Parts is Parts

Dear Cynthia,

Let the finishing begin.

Here are three sets of sweater components, that is, three sweater bodies, and six sweater sleeves. If I can get all of this stuff put together (and right now it's looking pretty good), I will have my initial wave of Christmas knitting completed. The brown sweater has been done and blocked for a while; the other two sweaters are the ones I've just completed knitting, so they both have the usual weaving in of ends and blocking. Obviously, all sweaters require the dreaded **seaming**. Yuck. But, anyway, then end is in sight. Yay!

I said this is the "initial wave", because of course, now I'm having thoughts of making little matching teddy bear sweaters for my boys' teddy bears using the leftover yarn from my boys' sweaters, and a couple of hats and socks, etc.... Lunacy.

In other news, a couple of days ago I had an interesting conversation with my six year old.

Son: Mommy, I'm in a band. I really am.
Me: Really. Who else is in the band.
Son: Jake, Coby, and Derek (or some subset of kids in his class)
Me: Hmmm, what instrument do you play?
Son: Electric guitar (though, I'm not sure he knows what that is)
Me: You're taking piano lessons. Is there some reason you're not on keyboard?
Son: I think somebody else is playing that. We're going to play for Lauren and Allison. Mommy, I tried to kiss Lauren on the lips. I really did.
Me: Oh? Do you like Lauren?
Son: No, not really.
Me: Then why are you trying to kiss her? (Trying to nip fraternity behavior in the bud...)
Son: Because Jake and Coby did.

And so it seems my son had left the house in the morning as a first grader, and returned home as a freshman. I reminded him that I think it is best for now if he only kisses people in his family. He seemed okay with that. Perhaps I can teach him about the power of the wink, instead ;-)

There are so many questions a parent has, especially as the first kid is growing up and getting more independent. Two weeks ago, a man called me to ask if my six year old would be available to play with his son later in the day, and this man said he'd come pick him up at this time and bring him home at that time, etc. It caught me off guard, so I agreed and hung up. Then, I remembered that I do not know this person, and this person might have guns in his house, etc. And so, I phoned back to say that I was going to be out with my son anyway, and could easily drop him off at this friend's house (so that I could at least have a little understanding about their home) and by the way, do you have any guns? (They didn't.) I felt foolish asking the question, but I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if anything had happened. Anyway.....the trials of a paranoid mother trying to protect her child in a crazy world without denying him the independence he needs to develop, etc.....

I know I'm going to need therapy at some point (and I'm quite certain my kids will). For now, I knit.

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)