Moved, perhaps temporarily, to:

ninjakitten.net

I know.  I'll prob forward blog.ninjakitten.net there in the future.  Sorry for the confusion.

 Come visit, okay?

Happy Halloween

N (who I'm still thinking of a nickname for) on his first Halloween.




And now that I've ruined my ability to post in Blogger by attempting to share a photo, let me assure you all that I am still trying out Wordpress and considering its seductive loveliness.  I suspect that I'll be moving to it within a month and within the next few months, I'll be going Wordpress Pro.  We'll see.  I'll keep you updated on that.  It'll probably happen soon since the service which provides my feed (Feedburner) is dying as well.  Might as well change everything up at once.  The good part of having only six followers is that you can be fairly assured that most of them will follow you to a new blog.  Okay, I'm out for now.  LYLAS.  (Except the one guy who reads this blog.  May he be having the best scary movie month of his life.)

Sorry For The Lack Of Posts

Blogger is being all fucked up in the composing.  I hate to cuss, but there it is.  This means that I'm much more seriously reviewing and considering other blogging mediums.  I do have a prize for the Pinterest posts in September and I have pictures for the October pin I'm doing.  I also have knitted items to post about.  I just don't have a blogging medium I trust. 

I still am thinking about you all.  Hopefully be back to you soon.

The Belly Gets Older

As some of you may, or may not, know, N2's nickname is "Belly".  It has almost nothing to do with her real name and was given to her by me and N.  P is worried that it will cause her some anxiety, but I doubt it will last and it's got a bit of sweetness to it.  Plus, I'm a prime nibbler of baby tummies.

Belly (as will be her new name on the blog) is getting bigger and stronger and smarter.  She's learned which breast she prefers for which meals.  She knows that if she clenches and unclenches her hand, I will pick her up and hold her.  She does not know it means I will nurse her though.

She can sit up.  She can push backwards while on her tummy.  She abhors tummy time though and will roll over when you put her down.  She can drink from a straw.  She can laugh at N's jokes.  Belly is showing independence and curiosity and a desire to be a part of the family in a way she isn't quite yet.  She's still just a tiny bit "the little baby that we carry on our adventures" and she seems to be trying to break free of that.

When I attempt to sit her down now, she locks her legs in an attempt to stand.  She makes whimpering and whining and crying noises when we eat.  She wants food too.  She chatters like a crazy little girl.

When we "read" her touch and feel book, she remembers it and goes right for the textured parts of the page.  If N comes near her, and she tries to grab his hair and shake him.  This causes him to duck and cry and retaliate.  It starts so early.

She's obsessed with cats.  That is how you know she's my daughter.  Belly, the daughter of a ninja kitten.  She'd rather stare at the cats than do anything else.  She likes car naps and hates alone in the bedroom naps.  Sometimes, she gets fussy and only mommy will do for her nap.

Belly is dressed crazily.  Sometimes she'll have on her Sunday finest.  Other times, she's dressed like I went blind during the picking of her clothes.  She's growing into a more distinct look now too.  Earlier, she was N's twin.  Now, she is starting to get her own features that are the Belly's and not just "Oh, that's like N."  Her nails are like mine.  Her lips are like mine.  Her smile is beatific so that must be from P.

I can't believe she's this small.  I can't believe she's growing so quickly.  How is it that I've had her for what seems like forever, but she was just born this year?  I absolutely adore babies.  If I did not have a problem with my stupid veins and my clotting blood, I'd have a billion of them, each sweeter than the last.  As it is, I think she might be last so I try to remember that as I smell the top of her head before I kiss her once again.

I Heart Being Lazy

Ugh, do I wait until the last minute, or do I wait until the last minute?  I know, I totally wait.  If I ever got into a race with a hare, we'd both be napping on the side of the road forever, while we watched tortoise after tortoise race by. 

All that said, I did do it.  I completed a pin!  Kale chips by Smitten Kitchen (a blog I love and adore and read with anticipation.)  As you know, I used to be a vegetable hater.  I wouldn't eat vegetables other than potatoes for any reason.  I'd push onions, celery, and carrots in my soups to the side.  I'd wrinkle my nose at cauliflower.  Now?  I'd probably push someone down the stairs for a bowl of roasted Brussels sprouts.  (No one I live with, so don't worry for them.  N wouldn't even eat my bowl of Brussels sprouts if someone threatened to push ME down the stairs!)

Having said that, while I'm over my fear of a lot of vegetables and I only occasionally push onions off my plate, I just hate the idea of leafy greens.  Spinach, lettuce, and cabbage are things to be eaten because I must, not because I like to.  This does officially make me the worst Korean you've ever met.  Kale, in particular, seemed hideous.  It's a punishment food, right? 

Then Helen made me some and I was worried I was going to have to fake enthusiasm. Her own husband made faces at the chips as they were pulled out of the oven.  Having said that, I really liked them.  They were crunchy but super light and full of flavor.  I immediately decided I was going to try making them again and I pinned the recipe from Smitten Kitchen within the last few months when I remembered seeing it.

