What a week! I am glad it is Friday! We are finally getting rain, and the gloomy weather is helping me feel very tired and cranky. Of course, lack of sleep and work issues contributed a lot to that too! Yesterday, AJ started a basketball tournament in Red Bluff (30 miles away), with two games, one at 5:30 and one at 7:30. Ralph left work at 4:00 and grabbed Alli and then picked up AJ and Seth (neighbor) and took them to the tournament and dropped them off (They needed to be there close to 4:30). I left work at 5:00 and drove to Red Bluff, and sat on bleachers until 9:00. I took a pad to sit on, but after a couple of hours, it didn't seem to matter! We did not get home until almost 10:00 last night, and then Alli got me up at 4:00, and I couldn't go back to sleep. I drank enough coffee at work today to stay awake, but just barely. The team won both games though - but AJ didn't play in either games. He just got back from another game this afternoon, and the team lost his one. He didn't play in it either. Ralph went down to watch the game today, since it started at 4:00, and I didn't get off until 5:00. One more game tomorrow, and the tournament is over! Next week is also the end of basketball season, so we are almost done!

Alli's appointment with her Neurologist went well Friday. He wasn't too excited about the "possible seizures" that two people saw, but....he does want a new EEG scan done. Bummer. The last one we tried doing at Mercy Hospital was when she was about 4, and was a nightmare. Hopefully, it will go better this time. If nothing else, hopefully I will be better prepared this time. No stressing! (Easier said than done!)

I finished another doily - Framed Roses. I like this one, and it went very quickly. I also made one Cap for Kids - a quick little hat for a preemie baby. It looks so little! I need to make some more up and get them mailed off this month. I hope to do one charity project a month this year! I will try to get a picture up of the hat.

Well, we survived the basketball tournament - two wins and two losses. Ralph went to the game Friday afternoon, as Alli and I went to Sacramento for a doctor's appointment, so he got to see one win (close - by one point, and the opposing team had a shot at the buzzer that bounced around on the rim for a while before it fell out.) We had a game at 8:00 Saturday morning, and it was with a "traveling" team - these traveling teams usually practice together year round, and travel over the western states to play - they trounced us. The first few minutes had the score at 16 to 0, then the other coach pulled his good guys, put in the second string, and changed tactics enough that we could score once in a while. AJ got to play for a couple of minutes near the end of the game, and he played pretty well. He had a lot more confidence in himself, and it showed. We finished at 8:50, and had a game at 9:00 at another school! Luckily it was close by, but our guys were wiped from 45 minutes of trouncing. We did manage to win the game, but they didn't play very well. AJ didn't play in that game - the score was too close - I think we won by 4 points. We finished up at 9:50, and the next game was at 11:00 (be back at 10:30 to go over plays). The coach told the guys to go eat something! We went and grabbed some french fires for AJ, even though he hadn't played in that game, he could use a snack. The 11:00 game started well, but we quickly fell 10 points behind, and just couldn't catch up. We were pretty evenly matched, so once we got behind, we stayed behind. One to the next week - practice Monday and Tuesday, game on Wednesday, and a tournament Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Red Bluff!

I found a pattern to use to make bookmarks for Valentine's Day for work. The pattern works up quickly - similar to a snowflake, but is different that what I have done before. I have 5 done, and I need at least another 4 - minimum. If I make more, they can find good homes, I am sure!

I started a scarf at AJ's game last night, and finished about half of it. Since he has Scouts tonight, a game on Wednesday, and a Tournament Friday and Saturday, I should finish it, and maybe even something else this week! This scarf is for the sister of one of AJ's team members. The Mom is a substitute teacher, and has worked with Alli many times, and we talk quite a bit at games (basketball, soccer, and baseball). The daughter, Amanda, liked the previous scarf I was working on, and I offered it to her, but the colors weren't really "her" (shades of brown). I had a skein of yarn with me for my next project, and it is purple - much more "her", so it will have a home when it is done. The brown scarf found a home at work yesterday too!

