So, my brother and I are working on a CD. My CD, actually. I have 8 songs written, and several more in progress. We’re shooting for 12.

My brother has gathered a group of musicians that are willing to do the drums, bass, lead guitars, audio mastering, etc. So, I have to record my song, email it to him, he’ll bring in and record the band members, then I come back in at the end and re-record my bit over the top with a good mic.

My sister will be doing some backup vocals from Texas. We’ll probably have some friends sing backup too.

It’s too much fun. I’m really excited. Finding opportunities to try and record is a trick. It’s a good think my first tracks are “scratch” tracks, because they have Clark’s hotwheels racing along the kitchen counter and him asking me random questions in the background. Max gets a complaint in here and there, too.

I’ve found that workout time is pretty good songwriting time. Yay, elliptical! Yay multi-tasking! Yay, Donna for helping me establish Max’s naps!

So, that’s why I haven’t had much to show on the blog. I’m not currently doing anything with wool. Every spare moment is spent with either a legal pad, mechanical pencil, and guitar or a microphone and guitar. My callouses are holding up ok, but I’m having to build a new one along the side of my left pointer finger for barre chords. Ouch. And my pansy little hand can’t even make it all the way through one of the songs that’s all barre chords. (My songwriting surpasses my guitar playing ability).

So, that’s what’s up with me lately. At some point, I’ll put a song or two up here for you to hear, but we’re not there yet.

Apparently, it’s a weee-oooo, weee-ooo fancy car.

I’ve never heard another human being call it that in the history of ever.

But what do I know? Not much I guess because, “it’s NOT a police car, mom! It’s a weee-ooo, weee-ooo fancy car!”

Also, “it’s NOT a fire truck, mom! It’s a fire station!”

ok, honey.

Impossible as it seems, I know I’ll forget at some point that he called them that. So I’m documenting it here.

Clark does listen to me sometimes. Yesterday, he acquired a pair of cowboy boots, which he loves. It took some convincing, but I think he believes me now that they aren’t “running boots.” He was sure they were. So now, accepting the fact that they’re “walking boots,” he seems to think that merely wearing them entitles him to walk the neighborhood at leisure and I’m being nagged.

Clark can be so considerate, not only for a just-four-year-old, but for a human being.

I was washing dishes this morning. Clark was watching the end of a movie on the computer a few cupboards away when the phone rang. I answered it, had a little conversation, and as I hung up I noticed the movie was silent. I asked him if he turned it off. He said yes. I asked why. He said, “I want you to hear on the phone. You were talking to someone.”

It’s a very little thing, but not at all uncommon. They all add up to one heck of a sweet little guy.

We’re having Abby’s teacher and her family over for dinner tonight, so I’m working towards that. We also have a number of social plans this weekend.

I haven’t really had time with Nate in weeks, with his work being crazy demanding and all the partying going on with birthdays and such this month. I told him last night that after this weekend (and dinner Monday night with one of his brother’s families), we need to scale back so I can get caught up on the basic maintenance of our life. I’m so behind. I go and go all day and don’t get to a fraction of all that needs to be done. So this is my public commitment to myself to not make any commitments whatsoever ’til I feel in balance again.

Liv had her birthday party dinner on Friday night.

Papu came out and was quite sociable, but we fed him first. And I was still a neurotic case, worried that someone would get bit because there’s nothing quiet and calm about 10, 11 year old girls at a party.

We finally blessed Max at church on Sunday. He and Dad look so nice in their white shirts.

I’m totally ready for April to be over. I’m tired. And I have SO much to do today. As well as the rest of the week.

I need to start another pair of relaxing socks.

Out of the blue this afternoon, Clark walks up to me and says,

“I hate Papu.”

“Why?”

“Because. He eat Liv.”

Oy, he’s so stinkin’ cute.

I just came back from the store where I purchased supplies to host a dinner/movie/birthday party for Liv and 8 or so of her friends. We’re making Bats and Cobwebs, a baked pasta dish with bow tie pasta, slices of italian turkey sausage, and chunks of mozza that melt into the “cobwebs.” Since it isn’t Halloween, Liv decided to call it Ribbons and Bows instead. They’re watching Penelope tonight, so I also bought a big box of popcorn and Junior Mints. I’ve got a bag of balloons and a couple colors of streamers so they can all decorate/destroy her bedroom.

