NaNo and Knitting Needles

So.

I wrote my 50,000 words! Huzzah! I'm actually on the last scene of my novel, and plan to finish tonight or tomorrow. What an exhilarating experience! I'm more of a short story girl, so I thought, but this was really very liberating. I can't wait to go to the Writer's Block and brag, as I am wont to do. The best part, though, is that I hooked up with other writer friends, inside AND outside of my area. Luke is relieved, I think. He no longer bears the burden of being my sole conversational companion. I think he could hug all of my new friends, and thank them fervently for taking me off of his hands. Gifts for all. Some of these people I feel like I have known my whole life. Who knows, maybe I have.

Niko is doing very well. He can point, now, and will grab you by the hand and lead you to where it is that he wants to go. He can also identify stars. He'll point at them on cups, fabric, my necklaces, his chicken nuggets. "Ah ah...ah ahhhhhh," he'll say meaningfully. Yes. Stars. I'm very pleased that my own obsessions have become his own! The preschool fight still continues, naturally, but all will be accomplished by sheer force of will.

I opened the mailbox the other day, and there was a fabulous scarf that Rachel had knitted! She had tried to teach me how to knit earlier, per my request, but it aggravated me and gave me headaches. "Freakin' relaxing!" I would snarl, stabbing my needles through my yarn with a ferocity that I'm sure could have been alarming. Anyway, knitting is not my thing, apparently, but Rachel took that ravaged yarn and made something beautiful out of it. That's one of her many talents in life, and I've been wearing it ever since. She also hooked Niko up with a Cookie Monster CD, and he is a very happy little boy. And I DO have a short story where my main character kills somebody with a knitting needle. I wrote it years ago, and only just know understand why he may have felt that tendency. ;)

Luke and I have finally become real adults by buying our first couch. It's black leather, and niiiiiiiiice. We also bought an armoire to hide the TV and DVD's in. We can lock it, keeping it safe from Niko's busy, DVD/CD scratching hands and teeth. The movers brought the couch up the stairs, said it looked difficult to get through the door, and promptly left it lying in the doorway, blocking entrance to the apartment. I just stood there with Niko on my hip, thinking, "You have GOT to be kidding!" Luke and I tried to get it inside for two and half hours that night, to no avail. Darn movers were right, it was hard! But harder for a guy and a girl trying to dodge a little boy who wanted to be constantly underfoot. We threw blankets over it, left it outside for the night, and shook our fists at those blasted shirkers! "How do they sleep at night?" Luke's mom asked. "Morons," my dad said, charmingly. The next day Luke brought Boyfriend Brad, his awesome co-worker, over on their lunchbreak. They used advanced math and careful deductions to figure out that they needed to move the couch back down the stairs, flip it, bring it up, and by applying the proper leverage, etc etc etc. Being married to a genius is still mindboggling! End result: I'm sitting on our fabulous couch typing on the computer, instead of lying on the floor like a child! Brad said that he and Luke should start their own Smart Guyz moving company. "Our logo," he said, hands on his hips in indignation, "shall be 'We Will Not Leave Your Furniture Outside Of Your House In This Treacherous City. Especially If You Are A Woman With A Baby On Your Hip." Succint, but I'd hire them.

I'm mixing CDs for my friends. One of my joys in life! And I'm listening to Christmas music as I do so. Hand me a coke, and I could die happy.