5 And A Beagle

In the midst of helping #3 get his first car, finish up the last of the major yard work while the weather cooperates and start the prep on the kitchen and bathroom before next week's start to the renos....I knit a pair of socks for sock wars. It's amazing how much of a sock you can complete when you start at 6:30 am on a Saturday morning while the rest of the house sleeps. Of course the down side is that you crash before 10:00 pm Saturday night.

Still no darn camera, so unfortunately no pictures.

Yesterday, while driving home with #5, I experienced a moment that dragged me back to the 1970's.

I was telling #5 how Gramma wanted to take all us 'girls' away for a weekend. That would be me, my mom, #4 and #5.

#5 stopped me before I could even complete filling her in on the details. "I'll go, but only if #4 doesn't go! I don't want #4 to come along because everytime Gramma sees her, she always goes on and on about her. " "Didn't you hear her yesterday? As soon as #4 came in the room, Gramma said 'Oh Grampa, look at #4, isn't she pretty?' Blah, blah, blah!"

What #5 fails to remember is that Gramma also praises her. But jealousy has a way of skewing things, doesn't it.

The funniest part was when #5 finished off by saying in true
Jan Brady form
Marsha, Marsha, Marsha
except of course she used her own sisters's name. Out came a plaintive cry of "Kristen, Kristen, Kristen. That's all I ever hear!"

I couldn't help but laugh while trying to reassure #5 that she's loved every bit as much as her sister and brother and that she is a unique individual and shouldn't put herself up for comparison to others.

I'm sure she already knows these things, but that doesn't stop the old green monster from rising to the surface once in awhile. So long as she doesn't go out and pick up a black, curly wig ;)

Icarus is now a mere 15 rows from completion. Sigh.
A new baby sweater has been started for a second cousin in Italy that just had a little boy. Ian Slaifer-Ziller - isn't that a good old italian sounding name? Haven't seen pictures yet, but I'm sure he's a cutie.

Speaking of pictures, I can't post any until I find the camera. I wish all gadgets and gizmos came with paging beepers, then I'd stand a chance of finding mine.

I have three in-boxes on my desk at work.

One - if I get to it before I die, that would be good, but if I don't - well, so what.

Another - I need to go through at least once a month. More frequently if possible, but it never seems possible.

The Third - Urgent matters. Really must deal with them before I die! Ironically, I feel that this third and most important in-box is becoming unmanageable and it may just be the death of me.

And this is just at work - - - then there's 'home'!

I received a lovely parcel from Ruth for the Favourite Colour Swap. I foolishly didn't remember Ruth's web address, so I can't link. I have pictures I must post of the goodies that arrived all the way from South Africa and I'll link when I post them. Hopefully tomorrow - I'll put it in my in-box.

Knitting content - Icarus is 19 rows away from completion. Will I ever get there?

For you ladies that knit/sew/craft/etc and produce enormous amounts of beautiful finished objects - a question - How do you do it? How do you split the time between doing the things you love/spending time with loved ones/doing the necessary. There has been too much going on (at home and at work) and I'm finding it difficult to balance life. I keep hoping the light I'm looking for at the end of the tunnel isn't really a freight train barreling down on me.

PS - Ivana - I'm so sorry for not getting the bag to you!! I can bore you with the details when we get together.