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The Decorating is Complete!

Posted on November 30, 2008 by auburnchick

Soccer Chick and I attended church this morning.  One of the songs we sang was this:

The chorus moved me to tears today.  Well, okay…it always moves me to tears.  The thought that my King knows me, calls me by name and welcomes me with open arms…

How can you not be blown away by that kind of love?

After church, we went back home and buried Caddilac.  It was the third pet we’ve said goodbye to in a little less than a year.  In Mr. AuburnChick’s words, “I’m tired of burying pets.”

Me too!

Shortly after that, Soccer Chick and Mr. AuburnChick left for her soccer practice…held at a location two hours away.  Yeah, we’re nuts, but you do what you have to for your kids.  The team is getting ready for a tournament it will be playing in after Christmas, and Sundays are the only day the girls can practice together with high school season fully under way.

That left Rooster and me at home by ourselves.  He and I are such a pair!  He asked if we could set up my Christmas village.  It’s a lot of work, but I gave him the green light.  I don’t know what it is about my village, but he’s loved it ever since he was little.  As he’s grown older, I’ve allowed him to participate more actively in its setup.

Of course, being a teen, he quit halfway through, leaving me to finish.  Here are some pictures…

Christmas Valley Village

Christmas Valley Village

My in-laws gave me the starter box the second year that the Mr. and I were married.  Target originally sold the pieces, and each year I received gifts of more houses and accessories.  We used to buy them right before Christmas, when the store had marked them down.  Of course, Target quit selling the line a few years ago, leaving me with a train but no train station.  Enter in eBay!  I bought quite a few pieces a few years ago.  Mr. AuburnChick was not amused.  It has taken up my entire dining room table.

Here are close-ups of the pieces…

The Country

The "Country"

Residential Section is in the Back and Town is in the Front

Residential Section is in the Back and "Town" is in the Front

After setting up the village, I decided that it was time to finish putting ornaments on the tree.  Here’s a couple of pictures of the tree and village (I used the “Night Portrait” setting for the first picture):

So, the decorating is finished, and a home has been found for almost all of the “regular” house stuff that was displaced.

Let the holidays begin!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Another Pet Passes On

Posted on November 30, 2008 by auburnchick
Caddilac

Caddilac

The last couple of days have been rough…pet-wise.

Yesterday evening, when we got out Caddilac, Rooster’s rat, I noticed that he seemed “off.”  Normally he scampers around, chattering non-stop.  Well, he just stayed put, putting little effort into moving.  Rooster and I were concerned and spent the better part of the evening holding him.  His breathing was fine, he just seemed over-tired.  I stayed up with him about an hour later than my normal bedtime.  At that time, he started roaming around, so I put him back in his cage.  During the night, I could hear him making his usual night noises, so I thought he was fine.

We left him alone today because rats are nocturnal and sleep during the day.  It’s not unusual for him to stay in his igloo until late evening.

This evening rolled around, and I decided to see if I could coax him out.  He came to me immediately.  Good sign, I thought.

I carried him over to the couch and put him down.  He took two steps and sort of collapsed on his side.

Uh oh.  Something was definitely wrong.  Once again, he seemed lethargic.  I knew something was definitely wrong.  Rooster came out of the bedroom, and we took turns holding Caddilac.  He was cold to the touch but still breathing, although heavily.  We covered him with a hand towel.  I hated the thought of him suffering and tears flowed.  I wanted so desperately to be brave for Rooster, but I couldn’t contain my emotions.

Rooster was stoic.  Every once in a while, Caddilac would get a burst of energy, and he would try to change positions.  I think he was trying to help himself breathe.  As the night wore on, I knew he wouldn’t make it until the morning.  I planned on sitting up with him to the end.

His breathing grew more labored, and we tried to make him as comfortable as possible.  My tears continued to flow, quicker now.

