Christmas!!!

This year, like most years lately, I decided I wanted to try to make things for people for Christmas. It's always such a good idea, but so time consuming! While I do love to make crafts and things, I'm not very creative on my own, and I'm a horrible decision maker. Also, I'm slower than slow! So, anything I try to make takes at least twice as long as I thought it would, and is really hard for me to come up with what to do! *sigh*
But I do try...

One of my favorite things to make are dishcloths. I don't actually use dishcloths myself, but I really like crocheting them, so I make them and people get them as gifts... whether they wanted it or not! I made 1 at home before we left (one afternoon when I wanted to crochet something), I made one on the plane on the way to Idaho, and a third one I made while at my parent's house in Victor. I had a lot of fun alternating the stitches I was using! (I'd do several rows alternating a single crochet and a half double crochet, then a row of single, then several rows of double crochets, then a single, etc. They ended up super cute!) Sorry, I don't have pictures, but maybe next time I make one, I'll take a picture!

My mother collects nativity scenes. She's got dozens all over her house. But they all have to be different and unique. (Who wants multiple of the same ones?) She's got several that are one piece with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus (any idea if those have a special name?). And several that are the "whole sets" with the family, angel, donkey, cow, sheep, shepherds, wise men, and camels. She has one set that has little bears as the people, one set with snowmen as the people, another set made of olive wood, another set that's wooden with like patchwork quilt painted on (I think it's called Heartwood Creek, I'm not positive though), etc.

Anyways, I decided to make her a nativity scene this year for Christmas. I cross-stitched it, and BOY did it take a long time! It turned out fairly well, though.
This picture was taken after it was already hanging on my mom's wall, by my wonderful husband, who thought that I probably hadn't taken a picture of it (I hadn't), and I'd regret not having one! (If you click on it, it will be bigger with more detail...)

Last Christmas, I made an sewed an apron and some animals made of felt to go in the pockets for one of my nieces (A). I wanted to make a second one for another niece (L) that's about 6 months younger, but I ran out of time. So she got it this year for Christmas. This one's a little different, but still turned out really cute! (I think, anyways!)
Last year I made a baby chick and duck (one was yellow and one was white...) but I sort of made them from the same shape, so you can't tell them apart. So this year I just made the yellow one and made a purple starfish instead of the white thing. I really like the starfish!

I also made "jingly socks" for the 4 youngest nieces (C -5 months, L -2 y 3 mo, E -1 year, & A -2 yr 8 mo).
They each got a Christmas pair (I mailed them a couple of weeks before Christmas), and another pair (or 2) for Christmas. Here's 4 of the 6 pairs I actually managed to make. I seem to have forgotten to take pictures of the other 2, which is a shame 'cause they were sure cute! There was a pink pair of socks and a white pair with "rainbow" beads. I have no idea which kids got which socks!

I thought about making some for our other niece and nephew, but a) I wasn't sure that boys (he's 4) should be wearing socks with beads on them, b) I wasn't sure that a 7 year old girl would want beads on her socks. So, alas, I once again didn't make something for those two... (we bought them toys though, and sometimes that's better!)


I actually was feeling bad at the beginning of December because I hadn't done/gotten anything for the adults of our families, just their kids, so I was racking my brain for what I could make for them. I thought they might enjoy little ornaments for their tree with their families names on them. But I only had time to make one little family, so Nick and Nickie were the lucky ones this year.
I cross-stitched these, and made the frames myself... (the frames look terrible! Sorry Nickie!)

Next year though... watch out! Ornaments all around! ...maybe... ;)
I should start making them now so I'm not freaking out the week before Christmas...

Blanket and toys

My sister-in-law, Nickie (well, and her husband, Nick) just had a baby girl in July. I made a blanket for the new baby girl, and took pictures of it just before I sent it off.

This is the blanket I made for Baby B. (aka C)...

I also made a few little toys for big sister L.
At Christmas last year, L loved Elmo, and when I ran across a pattern for a soft squishy Elmo ball, I had to make it for her! And then I read on Nickie's blog about L watching Winnie the Pooh and his bees, and how she ran through the house yelling "Bees!"... And had to make a couple of bees! I had this butterfly made, and actually just remembered just now that I sent L a family of butterflies for her birthday last month, too... Hmmm... I guess she's probably got enough butterflies for a while!

