Well, we survived Halloween! Unfortunately my costume didn't quite make it until the Trick or Treaters arrived. We had part of the game group over, though one of our members couldn't make it, and will be out of the running for a while thanks to other "Real Life" necessities. ((Darn that RL stuff, getting in the way of a good game.))

Because he's going to be out for so long, we're going to switch over to playing a game we haven't run for a while, and jump back into the Star Wars universe.

I realize there's a running rumor that you can't be a fan of both Star TREK and Star WARS, but I don't agree. I'm a fan of both, though the Star Wars system lends itself more to roleplay IMHO. But then I've never tried a game set in the Trekiverse.

So yeah, we had part of the guys over, and since we were figuring out how to best handle a players extended absence without writing his character out (We didn't think that would be fair, because it would put him way behind in levels when he came back.) We watched some shows together, ate ourselves silly on candy, Crock Pot BBQ, and other goodies.

Turtle even brought us some Ramune soda, which I love. Apparently he discovered a candy store where they have bushels of Ramune and Pocky, and other candy goodies. He didn't spot the Pocky but his brother did, so I teased him that in penance he needs to bring us a selection of good Pocky for next game.

We also had Karen, Tom and Summer over, they came by and trick-or-treated, and had some food with us. Summer concluded that the chicken was "Too 'picy", and would have prefered to dine entirely on candy, which she wasn't allowed to do. There was an small chase with a carrot stick too. She was rather determined that she'd get all her sustenance from Sweet Tarts and Nerds, and her mom was pretty determined that at the least there would be some carrot in there too.

MiniMonster sort of enjoyed the attention, but after a while it got to be kind of too much and he turned clingy and upset... and eventually quietly spit up on my costume. He doesn't spit up much these days, so it's a pretty good indicator he's had quite enough of 'That' thank you.

He went to bed shortly after that, fussed for about two minutes and conked out for hours.

We all had a blast, and we actually did get some trick or treaters, who were quite ecstatic about discovering that we had full sized candy bars. Eyewidening and gasps of amazement were a -lot- of fun.

We've still got a good chunk of candy left over, since we didn't get that many, but I bet we get some repeat customers next year. ;)

Happy Halloween!

Since I don't know if I'll actually post on Halloween itself, I figure I'll wish everyone a happy and fun Halloween a little early!

Halloween is personally one of my favorite times of the year, since it's a bonifide excuse to dress up, give out, and get candy, and the historical information behind it is also pretty damn neat.

I mean then again I do love me some interesting and obscure Monsters. I did a paper once on Black Shuck, after all. I think that was the most fun I ever had researching something in college.

I think it's even going to be pretty nice weather for it. Maybe a little cool but not freeze you to your bones cold. I'll cross my fingers for it anyway, and I bet a lot of kids out there are doing the same. It's always a little annoying when you work super hard on your costume and then you hide 90% of it under puffy layers of warm things to keep from being Mr. Freeze instead of Batman.

Apparently later today we're having some sort of Live Action game up and down the street based on a book called "Hunger Games". Our Lawn is going to be the 'graveyard' area I think since it's across the street from the hosts house, has a large lawn, and a view of almost everything. Tilmani's a little unsure, but I already gave permission. *cough* So here's hoping that all goes down alright and I don't have to threaten an teenager with a cold blast of hose. I am a mean and evil person when I'm tired, after-all.

We'll probably have our usual weekend game gathering, at which I figure on making some crock pot Vinegar BBQ and maybe a side of sweet potatoes, and then hand out some candy.

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MiniMonster has pretty much cut the three teeth up top that he was working on, and ambitiously... seems to be working on TWO MORE.

I swear this kid has got it into his head that he's going to be biting chunks out of things by thanksgiving. He's sure trying hard enough! He needed some new socks, and we bought him some little leather soled slippers, since the weather is getting colder, and his feet are getting bigger. We tried buying him some shoes but Tilmani's estimate on his feet size was... *cough* a little off. I think you could fit both his feet into one of those shoes, so fortunately the slippers fit, but I bought those while MiniMonster was actually along.

He also decided to say "Hi" to the phone last night when his father called, that was a fun moment. Of course then he kept saying "Hi" for the next ten minutes, which was also cute. I guess you can't blame the guy for enthusiasm!

