Good afternoon, and a happy New Year to you!

Yesterday, I made some significant progress in the garage clearing out my exercise space, but there’s more to do.

I’m approaching 240 pregnancy weight, which I’m dreading more than I thought I would. It’s pushing me to action. When I was pregnant with Veronica, I stayed in the same clothes for most of it, because I was losing tummy fat while gaining baby bulge. It worked out beautifully. I’d sure like to do that again.

The problem is cravings. I have a serious sugar addiction going on, and it sucks. I need to kick it in the butt. So far, the addiction is winning. Every time I get all psyched up and motivated, I crumble within hours to sugar. Which wipes out productive energy as well as adding empty calories.

Dangit.

But, overall, I have a lot more consistent energy than I have had in a long time. I’d like to make the most of it before the third trimester really sets in. I’m close. I don’t know when it technically begins, but I’m almost 27 weeks now, so it’s coming.

Lots of things are going to happen in the new year. I need to get ready for baby. I want to start knitting for baby, and I want to get in better shape so I don’t feel like a flabby lump after delivery. I’d like to at least be able to feel some muscles buried in there. Even if they’re fatigued and hiding.

Let’s hear some New Year’s goals for Health Group!

Mine are these…

I’d like to spend about 45 minutes a day, six days a week doing some light exercise. I want to alternate physical therapy and weights with the treadmill.

I want to drink more water. I’ve fallen off that wagon.

I want to eat healthy and not succumb to my stupid sugar cravings.

You?

Yesterday afternoon, we went into the city. I needed shoes, and Nate was in a shopping mood, so he took me to John Fluevog. He’s loved and worn their shoes since high school, but I had never tried them. Well, I’m glad they had a great clearance section, because I came home with three pair of gorgeous shoes that I can’t find pictured on their site, unfortunately. But still, three pairs of Fluevogs!

You’re so good to me Nate.

Then we went to the Seattle Center to visit the Children’s Museum again, have dinner, dance to “Pink Elephants on Parade” played by the Circus Contraption band,

and watch the Arialistas perform. (Thanks to my internet shy neighbor for the tip-off)!

That’s right. We’re in the front row. This is one of the only times I didn’t bring knitting to the Seattle Center, and as it turned out, I had to sit for over an hour holding our seats. I could have been knitting a sock!

Today, my goal is to clear the garage of unorganized Christmas boxes so I can start exercising again with the New Year. There are piles of ornament boxes in front of me that need to be stacked and stored once more.

I’m going to be tired tonight.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day sorting through pictures, organizing in preparation for putting them into scrapbooks, and at the same time, beginning to get Veronica’s room ready for the upcoming baby. And I’m nearly done. With the first part. I have a ton of work ahead of me before we’ll be ready for the baby.

Today, I felt the push to start taking down the Christmas decorations (except for the tree), so the garlands are down, the nativity is boxed, as are many other things. Right now, I’m taking a minute to post, then I’ll finish off the Christensen porcelain angels that hang from ribbons in the archway between the dining room and family room.

At some point, I’ll curl up with one of the many knitting projects I have before me, but right now, I’m taking advantage of the “cleaning bug” I seem to have caught.

But I’m still fondling that sock swatch.

After seeing Anna’s Panta yesterday, I decided I need one. Every picture of a Panta that I’ve seen has been gorgeous, and I’m still very aware of the fabulous, wildly colorful yarns that I saw at the shop yesterday. This could be a good 1 ball project, and since I’m still stuck at home for the most part….. I’m justifying buying more.

Here’s a link to the main page on Craftster, and here’s a link to the page with one of the pattern translations.

I poured over the Sensational Sock book yesterday and this morning, and I think I’ve resolved on one. I’m a little nervous to start a toe up sock, so I’m going with a simpler stitch pattern on a cuff down sock. I know I like the look/fit of a cuff down sock. The toe up thing throws an “unknown” into the mix that I’m not in the mood for.

And I swatched.

Which isn’t that unusual for me, but I also washed and blocked the swatch. That I never do. Why do socks make me so nervous? It’s ridiculous. I know how to knit them.

Since we’re talking about washing the swatch… This yarn (oh, and here’s a link to what the yarn looks like knit up) has aloe vera and jojoba oil in it. Sounds weird, and it was certainly not a selling point for me, so I didn’t think much on it. Knitting the swatch felt pretty normal. Then I washed it, and the wool swatch morfed into this super soft fabric that I’m dying to get on my feet.

Seriously.

Want to know why? Well, let’s just say that I am genetically pre-disposed to calloused feet*. They’ve even cracked and bled at times. Now, I usually keep on top of things and when they start to get rough, I exfoliate with this fantastic pumice on a stick that found it’s way into my Christmas stocking a couple years ago (thanks Santa/Nate), and I slather on the best cream for fragrant-sensitive dry skin EVER for a few nights before bed, then I’m good for months.

*my mom lays out sheets of newspaper on the floor, gets comfortable, and takes an electric Black & Decker sander to her feet.

Not. Kidding.

I’m thinking that a moisturizing sock sounds like a good thing.

She splurges and buys herself gifties at the LYS.

For me, Olivia.

I got some gorgeous sock yarn. Mmmmmm. I’m excited to use it. The Sockotta looks fun, and wasn’t expensive at all. The other stuff, Austermann’s Step, is closer to Koigu level in price, but the colors are divine, and when Carol the owner of the shop pulled out a pamphlet to show me how they knit up, I knew I had to have one. Or two, as it turned out.

