Suzy Q Homemaker

Yesterday I was looking up teacup Yorkies on the internet and Jamie was asking me what I was doing. I said, “Oh just messing around.” Then he said, “Weren’t you ‘just messing around’ with knitting a few months ago?”

I stopped looking up teacup Yorkies (even though I really want one at some point in my life).

I finished two things yesterday: Simon’s new shorties and a knitted toy. I’ll post pictures later because I don’t feel like taking them right now. Jamie says he’s going to look at me accusingly if I start another project before I finish his frog. I got one of Jean Greenhowe’s booklets and started a frog, but I’m having a hard time finishing it since it requires seaming. I was able to do the arms and legs on DPNs but didn’t have the patience to adapt the body to knitting-in-the-round. All I have left to do is the eyes and the embroidery. Perhaps that will be my project for the day.

In laundry news, the pile in my hallway has been reduced to a small hill. I devised a system for sorting laundry that may actually stick this time. We have four laundry baskets in the laundry room that are labeled thusly: Pants, Shirts, Linens, and Socks & Underwear. Think that’ll work? I hope so. Only time will tell…

This laundry talk reminds me that I need to make another batch of detergent. Would you believe I’ve almost used five gallons since the last time I made some? That’s what happens when you are doing laundry for five people and four of them are BOYS. Aiden especially likes to get as much dirt on his clothing as possible.

I’ve been working on a mental list of knitting things I want for my birthday. They aren’t things I necessarily need–just nice things I’d like to have. I’ll post the list another time when I don’t have a Simon in my lap.

That being said, it’s hard to type one-handed. So long for now!

Yesterday, I went down to the pond to see if I could take a picture of the four ducks that took up residence last week. I want to know what kind they are! When I got down there, though, I scared them away.

I had Corey go get some stale bread from the kitchen so we could feed the fish, when a familiar face came to say hello! I saw both Bubba and Butch out in the middle when I got there, but only Butch comes around to snack on the bread that we toss out for them. I’m glad that they’re still alive and well in (what we just named) Two Turtle Pond.

Of course, now that we named it Two Turtle Pond, there are three turtles in there! I spied a baby turtle in the distance before we went inside. I think it’s the one I rescued from the side of our road four years ago. I tried to wait around for it to show up so I could get its picture, but it was too shy and Simon was really tired of standing there.

All this pond business made me have dreams about our pond last night. In my dream, Aiden decided that he wanted to go for a swim in the pond. So he did! I’m sure there was more to it, but I really can’t remember anymore. Wow, that was a lot more boring than I meant it to be.

Today, we’re taking it easy. I’m trying to catch up on laundry, which is getting easier now that I’ve enlisted Corey’s help with putting away things like towels and (GASP!) his OWN CLOTHES! He whines and complains the whole time, but I’ve had to learn to ignore it. I seriously cannot wash, fold, and put away clothes for five people. I mean, I can. But I don’t want to.

I discovered last night that in the evenings, I need to just sit on the floor and let Simon have free access to me. He wants to play, but within no more than a 2-foot radius of my lap. That way, every five seconds he can touch me and make sure I’m still there. This also makes it easier for his two hour Cluster-Nursing Marathon. He’s starting to care less about where he is when he’s nursing. As an example, I nursed him through half of Corey’s play the other night. And it was LOUD in there. This only applies to evening nursies, though. During the day, he likes to pop on and off if there are interesting people in the room.

I think I have to thaw out some salmon for dinner. Last night’s Shepherd’s Pie was delicious, by the way. Jamie says it’s one of his favorite things that I make. Even though I just had a quesadilla about 30 minutes ago, I think I’ll have some leftovers for an afternoon snack.

Why do I still eat like I’m pregnant?

Someone please save me from my laundry. PLEASE. I knew it was getting bad, but this morning Jamie actually asked me to wash some of our clothes. And we have a lot of clothes. I think it was my decision to try and use some homemade detergent that caused my immediate lack of interest in the laundry. Since we ran out of Charlie’s Soap, I started using borax & washing soda. Now we’re almost out of washing soda. I don’t know what I want to do! Should I buy more washing soda (and soap for the regular clothes), or just break down & buy some Charlie’s? And that reminds me: I should do something with the box of Sun sitting on my dryer. It’s taunting me, saying, “Hey! Remember that migraine I gave you a couple weeks ago? Yeah! That was fun!” A few articles of clothing still have the faint scent of detergent and it makes me ill just thinking about it.