We got Alli's blood draw done yesterday morning - what a breeze! We had less than a 10 minute wait in the lobby, and the techs were very careful to find a good vein and made a good draw first time. We were out in less than 15 minutes! Alli was full of giggles during the wait, and giggles right up until the needle went in. Since I just happened to have some "treats" with me, once the initial shock went away, she was all giggles again. One of the techs' daughter is friends with Alli's daycare provider's daughter, so he recognized her from seeing her at Sandie's house.

Another week-end almost come and gone! My Saturday was shot! AJ had to be at the College for a Boy Scout function at 8:00 a.m., so Alli, AJ and I left home at 7:40. After dropping him off, Alli and I went to Wal-Mart shopping, and then to the lab to do a blood draw for Alli. (She has an appointment February 2nd in Sacramento.) We got there at 9:10 (they opened at 9:00) and signed in as the 14th person. They called us up at 10:15 to check us in and take our insurance information, and at 10:30 they called us for the blood draw. We left at 11:10, and no blood draw. They couldn't find a vein, so Alli and I get to go back on Monday! I stopped at Burger King on the way home for Alli to have a special lunch (she did so well!) and got home at 11:45, with no trip to the grocery store. That was on my agenda right after the blood draw. AJ's function was over "sometime between 3:00 and 4:00", so I was back at the college at 2:50 until 4:15, just waiting for him, and of course, it was over after 4:00. Most of my day was spent waiting! At least when I was waiting for AJ I could read my book and crochet. When I was waiting with Alli, I had to keep her under control. She did very well for the first hour. The second hour was a little louder than the first!

I did finish another doily Friday night! I like this one, but...most of my house is done in green, so this one will have to find a new home. I also have a scarf that needs a home, but I think someone at work will like that one. I think I need to take some of my doilies in to work to see if any one likes them. I have toyed with the idea of taking them to the crafter's mall here in town to see if they would sell, but I don't want to have a "booth", just get rid of a few doilies. Another idea is to sell them on e-bay. I don't know if I am ready to get involved with selling on e-bay, but it might be a fun challenge (notice I said "might"!)

Red Scraves

I got all three scarves done, and in a box ready to ship. Yay me! I was afraid I would get them done, but not ship them. (Well, I haven't actually shipped then yet, but...I have them in a box!)

Lost Kitty?

I had a cat in my lap for a while, and then the next time I looked, he was hiding with the stuffed toys! He is hiding in the front corner on the left.

I finished it! I had serious issues with the last row, and gave up last night. This morning, I took a look at the picture, and re-read the instructions. I still think the instructions are wrong, but it was easy to see what needed to be done. I am happy with this one - it turned out very nice. Now, to find it a good home!

AJ's basketball tournament got rescheduled to next weekend, so today isn't nearly as busy as I thought it would be. We have hair cuts this morning at8:30, and AJ has a flag ceremony for scouts today, and needs to be in town at the convention center at 1:00 for practise, and again at 5:30 for the ceremony. It will be easier without fitting in a couple of games too! Unfortunately, it was rescheduled for next week - Thursday, Friday and Saturday. He already has Merit Badge Pow-Wow on Saturday 8:00 - 3:00, so now he has to decide what he wants to do. He needs one more Merit Badge to get his Life level, and then only 4 more Merit Badges and an Eagle Project are needed for Eagle Scout. I would like his to do the Pow Wow, but it is his choice. (I would hate to see him miss the Pow Wow, and then the coach not play him in the game.)

I scheduled an appointment for Alli with her Neurologist for February 2nd. On Thursday, her teacher was working with her and said Alli's eyes rolled back in her head for a second and then she was just fine. I think it is time to see the doctor! I just hate the drive down and back! Oh well, it is on a Friday, so I get an early start on the weekend at least! (Providing there are no issues at work. I will be home by 2:00 in the afternoon, so if they need me, I can still go to work - bummer!)

