Yeah yeah... but the cool hippy kids are... are there still hippy kids? Taking suggestions, found some Birkenstock Mary Janes: These might work...

No no no... socks are what keep your feet warm when you wear sandals in the winter. It's like 60 degrees outside, must have socks! But I mean big chunky sandals/slides--like Birks or Crocs, not like the strappy thinner ones you wear in summer.

I found Crocs because of the boards a few years ago, but even Crocs don't show my awesome new socks. Anyone know of some comfy, informal, attractive and stylish sandals (or shoes) that would display my hand-made socks? What are the cool kids wearing nowadays?

Me too! I had a horrible stomach/intestinal virus that hit within 12 hours of my last labor. Climbing out of a hospital bed with swollen you-know-where to lose it going and coming. Ugh. It didn't help that the nurses refused to enter the room to help me in any way... except to say that if I was so sick I needed help, they would take my newborn away to the nursery and not return him. I toughed it out and kept him by my side the whole time--I think that breastmilk was the only reason he didn't get sick too.

Thanks! I'm so new at this knitting thing... this will be my first ever attempt at knitting for someone else--and I just want it to be right! But I'm not going to spin my own yarn at this time.... sigh.

I’m trying to make a baby blanked for my sister in law’s new baby. She is still decorating the nursery… but has a rug chosen. It isn’t “traditional†baby colors, and I’m having a hard time finding nice baby yarn to match. Closer is better – my sister in law’s house is pretty precisely decorated, if you know what I mean. Here’s a link to a picture of the rug: http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk303/pastrkay/Babyrug.jpg The pattern I want to use calls for six colors–looking at the rug I think I want to match yarn to the red, the blue, the cream, the beige, the grey and the rose. The closest color choices I can find are in Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK, -- using the colors #52 (red), #55 (blue)???, 03 (vanilla), 06 (pebble), 13 (ebony) and 107 (plum) -- but the blue is way off. http://www.yarn.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/categoryID/E2AB2957-FA64-4734-9962-53AA2A644DBD/productID/FBDD25FF-DBFF-4E46-8A82-A255746B2220/ Anyone with wider knitting experience have any ideas about a high-quality yarn that would fit the bill?

Actually simultaneously? I"m trying to figure out how to get both my knitting and reading done. I had been knitting at night while watching TV, but I'd be happy to read and knit... I tried last night and found it awkward... Have you figured this out? How do you prop your book? Can you lie down, or is it better to sit? Multitaskers, unite!

I'm in the process of buying a bike too... I need something sturdy enough to hold big ol' me. Just tooling around the park or neighborhood, not long distance. My local shop sells Phat cruisers. In pink. With flowers. I want it!

I like living in LA! I think that any attitude has changed a lot over the almost 20 years we've lived here... there was a great interview last year with Garrison Keillor about how the last few times he's come to L.A. people have been so happy to be here. Housing is expensive... we are not wealthy and we rent... but I love that we can walk to the bank/grocery store/drug store, etc. I love that when we go into our local chain store they have every kind of obscure Indian/Mexican/Persian/Russian/Armenian food you've ever wanted, plus the "regular" stuff. I love that my kids go to Sunday School with African, Tongan, African-American and Caucasian kids. I love that we have access to a great library system, excellent YMCA, the beach, museums galore (oh, the Getty Villa is so awesome), science museums, theatre, universities, etc. etc. I like that our homeschooling group is open and inclusive of all faiths, which according to these boards is hard to find. And I love drinking fresh orange juice from the oranges we pick off the trees this time of year--I'm not a fan of shovelling snow, though I grew up in the snow belt for many years. We live in the Valley, but I know lots of people who live around the beaches who love it as well... hey Abbey, where are ya, sister, you loved living in L.A., right? High prices, too hot in summer--I think those are the drawbacks. But if you find me a cheap place to live with all the same amenities, I would certainly move! My vote for worst place to live based only on visiting is Flint, Michigan where my dad grew up. Worst place I've lived -- Almaty, Kazakhstan. Life is hard there.

I don't have one... neither do my kids (I would guess my parents don't either from this), but my dh and his family does. When dh was in the hospital and was intubated, the doctor noticed his mouth hump thing. The MD commented then that having that hump was less common than not having it--so I would guess that is not what is affecting your ds's speech. This it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torus_palatinus According to this article, the prevalence is 25--30% of the population. Be interesting to know if it is a dominant trait...

I finished half my book last night in bed... Question--anyone have a great method to knit and read simultaneously?

