Falling Back into Blogging

Yeah, we're all slacking on blogs these days. I'm guilty as the next blogger. I've been sucked into Facebook, parenting, remodling and Netflixing new shows. So, for those who traditionally follow my blog here's a bit of an update on all that is SerineKat:

* Hunter: My daily dose of sunshine mixed with tazmanian devil. He's 2.5 years now and showing no sign of slowing down. If you like to invest please put healthy doses of your money in Johnson and Johnson... Hunter lives and breaths Band-Aids. Honestly I'm not beating him... he's beating himself and he loves it. He is now in daycare 5 days a week. It's proven to be a genius move. He's learning so much and having lots of fun. He's at a 80% potty training compliance rate. He's also into a fairly drama free night time routine. His loves right now are Thomas Train and Where's Waldo. He also likes Diego. For Halloween I am going to dress him as Diego - it's a fairly easy costume and can be used again and again.

* House Drama: Good God, homeownership... I should have known better. We had a mold alert which turned out to be nothing serious. We also had a few plumbing issues which I think have turned out ok. Now we are just saving up for a new water heater. The current one works but is in a dumb location and looks as if it might go at any second. I'm currently weighing the options on going tankless or going back to the old tank.

* Knitting: I'm still a machine. Baby blankets, booties, wedding shawls, hats, and so on. I'm now contemplating some embroidery but we'll see. I'm the member of two great knitting groups in the San Antonio area. There's the SNB Group on Meetup.com and then there's the Tuesday Maverick Knitting Group. Both are a great group of ladies and have really helped me feel at home here in Texas. They've both been a true blessing for me.

* Sleep Apnea: Yeah, I gots it. While getting tested for another possible surgery they discovered that I have a severe case of sleep apnea and I am now using a CPAP each night. The progress has been slow but it's starting to pay off.

* Travel: We be going back to Idaho soon! It's not a long trip but it's enough to have some serious fun.

That's pretty much it. I'll be back with more deep thoughts... possibily.

Finally a Knitting Post

So I've been very busy this year with knitting. I'm averaging about 2 projects a month. My main deal is getting all my Christmas knitting done before the fall and sprinkling a few personal projects inbetween.
Right now I am pretty excited to start some baby projects. No, I am not sperminated. Thank God. I have a friend and sister-in-law who are knocked up at present. Both are due at the end of the fall. So I wanted to get the arrival and Christmas gifts for the babies done now. I am also working on a wedding present for another friend. She's doing a civil service in January and then having the big top wedding in the summer. I wanted her to have something nice for the civil service so I am making her a shawl. All these projects and lead to a fairly rare occurance in my knitting - I had to buy a couple of patterns. Usually with Ravelry there are so many free patterns that you can easily find one that fits the bill. This time I stumbled upon two patterns that were not free. The first is a Jared Flood pattern for the Tweed Baby Blanket. Sure, it's pretty simple and I probably could've come up with it on my own but damn, it's a nice pattern and it was only $5.50. I like Jared Flood's patterns and choice of colors. It's very masculine but still pretty. I know that my friend will appreciate this for her baby stuff. I also like the idea of using grey in a baby item... it's never really done and will make the item really stand out. Of course for both women laundry friendliness is a big issue so I had to break down and buy some acrylic stuff. I went with some Baby Bee from Hobby Lobby and Naturally Caron.com Country.
For the wedding shawl I picked the #22 Lace Shawl from an old issue of Knit.1 magazine. Of course it's a Knit.1 that I do not own so for $8.99 I was able to order a back issue. It's very traditional but looks like a fairly simple project, just time consuming, hence the early start date. I found this soft and juicy yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas which is a mix of alpaca and silk. Ugh, it's to DIE for. I think I might just get naked and roll around in it before I start knitting, don't tell my friend.
Here are a few photos of other items I've knit up lately...