This butterfly is very close to the ones I sent to my brother's little girl A for her birthday in April. L's were a little different, though.
(I'm getting better at crocheting and more adventurous, so I don't follow the patterns quite so exactly...) ;)

Pictures of my things!

Hi world!

So, lots has been happening here, but ummm.... mostly I'm going to ignore it 'cause I feel no obligation to catch up on everything!

It's time for sharing time! :)

So, back before Christmas, I was working on some Christmas presents... One of which was an apron with little pockets on it,
and some animals to go in it.
Cute little apron and animals, huh? I'm super proud of how well it all turned out!
The pockets are "specially designed" -- by me -- to hold these 3 to 4 inch tall animals...

I had every intention of making 2 aprons and animal sets, one for by brother's little girl A,and one for Hal's brother's little girl L. Well, I successfully made one...
A really liked it though! She likes her "pockets".

Hopefully I'll have the other one made by L's birthday, or next Christmas! I really think she'd have fun with them too! (Or maybe as a "congrats, you're a big sister" present?)
Another thing I made was a baby blanket for E (my brother Sky and his wife Lacey's) newborn daughter (born Dec. 10th). It only took me... lets see... 5 whole months to make! And I never would have succeeded without Jenn's help! Thanks Jenn! You saved me! :)
I was super proud of myself for this one too!

And the good news is... I finished my next one, for (Hal's brother and wife) Nick and Nickie's upcoming baby girl just recently! I'm months ahead of schedule! She's not due until July! :)
I'll post pictures as soon as I get around to taking them...


I've also been crocheting bags, I made one for L for Christmas (in sherbet colors! It looked delicious!) but I neglected to take a picture of it.

And then when A fell of a chair at her house and shattered her elbow, I made her one, too. (If she can't use both hands, she needed some way to carry things!)
And just barely I made a family of butterflies for A's 2nd birthday (which was earlier this month...) Whew!

I think next I'll attempt to finish the apron I've started for L, and make some animals, and maybe crochet an Elmo ball that I found a pattern for...

That is after I find me a house!

I've been trying to come up with something that I can make for S (who's turning 7 in July) and I (who's turning 4 in September). And something I can make for Christmas next year for my brother Ben, who'll be 18 and getting ready to go on a mission (we hope!). Hmmm....

Colds, house, moving, Christmas...

So, a little while ago, I posted (complained) that I was getting sick. Well, I've been sick! I've had a terrible, awful, no good, very bad cold. I've had a runny nose, cough, and I've been losing my voice! Some moments were better than others, but for the most part, I couldn't really talk above a whisper for almost a week! Which two things wrong here... I'm a receptionist. My JOB is to answer the phone. 'Nough said there. And I LOVE to talk! I fail miserably at any sort of quiet contest game, so it was a terrible week! Not only did I feel terrible, but I couldn't talk, too! What kind of unjust world is this?!

But I'm feeling better now.

And now my world is falling more apart! Well, maybe falling is a bad choice of words. It's not falling... it's jumping all around me!

While I was sick (kind of out of the blue, it seemed), Hal was invited - is invited a good term for this? - to come to Houston for a job interview. (Which turned out to sound like a really good awesome job! It looks like it will be a totally sweet oportunity!) He didn't know if he'd even have a chance of getting the job, because he doesn't exactly have experience in the design field now... But they offered him the job! Sweet!

We looked around Houston a bit... or a lot. Went to the zoo, 'cause it's my favorite, and it was almost our anniversary. (We go to zoos all the time, including on our honeymoon!) And drove around and saw a lot of neighborhoods. And decided we couldn't actually live IN Houston. Maybe in one of the big surrounding communities, but not in the middle of the crazyness!

Anyways, we came home and proceded to live life, and then the job offer came in. And we had to do some quick changes! Obviously we'll be moving to Houston, but we have a house here in Wichita Falls, that we'll have to try to sell! It could probably use some work before we try to sell it. (You know, fix the wall in the kitchen where there used to be a cabinet - that we removed- and we never got around to fixing. Replace the bathtub that seems to be sinking, but it can't go far 'cause we're on a concrete slab... all that kind of stuff!) So, I did the most logical thing... in my brain anyways...

