I finished Kitty Love! I guess I did just need a switch. Ive been toying with the idea of rotating again. My plan at the moment is to pick a project at the beginning of the month. If I finish it before the end of the month, I'll work on something else. If not, I'll switch to a different project at the beginning of the next month. So that may last a week. Since I just finished Kitty Love, I think I'll pull out Dragonfly Quick Stitch. It's calling pretty loudly, and I've got another day to stitch this month. I can stitch for a little while tonight, and a little bit tomorrow, between the YMCA and the party.
I don't remember my 2007 goals. I think they were to finish everything I already had started. So, not even close! It's all good, though. I think I only had about ten finishes, almost all of them small. I've also lost count on how many projects I started.
My 2008 goals are simple. I want to finish five projects that I already have started. Which five doesn't matter. No, that's wrong. I will finish Tobi's stocking this year! That's about it for goals.
I also would like to lose at least twenty pounds. I have lost ten since the end of September. It's been hard, but I would love to lose a total of about sixty pounds. The actual weight is not as important as being healthier.
That's all for me! Happy New Year!

Labels: Dragonfly QS, Finishes, Goals, Kitty Love

I think I might be in a stitching slump. I'm not sure though. I've been so busy lately, I don't know if it's really a slump, or I'm just too tired when I do have a few minutes to stitch.
I did stitch two ornaments for Tobi's teachers. I did Apples 25 Cents by Hob Nobb Designs on Crystal Carnival Cashel linen from Picture This Plus. I finished them as mat board ornaments. Of course I didn't start them until the Sunday night before school got out for the holidays. The last day was a Wednesday, so I was up until two that morning to make sure I got them done in time. So that's why no pictures. By the time I got them done, all I wanted to do was sleep. They loved them though.
I did pick up two frames. First I got Happy Hoppers by Lizzie Kate back. It's stitched on 28 ct. Spring Cashel linen from Picture This Plus, which came with the kit. I stitched it up over a year ago for my niece. Her birthday was last week, so I'll give it to her next time I see her. I'll probably never know if she likes it. She's such a little snot at the moment. I'm sure part of it is her age (eleven now), but she gets away with way to much. She calls her mom fat, and she is always rude. Last time I saw her, we were all at my mom's. They were getting ready to leave, and she said to here mom, who didn't hear her, "Come on! Just stop talking already!" I got so mad, that I pulled her aside and told her she needed to be nicer to her mother; she was being just plain mean, for no reason at all. It wasn't like she had anything planned to do. She was gonna go home and watch cartoons. She was better for the rest of the time they were there, but I doubt it lasted until they get home. I could understand if she was just mean and pissy one week a month, but it is every freaking day! After they left, I apologized to my mom, for anytime I was ever that bad.
Back to framing stuff though. I also got back The Time I Spend Stitching by Dragon Dreams. I think this one is on Mulberry Cashel linen by Zweigart. I brought it to show my mom, and she loved it. I also showed it to my grandma. I brought In Every Nest at the same time. Her response was, "Wow! Those are bright colors!"
I'm thinking next I'm gonna finish Kitty Love. Maybe a quick finish is what I need. I was going to work on Pirate for the Mermaid SAL on the HAED board, but then the weekend kinda exploded on me.
Last Friday, I took Darin to the doctor, because he had had a cold, and the cough just wouldn't go away. The doctor said it was asthma. The doctor had to give him a nebulizer treatment before we left though, because Darin couldn't take a deep enough breath for him to be sure. They make dinosaur masks for kids to wear. They let Darin keep his, since they can't reuse them.
So this Friday, we had to go back, to make sure the medicine was working. Meanwhile, Jymi tells me he also has a family history with asthma. I didn't know this, because neither he nor his sister have it. So when we went back to the doctor, I told him this. He said he was going to put Darin on a inhaled steroid, since he had so many risk factors. He also needed the inhaler more often than he should.
We go back in another two weeks to make sure he's doing better. Then, they're also going to do a blood test to see if the animals are triggers. The doctor doesn't think so, though, or we would've found out about the asthma sooner, since we've always had cats. Which is good, since the cats, especially Hannah, are kinda his. The upside to this, is now Jymi will finally quit smoking and not start again. He has been trying to quit for about a month now, and this has given him extra incentive. It also gives him a very good reason not to start again. For some reason, "It's bad for your health," and, "I don't want to lose you," have not been good enough reasons. Now, "It could cause Darin to have an asthma attack," is working. That may be an exaggeration; I'm still learning details, but Jymi's as ignorant on the subject as I am, and if it keeps him quitting, I'll keep exaggerating. The ends justify the means kinda thing.
So we spent the second Friday in a row at the doctor's in the morning and at the pharmacist in the afternoon. While doing the basics, the doctor said Darin had fluid in his ears. If they weren't infected yet, they would be the next day. So we also had to get him an antibiotic. It was fun trying to get him to take it, too. The doctor had given him an oral medicine for his asthma the visit before, which evidently tasted very bad. He screamed when he saw the new red bottle, after I promised him no more of the nasty one. Once I held him down and got him to take it, it wasn't a problem anymore. This one, I guess tastes much better. The pharmacy was out of the inhaler the doctor prescribed though. So we had to go back today to get it. Did I mention we use the pharmacy at Target? That was fun. NOT! We've got it now, though.
Saturday, we were supposed to go to Jymi's dad's family's Christmas party. I woke up at three in the morning, sick though. So when they showed up, I let them take the boys, and I stayed home. After a couple hours, I called my mom, and asked her to bring me some popsicles. She did, along with lots of other easy to make foods, in case I wasn't feeling up to cooking when the boys got home. I was feeling better by the time the boys got home though. It was short lived.
Around eight, Tobi came out of my room, screaming his head off, saying his ear hurt. So I got dressed, and we went to the urgent care center. After two and a half hours, we were finally seen. The first hour, Tobi screamed nonstop, because he was in so much pain. When we did see the doctor, he was very nice. He talked to Tobi, and asked him about his Wolfie he'd brought. He also listened while Darin told him how his ears were sick, too, and he had to take orange medicine. The doctor said both Tobi's ears were infected, and gave us a prescription. By then, it was eleven, four hours past Darin's bedtime, and three hours past Tobi's. So we went home, and Saturday morning it was back to the pharmacy. Tobi got a different medicine though.
I've got all the presents wrapped now. I've also got to open the present Jymi ordered me. He wasn't sure he'd get Christmas off, and he wanted to see me open it. So we put on the webcams, and he watched me open my pink sapphire and diamond heart necklace. It's gorgeous!
I feel kinda bad, since Jymi doesn't have any presents to open. I already sent him his, and he's already opened them. He says he's okay, but I'm getting the impression he's a little down. It is late, too though. It's already Christmas there. We'll make it up to him when he gets home though. Only a few more months. It's more than halfway through.
Anyway. That's plenty for today. Maybe I'll get a few stitches in Kitty Love after dinner. Happy holidays! Peace on Earth, and goodwill to all!

