I don't even know what to think about that.  It's just here in town, but they are apparently auditioning for "all roles" (i.e. not just chorus--we shall see).  So this is apparently the kick in the butt I need.  My voice feels good, though I need to brush up on some text (whoops, completely forgot that aria had a recitative) and spend some good time this week polishing things.  It has also compelled me to finally finish reading Content Strategy for the Web, which Mark insisted I read before I ask him to help me pick out a page template so I can get my effing website back up already!  Damn, seriously.

Quickly, before Rosina actually wakes up

*Been doing some baby-shower shopping, WAY ahead of time.  Rosina doesn't need any clothes, so I have to buy for someone... And why is it that almost everybody I know is having girls (so far)?  Definitely something in the water.

*The Count on Sesame Street is still entertaining.  Is it the laugh?  The obsession with numbers?  The organ skills?  The cape?  Beats me, but he is awesome.

*I felt gross yesterday morning (oh, and I think I'm having hot flashes again--that can't be good), so I ran errands last night while Mark was at his Eagle Scout review meeting.  Rosina was being super sweet to everybody, which was awesome because I had to make three stops (plus get gas).

*In other cute Rosina news, back in April my mother had been trying to teach Rosina to hold up two fingers when you asked how old she was.  She couldn't really do it, but just kind of crossed her fingers.  Yesterday while I was changing her, she started crossing her fingers and saying "Two!" in a very proud voice.  She's definitely showing an interest in numbers and letters now, which is great.  It would be nice if she would actually say her name...

*Getting some things done:  sent out a few cards, synced my phone (and finally created and uploaded a bellydance/Bollywood playlist, minus the one song I can't find at the moment), and am currently uploading photos to Rosina's site!  I'm sure Mark will have more to add, but it's almost June already and I'm tired of waiting for him to upload his April photos!

*Watched the final episodes of Miracle Day this morning--two of the better episodes.  I still don't like how all the exposition was squeezed into short bursts,  and there's kind of an annoying plot twist in the story's climax, but it was still entertaining.  (The weird animated story in the Special Features, on the other hand, was not, despite Eliza Dushku's voice work.  Speaking of actors I like, I didn't mention before that I was stoked to see Nana Visitor and John de Lancie in supporting parts--the latter was particularly great.)

*Trying to get back on the stick about eating better (good days alternate between pretty bad ones, it seems!), while at the same time trying to practice what I preach about body acceptance. Learning to love your body with all its idiosyncrasies and trying to eat/live healthier are not mutually exclusive!  And I suppose if I have issue with the fat acceptance movement, it's that for me personally, I know I would feel better physically if I were in better shape, so I don't accept it!  And then I'm too hard on myself when I Consume Mass Quantities.  But I guess the point is that it's nobody else's business, and that we shouldn't judge people about it (there are a whole lot more reasonable things to judge people about than what they put in their mouth!).  I keep trying to tell myself it's all about the journey, and that a day of healthy eating and movement is an accomplishment in itself.

The magical fruit

*Target:  exchanged some birthday gifts (duplicates and sizing), bought a bunch of cards (including a sympathy card for my great-aunt's wife--her mother passed away last week, after a stroke last year.  Ugh, why do sympathy cards suck so bad?! I need to pick up some nice blank floral stationery so I'll always have a decent sympathy card on hand) and some clothes for a baby gift (baby's not due for three months, but I felt like shopping--hope I won't regret that!).

*New canine has finally erupted!  Maybe Rosina will chill out now.  For three days she refused to drink any milk.  She relented yesterday when I caved and gave her some Carnation.  If we have to wean her off chocolate milk, with one cup in the morning that gradually gets less chocolatey, so be it.

*Currently in the crockpot: red beans!  I am making chili tonight and was out of beans.  What an exciting post this is!  Um, in other news, my skin has been bad again with the high humidity, so I'm trying the oil-cleansing method again to see if it will make a difference.  I did it for a while in the fall, and it did actually work for me, but I stopped because it takes a lot longer than just using face wash.  If it will help curb these breakouts, I'm willing to invest the time.