After getting a ton of kale at a local farmer's market, I just dug through the kitchen for the ingredients and whipped this together.  It was quick and tasty and no one in the house besides me will eat them so it's a treat I alone get.  

I will give you a bit of a warning.  Be careful with the salt.  It's really easy to over-season quickly!

I'm already photographing October's outing, and I hope to hear from some of you who said you would try this Pinterest thing.  TRY THIS.  Also, is it cheating to pin something because you want to do it, but you thought of the project before pinning it?  (For instance, can I pin an apple pie recipe even though I already know I want to do apple pie?  Is that a cheat?  I made this up and I don't even know!)

Friday Links #2

Listen, folks, this is a paltry and sad links day, though everyone I link to has made me happy.  I know I've not been blogging, but, and this is a huge but, I'm catching up mightily on my photo processing.  I want to be more current with my photos so I can use more on my blog.  I'm finally within a month now and I expect I can be closer.  Also, I'm knitting up a storm (for me) and meeting up with moms and knitters and seamstresses up here in New Hampshire.

Anyway, Vahnee of Crunchy Parenting answered my questions.  None of the rest of you did.  They were easy questions.  Where are you faltering?  Were you afraid of giving a lame favorite superhero so that you left it unanswered because you thought I'd think that you were kind of dorky for naming Aquaman.  Let me assure you, I love Aquaman.  He is the best part of Batman: Brave and the Bold. 

 "Never trust an amphibian: land or water, choose a side!"

So, no fears, okay?  Do you not want to disappoint me with the Pinterest thing?  I'll forgive you if you answer me with "It's a lame idea, Kitten.  LAME."  

Anyway, I have two entries in the Pinterest thing!   Ms. Knitpicky, a favorite of mine for her video blog entries, her fabulous sense of color, and her love of Hedgehogs and My Little Pony, entered into it with some gluten free snickerdoodles.  I am not gluten-free so I won't be trying these, but if you are, go to it.  She recommends!

Marlie enters with a Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Scallops.   She also gave a thumbs up.  Doesn't that recipe just sound good?  It's like when you go to a restaurant and they have a "white wine, garlic, lemon, butter sauce" over some pasta or seafood.  Lemon, ricotta, pasta, and scallops are all bell ringers for me, so I want to do this.  Perhaps I will when N likes lemon or ricotta or pasta or scallops.  Sigh.  

Listen, there is still time for you to enter.  I plan on doing a food themed giveaway this month because people did enter.  I also plan on putting up my own Pinterest post when I get my photos finished.  (Ironically, I've baked like mad this month, but almost none of it counts because I didn't pin the recipes beforehand.  Oh, why you gotta go and do me like that, internet?  Don't you want to hear about my peach crisp success or my raspberry and chocolate chip muffins failure?!)

In other news, I've sewn and made a reusable cloth sandwich bag.  Only, N doesn't need them because he doesn't eat lunch at school.  Does anyone use them and have a need for one?  

Awarded: Me!

I got chain awarded. It's one of those awards that just spreads like a weird virus among all the bloggers you know. I wouldn't participate, but... I've never gotten one before. That's why when the zombies come to kill us all, I'll fight to protect April. I take this blog award seriously. (No, really, why haven't I ever gotten one before? I've been blogging or journaling most of my life, right?!)

Anyway. It's the Liebster Award! As stated, April of First Time Mom and Dad gave it to me. I wasn't some thrown on blogger, either. I was like in the top five of those she awarded.

What is the Liebster you ask? The Liebster award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word meaning: sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

For those of you who read in code, this award was probably created by the big bloggers who got tired of receiving these chain awards.

• Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
• Answer the 11 questions the person giving the award has set for you.
• Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award to.
• Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post. Go to their page and tell them.
• No tag backs.

Let's be serious. I'm not going to tag people. I don't even personally know 11 bloggers who blog consistently enough to handle this. But, on to the show.  

11 Facts About Me 

1. I am weirdly flexible for a person who never stretches. 
2. I sing made up songs. All the time. Now N does this too. I sing in the shower, I sing in the car, I sing while cooking. I sing real songs too. 
3. I often walk around a store like Target or Babies'r'Us piling things into my cart only to go back around the store and put every single thing besides a hair clip or some crayons back. 
4. I have over three thousand emails in my inbox right now. Inbox zero is my dream. 
5. Sometimes, I get so afraid of hoarding that I'll stand up and start to randomly throw things around me away. No, for reals. Ask P. He's become defensive of his things. 
6. I love wrapping paper so so so much. If I had a craft room, I'd want it to have a wall solely for all my wrapping paper and notions. I really want a craft room. 
7. My favorite suit of cards is spades. 
8. I can wear children's sized shoes. 
9. Sometimes, I read weight loss success stories just to be happy for those people who managed to lose crazy amounts of weight. I also read stories from people who manage to unclutter/clean their house. 
10. I'm so indecisive about things I don't care about that I can spend over an hour or two trying to decide on a restaurant. 
11. I'm afraid of talking to people I don't know and even those I do know. The only way I've come across of getting better about this is just to do it over and over and over again. The problem I have in trying to overcome my natural state is that I tend to over talk. 

