Life's been busy. When is it not? I'm gonna try to do better. I've been stitching a little more lately. I've mostly been working on Dragonfly. I've done more since this scan, but I haven't had time to get a new scan yet. It's about 20% done though. I got discouraged for awhile with all the confetti, but I finally sucked it up and got going. I'm working on the skin, now. I've also got a few stitches in on the dragon, but no more than five.
Most days, I only get about 45 minutes to stitch, now, while I wait for Tobi to get out of school. That's the downside to my new, healthier lifestyle. I've gone from five hours of sleep a night to eight. That's great, but guess what I used to do with those extra three hours at night? Not to mention the two hours at YMCA six days a week. It's worth it though. I am almost to a healthy weight! And then I get a new tattoo!
I started Dorothy And Toto for the Heaven And Earth Designs SAL challenge. It doesn't look like much, but it goes pretty fast. I really love it. It's got alot more colors than you can tell in the picture. I love Wizard Of Oz stuff. I'm still really hoping that Wicked Witch And Her Flying Monkey will be charted, so I can stitch it as a companion. Not that I'll ever finish either.
There was also a SWIP SAL, so I pulled out Invariance. It had been neglected the longest. I managed to get in a few hundred stitches. They were all the same shade of blue. So next time I pull it out, I put in a different shade.
Tobi has started his yellow belt class. They start sparring this week. They're not allowed to actually hit each other though, until they've got protective gear. Part of what that means is I have to buy Tobi an athletic cup. That is so not a mommy job! That is daddy job if there ever was one!
For now though, I have to go make dinner, and get Tobi ready for class. Have a great weekend.

Labels: Dorothy And Toto, Dragonfly QS, Invariance, Kids

See this picture? This is the last picture of Tobi as a white belt! Tonight, he passed his yellow belt test! I'm so proud of him! I want to tell everyone! Yay Tobi! Parents were allowed in the classroom during the test, but I couldn't just stand around and wait. So I walked around the indoor track for half a mile.
I have been stitching a little, but life still gets in the way. I've been working on Dragonfly QS. She's got lots of hair. I'm enjoying it though.
I worked at the New Year's Party and my brother-in-law's theater again. It was much better this year. There were only about half as many people as last year. There weren't nearly as many drunks, and the ones there were weren't as bad as last year. There was only one puker, and no fights. Thank goodness!
I worked coat check again, and got some nice tips. One guy gave me a twenty for his wife and her two friends. He said his ex-wife used to be a coat check girl, and he remembered how much tips were appreciated.
I also had one guy ask me out. This was after he sent his already drunk girlfriend inside and called her an idiot. Because, you know, disrespecting women is such a turn on. I had to be polite, but I've never actually had to bite my tongue while biting my tongue. When I checked his ID, I saw that he was ten years older than Jymi. I make Jymi feel old as it is, and he's only five years older than me. It was all I could do to not scream, "Oh God no!"
Hope everyone had a pleasant New Year's.

Labels: Dragonfly QS, Holidays, Kids, Work

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