Christmas Swag and Other News

The DCA granted practically all my Christmas wishes this year. I now have extra cables and size tags for my Options/Harmony set. I also have new circs in US sizes 0, 1, and 2 for when I feel like doing two socks on two circs. I asked for a couple of knitting books and received Mason-Dixon Knitting and Cat Bordhi's New Pathways. The DCA also added to my stash by buying enough superwash wool so I can knit myself Mason-Dixon's perfect sweater. On top of all this, I also have two sets of blocking wires (a story in itself) and the complete Gilmore Girls collection as accompaniment for all my knitting. (The first set of blocking wires were crushed and bent during shipping so Knit Picks replaced them for free. Only one end of the first set is bent, so I can still use them for blocking small things. Bonus!)

I have spent a bit of each day of my Christmas break knitting or working on something knitting-related. I have a new pair of Fuzzy Feet for myself--the DCA let me borrow his one night, and they were so yummy that I had to have my own. I finished knitting Mystic Waters, and I made two Kate the Cats for Roo and Moose. I've been blocking like crazy for the last several days with the new wires, so now Icarus, Maude, Hanami, Guinevere, Mystic Waters, and my mom's Chevron Scarf are all in near-perfect shape. I say near-perfect because I found four holes in Icarus where it has gotten snagged and a dropped stitch in Mystic Waters. I think they can be easily repaired though. I finally fixed the Other Morgana's sock and dropped that in the mail before Christmas too. My only disappointments are that I'm not far enough along in Roo's socks or in my new Perfect Sweater.

I keep trying to remind myself that it's not that important, because I'm about to have a lot more knitting time than I'm used to. The DCA has finally received his new orders, and we're headed home to the right coast in a little less than 6 weeks. After we move, I'll be "unemployed" while I wait to take the Praxis test for my Virginia teaching license since my California credential doesn't immediately transfer. You gotta love bureaucracy! I'll need lots to keep me busy after we move while I homeschool the Roo and maybe the Moose too and while I fight all the red tape.

We're thinking of homeschooling, because Roo would have to start a new school when we get there and then start a totally different school again in the fall. That is just too many transitions for her at one time, and once we mentioned homeschooling, nearly all of her apprehension about the move melted away. She's not nearly as stressed out as she had been--the nuclear meltdowns over minor issues were starting to kill me--so it's probably the right way to go. The Moose won't have to change schools again in the fall, so we are thinking of registering him in our local school right away so he'll have lots of friends for the summer. Unfortunately, a Christian school in the new locale is financially out of the question since I'll be jobless and they are all ridiculously expensive. Some schools cost more per year than one year of college cost for us! Frightening! Thankfully, the schools where we're headed are really good, and they even have a strong GATE program for the kids once they're tested.

I know I don't post a lot, but it may get even quieter around here for a while we get ready to move and then actually head east. I also have a lot to do to turn over my classroom to the long-term sub who is replacing me at the end of January (or sooner if I can swing it). I'd like to be out of there before the movers come at the end of the month, but I don't know how the administration is going to feel about that. I'll probably start working on that issue once my replacement is officially selected. The frontrunner needs the position more than I do, and I could really use the time off to get ready to go. I'm so ready to be out of here that it is hard to focus on work at all.

Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers while we're going through this big change. We need all the help we can get!