I called my brother David! He's always willing to come to my rescue! And he said he didn't have anything better to do for a few weeks, and packed his bags. I bought him a plane ticket, and he hopped on a plane. (I found a one-way one for relatively cheapish, too! I was excited!) He's here at my house doing a quick remodeling job on my bathroom... he removed the tub yesterday (wow! No problems getting it out!) and started on the floor - we've got awful tile stickers that aren't stuck well and are starting to peel up... Today he's planning on trying to wrestle in the new tub, but he may need help with that... we'll see how that goes! Maybe that will be a job for this evening, after Hal and I are home from work! Anyways, I'm very grateful and happy that my brother came to save us! He's great!

Anyways, hopefully our house won't give him ANY problems... that's the wish anyways! No problems! Extra hopefully this whole project won't take as long as we are afraid it will. The wish is that everything can be done before we leave to drive up for Christmas. Extra bonus! We'll have 3 drivers to drive up for Christmas! Wahoo!

And then on top of working on my house being remodeled, I also get to work on packing it all up -- again! To move. Again! And find a new place to live. Again! Uggh!

And last week when I went to the Dr. to follow up on how I was doing with my Topamax, my Dr. didn't like the looks of me... apparently losing 15 pounds in a month (drastic, yes, but it stopped when I hit 120...) was a bit much for her. And I was unable to carry on a decent converation. Which I had already noticed, thank you very much! My best description of how I've been feeling for the last month was that "I live in my own world. In my current world, it's all good! But when I try to come back to Earth and interact with other people, I get all confused." She didn't care much for that description, not that I blame her... but that's how I've been feeling!
So, she decided to take me off of the topamax, and up my dosage of prozac, to try to make me care about the world. Which might be good, might be bad, but either way at least we're trying something! And apparently, as much as I'd like my headaches to go away, the depression is an actual medical condition that is treatable. The headaches are just a nuisance.

But yet another Dr. has expressed concern over me possibly being bipolar. I'm not sure that that is a good thing! Unless they just look for that in everyone that is depressed...
I told David that my Dr. thinks I may be bipolar, and he said "it's 'cause you're so moody!" I'm like "I'm not sure that she's seen my moodyness!" But either way... bipolar or not, my world is the same today, so onward!

And I'm not done with Christmas presents yet! It's so difficult to pick presents! *Sigh* I'll get it done, though! Just wait and see!

My house will be all pretty and stuff, it'll all be packed up and ready to go to Houston, and I'll have all my Christmas done before Dec. 19th. ('Cause that's when I'm leaving for Idaho... it has to be done!) I can do it!!!

Oooopps...

I did a bad... I was trying to delete a label, and somehow I deleted all my posts! I'm not sure HOW I managed that... It's supposed to ask are you sure you want to delete this? But it didn't! Just poof! Gone! How upsetting!

Something about trying to blog and work at the same time apparently isn't working very well for me today! I was trying to be super productive!
Good thing I had it emailing me the posts as I went, huh?
Anyways, I'll deal with THAT another time! But GRRRR!!! Sometimes I really make myself mad!
*Sigh* Deep breaths... Count to ten... The world will NOT crash down around me just because I accidentally deleted some of my blog! It has happend before, afterall, and I survived that just fine, too! (I think that's the saddest part right there... I've done this before, too! Do I never learn?!)

I got a flu shot!

So... I hate shots. And I've never wanted a flu shot before! Never seemed like a good idea, but...

I analyzed the situation... and decided it was for the best.

It goes like this...

Lacey Joy (my big sister!) is having a baby on Dec. 10. And if I'm not sick when we come up in December for Christmas, I can hold her and snuggle her and all that! But if I'm sick... no such snuggling luck!So I have to do everything in my power to be NOT sick when I show up for Christmas! Which, with me, will be really hard, 'cause for whatever reason, I'm always sick! GRRRRR!!!!

Anyways, I came up with the idea, that maybe if I gave myself the flu... I would be sure to not get it at Christmas? At least the same strain anyways... So, when my office did their annual office-paid flu shot vaccines on Tuesday, I participated! Hoping for one of two outcomes. The best would be that I'd be vaccinated and be immune. Wouldn't that be swell? The second would be that I'd get the flu. And have it now, and not over Christmas. Either way, I win. I think.

The only problem is that I already had nasal drainage & a sore throat (bad idea to get the flu shot already sick? I think yes!) and it's getting worse! So now I'm not sure if I'm just getting a worse cold (I hate colds!) or if I'm getting the flu (at least I'd get to go home for the day). Anyways, I feel terrible. I've got a slight fever, and I've got muscle aches, and my arm hurts where I got the shot at, and uggh. I win. I guess.

