January 06, 2009

KnitPeace

Read what my beautiful friend has to say, then come back. Go. I'll wait.

I've been thinking a lot about what Tina wrote and maybe it's selfish, but the peace I've always wanted more than anything is peace of mind. Living with anxiety as long as I have, internal peace always seemed so fleeting. Every year it's getting better and better as I get older and my life changes and I learn to accept myself and the world around me. Giving up control is a huge part of it - at least for me. Adjusting expectations. And just knowing that it's okay to fail sometimes.

What's this got to do with knitting? Just everything. I've talked about this before, but I think knitting has taken me far in my quest for peace of mind. When I'm involved in a project, it soothes my monkey mind and carries me away just like a great novel. If I'm anxious, I can pay particular attention to what's in my hands and it distracts me - count those stitches, pay attention to that pattern - let the anxiety flow through my fingers to the needles and out of my body and my mind. Knitting has allowed me to indulge my perfectionist tendencies, but it's also humbled me. Learning when a knit is working and not working has taught me patience and when to just give it up already. There's a reason EZ said to knit through crises - because it WORKS!

So I knit and I find peace and what does that do for the rest of the world? Can one person knitting really bring about world peace? Maybe not. But if I'm centered and balanced and content: AT PEACE, then maybe the way I live my life will somehow rub off on the person annoyed behind me at Macys all pissed off because I have a complicated return. Maybe my inner peace and a conversation about knits will calm an anxious relative waiting at Sloane Kettering. It could be that my daughter will find her own peace at the sound of my needles clicking - mommy's calm, all is right with the world.

Maybe knitters, one at a time, can bring about world peace. I don't know, but I wish it for me and for you and for all of us.

Posted by Cara at 11:28 PM | Comments (3)
Topics: Life

January 05, 2009

She's Got Skills, They're Multiplying!

Dayum, you guys have a lot of knitting goals! Keep them coming! The contest is open until Tuesday at 11:59 PM - but remember - leave your comment HERE, not here. Thanks!

Meli gave me a most wonderful (and frightening!) birthday present this week. My sister was up with the kids early in the week and on New Year's Eve, before they left, my oldest nephew started yelling for me, "Aunt Cara, Aunt Cara! Meli can crawl!" I said sure she can!, knowing that she would really just flop onto her belly after being up on her knees for a few seconds. Or she'd do a downward dog type stance with her feet and hands flat on the floor with straight legs. She couldn't really crawl. But he insisted. "Come quick! I taught her how to crawl!" Sure enough, there she was, up on her knees, belly up, one hand in front of the other. "WOW!" I said, "She really is crawling!"

And it's been nonstop since then. In a few short days she's gone from those few tentative creeps, to scattering about like some kind of crab. Or really, honestly, she reminds me of that brother and sister in Turkey who only walk on all fours. That or a lame dog. It's cute, but also kind of creepy (no pun intended.)

For awhile she's been trying to pull up on things, but on the same day she started to crawl, she really mastered the standing up trick. You can barely get her to sit down now! She even lets go and stands for half a second on her own - bascially until she realizes there's nothing there! Add to this clapping, kissing, waving, throwing her hands up in the air to say YAY! or HOORAY! or her favorite: SO BIG! She's literally EXPLODED in the past week!

Lucky for you, I've got video. ;-) Let's go to the tape!

Meli's on the MOVE!! from January One on Vimeo.

In this next one, I promise no babies were harmed during filming!

Strong Girl! from January One on Vimeo.

And finally (because you can never ever have enough!)

Meli's STILL Moving! from January One on Vimeo.

The astute moms among you will no doubt recognize the humongous pile of laundry on the couch. I think we should get points for the fact that it's CLEAN laundry - I just haven't gotten around to folding it yet. It's mostly sheets which, as you all know, are a pain in the ass to fold.

Suffice it to say there will be a helluva lot of baby proofing going on tout de suite. Ah, the joys of parenthood! (I love saying that!!!)

Posted by Cara at 12:05 AM | Comments (37)
Topics: Baby? OH BABY!

January 02, 2009

A Family Affair

Sorry it took me so long to get this together! Meli and I trekked out to LI today for a wonderfully WII visit. Ann got a WII for Xmas and I took my remote and my mii and we all - Annie, Flair, Meli and me - had a blast! Thanks girls! I needed that!

Here's the contest I promised! Tina at Blue Moon gave me a most excellent birthday present! A COLORWAY FOR MELI! It's called NEVER ON SUNDAY and it's beautiful!

