Three weekends in a row have been horrendous – stress, illness, weather. Although, my sister’s wedding was pretty good, it was surrounded by stress, illness, weather…

Children, on the other hand, have shown remarkable improvement in behavior - for the most part. Both have received kudos from teachers in the last two weeks about their improved behavior and actions.

It was my turn to be sick this past weekend, so I didn’t get much reading done, other than some blogs I keep up with and the news headlines.

I did watch the second Harry Potter movie with the girls this weekend – in two parts. It’s a little scarier than the first one. We’re going to acquire the books and begin reading them. They were fascinated by the world of magic. Although I constantly remind them that it’s all pretend. We do discuss how the computers have added the special effects, and how special camera shots make it look a certain way.

Hopefully, this will be a better reading week and I’ll be back with booklinks in the next day or two.

Crazy weekend after crazy week and previously crazy weekend does not a happy Leah make.

However, I waved goodbye to sick hubby, then ditched the girls with Big Sis, and caught a Clive Owen double feature yesterday – First Duplicity then The International. So, when I finally retreived the girls, and then had to feed them @ 7:30, I was no where near as cranky as I had been at noon, when I dropped them off.

Also, I caved and bought a coupla books. I had some time to kill before the first movie (Amazon link to the theatre apparently doesn’t know about EDT) and the bookstore is one level down from the massive theatre complex at the mall.

I’m making progress on my book app, and I’m figuring also how to apply the same methodology to my knitting app. Primarily desktop, but social features enabled upon demand. For the anti-social persons in all of us.

I’ll try to get pics from my sister’s wedding (this past Saturday) up in the next coupla days.

Baby Xander (as opposed to Xander from power rangers mystic force) was born on Feb 3. He weighed either 7.5 lbs or 7 lbs, 5 oz, I don’t remember which. My sister is fine – going back to her teaching job next week. Below is Xander at 2 hours old.

I’ll get a new pic this weekend, and you’ll be able to see how much he’s grown.

My sister’s water broke about 1:30 this morning. She’s at the hospital. Her last child took 24 hrs of labor though, so this one won’t be easy. As soon as I get more news, I’ll post it.

(In our fam damily, we do this on purpose. Mostly to hide the fact that we do this accidently, too.)

Yesterday was Medifast day 3, and I peaked at the scale and had lost 7 lbs. Yes, you read that correctly. Now, most of it was water weight, I know, since I was visiting the facilities on average every 45 minutes, but it drives the confidence up.

The hardest part of doing this is not sneaking bites of little girl food. But, I’m keeping to a 1000–1100 calorie diet, and as long as I follow the program I’m not hungry. The shakes and pudding and oatmeals are enough to keep my sweet tooth satisfied, and every 2.5–3 hours, I’m eating. And I get one real “Healthy” meal a day. As long as I follow the rules for “Healthy”, I’m good.

New Years Eve, Hubby was ill, so I entertained 2 4.2 yr olds and one 5.95 year old. We managed to stay up to watch the ball drop, and we toasted with caffeine free diet soda, and they were excited to see Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers standing next to Dick Clark. Fifteen minutes later, they were fast asleep.

I asked for guidelines, and I get exact present specs. This is actually the 4^th year I’ve been wish list compiler. Here, names redacted, are what people sent in. You may notice some common themes – we all loved Buck Rogers as kids. Most of us like sc-fi/fantasy. There are no Dallas fans allowed (grounds for disownment). Hubby’s Parents visit, but are not usually included in the recipient list – in other words, I give them a slightly modified version, so that the girls get different presents.

18 yr old Daughter
Converse Hi-tops – size 8 ½ in women, 6 ½ in men
Jewelry
Sony Cybershot W200 Digital Camera
Golden Girls DVDs (any season)
Lucky Never Slevin DVD
Ocean’s Thirteen DVD
Knocked Up DVD
Payless Gift Card
Foot Locker Gift Card
Famous Footwear Gift Card
DSW Gift Card
Target Gift Card
Wal-Mart Gift Card
Torrid Gift Card

5.9 yr old Daughter
Disney/Other Movie Books – Learn to Read level
Barbies
Horses
Favorite Color (this month) is green
Arts/Crafts requiring minimal assistance

4.15 yr old Daughter
Whatever Cailin gets (within reason)
Power Rangers (any kind)
Favorite Color (this month) is purple
Barbies and or Baby Doll things
Arts/Crafts requiring minimal assistance

