a doogie howser kind of post

Recently, my son turned 12. I've told you before about that day 12 years ago. The day that changed my life, only for the better. How interesting life has become. While looking back, and still yet pondering what is to come, I always think of Bjork's lyrics:

I can decide
What I give
But it's not up to me
What I get given
Unthinkable surprises
About to happen
But what they are
It's not up to you

(Look at this pre-teen. Seriously!!)
Parenting is perplexing. When my son was younger, I couldn't wait for him to get older. So I'd see who he'd become. Now, I want it all to slow down so I can enjoy who he is BECOMING. I live for him. I live for my daughter, too, but he was the first pushing force in my life that kept me going, going, going. Never stopping to feel sorry for myself, always wanting to be good to him. That only made me so much the better by the time my daughter came around. Now, I KNOW to stop and enjoy the moments. Now I know a bit about parenting. How you have to be protective, but not stifling. Encouraging, but not fake. Careful, but brave. Fun, but not reckless. Firm, but not abusive. How each thing you say and do affects their future; how it affects your future relationship. He might grow up saying things like, "why did you have to be so strict about my grades?" Or he might say, "thanks for being so strict about my grades." I don't know, it's not up to me, it never really was.

If you ever get close to a human, be ready to get confused

Anyway, Gilda DOES knit, I swear. I dropped my pop blanket. My blocks are all done, but I hate the weaving in the ends and sewing together. I'll come back to it. I've become such a finicky knitter. Everything has to be perfect. Like, for example, this other blanket I started knitting. It was off by a couple of stitches. So, I had to frog the whole thing and figure out where in the pattern did those stitches come from. I found the place and now I have it on the sticks again. But here's what it looked like before I unraveled it all: (it's going to be very pretty)

The pleasure is all mine to finally let go and evenly be flown

As you can see, I'm a little obsessed with Bjork. Recently, I got back from Chicago where I saw her play at the Pitchfork festival. It was an amazing, romantic weekend with my husband. We got in on Friday, the day of her show. It was a beautiful, scorching day. We started walking the distance to the festival, but caught a cab for the last 3 blocks, because it was torturous in the heat. (we also didn't know it was only 3 blocks to go - ha!) When I go to Bjork shows, I feel amongst my peeps. A little quirky, a lot cool. But they can also be a bit shy. Finally - FINALLY - it was toward the end of the show...it was past dusk....it had been lightening....and my fellow show-goers started to get the groove. When all of a sudden, Bjork, in her Icelandic accent says she has to get off stage, because there is a storm coming. The people flooded into the streets toward inner city Chicago. The wind started to pick up. The lightening was fierce. And then the rain - POURED!!! It was quite the storm and I had a case of the giggles. Because I was just so dang happy that I got to see Bjork live. And running in the rain is exciting.


The next day, we took in a few touristy sights.

Then, we saw Phish. Phish is my husband's favorite band. The vibe was cool and calm. Definitely not as stylish, but made up for it with the aura of peacefulness. Once it started to get past dusk, it started to rain again. It was light, dance-in-me kind of rain. Phish played 3 sets and for four hours! It was a really great time. We walked miles back to our hotel. Peed like a bum in Milennium park. Watched a girl get reprimanded by one of the lions outside of the Art Institute of Chicago (mind you, it's about midnight). And even stopped to dance with some random people on the street singing to car blaring Talking Heads.

Dudes, it was a fabulous weekend. The kind that keeps you smiling for weeks.

Now, it's back to the daily grind and I am cool with it, because my life aint too shabby. I've got two radical kids that keep me on my toes, a kick ass husband who will go see Bjork (I mean, really. The guy's favorite band is Phish and yet he went to Bjork with me. swoon.), a pretty great job, and school coming up in a month. I am so thankful for what I have, because I know it could be taken away any time. I do realize that. That's why I try to pack in as much as I can. There is so much to see and learn and do and I'll never, ever be able to do it all.

WHHHAAAAAt!

