The kids majorly cramped my style today at hamentashen baking time. Used to be they were all short-attention-spanned and they’d roll out a bit of dough, make a couple of Frankenstein cookies and then move along to another activity, leaving me to make the rest of the cookies in a nice and symmetrical manner. Well, not so today. The little stinkers wanted to stick around for the whole event, resulting in non-lovely cookies and an altogether non-meditative cookie-baking event for me. Not to mention that my back seems to be on fire and I can’t bend my legs due to yesterday’s two hour kickboxing class. (Please remind me never to exercise again.)  My Purim spirit is severely dampened, and I had to spend most of the day cleaning up after the cooking event. Needless to say I did NOT finish my almost-finished baby blanket for Sasha (Sam and Eli’s OT who is on maternity leave) and I did not do much else either. My to-do list is weighing me down. I’m sure you will find it fascinating reading, so I’ll write it down here for you:

1. Make eye dr. appointments for kids.
2. Make asthma Dr. appointment for me.
3. Make naturopath appointments for kids and me (suggested by new OT, what the heck, it’s covered)
4. Find out tax id#s of all camps attended last summer for CPA aka Dad, who has been waiting …
5. Register kids for camp that opens registration on Monday.  What does that mean?  Do I check their website at midnight, or is this a 9am business hours deal.  Pacific Science Center, anyone know?
6.  Decide whether to spend load of money on exorbitant week-long geek computer super-cool programming class for Sam at the UW during the summer. 
7.  PURIM COSTUMES BLARGHHH!!  I still have, what 22 hours, yes? 
8.  Secret Purim basket for co-worker swap event.  Oh crap, supposed to have this tomorrow. 
9.  Learn to stop putting two spaces after a period.
9.  My country’s 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to
arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I’m swamped.

Yeah, I think that’s it.  Fascinating, no?

Good news is, I’ll be bringing lots of hamentashen to school tomorrow to share with everyone.  Even the ugly ones still taste pretty good. 

In addition to blogging (almost) every day I am committed to working out at least three times a week. It is hard, and this morning Sarah got me out of bed at the ungodly hour of 10 am (on a SATURDAY) to go to “kickboxing class” – no joke.  (Sport of the future? Apparently the future is now.)  The 55 minute class went on for 2 hours and I stayed for the whole thing.  I tried my best and moved the whole time and didn’t quit.  When I couldn’t do stuff, I just did something and smiled.  After the class, I thanked the teacher and she said I had a great smile.  I guess I must have been smiling a lot to cover up for all the stuff I couldn’t do… oh well! 

And as for the old traditions, it’s time for baking hamentashen cookies for Purim.  Here’s my recipe once again:

Hamentashen

Pamelamama’s favorite
recipe for traditional Purim cookies!

single recipe makes about 2
½
 dozen

 Like so…

1. Beat
   butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add
   egg, milk, vanilla.  Beat well.

3. Stir in
   flour and baking powder.

4. If
   dough is sticky, cover and refrigerate for an hour. 

5. On a
   floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch.  Cut with 3” cookie cutter or
   the  top of a drinking glass, whatever you have handy.

6. Put a
   small amount of filling into the center of each circle.  Really, you want
   less than a teaspoon, or they explode.  You experiment, you’ll see.

7. Fold
   each cookie into three cornered shape, pinching the tops to enclose the
   filling.  Leave the center open so you can see what flavor is in there. 
   Very important for your fussy cookie eaters.

8. Bake on
   ungreased cookie sheet covered with parchment paper for 20 minutes at 350
   degrees.  Cookies should be slightly browned.  If you didn’t pinch them
   closed fully, some will explode. 

9. Cool on
   wire rack.  Boiling jelly is HOT.

10. Makes
    about 2 ½ dozen. 

Making some?  Send a
photo!

Just got back from the gym and boy are my arms tired. Srsly. Our friend Tanya talked us into trying this scuplt in four weeks class.  The teacher is one totally buff lady.  She went back and forth between sweet “Great work!” comments and deep voiced “GO, GO, GO!”  It was a little scary.  I am extremely uncoordinated so group classes always compromise my otherwise extremely healthy self-esteem.  It was horrible, but I survived and I’m already forgetting how much I hated it.  Except I can’t really bend my arms. 