And then it was over.  God answered my prayers that he would not have to suffer long.  The tears were on both mine and Rooster’s cheeks.  It’s only been a little over a month since we lost Chance, our other rat.  At least this time we were able to provide comfort during those last moments.  But we’re feeling the loss deeply.

I know that some people might question how we could love a rat, but he was a pet with personality.  Until you’ve owned one, you probably wouldn’t understand.  Rats are very affectionate animals.  When they like you, they groom you by licking you.  No, it’s not strange.  It’s actually quite the compliment.  Caddilac also had a ticklish spot.  When we scratched a certain place on his side, he would roll over on his back and curl up.  When Chance was alive, they would wrestle the nights away.  You could hear them fighting sometimes, much like siblings.  We used to let Caddilac run around Rooster’s room, and when you entered, he would hear you and come running as fast as he could to greet you.  You could put him on your shoulder, and he would chatter in your ear.  That memory alone is priceless.

Having rats as pets taught me that God has made every creature special.  Each creature gives back as it is given.  We gave much love to our littlest ones, and they gave us much joy in return.

We’ll miss you Caddilac.  When we bury you tomorrow, I’ll cry, as I’m doing now.  Thank you for the love you gave to me and my family.  We’ll never forget you, our wee little fur baby.

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Decorating is Hard Work!

Posted on November 29, 2008 by auburnchick

Yeah, I know…three posts in one day!  What can I say?  I’ve been working hard and needed a break.

This year I had planned to do my decorating in small phases so as to avoid being overwhelmed by the messiness of all of it.  I’m sure you can relate.

First of all you bring out the boxes from the closet.  Then, as you start pulling things out and deciding where to put them, you realize just how dusty your house it, so you have to pull out a rag and clean.  Then, you have to take the stuff that’s already around your house and move it somewhere else to make room for the decorations.

Meanwhile, you try to start putting other decorations around the house, but you get stuck because your “regular” house stuff that you just moved is in the precise spot you want to put the other decorations.  So you have to stop, put that stuff away, and then resume.

And the tree…

For the last four or five years, we have had a pre-lit Christmas tree.  The first year we had it was nice.  I hate stringing lights, so this saved a ton of time.  Plus, the new tree was taller and filled the space between the floor and ceiling (10 ft) better than the old tree.  However, all of the pre-strung lights made the tree HEAVY!  What a pain to put away!  We barely fit the box into the Christmas closet each year.  Last year, one of my closet doors broke, so I had to go to Home Depot to buy the parts to fix it.

A couple of years ago, I noticed that the top section of the tree was not lighting properly.  I painstakingly went through the lights trying to figure out which one was burned out.  I am the expert light-fixer, spending hours each year maintaining my sets.  But this one had me stumped.  I changed fuses and bulbs…to no avail.

Finally, this year I decided no more.  Mr. AuburnChick agreed.  We put the tree, in its box, beside the curb.  I hope someone will come along and claim it as their own.

I rummaged around in the attic and pulled down the 7-ft tree we’ve had since the second year of my marriage.  It’s small.  What a difference.  And the lights took forever to put on.  They don’t look great, but they’re on.  I have about half of the ornaments hung.  Soccer Chick invited Guy Friend over, and he helped.  Both of them got tired before the job was done.  So the boxes sit…waiting…

Thank goodness, though, for teenagers.  They have so much energy and creativity!  I let them have at it with the decorations.

Guy Friend and Soccer Chick decorated my fireplace.

I think the rest of the house is going to have to wait until tomorrow.  I’m tired.  Decorating is hard work!  Aubie and Pele agree.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

AuburnChick is Clumsy!

Posted on November 29, 2008 by auburnchick

Sometimes I amaze myself with how clumsy I am.

Last night, while getting out leftovers, the container holding the turkey fell out of the fridge.  Now, do you think I could have put the meat into a container with a regular lid?  Of course I should have, but did I?  Of course not.  I opted for a dish that I had decided to save from the garbage pile…recycling, if you will.  So, I had put Saran Wrap over the top of it.

Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Before I knew it, the turkey was lying on the floor, upturned, of course.  I couldn’t believe it.  Mr. AuburnChick and I had just been talking about me making turkey salad and how good it was the last time I threw it together.

I hurriedly got it off the floor.  Fortunately, I salvaged a few pieces because they had landed on the wrap.

Great.

And just when you think this is the end of the story, it gets worse.  I am, after all, AuburnChick…whose life is not calm.

While my dinner was warming up, I pulled out the Key Lime Pie that one of my friends had graciously made for me.  In the process, Mr. AuburnChick’s Pecan Pie slipped out of the box and onto the floor…pie side down of course.

Mr. AuburnChick had, to my great luck, missed out on the turkey incident.  Thank goodness.  That was an easy thing to cover up.  However, my good fortune ran out as he happened by the kitchen a few seconds after the pie mishap.

He was not amused.  I can’t say that I blamed him.  He has Crohn’s Disease, which severely limits what he can eat.  He is lactose-intolerant, making the planning of dinners and desserts difficult.  The pie was his, brought in by his mom.

All he could do was walk away.

Rooster, who had witnessed both events eased into the kitchen after Mr. AuburnChick retired to his room.  The Rooster and I started laughing at the ridiculousness (is that a word?) of it.

“Mama, you must be one of the clumsiest people I know,” he said in the middle of laughing.

Boy is that an understatement!

If you are ever trying to get rid of leftovers, give me a call.  I’ll help you get rid of them guilt-free.

😀

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Soccer Chick Still Needs Mama

Posted on November 29, 2008 by auburnchick

Last night (actually early this morning), I was awakened by Soccer Chick.

“Mama, I had a bad dream,” she whispered desperately.

As I opened my eyes, I noticed that she had her pillow and blankie in hand.  She was looking to crawl into bed with me.

I pulled myself up and told her I’d follow her to her room.  She wanted me to stay, so I assured her that I would stick to my side of the bed…not roll over into her space.

Apparently my presence was just what she needed to ease back into sleep.

When she woke up later in the morning, she told me that she had one of those dreams where people are chasing you and then get into your house.

Poor dear.  I think she ate too much Key Lime Pie over the last couple of days.

Still, it’s nice to know that she still comes to me when it counts.

Just call me “Big Bad Monster Chaser.”

😀

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Content to Just Be

Posted on November 28, 2008 by auburnchick

Today is Black Friday — the biggest shopping day of the year.  It’s the time when people take advantage of sales, knocking over one another to grab the perfect gifts for loved ones.

So why am I sitting here writing this post?  Well, it’s because I’m content to just be.

I actually cannot stand to shop, and I like crowds even less.  Why torture myself when I can be sitting home working on this:

Pom Pom Baby Booties

Pom Pom Baby Booties

It is the beginning of a set of Pom Pom Baby Booties to accompany the ruffled hats I recently finished.

Being home alone also gives me the chance to indulge in this:

Chocolate Chip Cake

Chocolate Chip Cake

You saw the empty cake plate the night before Thanksgiving.  Well, I surprised my brother-in-law and made another one yesterday.  There’s still a little left (the pictures above and below was what it looked like when I placed it on the table for Thanksgiving dinner).

How many of you got up early to shop?

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Family Arrives

Posted on November 27, 2008 by auburnchick

When I got up this morning, this is what it looked like:

I had stepped outside the night before and noticed the drop in temperature.  Apparently it was enough to give us some frost.

The roofs were all white…

As I looked across the street at the pond, I saw this…

It was a beautiful way to start the day.

I subbed at my favorite high school.  The classes were short to accommodate the half day.  I managed to finish these:

Bernat Jacquard Ruffled Hats

Bernat Baby Jacquard Knit Ruffled Hats

The hats are for Soccer Chick’s physical therapist/sports trainer.  He is an amazing guy and really helped us out when she was rehabbing her knee.  He and his wife are expecting twin girls in a couple of months, so I thought I would whip these out for a Christmas gift.