WHINING OVER.

My newest obsession is knitting, my friends. I finally improved my technique and completed a few small projects for Christmas gifts. Since I’m a research-a-holic, though, I’ve replaced my diapering forum time with the Hunt for Free Patterns. And I’ve found so many that are cute and easy! Corey was ecstatic when I came across the pattern for Knitted Pizza, so much so that he goes to sleep with his slice every night. I am planning to knit some more play food, but I’ll need to do it incognito so that I can actually gift them for Christmas.

Today I took over the watching of my sister’s older set of twins. Like last month, I had to bring them with me to the LLL meeting. Unlike last month, though, things didn’t go as swimmingly. Will started crying about halfway through and I never could figure out what was wrong. I thought at first that he had a stomach ache, but when I talked to my sister later, she said it was probably a headache. I was instructed, then, to give him some ibuprofin, which I did, and he promptly fell asleep on the couch. I wonder how she knew? I remember getting headaches when I was little but I don’t remember how little…

I did learn something about myself today. Corey’s food issues could easily have stemmed from my trying to schedule him. Even up until recently, I was of the camp who tried to “make” him finish dinner. Why? Why? Why? I feel really horrible about it but I don’t really know how to reverse it or at least try to make up for it. Was I raised that way? The only food issue I remember is my grandmother making my little sister eat cole slaw. I don’t have any of my own food memories, but since my father was incredibly controlling, it’s possible. And that’s not the sort of thing I would think to bring up with my mom. Hey, mom! Remember when I was little? Did you use food to control me? Just wondering since I’m often obsessed with what I eat and will frequently binge on saltines.

HA! That reminds me of the time when my middle school best friend and I decided to be anorexic. It lasted all of 12 hours. Gotta love being a young, stupid girl.

Anywho, time to do some more knitting or, as I like to call it, NOT HOUSEKEEPING!

Have an excellent week, internet world.

I don’t have many plans for today other than folding the giant pile of laundry in the middle of the living room. I started yesterday, but Simon’s turning into a Mr. Grabby Hands and it’s hard to fold laundry when it’s being snatched away by a baby who just wants to drool all over the clean clothes.

Remind me not to eat chili for lunch ever again. I think Simon spit up on me a million times throughout the rest of the afternoon because of it. Other than his teething, I can’t think of any other reason he would’ve spit so much. I felt incredibly gross by the end of the night and I’m pretty sure my arms smelled like cheese.

I was just about to write how Aiden actually keeps his underwear on if he has slippers on his feet, but he just now took off the slippers so he could get his underwear off. So much for that idea. And I was proud of myself for that one.

What’s for dinner? I can’t decide between mac & cheese & tuna casserole and hamburger stew. I’m leaning toward the first one.

Simon, a.k.a. Drooly McSlobberpants, has been spitting up so much. It’s so gross, so it’s a good thing he’s cute or I’d be hurling right along with him. We’ve come up with different reactions to his overflow:

“Aw, man, he juiced me!”
“Gross, thanks, Simon.”
“Nice!”
“Aw, he got me again.”
“You completely missed the burp cloth, dude.”
“Aw, it’s running down my arm.”
“Right into the cleavage! Thanks, man.”

There are different varieties of spitup.

1. Comes Out Exactly the Way it Came In
2. Slightly Mucousy
3. Watery with Random Milk Curds

and my personal favorite, though, judging by Simon’s reaction when it happens, not his:

Homemade Cottage Cheese!

The smell, thankfully, isn’t that bad. Sometimes it just smells like sweet milk, and sometimes it gets a little on the cheesy side, like a strong goat cheese (though not stinky). I’ll be honest: I like the way spitup smells. It smells like baby! Sometimes I smell my shirt and it smells like spitup and I’m like, aww, that’s where Simon blessed me! I will probably be changing my tune, however, when solids are introduced months & months from now.

I’m so gross.

Today’s a great day for hanging laundry on the line. The sun is bright & it’s nice & hot. I’m hoping to sun out some stains today. I want Jamie to fix our line soon, though. It’s pretty rickety & hangs rather low. I’m afraid Koko’s going to get a wild hair up her ass one day & tear down all the diapers.

Corey’s birthday party is tomorrow. I also have to start going to church again tomorrow, which means I’m going to have to start pumping again. I liked not having to hook myself up like a dairy cow.

Moo.