Nothing too much in particular...

My title is a bit odd but what else do I title a blog that I haven't thought through yet?

Ready for England
We have made it through to Saturday and I am pulling things together ready to leave for the UK on Thursday afternoon.  I am acutely aware that I tend to be a detailed planner at times, this time being no exception.  Teagan's case is all packed (without her help this time) and I have a detailed itinerary prepared and am, right now, sorting out some materials to support Teagan's second visit to Hampton Court and first visit to The Tower of London.  Maybe it is an "overdo" but when we visit museums or suchlike, the little Madam turns soaker sponge and does not forget.  With the cost of the trips, I intend to make use of the sponge!  This time, I think we will take up some simple mysteries and there is one covering the "Princes in the Tower", the Princes caught her imagination with a painting in the Louvre....so here we go again.

Idle chat
Ross and I were chatting over lunch.  It seems Ross is exceptionally tired - no surprise really considering his medication (for his yet to be explained allergy) he will look to change the type of antihistamine for the coming trip so that he can indulge in some brown juice.  We also find that life is rather routine.  That is not a bad thing but if it becomes insanely continuous - methinks we would go mad!  Thus, a break each school term is just fabulous.  We finished our chatting have come to some minor conclusions and proceeded to slip back into our Saturday routine.

iTunes
Finally, I have an iPod dock.  I have ditched the old CD/radio and placed in my new JBL surround speaker.  And low and behold, of course I do not have enough music.  All of my music that I digitized on leaving NZ was done in .wma format and is totally and absolutely incompatible with my MAC system.  Yes, but I do have a good and free system.  I am importing my music onto iTunes located on our netbook (PC) as this does a conversion making it compatible with iTunes.  Unfortunately, I then have to transfer back to the MAC as it holds my up-to-date iTunes library.  But, the system works and means that I can broaden our music selection away from the sole "Puff the Magic Dragon".

Kelmscott
My Kelmscott Jacket by Carol Sunday (Pattern link) is on the final final final stretch.  All knitting is complete, most seaming complete, now all I have left to do is stabilise the front bands and sew on my buttons.  You know how painful the last bit can be!  To alleviate the pain, I have cast-on and am part way up the main body (knitted on circulars using continental method) a gansey style coat for Teagan (Pattern link).  The yarn is Irish Donegal Tweed as is such a delight to work with.  This means I have one project coming off the needles, one on the needles so naturally I need one planning to go on the needles!  Yes, I have that.  Mum and I will do a "knit along" when I am back in NZ.  Using Elizabeth Zimmerman's EPS system, a continental knit method (for me), some real Shetland fingering yarn and my own design, I hope to make my first traditional Fair Isle cardigan.  Hopefully my needles will be able to click for the next couple of months without let-up.

School discipline hits the home
School (having small classes) use a fairly standard bribe/incentive system of cubes into a jar and when the jar is full a reward ensues.  For home we have installed a similar approach, this time using a large beer glass and small glass stones.  After two weeks it is proving to be highly successful and also, thankfully, slow to fill.  That does not deter Teagan as her prize will be worth the 2 or 3 months of waiting.  On Wednesday she melted down after school and committed a punishable crime so lost two stones.  Rather than weep forever, she asked if she could redeem herself, I agreed, and she proceeded to peel carrots for dinner and lunch (oh, do forget bench hygiene, we are just happy that she worked out how to peel those blessed carrots).  We also note that fingernail biting has reduced as when she gets her "white bits" back, she will get one stone per nail.  Long may the system last!