WOW

It has been very hectic since I blogged last. I have still been busy cleaning. I would like to say that for a second week in a row the recycle bin was too full for me to roll out to the street. John has gotten in on the cleaning too. Which means that I need to do more cleaning just to keep up with him. No we are not moving, but have been in this house for 18 years and we have just acquired a lot of stuff over the  years.

Along with the cleaning I have been doing a lot of transnational paper work for Eric. I bet we could save a Forrest of trees if we just input all the information everyone required into 1 computer program and had everyone pull the information they needed instead of writing it over and over in different formats for each agency involved.

The guys made my Mother's Day very special. With flowers, A Thomas the Tank DVD with 24 episodes that Eric picked out, a new purse, dim sum for brunch, and Italian for dinner. During dinner I got a very nice call from Teri, who was taking a break from studying for her last final of her Law School career. I also got a pretty red rose for the guys at Buck's where we go to get out cars tanked up. I had a nice chat with my mom. I am so glad that she will be able to make it to Teri's graduation next week. It has been a while since I have last seen her.

Also Eric is on the mend. He was sick enough that I had no time for anything last week.  Ever the optimist I know things will get much better this week.  Well it is time to do a little spinning and relax.

Making a Care Plan

Today in the midst of boiling and thwacking yarn, doing laundry and general cleaning I decided to update Eric's care plan. I think it was a little over due. It was last updated when Teri was a junior in college, um 5 years ago. A lot has changed. its like I have a whole new document.

If you are the primary care giver a care plan is necessary for everyone but you. I know I have this all in my head, but they don't. So take the time to make one. Carry a small note book around with you for about a week noting what you are doing and when.  Include such things as when the person gets up. What will they wear depending on the temperature outside and they days activities. Exercises that need to be done. Personal care and treatments that need to be done. When medicine needs to be given.  When transportation comes and goes. When is bed time. What is the shower/bath routine. What is different on the weekends. Eating schedule and food likes and dislikes.

Be sure to include all the likes and dislikes of the person you can think of. Which TV channels do they like. What shows do they love and hate.  Where do they like to go. What books on tape do they like. Do they like to be read to. What do they like to do, even if it is just sitting with you outside listening to the birds.

I also include mundane things like the next door neighbor, doctors, car mechanic's for the special issues. If you have friends in the care plan be sure to let them know. You can include the local grocery store that delivers. Also have take out menus of places that deliver.

If you are going on a trip be sure to have a page or 2 with your itinerary also.

Once you have the document prepared, give it to one or more of your regular helpers. Ask them to mark it up with a red pen, just in case you happen to forget something or have the wrong information down. Make your corrections and place the sheets in protective  sheet covers. Then let everyone know where it will be kept.

When properly maintained they are wonderful for everyone one around your special person.

My Virtual Monday

Yes I know today is Tuesday, but lets face it I am not at my best when I have been up for most of the night. Sunday night I was up until 3:30 am ish on Monday morning. Yesterday the real Monday was a wash, so I did Mondays chores today on Tuesday.

Eric did go to the doctors today and the verdict is he will be home with me until I leave to go see Teri graduate law school. I can not believe that it has been 3 years already. So this means that I need to be super organized for the next week. I will be the list person, with a list for virtually everything that needs to get done in the next week. To that end I have broken out a new note book. So I am off to start making my lists. Yes I did say lists because there will be many of them with no master list. Where is Teri when I need her awesome organizational skills?

With any luck I will find time for knitting and spinning. By the way does anyone know if you can take a drop spindle in carry on or does it have to be packed?

Just the Ususal Stuff

Cleaning got stalled Sunday afternoon when Eric got sick. I would  like to say that his temperature is down, but we will most likely be going for a doctors visit tomorrow. I don't like his cough.