Ok, so I missed a night of blogging last night because I took Sam to his weekly OT visit from 5 to 6 and was exhausted.  I settled into bed to work on a knitting project and watched some movies.  Laptop remained off and I only checked my email on my phone twice.  I don’t have an internet problem!

Sam’s new ot, Maureen Brady,  is a very interesting new figure in our lives.  She’s very knowledgeable, very experienced.  In the two or three weeks we’ve been seeing her, I’ve learned a lot of new stuff and clarified my understanding of many of the issues we’re working on. Also in that short time she’s told me about presentations she’s making to local organizations and an appearance on the radio. She seems to really know her stuff.  Actually Eli is seeing her weekly as well.  Both kids are working on sensory integration issues and self-regulation, Eli is working on modulation.  We’re going to start a course of listening therapy, anyone done that?  She’s also into EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and some other interesting ideas. Wondering if anyone has heard of this or found it useful?

Finally, I am totally in love with this:

Which is apparently available in this new book:  Simple Style.  Mags Kandis is the designer, and she is a very lovely human being.  When I messaged her about loving her sweater and asked about the construction, (because I have one at home from Target with similar construction, and I have been looking for a pattern like it) she encouraged me to design my own!  Clearly, she is a self-assured designer with a generous heart.  I encourage all knitwear designers to emulate that fine quality. Also, to purchase her patterns and support her however you can!

That’s all for tonight, just some this and that.  More humorous anecdotes and pictures of the kids sure to follow soon.  If you can’t get enough of my clever quips and such, you can follow me on twitter, you know.

Oh, Alfie Kohn, your work is so challenging and frustrating!  How to convince people to act logically in an imperfect world.  Oh, the agony!

Tonight, with some colleagues, I saw education activist Alfie Kohn speak at an affluent local high school.  Tonight’s topic: The Homework Myth.  Alfie, that crazy radical, affirms that no research exists showing homework to be any benefit whatsoever to elementary school students.  None whatsoever.  With a three hour jet lag working on this poor man, he paced the stage, jumped up and down and gesticulated wildly to convince us of the folly of homework.  Not only is homework useless, it is actually harmful because a) everyone hates it and it causes negative feelings about learning b) takes away from family time and time for students to pursue their own interests and c) creates tension in families.  There was probably  more than c, but it’s late and I’m summarizing the main points.  The arguments FOR homework, he says, are largely mythical and otherwise just illogical.  A favorite was the “BGUTI” argument (pronounced: ba-gootie):  Better Get Used To It.  The reason for giving homework is so you can prepare for having to do it later.  It stinks and is useless now, and it stinks and is useless later, but, better get used to it.  It’s just The Way Things Are.  He likens it to “Getting Hit On the Head Training” from a Monty Python sketch (at 4:09 in this clip) where the characters practice getting hit on the head so they can do it properly in the future. He says the argument about building character is bunk.  (This is true in our household.  Regular homework creates misery, not responsibility.)   He implores us to be brave parents, putting our children’s happiness ahead of their “success” and in doing so, redefining success and demanding our educational systems do the same. (Rise up!  Foment change!)

Thanks Alfie Kohn, for getting us thinking and hopefully inciting dissent and causing the demise of the illogical, educationally unsound principles on which the world operates.  What’s that you say?  It’s a lot more complicated than that and change doesn’t happen overnight, and how will we ever convince families that homework is useless?  What’s that you say?  Change is hard and nobody’s going to go for it?  Bah!  I say bah! 

BGUTI!

And … for your amusement… here is me with my colleague, friend, and mentor Beth, who is amused, perplexed and yes, probably slightly appalled by my exhibitionist blogging and facebooking and twittering:

And poor, tired, hardworking revolutionary, Alfie Kohn, seeming not in the least amused or admired when I asked to snap his photo for my blog. 

Tah-dah!  Professional development and blogging all in one night!  March is looking good so far, eh?