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Discovered some fun new web comics: I recommend "The Not so Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal", which was a fun find. Really gorgeous art too! Otherwise not a ton of stuff, but I'll keep you posted.

I mean I'm sure anyone on facebook has figured out I'm addicted to "Mouse Hunt". (HA! I made the Pumpkin Pummeler Trap! Dang that thing is hysterical... though I apologize to anyone annoyed by the updates regarding my mouse hunting triumphs.

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And you probably notice I sprouted an award. Leez of "Gnome Season" apparently decided to pass along the "Blog With Substance" award, which she also got and is convinced she doesn't deserve. I'm kinda tickled by getting a blog award... though I'm sure my 'obligatory interview' stuff will be pretty boring.

1. Thank the blogger who gave me the award.

^_^ Thanks Leez! And you do too deserve it.

2. Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using five words:
..
Love, Learning, Family, Friends, Creativity...

3. Pass this on to 10 other bloggers that you feel have a substance in their blogs.:

...Yeah I definitely don't know ten. Leeze has already got it... so: Erica (Adventures in Surrogacy) and Wanda (Langham Fat Farm) I choose you! *throws a pokeball*

Cabbage Patch Drolls

So apparently there is an article on the web on how kids should be sleeping through the night at three months old. This in spite of pretty much any other source and experience I've personally had saying MOST kids won't start this until at least six months, since, you know, they're eating constantly, they're in a giant new strange world, they're growing... then somewhere around six months as they finally start getting used to and exploring everything, they start teething, crawling, trying to stand and walk.... more new things that put a lot of stress on the body.

But they're supposed to be sleeping through the night. Because an article, which admits it doesn't cover all the factors... says they should.

I find this... to say the least, hysterical in the most bitter kind of way. Especially because I know there are people who will take this to mean that if your child isn't sleeping through the night as though you hit the magical "You're three months old now, Sleep!" button, that you, personally, are somehow a failure as a parent.

Kids aren't magical wind up toys that do everything for your convenience and comfort, they're little people who are getting used to being in a giant new world full of new experiences. They don't come with magic on/off switches, they don't start out with a self cleaning option, and they don't control the interruptions that sometimes come in the night.

Last time I met a little chubby cheeked, permanently smiling kid that did whatever anyone wanted, it came in a cardboard box with a little birth certificate that said "Cabbage Patch Kids".

*GRUMP*.

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It was a pretty interesting weekend though, I have to admit. Saturday Tilmani and I got to go on our date, though I also went outside and put some pumpkins on our stone wall by the steps as part of decorating for Halloween. While I was outside doing this, I kept hearing someone call "Buddy! Buddy get back here!"
I figured it was someone's dog, as there are a few on the street, and didn't think much of it... until I heard the distinct sound of horseshoes on pavement. I looked up and there was a horse coming down the street!
He took one look at me, did the horse equivalent of an 'don't mind me', and bolted up the kitchen side of our house into the back yard to visit with the horses that stable behind us. His rather frazzled keepers spent about 10 minutes trying to narrow him down from one side of the house to the other, since when they pursued him up behind he came down the other side into our driveway, then turned around and went back because of a car pulling out of the driveway. ((I imagine the driver was at least as surprised as he was.))

He was eventually safely caught, and escorted off the property unharmed. MiniMonster got to see him walk past the kitchen doors again, he thought that was enormously exciting.
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The Date was great. We went to the Elegant Ewe, where I got a thousand yards of "Dream in Color" sock yarn in "Purple Paisley" to try and make the Spanish Armada shawl with. ((If I can actually pull off some decent shawls I might actually try and put one on my Etsy. Although if someone wants one in just plain basic knitting, I can do that very easily. Price would depend on the yarn.

We went to the Candy Store, and I got some of my favorite candies, we went to Michaels and got a new scrap book ((I need to go print photos))
Yeah it was just a blast.

Sunday was good too, we went to a joint Birthday Party for Aunt Kris and Papa Tom, Mini got to taste the Lasagnina, and was nuts for Butternut Squash with brown sugar. I'm gonna have to try and make it for him some time, since I'm more than happy to encourage any veggies he wants to eat, and there's not actually a ton of brown sugar in it.

Fuzzy Monsters and Rice Cakes

Some new project fun: I've temporarily put aside my second attempt at 'Mystery Afghan' so I can try and figure out how I somehow gained seven stitches while following the directions.