Heat Wave

Today it hit over 100 degrees in San Antonio. The morning was quite humid, even this afternoon was humid. When I got into my car to pick up my son at daycare my glasses fogged up because of the humidity. Still, at 102 it doesn't seem too bad to be outside.
Hunter and I sat out back while The Husband cooked up some dinner on the grill. We only lasted 10 minutes and then came in. It wasn't the heat that sent us packing but the mosquitos. I swear, they've drained a good 10 pounds of blood from me in the last week and I'm NEVER outside... quick little bugs.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

New Homeowner Tax Credit - I love you. I was a little nervous that you took so long to find your way to our checking account but this morning you were there. I had to take a double look because, as you know it's April Fools Day. Still, I took caution to the wind a paid off two credit cards in under 3 minutes. MuuhAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHA! Then I called the painters to schedule them to paint our staircase walls and guest bathroom. Of course this means that the lions share of you refund joy is now gone but ahhhhhhh it feels so nice. I even was able to pay one month ahead on our mortgage and a month ahead on our daycare. Finally a little financial breathing room for our little family.
The yard is another monster. I think The Husband and I are going to tackle the beast ourselves over the next few weekends. Sure it's going to be ugly, sweaty, and dirty but at least we won't go back into debt.
It's been a good month here in Texas. Weather is running in the 70s and 80s. Hunter is growing fast and talking more. The sad news is that he isn't taking his afternoon naps like he used to. I honestly need a 2 hour chill time in the afternoon when I am with him all day. So I end up putting him in his room for about that long. He spends half the time crying and yelling. I feel like the worst mom in the world but what else am I to do? I assume this is a phase and eventually he'll understand that it's time to be off alone for awhile. He has plenty of toys and books in his room so I hope he starts to delve into those instead of having a holy breakdown for 45 minutes.
Potty training is also just around the bend. We want to wait a month or two until things calm down with family visiting and The Husband going in and out of town for business. I'm so worried about getting this right that I got The Idiot's Guide to Potty Training. Yeah, I'm THAT mother. Wish me luck!

Where Have All The Bloggers Gone?

Seems that 2010 has ushered in a new season of bloggless living. Most blogs I follow are very scarce with posts this year. I assume it is because most of my blogging buddies are now busy moms. Others are entering into new changes in their lives. Still I wonder if this is a sign of a bigger drop in internet blogging in general. Every movement must peak and then wane. MySpace was all the rage a few years back but is now considered the Maury Povich of social networking while Facebook is now on top... which I predict it will pop sometime very very soon. What will the next tech venture be? Is Twitter still growing? I don't know I never got into that one.

Anyhow, kids and family are what keep me busy. That and a house. We are currently trying to spruce up our yard. The previous owners left it to die in the dry summers over the past two years. There's nothing left for grass. We've even lost a few large bushes to the drought. Now we have a yard full of weeds, dead bushes and Texas oaks that need trimming. For just the basic overhaul it's $2000. I know, I obviously need to be a landscaper. The good news is that we just figured out our taxes and are getting some money back... lots of money. That First Time Homebuyers Credit never felt so good. After paying off a few things we should have the money to do the project with a few upgrades but still... damn that's a lot of money!

As for my knitting and the Ravelry Olympics I did fairly well. I finished 4 cowls out of the 7. Some took more time and concentration than I had. Right now I am working on a project that my parent's dog tried to eat just before Christmas. I have brought it back from the knitting dead and have been able to salvage just enough yarn to finish it off. Damn that Bart! I am also still working on the Beep Beep Blanket for Hunter. He just turned two yesterday. Crazy how in two years they can be so grown up. He's talking up a storm and saying different phrases. He runs like the wind and finally learned to hop with both feet in the air. This week he started to live life pacifier free and he's also working on his second week in a big boy bed with no side rail! Next month I swear the man will be driving. Out next big task is potty training. Like any good nerd I refuse to start in on the process until I've read a book on the subject. So this might not start until the summer.
The painting of the house continues, although depending on what is left over from the refund we might just break and hire out the rest of the job. I can only do so much painting before I go crazy. We really only need someone to do the hall/staircase and the guest bathroom. Everything else is fine or can wait.
Ugh. That's it for now... just wanted to check in and let you all know that we are here just busy living life. I promise to check in again soon.

