Damnit Mickey

So we've apparently got mice now. We had them previously in the basement but took care of it with a couple traps. Now they've apparently sent a second wave which came upstairs somehow. We found this out the night of their invasion, when the sound of chip bags being crinkled got my attention.

My husband investigated, and found that our Disney-Glorified-Plague-Spreader had pooped on the table, the fridge, the floor, the counter behind the sugar canister....

Which probably means there's more than one but we did nail one of the little bastards last night. We got those funky looking disposable traps that don't have a visible spring. I figured that would be a good idea because of Mini Monster and Bing. Bing hasn't been over for a while but I'm definitely going to have them over sometime, and I really don't want small, investigative fingers slammed in a mousetrap. That and just being able to pick up the trap and chuck it in the trash, and load it without fear of my OWN fingers safety is pretty nice.

The Bird Feeders are still getting plenty of attention. We've had a white throated Sparrow join the crowd, and I saw a bluejay hanging on the Suet feeder. I did notice that the plain old generic suet/seed cakes aren't getting as much attention as the fruit one did, but I've got a couple of them to use up before I switch back to fruit.

Tilmani and I are also debating picking up a Blueberry bush or so. They've got some at the supermarket. Tilmani likes blueberries, and we think Mini Monster will also enjoy it. Even if he doesn't like to eat them, ((But I think he will)) there's something fun about picking your own fruit.

The running snigger in the house hold at the moment is "Gripe Water". Mini is occasionally prone to being colicy, if not often, so we got Cholic Tablets and a liquid version of colic-cure called Gripe Water. ((Ginger and... something.)) Honestly we haven't slipped any Gripe Water into his formula yet, but he LOVES the tablets. You put them under his tounge and let them disolve, and there must be something about the taste because he not only relaxes quickly, but he -GRINS-. He latched onto Tilmani's finger the first time we gave him one and chewed on it cheerfully.

Between him enjoying the taste and the fact it seems to be very soothing when nothing else seems to do it. ((I think he's giving himself a stomach ache when he gets hungry and eats too fast.)), I'm hardly going to argue with them.

But yeah, just the name "Gripe water"... you gotta admit thats pretty funny.

I'm on my fifth shirt and second pair of pants today. All of them were spit up on. One of them was peed on AND spit up on. Most of them were drooled on.

Then I look over and watch my son having a ball with his play mat and grabbing the ducks bill instead of the easy to reach wings for the first time (at least that I've spotted), and smiling...


And it's worth it.

Art and Soforth

It's been a busy time, but it's a bit quieter right now. Mini Monster is sitting in his swing chilling out for a few minutes, and we got a fair bit done today. He even sat in his stroller so he could watch me clean the kitchen and watch the birds on the feeder. That worked out for both of us.
We went to Lebanon yesterday to get some stuff, which was fun. We got the new "Harry Dresden" book, the big compendium of "Bone", had coffee with my mother, and got some food. ((The supermarket has some foods that they don't carry at the local supermarket.
((Including some imported candybars. :d))

It's nicer outside than it has been for a couple days too. We actually had HAIL last week.

Stitch... Bitch and turkey

Well:
I went back to my knitting group for the first time on Thursday, and I brought the Mini Monster. That was actually pretty fun, although I got about as much knitting done as I expected to. ((Which is to say not much.)) Elsie gave Mini an stuffed bear in a sock-yarn sweater, and everyone found him the hit of the show. He was mostly interested in looking wide eyed and trying to bury his head. Apparently he thought the while thing was a little much, at least this time around.

I got to talk to Turtle for the first time in a while, that was a lot of fun, and we browsed the CoOp together. I picked up some delicious sea-salt caramels (expensive but SO worth it.) And some Dogfish brewery's "Midas Touch" ale. (see previous expense comment.)

My Husband is also feeling a lot better, he's out of antibiotics and sounds way better, if still a little tired. My Mother in Law and her Husband have the monster right now so Tilmani and I can have some down time. I got some sewing done, some chatting, and I'm trying to cook a turkey roast. Wish me luck on that one... especially since the battery in our digital cooking thermometer is out of juice. *sigh*

Knitting Club, Alternate Needlework, Walking Pneumonia and No Boogie Woogie Flu.