*I figured out how to do a cold wash!  I just need to fill up the washer on the rinse cycle, then switch it to a wash cycle (in this case, medium-soil gentle cycle).  Mark was planning to take another look at the machine tonight--he thinks it's just a clogged valve or something--but this should at least tide us over until it's fixed.  He has a hair appointment tonight and an Eagle Scout presentation to judge tomorrow, so it might not be addressed until the weekend.

*Our teacher was out last night at bellydance, and one of her advanced students was already coming to work with the beginners, so we were on our own to learn some of the choreography.  It's really not all that much, honestly, but a few things need clarification.  Unfortunately it'll be two weeks before our next class!  We have a video to work with, so I think I'll just do the best I can to learn from that, and be ready to correct/change things when we meet next.

I am officially out of Sweet n' Low

*Party went very well! The weather held up until just before 12:30--I'm really glad we went with an early time.  Rosina got all sorts of really great cute and educational presents.  I probably should've told people not to feel obligated to bring anything, but by the time I thought of that, it was too late.

*My parents' visit was brief but pleasant.  The idea of flying up to New York with Rosina for a week over the summer is growing on me (especially if my parents offer to help with the airfare!).  It will be a huge pain in the ass, particularly if I have to schlep an enormous car seat and my work laptop through the airport (with Rosina in a stroller!), but probably worth it in the long run.  It will need to wait until everyone is settled in the new (3500 square foot!) house, so I have time to work on the logistics.  It would be nice to have a respite from the heat for a week in July or August...

*Mark and I are both feeling pretty rundown.  I don't know if it's the ridiculous humidity and nonstop rain, but I am just wiped out!  Since I'm not going to get home until 10:30 tonight, I was planning to sleep in tomorrow...

*Had coffee with Sandra earlier--it had been months!  Hopefully we'll be able to get together more often this summer.  I think the girls would have fun playing together, despite the age difference (her daughter is six already!).

*More Downton Abbey.  With one episode left in Series 2, I still don't like Edith.  Poor Mr. Bates!  And seriously, midlife crisis, anyone?!

*Tonight:  bellydancing and Starbucks (twice in one day?!  I swear, this is not on purpose.  I don't even like their coffee...).  Tomorrow:  thank-you notes!

Put a fork in me.

*Ugh, grumpy kid is making me grumpy.  She's woken up very early two days in a row now, and it clearly does not work for her!  I don't know if it's the shot she had on Wednesday or what.  My mother's plane lands in about two hours, and with any luck she will be here by the time Rosina wakes up from her nap--that should be enough of a surprise to erase the grumpiness!

*It was a very slow week at work.  I am actually almost done with the task documentation for the new processing system--which I'd put off for months because it is still so damn non-intuitive and confusing.

*Rosina painted today!  As predicted, she was not happy about getting her hands dirty with paint (she was already grumpy!), and preferred to use the paintbrushes.  I think she really liked it, though.

*Actually got to Panera last night, and did some actual knitting for the first time in about a week...

*Just about done with the preparations for the party, and for my parents' visit.  I didn't get to vacuum (Mark's job anyway!), but I officially don't give a shit.  Dude, I am just really tired!  On that happy note, I think I'm going to take a nap.  Long weekend ahead!

Flurry of activity

*Rosina's checkup went great yesterday. She is 21 pounds, 5 ounces and 32.5 inches tall!  In another week she will be nine times her birth weight. Hell, I wasn't nine times my birth weight until I was eight or nine!  O_o She wasn't happy about the one required shot, but got over it quickly. We are planning to turn around her car seat over the weekend (at least in Mark's car--it may not work in mine, long story!), and the doctor said we can try her on plain whole milk (i.e. without Carnation) for three months and see if she keeps her weight up. It's the first time in nearly two years that I haven't had to use a Blender Bottle every day!  It's never even been put away, ever. 

*Swept and mopped in the kitchen and dining room, and even did some tile-scrubbing on my hands and knees. How long until I spill tomato sauce?  Placing bets now...

