I just got the news that my sister in law, Lydia, has passed away at 2:30pm today. She was the one that we mentioned in our newsletter. She fell into a coma (causes are unknown) in November and has been in a persistent vegetative state since. I’ve only visited with her a few times because she lived in California, but she has always been patient, kind and a wonderful host. She was a really great mom to Trevor, always calmly answering his million questions and wasn’t afraid to get on all fours to play with him. Our hearts go out to her husband Denver and son Trevor.

Lydia and Trevor (around 2000?)

Ingrid has tagged me (just means that she did something - usually a post about themselves - and now has told me to do it). And it’s a hard one!!! Made full use of thesaurus.reference.com, and some of them are technically duplicates but what can you do???

Adventurous - Always up for any adventure. It usually means leaving the kids at home (going to London) or taking them somewhere by myself (plane ride from Hawaii to Munich ALONE!)
Bend it Like Beckham - One of my all time favorite movies
Cat lover - even though we don’t currently have cats, I love them, especially orange tabbies!
Disorderly - I let things get to a really bad point before I clean it up really nicely. It stays like that for a day or less. My desk is usually the one that is last to clean up. Everything gets put on it. Michael dumps his junk on it as well until I dump it back onto his desk.
Even tempered - I’m pretty mellow most of the times, even during tantrums, that is the ultimate test. But it’s interesting that little things will set me off, but I’m usually calm through the big things.
Fatigued - most of the time!!!
Grateful to have my health, a wonderful family and really great friends.
80’s Hair - Yep, I had it. In the 80’s and a little in the 90’s.
Internet-a-holic - I am so addicted to the net. I don’t think a day goes by without me checking my mail.
Jolly Ranchers - I forgot about these, do they still exist? They were THE candy at doctor’s offices (obviously not dentist) and other places where you do business.
Knitter - especially as of late!
Lazy - I really am a super lazy person. Really, really lazy.
Mom of twin boys, Rowan and Elijah
Noodles - Love ‘em! Asian, pasta, you name it!
Open minded - I like to think that I am tolerant of most things
Picky eater - I am so weird when it comes to food. I eat only “normal” food - beef, chicken and sometimes pork. I rarely like gourmet food, and if I do try it, it most likely has to be vegetarian.
Quiet - I used to think that I was loud, but compared to my husband, I’m quite the quiet one.
Resourceful - I am pretty good at doing internet research and can usually find the things or info that I want.
Stubborn - very!
TV watcher - omg, I am so addicted to TV (now iTunes). My favorite shows are Heroes, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, 24, Bones, Numb3rs, and more if I could afford it.
Ulm - I have to go there one day for 2 things - a yarn store that shows promise that they have imported yarn as well as the big baby store (jako-o).
Value - Always on the lookout for the most bang for my euro.
Writer wanna-be - I wish I could write as well as my husband. He has a real talent when he’s not writing about technical climbing.
Xtreme - Not exactly an X word, but we like to do things outside of “normal” boundaries. Not crazy, just normal to the extreme - rock climbing, paragliding, moving to europe, you know, stuff like that
Yarn-a-holic - How many addictions do I have? Geez.
Zealot - for anything that I’m interested in at the moment! Is there any other z word???

So that was probably more than you ever wanted to know about me! Don’t know too many knitterly people to tag, so just going for a broad group. I’m tagging michelle, michael, and the Pagaragans

The boys got this tape recorder with microphones from Pramilla for their birthday. They are very fascinated with it, but they mostly make rapping noises and press the “laugh” button and the “clapping” button. We’ve tried to show them how it works, but they have their own ideas.

The boys before they go to bed have to brush their teeth. I found a new way for them to think it’s fun is to have the camera in front of them!

Folks, can you believe it’s been more than a year since I started doing these web videos? Here is one from a year ago. It’s amazing how much they’ve changed and yet still stayed the same:

We’ve all been a little sick lately, nothing major. Me and the boys are tired all the time and not up for anything. Even though I get 8 hours of sleep! We also have runny noses and the boys had fevers. They seem to be doing better today, but still kind of lethargic.

The other day, I was talking to my mom with the video phone and Rowan came up to me and handed me a chili pepper. How he got it, I have no idea. I frequently cook with them, so probably that piece fell on the floor and he found it. Apparently he put it in his mouth because shortly after he handed it to me, he started sticking his tongue out and crying. He tried to lick everything. He licked my pants, the blankets on the sofa, his clothes, anything. And then all of a sudden he would stop and I thought it was over, but then he started crying again. Poor baby! I gave him some milk and that helped. It was pretty funny though. I don’t think he’ll eat another chili pepper again.

