Teacher

Yesterday was the 10 anniversary of my mom's passing, and I did ok. I had one real breakdown, but it was relatively minor, and all in all, not that bad. Granted, I still miss her and it still hurts. The pain and longing has dulled a bit and I find I try to honor her memory in small ways now. Little Clover and I will talk about her and I'll tell him stories about her, like the time she decided to give me a hair cut. She took my long braid and just snipped the sucker off. I don't think I new what hit me. I tell him about how we went camping every weekend when we lived in Colorado and Mom would wear high heeled sandals. I smile when I see clovers and rainbows, and, I have seriously started relearning Korean.

For Christmas, I received Rosetta Stone's Korean Level 1 and it rocks. The software was sitting on my desk for the longest time, and for some reason, last week seemed like the right time to start it. Maybe it was the upcoming anniversary or the back to school bug, I'm not sure, but it has been the best learning tool I've tried. For starters, there is no Romanization. You are dropped straight into the Hangul alphabet and the Korean language. By the time I was 15 "slides" into the first lesson of the first of 4 units, I was already comprehending. I couldn't read nor speak to save my life, but I could understand. The instruction is intuitive and the lessons build upon each other. You are provided with immediate feedback, unlike books and cds, and you can move at your own pace. Repeating lessons is a snap as well. In the Korean language, pronouns are not heavily used. Instead, nouns or formal names are used and when people meet someone for the first time without introduction, they greet each other as "teacher." I like this. I think a language, the foundation for a culture, that bases interactions on the belief we can all learn from one another is a beautiful thing.

The software must be improving my pronounciation. This year, when we went to the Korean restaurant to celebrate my mom, I greeted the host in Korean, just as I do ever year, but this time, they started talking to me in Korean. I paniced! I threw up my hands and quickly blurted, "I just know how to say 'hello!'" The server smiled and changed to English, much to the amusement of Italian and Little Clover, and I think my mom was smiling too.

Halfway

For the last seven years, around the third week of August, I've been taking a "First Day of School" picture.

From Family

I wish I could say it gets easier, instead, seeing how much Little Clover has grown and matured over the years only brings home the fact that if I do my job as a parent correctly, he'll continue to mature and grow into a responsible successful adult and will leave the nest. I'm sadly aware that I only have seven more first day of school pictures left. We are at the halfway mark.

From Family

If I'm lucky, he'll let me take a "Dropping my kid off at college" picture, giving me one more photo for the stack. In any case, dropping him off at school after the photo is taken is not getting any easier. I'm thrilled at his accomplishments in school. I'm thrilled with the person he is becoming. I wonder though, is there any way to slow it down and make the next seven pictures last a tad bit longer?

From Family

In knitting news, I've finished the Leyburn Socks.

From 2009 Finished Objects

They are a bit tight when getting them on over my heel. Generally, my socks loosen up when washed, so they should be a perfect fit. I did change the pattern to a gusset and heel flap which I like better. I use Widdershins as the reference for the gusset and heel flap. The yarn is Trekking XXL, which I still love. Although the colorway doesn't have the long color repeats I associate with Trekking, it works well with the Leyburn pattern.

Besides Leyburn, I've been knitting away on Stella's Blouse.

From WIPs

I'm knitting with Class (in more ways than one) and love the yarn. It is a beautiful cotton viscose blend with a lovely drape and sheen. Did I mention the yardage? At over 200 yards per skein, I can knit all the way to the armhole before I run out of yarn.

June Cleaver is overrated

Summer vacation is quickly coming to a close at Clover Fields and I've spent the last few weeks coming to terms with the fact that I am no June Cleaver. I think since returning from vacation, I've cooked a total of five meals, not counting taking a prepackaged meal out of the freezer and reheating it. Let's just say that the people at Mosa know us very, very well. The house is in a perpetual state of disarray with no end in site. There is no vacuuming while wearing a skirt and a sting of pearls. I have been a domestic failure.

I have been a successful chauffeur, shuttling my little teeny tiny baby boy to football practice. (Can you tell I'm having a difficult time with him growing up?) Honestly, I would rather see him race across a soccer field, but it is thrilling to watch him dart between defensive boys, avoiding tackles, while caring the ball down the field.

From Family

The two hours of nightly football practice does provide me with ample time to knit. I've finished my Aquaphile socks:

From 2009 Finished Objects

And am now chugging through the Leyburn sock

From WIPs

And Robin Melanson's Stella's Blouse.

From WIPs

Those will be the only string of purls for a while.

Out of the mouth of babes

If you ever get a chance to play Taboo with a nine year, take it. You'll get such gems as "I have a blank butt."