Out of the Closet...

I am a closet (not so closet?) fangirl and was very excited to attend the midnight showing of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". I have to say that this was my favorite of all the three movies that they've put out so far. Should be interesting to see what they do with the next book which they've split into two movies a la "Harry Potter".

One of my favorite things about going to the midnight showing of movies like this with such a committed fan base is the level of excitement of the audience. And I admit that while, in general, I am a silent movie watcher (in theaters anyway), at a midnight showing I may be known to sneak in a "SQUEEE" or an occasional "Whoo hoo!"...One such moment was when Jacob Black/Taylor Lautner said, "Oh come on...we both know I'm hotter than you." Nearly the entire audience (including a few men) went wild at this line and I will own up to my girlish giggle. It's true...he IS way hotter.

One of my least favorite things about going to the midnight showing of movies like this with such a committed fan base is the committed fan base. These dang crazy people show up for a midnight showing waaaay early. I have too much self respect to show up for a midnight showing at 3pm like some of the folks there, but when Dad drove past at 7:15 and told me that the line was already snaking a good way around the building, I decided I'd push up my 8:30 pm arrival to 7:30. I took my trusty knitting, an iPod, some candy, a soda and a bottle of water. If I'm going to be sitting that long, you better believe I'm going to be knitting and listening to an audio book (last night it was Pride and Prejudice). It was really fun to be able to see the different fan shirts. I especially loved seeing a big group of guys with "Team Alice" shirts and enjoyed chatting with a girl wearing a shirt with "HEY EMMETT! (wanna Neck?)" plastered across the front that she had just purchased on a recent trip to Forks, WA. I was knitting on some fingerless mitts that are made with yarn dyed to look like the fingerless mitts Alice Cullen wears in New Moon:

Now, I am not naive...I know that they will not be as cute and stylish on me as they seem to be on her...but hey, I'm a knitter and they are an awesome piece of movie knitwear. I fully intend to rock them. And since I love Twilight...and Knitting...I was particularly interested in this website where Franklin Habit, a famously funny knitter, combined these two interests.

Giddy

Today I am giddy! So giddy that I have that whole fluttery body syndrome that makes you want to just jump up and hug someone and say, "Can you believe it?!?!" The source of my giddyness is simple...I'm a winner.

A few months ago, someone on Ravelry posted about a new blog that was dedicated solely to GIVING THINGS AWAY...Knitterly things...The blog is YarnOnTheHouse and I am one of the winners of Giveaway # 21!! When I first saw my name listed as the winner of the circular needle organizer, I though, yeah...sure...it's probably some other Tanya...But then I clicked on the link and MY blog popped up. (That's when the giddy feeling started.)

Since then I have sent off a message to let them know where I live and now I wait...wait for the giddy feeling to subside...wait for my insides to stop jumping around...wait to stop feeling like an idiot for getting so excited about winning...wait for my needle organizer!

Oh Yay!

Road Trip!!

We recently ( ok, it was a while ago now, I'm behind the times...) drove to Idaho to visit Grandma Darlene in her new Coeur d'Alene home and to attend Cousin Jessica's wedding in Moscow. While I think it will be quite some time before I want to make that drive again, I do think it was an absolutely gorgeous drive. So much greenery and open space!!

One thing that always amazes me (not the "Oh what a surprise" amazement, but rather the "I'm so jealous I could spit" amazement) about my grandma is that she can take any house/apartment/temporary living quarters and turn them into the most elegant, pulled together and infinitely gorgeous home. It also helps that she has very similar color and style choices to me. The best part about visiting Grandma's house was, of course, visiting with Grandma. We were only there for a couple days, but we stayed up late visiting and then hung out together all throughout the day. What a treat to be able to catch up and see some of the places she enjoys spending her time.

Tyler LOVED the park right next to her house where he was able to let of some steam:

and then we headed over to the KROC Community Center where Grandma takes water fitness classes that make me envious, plus they have a total fitness center, a rock climbing structure, a kids play area (that Tyler also really enjoyed) and bunch of other things...

Eventually we had to leave Grandma's to head over to see these two fantastic people:

The wedding was beautiful and it was a treat to see a couple who handled the challenges presented by the weather and the resulting change in venue with grace, cheer and cooperation. It makes me think that this couple has "what it takes".

Tyler had a blast at the wedding as one of the caddy's (Luke, the groom, is a Golf Course Management professional --I didn't even know they had a degree for that until I met him)

Until he was given his very own mustache...then he was Rico Suave the professional photographer caddy.