We’ve been pretty homebound lately. Since I’ve been tired, I’ve been getting up too late to go to our classes. But I will go to the music class on Friday. We’ve taken little trips out to the playground, to the post office, shopping, etc. It’s been fun just hanging out.

Today I got my yarn from that shop I mentioned a few days ago. I can’t believe how fast it came. I think I ordered it on Monday and it came today. Isn’t that amazing? I ordered some sock yarn (of course) and some worsted weight yarn for a fellow knitter. I thought the colors were so rich and gorgeous, I am so excited to start knitting with it!!! But I’m a one-project-at-a-time kind of gal, so I have to finish the socks I’m making for Michael. I’m almost done. I’ve already decided to do the Pomatomus sock again, with the blue and brown yarn.

oooo, look at those colors! worsted weight yarn

Sorry I haven’t posted videos in awhile! Here is Elijah reading the latest copy of Deutsch Perfekt.

Here’s one of them just bein’ cute and sharing:

Today was a nice day. I slept in while Michael played with the boys. Then when I got up, I made Aunt Jemima pancakes. I didn’t make enough. I don’t think I ever make enough because when it comes to pancakes, all my boys gobble it down with no end in sight. I was amazed at how much the boys ate. But I didn’t make more. I have to buy a bigger pan or griddle so that I can make several at once. I finally got the hang of when I’m supposed to turn it over. I would like to make this a weekend thing since everyone likes it so much.

The boys finished watching Toy Story 2. I think they really like those movies because they can watch it for a long time. Michael tried A Bug’s Life and they lost interest pretty quickly. I wonder what makes them like something or not. They also enjoyed playing with the tunnel thing we got from Ikea and I put it under their table with a blanket on it so that when they exit the tunnel, it goes into a dark room. My god, they screamed and laughed so much.

My very organized piles
of books

During their nap, I got up the motivation to organize our books. I don’t think we’ve ever organized our books since we got here, and we always talk about it but never do it. Since I got my new cuecat, I’ve been dying to get it done. I finally started. I made the room a huge mess of ever growing piles of books.

After their nap, we went to the playground and they had a great time. I brought the bike for them to ride, but they didn’t really want to. They really enjoyed the playground, I guess it’s the first time that it’s warm enough that their fingers don’t freeze. They just laughed and screamed and ran.

When we came back, I hemmed and hawed over whether or not I should go to the Stitch ‘n Bitch group. I’ve been wanting to go since I got here, but either wasn’t really knitting something or just too lazy or just tired. Michael encouraged me to go so I went. It was really nice, there were 6 other people there. The group changes all the time, and this time, everyone except for me and one other person were beginners. I was able to help the British girl next to me (sorry, I forgot her name) with telling her how to tell if a stitch is a knit or purl stitch. It was nice to meet new people and just hang out and knit. I learned that I could get a job as an English teacher if I wanted to, the only qualification you need is that you are a native English speaker. I never thought of doing that. It seems like it would be fun, not a whole lot of time commitment and I work with different people every few weeks. Something to think about I guess. It doesn’t pay as much as a test job would, so that’s the only bummer. Don’t know what I would make as a tester either. Anyways, one of the knitters there has a blog and on it was a picture of hand painted yarns from a shop in Germany, pretty close to Munich too!!! I was so shocked and excited because this was exactly what I was looking for. So I’m going to order a few skeins to see if I like it and if I do…oh boy…that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Finally organized! In the evening I finished up the book sort and started scanning in books. I finished 1.5 bookshelves. It is so much fun scanning in books. And I also added a tag of the “section” the book is in. We seriously need another bookshelf. Our poor fiction books are piled up. Then I spent the late night internet surfing and found another cool yarn site - ScoutSwag. I really should learn how to dye my own yarns!

Hey folks, I am officially signed up to do SP10! Here is the questionnaire that we are all required to fill out.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love Lorna’s Laces and Mission Falls yarns. I do not like acrylic yarns at all!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a set of Knitpicks options that I keep in the case, and then I have needles kind of all over the place in various locations, some known, some not known.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I started knitting in 1991, so it’s been gosh, 16 years! But it’s been an on and off thing for me. I learned from a knitting book and a friend of mine corrected my stitches since I was twisting them. I would say that I am an advanced knitter, but now I only knit quick and easy things due to price and time commitment!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes, I have a kaboodle list!