I can't believe I haven't posted in here since March. The days just go by so fast. I feel a little like this guy:



and this girly girl who got a new bed set:



oh goody goodness, look at these two, too:



Spotted swinging TOGETHER (can I get a WHAAAAt!)



I've been sewing!:



Someone's been sitting:



Speaking of sitting:



And last but not least, YES!!! I am STILL WORKING ON THE POP blanket. Oy. I've fit in a few baby hats and the like, but today I am back at sewing a summer dress for the girly girl. I'll post pics if it is successful. It will be my FIRST time using a pattern. (Can I get another WHHHAAt.)

peace,
G

playing and baking

Mama was on cooking/baking kick:

Made carrot/zucchini muffins





Watched yeast ferment



And kneaded dough



For the homemade pita pockets



We watched the oven



As tomatoes, onions, and garlic roasted (for our stew!)



Then, we bathed the dog



And played dolls



:)
Hope you are having as much fun as me....mwwwahh xxoo - G

a little of this n' that

Remember the days where you got your kicks from blowing milk into bubbles?



and raspberries could fit on your fingertips?



Yes, I live vicariously through my kids.

So, teach them ASL I must...





...while making & eating sushi.



But alas, I must knit, too.

Here are my knit blocks from the POP blanket being blocked. This is my first time blocking. I think. I don't remember blocking. It is mighty tedious. I don't like it.



And I wasn't going to start another project while being in the midst of the POP blanket, but my groupon to the local knit store was about to expire, so I went YARN SHOPPING!! wooohooo. I've been wanting to knit a runner for my dining table, so I sought out some luxury cotton. Oh yes.



Take care, you know whos!

xxoo,
Gilda

Goodbye Jake

Today, we said goodbye to our brother, our friend, our confidant, our baby, our protector, our dog. Goodbye, Jake, may you be a free spirit there in doggie heaven, running wild with your dog brothers, always having the sun shine down on you while you chomp on large sticks and howl your happy heart out! We love you, we love you, we love you forever.

catch up on my sappiness about living life...

When I signed on for a full time job, part time school, full time mama & wife, I thought I was crazy. Other people thought I was crazy, too. But you know what? It's not uncommon. In fact, I felt kinda bad I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. Do you know there are single mothers out there that work full time, go to school full time, and never have full time for their kids? True story. And there are dads, too, that have 3 jobs and still make time for school? Wow. But me? I'm finding some balance now. I finished my first semester - two classes. And I can officially apply for the degree program that I want to. That being Sign Language Interpreter. Y'all - I'm doing it!!! It's a crazy good feeling. Okay, yes, it's true that I'm a bit older than the rest of the kids in class and they say, "I bet you're a cool mom," but it's nice to have a dream. I mean, I'm hardly 40. What if I live until past 80? That means I have over half my life left. Crazy to think about, right? I mean, our society makes you think your life is over after 30. Oh hellz no; perhaps it's just beginning?

Anyway, let me give you a low down of the last 3 months:

My honey and I went to the North Shore for a mini vacation. Can you believe I live in Minnesota and never have been to the North Shore? That's crazy talk!

We went to Gooseberry Falls:


And Rock cliff Lighthouse:


My brother and dad did a little work on the house.

They put up crown molding:


And built a wall upstairs. Now, we have a bedroom and an office:

(dang, that boy's room is MESSY!!!)

Someone got their hair done:


No, really it was me:

We made Turkey Day treats:


Hung out with cousins:


and other family:




We found out our dog has cancer. Oh Lordy, this is a really, really sad one. He's been our baby for ten years. He's a pain in the ass, howling machine, but we love him. A lot. And it's been hard. And we don't know what we will do when the time comes, but we're letting nature take its course and trying to make him comfortable in the meantime. Some days, he seems really fine. Sometimes, it feels like he isn't sick at all. But we know the day will be coming. But there are people, humans, too, that we know that are sick with cancer. This is what happens when you get older. You are not invincible anymore. For me, I wish I could stay 17 forever. It's weird getting older. Really weird. And so when you get older, your thoughts are filled with prayers for all the people you know. Especially those that are sick. And you realize that life can be fleeting and so you remind yourself day after day - live in the moment, girl, live like there is no tomorrow, do what makes you happy, and be happy for the awesome moments you get with the people who make you happy, the people you love.

