Staying up late, waiting for my carcass to simmer

Not my own - the turkey breast - for stock. After a very long night of overexcited children not going to sleep AND bothering me while I was trying to wrap presents, I am staying up late for me (past 10 pm),again.

Chicky came and got in bed with me around midnight (I thought she was the only one asleep around 11, but I was wrong). The boys were pure bananaheads. They kept knocking on my door and whining, "We can't go to sleep. What should we do?" I kept telling them to go lie down. I did not tell them that this was great practice for later in life when they would be awake for hours on end with no way to get to sleep, and no apparent cause for the sleeplessness.

I think the neighbors across the street might have the right idea. I'll be honest with you, every year I secretly curse them because they make their children run around from 8-10 pm in the yard. They are between 12 and 16 years old (three of them) and they are very loud. Their loud antics did not help my people and my sleep campaign either. I was playing the Charlie Brown Christmas CD as loud as was sensible, given my plan to LULL the children to sleep, and the neighbors were much louder. Morgan wanted to call the police because they were bothering him. I laughed to myself and told him what they were doing was not against the law, it was merely annoying. Next year, I'm tossing my three into the mix and then I can wrap presents in peace.

The children were up at 7:20 am to open gifts. They were pleased and spent the day in and out of their new sleeping bags (Chicky most of the time with the guinea pig in her bag, too). One of my presents, a lovely hefty gift certificate to my local LYS, I am saving for some time when I can shop without the children in tow. They tolerate a yarn store, but I feel the pressure of their glaring eyes, and hear their weighty sighs. Some treats are meant to be enjoyed alone.

I started Grumperina's Odessa hat on Sunday, my knitting mojo was not with me that day, and I kept repeatedly fucking up the K3, P2 ribbing. I was just not focused enough. Later on that day, I made a very focused effort, and was whizzing along after that. I finished the hat this morning and all is well. It is blocking as I write. Then I immediately cast on for a new attempt at the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket, using Fiesta Yarns Boomerang in the Alaska colorway. A co-worker is due in February and I need to get hopping. So far, I love the colors. Perfect for the new boy baby. Pictures tomorrow.