While I am waiting . . . .

Monday I was not prepared for a long wait and was very frustrated having to "wait" without having something for my two hands to do. (What brought about my wait is a long story I don't want to share, I will just tell you what I am doing to cope with what would be an otherwise frustrating half hour of my life every weekday for the next two weeks).

Tuesday morning I prepared myself by getting one of my favorite "waiting" projects, more dishcloth yarn, and set to work on some new dishcloths. My friend in Chicago taught me the pattern, I played with it until I found the right size for my hand, and now I am hooked. On the dishcloths, and on knitting while I wait. (I should be sewing, cleaning off the top of my desk, or planning the year for Cub Scouts, but knitting is my favorite portable project). I feel glad that I have to "wait."

Waiting is an interesting thing to observe. I am not good at it. My impatience kicks in, and I have to DO something--so I knit. When I am surrounded by other waiters, I wonder what they are thinking while the world passes by, and I sit knitting quietly by myself. Not really by myself, because I am rarely waiting alone. Some read, some listen to Ipods, others send text messages, or just watch other waiters.

Sometimes I want to offer, "Do you want to learn to knit while you are waiting?"

Earlier this year, while stuck on a plane waiting for a storm in Chicago to pass, I did ask someone. She was the stewardess, who, because of my seat in the last row, got to sit beside me when we finally took off from Austin. She politely declined, but said it was interesting to watch because her mom used to knit, too. [Sidenote: both Nathan and I have been stranded on planes in Austin waiting to fly to Chicago this year. So fun to have so much in common, isn't it? Mine was bad weather in Chicago, his was bad weather in Austin. Different days, different flights, but we shared the same waiting experience . . . I wonder what he did while he waited?]

About this waiting situation, Caitlin said, "At least I have a toy to play with. You don't have a toy, but at least you have your knitting."
I replied, "My knitting is like a toy."

She waits with her dog, and I wait with my knitting. She's used to hearing, "Just let me finish this row."

I secretly hope that one day Caitlin will reflect on our "waiting" together and think, "My mom couldn't sit still. She always knit while she waited, in the car, at the doctor's office, at the park."

Here's the pattern for my favorite dishcloths:

Cast on 4.
Row 1: Knit 4
Row 2: *Knit 1, Increase 1, knit rest of row*
Row 2: Repeat ** until 34 stitches.
Middle Row: Knit 34
1st decrease Row: *Knit 1, Knit 2 together, Knit rest of row*
Repeat** until decreased to 4 stitches.
Bind off. Weave in ends and hit your kitchen sink.

The name of this yarn is Fiesta: we party every time we wash dishes or wipe sticky fingers. It is festive yarn to me, I feel happy every time I touch it.



How do you wait?

First Day 2009-2010 School Year

All in all, a lovely day.
Nathan skipped the early morning meeting to be here for the first day breakfast. Then, he delivered them to school.
When Diana realized they were gone, she said, "Where's Bryn?"
"At school," I replied.
She cried.

Both children are excited to be returning to a familiar school where they already have friends and know their way around. So is their mom.

I was so exhausted I took my morning nap from 9:05 a.m. until 9:25 a.m.

Five of us had CapriSuns with our lunch to celebrate the first day of school. Chicken Pot Pie with a biscuit topping was our celebration dinner.

Over Halfway

Yesterday was my 20 week mark!!! We celebrated by going out to dinner at Olive Garden. The last time we ate dinner alone together was our anniversary, so it was delightful.

My rescheduled ultrasound is Tuesday. If you talk to me on Monday, remind me.

We are waiting until the baby is born to find out the gender. We waited with the first two, and found out with last two.

In other news, today is my serger class in Austin, (can't wait!), and school starts on Monday!

Wanna be my landlord?

Yes, the house we live in is for sale as of 10 am.
Just in case you wanted to invest in property in TX.
We pay on time, don't smoke or have pets, and if you buy now, you get to rent to us until June! Thanks for looking!
There are two others in the cul de sac that are for sale as well, but if I were you, I'd pick ours.

Family Fun Day

Today was our "family fun day" at the community water park. All four children had their first rides on a lazy river and waterslides. All three of the older children thanked us for taking them there. We'll be planning more family fun days in the future.

Heard at the Hunts

In order from oldest to youngest:

Andrew: "Dad, my pocket knife is missing and I think Diana took it. Do you know any of her hiding places?"

Bryn: "If you had to choose which place you are going to work, which one would it be?"

Bryn: "How much money does dad make in a day? 100? 1000?"

Caitlin praying: "And please bless us that wherever we move we'll still speak English."

Diana at the swimming pool on my back, "Mom, you a stroller."
Louder this time, until I acknowledge her with a reply,
"Mom, you a stroller."
"Mom, you a stroller."

Diana talking to me about hair:
"I have curlies, Dad have curlies, do you have curlies?"

Diana to Nathan just after his haircut:
"Dad, your curlies all gone?"

Enrichment Sewing Group Begins

My ward has members who work in medicine. Because of the hospital, it is a mecca for medical training, from Texas A & M Med school, to residencies, fellowships, and physicians. (Ward is our church's name for congregation). It's been great for us to have a support system of other people who understand medicine's demands, and who relate to our stresses of taking call, student loan debt, and the long road of medical training.

One lady in my ward, who happens to be a pediatrician and stay at home mom, is also a sewing genius. When she decided to start a sewing Enrichment class, I signed up early. She also has her own sewing blog and loves to talk sewing, I've already learned a lot from talking to her and seeing what is coming out of her machine every day.

"Enrichment" is the name given to women's meetings designed with the purpose of improving the woman's life: spiritually, physically, mentally, etc. I've attended classes on improving communication, cooking, financial management, knitting, chocolate dipping(very popular), parenting, how to give a haircut, and now sew to name a few. I love enrichment!

I counted 11 machines going last night, it sounded like a sweatshop. Each person who was there finished at least one pillow, so I would say it was a success!

This is last night's finished project for me: a pillow for Caitlin's bed. She and Bryn have matching quilts I got on a great sale at Target last winter. Bryn would like to sew her own pillow now, she came with me last night.


The next project is skirts, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I will be working on this cute apron pattern, Butterick 4945, View D, in black and white.