*Nutty morning today. My cousin was supposed to come watch Rosina while I went to the dentist and had a long-awaited massage, but her car is in the shop, so I had to pick her up. This would not have been a big deal if Rosina hadn't puked at some point (I was in the car for about 45 minutes, and I have no idea when it happened). So I had to clean her up, and gave the car seat a once-over (puky car seat on a 90-degree day, oh joy). It was time to do her laundry anyway, but the washing machine wouldn't start. For some reason the cold water isn't running!  Mark thinks it might just be a kinked hose, hopefully. I finally got to the dentist, and they actually had an opening, so I was able to do the impressions for my TMJ mouth guard right then. (We'd been debating it, since it's almost $400 and our insurance doesn't cover it, but in the end it should really help. I have a serious grinding habit.) This meant not having a leisurely lunch, but driving across town right then and grabbing a Wendy's chicken sandwich before my massage. I do feel a lot better, though. My cousin's boyfriend was able to pick her up here, which was great because Rosina was falling-down tired after getting up more than an hour early...

*Another crazy thing I did yesterday: deciding that eleven o'clock was a great time to sew a ruffle onto a too-short toddler dress, when neither of us were dressed and we had an appointment at 12:30. It got done, somehow, but I am an idiot. 

*Miracle Day update: starting to realize why people didn't like it. There was a whole episode of random backstory that should either have been shortened, or spread out into several episodes. I'm still interested in the story, but don't think the payoff will be worth the hype. I wonder if it started off being shorter, with fewer episodes, but they had to stretch it out to ten. The story arc doesn't seem all that arc-y, if you know what I mean. 

I could use a magic broom right now...

*I think I got everything accomplished yesterday, other than getting to storytime.  I was going to try to make it today, but Rosina has a doctor's appointment later and I need time to clean for this weekend.

*Started a conversation with a woman at the playground yesterday, and ended up pushing Rosina on a swing for like, half an hour.  She was not complaining about it!

*The rest of the week is a little nutty, with Rosina's appointment today (sorry kid, you need a few shots) and my dentist appointment and massage tomorrow (so I need to clean today, since my cousin's going to be watching Rosina), and the final preparations for the birthday party.

*My mother's going to be flying in on Friday afternoon, and Mark will pick her up, but she hasn't given us her flight information yet!  She has mentioned that caring for a toddler and infant full-time is harder than she remembers.  I need to call her again, I think...

*I am still sore from Monday night!  In a good way, I suppose.

My big girl!

*The birthday girl is stirring, so I'll make this quick:  Happy Birthday, Rosina!  You are an awesome kid.  We will try to make it to storytime at the library, but we'll at least get to a playground, and hopefully mini-donuts at Sola (maybe just a coffee for me!).  Tonight there will be Rosina brand meatballs, and froyo with a candle in it.

*Finished The Twelve.  It actually ends on a happy note, and manages to avoid any ridiculous cliffhangers while still moving the action forward--which is impressive for the second part of a trilogy.  Catching Fire or The Empire Strikes Back, anyone?  I think I'll read some more Precious Ramotswe next--it's nice to alternate something lighthearted with this dark, heavy stuff.  I've also been wanting to read Silas Marner...

*Speaking of literary classics, the gang behind The Lizzie Bennet Diaries has just started a new YouTube series based on Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon.  And Gigi will probably be a main character!  I don't think I've read any of the completions...maybe I should take a look soon.

*Bellydance last night:  whoo.  We're doing these twisting hip drops that are a real glute workout.  This should be a fun one!  Like last session, this choreography has a beginner group and a veteran group, with the veterans doing a more-advanced version of the dance after the beginners go.

*The knitting has really gone to the wayside over the past week or so, with my tearing through two long books and the sewing and painting.  I need to get back to my gift project!

Plant a tree...

*Mother's Day is not really a thing for me--I mean, I call my mother and grandmother, but it doesn't seem like it applies to me personally, with Rosina's birthday always the same week.  (And every five years or so her birthday will be ON Mother's Day.)  I'm even tempted to think of it as a Hallmark Holiday, but then Mark reminds me that his mother was a florist, and Mother's Day paid a lot of bills!  I guess I'm okay with it, then.  :)  It was just a typical Sunday for us, with the added bonus of a free meal at PDQ.