So I pulled out the 'Fuzzy Monster' mod for the Fuzzy Lamb pattern and I'm trying to make a green monster for the Mini Monster. If it goes well I'll make some more and back stock them for my friend Mouse for her con-going adventures.

I also scored some great pictures of MiniMonster "Getting Piggy with it" with his rice cakes. Sour Cream and Onion in case you're wondering.

Tilmani and I are crossing our fingers to catch up with Nana J too, so that we can get a sitter for the monster and go for a "Date" this weekend.

Go to Starbucks, the Expensive Yarn store, The Candy Store, Starbucks, and Outback... ohhh bliss.

Nospheratu!

The Mini Monster has cut one of his two upper front teeth, and the other is immediately on it's heels! This was a rather exciting development for us, and kind of funny timing if you consider the teeth on the traditional Nospheratu vampire, and Halloween's rapid approach.

I've purchased some candy for the Trick or Treater's, but I'm not entirely sure if I have enough. I bought two boxes of full sized bars, none of the fun sized ones for me, and definitely no DumDums.

I always hated getting DumDum's when I trick or treated, I dunno about the rest of you but they just never had that much appeal for me. They just make your mouth sticky and don't taste all that great. It was kinda like getting pretty much any form of 'bad' candy. Like *shudder* Necco Wafers.

I realize that they're cheap candy, but Halloween and Christmas only come once a year, and if I have an excuse to dress up and get candy (speaking from Kid-view) I want to do it in STYLE. I mean most kids around here are already going to be sulking because they'll need to wear warm coats over their costumes, so I don't see it hurting to give them 'real' candy bars.

Mini ones also always seem to be a little stale, I've never understood that.

I just hope they actually get to eat them. I used to work with a woman... I'm sure most of us have met the type. The aging woman desperately trying to pretend she's still Sweet Sixteen. She dressed in clothing that was too small, wore too much makeup, bleached her hair to straw... and boasted about how whenever she and her son went trick or treating she'd trained him to give the bag to -her- afterward, so she could take all the 'good' candy. ((Her phrasing)). He got the dumdums and the Necco wafers, she got the Reeses, the Chocolate Bars, the Baby Ruths... you name it.

I never told her but that always -really- made me mad. I understand checking your kids candy to make sure that it hasn't been tampered with, but that's an entirely different animal. As an adult, if you want Halloween candy THAT badly, go buy yourself a bag.

Chantilly Lace and a pretty face...

So after my relative success with the "I'm Blue" Doily/Afghan/Round... Thingie, I'm absoloutely itching to try another high complexity project, and I'm giving some serious thought to diving into a lace project. I don't technically have Lace Weight yarn, but I do have some fingering weight Alpaca, which isn't -that- much heavier. It will however make the "FO" ((Finished Object)) come out larger than if I knitted it with almost thread thin laceweight.

I'm debating some patterns from ravelry/yahoo group designer MMario, who makes some really incredible patterns, and furthermore, offers them to knitters for free. He does accept donations, but they aren't required.

I'm debating between "Spanish Armada", which has the advantage of having both written instructions AND the usual chart, or "Threadfall" Which is chart only, but -seems- relatively clear. Both are knitted on round needles, though the resulting project will actually be a square.

Of course then again I could do my "Mystery Afghan" again, and maybe stash bust some of my green Manos del Urugay.

HMM. Choices Choices!!

I'm Blue da ba dee ba da dah

So one of the yarns I bought at the Sheep and Wool Festival was some naturally dyed homespun. Actually I bought two different blues, but only one of them became an issue.

The darker blue yarn immediately 'showed it's true colors' on winding, staining Tilmani's hands and mine. It continued in this bent when I started knitting with it, attempting a 'Mystery Afghan' pattern I'd been given a while ago.

My fingers were blue, my nails were blue, my palms were blue... my NEEDLES turned blue...

Oh and the couch cushion started to turn blue. JUST by having the ball of yarn sitting on it.

Needless to say after this discovery, I bound off what I'd done instead of trying to switch colors and continue, and went through the work of doing what apparently HADN'T been done properly to begin with, and got the extra dye rinsed out. Or that's what I'm hoping anyway. I put it in the bathroom as an attempt at blocking, and you guys might laugh because we actually used one of our baby gates that's not currently in action.

Have a look!