Socks on Vacation

I have entered a contest hosted by Zarzuela.  The contest was entitled Socks on Vacation, and the object was to photograph…you guessed it, a handknit sock on vacation.  I entered, and am really pleased with the photograph that I took while on vacation in Tuscany.

Please read the directions for the voting here, at Zarzuela Knits and Crochets.  The directions lprovide a link to a flickr set, where you can view all of the entries.  Of course, vote for your favorite (but if your favorite happens to have a bottle of wine in it, I’ll be all the happier!).  Voting will only take a few minutes via email, and you’ll help someone (even if it isn’t me) walk away with some great prizes.

Thanks for the support!

For Daddy

A little something to brighten Daddy’s day, since he has to be so far away!

PS:  I bet the rest of you will enjoy it, too!

Sam & Kicka Go Swimming

PPS:  I swear I will figure out how to get this right in here one day…promise.

All Jumbled Up!

With no camera cord and a busy schedule of beaching it, I am so behind on my blogging that I hardly know what to share with you next.  Here’s a quick run down of some of the highlights of the last two weeks–from Bethany Beach, Delaware to Ocean, City, Maryland, we did it all!

Underwater with Aunt Kiki

Around and Around They Go!

Ice Cream with Grandma

Beautiful Girl

A Lesson in Crabbing from Uncle Chris

The girls absolutely loved our time with Courtney & Mark, Kiki & Andrew, and Grandma & Ross at the beach in Delaware.  To get to head to Ocean City and see Mary, Chris, Alli, Meg & Julia, Nanee & Pop, Lynn, Billy, Laura & Brayden, and Pop-Pop & Teri was just the icing on an already delicious summer ice cream cake.  Thanks everyone!

I’ve been promoted!

I don’t write much about my writing, but I have exciting news about it today!  After eleven months of writing for Associated Content, I’ve gone up to Clout 9.  This means that I’ve had almost 200,000 page views on my 215 articles.  I’ve now gone from making $1.50 for every 1,000 page views to earning $1.75 for every 1,000 page views.  I write about whatever strikes my fancy, the news, and often get to fill calls for some of their partner websites.  My web writing career really seems to be taking off!

Though I know that a lot of my traffic comes from google now that I’ve learned more about web writing, keywording, and search engine optimization, I also know that many of you read every word that I write at Associated Content.  I can’t tell you how much that means to me.  I appreciate it not only for the money, but for the support.  Writing has become a huge part of my life since I’ve moved overseas, and I love that I have been able to share it with many of you. 

I can’t say enough about how much I love writing for Associated Content, and the opportunities that it has given me.  It’s re-ignited my love of writing, and was indirectly responsible for me deciding to write my novel. 

Thanks, AC.

Thanks friends, family, and readers.

On to Clout 10!

The Ravelympics & WIP Wrestling

Tomorrow is the day.  With the opening ceremonies in Beijing, Ravelry is kicking off the first official Ravelympics. 

Determined not to get in over my head, a la Malabrigo March, I am focusing on just one project during the Ravelympics.  It’s so hard to do, because there are all kinds of great events and patterns wooing me from afar.  But I am standing firm, and have only entered one event:  WIPs Wrestling.

WIP (work in progress) Wrestling is for knitters who need a little extra help to get motivated and finish a UFO (unfinished object) that has been sitting neglected or taken forever to finish.  It is something that should be a challenge for you to complete in the 17 days of the Olympics.

Can you guess what I’ll be pulling out for the first Ravelympics?

You guessed it.  I have brought with me to America My Cardigan for Arwen.  Here is a shot of her:

Left Side/Sleeve/Hood for Arwen

The back is also finished, so all I have left to finish is the right side/sleeve/hood.

Doesn’t sound too hard, does it?

The first side only took 3 months!

So, here it is.  I have 17 days, starting tomorrow, to finish the sweater of all sweaters.  I won’t let her beat me…I can do it!

Here’s to the Ravelympics.  Here’s to WIP Wrestling.  Here’s to Arwen!

Can I help you picture it?

I wonder if I can help you picture it with no camera? 

The girls were up bright and early, and since Marcus isn’t here, the three of us awoke in one bed, cuddled up together.  We ate waffles on the porch, and watched Cars while I wrote for a bit.  Then we got ready with Grandma and Ross and headed to the pool.

We swam, we jumped, and we played.  There were some tears, as there often are, as we learned to share and play together, as well as to handle frustration.  We came home for lunch and rest time.

