Memorial Day relaxation

The anticipation on Friday didn't begin to supercede the reality. For the first time in months, through a winter that included the loss of family and friends, through persistent illnesses (and accompanying steroids), through not loving my career as much as I used to...

Through it all is the anticipation of summertime and Beachcomber. Being with family and friends. Being able to be myself. Watching the kids thrive in the sunshine and fresh air. Even though I had work to do (swim team registration) and the water was SO cold in the big pool (which Jenny insisted she needed to go into), I feel human. I finished her pick socks. I worked on Ryan's green "Eagles" sweater. I talked with friends who understand it is normal to sit and fondle each other's yarn skeins, who understand that I simply cannot talk about the new case, who believe that being part of a community is crucial to children's develoment (i.e. if someone else sees my 7 year old getting in trouble, they don't wait to get me... they tell him to behave).

Tomorrow is my full free day at the club. No swim team registration, no duties. Just me, my family and some yarn!

Officially Summer !!!!!!!!!!

I live for the next three months despite my hatred of the heat and humidity.

I love the freedom to forward my office calls to my cell phone and to access my office laptop remotely from the grounds of my swim club -- usually without my clients' knowledge although some of them catch on. I love sitting under a big tree with sunshine peeking through the shade. I love the smell of chlorine on everything and the sound of small groups of people chattering, singing, scolding their kids for running on the pool deck or just watching them enjoy the environment. I love watching how much Ryan's (#4) swimming has improved over the winter (since hubby takes him to winter swimming). I love the slower pace and reduced stress that being at Beachcomber brings to me after a heinous winter and a horrific week.

At 12 noon tomorrow, the grounds open. At 1 p.m., the pool opens. It's going to be sunny and warm and not hot. The pool will be freezing cold since it has rained every day this week and I will absolutely go in the pool. My game plan is so simple -- just for once. Jenny has swim lesson (at the YMCA indoor pool which will not be ice cold) at 11:45 a.m., we'll come home after that and I'll head to the pool because I don't know how to say no and agreed to coordinate swim team registration. From 3 p.m. on (both Saturday and Sunday and ALL day on Monday), my time is my own for the next few days.

Jenny will need to be chased and prevented from eating sand or climbing on the "wheel of death" (merry-go-round), but that's part of what makes summer special. Ryan is easy -- he never remembers from year to year how chilly the water is -- he plans to take his "deep water test" and disappear with his friends into the trees; coming out now and then to ask for food from the snack bar. We'll have chicken marinating in the fridge (and then in the cooler) with a side of the best Caesar Salad on the planet (which serves all of us -- it's HUGE). Fresh fruit for snacks and everyone shares with everyone and watches out for everyone.

Thank God... my Peaceful Place opens in a few short hours.

And the drama begins...

I am currently trying to function after a LONG day and anxiety rush yesterday. I have a new client who is accused of some pretty bad stuff. Any of you in the Philly area probably saw partial shots of me on the news --all stations. I spent a day in the pouring rain getting bail set and paid and then being chased by tv cameras to the point that I almost ran them over with my minivan (I really DID show tremendous restraint in NOT doing so) as I took my client from district court to the police station for processing after bail was posted. I made the mistake of watching the news and just got mad at the DA (and she's a friend of mine and doing her job, but I still got mad), madder at the press and wondering if maybe I shouldn't have run them over with my minivan!

When I finally got home, there were press calls to return (just to say no comment – it’s WAY too early to comment) and then realized that I had left something I needed to work at home today (no babysitter) so I went back to my office at about 7:30 p.m., got home about 8 and wanted to knit. I looked at my knitting and crocheting projects and sort of shrugged my shoulders and said “eh… not interested.” All day I was thinking that I wished I had at least brought a sock to work on during the "hurry up and wait" process and then when I DID have the chance to knit, I quite literally couldn't hold needles or a crochet hook.

I woke up this morning coughing and feeling chilled (hmmmm… maybe because I was in and out of a damp, chilly rain all day???). I have loads of work here with me, but may just cuddle with the toddler and knit after getting seven year old on the bus in a few minutes. I’ll work while she naps later.

