Loud

The world is a very loud place! I didn't know. I am a loud person. Kind folks have been telling me this for years -- but on reflection, not my whole life.

I often get water stuck in my ears after swimming, or even just a quick shower. A few weeks ago it did not clear. Yep, I spent about a week deaf in one ear. It's irritating. I finally went to the doctor. She said that I needed them syringed, and that I needed to spend a week prior dropping olive oil into them once per day. OK. I managed to do it 3-4 times. Good enough.

Yesterday morning, Foxy and I trooped off to see the nurse. Have you had your ears syringed?!? It is AWESOME. It's no syringe, it's a power hose. It feels like your brain is being washed, and that maybe the water is going in a little too far. And it almost, kinda hurts. In that good way, KWIM? She started on the really bad ear. After a couple of minutes she checked -- nope, still blocked. She upped the power and soon declared -- that's it, a big chunk just came out. No, I did not look at the waste product. The second ear was just a quickie.

Immediately the world seemed full of noise. Little and big, the world is really, really busy with noise. Did you know?

Foxy was with me because it was time for another jab. That's when I discovered just how loud he is. OMG. The boy SCREAMS! All in all, this ear cleansing has been a really good thing. But this morning Foxy actually woke me up. Yes, Nearest and Dearest still got up with him (I married well), but my slumber was disturbed for a few minutes. Inconvenient.

Anyway, Nearest and Dearest has noticed that I am talking more quietly. This must be a relief. And since the procedure, I have not had to ask her to repeat herself. I'll admit it, it used to irritate me that she spoke so quietly. Who knew the fault was my own.

Nearly Ready...

A gift has been bought for Cute Cousin. Phew.

The house is decorated...




There's food and drink...



And Santa should know where to come...

So. What's left to do? Just wrapping up a few presents. And finish socks for Nearest and Dearest. Really, just stitching them up. The thing is, in order to do that, I need to learn Kitchener stitch. Hmmm...

Catch Up

OK, having read a few others' blogs, I have realized it is officially time to GIVE UP. No more knitted gifts are to be completed. Sorry Cute Nephew, looks like you will be getting a reversible knitted hat for New Year's instead. As you're 17 months, I don't think you'll mind. I do feel slightly guilty that I convinced Grandma to knit you a matching scarf, which is, of course, finished, wrapped & ready. Oh - what was that? Yeah, I just got over it.

So, I am carving out a little time now to catch up on Foxy's birthday! We had a party with Nearest & Dearest's family, and a couple of my cousins and their children. Foxy LOVED the attentions of his second cousins (is that what they are? Who knows. Anyway, they were 6 & 8, a 1-year-olds delight!).

The children did a WONDERFUL job decorating the cake. BTW, the cake was very tasty too. From Nigella's Domestic Goddess book, first of the children's cakes. Her recipes can be hit or miss, and I am happy to say that this one definitely HIT. Sadly I seem to have no pics of the finished product (very Jane Brocket), but it's all about the process, right?


Foxy had a great time opening his gifts, with a little help from his friends:


Cute cousin helped too:

And they all really enjoyed this big loud plastic lorry (given to us by CHILDLESS friends...)


At the end of all the excitement, Foxy went back to his favourite toy of all, the dishwasher:

It was a terrific day. Has the year gone quickly? Well, no, but I wouldn't have wanted it to.

But that's not all. The following week Foxy had a little birthday tea-party at the creche. I was really glad that Nearest & Dearest was able to come. Sometimes she worries about the amount of time he spends there (30 hours/week). I don't, and I think it's because I am familiar with the place, and I can see clearly that he is so very happy there. Nearest & Dearest could see that too. This was a typical afternoon, 6 babes & 4 lovely ladies taking care of them. I do not think it is typical, I think we are extremely lucky.

Anyway. Here are some snaps of the party. There is something about babies all lined up in high chairs that just makes me want to cry (in a good way). Check them out:






Now, back to Christmas prep. We're hosting, and hoping to make it FABULOUS!