Walking in a Spiderweb... Leave a Message and I'll Call You Back

Long time, no post. The Husband was away for two weeks and during that time Hunter got sick and I painted the trim of our first floor. It was grueling. But I just have the kitchen, office and the 1/2 bath to do and then I can take my painting supplies upstairs. We got a quote on some of the left over painting projects in the house and the bill came to $1200. We just can't afford that right now and would rather put that money to other items or projects. So I am taking on the remainder of the painting and slowly plugging along for the next month or so until the weather changes and I can move on to re-landscaping our yard. Never a dull moment as a homeowner.
Starting Friday night - February 12th are the Winter Olympics. On my favorite social knitting site - Ravelry - they are doing the Ravelry Olympics. They have events similar to the winter olympics but with a fiber twist. I've submitted myself into seven categories... here are the categories and patterns:

Free Dance
Burberry Inspired Cowl









Holiday Jump-Start Skiing
Victorian Neck Cozy









Lace Luge
Vent d'est Vent d'ouest










Scarf Super G
Good Luck Cowl










Single Skein Speed Skate
Abstract Leave Cowl










State Complusory Dance
Wavy Fathers Wimple












WIPs - Dancing
Peruvian Cat Scarf












So as you can see I will be busy trying to get these all done between the 12th and 28th. It's insanity!

Finally I have decided to look into going back to school to get my graduate degree in Accounting. The university here in San Antonio has a good program. I need to take the GMat and GRE to apply. I'm going to start a prep course for the GRE in teh next week that will last most of the spring semester. Wish me luck with all this crap. If I complain that I'm bored just refer me back to this post!

Knitting and Such

Life gets back to normal around SerineKat's homestead but there are some new developments. The Husband leaves soon for work. We will miss him while he is away. I am exercising and taking better care of myself... even wearing makeup everyday! Finally, Olivia the cat says that you all 'suck'. So much has changed and Olivia never changes.

Above is a new scarf I'm working on. I started it back in 2008 but then got my carpal tunnel really bad and had to stop. I wanted to finish this before Christmas this year but it just didn't happen. Since Christmas I've knitted a good three to four feet on this baby. It's a way easy knit. I've memorized the pattern. Just time consuming because it's lace weight yarn.

This photo is of the infamous Beep! Beep! Blanket. I wanted to get it done this month but that's just not going to happen. I think this is a two month project. This is my first truely intricate multicolored project. I find myself having to go back to books often to get the technique right. Very time consuming but looking good.
I need to get another easier project on the needles before I go crazy. I need something quick and simple. I'm looking at maybe trying another Mitered Towel or dishcloth.

Home Sweet Home and My New Obsession

It's been a busy holiday season for us. Starting Monday everything goes onto the New Year Schedule. Hunter will start daycare three days a week, The Husband goes back to work full time and I get into a regular routine with the home. I need a regular routine. It's just my nature to work better until a daily plan and schedule. I'm so looking forward to Monday for this reason.
I finally took some photos of the house today. No it's not all picked up but you get the idea. We still have some painting, unpacking and general organizing to do but for the most part the living room, dinning, kitchen, my office, the master bedroom and Hunter's room are all done. Today I plan on doing some picking up and more organizing in my office.
It has been declared that today is Sara day and I can do and go where I please. So I went to The Container Store again. That place is like a shot of really good liquor. OCDer's: run to The Container Store! I've also taken photos of that lovely place so go to Flickr and enjoy. For the rest of the day I am just going to shuffle around the house. I am just a real home body. I like my house and frankly if I'm paying that much on my mortgage I better be enjoying it!

"Twas the Day After Christmas...

... And all through our home, every creature was stirring except for The Husband...
Men, they will sleep through anything without the slightest hint of guilt. God bless them. Hunter and I were up early and he is busy with his 100 new matchbox cars and trucks. He really made out good on Christmas. Heck, we all made out well for Christmas. We have a new Wii, 5 new ducks for the dog, a new knitting purse, a knitting kit, lots of new knitting books, yarn, a Slap Chop, a handmade Bunad for Hunter, and so much more! It was a good day. We had a turkey dinner and just kept a low profile.
Today I don't know what is in store. Probably more laziness. I've never been a fan of the after Christmas sales. I really don't like crowds of bargain shoppers. So, we may just stay close to home.
I"ve noticed I can't just relax. I always have to be doing something. I can't just sit and watch TV without eating, knitting, or working on something. I am a true multitasker. This is a blessing and a curse. I need to learn how to just be sometimes. Maybe I'll work on that today... HA, who am I kidding. Off to clean the bathrooms now!