It has been an INSANE couple of days. Easter was fun, a very "Norman Rockwell" vibe. Mini Monster was the total star of the show and was charming to all.... at least until we got home and he decided he'd saved up his meltdown for long enough.

This made for a slightly more complicated night because my Husband wasn't feeling very well, so he bailed out and slept on the couch because Mini refused to sleep anywhere he couldn't be held. ((He was pretty stressed.))

Since Husband ((Who needs a nickname. How about Tillmani, after one of his favorate RPG characters? I'm going by "Nightgaunt" afterall...)) still wasn't feeling well, I took Mini out to get him some more formula ((He has two hollow legs and we cleared out the grocery store.)) And to run some other errands. We hit up Borders, where I got a P.G. Wodehouse book 'Code of the Woosters', 'The Friday Night Knitting Club' by Kate Jacobs, and a collection of Stuart Little for Mini Monster. ((Ten bucks on the bargain rack! Heck yeah!)).

Then we hit Walmart for Formula, stocked up on that, and headed to Panera, where I got some scones and Icy Caramels for myself and my mother. Stopped to talk to an friend I game with. ((Hi 'Tony'! That's your new nickname for my blog.)) Tony helped me carry stuff to my car, and I joined my mom where she works. We enjoyed our scones and drinks, and Mini was cooed over again, and dished out a few more smiles.

After that it was a short run over to JoAnne's Fabric, where I picked up some mock suede, and some silky material, as well as assorted quilt blocks. Mini is very interested in soft fabric at the moment, so I figured I'd try and make him a 'blankie'. The interesting part in this project is that it will be all hand sewn. I don't have a machine. They make me nervous.

When we got back, Tillmani was feeling worse, and his temperature was outrageously high. We tried to get it to down, but it refused to stay there, and we trecked over to the Hospital.
After much panic and trying to reach someone by phone, which resulted in me contacting Endejester ((My sister)) over IM because our Father was still on the phone, I got someone to watch Mini and attended Tillmani along side his mother.

Tillmani is, by the way, and VERY thankfully, alright, and on the road to recovery. He's got Walking Pneumonia, but it's being treated, and he's getting plenty of rest here at home.

As far as the books: I already enjoy Wodehouse, but the Jacobs book is more fun than I expected. I wish I could go to her yarn store! It's on the fluff side of things, but I think I'd actually recommend it... at least so far.

Happy Easter

Morning folks and Happy Easter.
Gotta love any holiday that plants itself firmly on an day that celebrated fertility... and even adopts some of it's symbols... and then adds CANDY.

It's been a busy time as I'm sure you can tell. The birds continue to visit our feeders ((including the now firmly identified goldfinches, though they've scattered their arrival times a bit more. Also just to mock me, the finches have decided they like the door feeder better than their finch feeder.

Mini Monster picked out his first yarn the other day. I was out with his Nana and her sister, and we went to the Hodge Podge. He became captivated by a multicolored skein of bulky yarn, and wouldn't take his eyes off of it.

I'm knitting him a sweater out of it, which will hopefully be roughly the right size for him to wear when it's cold again. I'll try and take pictures when it's done.

I'm working without a pattern or I'd link you guys to what I was using.

Backyard Bird Sanctuary

It's been a pretty good weekend so far. I got a little "Mom-time" yesterday when I went out for a hiarcut and a little shopping. Got some books at Borders ((including the new Hellboy, though they suck and no longer carry BPRD.
Did get an really fun jacket on clearance though. Bomber Jacket in fake leather. I would have preferred real leather but that would have cost LOT more. Then I went home and we watched The Men Who Stare At Goats and Office Space. Office Space was better.


Our backyard, by the way, with a refilled feeder and a new suet-cage, has become a regular backyard bird sanctuary, which has been really exciting.

Bird list:
Female American Goldfinches
Pine Grossbeak
Red Breasted Nuthatch
Chickadee
Bluejay
Robin
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker (male and female)
What might be a Hairy Woodpecker
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow maybe.

And one chipmunk who climbed the door and had a look inside. In the past we've also had a male and female Cardinal and a Red Squirrel.