Samantha crashed on the couch, and Erica ran around while I dozed in and out of sleep, myself.  When everyone woke, we walked with Grandma to the shops nearby to buy some pool toys.  Ross and his dog Gus met us there, and the girls spashed in the fountains outside, wearing nothing but their knickers! 

We came home and played on the porch, watched Fraggle Rock, and ate a delicious meal of hot dogs, corn, and applesauce, capped off with pudding for dessert. 

The girls cried during bathtime, and settled down some while I took one of my own.  Erica crashed before 7 PM, and Samantha stayed awake until almost 9 PM, reading books.  She eventually looked at me, with her big beautiful eyes, and said, “Mommy, I’m ready for bed now.”

Tomorrow we’ll do it all again.

I wouldn’t want it any other way.

God Really Does Speak.

Marcus and I put an offer on a house on Wednesday.  In this real estate slump, it was on the market for 176 days, and had already dropped $100,000 in price.  We made an offer within 10% of their new price.

Another couple made an offer the same day (on a house that had been on the market for 176 days…did you get that part?) and they got it, instead.

God really does speak.  If this wasn’t Him telling us that this house wasn’t for us, I don’t know how else He could have done it.

Message received.  The house hunt will continue.  Thankfully, we’ve still got a year to go.

Undivided Attention

The girls and I have been awake for more than three hours now.  In that time we have:

• had bowls of oatmeal, milk, and fruit for breakfast
• watched Handy Manny
• played on the swingset
• gone to 7′11 for slurpees and powdered doughnuts
• played with the farm and doll toys that my mother saved from when my sisters and I were kids
• written an article for Associated Content
• transferred money from my Paypal account to my checking account

And it’s only 9:24 AM.  Whew.

But while I was pushing the girls on the swings this morning, it struck me that my mind was wondering.  I was thinking about the socks I am knitting, the article I needed to write, the things I needed to buy for the open house on Saturday, and the emails that I wanted to return and the post I wanted to write here. 

And I felt guilty.  Guilty that I wasn’t giving the girls my undivided attention while they were swinging.  I was anxious for that to be over so I could move on to the next thing.  I felt badly about that.

The truth is, there’s no reason for the guilt.  My girls are good girls.  I love them.  I play with them.  I feed them, clothe them, clean up after them, and do my best with them.  I am not perfect, but they are certainly loved and cared for every day.

And still the guilt lingers.  I feel that I should be giving them my undivided attention 24/7, and enjoying every second of the day that I get with them. 

I know I am not the only mother to do this to herself.  My friend Anne is always telling me that I am too hard on myself.  She’s right.  But I can’t be the only one.  I know there are other women out there feeling it, living it, too. 

At any rate, the girls and I are off to cuddle on the couch and watch another episode of Handy Manny.  I’ll probably feel guilty about that later, too…

Ah well…

Just One Week Down

…and so much has already happened here in Maryland that I hardly know where to begin.  First off, the girls, Marcus, and I are having a blast seeing family and friends.  It’s amazing how much we block out and try not to dwell on while we are overseas, but the truth is that people are what we miss most about home.

People and food, of course.  We’ve eaten out at least once a day (horrifying, I know) and the highlights have been Chipotle, the drive thru at McDonald’s, subs and poppers, Maggiano’s, and Slurpees.  Ahhh…heavenly.

And in just a week I’ve managed to finish my February Lady Sweater!  She still needs blocking and buttons, but take a look at this beauty!

For the knitters in the audience, I followed the pattern as written for the XXS size.  I did 2/3 sleeves and a crop body (to the hip) expecting it to grow with blocking.  We’ll see if it works out.  I did do the eyelet increases, there are three buttonholes, and I might have done a few too many rows after I stopped the raglan increases at the top (the pattern calls for at least 3 rows after the eyelet increases, and I think I did at least 7 before the first lace repeat and sleeve separation).  All in all though, I am incredibly pleased with my very first completed cardigan! 

One more bit of news.  It may be a bit premature, but Marcus and I made an offer on a house today.  We totally weren’t expecting it, but this house seems perfect, and we know it could be our home.  We’ll see what happens!  In the meantime, cross your fingers and toes.

Whew…and we’ve only been in the states for one week.  Imagine what could transpire in the 4 left to go!

What do you pack for 5 weeks in Maryland?

Here’s what 5 weeks worth of wool really looks like.  It’s overlooking the pool and the Chesapeake Bay, the view from my mother’s house.

I don’t know what I love the most in this picture.