Why Pennies & Electricity Don't Mix

FYI - If you can avoid it, don't drop pennies behind your carbon monoxide detector.

This used to be a carbon monoxide detector:


These used to be pennies:


This used to be an outlet:


I'm pleased to report that we didn't burn down the house, and electricity continues to flow benignly through our home.

Happy Birthday Miss Serious!

Seven years ago today I gave birth to this lovely little girl:


Well, maybe not so little, but definitely in the little category. I couldn't believe they were going to let me walk out of the hospital with this tiny little person about whom I knew almost nothing.

I remember watching her sleep (the first day she actually did sleep - after that things went downhill a bit) and wondering if she was breathing; I spent an inordinate amount of time in her first few months wondering if she was breathing. After an adjustment period, involving miles of carrying a crying baby, we figured each other out a bit, and enjoyed the learning process.

Now she has become a beautiful, intelligent, sensitive, caring young lady, and I am in wonder at how fast the time has passed. I marvel daily at her insight and humor, and feel incredibly privileged to be her mom.

Happy Birthday, Miss Serious. We love you with all our hearts.

Wow!

I'm not usually interested in the video clips that get sent around via email, but this morning my mother sent me this: (keep going past the frogs - it gets better)

Time-saving Technology

I am not a very technical person. I understand the things I absolutely need to know (like how to turn the computer on) and not much else. We don't have lots of fancy gadgets here at Chez Necessity, but we do keep the basics around to document children doing/saying/wearing silly things.

Unfortunately, said basic items have been falling apart. The video camera was the first to go. Last Christmas (not this past one, the one before - did I mention I'm a procrastinator?) I went to video the kids opening their presents and thought I had the lens cap on; I was recording the thrilling sounds of presents being opened, but unless they were in a blackout of some sort, something was wrong. Sadly, when I went to remove the offending lens cover, I couldn't, because it had already been removed (in itself an unusual turn of events). Using my wealth of technological knowledge, I turned it off and then on again. Oddly, this didn't fix the problem. I then went to my backup and whacked the thing on the top, but strangely, this also didn't work.

Several months later, I decided to give it another go (ever the optimist - maybe it just needed to rest) and try to film Big Trouble's dance recital. This time, the whacking on the top did the trick and we got video of him, but when it came time for Miss Serious' recital, we had no such luck. I haven't taken it in to be fixed, because I know in my heart that they will tell me that it will cost buckets of money, and as it's several years old, it doesn't make sense to pour all those dollars into it.

Fast forward to last week, and the digital camera starts being wonky. It started with little problems, and finally ended up that it would only take one picture; it then had to be shut off and turned on again before it would agree to take a second picture. (I may have also dropped it at this point). So, we decided this would be a good time to replace both items with a digital camera that takes video. Simple, right? Just go on the web, read some reviews, and buy a new camera - easy-peasy!

Unfortunately, I hadn't had the forethought to realize that unlike 6 years ago when we purchased our first camera, there are now 7 bajillion kinds of cameras on the market. And now you can read 8 million customer reviews which are all contradicting each other. And when we finally pick a camera after countless hours logged on the computer by both The Professor and me, we discover that we will need to purchase a memory card. No problem - but when we look up memory cards, there are 9 billion kinds (also with ratings) and called different things, and costing wildly different amounts of money (leading to the inevitable questions about why, and more computer searching). At this point, my head begins to hurt, and I decide that both coffee and knitting are the solution, as I am no longer formulating coherent thoughts. Luckily The Professor slogged on, made the necessary decisions, and ordered the camera.

It should be here in 3-5 business days, which is remarkably similar to the amount of time we've spent on the computer hunting for it.

Nothing Like a Community Rallying Behind a Common Cause

I am without words.

Spring is Springing!

Well, after a long and odd winter (Today it's 60! Tomorrow will be 20! The next day - who knows?) spring is coming. How do I know?


We spied these outside Big Trouble's preschool - the first evidence I've seen that spring really is coming. He took the picture, and was quite proud of himself (the one he took of my chin is not being used here, for obvious reasons).

I like winter for about 10 minutes, and then I'm done and can't wait for spring. I love when you can still see the blue sky at 5:00, and the birds start shouting things to each other, and you don't have to dress the kids in giant coats (and hats, mittens, etc.) all the time, and I generally perk up. It always feels like there are things to look forward to when I know spring is on its way. I don't know what these things are supposed to be, but I'm pretty sure there will be things.

On another note, this is what you do for fun if your mom knits:

The Power of Positive Thinking

I'm knitting a sweater - for myself. This is a rare occurrence here at Chez Necessity, as I tend to prefer the more instant gratification of smaller items, such as baby sweaters, hats, socks - you get the picture. Also, as I tend toward the cheap frugal, it pains me to lay out all of those hard earned dollars for enough yarn for an actual adult sweater. But, I had some lovely alpaca that I just picked up on sale, and it's enough for a sweater for me. I hunted all over the internet trying to find just the right pattern, and came up empty. I finally decided on a plain cardigan with shaping, which was actually written for the yarn in question. I finished half of the front, and it doesn't look like it can possibly become a sweater.

(Big Trouble took the picture - not bad for a 5 year old - it would probably help if I didn't have a green shirt on to contrast so well with the green knitting...)

The measurements match the schematics in the pattern, but it seems awfully skinny. Why this doesn't deter me I have no idea, but I am now knitting the second half of the front:


Somehow I think the cure for one piece that is too small is a second piece that is equally too small. I guess I figure the heavens will smile on me when they realize that I have put all this work into the sweater, and will magically make it fit.

I'm not holding my breath, although that may be the secret to get the thing buttoned...