Well, AJ's basketball team won their first game this week! AJ even got to play for a few minutes, but got pulled out pretty quick. (They were 20 points ahead when he went in, and only 10 points ahead when he came out!) He looked so nervous out there, I think even the coach took pity on him! He went back in the game for the last 90 seconds, and played much better - less nervous, more "in the game" than before. He has a tournament this weekend, so he may get more play time. That will help him a lot, just to get on the court. He told me he likes the practise, but would just as soon not be in the game. I think as he gets more experience, he will be more willing to play in the game. I'm not looking forward to several hours sitting in the bleachers, but...the price you pay I guess!

I haven't done much handwork recently. The doily I am working on needs 8 roses done, and I got lazy about doing them. I have three done completely (ends woven in) and 4 more done, ready to have the ends woven in. Just one more, and then I can get the doily finished! I had decided that I don't like piecing doilies - just let me go round and round! I need to get started on Valentines Day and Easter stuff for co-workers. I found a cute heart bookmark to make for VD, but I haven't really even started looking for Easter yet.

I did get all three scarfs done (almost) for the Red Scarf Project. I need to fringe one, and weave in ends on one, and they are ready to go. I need to get them in the mail this week, so they are actually finished! These were a great project for basketball games. I have one more scarf started in blue for a co-worker to finish up, and with a tournament this weekend, I should get it done! Maybe I'll work on my fox at the games too - it is just round and round for another 50 rows!

Felted Purse Project - Finished

Here is the felted clutch. It measures 5 1/2 inches by 9 inches after felting.

It is a three day-weekend this weekend! Time to relax? Maybe! Alli was up this morning at 4:15, and did not go back to sleep. She played quietly (sort of) in her room until about 5:00, and then got up. I got up and chased her down and put her back to bed, where she stayed until about 5:30. We are up! Since I usually get up around 5:15, it is not a problem, but I would have liked to sleep in!

I got a call from Alli's speech therapist yesterday at work. She observed a "possible" seizure while she was in the classroom, and just wanted to let me know. Her son has seizures, so she knows what to look for, and still couldn't tell if it was or not, so I am going to think it wasn't! Alli was sitting in her rocking chair quietly (which makes me think she was sleeping!) and the Therapist called her name to go to work. She said Alli didn't respond, and had a "funny" look. When she called again, she responded and seemed to be just fine. (I will monitor her, and talk to her doctor on the next visit though!) I think it was just Alli's quirky way of waking up - it is like her brain wakes up before her body, so she looks weird for a couple of seconds, and then everything catches up her brain. Her speech therapist was very happy to tell me that Alli was "playing" with her using her PEC's. The Therapist said that using humor with language indicates an understanding of language, so she is going to increase the complexity of her PEC's a little bit. (She was having Alli "ask" for pieces of her cookie for snack using a cookie icon, and Alli would hand her a pretzel icon and giggle and giggle.)

AJ got to play in his first basketball game Thursday night. He did pretty well. He told me he didn't do as well as he wanted to, but the coach told him he liked his defence. Not bad! I don't know that it made up for me sitting on the bleachers for 2 1/2 hours, but AJ was happy, and I finished one Red Scarf, and started another.

I felted my clutch during the week. I just need to get a button for it, and it is done! I will post pictures later (when I have natural light). I also started a new doily and another project for me. The project for me is a fake fox stole. I may never finish it, or even wear it if I do finish it, but it is just adorable! I have the head done, I "just" need to do the body and tail, legs and ears. My hope is to have it done by Christmas next year, to use during the "party" time of year. If I ever make it to Eastern Star, it would go well with a formal too!

Another project!

I just looked at my blog, and realized I forgot to post a picture of my most recent doily! This was worked off of a charted pattern, and I finished it in a weekend! Of course, the weekend I did it in is the weekend that AJ had 3 extra boys spend the night for his birthday, and I just sat around and supervised them - lots of crochet time that way!