Last week Sarah and I went to the gym and we noticed a woman on a nearby machine with a giant circle of ringworm right on the side of her face. Ewww!  Highly contagious fungus!  We freaked out (opened our eyes wide at each other, jerked our heads at the lady and pointed in what I am sure was an entirely surreptitious and subtle manner while muttering under our breaths: looooook…eewwwwww….RINGWORM) and subsequently sprayed the heck out of all the machines prior to using them.  At the gym there is a lovely “gym valet” attached to each piece of equipment and a sign that directs you quite firmly to SPRAY MACHINE BEFORE AND AFTER USE.

gym valet:

So, we do spray the machines because we don’t want to get ringworm or MRSA or any horrible drug-resistant disease that could inadvertently get transmitted at the gym and cause our tragic early demise.  Can’t be too careful.  We’re quite vigilant about spraying throughly.  But last night… last night I noticed there was this one woman who was not spraying the machines or wiping them down, either before or after her workout.  She was a middle-aged sort of non-athletic looking woman.  She didn’t make any adjustments on the machines before using them, she wasn’t terribly aggressive in her workout.  Before using the machine she just picked up the towel and kinda fluffed it around the seat of the machine or in the air a tiny bit and then did the same afterwards.  Really not at all adequate.  I felt that some action needed to be taken … but what?

Tonight… while warming up on the elliptical…
ME:  Hey Sarah, remember last night when we were working out… there was this woman who wasn’t really spraying the machines.
SARAH:  (nods vigorously)
ME:  Well, when I was done using my machines, I kind of…
SARAH:  (nods encouragingly)
ME:  I kind of sprayed the machines and left them wet so she’d notice and maybe think about it and maybe start spraying them when she should be.
SARAH:  You passive-aggressively sprayed the machines so the woman would get a wet butt and you’d teach her a lesson?
ME:  Yeah, pretty much.
SARAH:  Yeah, so did I.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is what real friendship is truly about.  Thank you and goodnight. 

I’ve gotten the message loud and clear:  not enough blogging.  I’m going to redouble my efforts to put something up here every day in March.  Whee!

So, what has been keeping me so busy? 

#1:  Pattern re-release
I’ve been working hard to beautify, simplify and otherwise perfect my “Perfection Pants” pattern for baby soaker pants.  I love how it looks, and the plan is to get it into some brick and mortar stores.  More on that to follow.  You can see a preview of some of the lovely photos in the pattern on my flickr site.  Click photo below to pop over to flickr.
 


#2: Attended a Fabulous Knitting Retreat
Oh, My.  Now that I have attended a knitting retreat (Madrona Fiber Arts) I am hungry for more.  I’m hoping to attend the Sock Summit in August in Portland. I carpooled down to Tacoma with my buddy Katie and stayed at the surprisingly lovely Hotel Murano.  Guess what, it seems to be a cousin to the delightful Hotel deLuxe that I stayed in in Portland in November.  Hm! 

Some highlights:

me ‘n Katie

I made a tiny bowl to practice short rows in my Cat Bordhi sock class.  I’m in my tiny bowl.

Cat Bordhi is in my tiny bowl!

Cat Bordhi and I are best friends!

 
Sivia Harding is adorable!  She looks so knitterly, so I photographed her with my sock. She was also friendly and kind.  Hooray for nice people!

Trish from Tanglewood Fiber has the same camera as me!  I wish I had her yarn, that’s for sure.  Gorgeous stuff!
Check her blog entry here for a matching photo of me.  Hi Trish!  Smooch!  Go say hello to Trish, everyone.  You’ll wish she was your new best friend when you see (touch, experience, covet, fawn over) her yarns. 

This is an awful picture of me, so I’m keeping it very tiny, but it was truly a highlight.  We met some musicians from Gladys Knight’s band in the hotel lobby.  My friend Nicole taught one of the backup singers to knit, and I taught my new buddy Matthew, the piano player, to knit.  He really picked it up fast. 

I also took a fabulous class with Lucy Neatby, who is brilliant. I can’t wait to go to another knitting retreat. All of the beautiful items and friendly people — it was just fantastic.  Hello, new friends, do keep in touch!

For more photos and entrancing commentary, check out my  Flicker Madrona Set.

And back to the list…

#3:  Eli sprained his ankle and subsequently wore a boot for several weeks. 

#4:  Female Concerns (avert your eyes, squeamish)
I’ve got big cysts in my left ovary.  They are getting treated.  They don’t seem too serious, and will hopefully go away with treatment. 

