A Tale of Two Knitties

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to knit in two very different knitting circles.

The first was more of a knitting triangle, consisting of me, Amanda, and Allegra trying to knit at my house amidst toddler chaos. Two 2 year olds and one newly 3 year old are not ideal knitting companions. It was like knitting in a room full of kittens. We made a little progress all the same, and enjoyed each other's company and some yummy bagels and muffins.

The second was the knitting circle (more of a rectangle because of the table) at the local yarn store. Generally, I think it is a nice way to escape for an hour and a half a week. I am also often surprised by who I see there. But last night, I had to listen to several of the group's members express their deep and abiding love for Scrubs and how it is one of the best written shows on TV. One person said, "It makes TV worthwhile." I bit my tongue. And I also realized that the owner has a really (or should I say reawwy) bad habit of using baby talk in general conversation with other adults. It makes my skin crawl. But I did get a lot of my knitting done.

So, on the one hand, I was trying to knit while Dorian was dive bombing from a table to the couch and tangling himself in my yarn, and on the other I was listen to someone say, "She shouldn't go outside, it's fweezing. It's fweezing out there."

Which would I rather experience again? I'll take the toddlers any day. At least they are supposed to talk like that.

Today I feel a little annoyed

You wanted more Dorian? Well, you can have him.

After writing on the wall and on himself with markers, and peeing all over the house, I'm trying to make dinner when this happens:

D: Mama, I put the toothbrush thing in my potty to make it better.

M: (through gritted teeth) What "toothbrush thing"?

D: In here.

M: (enters bathroom and sees potty full of pee but no "toothbrush thing") What did you put in the potty?

D: (points) Wha-wha

M: What?!

D: (points again and mumbles) Yuck.

M: (holding mostly full tube of toothpaste globbed with same) This?!

D: (nods) Wha. Yuck.

M: (sniffing tube) No...

D: (nods)

Today I'm a little frustrated

Frustrated because the more I think about it, the more wrong I think that teacher is. (See previous post) First off, because I'm quite certain that one of the children she was probably referring to was shopping at the fair this morning. And secondly, because I can think of 8 children who definitely could buy something. Especially since they have several non-book items available for less than a dollar. And now I'm concerned about how her attitude is impacting the kids in her class.

I'm also frustrated because last night I made a mistake in knitting that backwards ass scarf, but I couldn't even deal with trying to figure out where I went wrong. So this morning I take a look and there's the mistake... right at the beginning of the damn row. Which would mean pulling out 300 stitches to fix. So, I looked at the picture of the pattern again. And then I unraveled the whole god forsaken thing. Fuck that scarf. I would feel lousy that I had wasted 3 hours of my life, but I did learn a lesson: Don't knit scarves that way because it is totally stupid.

Today, I'm a little sad

I'm sad because of a conversation I had with Sebastian's teacher this morning while I sliced cucumbers for healthy snack. I asked whether their class would be going back to the book fair this week so I could give Mr. S a little spending money. I think we all remember the book fair, right? The glossy movie novelizations, the bendy pencils, counting out your change to buy that special thing that (chances are) your parents would never have picked out.

Well, the teacher said no, they would not be going back because it is just torture for the children who know they can't have anything. How many kids could that be? Oh, only 13 out of the 18. The teacher said that probably only 5 kids in the class would be able to buy anything this year. It just made me want to cry.

She then went on to say that she "fears for our community, the number of children growing up in squalor." I would have guessed that 5 of the kids were really poor. Not 13. What can you do about that?

I guess I just have to resist the temptation to get really frustrated that I am the only parent who seems involved on a regular basis, and be thankful that those kids (and their teacher) at least have one person helping them out.

Weirdest collection of bumper stickers I've seen in a while

1. Something about organ donation, with a toll-free number
2. The USAPATRIOT Act-- One Nation, One God, One President-- Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!
3. Try to take my gun away and you won't get my trust
4. Dragons are HOT lovers

All this on a truck with the handicapped license plate GEEK

Eventful morning

The Good: We started the morning off with the best All School Sing yet featuring everyone's favorite performer, Sebastian. He was the first of three soloists from the multi-age classes, singing a song about no more pie. Very cute. (Sorry no video, I didn't want to try to get permission from other people who might have popped into view.) Then, his class was one of several demonstrating the Twist. All 450-ish students plus 50 or so teachers and guests were twisting away in the sweatiest dance party I've been to in a long time. And me without my vinyl skirt...

The Bad: On the way to Little Peoples camp, I was crossing in the crosswalk at Malfunction Junction* (if you've been to Bratt, you know where I mean). A pickup turning left stopped to let me pass, as he should have since pedestrians have the right of way. The old man driving the car behind him neglected to notice, and I heard a CRUNCH! Whoops. I booked it up the street, which I don't think was technically leaving the scene of an accident since I wasn't in one of the cars involved. Besides, I'm the only person I've seen in this town with a giant, bright red jog stroller, so I'm sure they could track me down if they wanted to.

* What does it say about VT that every town seems to have one of these?

Things I said to Dorian today and where

• "Take your face out of the toilet."-- public bathroom
• "Next October."-- explaining for the umpteenth time when Halloween will be happening again
• "At the end of the month."-- explaining yet again when Xmas will be
• "What if I cut off the leaky parts?"-- in the kitchen while negotiating his PB&J lunch
• "Not right now!"-- answer to the interminable question "Can I go on PBSKids?"
• "Don't put pretzel sticks in your ears."-- living room
• "Don't put pretzels in any holes in your body."-- living room 1 minute later after seeing them hanging from his nostrils