I told a lady here at work that my plan was to either be vaccinated against the flu or get the flu so I don't have to get it at Christmas time. And you know what she said? That's really smart. Makes me feel special to be told I'm smart... Whether I really am or not is another story, but we both think that it sounds like I thought it through!

I'm thinking maybe I'm an idiot? What if I got a flu shot, with my already compromised immune system (I had a sore throat already), and gave myself the flu? That would surely stink! Not cool! *sigh* What's a girl to do? Too late to go back now!

Additional note: Apparently, it's rare to get the flu from the flu shot, but if you do it's not for a couple of weeks. However that's not really what I'm worried about! A couple of people in my office had already had the flu! I'm worried that I already had it in my system, and overloading it with too many viruses to fight off will make me come down to too many! I have a tendency to get whatever bug a couple of weeks to months after everyone else around me has had it... like I've been fighting it and fighting it and I just can't beat it or something... It's dumb!

By the way...

I got my test results back...
I'm fine. I guess. My blood count was OK; my blood sugar was OK, 79 (normal is 70-110); my liver was OK - alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT, Bilirubin; my kidney tests were OK - BUN & Creatinine; my thyroid was OK; and my electrolytes were fine too.
I'm fine! Apparently they couldn't find anything wrong with me... kind of a bummer if you ask me. I'd almost rather something majorly be wrong and then they could fix it.

So, on a different sort of the same kind of complaining note...
I upped my dosage of Topamax last night. From 25 mg to 50 mg. Wahoo! And I woke up at 5:30 this morning. Done sleeping and ready to go. I HATE that! I really hate that! For some reason it messes with my sleeping! It makes my brain think it's done when I don't want to be! It's Saturday! DRAT! I could even sleep in until noon if I wanted! And I'm up before 6! GROWL!!!! *Sigh*

But so far... I'm OK. We'll see how this next week goes. Hopefully, I do just fine!

Uggghhh!!!

So, I'd just like to say... Topamax is kicking my butt! Well, sorta... I can deal with it, but it's sure got some killer neat side effects and I quote a few "Weakness, tiredness, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, difficulty concentrating, tingling of the hands/feet, loss of appetite, diarrhea, impotence, and weight loss may occur." I haven't had the impotence one. Hmmm... strange... can't imagine why...
But the rest... check, check, and check. Super irritating! I even did what my mom suggested and don't think that I'll get any of them... and you know, they kind of took me by surprise. I knew that some people have tingly hands and feet and I'm like "whatever" and it's downright unpleasant! And I knew that lots of people have problems concentrating and speaking and I'm like "won't be me". Etc, etc, etc. It just seemed a little surreal, you know? It's like those commercials that say "possible side effects are..." and list every possible side effect known to man... I've always thought "really? No way do those really happen!" Well... sometimes... they do...

But I am starting to get feeling a little better.
My worst day was Tuesday. I spent the whole day feeling like I was sleep walking. I didn't function well at work and we all decided (me and the few people that up to that point knew what I was taking) that I had better start doing better 'cause totally out of it doesn't suit me for working! It's nice to be able to pick up the phone and say "good morning" and not go "ummm ornin". Apparently I was out of it enough that I had dazed expressions on my face all day. People kept laughing when they walked by. It wasn't very nice... But kinda funny...

Anyways, I just wanted to share that I'm starting to feel a little less side-effect kicked. However, if I don't have a headache (which I haven't, usually, this week) what's the problem again? Anyways, tomorrow I get to bump up the dosage again, so... we'll just see how next week goes.

My biggest problem so far, seems to be in verbal communication. I always have problems speaking, but lately... I can't come up with any of my words! It's terrible! I can't even describe stuff! There's just no thoughts in my brain to share with the world!

Or maybe the biggest problem is that for some reason I've developed a muscle twitch, but be it from the topamax or the prozac, or both... who knows! Anyways, my right leg twitches when I relax it. Sometimes quite violently. To prevent myself from kicking at undesired times, say... when driving down the road... I have to keep my right leg muscles tensed up. And then when the muscle spasms, it really hurts! A lot! But I don't jerk my leg. Just get a charlie horse...

Or maybe the biggest problem is that I'm not sleeping well anymore... not sure what drug to blame that one on...or just 'cause. I do know that I wake up sometimes with my muscle spasm thing...

Hmmm...