Me
Redskins Stuff
Die Hard Series on DVD
Buck Rodgers Series on DVD
Young Ones (every stoopid episode) series DVD
Knitting Calendar
Blue/Silver jewelry

Hubby
Eagles Stuff
Seinfeld Season 9 DVD
Book: Semi Homemade 20 minute Meals by Sandra Lee
fFolkes DVD

15 Yr Old Nephew
Nintendo PSP
Ghost Rider (the DVD or anything)
Dukes of Hazzard (DVD or TV series)
Hero clix
marver super hero related anything (except superman)
godzilla collectible figures
anything with a rebel flag
Undertaker 15 and O (DVD)
Hulk hogan anthology
clothes with any of the following. Lynyrd skynyrd, AC/DC, Pink Floyd,
Guns and Roses and Avenged seven fold
spiderman 3 game for PS2 or dvds
civil war game for PS2
Transformers DVD or PS2 game

10 Yr old Nephew
Magic cards Lorwyn edition
Hero Clix
Hero clix booster packs

4.15 yr old Niece
Leapfrog phonics writing desk
Leapster games (she only has disney princess so far)
Baby Alive
Barbie Island princess accesories (i think i'm getting the doll)
any barbie stuff really...
Barbie and Tanner
Barbie cash register
moon sand
playdoh kits
aqua doodle mat
candyland castle game
wacka mole game
Hungry hungry hippos

Sister In Law
subscription to Paula Deen's magazine
Jewelry-gemstones, hoop earrings, bracelets
starbucks stuff. Like a travel mug with no handle...
laptop lap desk

Brother (38, but you wouldn’t know it)
Magic The Gathering TCG 10th Edition Core Set Fat Pack
1000+ Assorted Magic the Gathering Cards
Magic the Gathering What Color T-Shirt, XX-Large
(5) Magic the Gathering MTG 10th Tenth Edition X Core Set Booster Pack
Magic the Gathering Coldsnap Fat Pack
Magic the Gathering Future Sight Fat Pack
Magic The Gathering TCG Planar Chaos Fat Pack
Magic the Gathering: MTG Lorwyn - Sealed Fat Pack
100 BCW 9 Pocket Storage Sheets for Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey, Yugioh, Pokemon and Other Collector Cards That Fit in Standard Sized Pages
Ultra Pro The Magic the Gathering (MTG) Ciruelos' Dragon Playmat - Limited Edition (Black)
Player's Choice Gold Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Player's Choice Purple Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Player's Choice Silver Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Player's Choice Red Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Player's Choice White Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Poker Secrets From Poker Champs DVD
Maverick DVD
Rounders (Collector's Edition) DVD
Tilt - Season One DVD
NFL Washington Redskins Poker Guard with black velvet pouch
Washington Redskins Monopoly
Washington Redskins NFL Polo by Reebok (Adult XX-Large)
YuGiOh GX Card Game 2007 Series 1 Collector Tin Set Elemental Hero Grand Neos
Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Machine Re-Volt Structure Deck
YuGiOh GX Card Game 2007 Series 1 Collector Tin Set Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus
2007 YuGiOh! Collectors Holiday Tin: Destiny Hero Plasma
YuGiOh! Ultimate Edition 2! Dragon Master Knight with 2 Dark Revelations Volume 3 Booster Packs + Ultimate Dueling Guide
Yugioh Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale 2 Starter Decks Sets
Yugioh Blaze of Destruction Structure Deck
Yu-gi-oh! Structure Deck - Fury From the Deep
Yu-Gi-Oh! Lost Millenium Special Edition Box
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Collection Volume 1
2006 Magic The Gathering Time Spiral Fat Pack
Player's Choice Black Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Magic the Gathering: Core Set - Tenth - 10th - Edition Sealed Fat Pack
Magic The Gathering - 10th / Tenth Edition Theme Deck Set of 5
Caro's Book of Poker Tells by Mike Caro (Author)
Harrington on Hold 'em: Expert Strategies for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. III--The Workbook (Harrington on Hold'em)
Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 2: Endgame by Dan Harrington (Author), Bill Robertie (Author)
Doyle Brunson's Super System: A Course in Power Poker by Doyle Brunson (Author)
Doyle Brunson's Super System II by Doyle Brunson (Author)
The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence by Josh Waitzkin
Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device
Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives by Dan Millman
Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies by Sol Stein
Book: Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish)by James Scott Bell (Author)
Book: Techniques of the Selling Writer