Especially be happy for moments like this:

He's waving. He's not yet too embarrassed of me. This makes me happy.

I wish I had more time for times like this:

Handmade mama time!

I even knit a bit these last few months, making my mama friends jar cozies:


Then, it was Christmas at my house. I bought a karaoke machine. Let me just tell you - forget knitting and signing, I'm gonna be a singer.
HA!

This is my niece:


My mom:


My daughter:


And now. It's almost the end of 2012. What will I be doing the night before? The same thing I did before the night of the end of the world, which never happened, and that is karaoking - helllloooo, did I not make it clear that that's what I do now?

I'll also be knitting up this blanket:

And, um, let's see...resolutions? Oh yah - make time to get skinny again.

That's all. Lovies.
Happy New Year,
xxoo,
Gilda

Livin' mi Vida Loca

Hey homies.

Here's a picture of my baby hats I knit for charity. They will go to babies of teens at a crisis center. It was all my friend Kristy's idea. She likes to knit for good. And I like the idea of that.



On the sticks now? Christmas presents! This year, I am doing it! Why wouldn't I, right?

But I also canned (or jarred. har har) 23 jars of salsa. Some mild, some spicy. I wish I could say the tomatoes came from my garden, but this year, despite having 6 tomato plants, I hardly yielded any. Just some to munch on. (I also didn't get raspberries. I think my plants were sad I was not giving them the attention I have been for the last few years.) So, I bought 25 pounds of tomatoes at the farmers market. I had enough jalapenos, but ended up buying a couple of habaneros for the spicy batch.



I think I will expand my horizons next year and can beans, too. But this year, salsa is mighty fine. :)

Remember I told you about my daughter being lactose intolerant? Well, things are fine in that area now. We give her lactaid. Lots of it. And it works!!!!

But my son - he's got the big allergy to cats. Woe is me, I've always been a cat person. Until he was 3, when we went to the allergist (2nd time, but this time they actually checked for animals! I mean, 3 years of ecsema? yeah, that was cat allergies.). We had 2 cats at the time. The doctor said, "he is DEATHLY allergic to cats. Get those cats out before he even comes home." It was a very sad time. But also good, because we finally had explanations!


Some people do not understand the cat allergy. They think it's a little skin irritation and that's it. But I know better. So I have always been cautious. Lately, he's wanted to go to his friends' houses. And some of them have cats. What is a mother to do but load the kid up with antihistamines and wish for the best? Sometimes, all is fine. Sometimes not. This is what happens when it's the later:



This picture hardly does justice. His face was ballooned. Under his eyes were black and blue. His skin was red. His eyes blood shot. I thought he just got his butt kicked. How horrible.

I wish I could just give him some lactaid.

Anyway,

I did the THRILLER flash mob at work. It was so AWESOME! How brave we all were.



And next week is my last class of this session. The next week after that, I start the next session. I hope I get an A. I am going to be a sad girl if I don't get an A.

Speaking of A's - we went to the Fall Conferences at the Junior High. Now wonder my mother never went to conferences. What a joke! All of the teachers were set up in the gym. Each had their own table and their own line. You got 5 minutes each. The lines alone were 30 minutes. We were there for 2 hours and spoke with 4 teachers. It was nice to get first hand information, but now that you can get grades and attendance online, I think I'll bow out of the Spring conferences. Maybe.

Okay, off to go get ready to go out to dinner with my handsome husband and then watch a comedy show in ASL. My husband must really love me!!!!! (I love him!)

Here is the man we're seeing:


TTFN.
xxoo,
G