Cookies

DSC_0286.JPG, originally uploaded by a-chan.

Okay, so I didn't finish my to do list... I think I came close. I had the sugar cookie dough in the fridge and the house was clean.

My sis-in-law, Erin, and I had a half day on Friday, so we started baking cookies around 3:00 and we baked until 9:00. We had some help, but it was mostly Erin, her sister and me. My kitchen isn't huge, but it's big enough for 3 people to work on 3 different cookie recipes at once. We only had two mixers; my kitchenaid and my little hand mixer. Seemed to work okay, but sharing one cookie tray was what really slowed us down.

I felt the most movement on Friday night. It was exciting. Around 8:00 I realized I needed to take a break, so I put myself in a time out and laid down on the couch. All of the sudden, my stomach was like there was an earthquake going on in there. It was crazy! Baby banana was probably just waiting for me to stop moving.

Well, we decided we needed more cookies. Saturday morning I woke up and baked one more ranger cookie batch and a double batch of cranberry cookies (so good!). Erin came over when I had one sheet of the cranberry cookies left and she took over and made some awesome chocolate peanut butter cookies that took way too long. We finished just in time to go to dinner with my cousins and then go to PIR for the Winer Wonderland thingy. We were there forever! The line to get in was insane and I don't believe we'll ever go back.

So much for the rest I wanted.

Sunday morning I spent knitting crazily on the toddler mittens. One pair was going to be gifted that night. I got to the top decreases in the second mitten and noticed I had cast on 2 fewer stitches than the first one.... It's chunky yarn on size 7 needles, so there is definitely a difference. I'm just going to finish it and see if it fits, but by then I was ready to quit. She'll get them later. I spent that night at my aunt's house (on my dad's side).

Monday morning was spent shopping for last minute things like bread, egg nog, fruit tray, and a present I forget to buy. Then it was time to make the peanut butter pie (numm!). Then, we were late for Christmas Eve mass. Not really late. We were 20 minutes early and there were no seats. My mom grabbed some chairs from the basement and we settled into the social room to watch the mass on a big screen tv. Then dinner and dessert. When the nieces and nephew were asleep we helped wrap the Santa gifts. By the time we got home, it was bed time.

Woke up this morning and headed back to my brother's house right away for presents and breakfast. Got home, showered and set out for another aunt's house (mom's side) in Scappoose. The snow was awesome! But totally gone when we got home.

So, four and a half days off work, and no rest. I'm glad this is only a 3 day work week. Maybe I'll rest some this weekend. Probably not, we have tickets to go see Beauty and the Beast Saturday.

Christmas todo list

DSC_0121.JPG, originally uploaded by a-chan.

I need to make a to-do list for tonight when I get home. If I write it on a piece of paper, I will loose it.

1. vacuum
2. make sugar cookie dough and put in fridge
3. weave in ends to scarves, mittens, and blanket
4. knit 1.5 more toddler gloves
5. wrap some presents (mostly Richards things since he works late tonight)
6. start last pair of adult mittens
7. rest

Do you see the problem with this list? I do. I'm suppose to be resting. I think #1 should be rest and the rest can wait... but they can't. I told myself I wouldn't work too hard and stress myself out. It's not good for the banana (the baby).

I have some family and friends coming over Friday night to bake cookies, so I NEED to vacuum. I NEED to get the cookie dough in the fridge so the nieces will be able to help cut and decorate it.

And there's not even a new CSI tonight!

I've been up late every night this week because I decided I needed to send my already late thank you notes from the wedding inside the Christmas cards (yes, not proper, but I don't care, they're already late!) At least Richard helped clean last night so I'm not as freaking out as I could be.

(gingerbread house was made a few weeks ago at my bro's house with the nieces, it's really cute and I want to make one for my own house, but I don't have any time.)

Toddler mittens

You have new Picture Mail!, originally uploaded by a-chan.

Pattern: peekaboo mittens by Pensive Frog in Magknits (Feb 2007) - heavily modified
Needles: us size 7 dpns
Yarn: Lion Brand wool-ease Chunky

So I've knit 3 pairs of mittens from this pattern, but this one is really small. I cast on 10 less stitched, guessed on the thumb gusset and guessed on the finger opening. Everything fit my 3.5 year old niece except the thumb. I ripped the thumb out and am reworking it with a few extra stitches. The yarn is so chunky that the first thumb was like a 7 stitch i-cord.

Christmas list: I now have to finish it's mate and then knit another pair slightly bigger for my 3 year old cousin (who is bigger than my niece). Two pairs of baby mittens (no thumbs). I did one pair already, but they were too small (I'll keep them for my own baby). And maybe one more pair of adult peekaboos for my sis-in-law's sister... and maybe another pair for my friend... If I keep adding to the list, I'm never going to finish.

In other news, I had another ultrasound on Friday. It was abnormal (low fluid), so they sent me to a specialist and I got another ultrasound. She said that while the fluids were on the low side, they were still in the "normal" range and there was nothing to be worried about. That was scary! I did earn myself an extra ultrasound for next month just to keep tabs on everything.

After those two ultrasounds, I still don't know if I'm having a boy or a girl. The second tech said that she didn't see anything, so she would guess it's a girl, but the baby was crossing it's legs at the knees the whole time so she didn't get a good look at all.

I have another post to make and I've been putting it off and I just can't do it right now. So, it will come next time, I hope.

Celebrity look-alikes? Not so sure

Down the Rabbit Hole

DSC_0256.JPG, originally uploaded by a-chan.

I'm not much into sewing... sure I have dreams about sewing a whole bunch of things, but when it comes down to it, I never really do anything. Anyways, my niece wanted to be Alice for Halloween and the Alice costumes at the stores this year didn't really look like Alice dresses.... they were all princessed-up *gag* So, her mom was shopping for a pre-made dress on ebay and they were so expensive! I talked her into making one.

On friday night we cut all the pieces out, the next weekend we sewed the top half with help from my sis-in-law's mom (who then finished the dress part the next day).... My friend baby-sat one night and we came home and it was done! We should have known better because Valeska is known for her anime costumes. But we were glad it was done!

We didn't see any other Alices trick or treating and I don't think we saw any other handmade costumes! Alivia had a great time! Although, some people didn't know what she was.... I think it's pretty clear!

So anyways, the costume was fun to make and I do see myself sewing more often, but probably not in the near future as the Christmas knitting is less than half done!