Happy Hanukkah!

Yesterday we went to my MIL's house in Westchester for Hanukkah. It was the first time we left the dog for more than a couple of hours, and I was a little worried he might not be able to make it without a bathroom break. But he did fine. Which is good practice for when we go into the city during Christmas break. (I HATE the city at Christmas...yes, shoot me...but I just can't tolerate crowds and the crowds are ATROCIOUS then.) So anyway, we had a lovely time at MIL's house and she LOVED the neckwarmer I knitted for her. The kids got loads of presents, many of which were science-related. I'll grant you, there were just way too many of them, but at least they're either educational, crafty, or books. I've spent the past few hours working my butt off trying to work out a heel turn. First off, I'm using directions for 2 circs but I'm trying to do it with the Magic Loop method. I must have frogged that damn heel three or four times before I figured out how to do it right. So now I"m knitting up the gusset and at a good stopping point. Considering it's one in the morning and anything I do from here on out will probably have to be redone later, quitting is a good idea. I just really want to get these socks done for DH, because he doesn't have any from me yet AND they're really really nice. Very soft, beautiful colors, just right for my sweetie. Tomorrow (oops, today) is parent/teacher conference time. We meet Rebecca's teacher tomorrow (yeah, today) and Ben's on Wednesday. I already know pretty much what Rebecca's teacher will say, and I actually know pretty much what Ben's will say too. Both need to work on their organization, Rebecca needs to chat less, and Ben needs to focus and mature a little. Despite the problems we've been having with the kids lately, I still know that they are growing up very nicely and have incredible futures ahead of them. They have their small quirks, but those are outweighed in my mind by their intelligence and wit. I tend to be an "agree-er" though, so I'm glad DH will be there with me to make sure that the teachers know that we think the kids are just fine. Heck, after being in Ben's class for the Hanukkah party I can say that he's doing VERY well despite being a little airheaded and daydreamy. There are worse problems to have. (We have a new sticker chart for him, just started today, so we can work on keeping him organized and getting his work done. Just thought I'd throw that in.) Okay, off to dreamland. Otherwise tiredness + PMS may cause me to bite the teacher's head off with no provocation!