Mmmmmm....

Every Christmas my dad would make rice pudding. He'd make it the night before so that we would have the treat the next morning with breakfast. It would be lumpy, chewing, chilly and sweet. When I got married, to my dismay, I found out my husband did not like rice pudding. Alas. Now that I have two boys, though, I have a second and third chance at sharing one of my childhood favorites with someone else. What's my point? I know it's not Christmas yet (and rice pudding wasn't a treat reserved solely fro the holiday), but tonight I had a ton of left over rice and decided this would be the night I really try my hand at the delicious concoction.

I didn't really talk about my Thanksgiving the other day, so since I'm feeling in the holiday spirit, here are some pics from our Upstate New York trip!

First of all, my husband's Aunt owns horses and cattle, something my sons never see up close. When we lived in Maryland, there were farms everywhere. In Georgia, we live right outside of Atlanta. No cows here. My youngest really got a kick out of the animals, though. He even rode a pony for a few seconds. As the pony started to trot, he started to slide off sideways. Luckily, my husband and his aunt were right there to catch him! Both boys feed three horses and a pony. I couldn't persuade Aaron or Sean to pet the horses, unfortunately.

I tried to convince John's aunt that she needs a few alpacas on her farm. Then she could shear the darlings and send the wool to me! :-) Somehow I don't think I convinced her. That is one of my dreams, though. Someday own some land and raise alpacas. Mostly, I want to be able to spin my own yarn. That would mean I'd have to seriously start knitting again!!

About that knitting. I just haven't felt very inspired lately. I have that project I'm working on for my mom, but it's a felting pattern, so it's not very pretty at this point. Plus, it's kinda boring, seeings as it's a large rectangle I'm making. I guess I'm just in a slump.

Sean's been home from school the last two days because of a nagging cough. His teacher didn't want him to spread his cold to the other children, so she requested he stay home. I can't wait for him to go back! ;-) Seems like every time I turn around the boys are into something. They've discovered the meaning of "teamwork." When they're not getting into stuff they shouldn't be in, they are running around screaming. That's it. That's the game. Let's run around the apartment, screaming at the top of our lungs until mommy snaps. Even "time out" hasn't worked the last two day. Does anyone else's children go through phases like this? Usually the kids are well behaved, but lately...

Why are children compelled to run? When Sean's outside, that's all he wants to do. You would think that eventually he would tire out, but no. He just keeps going. I know that a long, long time ago I was just as energetic. Just think of all the running games children find fun, the most obvious example being "tag." Just imagine still finding running that much fun as an adult. Oh, I'm sure there are those who still find joy in pounding the pavement, but I have HATED running ever since I became a teenager. Is it because one's body gets heavier as he or she ages, making the act of running more difficult? Or is it related to the boundless energy children possess?

On another topic, if you are the praying type, I've started a prayer circle on Beliefnet.com for my parent's good friend, Juliette Thomas, who is in the advanced stages of lung cancer. Typically, I like to keep my religious beliefs private, as I respect the fact that different people believe different things. If you are interested, though, please click here. Unfortunately, I have another loved one dealing with cancer. John's Aunt Kate, a woman who has more than her share of heartache this year, was diagnosed with lymphoma. She has undergone surgery to remove it, and we should know soon whether or not all the cancer was removed. If you are interested in praying for her, please click here. If you aren't the praying type, please disregard! Thanks!

First of all, I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving! I did! The trip went well, the food was good, and the company was friendly! And, yes, I did get some knitting done! (Hooray!) We'll talk about it later.

Today I did some cleaning. I had to. Just take a look at my "desk":

Yes, I know my desk is a dining room table. That's beside the point. It is a total mess. Or was...

Yay! Clean!

Well, I still have a lot of cleaning to do, despite my all day marathon. I know. Exciting stuff.

Anyhow, here's some knitting content:

I know--what is it? Right now it's pretty ugly, but it is the beginnings of a beautiful felted purse I'm making for my mom. I'm wondering if this diamond pattern will be visible after felting. We'll see. It's going to be brown with black trim. Trust me--it'll be nice.