Christmas Eve Pack-In

Yes, our last load of household goods arrived on Christmas Eve morning. Yippee! It only took 30 minutes for all the items to be loaded into our home. About a quarter of our Christmas gifts were in this pack-in. Thank God they arrived in time! Now I have all my yarn - at least what I could find - and am about to unpack it in my office... this might take a few hours...

Krumkake is a Norwegian thing... it's flour, butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla all thrown together and then ironed to crisp perfection and rolled into ice cream cone shapes. It can filled with cream, ice cream, fruits or nothing. It's yummy. I make Krumkake every Christmas now. It's become tradition ever since my mother bought me my first krumkake iron a couple years back. Well, The Husband I decided to make the Krumkake and other goodies for a neighborhood Christmas gathering tonight. Only we made the Krumkake early so we wouldn't have to rush today. Dumb. The massive shift of humidity onto San Antonio the last 48 hours coupled with a dryer line that isn't quite clamped down has turned crispy pastries into moldable weridness. They still taste great but I can't in good conscious serve this to my new Texas neighbors. Oh well, guess there's more Krumkake for me...

Ahhhhhh

Yeap, it's pretty much done. We're moved in. At least me, the kid and the animals. The Husband likes to unpack his stuff at his own leisure... which is usually three to four months behind mine. The main living areas are done, the bedroom is done and Hunter's room is done. Just the guest bedroom and The Husband's office need to be unpacked and organized. It feels good.
The photo is taken from my office looking towards the kitchen and then the dinning room beyond. We don't have a camera right now because the charger is in the shipment from Idaho that is due in on Christmas Eve. I know, dumb. Anyhow, once I get the camera I will post a few photos to entertain you all with.
Today I went to a learning center to scope out care for Hunter. I like to have him in daycare three days a week... it gives him a chance to have fun and get some energy out and socialize and it gives me a break to get things done and have me time. I think I've found a place that covers all my bases. It's only a mile and a half from the house and Hunter loves it. I took him with me for the interview and tour and he ran into the play room and took out all the cars and trucks to play with and was hyper focused on nothing but those for the rest of the time. When we had to leave he screamed and cried and kicked. He did NOT want to go. Further proof that getting him out a few times a week is vital, he loves it.
I have to take a moment now and talk about a total indulgence. It's called The Container Store. I often see items from this store in magazines like Real Simple and Martha Stewart Living. It's a store dedicated to organizing stuff. It's a OCD dream! I really had to hold myself back there. It's similar to IKEA in that it's simple design and sleek. The prices are a little over the norm but the products are fantastic. I ended up getting a few Stockholm Office Storage Boxes, a couple of Stockholm Desktop File Boxes, a Page'Up, a Bulletin & Magnetic Strip, a Pull Out Basket for the kitchen, and an Aluminum Can Crusher just to name a few. The whole shopping experience was orgasmic. Can't wait to go back again someday soon!
I hear the whining of my little man. Nap time must be over now... back to my life.

Progress

Today I can report that I feel that progress has finally been made in our house. I have cleared enough boxes and developed enough living space free of moving debris that I feel we are finally getting somewhere! I know that my view of progress is skewed. I spent many good years a money in therapy learning and acknowledging this... still it remains... at least I am aware.
The living room is looking good, only 6 boxes remain on the first floor... most have enormous rugs that need to be hung and laid on the dinning room floor -- which needs to be steam cleaned... that's today's chore. Upstairs I was able to empty and put away 10 boxes in the master closet in just one hour this morning. Now I just want to sit for awhile while my little man takes a morning nap.
Now for a cultural lesson: I got my local channels on my Directv today. Over half are spanish speaking channels. Wow. Maybe now is the time to really learn spanish. I took three years in high school and never really got great at speaking the language. I can say a few things and I am learning more through hours of 'Handy Manny' on the Disney channels. Living in a place like San Antonio it's very obvious that white english speaking natives are rare. In order to have a thorough and diverse experience here I think it is time to bite the bullet and actually learn a language inside and out. So, do I watch 'Judge Mathis' today or "Necesito una Amiga'? Choices.

Ugh...

