last night's conversation with a just-turned 8 year old...
Son: Mom, I didn't get everything I wanted for my birthday.
Mom: Oh, really? Let's see, you had 15 kids at your party, and each of them gave you something pretty nice. Nanny (my mom) gave you a new computer game. Gramma and Pops (Hubby's parents) gave you a Mastermind gift card. Daddy and I gave you a Playstation 2 and 25 games (we bought the whole package off the treasure hunt channel - such a deal!!)
Son: but I really wanted an iguana. Or a snake. Can I get one? Please?
Mom: No. Have you fed your fish lately?
Son: I forgot. But I really want an iguana. I read all about them in the library books.
(Note here - Son took a bunch of reptile books out of the library, assuming we would then allow said reptile into the house. He also had a few books on welding - we didn't get him MIG, TIG or ARC welding equipment, either.)
Mom: If you can't remember to feed your fish, how can you look after an iguana?
Son: I will! Really I will! I really want a snake! Or an iguana!
Mom: If an iguana or especially if a snake moves in this house, I am moving out. Mom doesn't like reptiles, especially snakes. So you can decide - Me or the iguana.
Son: (thinking) Well, Daddy doesn't cook as well as you and you always remember to feed my fish, so I'd rather have you.
This was followed by a hug. Life is good. Of course, not ten minutes later, we were having the progressively getting louder "Have you done your homework??" discussion, which becomes the "I gave you that Playstation - I can take it away just as easily if you don't do your homework first!" discussion...
I've broken the curse - maybe...
Lookee here...
yes, that would be an (almost) finished fingerless mitt - just the thumb to do and I should have that done at lunch today and the second one cast on! I am going to give these to my son's sitter J. J is the best thing that happened to us when my son started school - she picks up Son and another girl (his best friend / best enemy, depending on the day) and is such a fabulous influence on them. J also works part time at the library and it's often cold in there. When she saw my Koigu mitts, she loved them, so right away, decided to make her a pair. She'll love them, and with March Break coming up, a little extra love to the sitter is always a good thing!
Instead of the Saxon knot I did on mine, I've done four columns of cables up the back - I like it, although the hand painted nature of the yarn hides it a bit. Still - it's a nice textural aspect. I bought this yarn at last year's Kitchener Knitters Fair - LuckyCanuck showed it to me and I had to buy some - she got some too, and made socks - it's a wool / mohair blend and it's a locally produced, one of a kind - I love that. My only complaint is that it is loosely plied, and therefore a little splitty, but that's it. I'll look for more of this next time at Kitchener.
7 comments:
Remember, tell J not to machine wash them! They are very nice. She's a lucky one!
As for iguanas - I find them kind of cute (they are gentle) but I knew a girl who had one and they grow awfully big...
I'm totally down with you on the reptile ban. No frakkin' way!!
A warm-blooded Mom always beats a cold-blooded reptile, I say!
Maybe we should both pull out those Wellington fibre mitts. I haven't looked at mine in a year and I have them down in the UFO challenge as having to be finished by March!
My boyfriend manages a pet store, and he can't count the number of times moms and sons trudge into the store, over to his reptile section. The mom cringes, the son gets excited. Alex explains to the mom that, no matter what the son tells her, she will be the one taking care of this snake/iguana/gecko. Mom is either still under the illusion that, oh no, my son is good, he'll take care of it! Or she's mournfully resigned to the fact that yes, she is going to spend the next ten years looking after some cold-blooded reptile.
Or, on rare occasions (and this is my favourite reaction) my poor Alex gets the "DON'T TELL ME HOW TO RAISE MY CHILD!" speech, because the mother is too stressed out to even deal with another obstacle in the way of getting her son what he wants.
Poor moms.
Iguana? Ig-ick!! Stay strong on this one, Chik! The yarn looks lovely and although the cables don't show off as well as they would in a smoother/different yarn, they make a lovely and interesting texture. Is the yarn quite soft? It looks that way in the close-up.
My mother has an iguana...it stayed while my brother moved out. It likes to watch Oprah and Dr. Phil. I'm sure I could arrange a good deal for you :)
My four year old does the same thing. Every time she sees one of those insidious toy commercials on TV she comes running up to me to ask if she can have it. My stock response is, "Is it Christmas or your birthday? No? Sorry."
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