No Joke...My mom gave him her Canon Rebel camera (because he liked that it had the long zoom lens) and he started running around the whole reception snapping pictures of guests. It always amazes me when a)he takes a waaaaay better picture than me and b) the great response he gets from his photography subjects:

He also charmed the wedding photographer who made Tyler's day at the end of the night when he came over to give Ty a business card and tell him, "Call me in a few years when you are old enough to grow a real mustache and I'd love to take your picture then too."

All in all, a great time. I'd love to go back to Idaho and explore some of the smaller towns and communities.

Happy Mother's Day!

One of the thing I look forward to all year is the Mother's Day Luncheon at Tyler's school. They put on a great meal where the moms get to come eat with their kiddos and watch them sing a quick song. One of my favorite things about this lunch is that I get to see Tyler interact with his classmates and since I've been going for several years now, I've gotten to see all the kids grow up. It shouldn't, but it does always amaze me how big of personalities these little being have!

I also just recently had the opportunity to help chaperone the Panda Bear excursion to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. We had a BLAST!!

Also, I ordered a Mother's Day present for myself*Blush*...

I ordered this from Australia after seeing Cindy's--Although the price of postage is a bit steep, I have never seen this fabric here in the States so I figured I was worth it. After all, it has three of my favorite things! Tea, Knitting and Fabric!

Jonas and his Merry Band of Men

Now, this really is a BBC Show that I have been really enjoying (as opposed to Legend of the Seeker, which I've been enjoying, but which is not BBC). "Robin Hood" is a legend that has always fascinated me...the idea of a Nobleman who could have had all the riches, comforts, and luxuries he was entitled to if only he would have toed the party line...But Nay! He had principles and sacrificed to live for those principles. And of course there's the love story...Robin+Marian= True Love forever! (or in my mind, Jonas+Tanya). Well, in this BBC version of the legend, Robin Hood is played by a very handsome Brit (ok, really he was born in Ireland, raised in England, so I'm not sure if he considers himself Brit or Irish) named Jonas Armstrong:

He's very sassy and heroic and sexy to boot! I was raving about this show to my sister and she asked if I would still like the show if the actors did not have British accents...Well, yes and no...I think a classic British tale needs to be played by Brits...or at least people who can put on a credible English accent. So, while I still would have like the show, I like it much better with accents.

And lest you think I just like him in his Robin Hood woodsman outfits, here he is in Real Life(again, as real as actor's photos get).

Other notable actors in the show are Richard Armitage (who plays a really good bad guy that you really want to see the good in) and Keith Allen (Sheriff of Nottingham...He's Really good as an evil guy). Also quite handsome in the show are Harry Lloyd (who is aparently descended from Charles Dickens) and Joe Armstrong (not related to Jonas, but how confusing would it have been to have a Joe Armstrong and a Jonas Armstrong on set at the same time?)

All the good ones are foreign

One of the shows I've been watching lately on my streaming Netflix is "Legend of the Seeker." Now, I know I specifically mentioned BBC shows and this is not BBC, but it's still very good. The show is about a guy, Richard Cypher, who (basically) has to save the world from an evil King. Typical story, but highly entertaining. He is helped along his way by a Wizard of the First Order who has wild, crazy, Einstein-ish hair and a Confessor named Kahlon who is a totally kick-@$$ fighter. While I genuinely enjoy the story, and I am enamored with all the characters, Richard Cypher (Played by Craig Horner, an Australian Hunk) is my favorite to look at. See?

And in case you think I think he's only a hottie because of his spectacular muscles, here he is in real life(well, as real as an actors headshots are anyway):

You'll like these mom!

We were shopping at Target this weekend in the dollar section. As I was walking around to look at the different items, I heard Tyler's voice ring out, "You'll like these Mom! It's yarn!" When I went to see what he was talking about, he was holding out two packages of twine! He dropped two in and said, "Here, you can buy two skeins!" But then later decided that I needed a third skein.

Then on Sunday evening Tyler was getting ready for bed in some flannel puppy pajamas when Auntie Kiki told him he needed to watch out or his pajama puppies might bite him. His reply? "Nonetheless, I'll be too High!" (which has nothing to do with an altered state as a result of herbal enhancements and everything to do with altitude) When I asked him where he had heard the word "nonetheless" he replied that it was from Knitting Podcast, of course.

Of course...

These two events, occurring so closely together and fresh in my mind, make me contemplate the external influences that can make an impact in the life this small being whom God has charged me with raising. Just a small reminder to continue to expose Tyler to the good things in life and try to shield him (as much as possible!) from the bad things in life.