A lot of work got done on the Jaala Spiro’s Silk Moon Crescent Shawlette knit along. I am over half way through with it. Jaala did a very nice job on the design. I would also like to add that it is a pattern I would recommend knitting when you have been up all night with a sick child. This is also the type of pattern that you could take with you to the hospital or doctors visits. Here is a link to the pattern and it is well worth the price. silk-moon-crescent-shawlette . It has a few things that require a bit of skill but I would put it at an advance beginner or above. Because of the way the pattern is layed out, it would be perfect to use up bits and pieces in your scrap basket or small bits of hand spun yarn. Most of the techniques can be found on You Tube.  Can you tell that I like the pattern?

We it is time to go top off Eric and hope that he sleeps tonight. I don't think I am up to another day of no sleep.

Phase One

Phase one is almost complete. I spent the day cleaning and organizing everything. I started by packing all the fluff in zippered bags. Then dusted the shelf's where the fluff was. Next came the moving of the books and magazines. I was surprised that I had more magazines then books, but John was not.

Next John and I emptied my closet and cleared everything out. John's only comment was that there was a lot of yarn. Since I was getting sore at that point John did the vacuuming. I did manage to find empty space in the yarn storage bins, I used that space for the storage of more yarn. As long as I am redoing the house I am taking the time to go through everything and  de-cluttering at the same time. I did manage to get most of the closet done today but ran out of steam around 4:00 pm.

I did manage to find space for my drop spindles in the closet also. So now there are no knitting needles or spindles out. There are only a few baskets and bags that need new homes. The projects that I am working on tonight will go to the closet for the night and only be taken out when I am working on them.

Tomorrow I will try to finish the closet, living room and den before I move on to the craft room. I will also have to find time to start filling out a heap of paperwork for Eric's new day program.  Well it is getting late and I still have to get Eric ready for bed.

Gremiln Invasion

We have a gremlin in the house that does not like my knitting. Knitting needles have been snapped in half (the Lantern Moon ones). Knitting needles have gone missing ( the pretty peace needles made of maple and the tops painted in Russia) , along with a finished object or two. Projects have randomly been taken off their needles. But the worst damage that this gremlin has done by far is to take a scissors and snip 3 rows in the center of a wool crape shawl that I was in the middle off. I was absolutely devastated and don't know whether to cry, feel angry or sad. I have decided to put it away until after Teri graduates and then work on fixing it with scrumbling. It will not be the pretty elegant shawl that I was going for but will instead become a shawl to be used around the house.

So my plan of action is going to be this. Every work in progress will be hidden unless I am working on it at the moment, in the moment. All my personal lovelies will be moved from public areas of the house. All knitting needles and spindles will be out of sight unless I am using them. I will have to try to make the public rooms of the house look like a hotel lobby, empty and sterile.

This seems to be the personal price that I have to pay to have help with Eric. It makes me so sad that I can not leave projects out or things out with out them being destroyed or stolen. I hope that Karma finds this gremlin very soon.

Terrific Tuesday

I had a rare day off today. Eric was eager to go to school today. So after he boarded his bus, I was off to have fun. There was knitting with Vanessa, she is working on a pretty cowl for herself. I finished another wash cloth and am attempting to duplicate it so I can write the pattern up. The best news is that it only takes 2 ounces of cotton yarn.

I also have to thank the wonderful people at my local Trader Joe's. They just seem to know when I am exhausted and insist on loading the grocery's into the car for me. Yes I did take a little time away from play to restock the house with grocery's. But the way this year has been going, I never know when the next siege will hit.

I spent the the afternoon watching some mommy programs on TV.  I watched 2 episode's of Dr.House, 1 of Modern Family and 1 Undercover Boss. Yes being tired did turn me into a couch potato, but every once in a while it is good to be one.  I did get a bit of spinning done too.

John came home and made a lovely dinner of a salad, Bagels and lox. He wants to make sure that I am 100% before I start cooking again. How lucky am I to have such a great husband.

I do think Eric needs a little help in the choosing gifts for Mothers Day. He thinks that I need a new Thomas the Tank DVD and a new  stuffed Snoopy. He has tried to convince us that he will take care of the Snoopy for me. That I do not doubt. Just maybe he needs to have a heart to heart with Teri to really figure this out.

Over all this has been one of the best days that I have had in a long while and do feel totally recharged.  So I think it is time to call it a night.