The pattern is free and located here.  There is a version available for crocheters.  I used Bernat Baby Jacquards.  The colorways are provided below each picture:

Colorway - Boys and Girls

Colorway - Boys and Girls

Colorway Berries and Cream

Colorway - Berries and Cream

The pattern is given for knitting the hats flat and seaming them, but I don’t like to seam, so I used Magic Loop instead.  This left me with a hole at the top, so I added a pom pom to each hat.

I have to say that the yarn is FABULOUS to knit with!  It’s ultra soft but still manageable.  I only used 30g from each skein, so I have plenty left over.  I’m thinking about making booties to accompany the hats.

Another project that is just about done (just have to mail them) is the mini-stockings for the troops.  I had given the stockings to a friend who had asked to fill them.  She returned them to me yesterday.  Here’s a picture:

The pattern can be found here.  It’s free and was created by a KH member.  I used a variety of I Love This Yarn colorways.

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I’ll be busy cooking and trying not to burn myself in the process (did a number on my thumb this evening), so I probably won’t have much time to knit (nor the energy).  The pre-Thanksgiving meal that I cooked up for the family was a hit.  I made Chicken Piccata, fettuccine, and salad.  “Guy Friend” and Soccer Chick made the salad.

Guy Friends Salad

Guy Friend's Salad

For dessert, I made Chocolate Chip Cake…a recipe posted by Sunshine’s Mom over on KH.  I’m copying her post (hence references to “me” are actually “her”) here:

Duncan Heinz Butter cake mix
1 small package Jello instant vanilla pudding
1/2 bar grated chocolate (I usually use German chocolate – it’s in a green package)
chocolate chips
1 cup oil
1 cup milk
4 eggs
A bundt pan

(Let me just say to start – grating the chocolate is the most time consuming part of this cake. I’ve found that using a zester instead of a grater works so much better. In any event, grate your chocolate first before doing anything else and you’ll be happy you did.)

With mixer, beat together cake mix, vanilla pudding, oil and eggs. Fold in grated chocolate. Put half of mixture into bundt pan, add enough chocolate chips to your liking, put rest of mixture on top (and maybe a few more chocolate chips?) Make sure chocolate chips are pushed into the top layer of cake mix. Lick the spoon, bowl and detach and lick the mixer blades, seriously. It’s that good.)

Bake at 350 deg. for an hour or until inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool in the bundt pan (I can’t stress this enough!). Once cool, tip over onto plate and cover with powered sugar if you wish.

AuburnChick speaking again…

Instead of the milk, I used water because Mr. AuburnChick and I are lactose-intolerant.  I don’t do soy, and supposed “lactose-free” products still hurt our stomachs.

The cake was a huge hit!  Here’s a picture of what was left over:

Yeah, I know.  Nothing.  The family (plus Guy Friend) inhaled it.

We went to see Madagascar 2, and on the way home we stopped at the grocery store to pick up boxes of cake mix and pudding.  I’ve been requested to make another cake for Thanksgiving Dinner.

I’m off to check on my eggs…

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Why I Love Working With Kids

Posted on November 25, 2008 by auburnchick

Today, I was reminded why I love working with kids.

I subbed for Ms. L, one of my favorite teachers.  Rooster has this teacher, which means he’s in one of my classes when I sub for her.

While my students were working on a project, a student from another class came by to visit.  He had been one of my students when I subbed four days in a row for a different teacher.  Somehow, we clicked.  I think it had surprised him that his ADD didn’t bother me.  We had managed to get through that week with the understanding that as long as he completed his work, we’d get along just fine.

Last week, while I was in Ms. L’s room, he had popped his head in to say hello.  Everyone LOVES Ms. L, and they are always disappointed when they see me sitting in her chair instead.  However, this student smiled, came in, and we talked a little while.