5. What’s your favorite scent?

Hmmm…that’s a tough one. I like pretty much anything that’s not overpowering and too flowery.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Uh, do you even have to ask? Chocolate, of course!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I sew and would like to learn how to dye yarn and spin with a drop spindle

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I’m not too particular with music, mostly listen to pop and rock

9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?

I like dark colors, I’m not a fan of very bright colors

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

Married with twin boys who are 2. No pets.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I wear scarves, hats and gloves, no ponchos

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I like to knit kids stuff, hats and as of late, socks!

13. What are you knitting right now?

A pair of socks for my husband - From the book ‘Socks soar on two circulars’ the Bavarian twisted stitch sock in Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock Blackwatch colorway.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Of course! Who doesn’t?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Depends on the project. I generally prefer straight but since I knit socks, I love circulars. I am a huge fan of Knit picks and addi needles!

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yep, ever since I started knitting!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Ahem. I have no (cough! sputter!) UFOs.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

My birthday! Does that count? Second would be Mother’s day.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Fabric and yarn. But I didn’t buy them because I’m a collector, more like a person who has and idea of what to do with it and then doesn’t and it just sits there and collects.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I have some books on my kaboodle list. As for yarns, I just can’t get enough of Lorna’s Laces and I would like to try some Posh Yarns. Dee has some great colorways!

21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?

Not so much for knitting, but I would love to learn how to dye yarns and spin.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

YES! My SP8 spoilee made it look so fun, I decided to give it a try and I made 4 pairs of socks since then!

23. When is your birthday?

In April, email me for more specifics

I have been talking a lot about Elijah lately and Rowan hasn’t had any of the spotlight. Well, let me tell you a few things about him. He is a real cuddle monster. When we watch a movie, he always likes to sit on my lap and lean on me. Elijah doesn’t want anything to do with me, always wants to sit by himself. Rowan also has gotten the hang of riding his bike. He is still a little wobbly, but has finally gotten the general idea. He walks around the house saying “bikey bikey!” Rowan absolutely loves riding with us on our bikes. He likes riding in the single bike seat, but I hate it so much because they are so heavy now. They can really throw you off balance. He also likes to go outside whenever he can. Elijah is happy to just stay at home. So lately he goes with me to the store, with Michael to drop off recycling, or just escape outside while I’m getting the mail. The other day, he was in a real reading mood and he must’ve pulled down 4 or 5 books he wanted to read. It’s fairly unusual that he wanted to read and not Elijah so I tried to prolong it as much as I could. He’s getting better at saying words and after surveying how many words they say, he’s really not that far behind Elijah. Elijah’s just more vocal.

On Friday, I attended a playgroup with an informational meeting about this new preschool starting up in Schwabing. At first I didn’t think I would be too interested in it, but after talking with the women, I am more interested in it. It’s bilingual, it’s fairly close by, it’s montessori, we’d almost be guaranteed a spot. The only problem is that I haven’t met the teachers or seen the facility. I think because it’s new, they would take a lot of the parents input in forming their program which I think is great. But on the downside, because it’s a startup, they need the cash and so a huge deposit is needed. I’m keeping an eye on this one.

Friday evening we attempted to go to a meeting about a new Phorms school being started in Munich. It sounds like an interesting school and we might be interested in sending them there. But the room was super crowded and the woman was speaking in German. It was too much trouble to stay, especially since we wouldn’t be interested in it until 3 more years, so we just left. Instead we went to a German movie (Schwere Jungs) and understood about 40% of it and then to Sushi Sano to dinner - yum!

This afternoon, we were going to drive to an open house at another montessori school, but our car battery was dead. I was so mad because I really wanted to see this one. Instead, we decided to ride out to the school to have a look at it to see if we would even be interested. It turned out that it was still going on and we walked through and really liked it. They have 2 groups of kids so we could separate the boys without having to take them to two places. The only bummer is that they only had a few places open, so we shouldn’t even consider it. But the more we go to these places, the more we know what’s out there and what we like and what we don’t. That place had great play areas, inside and outside. Sigh.

Michael dealt with the car battery this evening. We are so lucky to have *the best* neighbors. They loaned us their car so that we could take the battery in and get a new one. The car is a-ok now.

In happy news, our friend Reina gave birth to her triplets! They were born at almost 30 weeks, but are all healthy and doing well. Their names (all boys) are Reiden, Ryeder and Scyler and all over 2 pounds, almost 3. Good job Reina and Scotty!