I like these older parties. They’re easier than the younger ones in many ways. Provide food, they’ll entertain themselves. Of course, I still have to get the house clean and cook for a crowd.

I should take my mom’s approach, as in, “It’s your birthday. Which means I birthed you. You should be throwing ME a party!” 🙂

Baby love

Sock love

I’m sad Knitpicks discontinued this yarn. It was the Felici self striping stuff. I’m interested to see how it holds up. They have a new color, Pirate King,

that looks like it’d make a great pair of socks for a little boy. Maybe striped with a coordinating solid? Maybe not. This is the yarn I was excited about buying for Clark that when I showed the girls, I got several glares for even thinking about knitting him another pair of socks before making pairs for them.

But hey! He has smaller feet and, um, doesn’t LOSE socks!

Hamster love

So, I’m really enjoying Papu, Liv’s new hamster. We’ve had some biting incidents, but I still think he’s a sweet little thing that needs to be tamed and whose handlers need to learn how to handle him. Never having had a hamster myself, I’ve only seen them asleep in a lump, covered with bedding from the cage.

Because I’d only ever seen them in a pet store during the day, I had no idea how much they EAT! (We feed this guy twice a day). How much they drink. How much they run on that ridiculous wheel (like, 7 hours a night). He’s hilarious. He’s funny when he stretches, he’s funny when he eats… he reaches up with his CUTE little paws, with CUTE little fingers, (that’s my favorite thing about pet rats), and takes food right out of our hands.

Liv is mad at him right now, because he bit her pretty bad while we were trying to wake him up yesterday. We’re learning. After he woke up on his own later in the evening, I took him out and they all were able to pet him without incident.

So far, we’ve discovered he likes carrots. LOVES dry oatmeal. Devours those silly hamster pellets. And won’t give a second glance to cucumbers.

Hey all. Spring Break is over. The girls are back in school. Clark is rapidly working his way through an entire pack of Juicy Fruit…

So, we had a couple of birthdays

I’m no cake decorator, but I must say these turned out pretty well. And while they were being decorated, Clark practically sang, “I’m so happy! I love my Superman cake! I’m sooooo happy!”

Another bit of excitement, Liv FINALLY got a pet. Her very own hamster. Meet Papu.

And I’m almost done with another pair of socks for Clark, but he’s in footy jammies right now and doesn’t want to pose for a pic. We’ll get one later in the week. But they’re way cute, and I so love knitting him socks. “I love my socks, mommy. I’m sooooo happy! Fank you fer making them fer me!”

Though, if I keep knitting socks for Clark and don’t make some for the girls pretty soon, they’re going to go out and find another mother.

Do you know what I’m doing? I’m posting! On my “new” iMac, which is really Carol’s old iMac. We’re buying it from her. I am very happy. Her husband dropped it off last night, and yesterday, my computer wouldn’t even power up. Thank heavens for Mac and their “time machine” feature. All we had to do was connect the external hard drive to the new computer and everything moved over.

I’ve lost track of how many times Carol and her husband have helped us out. Good friend award!

Thanks, guys.

I’m also very excited because my mother-in-law has signed up to take the rug braiding class with me in June! Provided her strength is back and her chemo treatment is wrapped up by then. And my mom is going to meet us down there to play with Max during the class. This will be so much fun.

I carded another Green Tea batt, spun and knit it yesterday. I think I’m going to go for it, as in, call it good and card more for my etsy shop. I’d like to get a few more colorways up at the same time, so I have some dyeing to do. And some pictures to take.

This weekend, aside from being General Conference (so excited!), is also when we get to celebrate Clark’s and Abby’s birthdays. Busy, busy. We’re having a family potluck tomorrow night that I need to get ready for.

Kids are off school tomorrow and next week is Spring Break during which Abby and possibly Liv want to have birthday parties with their friends, and Veronica wants to sew a Betsy Ross flag for a book report. I’m tired already. 🙂

I’m in! I’m in! I’m in! I’m in! I’m in! I’m in! I’m in! I’m in! I’m in!

I registered for THE class I wanted SO bad! Remember a couple years ago when I bought The Shepherd’s Rug at the Black Sheep Gathering? Well, at Black Sheep this year, one of the authors is teaching a class on rug braiding with wool roving. I’m really excited. I’ve carded a batt, divided it into three strips and braided it.

I think it turned out pretty cool.

I wonder if I can do a whole rug that way?