1. When did you start Blogging and why? 

I started " online journaling" when I was in college, so, maybe 14 years ago? I started journaling or blogging because I thought I was interesting. Lesson not learned fourteen years later.

2. Do you eat breakfast? 

HA! No. I hate breakfast. Unless I'm in France. And then, I wake P up so we can eat breakfast and then go back to bed.

3. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? 

London, maybe? Nice, France? I also like the northeast of the States.

4. Mini Van or SUV? 

 Minivan, though sometimes I think a smaller SUV wouldn't make me angry. But I will punch you in the nose if you drive a Yukon and you don't actually need a Yukon. Sorry.

5. Flats or heels? 

Flats, preferably ballet. But, I like to imagine a world where I can where heels without falling or walking like I'm clomping.

6. Ocean view or Mountain view? 

OCEAN! About the only natural outdoor setting I like is the beach.

7. Dream profession? 

Fashion designer, maybe? I have so many. I also want to be a television actress, popular blogger, and artist. Also, I'd like to be CEO of Amazon.

8. If you had 1 million you had to spend or giveaway what would you do with it? 

 Really? I'd likely invest in a house I really want to have for the rest of my life, private education for my children in their early years, and some clothing for them and me.

9. Biggest Pet Peeve? 

I don't know. Clutter and dirt in my own household.

10. Worst habit?

 Procrastination. By far.

11. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hopefully I'll be a successful fashion designer or the CEO of Amazon. Barring that, I really don't know. Back to work full time, I suppose?

11 Questions For My Readers, Who Are All Award Winners

Do you ever find yourself feeling good about yourself and then you trip and fall?  (Or is that only me?)
Dessert or dinner?  
Favorite superhero -- good, evil, or neutral, all answers are acceptable -- character?
What was your first favorite band?
Are you going to complete a pin for my "I heart Pinterest" along or what?!
Favorite shade of toenail polish?
Why don't you want to have a sewing or knitting night with me, friend?
If Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter were anthropomorphized and got into a fight, who would win?
Do you fall victim to scrapbooking paper even though you don't scrapbook, too? 
Your favorite M&M color?
If you could wake up tomorrow and be magically proficient in one skill such as drawing, sewing, a musical instrument, surfing, etc, what would it be?

Friday Links #1

Like everyone else on Earth, I've decided that putting up a link to some things on the internet on a Friday would be a good idea.  Let's face it, we're all bored Friday afternoon and by Saturday, some of us are angry about the lack of internet posts.  I'm just helping us all to stay internet enthused this weekend.

Remember that daily schedule I posted a while ago?  I thought I was funny.  It turns out, Motherhood, WTF is funnier. 

Here's a toddler's letter to his father about the family bed. 

Okay, let's face it, this is probably too late for you, but Blonde Designs puts out a yearly set of signs that you can use for your child's first day of school photos.

One day, I'm most likely going to have a conversation with Noelle about inequality and unfairness due to her gender and why life for her brother will just be a tiny bit more charmed than hers.   I see that other mothers already have.

I heart... Pinterest

Ah, after a week in Philly, and a week at the shore (only Philly and Jersey people call it the 'shore' instead of the beach, I think), I'm ready for autumn.  New Hampshire is getting crisp and the Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back.  School is around the corner for my older baby.

So, now that we're ready for the school year and new starts, my idea is a go!  Three people agreed to attempt a Pinterest along, which I've titled "I heart... Pinterest".  I know, you're thinking 'why the clever title?'  Well, the font I picked for the button below?  It totally came with the I heart... option and I was too lazy to look for a better font.  That's me, telling you all my secrets!

I know, you might be wondering why I'm doing this with so little interest.  I told you, I think only six people read my blog.  Three of them said yes.  That is a fifty percent sign up rate!

I am only showing the button below.  I will write some code for the button to put it on your own blog, if you wish.  You don't need to use this button.

What are the rules?  Every month, do one pin.  What counts?  Make a meal you pinned.  Do a craft you pinned.  Create a fun activity for your children that you pinned.  Hell, put together with an outfit copying one you pinned.  Use a free font you found!  That's what I did!  I basically completed my first month's challenge just making this blog button!  If you don't know if it counts, just contact me, and I'll consider it.

But, if you can, try to do more.  Blog about it and your perceived success or failure.  Do more than one pin a month.

If it goes well and I actually see some blog entries from my three lovely readers, I will consider doing a giveaway.  I'm pretty excited by this!

 

And, now, I need to go update my blog.  PS.  Anyone out there use Wordpress.org?  I am considering moving to it, but I hate making a change without talking to someone.  Especially an expensive change!

Idea: Pinterest Along

I know other people have done this, but I'm hoping some of my readers might be interested in this idea.  If I see any interest, I'll go through with it.  Do you pin a ton of stuff, but rarely do anything with it?  If so, would you like to join me in working on a pin a month?  It doesn't need to be the same pin, but we'd all make one of our pins (craft, organization, food) per month and just do it.  I rarely find interest in my readers because I have so few (not modesty, just truth), but this is something I'd like to be held accountable for by my little but loyal reading group!