6 hours! In a row!

That's how much Zach slept last night. Well, he slept a little (but not much) more during Kit's shift, but 6 HOURS IN A ROW!!! A little more than that, even. I don't think Becky slept that many hours altogether until she was at least four or five months old. I hope it wasn't just a fluke, since I reached a new level of tired last week when I accused my husband of putting the tortillas away before I was done fixing my dinner as I held them in my hands in the act of closing the bag.

In other news:

Knitting and stuff
- I have finished socks for my dad and stepmom. These are their 2006 Christmas presents. I tried to convince my dad that it was one sock for 2006 and one for 2007, but I don't think he bought it.

- The socks for my stepmom are also an original sock pattern called Inflorescence. I originally intended to publish it here for free, but instead submitted it to Sock Madness when they were unsure if they would have enough patterns. If it's not accepted, you'll see it here soon. If it is accepted, you'll see it here later. It will be free either way. Here's what it looks like.




- I have sewn together three of the 32 squares for Zack's blanket. I decided to eschew my normal crochet seaming method (yeah, I know, I'm still going to do the tutorial, I swear) and try out mattress stitch for the first time. Dude, I kind of love it. I learned it from this video on YouTube. I love the YouTube for knitting techniques. Just search for it and chances are someone has videotaped it. Anyhow, the squares go together pretty fast, so my goal is to get at least one done every day. That means it will take just about a month to get it all together. I hope to be able to give it to him on my birthday, which will be his 3 month birthday, so it works out nicely.

- I have not gotten to the weaving or the quilt yet. I still have time.

- I just got the yarn to replace the yarn I had previously purchased to make my Pottery Barn blanket, which now clashes with my new couch. Unfortunately, the new yarn is stunningly gorgeous. Not that I don't want a stunningly gorgeous throw for my home, but this color would look SO GOOD on me. Sweater or blanket? Sweater or blanket? Finally, I consulted Becky. She went with sweater. I love her. Speaking of:


Child #1
Becky continues to be just about the cutest thing ever. The other day I was putting her down for her nap and she started counting loudly. Being loud at naptime is something her teacher has asked us to talk to her about, so I told her that her friends (in this case, Blue Bear, Brown Bear, and Bert the Dragon, and also Mommy) were sleepy and needed her to be quiet so we could sleep. I suggested that perhaps she could try counting in her head. She thought about it for a minute and then started counting loudly again, tapping her head for each number. Counting in her head.

Here she is holding her brother and showing him some animals. I believe she introduced him to about 20 different animals before she lost interest.







With daddy:



And eating a bagel the size of her head. Her hair does not stick up that much, it's just static-ed to the couch.




The Mall
I've been going to the local mall (okay, it's Jersey, one of thelocal malls) pretty much every day to do some walking. This particular mall has a lot of inclines and declines and some nice shops (there's a J. Jill -- talk about incentive). But I have a few issues with merchants and other shoppers (I know, you're all shocked). To wit:

- If the parking lot is not full, don't be a parking lot vulture. I'm not talking about when you see someone in the act of pulling out and wait for them to vacate the spot. That's just courteous. But don't sit there and wait while I put the car seat and any bags I might have in the car, make sure Zack is settled in, fold the stroller and load it in the trunk, resettle Zack because he's fussing, etc. rather than parking 5 spaces further away. In other words, if I'm not even in the car yet, don't bother. I will sit and wait for you to get impatient and leave. I've already done what I had to do at the mall...I've got all the time in the world.

- Merchants, please don't pipe perfume into the mall. I can smell Abercrombie and Fitch from downstairs, ferchrissakes. It's ridiculous. Also, please don't play the music so loudly that I have to shout to make myself heard when I want something.

Wow. I really thought I had more issues than that. Huh.

ETA: I thought of something else

- Merchants with the carts: No, you may not ask me a question. You definitely may not ask me a question after I've already told you "no" twice. The headphones are usually a good indication that I don't want to be bothered. Get a clue.

- Again with the merchants, don't be snarky with me when I'm trying to buy something from you. I had this conversation yesterday:
Me (picking up sweater): Excuse me, do you still have this in black?
Clerk: We never had it in black.
Me: Oh, I must be remembering it wrong. I thought the one I saw in the window a couple of weeks ago was black.
Clerk: It was dark grey.
Me: Oh, okay. Do you still have it in dark grey?
Clerk: No.

Seriously? Just say "no" when I ask if you still have it in black. Obviously, you don't have what I'm asking for so why waste my time and yours?

Okay, now I'm really done. Except I would like it very much if the mall would fix the damn automatic door and/or people would have the common courtesy to hold the non-automatic door for the LADY WITH THE STROLLER!!! Done now. Really.

posted by Laura Y. @ 11:53 AM