And today, I got lost, well, not literally, but, kinda.
I was trying to check my voice mail at work. And the code to dial into the voice mail box is 601, and then my phone extension is 9991#. Well, I got a little mixed up and couldn't figure out how to do it! I've checked my voice mail dozens and dozens of times and what do I pick up the phone and dial? 991#. (It's like a nice combination of my extension number and the 3 digit code I was supposed to be entering!) Does anyone know who/what that number is? Whatever it is, I called it twice before someone came over to see what I was so confused about. I felt like such a moron!
I hope it's not some big ol' bill to the company or something. But it rings...I'm just glad I didn't dial 911. That might have been awkward. And confusing! *Whew!!*

Anyways, maybe I'm doing as well on this current drug cocktail as I thought... ah, well, the quest for no headaches must continue! I will succeed!

Hip Hip Hooray!

GUESS WHAT??? (Chicken butt! ...tee hee couldn't resisit.)

No, really! I have exciting news!
I called the pharmacy this morning, and my insurance has agreed to let me get the Topamax! Hurray! I get to try a new drug! That's always sooo fun! As long as I don't have awful side effects... then it's not so fun... nope, it sure isn't...
Hurray!
I'm so incredibley excited! This does mean that if it works, I'll probably have to get a different kind of birth control. Hmmm... What's not a hormonal one? Besides getting a hysterectomy. I don't want to play that game. What if someday I wanted kids? Gotta find something else. I wonder if I could get an IUD? I've never had kids. Does that rule me out completely? Would it hurt? Going in, staying in, whatever? Hmmm... curious!

And this nice lady I work with, Diana, has a daughter who totally loves collecting acorns, too. And she sent me some acorns today! Two of them look like muppets or something! They are totally awsome! They seem to be a completely different variety than I'm used to. They're weird! And totally like the awesomist acorns ever! I'll have to take a picture of them when I get home. :-)

It's such a good day!

And Hal got his camera yesterday, which means that this weekend we get to do pictures! Mostly comparison pictures, so he can decide which camera to keep and which to sell. 'Cause he can't have two. That would be a little silly. Maybe we can go visit my camel friends? I should buy some bug spray just in case we go someplace we might need it. The mosquitoes are really bad lately. It's cool enough that they are alive and thriving!

Dr. Visits... are so fun!

So, yesterday I went to the Dr. She gave me a prescription for Prozac and a prescription for Topamax (Topiramate). The Prozac for depression... she agrees it's bad to cry at nothing. And I started crying while telling her I cry all the time, which she thought was amusing. Anyways, the Topamax is an anti-convulsant. It's for seizures. Also used to treat migraines.

I ran into problems filling the topamax, because, apparently, it has been shown to decrease the effectiveness of birth control. (I use NuvaRing, which is a low estrogen kind.) Apparently in clinical studies, the topamax taken in doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/day, decreases the effectiveness of low estrogen birth control by 18, 21, and 30%, respectively.I would be taking 25 - 50 mg/day. So the pharmacist needed to talk to my Dr. to see if they should really give me that drug. So then it becomes a question of this...

Do I try the Topamax and use a secondary birth contol until I know if it works or not? Or do I switch birth controls? (Problem being I don't do well on high estrogen pills. I get a little nutty. So maybe an IUD? That sounds... awkward.) Or do I forget the Topamax and stick with the Trazodone that I've already got? Decisions decisions!

I think that Hal and I decided that if the Dr. decides that it shouldn't be a problem to give me the Topamax, I'll try it, and we'll use a back up. Not a big deal, but kind of irritating. If it works, then I'll look into a different kind of birth control. Even the chance that the effectiveness will be decreased is not something I want to play. I'm on NuvaRing partly because of the effectiveness! Besides the fact that getting pregnant while on Topamax is not a good thing! It apparently interferes with your body's folic acid, which baby's need, as well as being a killer tough drug! Bad, bad, bad idea to get pregnant accidentally!
If they decide to leave me on the Trazodone, that'd be OK, too.

And, also at the Dr...
They stole my blood! 3 vials of it! They're testing my thyroid, and my glucose levels, and something else. *Sigh* She took a look at my back and noticed all the hair accumulated (I hadn't been "plucked" that day) and asked if it always falls out like that. I said yes. And she asked if I have a thyroid problem... hmm... And we thought since they were drawing my blood anyways, we'd do the prelimary glucose thing, just to make sure there, too. Hopefully, it'll all be good. (Or bad and then they can fix me, but I'll wish for good.)