*Mark did a lot of work around the house this weekend, for which I am grateful.  He even unstuck the painted-over kitchen window, so now it opens!  We still want to build a raised bed for vegetables, but won't be able to do it until next Sunday--so the seedlings I bought are still in their tiny containers.  The yellow squash is getting grumpy about it!

*We went to the county library sale on Saturday.  I picked up a few records for myself and some ex-libris board books for Rosina, and Mark found some interesting things.  You'd think I'd know better by now than to bother with the crafts section--it's all interior decorating and gardening books, with the occasional hideous pattern leaflet.  There's usually fun to be had in the science fiction section, but I wasted all my time in the stupid crafts section...

*I spent a good amount of time yesterday with the new-to-me sewing machine:  a circa-1984 Singer 6212 that my mother's friend gave her years ago.  Everything works just fine, though threading the machine is kind of complicated, and threading the needle is a huge bitch because there's no way to get a threader in there.  I guess I was spoiled by my crappy plastic Brother from Walmart... Mark has three new pairs of pants that need to be hemmed (who makes 32" inseam pants with a 36" inseam?! Is the tag an estimate? Seriously, one pair was five inches too long), and because the sewing table is in our bedroom--not a very Rosina-friendly place--I spent last night doing all the prep work (measuring, pinning, measuring, ironing, cutting, re-pinning, ironing) so I can do the actual machine work this afternoon during Rosina's nap.

*Working my way through The Twelve, where some crazy stuff is going down.  It is hard to stop at the ends of chapters!

*We are mostly ready for Rosina's party now; we'll need to pick up the fresh food the night before, but otherwise I think we have everything.  My mother did find a flight in the end (she was contemplating driving down from New York for one day!), so Mark will pick her up at the airport Friday afternoon.  I should start cleaning now...

Artsy-fartsy

*Rosina started a toddler art class this morning--this session was more of a free-play, but next week will be messy, apparently!  She's not super-girly about it, but she doesn't love being sticky or anything (probably a lot like me, actually), so we'll see how it goes.

*After the class, there were errands to run--including the farmers' market, where I bought a whole flat of strawberries.  They taste like heaven.  Seriously.  I had a lot of fun carrying that flat while pushing a stroller, though, I'll tell you.  It didn't stop me from buying apples and a few little plants on the way back to the car!  Ugh, my wrists may not forgive me this time.  After that we went to Target, where Rosina talked to all sorts of people.  They have reusable sandwich bags in the dollar section right now--if the ones I bought work out, I may get more!

*Missed going to Panera last night--not only was my stomach still bothering me, but my neck also decided to be an asshole.  I'm mostly better today, on both counts, but I really could've used the evening out!  We ended up watching more Downton Abbey.  Edith, you almost had me convinced that you weren't a total bitch...

*Finished Night Circus yesterday.  The bad reviews were kind of asinine, honestly--complaining about lack of character development (while not realizing that the circus itself is the main character, really) and about the focus and time shifting (durrrr, there are dates at the top of every chapter!).  So yes, I liked it--very atmospheric.  On to The Twelve, which starts in a really cheesy way, but I totally like it.

*We were in the car quite a bit this morning, and I kept hearing Billy Joel.  At first I wondered if something had happened to him!  Then I remembered that it was his birthday this week--yesterday, to be exact.  My friend Christine and I went to see him fifteen years ago yesterday!  Because it was his birthday, he said he would only play his favorite songs, even pulling out "You're My Home".  I remember trying to pick out my least favorite song so I could use the bathroom--it was "I Go to Extremes".  It was a really great concert.

Le cirque des reves

*Considering that I last posted about 16 hours ago--and about 7 hours of that was sleeping--I don't have much to say.  Um, Rosina specifically asked for Goldfish instead of animal crackers--does that count?  It was pretty cute, actually (she can't really say "fish" yet, but she makes a long F sound and moves her hand like a fish).

*Watched the first episode of Series 2 of Downton Abbey.  More intrigue!  Is it wrong for me to hope Edith dies in a car accident?

*Mark made the reservations for the reunion weekend last night.  We are going to stay with one of his friends Friday night, then on-campus Saturday night.  I hate to have us spend each night of our trip in a different place, but Mark's friend lives about 45 minutes from campus, and getting in Rosina's nap would be really tricky if we had to go back and forth.  We still haven't heard from Mark's brother about seeing them, but hopefully that will be ironed out in the next few days.