Heehee. Sock knitting for me, here I come!

And to entertain the kids, since we’re going to be stuck in the house much of the week…. we went to Sports Authority yesterday and came home with hula hoops

and table tennis.

They don’t look sick, do they? No, they don’t. Nor do they act sick when we’re at home. But as soon as we go anywhere, two of the three get tired, cranky, watery eyes, and the one coughs her head off, and the other one throws up. BUT, if we’re home, boring mom to death, we’re running around yelling, jumping, and playing.

We saw the doctor today, and he prescribed medication for the coughing child, and said we still can’t go anywhere near our new nephew that was born 10 days ago and has moved to a brand new house a few miles away from us that we haven’t seen.

I can’t stand it.

So I’ve given up on having a fun and eventful winter vacation, and I’m settling in with sock yarn and a fabulous book.

And I found out that my LYS is putting together a hat contest. Yeah, I’m so there!

Abigail is coughing her brains out, but shows no other symptoms. We’re taking her to the doctor tomorrow. Veronica threw up on Saturday, was fine yesterday, and then threw up again this morning.

I want to be out having fun with Nate who is off of work, and the girls who are out of school. This sucks.

I took a couple days off of knitting my scarf, because my left elbow was killing me. I should probably get that looked at, but right now, I’m still in denial.

My M-I-L took the girls out last week to buy a present for Nate and I. They bought Nate some pajamas, and I got a Rebecca Baby+Kids magazine

and some great red Cascade 220 superwash to knit something for the little tyke.

Christmas is over, and the holiday themed photos will be coming to an end, but not quite yet.

We bought an Epson photo printer on Christmas Eve, and took some pictures to test it out. This one was the best, which is of the girls in front of the tree in their new pajamas. The printer is cool. It doesn’t need to be connected to the computer. We just plug in the memory card, view the photos on a screen on the printer, pick which ones and print. They look great, much better than a regular computer printer.

I’m happy, and it has me thinking about scrapbooking again. I used to be way into it, until Veronica was born. I never did the real fancy stuff, with stickers or anything, but I liked to tape the photos in and write about them. A few weeks ago, something happened that broke my heart.

The girls came to me and Abby asked, “Can I look at my scrapbook?” I said yes.

Olivia asked, “Can I look at my scrapbook?” and I said yes.

Then Veronica asked, “Can I look at…. someone else’s scrapbook?”

Awwwww. That’s just sad.

I’ve taken a zillion pictures of her, as you all can tell, I’m sure. But I haven’t printed a single one of them. Now I will, and I’ll stick ’em in a book.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday/weekend.

Happy Christmas Eve! We are supposed to be at my mother-in-law’s right now, watching the girls participate in a live reenactment of the nativity, but Veronica threw up in an ice cream shop this afternoon, so Nate and the girls are at the in-laws and V and I are home. I honestly don’t mind the quiet evening. She’s going to open a couple presents in a few minutes, thus compensating her for not being able to play with her cousins, and I’m going to stuff the stockings early and go to bed. I’m tired.

Hopefully, she’ll sleep it off tonight, and tomorrow will continue as planned.

This week, shocker, I didn’t do much in the way of maintaining or improving my health. I’ve been eating Christmas Crap, and I can tell. I’m tired all the time, and my heart is bothering me again. So, I am looking forward to getting back to my regular, holiday-free life and schedule.

I did manage to do some physical therapy. As the tummy is getting bigger, and I feel the “pregnant waddle” nearing, I am ever more concerned for my back. I’m seeing more and more physical therapy activity in my future. And that’s a good thing.

And if it feels like I’m stringing Health Group along ’til the new year, I am. But I’m still here, maintaining the habit, and that’s important to me.

Any of you doing well? Tell me about it.

The girls have finally started buzzing about Christmas. There have been numerous presents under the tree for the last two weeks, but it wasn’t until this morning they started “casing” them, and planning the order in which they’ll be opened, etc. I’m glad they waited this long, because right now, it’s cute. If it had been going on for the last two weeks, I’d be very grumpy.

I’ve been working on my blue Angora scarf all morning. It’s long, but not long enough. I think I have 1 1/2 to 2 more balls to put into it before going back to trying to figure out a side edging. I’ll spare you the “see? It’s even more bigger” photo.

BUT, I’ll leave you with this.

This is what Nate scored in the White Elephant Gift Exchange we had last night. It was accompanied by a fresh, new roll of toilet paper.

He loves it.

Isn’t it weird how the same object, acquired under different circumstances can be received so differently?

If I had bought this same toilet seat cover while I was out and about, and brought it home and put it on the toilet and asked if Nate thought it was cool, he’d have me committed.

Receiving a hideous toilet seat cover as a White Elephant Gift however, well, that’s totally groovy.

Do you know what this is?

It’s the bottom of these. (My clogs, if you don’t want to click the link).

Now, admittedly, I’ve worn them almost everyday for the last year, but still. When they come out of the washer after being felted, the soles feel indestructible. They are thick, they are stiff… I just couldn’t have imagined a hole showing up through both layers.

But there it is.

So, in addition to cardigans, I now also need some clogs. Lots of me knitting in my future. Still.

A day or so ago, Olivia asked who the blue scarf was for. I said it was for me. She asked why I’m always knitting stuff for me. I felt a pang of guilt that I don’t think is necessarily warranted.

How ’bout because I know that I’ll adequately appreciate it?

That’s mean.

Because I’m a selfish knitter, Olivia, that’s why.