Stuff to do, stuff to do, tra la la la.

I'm still struggling with Charlie's sweater.  I'm doing the ribbing for the first sleeve, and then I have a whole other sleeve to do.  Doing ribbing with double pointed needles is nasty, and it's not turning out that well, mostly because I suck at it.  Having to do a whole other sleeve is also nasty.  I'm seriously contemplating giving Charlie a one-armed cape.  That might work.

I'm also thinking about making the kids an advent calendar, but yeah.  That's a lot of sewing of little pieces.  They already have a cardboard advent calendar, with boxes that slide out for each day, but it's not that great.  It tends to tip over.  And when I say boxes that slide out, of course I mean boxes that are wedged in there so tightly that I need a butter knife to pry them open.  I think several days went unmarked last year because I just couldn't wrestle with the damn thing.

So, I'm thinking something hangy, with pockets.  Have any of you made an advent calendar?  Any tricks or tips or tutorials you want to throw my way?  

We set up our tree yesterday and decorated it, and wrapped the presents we have so far to put under it.  It's weird.  We're normally not those people -- the ones that get all ready for the holidays right after Thanksgiving.  Except, this year we are.  And I kind of like it.  It frees me up to get working on all my outstanding projects, or, more realistically, to sit at the computer and Google advent calendar tutorials.  Like that.

It's that time

Dude, seriously?  I can't believe it's turkey time again.  We just had Halloween, like,  yesterday.

In any event, I'm gathering my energy before I dive in.  Lots to do today, and I'm already wishing the cooking was done so we can get down to the very serious business of eating.

Happy Thanksgiving, and if you swing that way, eat lots of delicious turkey.  I'm planning to eat until I can't walk upright.  Because it's good to have goals. 

I had NO IDEA.

Charlie woke up the other day with a bunch of gunk and crap in her eyes, and I had no idea what it was.  She wasn't in pain, and although it was grosser than gross, I cleared out her eyes, and she seemed to be fine.  It cleared up within 24 hours, so whatever, no big deal.

But THEN.  Then, I was sitting on the couch two nights ago, and my eye started watering.  Bad.  It felt like there was a lump of sand under my eyelid.  I went to the bathroom to take a peek, and HOLY CRAP.  It looked like my right eyeball had gone on a drinking binge in Vegas and forgotten to take the rest of my face with it.

I rinsed the crap out of it with saline solution and that was no good.  By no good, I mean bad, bad, bad.  The only relief was to put an eye patch on it.  And that made my eye feel gooood, so I went to bed all patched up.  I woke up the next morning and my eye looked grody, but I figured it had to do with messing with it so royally the night before.

UNTIL.  I was on the computer last night, and my left eye started watering and doing the sand in my eyeball thing.  So, I did a quick Google search for conjunctivitis, and WOULDN'T YOU KNOW, that's what it is.

For some reason, I had always thought that is was some itchy, itchy thing with your eyes, and that your eyes turned all red from the scratching.  I realize that by admitting this, I will not win any awards for being the sharpest knife in the drawer.  I also made myself feel stupid by thinking that my understanding of pink eye is similar to thinking that people with chicken pox?  They get those bumps from all the scratching.

Yeah.

So my eyeballs are really delicious.  They're all red and pouty, and totally bringing sexy back.  I have also learned a very valuable lesson: conjunctivitis is a magical illness, and not at all about the scratching. 

What I've been up to

Lotsa cool stuff happening around here lately.  I finished up two of my craft exchange packages and mailed those out -- one more to go.

Charlie's second birthday is coming up at the end of this month.  I asked her what she wanted, and she distinctly requested a "care bear bed."  Child, I can TOTALLY make that happen.  We're getting this one, because I effing love that little bench.

I'm still looking for care bear bedding, and damn if it isn't sold out everywhere I've looked.  I might have to resort to buying some material and making it myself, instead.

I have to order a care bears cake tin, too.  I'm thinking eBay, unless someone has a random care bear tin they want to part with.  I'd even be willing to pay you.  Real money.

I finished the hep cat -- sans tail.  He doesn't need a tail.  He's too cute for a tail.  It has nothing to do with the fact that I lost my crochet hook halfway through making it -- he just doesn't NEED a tail, I tell you.  I put a little music button in his foot that plays "twinkle twinkle little star" and the kids L.O.V.E it, so I'm pretty sure it will be a hit with my nephew.  It will distract him from the fact that he's getting a tail-less cat.

It snowed this morning -- briefly, but that means we need to hurry up and get our wood-burning stove set up.  I'm so excited for cold weather!  I need to bust out my sweaters and scarves.  And drink lots of coffee to keep myself warm.

Speaking of warm, I'm going to make this sweater for Charlie.  Is that cute, or what?  I bought the yarn on sale!  That makes me very happy.  I have a lot of projects I need to work on, most for holiday gifts.  The amount of stuff I'm putting on my plate to get done before Christmas makes me laugh.  At me.

I'm nothing if not overzealous, y'all.

The best Halloween we've ever had.

Costumes were done (on time!) awesome cupcakes were made, pumpkins were carved, parades were watched, and a bunch of candy was eaten.  I think every day should be Halloween.