*Spent a good part of the day yesterday reading Night Circus.  There are a few grumpy reviews on Goodreads, which I probably shouldn't have read--it is an engrossing book, and a surprisingly quick read.  Good thing, because The Twelve is finally waiting for me at the library!  Yucky vampire fun, huzzah.

*Now that they're public, I can finally say that The Nicest Baby Sweater in the World was for Cathy!  I could not be happier for them! Much more handknit goodness is on the way for that lucky child.  Currently taking bets on when he/she will be taller than Rosina.  I'm guessing by 18 months (so when Rosina is four!).

Post-diluvian adventures

*I had already decided to let myself sleep in on Tuesday morning, and then it took me forever to fall asleep anyway--and this morning I got caught up in this New York Times Magazine article Mark sent me in February, so I didn't post again this morning. At least it gives me a chance to use the newly-updated Blogger app. Ooh, I can even use italics?!  Nicely done.

*And here's the new photo function in action:

Those are actual vintage 1973 homemade overalls. Mark's mother made them for him. In this shot you can't see the awesome rainbow buttons or the little heart patch on the chest. The snaps on the legs all work great, and the cotton is even soft!  This was a pleasant surprise. 

*As you may have guessed from the long sleeves, we are still having March weather in May. Especially considering  the ridiculous downpour on Monday, it's been very nice the last two days. I played out on the porch with Rosina a bit ago, and we've had the French doors open. I suppose we should enjoy this while it lasts. 

*Speaking of the crazy rain on Monday, look who was waiting to greet me on the back door Monday night:

That is an actual frog, whose body is about the size of my thumb--and he was actually yellow!  I have never seen any amphibians here, and I wonder where the hell he came from. There is a creek nearby (the normally-dry storm drain in our yard feeds into it), but this little guy was pretty far from home. I hope an owl didn't get him!

*Watched the second Miracle Day DVD. I'm still into it, despite the decided non-Torchwoodiness, but the big mid-series reveal is honestly kind of anticlimactic--maybe I saw it coming, I dunno. And 60% through, they still haven't revealed the series Big Bad. I mean, they must be aliens, or something transdimensional--surely they're not Silurians, though that would be an interesting twist. Anyway, I'm hanging on, but wish RTD would give me more to work with!

*Crafty news:  Rosina got an animal-themed paint-you-own-Matryoshka for Christmas, so I figured I would paint it and wrap it for her birthday. I shouldn't have mixed the colors so dark, and the rabbit is nearly unrecognizable because its ears are too widely spaced, but I think she'll enjoy it. We'll just have to hide the smallest piece for a while--it is way too all not to be a choking hazard!

*Our choreography this session is to this song. It will be stuck in my head for the next six weeks. You're welcome!

Raleigh Hive Mind

*Rosina had another rough morning Friday, so my grand errand plans were reduced down to a trip to the library, two minutes away.  Luckily she's been doing better since, but I really wish this teething thing would be over already...

*Wishful Thinking Weekend:  we cleaned up the screened-in porch and the furniture (ugh, everything was covered in pollen), and bought new cushions and outdoor carpet. (This sounds like an expensive endeavor,  but we got bargains on everything, plus nothing had been changed in three years!  The old cushions were grody and hard to clean.) It is finally going to get out of the sixties, probably tomorrow, and I hope to even work out there once in a while!

*Worked on my gift project all weekend.  I love this colorway!

*On Saturday we went to the playground where we're having Rosina's party--she had a lot of fun, and can even use the stairs and get on the slide herself. :)  We checked out the picnic shelter for logistics.  We ordered the food from Costco and bought party supplies at the dollar store.  Ooh, this is exciting.

*DOWNTON ABBEY.  Why did we wait so long to watch this?!  After the first episode we were hooked. So yes, we both hate Thomas and Edith, and love Anna and Mr. Bates and poor Daisy!  Also, props on casting Penelope Wilton (aka Harriet Jones, MP!).  I mistakenly thought the second series was available on Watch Instantly, but it is not.  Now we have to wait and watch it on DVD.  First-world problems!