During his chat, I called him out on something that had been bothering me for a while.  One afternoon, while driving down the street after school, I saw him walking home and smoking a cigarette.  He’s a junior.  He has no business smoking.

He seemed embarrassed.  He told me that his parents smoke and know of his habit.  I gentle reminded him of the nasty ramifications of smoking.  He already knew of them.  He’s a smart guy.  I asked him if he would quit smoking, and he said he would try.  Then, I told him that I would be subbing the next week (today), and I would be checking on him.

So that’s when he came to the room today.  He proudly announced that he had not smoked since that day, although he had been slightly tempted and would certainly be tempted tonight while hanging out with friends.  I told him to be strong and be an example for them.  I’ll be praying for him.

Then, he opened up to me about a friend who OD’d on cold medicine.  This is a friend who attends the same high school.  My heart is sad.  I’m not dumb.  I’ve seen news stories about kids doing drugs.  But to have one of your own students tell you about it.  Well, it broke my heart.

After the student left, I was reminded that this is why I love being in the schools.  To have an impact on even one student makes my heart swell with joy.  It’s why I keep returning.  One life at a time…all for God’s glory.

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Procrastination At Its Worst

Posted on November 24, 2008 by auburnchick

That is what Rockin Rooster had to face yesterday.  Actually, it’s a pile that had steadily grown over the last week.

I know, I know…some of you might have a pile like this every day.  However, I do not cook regularly for a variety of reasons.  Namely, soccer has been consuming most of my time.  So, it can take a bit of time for dirty dishes to accumulate.

The kids take turns with their chores, and Soccer Chick already had her turn washing dishes.  The ball was in Rooster’s court.  He tends to be a procrastinator.  It takes him forever to do anything.  For such a great kid, this is one of his biggest issues.

And so we waited…

And waited…

And waited…

Meanwhile, the pile grew.

We started eating with salad forks and big tablespoons.

We pulled out dishes from the farthest recesses of the cabinet.

And still the pile grew.

Soccer Chick refused, at one point, to cook because that would have required her to wash a dish on a day when it wasn’t her turn.

Finally I dug my heels in and ordered him to wash them.  I try very hard not to make my kids do chores on Sundays.  It’s the Sabbath…a day of rest.  However, I justified my decision because we had been gone all day on Saturday “playing” on the soccer fields.  Rooster was not amused.  Hey, whatever.

He started the dishes before he left for Youth Group.  He didn’t get very far.  When he got back, they were waiting for him.  I had seriously considered stepping in to help, but I figured that he wouldn’t learn his lesson…do them while the pile is small.  That’s what Soccer Chick does.

Yeah, she gets her brains from her Mama.

He finally got that pile done…45 minutes after the mandated bedtime.  I didn’t care about how late it was.  The counter was clean.

Yay!  Just in time.  Thanksgiving is saved!  We have pans to cook in, dishes to eat on, and forks to eat with.

Woo Hoo!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

Another Busy Weekend!

Posted on November 23, 2008 by auburnchick

Whew!  I’m exhausted!  I’ve been on the go since Friday afternoon with scarcely any time to rest, let alone blog.

Rooster’s team played in a tournament.  The first game was Friday evening.  It was chilly, but I considered myself lucky that he wasn’t playing at a later time like some teams.  His team tied 1-1.  This usually isn’t good when you want to win the tournament.

We got home exhausted and retired a little early for bed.

Rooster and I woke at the crack of dawn to head back to the field at 7:30 the next morning.  It was COLD!  Thank goodness for Mr. Heater.  He was great company.  Unfortunately, there was only one ref for the game, so the game was delayed for an hour while a backup referee made his way to town.

Grrr…I could have stayed snuggled under the covers for an extra hour.  At least we were locally situated.  The team we played against woke up at 4:30 to get here on time.  Poor guys.  They still gave our team a good fight, but we defeated them.