Is it wrong to leave a sleeping child napping for 3 HOURS?? I thought not ;-).

Random

Hi there. I've had blogging constipation. This happens every time there has been a big event, and I know that I need to post about said event, not forget anything, and include lots of photos. Obviously, we have had a BIG event here at casa de Fox, and what with all the holiday knitting, I have not got round to that big post yet. Still. Felt like a writing a wee post this morning.

I find myself doing an odd thing. I have Toddler Taming in the bathroom, and I read bits of it each time I take a seat. A normal person would flip to the parts of the book relevant to challenging behaviour for their toddler. Foxy certainly has his share of challenging behaviours. But that's not what I do. Instead, I look through the sections on sleep problems and feeding problems. He doesn't have these. It makes me feel SO GOOD!

I have also stumbled on a blog that I am LOVING. Crazy Aunt Purl, the true-life diary of a thirty-something, newly divorced, displaced Southern obsessive-compulsive knitter who has four cats. (Because nothing is sexier than a divorced woman with four cats.) Fabulous. And I love her descriptions of life in LA. Enjoy.

He Speaks!

Well, it's been a weird weekend. Foxy has been really ill again. A bad cold, with breathing difficulties as bad as they have ever been. He's been beside himself. Just miserable, poor mite. We know it's bad when he's not sleeping well and off his food. Eating and sleeping are his favourite activities! Then...just when things were really feeling wearing...he dropped one of toys, looked up at us, and said, "uh-oh!" Too cute! So clever.

Meanwhile, I am mostly in a holiday knitting frenzy. I have given myself WAY too many projects with a 25th deadline. I just can't help myself. Also means that I can't bore you with progress pictures, I'm sure you're gutted ;-).

I'm also enjoying some internet stuff at the moment:

1. I found bloglines, and it has made checking my ever-increasing number of blogs of interest manageable. Highly recommended!

2. I have joined audible, and am listening to Malcolm Gladwell's new book, Outliers. I'm liking it very much. Audible seems like a good deal for someone like me who walk a lot listening to an ipod.

3. Not that I have given up on podcasts. Oh no. I'm currently bingeing on CraftLit. Heather Ordover talks about her life and crafty things, and then introduces books or short stories that she then plays from Librivox (free audio books from back in the day -- no longer under copyright). I love it because she was a high school English teacher, and so knows what she's talking about. Thus far, I have listened to Pride and Prejudice, several short stories, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I am skipping over The Turning of the Screw though....

What a Boy!

I am having such a great time with the Fox lately. This is because he has been WELL for an entire week, and because changing him has become easier (who knows why, but long may it last). This is such a cute age! I know I am biased, but really, he is just super.

We had such a good day yesterday. Wednesdays are my day at home with him, and this was the first one where we were able to do fun stuff since Halloween. We actually made it to swimming! He is now remedial, but enjoyed himself which is the main thing. Then we went to Starbucks for some 'chinos:

I am also loving the (mostly) bright, Autumn weather. Doesn't our neighbourhood look pleasing?

It was such a good day. We even got our (2nd) Christmas tree. I will be posting when the decor is complete. Sadly, mostly of what I wanted was deemed too chavvy.

This morning, when I dropped Foxy at the creche -- HE WAVED bye-bye!!! He's such a clever boy. I just love that kid.

Academic Life

Mostly, I love my job. The actual work I do is interesting, and I generally feel competent. My issue is that I really don't much like academics ( a few family and friends excluded, of course). What a bunch of self-important wankers. I don't mind people taking their work seriously, I cannot bear people who take THEMSELVES doing their work seriously. I was in a meeting this morning where a buffoon of a man (my dean, no less) referred to himself as ectopically placed (outside his discipline). ?!!? Where do I begin.

Fortunately for me, sock knitting is my meeting companion:

And for much of the time, I can sit in my office doing my own thing: