Mud Blossom

In Which I Had a Happy Halloween

2011-11-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

Oh, dear. I have been absent, haven't I? You know how life gets busy and some things have to fall by the wayside? The computer has been one of those things for me, lately. BUT, it's not November without posting my Halloween decorations.

We had the usuals: apothecary jars, ancestor photos, copious amounts of cobwebs.

I added in paper crows, a cat, and a glittery "Boo". The spooky looking photo is a printing block from when my great grandfather was in the newspaper way back when.

Paper mache skulls, a paper pumpkin, more crows and a real fossil spine. (and yes, the cloche on the right is empty except for some moss. Still is. My decorations were all too big. I'll have to make something next year for it.

I just realized that I neglected to get a photo of my centerpiece! Fie! Imagine painted spellbooks with illuminated covers stacked under a big, triangular cloche with a skull, mice, and ratty, old bluejay feathers covered with cobwebs. It looked AWESOME. Boo. No photo.

The ancestors got dressed up thanks to dry erase crayons.

There were garlands. Copious amounts of garlands. And bats. (Huzzah for Cricut!)

The beautiful spider woman print below was a gift Esther made during one of her printmaking classes. I love it!

I piled the piano with candlesticks, which looked amazing all lit up. For Christmas, I'm keeping them, just adding baubles for a totally different look.

My pumpkins this year were inspired by Day of the Dead sugar skulls. I'm really into Day of the Dead decor. Another thing I made, but failed to photograph, was bunting that says "los muertos andan" (the dead walk). I love the mix of macabre & fun.

My china was hidden away by more ancestor photos, which I liked so much, when I cleaned up after the party, I put the photos behind the china to cover the outdated mirror in the back of my hutch.

I made "crystal balls" from gutted snowglobes, tissue paper, flameless candles, and a dry erase marker. In one of the photos above, you can see where my dumb, dumb, adorable dog broke one just hours before the party and I had to replace the globe with a cloche. I actually quite liked it.

Also forgot to photograph: huge yarn spiderwebs on the front porch & in the family room. Well, I suppose I have to have something to show you next year.

I have so much fun decorating for Halloween. I don't really let myself go all out very often, so it's a great creative release. Plus, it doesn't hurt my ego at all to make something my friends will ooh & aah over. It makes me feel like I'm doing something to at least make a little bit of a mark in the world. Besides cleaning up poop.

We had a great time.

The morning after our big party, I cleaned up all of the decorations while Dan was at work. He came home around noon (Saturday) and said, "Wow, you got it all cleaned up! That's awesome! You do realize it's still 3 days 'til Halloween?"

Sigh.

Good times.

In Which Boys Deserve Paper Dolls

2011-09-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

Here in Nicholslandia, we love paper dolls. We recognize boys like imaginative play, too, and we celebrate it! We have special paper dolls at our house that are only played with during church and other quiet places. I put them on magnet paper so that they stick to our dry erase boards (with the backgrounds drawn on) or the folding chair in the row in front of us.

Yesterday, my friend, Shana leaned over to me at church and whispered,"Where did you get those great paper dolls?" "I'll write it down," I whispered back. Then I realized that this was the third time I had compiled the same list, so we decided I'd write it down here instead. So, with no further ado, here are some of our favorites:

Paper City (free), by Joel Henriques. This man is a genius. He's an illustrator/stay-at-home-dad with a penchant for paper. And he's from Portland, so there you have it! He has a paper Paris & Sydney (along with his regular ol' city) that are to die for! Ours saved us during a weekend quarantine, and is our homage to NYC's East Village.

The Toymaker. How I love thee! We have many of her paper dolls:

Charles & Brook Otter (free). Seriously, otters in Elizabethan costume? The toymaker lives up my alley!

Mister Groundhog (free). Groundhog's day is my birthday, so we all know a paper Punxsutawney Phil was in the cards for us. And yes, I did look up how to spell Punxsutawney, darned New England naming.

The Tiny Littles (free). You can print up the boys, the girls, or both. They all come with a historical costume and a Halloween costume.

The Halloweenies (free). these don't come with clothes, but they're so fun to play with!

Betsy McCall (free). From 1951-1995, McCall's magazine printed paper dolls on the back page. You can find the first ten years here, and the rest here. I haven't printed Betsy up for the boys, but really, "Betsy Visits an Intergalactic Space Station" is not to be missed.

Sarahjane Studios ($10.00) Sarahjane's paper dolls are probably my favorites. Her 1950's style drawings really capture the innocence of childhood. They come with six children, school clothes, Halloween costumes, and winter clothes. Now and then she will give away freebies that go with them on her blog. We printed up two of Jack & colored one's hair red, so now the boys each have a little Mini Me.

One last set. Homemade ($1.00). I found a matryoshka doll stamp at the dollar store and stamped her onto several sheets of scrap patterned paper. Then, I cut them apart so now the dress, head/kerchief, and apron are interchangeable for each. It's a good sorting exercise for Castle. I'll mix them up, and he puts them back together so they all match.

So that's part of what keeps us quiet & sane during reverent time. Do you have any other good paper doll sites?

In Which Homesteaders Rock

2011-08-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

We are on day two of Canning Week here in Nicholslandia. I have a counter full of peaches, a pot full of peach mush for peach butter, a windowsill full of jars, and a freezer full of berries to be jammed. Huzzah! I love Canning Week. It is exhausting and may require a full mani/pedi to recover, but I love the feeling of providing for my family. Dan told me this morning that he loves how I homestead for our family. How awesome is that? I thought I was just making jam!

So here's the plan:

Monday--peach butter, cut up peaches for freezing (I decided not to can this year because of the sugar content.)--DONE
Tuesday--More peaches & peach butter. If time permits, get more peaches to freeze.
Wednesday--strawberry freezer jam
Thursday--Blackberry freezer jam
Friday--pick more blackberries for freezing.

If I had my druthers, I would love to go pick blackberries every 2 days until my freezer is full. I mean the big freezer in the garage, y'all. The berries are free, healthy, and a great way to supplement our family's grocery needs. Especially since I've been on a smoothie kick lately.

Canning later this year--apple pie in a jar, pears, need to check if I'm past green bean season. I think maybe so. I'm open to other veggies.

What are your feelings on home preservation? Are you a believer?

In Which Our Big Brains Could Learn from Their Nonexistent Ones

2011-08-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago, we came up to Portland to sign the papers on the house & preview our new ward. There we were sitting in church, when Rogue turned to me and asked, "Mama, are we at a funeral?" "No, we're at church. ?" "Then why is everyone wearing black?"

I looked around us, and sure enough, everyone was in black. We were the only spot of color. My first thought was "I don't know if I can do this." Fortunately, they had a quilting group, so I stuck it out, because my ward is fantastic! (and "wear black week" was an anomaly) But that experience gave me plenty of food for thought.

We were at the Newport Aquarium, my eyes boggling at the huge variety of gorgeousness, and the question came to me, "Why do we try so hard to blend in?"

Here we have all of these sea animals that are soft, squishy, & so easily destroyed, but they don't hide. They just show their colors and take it like it is. Meanwhile, we, the dominant species on the planet, worry so much about fitting in that often we don't show our true colors.

Mint green in a field of red--love it!

(I'm always so proud of Rogue when he puts aside his fears & feels the critters in the touch tank.)

What if our true color is orange? Purple? Green? Even a touch of fuschia?

I think if we all showed our true selves, we wouldn't stick out as much as we think we would. (Lavender sea stars? Swoon!)

It would be awesome. There would be a riot of beauty all around & I think we'd be a lot less concerned about who's judging whom.

So I am determined to be myself. My friends call me a "free spirit," which is something I would never have used to describe myself before. Now, however, I just smile at the wonder of it all.

I'm me. Take me or leave me. Lucky girl that I am, most of the people in my life have the same attitude. I'll take them! And I love that while I'm a pink & green striped anemone kind of girl,

my soulmate could spend all day watching a school of sardines swim their brilliant dance. Dan is also a take me or leave me kind of guy. It works for us.

How's it working out for you? What's something you really love about yourself?

In Which I am Thinking of My Sister

2011-08-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Krissy,

I picked blackberries last evening. I love blackberry season. They grow as weeds here, and there's a huge meadow of them behind my friend's house, so it's free food for the jam pot & freezer. But that's not why I love it so much. I love it because it takes me back.

You probably don't remember picking blackberries when we were little, Krissy, but I wish you did. I was 5-6, so you were 2-3, and the others weren't born yet. We would drive out into the country to a spot where there weren't many exhaust fumes to contaminate the berries, then Daddy would park at the side of the road and Mom would give us buckets and set us loose. We were picking berries for jam, but of course we had to make sure they passed the taste tests! I remember there was no quarrelling between us, just lots of giggles and all those blackberries! I remember them being sweet and full of the most glorious juice I had ever tasted.

So I think of you whenever I pick blackberries. You & Mother Debbie, who made them into the best jam in the world. There's something in the air of a blackberry meadow that smells like my very young childhood. Probably blackberries, ha! But also the tall grass & Queen Anne's Lace, which I never truly appreciated until I moved here.

Now I love them for their blankets of snowflakes in August.

Amidst all of the prickles, there is so much softness.

And every weed is a precious flower.

Although, when you think about it,

is there such a thing as a weed

in a summer meadow?

I love you, dear one.

Love,

Victory

(for the blog) NB: these pictures are from last year. I can't post them without adding some cuties of my boys. (Rogue was non-stop that day & appeared only as an orange blur. Perhaps that was his weekly super power.)

In Which We Live off the Land

2011-08-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

Blueberry season is ending. Last year, our patch brought in 5 pints every 2 days. This year it fed hordes of wee ones, relatives, and friends, though relatively few berries actually made it into the house.

Blueberry season, we love you.

In Which I Live Vicariously Through My Neighbors

2011-08-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

Life's rough for a girly girl living in a world of boys. So rough. So when my neighbor's little girl has a birthday, I get to make girly stuff! Huzzah!

You can get the pattern for this doll here. I elongated the arms & legs, made the arms separate from the body, and made a basic doll face instead of the more folk art-y face on the pattern.

I also gave her awesome pink hair. I want streaks in my hair of this exact shade of pink. Like I said, living vicariously.

Her dress is reversible because that's easier than hemming it. Plus, it's fun.

Okay, here's my favorite part. Soup (yes, that's what we call her, long story) calls me Tomato. (When we met, I always had grape tomatoes on hand for her. What?!? She was, like, 13 months old!) It's become "Mamo" due to toddler pronunciation, and I love it! So, of course, I had to embroider a tomato on the doll's bum! Ha!

I also love the pink, polka dotted tights!

"Lolly Dolly" (named after the pink-polka-dotted-tights-wearing doll I got when I was her age) may get some wardrobe updates throughout the year. Halloween, Christmas, I'm just saying.

Soup's brothers have pronounced Lolly to be "awesome, because she's the only doll with a head like a hammerhead shark." That's what I was going for, boys.

Mmm, hooray for girly times!

Forget Sugar, This is Why We Don't Drink Juice

2011-07-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Me: If you throw the juice on the floor, then no more juice for you. Now, what happens if you throw the juice?

Castle: I dump da juice!

Me: No, what happens if you dump the juice?

Castle (hopping up & down): I DUMP da juice!

Me: No, what happens if you dump the juice?

Castle (still hopping): DUMP DA JUICE!

This is not the message I'm trying to convey.

Me: Castle, say, "No dump the juice"

Castle: No dump da juice.

Me: say, "Juice go away."

Castle (Never did stop hopping): Juice go way.

Me: Okay. Here you go.

I figure some lessons I'll just have to learn the hard way.

My Heart Beats to Soviet Kitsch this Morning

2011-06-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, Pandora, how I love thee. I have a station, Happy Girl Music, on our Pandora that is the only reason I am vertical today. I just need a little Regina Spektor running through my veins sometimes. *close eyes, smile, & sigh*

So, in other news, remember a while ago when I made an embroidery that I couldn't show you? Well, Sarah Jane has it up on her blog now, sort of. Do you see the top embroidery in the picture below? That's her! I love how Sarah Jane did her booth at a fabric show in Utah last month.

Here's another shot of it:

Adorable, no? Don't you just want to do your kids' rooms over in her stuff? I love her sweet 50's vibe. Also, I want to get her entire line of boy fabrics and make one of these for each of the boys this summer.

If you're into the needle & thread scene, you can buy pdf's of the designs here. Here's the one I did. I know I must have her rocket launch club set. It's like she took a portrait of Simon with the neighbor boys (except, of course, all the Baklings are brunettes.) I love it. I need On Parade, too. Also, I am finally inspired as to what to do for my darling sister in law who is a much better quilter than I, and who inspires me big time. She has a baby coming in September, and I am having to reach outside of my usual repertoire of baby quilts for her. Also, also, when I get my embroidery back in a month or so, the little blonde will become a redhead & they will be sewn into a handbag or something and shipped off to one of my besties who has daughters just like them.

So life around here has been a lot of time with the boys, drawings, wips, and doing dishes. Lots of dishes. My house is much more consistently clean these days. We're living in our little cocoon and kind of loving it lately. I hope to post more when summer comes, but we'll see. Mmmwah, my lovies.

Because I Am

2011-05-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

I made this a while ago during church. I really like the pen & ink style with the smooth edges. Also, I need positive self-talk around me to happy me through my day. Mmm...I also like using "happy" as a verb. It happies me.

Anyway, I think we could all use a little more knidness towards ourselves. I talked to one of my good friends the other day about the huge disparity between how we see ourselves and how others see us. She thinks I've got it all together; can you believe that? Of course, she's one of my big-time heroes, and not just for being a truly great mother. You know, now that I think about it, the girl in my drawing looks quite a bit like her. That happies me, too. I think we should stop worrying about others looking down on us & marvel at the way they actually look up to us. Then give ourselves a pat on the back for being awesome. Can we do that, please?

Here is another pen & ink in the same style.

Sidenote on pen & ink: Okay, I know that back in the day, you had quill-type pens and bottles of ink. They were two separate tools that you needed to get the job done. Now, in our modern world, though, why don't we just call them pen drawings? Besides the fact that every time I see the phrase "pen & ink," it makes me really want to do a pen and soup drawing? Tomato soup, of course. I'm just sayin'.

In Which We are a Bunch of Goofballs

2011-05-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

Such a cutie pie! This morning, when Dan woke up Rogue & told him to get dressed, Roguie answered, "That sounds terrific!" I love how his opinions are becoming so strong.

So a few months ago, we went to the Newport Aquarium (more on that later), and when Mama decided to take a breakity-break on the back of a seal, the boys went for a turtle race.

All of the boys.

Stoic turtle race face.

Crazy speeder turtle race face. Yeah, I fell in love with him because he wasn't afraid to be a goofball in public. Mmm...

Rogue rode his turtle like a surfer.

Castle picked an appropriately little person turtle.

And yes, they convinced Mama to get off her duff & join the race. Tally ho!

In other news, this is how Castle woke me up this morning:

whick, whick, whick, whick (sound of diapered bum approaching my bed, which I'm actually going to miss)

Castle: Time to wake up, Mama

Me: Oh, did Daddy send you?

Castle: Yes. Go downstairs wight dis second!

giggle.

Kick Starts and Monsters and Teeth

2011-03-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

I really needed a kick start. I'd been in the mood for some embroidery for a while, and once it gets to the point where my fingers actually itch, I know it's time to do something about it. Then, when I saw the lovely and talented Sarah Jane's call for test embroiderers, I jumped at the chance. I lurve her drawings. She captures childhood with a sweet tenderness and a very mid-century vibe. Love it.

So I can't show you the work I did for her--in fact, I didn't even take a picture of it so that I wouldn't be tempted. Once she's published it, then I'll show you, but in the meantime, here's how I wrapped it up for her:

Fun, oui? The paper is just torn out of one of the empty notebooks I got from my great-grandpa that nobody wanted. I love using those old papers in my papercrafts. Yum!

I've been stitching like a maniac since Sarah Jane's project. First, I needed to patch up some jeans to go from Rogue to Castle. Rogue is pretty hard on clothing, so plenty of Castle's clothes have been given the creative redo to bring them back up to the standards I hold for my children's clothing. Anywho, since I had to patch them, I wanted them to look so much cooler than the embarrassing iron-on patches my sibs & I had to endure. I thought, "why not embroider them?"

Ugh, sorry for the camera-phone-at-night picture. This adorable cuddle monster can be found through Urban Threads. I am seriously digging on the "Cthulhu hearts you" one, but I don't think my littles would get it. Also, all of the Halloween ones will eventually find their way into my home. Love them. If you're thinking of embroidering on denim, though, may I just say, ugh. It's pretty tough on your fingers. Will I do it again? Totally. I'm just sayin'.

The next little project comes courtesy of Rogue. Rogue's tooth, to be precise. Rogue lost his first tooth in February, when we were on our way to the beach with our good friends, the Baks. The Tooth Fairy found her way to the beach house, but sadly, all we had to package the tooth in was a zip-lock bag. So, when Rogue's second tooth got wiggly, I immediately made him a nice, flannel tooth pillow, courtesy of Crafty Carnival. This is another lady with some serious talent, I mean, have you seen her kawaii softies? Gorgeous!