Anyways, I had a fine Dr. visit. It wasn't as bad as I've been dreading. In fact, she's really nice and listens very well! (Something to be desired in someone trying to help fix me.) I got a kick out of one of our conversations:
Dr.: Would you be OK if I requested that medical record (from my abnormal Pap smear)?
Me: Sure.
Dr.: You'd just have to sign a form. I think it would help me know if there's something else I need to know.
Me: You can have all my records. I'll sign all the forms.
Dr.: I could check your old records? (she sounded a little shocked that I "gave in" so quickly.)
Me: Umm... yeah.
So then my question is this: Doesn't it make sense that your Dr. should have access to your old records? Maybe they'd find something useful in them. Besides, that way they might not have to run the same tests! Why would a person refuse to let a Dr. see their old records? I'm a firm believer that it's important to get as accurate and informed diagnosis as possible, to help heal ME better. If they don't have all the info, how can they know what's wrong? Maybe they'll think they know, but if I haven't told them about some other perfectly relavent information, they could be wrong.

I also learned the importance yesterday of having your prescriptions filled at the same place. If the Dr. misses some interaction, that might not even be a big deal, the pharmacist might catch it. That way if it IS a big deal, you're double protected! :)

Anyways, that's all my thoughts today!

NO!!! NO!!! NO!!!

I will NOT be sick!
The flu is going around my office... And I may have caught the bug! ("And you caught me, Mim!") Drat!!! But if I catch this strain... how many more will I have to catch this winter? None or 5? Sometimes I do well and sometimes... not so well. *Sigh*
On the plus side... well, there really isn't on this one. Just that I haven't vomited... yet. I just feel like it.

I'm going to the Dr. today (for my headaches and depression) FINALLY! About time! I *wish* there was just some magical cure for migraines, but, alas, I doubt there is.
Hopefully she'll give me lots of lovely drugs to 1. Prevent my migraines. (I have them often enough that I should qualify.) 2. Make them go away, once I already have them. 3. Get rid of my depression. Between the moving far away from anyone I already knew, the constant pain, and the already depressed me, I'm a little miserable. Almost all the time.
I have been feeling a little less depressed since I've started working. Now if only I could look forward to coming here... I'd have it made! It's not a bad job. Just a job.

I did learn the other day that my Mom has had migraines for practically all her life! (That would have been nice to know... like years ago, when mine started!)
We were talking about how I'm usually "sensitive" (sounds better than killed) by 1 or 2 of the following: light, sound, or movement, but rarely all three.
Mom: "I was always sensitive to all 3."
Me: "You had migraines?"
Mom: "uh, yeah! (Duh!) I thought you knew that. Remember how I used to go into my room and close the door and lay on my bed with the light of and say 'Shhh... Don't touch me... Get off the bed... Shhh... Go away... Shhhh... Don't touch the bed... Go away... Shhhh'?"
Me: "OH YEAH!" I'm like "hmmm... never clicked."

Guess that means my headaches weren't just started from that stupid jack "incident." Maybe I won't have to have another MRI afterall! That'd be sweet. They're so LOUD! And it's killer hard to hold really still!

Ta da! and Drat!

Guess what?!


Last night, I sewed the top to the quilt I'm making. Wahoo! It's like almost done! Well, the top part of it is...I still have to sew the outside border around the inside square. And that made soooo much sense! I'm even confused and I know what I'm doing!

AND.... I've got a headache! Hurray! It doesn't feel like a migraine though. Just a headache from staring at a computer screen all day. I need to turn the brightness back down. There. Done. Now I just have to wonder... why didn't I think of that 8 hours ago? Hmmm...

And guess what else? I don't really have something else. I just wanted to say that! :)

Ghyaaak!!!!

That's my noise for today!

I just looked at my calendar and am panicking slightly! I've got so much to do before Christmas! Only 2 months to go and I've gotta be ready!!! Ghyaaaaak!


I've got: Books to find, things to crochet and sew, presents to pick/buy & make/finish...


I just came up with the cutest thing to try to make for Lexi, though! An "Elbow" puppet! Cute idea, huh? I've got a puppet body pattern, and I could probably manage a big orange nose. But what to do for eyes? Hmmm.....

Too bad I'm such a crappy sewer. But if I make enough things, I'll get better (right?!?!)!