Still unpacking... still hating it! I think I've finally reached a point where I don't care if the closets or trim are painted... I just want to unpack already! Today has been more of the same.. unpacking the first floor. I could move to the second but my energy is on the fritz and the security installation people are here hogging up much of my time. I think it's time for a nice cold Dt. Pepsi and a TV break... to be continued...

Day Two In San Antonio

It's still quite early here in Texas. I'm waiting for my meds to kick in and wake me up. Again I am dreading the day ahead of me with unpacking. Hunter is a 'pistol' today - that's what my mother called it on the phone. He's up and into everything and talking up a storm about all he's doing. I am like a limping old dog. My body is very sore and my focus is very .... oh look a squirrel! Well, you get the idea.
Good news about the weekend is that The Husband has hired a friend to come out and help again with painting. They will both be working on rooms that I haven't unpacked yet... so I'm off for the weekend. If I can just get the first floor done today then there's little if anything for me to do on Saturday and Sunday. I'm thinking of going to Austin to IKEA. Of course I'll be doing this with Hunter... a bit tricky but doable.
Ugggggggh... ok back to going through boxes. Right now I'm working on the office boxes which are all mixed up. The Husband and I shared an office back in WV but now are on different floors here in TX. Lots of carrying boxes up and down the stairs... my poor back!

Sunrise in San Antonio

Today was my first day in San Antonio. It was a beautiful morning. The sunshine coming in our living room was perfect. Our old place in West Virginia didn't have as many windows... I love my windows here. I got off to a slow start unpacking but after taking my ritalin I was a woman possessed. Hunter kept himself busy with whatever he'd find. I got most of the kitchen unpacked and am working on the dinning and living rooms. Tomorrow I plan on getting those done and at least half of my office area.
I haven't made it out to town yet. I will hopefully get to do that this weekend.
Ahhhhh... I think my ibrophren is kicking in... relaxing.

LOSER

.... Now back to your regularly scheduled blogging.

All is Good

So it all worked out. The house is bought, the rennovations are underway thanks to the Husband. Hunter and I will join him this week. I am taking a Saturday night and enjoying a Boise favorite... Chicago Connection pizza. Yum. You can't find this anywhere else but here in the Treasure Valley. It's a cheese lovers dream. Everytime I come back to Boise I have to have Chicago Connection pizza and pork tacos at Cafe Ole. Mission accomplished.
Poor Hunter has come down with a double ear infection and is quite sick. Yesterday he was running a temperature of 103. Today he is better. His tylenol and antibiotics have all kicked in and he's pretty active and sassy. I hope I can get him better by Tuesday so I can get him one last day in daycare before we leave but it's pretty touch and go. I can't believe how bad he got before he started showing symptoms of his infection. Oh well, you live and you learn.

HOLDING OUR BREATH

Today is 'C' day. That's Closing Day. At sundown we should be the proud owners of a new home. Of course anything can happen between now and then. It's rare here in the US for problems to pop up in the house buying process. Initially you get an inspector to check out the basics of the home and tell you what is good, bad and ugly. Then who ever decides to front you the money to buy the home has an appraiser come in and do the same. We are getting a VA loan which is one of the strictest ones out there. Stains on carpets must be cleaned and or replaced, screens missing from windows must reappear and so forth. Our biggest road bump has been with this appraiser but I think he'll be happy now and give us the money to buy the home. If not, it's back to square one and living in a van down by the river. But let's be positive.
My time in Boise is coming to an end. Very soon I will be down in Texas (house or not). Again I feel strange about my relationship with this community. I really think I've just finally 'grown out of' Boise. It's no longer home. Leaving B-town is ok and although I will miss my friends here I am really happy to be reunited with my husband, dog and cat... and to have us all together again like a home.

The moving process continues. Today I spent a few hours on the phone transferring utilities into our names, setting internet at our new house and arranging the move for me from Idaho to Texas. Now I am sick. No, really, I think I have the hamtrhax, or as it's officially known as SWINE FLU. Oh this mo'fo' hit me around noon like a ton of bricks. Achiness, exhuastion and a fever of over a 100 degrees. Swell. I just want to sleep or die but can't seem to do either. Thank god I got done all that I did this morning... I don't know if I"ll be able to do much for the next few days. Pray for me.