The Princess Birthday

I promised myself (and hubby) that I wouldn't go TOO crazy on Jenny's birthday this year. She's only two and we didn't want to do a big mob scene of a party since she really doesn't like big crowds (which even our immediate family was last night). My oldest daughter, Melissa, and I went shopping before knitting group (and Melissa learned to knit Thursday night!!!!!!) and it truly didn't seem as if I was buying THAT much stuff and I didn't spend a tremendous amount of money.

We all know where that lengthy explanation is going. There is a picture above of the presents on the coffee table before Jenny unwrapped them on Friday night -- not including presents from Melissa and Mike and our close family friends who came over last night. She went batty! Loves her bathtub and cradle for her babies; she actually gave her Baby Arielle a bath, bottle and tucked her in. She particularly loves her tiara, necklaces and cell phone from Chip and Melissa and her tea set that I picked out. She is a GIRLY girl and it was just too much fun shopping for her. My husband thinks this year was bad???? Next year, she can have Barbies!!

I also finished her purple sweater (picture above of that too) at 11:51 p.m. on the night before her birthday. The sweater is actually for the Fall so it is supposed to be a little big -- it was made by combining the Incredible Top-Down Raglan pattern and a men's sweater pattern from Knitting to Go. Basically, it's a percentage top-down sweater. I also made Jenny 1 1/2 socks from handspun and dyed yarn I got in a yarn swap -- very cute although not machine washable which means she won't wear them much.

I plan to be a complete veggie today -- have a rough day tomorrow and am working on a short week since my sitter is unavailable for three days and then it's Memorial Day weekend. I also need to finish up the registration stuff for swim team, but can't do so until practice times are set so that's starting to be a LITTLE stressful just because I would like it to be finished. Next weekend will be ALL about the club opening and swim team registration and then I travel the week after that.

Gracious.... my life IS a bit busy!!!!!

What a rare mood I'm in...

The title of the song is "Almost like being in love," but that has NOTHING to do with this post. I'm just in a strange mood and I started singing songs from Brigadoon while typing up ENDLESS reports. I am always in love, but that's not the current mood.

Since last Monday, I feel as if my life has exploded out of control. Absolutely nothing horrible has happened (well... other than the bronchitis from my allergies, falling onto my bad knee and #4's front 2 teeth being knocked out yesterday). I am simply overwhelmed. The boys are coming home from college later this week. Their "big stuff" had to be brought home this past weekend. I have no baby sitter for six work days in May (and a 2 day conference in Harrisburg for another two days). I have suddenly become very popular as an attorney (I guess since I have seven new cases since a little over a week ago) which has quintupled my work load.

My swim club is opening (pool not until May 24th, but Open House, swim team registration organization meetings, legal work, etc.) which is the only thing keeping me going right now -- you haven't lived until you have spent a warm, sunny afternoon at Beachcomber Swim Club, sitting under the trees, watching kids play, knitting with friends. I survive winters, knowing BSC is there every Spring and Summer. I also get to go to my knitting group this Thursday night since I missed a week sick and then last week with political meeting stuff. I am looking forward to 4 hours with nice people and uninterrupted knitting time (or crocheting).

I finished the baby blanket for my son's kindergarten teacher from last year. I have despaired of finding a FAST knitting pattern for blankets so I I always crochet them. This pattern was fantastic -- Lion Brand Yarn Diagonal Baby Blanket is the name (I think). HATED the yarn (Lion Homespun) because it split every which way, but the finished product is soft and really pretty. I'm going to cast on another tonight because if I don't get some SERIOUS knitting time in over the next few days, my family is going to lock me in a padded room with needles, yarn and my iPod. Besides, another friend had a baby on April 8th; I knew they were due, but I've been so darn scattered that I forgot to call and ask.

I also bought a new crocheted afghan pattern book. I decided it was time to mix up my crocheting a little and make something new. Oldest daughter's afghan is WAY ratty and #4 hasn't had anything "in progress" for quite some time. I was going to make him wait his turn, but the teeth thing yesterday made me change my mind. He's such a sweet little boy and he was so brave about the whole thing until his friends were gone. Thank GOD they were baby teeth -- albeit ones that weren't ready to come out.

So my mood has improved by just typing all this out. Love this blog thing.