Labels: Framing, HAED, Holidays, Jymi, Kids, Kitty Love, Real Life

This Jymi's reaction when I explained to him why Darin spent Friday night at Grandma's. After all the errands I had to do (see my last post), I went to pick up the boys from my mom's. When I got there, my sister and her kids were visiting, too. Darin had been crabby for about a week, and threw himself on the floor, screaming, because we made him share the toys. I tried to calm him down, but I couldn't. My sister picked him up and rocked him for a few minutes, and of course he fell right to sleep.
I felt like such a bad mother, that I started crying, too. They told me I was a good mother, just over stressed. They also said part of it was his age. They reminded me that Tobi had been just as obnoxious about everything a couple years ago. My mom told me about calling Grandma when I was Darin's age, and threw a tantrum that lasted two days over a video tape. Grandma had told her, "When you were that age, I also had your brother, and another one on the way!" At that, my sister and I both said, "Poor Grandma!"
Darin fell asleep around six. We all had dinner, and at eight, my mom suggested I just let Darin spend the night, since he hadn't moved since Kathy put him down. So Tobi and I went home. We both slept twelve hours that night, and the three of us were happy to see each other the next day. My mom said the first thing Darin said when he woke up was, "Where's Tobi?"
I've been working on Kitty Love. I've gone as far as I can until I get the color I'm missing. There's not much left to it.
I've got The Castle on my Q-Snaps now. I'll work on it next for a couple days.
Tobi has a pre-screening test for kindergarten at school. They're testing to see what each specific child needs to focus on during the next year. I had to reschedule Tobi's though, since they scheduled his test for Jymi's last day home. I explained the situation, and they said it was no problem. I know I shouldn't worry, because Tobi's very smart, and it's just to see what he needs to work on, but I'm still a little nervous about it. Wish us luck!

Labels: Jymi, Kids, Kitty Love, Real Life Sucks, The Castle

I've started Oriental Courage, but with just black thread, I got bored kinda fast. So I also started Kitty Love by Dinky Dyes Designs. I'm really enjoying this one, but I need one more color. I need another skein of another color for a different project, so I'll order those soon. I hate to just order two skeins of thread, and there aren't any shops nearby that carry Dinky Dyes.
Speaking of Dinky Dyes, look what I got as part of my model payment! All the new Dinky Dyes silks! I especially love Black Opal and Parrot Fish! Bright colors! I also got all the new Cross Eyed Kat designs, and a quarter yard of Picture This Plus Legacy linen. I'm think With Cat For Comforter would look great on the Legacy, and my grandmother would love it. Not to mention the fact that I can't wait to start it!
Of course, I would've been much happier about this package if it weren't for what happened just before the mail came. A debt collection agency called asking for James, saying he owed $1800 on an insurance policy he canceled! After freaking out and crying on the phone, the person I talked to said she'd email the records. I had no idea about any of this! When I looked at the email, the "James" on the paperwork had a different last name. I called the person I had talked to, and told her this. She asked if we lived at the address she had listed, and it wasn't us. So that was a small heart attack over a wrong number.
I get a day off from the boys today. I'm getting new shoes, which I've needed since April. Jymi wants me to send him a PSP, and getting that, packing it, and going to the post office will be so much easier without the boys! Afterwards, my mom is making homemade chicken noodle soup! I mean homemade, too. She makes the noodles herself! I know how, but Jymi and Tobi won't eat it. It's too much work for just me and Darin. The last time I made them, Darin was only two months old, and Tobi was two years old. When I turned away, Tobi tried to feed his noodles to Darin! Which would've been fine, if Darin had been ready to eat solid foods! So when my mom makes it for us, it is really special!
I have also paid all the bills, on time, for the first time on over a year! I'm alot more excited about that than is probably normal, but it is a big deal to me. Not to mention the power company found the $200 payment they lost.
I also bought more HAEDs. They're discontinuing some of their artists, and they were on sale. So I bought Life Force and Love And Magic. I couldn't just buy two charts, though. I'm a little embarrassed to admit how many I bought, but please keep in mind, I was VERY happy about paying off all the bills. Plus new stash and new starts are helping to keep me off antidepressants for a while. That being said, I also bought Matrix, River Genesis, Riddle Fisher, Hansel And Gretel, Wizard Of Oz, Earth Song, Magic Place, and Warmth Of Home. I think I have a problem.

Labels: Courage, Family, HAED, Kids, Kitty Love, New Starts, Real Life Sucks, Stash