Meli's Color: Never On Sunday
Thanks to Tina for the picture!

In honor of this new gorgeous colorway, my beautiful daughter and my lovely friend Tina, I'm going to give away my family of yarn. Two grand prize winners will receive THREE skeins of Lightweight Socks That Rock in the January One, G-Rocks and Never On Sunday colorways!!!

(l) G-Rocks; (r) January One

Three prize winners will receive ONE skein of Lightweight Socks That Rock in Meli's Color, Never On Sunday.

All winners will be selected from the comments by random. Here's how to win:

Leave me a comment (in English - sorry all my Russian commenters!) and tell me one of your knitting goals for the coming year. For instance, my knitting goal for the coming year is to actually knit. One comment per person please. Comments will close at 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, January 6th. I will announce the winner on Wednesday.

Just so you know - the colors are currently not available on the Blue Moon website, but all three colors will be up there sometime later this month. I'll let you know when they become available. In the meantime, you can try to win them here! Go ahead! Leave your comments!

Thank you!
L, C

Posted by Cara at 11:11 PM | Comments (971)
Topics: Contest

January 01, 2009

January One

Today I turn 51... I mean 39. But Wii Fit thinks I'm 51. (Apparently I suck at the whole balance test thing because my weight and BMI are within normal. I'm skinnier now than I was before I got pregnant. I think there should be some kind of dispensation for the kid under one....)

Today is my birthday and I'm getting old. My reality is that even though I'm more tired than I've ever been in my life, I feel young too. Maybe the youngest I've felt in a long time.

Age is a very strange bird.

I've read lots of things lately about how 2008 was a very up year and a very down year as well. Amazing highs and super lows and the thing of it is - it was possibly the best year of my life. The most fulfilling year. Certainly the hardest. And on this, the first day of the new year, I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

I'm hoping to post on a regular basis this January. It's a slow month and I feel like I should be able to make the time to get back the blog. It's important to me and there's no better place to start than the new year. I'm going to kick things off tomorrow with a fabulous contest with some prizes you'll only see here! Right now, though, I'm off to play Guitar Hero. I'm telling you, age be damned. I'm just a kid! (And my Wii might be one of the best presents EVER!)

A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS FROM ME AND MINE!
THANK YOU FOR READING JANUARY ONE!
L, C

Posted by Cara at 10:26 AM | Comments (107)
Topics: Life

December 30, 2008

Happy Happy!

Posted by Cara at 10:39 PM | Comments (34)
Topics: Miscellaneous

December 27, 2008

The Giggly Girl

Meli's feeling all better!

Laughing Just to Laugh! from January One on Vimeo.

Today was really the day she was totally back to herself. I'm feeling a whole lot better too and Georgie's on the mend. Christmas was nice; Meli got to meet some family that she'd never met before - that was her best gift. It was pretty mellow otherwise. Next week is shaping up to be pretty crazy with lots of visits from my mom and dad and sister and the kids. And, then, well...Thursday. I was born on a Thursday.

But back to my girl. She's really started doing so so much! She pulls up on everything now. Her teeth have busted on through. She loves eating her finger foods and it's crazy fun to watch her. And that laugh! She's never been a real laugher until, well, today! Today she just couldn't stop. I hope it keeps up.

Hope your holidays were lots of fun! Thanks!
L, C

Posted by Cara at 11:45 PM | Comments (14)
Topics:

December 23, 2008

The Finish Line

I'm done. Not in the that's it, throw your hands up, I've had enough variety (although I came very, very close) but in the WHEW! We made it! kind of done. Thank god. I might've actually lost it but I was too tired, am too tired, to know.

While I had so much work to do, Meli and I got into the habit of having her nap in my lap while I was doing computer work. It was much better than having to run to her every five minutes and I was desperate for large chunks of time to get stuff done. So she slept on the boppy in my lap and whenever she stirred I'd stick a boob in her mouth and she'd happily suck herself back to sleep.

Now, after weeks staring at the screen, I'm tired of being on the computer. But Meli likes lap naps. Really likes nap laps. Right now she's in my lap and I think she's been sleeping for close to two hours.

I have to pee.

And I want to get other stuff done. Stuff that involves my using the parts of my body that make up my lap.

Really, though, how can you ever wake a sleeping baby? I don't care how badly I have to pee.

Posted by Cara at 03:03 PM | Comments (17)
Topics: Life