One last thing for now (I'm tired): Sean has just gotten new glasses and they, are, ADORABLE!! Here, take a look------------->

Cute, huh? I really couldn't get him to sit still for a photo. Eh, oh well. I'll have to catch him when he's not looking.

Right now I'm reading the most compelling and heartbreaking book. I'm probably the last one to read it, considering it was a huge deal when it was published a few years ago. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you read "Lovely Bones." It's just...well it's horrifying, but beautiful at the same time. It's about a teenager who is murdered. She goes to Heaven, then from there she watches her family deal with her death. It sounds gruesome, but it is handled in such a way that makes you want to read further. Then again, maybe you already know. Like I said, I have to be one of the last people to read it.

Until next time...

Cutie Pa-tooties!

Both my boys got hair cuts yesterday, and they are C-U-T-E! First, Aaron:

You can't tell in the picture, but his hair is spiked a little in the front.

Next, Sean:His hair looks so much better than it did. I can see his beautiful eyes!

So, tomorrow night we embark on our looooong journey to upstate New York. This will be our first trip that way since moving from Maryland. My husband says it's a solid 17 hour trip. Perhaps this means I'll get some knitting done? Maybe I'll have some FO pics when I come back? I'll definitely have Thanksgiving pics. Oh, I LOVE turkey day!!!

Ahhh, Sunday.

Well, this has been a productive week...well, not in knitting content, but in other stuff just as cool! Okay, well, I didn't actually do anything cool this week. I cleaned the boy's room, cleaned the living room, ignored the kitchen, and played on my computer. Mostly, I've been watching my youngest son develop an addiction to the Internet. (He's only three and a half.) He's been spending hours at the Nick Jr. website, playing with Max and Ruby and Wow, Wow, Wubbzy. He's amazing! This summer he learned how to play Super Mario Advanced on the Gameboy advanced. For Christmas Santa's getting him a v. Smile. I need to harness that brain power into something useful, like getting ready for school.

So, Aaron is a smarty, but did you know he was a hottie, too? He already has a girlfriend!

This is my best friend's daughter. When she visited, the two were inseparable. Good job, Aaron! She is extremely beautiful, like a little china doll. Here's another picture:

They are meant to be...

I have one more bit of news to report on Aaron. The other day I was paying bills at the kitchen table, when Aaron walks out of my room and nonchalantly reports: "Hey mama, I cut my hair." !!!!! WHAT?!?!? I jumped up and sure enough, he cut his bangs. I ended up having to trim it up to make it look halfway decent. He's going for a real haircut today.

Man, am I comfortable. Something I didn't mention in my last post is that during the move, I neglected to get my Remicade on time and started to get an arthritic flared-up. (You guys know that I have Arthritis, right?) Well, to hold me over until I can get in and get a Remicade infusion, my new Rheumatologist prescribed me Celebrex, Prednisone (side effect: fat face), and Ultram. I'm supposed to take the Ultram twice a day, and it is very mind numbing. So I feel pretty good right now. Just thought I'd share.

So, yesterday we took the kids to the Mall of Georgia to go to the movies. We saw Flushed Away, and the kids liked it. It was pretty good.

This was my third time to the Mall of Georgia, and I still haven't seen the whole mall. Every time I'm there I see a small portion of it, then something happens that requires me to leave. Last night, my husband felt sick after the movie. UGH! From what I've seen of the mall, though, it's pretty awesome. It's my favorite of the three I've been to in this area. (As I mentioned before, there are many more malls that I have yet to visit.)

Well, that's about it for me, today. Before I go, though, here are some pictures from Halloween (better late than never!)

This first one is of Sean (The very cranky Hulk) and Aaron (Mr. Incredible)! Please disregard the mess in the background. (We were still unpacking)


Here is Aaron looking thoughtful.

And here is Aaron's girlfriend, Ani. Precious, huh?