9 Yr Old Nephew
Wrestling toys- John Cena
Rocky Toy
Steelers stuff
Playstation 2 games: action and sports games ( no T for teen or M for Mature games)
Chris Brown's new CD Edited version
Kanye West's New CD Edited version
Hideki Matsui memorabilia (Yankee player)
Gilbert Arenas jersey (black and Gold One)
Steelers Helmet
Clothes

32 yr old Sister (due in Feb)
Buck Roger's series on DVD
Flip mittens
Carol Burnett Series on DVD
Hair things
gift certificates

Sister’s SO
A Job
Sports Illustrated Red Sox World Series DVD
Best of Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live
Miami Heat, Boston Redsox, or Pittsburgh Steelers Memorabilia
Gift certificates

Sister’s SO’s Mother
Anything butterflies

36 yr old Sister
Cuddlekins Black Bear 12" Plush by Wild Republic
College Logo Pendant - UC Berkeley Golden Bears Offered by FanTheFire
SHINY STONE BEAR'S CLAW Paw Pewter PENDANT Necklace Offered by Dan's Jewelers Sterling Silver Bear Pendant Offered by Sabrina Silver
Star Wars Darth Vader with Lightsaber Lucite Keychain Offered by Countdown Enterprises
DVD Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - The Complete Epic Series
DVD Battlestar Galactica - The Complete Epic Series (Limited Edition Cylon Head Packaging
DVD Charlotte's Web (Widescreen Edition) New Version
Book Three in Death by J.D. Robb (Author) 

Brother In Law 
Books are always good (softcover perferred)
Mort by Terry Pratchett (book 1)
Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett (book 2)
Soul Music by Terry Pratchett (book 3)
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (book 4)
Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (book 5)
The Harlequin by Laural K. Hamilton
Mistral's Kiss by Laural K. Hamilton
For A Few Demons More by Kim Harrison
Bitten by Kelly Armstrong
Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston
The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Movies (widescreen):
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (released dec. 11)
Transformers
1776
Ducksoup
Night at the Opera
The Thin Man
After The Thin Man
Another Thin Man
Shadow of the Thin Man
The Thin Man Goes Home
Song of the Thin Man
All That Jazz
Key Largo
Clothes - 3x shirts, 46 jeans

60 Yr Old Man (my dad)
Left & Right Throttle Rockers JC Whitney.com/J & P Cycles.com
Belgian Waffle Iron & Mix GoldenMalted.com
Portable DVD Player
Western Books / Movies
12volt Cook Ware

63 Yr Old Lady (my mom)
Slots disc WMS II (I have I) from casino center.com.
light weight socks (crew)
size 3x tops
help with Gramma
Rascal Flatts newest CD (Still Feels Good)
Newest books from James Patterson, Robert B Parker, Catherine Coulter, Michael Connolly, Janet Ivanovich (Discounted only, or I'll wait for used book store)

90 Year old Matriarch (my grandmother)
warm socks
chocolate candy
flannel night gown
Large print historical fiction without sex
Pictures of grandkids

The Not A Tulip Layette is nearly complete. The blanket – with personalization – is done and finished. Everything is packed in a box, with a note. And I finally found an easy bootie pattern I liked. However, the first bootie took me an hour from start to finish. So, the second one will be completed in the morning. And the Secret Pal box is nearly ready – just have to acquire one more item. Tuesday will be fun at the Fed Ex store.

We went to a cookout and my sister gave me a book – Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook – and requested the kittyville hat, and a matching one for the new one (once gender is determined on the 20th) due in February. I flipped through it, and it’s interesting, so she didn’t waste her money. And the knitting book I ordered – Knitting Around – will be the last actual knitting book purchase, at least until the Harlot visits the area on the 20th.

Well, I promised Hubby I’d be up at midnite. So I better go on upstairs.

Happy September!

It seems blogger/blogspot is down this morning. None of the blogs (okay, most - I got one to work) I usually read from there are working. From a technical perspective, it will be an interesting read when it's back up and the explanation is posted. From a blogosphere perspective, it will be interesting to see how the overal web society responds to the outage.

Okay, enough geek musings.

I'm taking the baby sweater to visit my grandmother this evening. While she didn't teach me to knit (I actually took a knitting class in elementary school), it has been another thing we share, and it seems I'm the only one in the family who enjoys it as she does. Since she's ninety, and her body's starting to complain, she doesn't get out much - if at all. So we'll marvel at the techniques, and discuss a few things, and continue our bond, while the little gels run around the back yard of my mother's house. (At least, that's the plan.)