*I decided to sign up for bellydance again, since I like the dance--and the earlier class just works better for me.  The new session starts up tonight, and while I was enrolling I signed up Rosina for an art class!  She will  probably be the oldest kid in the class: it's for 18 months-2 years, and she will turn two four days after the first class. :)  It may be a struggle to get us out of the house for a 9:30 class--and it will make my work schedule a little weird--but it should be worth it!

For the moment...

*Gift project is going well.  I am glad I decided on making the size I did--the next one up would've been HYOOOGE.  The pattern is cute as well, though hopefully it's not eating up too much yarn...

*Wait Wait Don't Tell Me:  fun and enlightening.  Peter Sagal is quite short.  Steve Martin is quite old.  Mo Rocca really needs to lose the Brooklyn juicebox haircut!  (He did land the silliest joke of the night, though--it may get cut from the broadcast due to copyright stuff, we'll see.)  Rosina apparently had fun with my cousin, but did have trouble getting to sleep, as expected.  She fell asleep right away for Mark once we got home.

*Now that the house is (relatively) clean in the public areas, I really need to hit the master bath.  Maybe during Rosina's nap today?

*Yesterday's fingerpainting project came out pretty cute.  Rosina wasn't too thrilled when I put the paint on her hands, but I think she got used to it and had some fun.  I should tell my parents to get her fingerpaints for her birthday, instead of whatever ridiculous and needlessly expensive item they had in mind.

*Yuppie trek of the day:  buy replacement cushions for the patio furniture--something with a removable, washable cover this time!--and hopefully new kitchen rugs, since ours are gross.  This involves going to Cary.  Wish me luck.

Mess

*Rosina's shrug is washed, blocked and finished...now she just needs to stand still long enough for me to get a picture!  There's a bit of trial-and-error involved on my newest project, since size will be an issue.  With that and the six skeins of Cascade 220 wound on Monday, I actually wound about a mile's worth of yarn in one day.

*Felt kind of gross last night, so I put off much of the cleaning until today; thankfully Mark was able to get the vacuuming done, at least.  We seriously need to mop the kitchen and dining room, and I'm not sure I'll get to it.  (Did I mention?  We have tickets to the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me simulcast tonight, and my cousin is watching Rosina.  We haven't had a "date" since January, so it'll be nice to get out!)

*Just bought a new wet bag for Rosina's diapers.  I hate to buy something new when I'm really hoping she'll be potty-trained by the end of the year (and certainly by this time next year!), but one of her hanging diaper pails looks very suspicious to me--I'll probably toss both of them just in case, since the second one is brown and I can't tell if the laminate is giving out.  I just bought a large wet bag with a handle, so we can use it after she's done with diapers, and we can use one of her small travel wet bags while the new one is in the wash.

*Mommy and Me today!  There's supposed to be a "very messy" project, so I will bring Rosina's sleeved bib and hope for the best.

*We haven't seen the sun in several days here, and it's bumming me out!  How did I handle living in New York?

Enter at your own risk...

*Our internet was down for most of the day Monday and Tuesday, and because I couldn't work Tuesday I was pretty busy today--so here I am kind of late...

*Bellydance performance went fine.  We did end up with just one group after all.  Now I have to decide what to take next session--both dances should be super cute!

*This is incredibly addictive, and out of all the random people and characters I could think of, it's only had to make a few second guesses--and two of those were (admittedly quite famous) opera characters, so there you go.

*I thought of this for some reason. Don't say I didn't warn you.

*Forgot to mention the yard sale!  We didn't have that much to sell, and it went fine.  Mark got rid of his stupid &&^*&%$*%$# toaster and an old travel bar set, and we sold all the baby stuff out there (mostly bottles and some toys) to one couple.  Thirty bucks we didn't have before, so that's nice.

*Tuesday Mark took a sick day.  He's been feeling kind of gross and totally run-down for several weeks.  He slept for a good part of the day, and is now feeling much better.

*Tonight for dinner we're going to make some pasta with the goat cheese we bought Sunday.  Om nom nom...