I was totally going to make two sets of the little animals & apron that I'm attempting to make for Abi, but it's not happening. I've been working on 6 animals for 6 months -- there's supposed to be 10 total. Maybe I'll get eight done. And they're even super easy! (They are, however, adorable! I'll take pictures and post them to see after they're gifted away!)


And then whatever hairbrained idea inspired me to try to sew another baby blanket (what didn't I learn from the first one?!) for my upcoming niece.


And now I'm feeling bad 'cause I made a recieving blanket for Lacey's Abi, and now this next baby. But I skipped Nickie's Alexa! That's not fair! So, maybe if I can learn to sew decently, I'll get one "whipped-up" (haha!) for Lexi. I'd like to think I'm sort of a fair Aunt!


And what about Cindy's Sariah and Isaac? What do they get?


Is it fair to only make presents for one of our families? I really don't think so! But if they didn't know...maybe, right? But I can't keep my mouth shut for BEANS! I blab things randomly. "You should have seen what I made for my brother's little girl! But nope, I didn't make anything for yours!" Ummm.... Yeah... I'm bad... So that's not gonna work! All or nothin', I guess...


So then I ask, if a person makes gifts for some of the people, is it necessary to make things for the other ones? Or is buying OK?


And is it fair to give something to my nieces and nephews and not our younger siblings (Holly, Zac, and Jake)?


What about the rest of the family? Will they be upset if we show up for stuff for the smaller people and not the bigger people?


What if we want to show up with stuff for everybody? (But Holy Moo! (He He He! I crack myself up! Moo!) does that inspire some fear! And more things to worry about! Lets see...Moms, Dads, 6 siblings each, almost half of whom are married, 5 niephews (cute, huh?) equals... roughly 25 presents... That sounds unreasonable. We only "have to" show up with like 6 or maybe 7, but... that's no fun! Maybe some happy medium... hmmm...


Ghyaaaak!!! This did not make it better! Now I'm even more confused than I was before! And darn it all! I'm stuck at work, where I can't sew or crochet, or anything! I can type... And I guess I could shop online, if I knew what to shop for...


GHYAAAKKK!!!!! *Pull hair out now!*


I wonder if this is why I've always got a headache? I can't chill out?

Woohoo!

Today was a good day, but I did prove I'm not the most brilliant crayon in the box. So, I had a headache, right? So last night, I cleverly thought "I should lay on a heating pad to relax the muscles in my back!" (It does work and it's a fairly intelligent thing to do.)


BUT I ended up falling asleep on the heating pad, and I think I'm ready to be eaten now. My upper back muscles have been slowly stewed all night long. Wahoo! I'm a little tender. And it feels like I've got a sunburn. But the headache is gone, so it's all good!

Still goin' strong!

My head is still, tragically, attached. And very much making it's presence known. After about the 3rd day of my head throbbing and feeling like I'd like my very own guillotine, it gets very old!

I could just cry... and I have!

I was sitting in Relief Society, trying to decide if I could hack it or not. I really wanted to stay! But boy were those ladies talking loud! And then the piano started. Holy Wow! was it LOUD!!! I've never heard such a loud piano! I burst into tears and had to leave. It was really quite tragic!


Maybe earplugs are in order. It'd still be plenty loud with those, too, I'm sure! I've got really small ear canals, though, so it's really hard to find some that don't make my head hurt worse after shoving them in my ears. Tragic, I know!


I have come to a realization though. When I'm standing in the halls at church, wearing my dark sunglasses and my black shirt, I apparently look a bit aloof. And people can't quite figure out what to think of me... Sunglasses are not really a church accessory. But I'm gonna stick with 'em. If the lights and windows didn't glow so brightly, they wouldn't be necessary! Why can't everyone else just wander around in the dark all day, too? It'd be so very pleasant! Don'ch'ya'll think? (Neat word, huh? I just made it up myself! Don'ch'ya'll... has a nice ring to it!)




Anyways, I've got swell news! I made a Christmas present (PJ pants) for my little brother Jake (one down!). And I'm starting a baby blanket for Lacey's baby. It's gonna be super cute! Especially if I actually finish it... I have problems finishing my projects. I only like to do half. Start one of mine, or finish one of someone else's. Maybe I could work together with someone with the same problem? Hal's started telling me when I'm bored, "go finish something!" It's very helpful and motivational, I guess... I'm making progress! I think the biggest problem is my projects all seem to take longer than I was planning on!