Good news? Bad news?

Or maybe just no news.

I would like to post that there is good news going on, but really, I can't think of anything.
I just spent the past two weeks working 65-70 hours each week, trying to finish sample corrections and do the photo shoot for the catalogue. It was mind numbing and so very fatiguing. Really, really makes me wonder why on earth I decided to do this. The entire time it was going on, The Small One was very put out with me, and I can't say I blame her. Bless her little heart, she was bent at mamma for working so much and not paying enough attention to her. I worked at home part of the time, simply because I could not stand to be in my basement studio at the bridal shop any longer. Whilst I attempted to work at home, The Small One would walk up, give me that look, reach down and grab my thread and chuck it across the room. I think she may have wanted some attention. Eventually, I would give up and play with her, which of course, is what she was after. It did result, however, in my having to stay up VERY late to finish things after she had gone to bed. Really, I would rather play with her than spend 30 hours beading a dress I don't even like. But, I suppose we all do what we must...

In other not great news, we are having trouble on the health insurance front. I am uninsurable, Mike is uninsurable (it is none of your business why, so don't even ask), which means we can't get insurance for The Small One, either. We applied for CHIP, but apparently, even my paltry income is too much to qualify. Seriously, gov't aid is broken in this country. You have to be utterly destitute to qualify for anything, and once you reach that level, how in hell are you supposed to get out? No wonder people end up on welfare or gov't assistance forever. There aren't many other options. Ugh, I can't get started or I will end up soapboxing about it for pages and pages. Not a good option. Just makes me mad.

Okay, some good news here then, although it isn't anything important. I am nearly done with my Two-Toned Shrug from fitted knits. Except it isn't two-toned. Just one. Currently grey, but I will be dyeing it when I am finished. I haven't decided what color yet, though. I got some Jo-ann Sensations Kashmira for 90 cents a skein a while ago and I bought a bunch. I love to knit with it, so nice and stretchy and has lovely stitch definition. This is the second sweater I have knit of it, the first being a Maude Louise, which is fabulous, but still needs a dye job and buttons.
I think, after I finish this, I may splurge on some Malabrigo and make a little sweater for The Small One to wear next fall/winter. I also want to get a nice cotton to make her a summer dress, but I am not so up on the cotton yarns, so will have to do some research to figure out what I want to use.

The Small One is a funny little bug. She talks so much now. Okay, she has always been a little chatterbox.

I have no idea where she gets that.

Anyhoo, when she talks now, actual words and phrases come out of her mouth and they are by turns snarky and wise. Well, wise if you are nearly two. She thinks passing gas is utterly hysterical, and woe unto you if you do it near her and don't want anyone to know. She will tell on you. She tells on herself if she does it. Butt tootle is actually what she says and it is hysterical. See, just typing Butt Tootle makes me giggle like a little boy. Daddy tootle is what she says if he does it. Which is funny that she doesn't say, Daddy butt tootle. Just Daddy tootle. If you could here her tiny, wee disney voice say it, you would laugh too. I promise.

The Small One is finally getting into dollies, which is also a crack up. As I mentioned before, she was quite put out with me for working so much, and consequently acted up quite a bit. The result of this is time outs. She got put in time out so many times last week that she eventually just put herself in time out when she knew she had been naughty. (on a funny side note here, right before this I was on Ravelry, the happy knitting website, reading forums and whatnot, where people use the word knotty. I typed knotty instead of naughty in reference to The Small One.) So, Sunday, she was playing with one of her baby dolls and patting it's back and saying shhh, go night night, when all of a sudden she took dolly off of her shoulder looked at her very firmly, said TIME OUT, and parked her in the chair. I nearly died with laughter. I asked if Dolly was naughty and she very solemnly nodded yes.

The Small One, like all little folk, loves to be naked. Or naken, as she calls it. She has finally figured out how to get every single article of clothing off of her body, so we quite frequently find her playing in the nursery completely "naken". Oh, well. I just wish there was more fat on her little frame to keep her warm, as we keep the thermostat lowish in this house.

Her hair is getting quite long now, well the back is anyway. She still has a super mullet. My brother calls her Milly, which is short for Mullet Lilly. (My other brother calls her Lillypop because she is a stick with a big, round head. They are not known for their niceties, my brothers.) I like to put her hair in low pigtails sometimes. But only sometimes, because when I do it, she looks like she is three. Tiny three, but three nonetheless. Especially when she is wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Not a baby anymore, that one. She is a kid. Saddens me a wee bit, but she is just so funny and FULL of personality that I adore. I know she is spoiled (oops) but I love her big personality and her bossiness and her complete self possesion. She is an attitudal little girl, but I think it rocks. I am not into the retiring violet kind of girl. The blessed child is not afraid of anything either! I have friends who worry about her around our big dogs, but I don't. They knock her down all the time, but she just gives them a big shove and gets back up. It is hilarious, because they are rather bigger than she is.

Just to give you some perspective on her size. She is nearly 2 and weighs 20 lbs. My friend has a 9 month old child who weighs 24 lbs. She is of average height, just no fat on her wee bones. She is potty training again (let's hope it sticks this time) and when she is wearing her wee tiny skivs (that have to be custom made as they do not make underwear for bums that tiny) her pants won't stay up. Once she is potty trained for real, I am going to have to make a whole new set of pants for her. I can't buy any small enough. She can still wear a 12 month with diapers on, but they are way too short. She is a leggy kid, did not get that from me!

Well, I guess that will do for now.
I should probably go to bed.

Oh, one last thing...
If you visit my blog, even if I don't know you, won't you leave a comment? Unless you are going to be mean and nasty, in which case, go somewhere else.