I just started knitting in November. I practiced with a book of dishcloth patterns (not exciting, but lots of different stitches and techniques in an easy format). Then I moved on to socks! I hope to finish my second sock tonight... it has taken me about a week per sock, but I'm not fast.

I'm going to finish my first pair of socks by midnight (if all goes well) and start on my second! I have a baby blanket to do for a new nephew-to-be soon. The pic is of Sock # 1!! (Thanks to Mom2LegoManiacs for all her help!)

Greetings, readers! I know lots of you have blogs, so you can link here. SWB is posting (and hosting) her book a week on her blog. I thought it would be nice to have a weekly thread... perhaps it will encourage folks to hop on once we've started! A quick review of the rules: Read an average of a book a week - 52 books in 52 weeks Re-reading a book counts--as long as you first read it before 2009 School related books don't count (unless you want them to) You can start reading on 1-1-09 at 00:00:01AM You can post this week what your chosen first book is, and then next week we'll update with what we've read, and what we want to read next. There have been so many great ideas so far! Countdown until midnight and then... ready... set... READ!!! ________________________________ My book for the week will be the second in The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica: “The Search for the Red Dragonâ€. The first one was great! This is a fun fantasy series starring the historical Inklings (that’s CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, et al) as real life adventurers. Here's a link to the 1st in the series: http://www.amazon.com/There-Dragons-Chronicles-Imaginarium-Geographica/dp/1416912282

I'm another Motivated Mom. I've been doing pretty well with it since we moved... but fell off the wagon during Christmas season. Time to get started again!

I'm just a fat redhead... and some of the rest of that...

I like to keep them up until Epiphany--as long as I have an artificial tree. WE have dozens and dozens of individually boxed Hallmark ornaments, all have to be wrapped back in their bubble wrap, put in the appropriate boxes--it takes hours! Not my favorite part.

It does take time to figure out how to use the Wii... I had a hard time at first. You have to be the correct distance, I've found--too close is no good, and too far and you can't aim at the screen. Hope it all works out!

Yeah.. we have a whole load of presents (everything from my Dad) still coming UPS. He was told they would arrive Christmas eve, but no sign of them yet!

I don't weave yet... But I have a friend who does card weaving, and I've wanted an inkle loom since I saw them earlier this year. I'm working on a 11th century viking costume for myself, and I have a lot of SCA friends who would appreciate nice woven bands. I was thinking about the Schact... we are going up to a weaving/spinning store in Solvang so I can get my hands on them and pick my favorite. I'm hoping to make some Harry Potter knits before the next movie comes out. I'm just a beginning knitter (coming up on 2 months), but I'm hoping to some day do that Mrs. Weasley sweater. I'm SO Mrs. Weasley!

Yeah... I think we should have a weekly check-in -- January 1st is a Thursday, so how about a Friday check-in for the previous week? We can also share what we liked/didn't like for some good mutual suggestions.

Favorite gifts this year: Me -- Harry Potter knitting book, and Inkle loom (though I don't have it yet, we're going up to a great weaving store to choose one I want) Dh -- Dr. Who writing book (nonfiction about the show's creator), Little Big Planet video game Older ds -- Ipod Nano Younger ds -- Room planetarium, batman toy figures We got tons of games for the family (and each other) including a Beowulf boardgame, The Hobbit boardgame, Munchkin Quest boardgame, Cosmic Encounter, and Talisman-- two old favorites now back in print in wonderful new additions. Plus some assorted video games, books, etc. I'm coming to the end of my "year without new books", so I got a couple of gift cards to spend after January 1st.

I was 31 with my first, 33 with my second... I'm 38 now, and hopefully we'll manage one more. I"m in good health, but very overweight, and only got more so when I was pregnant. Both were easy, uneventful natural deliveries.

Read an average of a book a week - 52 books in 52 weeks Re-reading a book counts--as long as you read it before 2009 (ie, no rereading the same book three times in a row this year). School related books don't count (for me at least, if you really want to count them, there are no book-police coming to get you). You can start reading on 1-1-09 at 00:00:01AM I didn't do well with my 8/8/08 last year... so another year, another try!

The "Cook's Illustrated" recipe is supposed to be great. My mil is a pastry person, and she swears by it. It substitutes vodka for some of the water--alcohol cooks off, but extra moisture makes the dough more rollable and pliable. Here's a link to a blog showing them using the recipe, and a copy of the recipe itself (otherwise you have to subscribe to Cook's Illustrated online). http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/11/pie-crust-101/