I have some close-ups of this yarn that makes me happy just to touch it.

Here’s a good shot of the encased plying. I don’t know the technical term for it,

but it makes for a much more interesting fabric when knit.

I got 3 hours sleep last night. I’m kind of loopy. Fortunately, I don’t have to go anywhere today but I do have a lot of laundry to wash, and countertops to clear.

And I’d really like to card some batts!

Here are some quick pics I snapped this morning in the few minutes before the girls went to school of Liv in Grandma’s new hat.

I love this yarn (handspun slub). The merino is undyed, and the silk is a shiny, honey-gold that is just gorgeous.

I love this hat. It’s so simple and classy looking.

I love this camera (Canon Rebel xti with gorgeous lenses), aaaaaand….. it’s not mine.

I posted about Clark late last night, so if you’re interested, make sure you catch that post, too.

I hear that a few times a day. Spontaneously. Usually accompanied by a leg hug, or an arm nuzzle. Clark is seriously the sweetest little guy EVER. Tonight, after dinner (which he’s eaten twice since I called the doctor about him not eating, what’s up with that???? But I’ll take it) he said, “thanks for making french toast for dinner, mommy” and gave me a hug.

Sorry I didn’t post earlier today. I haven’t had the opportunity, but I know some of you have been checking to hear how it went with Clark at the doctor yesterday.

So, we discussed the financial concerns and he said we’d start out conservative with an abdominal x-ray to check for constipation. I heard back late this morning that he is in fact backed up. So he’s going on a 3 day mineral oil/limited diet thing to clean him out. Then we’ll call and chat with the doctor, but the office manager said something about putting him on an appetite stimulant. I don’t remember what it’s called at the moment. She also touched on some psychological approaches to getting him over his stool holding and perhaps even potty training him.

I’m just hoping that if there is something wrong with his digestive system, since we’ve been struggling with it all his life, that we’ll finally figure out what it is and how to help him. I want an allergy test.

Anyway, that’s what I know.

I was able to take some pretty (not perfect, but pretty) pictures of my batts this afternoon using Carol’s camera. They’re on my other computer, though, so I can’t upload them tonight. I’m sitting in my chair with the laptop in the living room right now, typing around a swaddled and sleeping Max, who’s laying on my lap.

He’s about to go in the swing, and then I’m heading to bed.

Oooh, oooh! Before I forget, I finished the second handspun hat for my mother-in-law today. The yarn’s been spun for a week or so, but I balled it up and knit it today. It’s pretty. I’ll see if I can get Clark to model it for me before I give it to her. I have almost enough yarn for a second hat, and plenty of the silk single left, so I may pick up another ounce or so of white merino to make up the difference.

I finally put a banner on my etsy shop and wrote a brief shop description on what my batts are about. I borrowed some equipment from my friend Carol to try to get good pictures of the batts… it hasn’t worked so far. It was my intent to take the softbox into my bathroom today to utilize the natural light, but after exercising, showering, running Veronica to Barnes & Noble to use her gift card, taking a phone call and feeding Max… all the daylight hours were spent. So I’m pouting a little bit because tomorrow isn’t looking good for daylight free time, either.

I’m not feeling very patient.

We’re taking Clark to the doctor tomorrow because I can’t get him to eat. He’s a walking sack of bones and I’m really getting worried about chronic malnourishment. The few things I could count on him eating (peanut butter sandwich, chicken, turkey lunchmeat, eggs, apples, grapes, canned peaches…), he no longer eats, with the exception of an occasional peanut butter sandwich, no jelly. I went and bought Flinstones Gummies the other day. He’ll eat those.

I know he’s hungry. He’ll ask for food in a general sense, but doesn’t actually want anything specific. He never eats dinner. He’ll come to the table looking all excited, take a look at the food, whatever it is, and leave. There have been days where the only thing he’s eaten the whole day is a quarter of a peanut butter sandwich. Three days in a row. A few times, he’ll ask for “food”, reject everything I have to offer, and then he’ll just look at me and cry. Not a tantrum cry, a sad, desperate sort of cry.

It’s heartbreaking, and I’m going crazy.

So, I don’t know what the doctor will do besides send us to Children’s Hospital for tests and evaluations that we can’t afford. Which brings me to a topic that I can’t talk about too much without getting angry. We buy the best health insurance available, which is better than the best that is currently offered ’cause we’ve had ours some years now. We pay through the nose for it, and at the rate it increases every year, it’ll soon be more than our mortgage. And yet the coverage isn’t good enough that I can take my kids in to the doctor when they need it without worrying about how we’re going to pay for it.

And that’s wrong.

…though it doesn’t look like there’ll be much time for posting ’til the girls are back in school next week. Here’s a Christmas Eve picture for you

That’s so weird. I have a picture not unlike this one from a couple years ago where Clark is the screaming infant. Now, he’s just a dinosaur (hence the bizarre facial expression in the pictures).

Christmas was very nice. When we went to Barnes and Noble on Saturday to use our gift cards, I picked up this little book that I’ve been wanting for months.

It’s delightful. Abby and I are working on a couple of little sample designs on 4 inch hoops to learn the stitches.

I’m having visions of girls hand embroidering on cotton skirts dance through my head, made more practical by the acquisition of a new steamer we picked up last night using more gift cards. I couldn’t justify making cotton skirts before now as I totally don’t iron. But with that obstacle out of the way… I wanna sew some cotton skirts with the girls!

The body of Clark’s stocking is knit

however, there’s a consequence for ballistic striping…

a lot of ends to weave in. Mercy!

Veronica is helping out by finger knitting a loop to hang it with.

Still not sure when the stars will make it on, but he has a stocking for Christmas.

That was the theme this year. It was very fun. I’m giving up on my cookie cutters though. The kids’ houses always collapse. The roof needs a flatter pitch and the sides need to be higher so that the big, heavy roof pieces don’t have to be so big and crush the rest of the house. I guess I’ll have to make up a pattern.

But we had a good time,

and my internet shy friend scored loads and loads of cool candy/decorations for us to work with, highlighted by the edible snowflakes.

Nate’s was my favorite this year

But Dennis was by far the most creative. Full on pretzel chairs, fire pit, outhouse, wire spool table and all…

Clark had fun sticking candy to his house before it collapsed

and Veronica and the daughter of my internet shy friend made a house

Abby and Olivia had their own house, and I thought their idea was brilliant.

They wanted to make the house from “Up”, complete with Dum Dum balloons out the chimney. We colored frosting, and they were doing a great job but it imploded before they could finish.

Yay, team! I spent the night running around helping everyone, trying to rescue falling houses, making frosting and refilling the decorator bags. My internet shy friend held a rather fussy Maxwell.

I’m plugging along down my list of things to finish before Christmas. Doing rather well. Clark’s stocking needs 16 more rounds before I can start decreasing the toe, and that won’t take long. I’m not sure if it’ll have stars on it before Friday, but it should at least be functional. I made a gift for my brother this morning. Most everything is wrapped already…

We’re trying to think of something small we can give to the 17 or so cousins (I lose count) this year. Any ideas? They range in age from 18 months to 11 years old. We’re currently thinking about baking something.

Oh, the things we’ve made! (Ok, Dennis mostly).

And a couple more, for kicks.

I worked on Clark’s stocking a bit last night after the kids were in bed. It knits up really fast.

I like it a lot, but I’m not sure if white stars are going to be the right adornment. We’ll see.

Today is the girls’ last day of school before Christmas break. The older two want to paint their bedroom over break. I hope we get it done, just so I don’t have to hear about it anymore.