#5:  Stitch ‘n Bitch Pattern
Put the final touches on my pattern coming out this spring in Deb Stoller’s Advanced Stitch ‘n Bitch.  This baby has been cooking for two years now; can’t wait for the release.  

#6:  Other Super-Exciting Pattern
I’m very excited about a knitting design that I’ve been agonizing over (no, seriously, agonizing) and I’m thinking of submitting it to Interweave Knits for their Winter issue. I think I finally have it how I want it.   

#7: Something for the Real-Life Friends — Local Knitting Class
I’ve put together a knitting class/group that I’ll be offering through my school auction.  If you’ve ever wanted to learn to knit or improve your craft, here’s your chance.  I’ll be working with knitters during three sessions at a fabulous local chocolate and fair trade coffee shop – Caffe Lento.  All proceeds for the class will support our school.  There will also be guided shopping trips with discounts at local shops.  Talk to me in person if you’re interested in signing up.  It’s going for $118 per person and there are ten available slots.

Ok, so every blog entry will not be this long lest my children suffer starvation and neglect.  Remember, I do appreciate your encouragement and blog more as a direct result!

Happy month of Adar — Purim is on the way and that means spring and cookies.  Stay tuned. 

UPDATE

So, let’s see…
1.  Eli flew off the play equipment at the local park, and sprained his ankle.  Hasn’t been able to walk for two days and now is limping around.  This family made a movie of the play structure so you can see what it looks like.  (Thank you Sahara and family.)  Teens were pushing it too fast and he flew off.  He got a swollen nose and a twisted ankle, but it does not seem broken as per the x-rays.  Upon second inspection by the pediatrician today, he also has warts that are spreading on his feet.  So, today, off to the podiatrist.  Whee!

2.  I double-booked Sam with OT and Pacific Science Center after-school class and will now have to attend OT at 5pm Weds. nights.  Whee!

3.  I finished a new knitting design and am deciding whether to self-publish or submit.  It’s very cute.  You’d like it.

4.  Remember I have a knitting design in the soon-to-be-published-for-over-a-year-two-years-now Stitch ‘n Bitch book?  Well guess what!  It’s going to be published this spring!  I can’t wait because I want to show it to you already. 

5.  My dad is recovering from his surgery, thank you for your good wishes.

6.  I am going to Madrona Fiber Arts Festival this weekend and taking classes with Lucy Neatby and Cat Bordhi. For those of you who don’t know, these are brilliant women of knitting.  I can’t wait to meet them and take their classes!

7.  Today is Tu B’shvat!  Happy Birthday Trees!

8.  Eli is learning chess.  Watch out. 

9.  Recess over — gotta go!

Hey, I’m getting the lonely-blog-blues. (I set the wallpaper to match.) I know you’re visiting – I see your footprints!  But you never say hello!  (Cassandra, AbigailVR and a couple others are excepted from this generalization. Melissa, Aunt Mindi… you know who you are.)

next!  don’t leave a sister hanging here, please.

Hello Purveyors of Yarn and Knitting Supplies and other Blog Reading Folks,

I am going to be hosting a Stitch ‘n Bitch group for my school
auction.  I will have a group of ten new
and experienced knitters and I will help them select projects and yarn, and
give them coaching, etc.  We’ll have
three nights out at a coffee shop to knit! 

 If you would like to send me promotional materials for your
online shop (brochures, samples, yarn, business cards, etc.) I will make those
available for my students to see, touch and use. 
I will also make up an information sheet with the names of shops, etc. If
you want to offer a coupon code or anything like that to go along with it, super. 

I would need these by the end of February or the first week
in March at the latest so I can make a display for the auction!  Thanks!

Contact me via email if you have something to offer!  (gmail – pamelamama at)

10:47: Finished another report card!  Scott is preparing the terrarium for the sole remaining stick bug.  What was the name of that movie in NY where the one guy is left alive?  Scott:  Meet me in Manhattan?  Me:  No.  Scott:  I found another one.  Me:  You know the black guy scientist and his dog?  Scott:  I Am Legend?  Me:  Yeah that’s it.  What was the guy’s name?  Scott:  Will Smith?  Me:  Yeah.  Can we name the last stick bug Will Smith?  Scott:  I just found a third one.