GOOD JOB NY.

I'm sure glad I don't do "resolutions"

Remember this blog entry? Uh-huh. Yeah I'm sucking at my resolutions this year.

-I have yet to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies. NOT ONE. Isn't that horrible? I've bookmarked a few, but I haven't gotten around to making them. I'll blame this on moving continents.

-I'm still hopeful I'll get 12 knitted projects done. I think I have 3 or 4 finished. Yeah, we'll see....

-I've baked a good bit. Not loads, but more than the year before. I made Oz's birthday cake and that was pretty motherfucking impressive.

-Sex? What is this "sex" you speak of?

-I do read a good bit to Oz. I'm not really worried about that one.

-Combating the Slacktavism. I think I've done alright. I've donated bras, I've donated money for the earthquake in Japan and the tornadoes in Alabama. We've done a few other things but I can't think of them at the moment. Combating the slacktavism is hard, but I'm committed to trying to do more.

-I still spend WAY too much time on the internet. FAIL.

-...but my Blog is definitely happier these days.

-I don't know if I'll ever finish Sherlock Holmes. That's just negative, of course I will. I just don't think this is the year. Sorry, Sherlock!

So there ya go. It's halfway thru the year, perfect time to check in. Next time there will be updates about us living back in the states and getting ready for "THE BIG TRIP"

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Well, here we are. It's Sunday and we're leaving on Tuesday morning. I am finally starting to feel better, but I know my immunity levels have been knocked down to zero by the antibiotics that finally decided to kick in, so I'll probably get sick again after flying. Yay! Luckily, I'll be in a country that has great healthcare, O wait...shit. Nevermind! I'll stop with the Negative Nancy's in a minute...

Yesterday, we flipped packing the bird and decided to head into The City for a last hurrah. We went to Portobello Market and my soul cries over the fact that I never went before. It was amazing. I hate that I wasted so many trips to the now very boring Camden market. Even tho I shouldn't have been buying things, I did. I bought a silk patchwork skirt, a 1980's knit jumper in some very awesome day-glo colors, AND The Ramones "It's Alive" double album on VINYL. There was an amazing records stall that I could have spent a small fortune at, but I had to resist. I know Ramones albums in good knick are hard to come by, so I grabbed that one. Everything else I wanted I have come by before so I know I'll find them again. O and I bought a scarf for an imaginary friend who comments on my blog quite frequently. I remembered her saying she loves scarves, and this one is very retro so I hope she likes it. (Now I kinda feel like I should have bought a scarf for all my comment-ers. Shite. O well...)

I meant to stop in at I Knit London, but we found it after it had closed. Boo. Hopefully I will use our roadtripping as an excuse to find kick ass knit shops thru the US. That sounds fun.

Anyways, it was a perfect way to say good-bye. We came back into Surbiton station (Harry Potter 6, ya'll. I'm behind the wall! whoo!) and went to dinner at our favorite chinese The Magic Wok. I was so proud watching my kid eat duck, chicken and peas. My kid eats duck. It was a nice family dinner with a lot of laughter.

I'm hoping we'll be back this way to visit in about 2 years time. Writing this out has made me feel like I'm looking forward to coming back to visit and be a tourist. Take all the time to see the things I missed living here. I have been so lucky.

So my sister is here....

.....we be sight-seeing!

O Beautiful Kauni Rainbow...

...I sing your praises and I haven't even knit a single row with you yet. I found 2 skeins of this on ebay. It was a deal. I have been lusting over this yarn for months, but it can easily cost up to $30 a skein and I found a deal on ebay and bought up 2. Right now I'm think I'll do something small and knit myself a bolero with it. I'm sure there will be more purchases in the future.

THE CAKE

I said I was going to do it ages ago so I did it. I made the Rainbow Cake. Don't know what I"m talking about? GOOGLE IT. It's all the rage in the crafty scene at the moment. It took me a day to make all the layers, splitting each bowl of batter into 2 colors. I also only had *ONE* cake pan. ONE. It took forever because I would make a batter and then have to cover it and wait for the cake in the oven to finish, then cool and then have to wash it before adding the 2nd batch of batter. Rinse, repeat. It took hours, but was totally worth it. I think everyone was absolutely gob-smacked...and that's always fun.

I made a coconut cake with coconut icing because Oscar loves coconut. But I made it without any shavings because as much as I love coconut flavor, I hate the flakes! So I used coconut milk in the batter and icing along with coconut shavings in the icing. It was delicious. I should link the recipes, but I'm just too tired. Be glad you're getting this little blurb and pictures, please :o)

Sorry the pictures are totally out of order, but you're clever people, you get the idea. I'm too tired to screw around with blogger and get them in the right order.

Baby is ONE

Time flies like none other when you have a baby. Everything happens in fast forward and full speed ahead. I sometimes wonder what I did with the sprawling mass of time I had before I had Oscar. I was definitely lazier.

I have the coolest kid. He's just easy going and loving and has such a gentle way about him. He can be a little shy at first with strangers and is a *major* flirt. He loves to be outside, he's good on car rides and can fall asleep about anywhere. We never started a "schedule" and I am so glad we didn't because he's just an adaptable little guy. That said, he also has a little attitude which is hilarious, but also lets me know I'm going to be in for it when he's a bit older. Bring it, son.

Hands down, best thing we've ever done. EVER.