Things were looking up.  If a multitude of things lined up perfectly, we had a chance of going to the finals.  We still had another game to play though.

Between games, we fed Rooster and headed home for a short while.  The poor dogs…they were on their own for much of the day, but we were kind enough to leave them inside.  It was a cold day, and we didn’t want them to freeze.

Rooster’s team made easy work out of its next opponent.  I got some great pictures.  It was deceptively sunny…perfect for amateur photographers.  In between games, I uploaded the photos to my laptop and charged the battery.  Remind me to tell everyone that I want an extra camera battery for Christmas.

Rooster’s team made it to the finals, and by the time we arrived at the fields, it was dark and cold, cold, cold.  Mr. Heater got a new tank of propane.  We were especially close during that game.  I sat on the very top bleacher and pointed my camera toward the field.

It was a tough fight, and our boys came out on the losing end, 2-1.  I was proud of them though.  The other team was strong.  We’re lucky we didn’t get beat by much worse.

By the time we got home, we were pooped.  I was grumpy…the “All-I-Want-To-Do-Is-Climb-Into-Bed” grumpy.  We all wearily climbed into our beds.  I didn’t turn on the computer or pull out knitting needles all day!  You KNOW I was tired!

Soccer Chick and I woke up in time to attend church.  Afterwards, we made a grocery list, planning our Thanksgiving dishes as we went.  She offered to go to the store for me.

Gotta love having a teen who can drive, eh?!

While she was gone, I uploaded the pictures from my camera and spent hours meticulously weaning out the good from the bad.  I had taken over 3,000 pictures this weekend, so I’m not exaggerating when I say it was a cumbersome project.  However, it was one done in love.

I uploaded the pictures to shutterfly.com, my site of choice when sharing albums with others.  The site doesn’t require people to register before viewing.  I like this.

As I uploaded pictures, I discovered that I could create a site from which to share all albums at once.  Previously, I had been sharing individual album links.  This would make my job much easier.  I’m proud of my hurried attempt.

And that leads me to now…the first time I’ve sat down to actually relax in two days.  I’m watching the movie edition of the new season of 24.  You’ve just gotta love Jack Bauer.

Oh, and before I forget…

I’ve been wanting to show you what I sent my swap partner.  I couldn’t post these pictures earlier because she had not received her package.  But now I can!

Here’s a close-up of the cozy I made for her.  It’s called the Flirtation Cozy, and it’s a free pattern.  I used Patons SWS in the color Natural Snow.  A comment about the yarn…not my favorite.  I had expected the soy blend to be soft…having fondled it in the store many times.  However, I found that it was itchy to knit with, and the yarn was kind of poofy, making the cables difficult to do.  I had to use a cable needle.

The pattern itself is easy, and I love the way the cozy turned out.  I’ve had it in my Ravelry queue for quite some time, so it was good to finally have the chance to make it.  I included a skein of Patons and the pattern in case Fig wants to make one.

Flirtation Cozy

I also made this ornament.  The pattern is found in the holiday edition of Knit Simple.  I used leftover Lamb’s Pride yarn from the booga bag I made this summer.  The project is super easy and uses very little yarn.  I liked it because it helped me stay within the $5 mandate of the Swap.

And on another knitting note, this week I received a completed Oddball blanket.  I’ve been getting knitters to send them to me when they are completely finished so I can wash them and prep them to be donated.

One of the knitters, who lives in Hawaii, sent these goodies along with the blanket:

What a sweet gal!  The yarn is superwash merino and heavenly to the touch!  I’m envisioning a pair of socks.  The nuts are already gone (sheepish grin).

And so concludes my weekend.

I have to sub three days this week, and then we’ll have the long Thanksgiving weekend.  I’ll check in before then.

If you’re traveling, be safe.  When you’re eating, take it slow…it’s all about pacing yourself.

Filed under: Knitting, soccer | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

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