Meme

Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Cashier at a Drug store
2. Imagery Analyst for the Air Force
3. Checkout girl at the FoodDawg
4. Department manager at Bed Bath & Beyond
Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. The Wedding Singer
2. Me, Myself and Irene
3. There's Something about Mary
4. American Psycho
Four places I have lived:
1. Ceiba, Puerto Rico
2. Pass Christian, MS
3. Charleston, SC
4. Alpharetta, GA :-)
Four television shows I love to watch:
1. Lost
2. Medium
3. Martha
4. Desperate Housewives (I know, I'm so original.)
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Myrtle Beach, SC
2. Thousand Islands, NY
3. Orlando, FL
4. Phillie/New York (A best friends only trip--CRAZY!)
Four of my favorite dishes:
1. Artichokes
2. Chicken Parmesean
3. Filet Mignot topped with Bleu Cheese
4. Carbonara
Four websites I visit daily:
1. Hotmail
2. Blogger
3. Craftster
4. Knitty
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Hanging with my mom
2. Cuddling my boys
3. The mall
4. La-la land
Four people I tag next:
I stole this from Titanium Rose's page, who stole it from Crazy Aunt Pearl, so I encourge you to do the same. So, tag! You're it!

!!

It's been a long time, but I'm finally back. Where was I? Well, to hell and back...okay, I'm exaggerating. I haven't been to hell. It's been a very eventful summer (and early fall).
We sold the house!! Unfortunately, my husband had to start his job (in Atlanta, GA) before we received an offer on it. I spent some time with my mom and dad in Asheville, NC while we waited for "closing day." I had a lot of adventures during my stay there, and took lots of pictures. I'll devote a post to Asheville another time.

After we closed on the house, we moved down here to Alpharetta, GA, which is right outside of Atlanta. I LOVE it here! We're living in an apartment right now, which I DON'T love, but we signed a short lease so that we can settle down in a new house a few months from now.

I have never lived where there is SO MUCH SHOPPING!!!! I don't know exactly how many malls are in this area, but so far I've counted eight. I know there are more. As for shopping centers, I have no clue. Each neighborhood seems to have a few different shopping centers. There is a yoga studio on every corner, and so many restaurants that I could probably eat out every night for over a year without going to the same place twice. Now, I understand this would be hell for some. While I recognize land has to be cleared for all these shopping centers and malls, the consumer in me still delights in the fact that I have a Target within walking distance from my apartment. Well, I love this area, and the conveniences it offers. When I lived in Frederick, we only had two really tiny malls, and only a handful of restaurants. We had to travel thirty minutes for good shopping. It's nice to have a variety of places so near. I'm sure it'll get old, but for now, whoopee!!

I've been here in Alpharetta for almost a month, but this is my first week without visitors. My parents visited the first weekend, followed by my best friend from NC, who spent over a week here. Just as she left, I became deathly ill--no lie!--and my parents rushed back down to take care of the kids while I recuperated. It's been constant company here! They are back in NC, though, and I'm definitely feeling better. BUT. My kids are sick now and seem to keep passing the same bug back and forth. If it's not vomit, it's diarrhea. I know. Gross. This has been the trend for the past week, though.

It all started with my guests, I guess. They had colds. The boys then got colds. My husband got the cold. Then, I got food poisoning combined with severe dehydration that sent me to the emergency room (by ambulance, no less!) Then, when my husband brought the boys by the hospital, my youngest started to get sick. Since then, both my boys have taken turns "christening" my carpet. I think my youngest is finally back to normal, but now the oldest has the runs again. Oh, and now I have that cold that has been passed around. AGGHH!

By the way: Water = good. Dehydration = bad. I NEVER, NEVER want to be that sick again. There is nothing like the feeling of your body completely shutting down! My poor husband...he was terrified! I'm all better now, though.

So, that's just some of the craziness going on here. I finally have Internet, and guess what? I have MY OWN computer now! My husband bought me a laptop so I wouldn't bother him so much. Yay!

As for knitting, I'll be honest--I haven't done any. I've finally been reunited with my stash, though, and my fingers have been itching to do some knitting. Now, I just have to get this apartment in order so that I can knit without feeling bad about the stuff I should be doing. (Like tackling the disaster area that is my sons' room.) This place is a wreck right now.

And there's my cue to leave! I've got a lot to do before fun can be had! Hopefully this post hasn't been too boring. Is there anyone out there still visiting my page? I've been gone so long...