Here's the little tooth/money pocket on the backside. I love how it looks like saggy britches.

I've even *gasp* pulled out my cross-stitch that's been sitting in its little chest gathering cobwebs for the last 10 years. I figure I'll finish this easy one, and then I will have no choice but to finally finish this complex one. Won't that be the day?

In Which I am so Embarrassed

2011-03-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today Castle & I were supposed to tour the preschool we want for next year. Can I tell you how much I hate school-hunting? Rogue had the most amazing preschool, too, so the bar was set pretty high. We were blessed though, to find one that I like. It reminds me of Rogue's, but much smaller. Anyway, I had to reschedule the tour once already because I got the flu last week, and this was our last opportunity until April, as the director will be out of town. Also, the class is almost full, so as you may imagine, I was a bit anxious to get this visit in today.

We arrived at the school, and Castle was sooo excited to be there! When we walked in the door, the director asked, "Are you feeling all better?"

Me: Yes, thank you for rescheduling.

D: Everyone at home is okay?

Me: Yep, we're all goo-

Castle: URP!

He projectile vomited all over the place! Poor Baby! Fortunately, we were still on the linoleum, but still, I was seriously embarrassed. I grabbed a box of tissues and began cleaning up while I said, "Well, I guess we'll have to come back another time!"

They were nice about it, though. After I had wiped & bleached the floor, the director assured me that we have a slot in the class (thank you, Amy!), so my anxiety is gone, if not my chagrin. Sweet little Castle. Well, you can't say he doesn't have impeccable timing.

In Which I am Featured

2011-03-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

How cool is this? I follow a blog called Canning Across America; it's very inspirational for those of us on the self-sufficiency wagon. Every week they highlight a photo from the flickr pool to inspire Across America. Can I tell you how thrilled I was when they contacted me to tell me that they wanted to use one of mine. Neato! Here's the link:
http://www.canningacrossamerica.com/2011/03/03/caa-photo-of-the-week-by-mud-blossom/

and here's the photo:

left to right, 2 strawberry jams, 1 strawberry freezer jam, 1 blackberry freezer jam, 1 blueberry freezer jam, 4 cactus fruit jellies, 2 rosehip jellies, 4 peach butters.

Yum! This is why we don't eat store-bought jam. I know the store-bought stuff is cheap, and it's not the biggest money saver in the world to make your own, but LOOK AT THESE! Can't you just taste summer looking at them? Yum. Our pantry is also full of peaches, pears, & pumpkins that I canned this year. Next year, I want so much more. I'm hooked. Home-canned food is just so YUMMY. Sigh.

Anyway, any of y'all who want to come over & can this summer, just let me know! Yum!

In Which I Quilt for Baby Christian

2011-03-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome, Baby Christian! We're so happy to have you in our family! You are so cute and sweet and I loved you the moment I knew you were coming! I hope you enjoy your quilt. I thought of you with every stitch.

Love,

Aunt Victory

I wish I had known how to quilt with all of my little nephews and nieces. Baby quilts are the most enjoyable gift for me to make. I just imagine Christian all snuggled up against soft, tree-covered flannel.

Will he know that this block is called a friendship star? It's so wonderfully boyish.

I still imagine I will eventually make quilts for all of my sobrinos. Of course, Rogue keeps reminding me that I owe him & Castle their quilts first. Ha! I've been collecting their old clothes to make into quilts for them. They sit in a drawer in my cutting table, piled into lovely, tempting squares in two sizes. We're getting there. Maybe another year's worth of clothes will do it. Huzzah.

In Which we Have a Wonderful Wintery Weekend

2011-03-01T09:02:00.003-08:00

Oh, my goodness, I can't believe I never posted these! I thought I put them up many moons ago! (That was for those of you, my bloggy friends, who use a reader & will see a random post from last February. Don't you feel special? Lame excuses, just for you. Hee hee.)

So we love our neighbors. They're not next door, they're next to that, so I call them my pennextdoor neighbors. (Like penultimate, get it? Well, the English majors got it. I hope.) ANYWAY, last February, Dan & Nato had the fantabulostic idea of running away to the beach together. As families. FAMILIES, I meant. Maybe I should carry around a tape recorder or something. Yes, I know there's a backspace key; I just don't feel like using it. I'm in a weird mood today. It happens, you know?

So we did. We rented a house together with enough rooms for everyone's broods, brought the kennel for the dog, and enjoyed ourselves on a cold, windy beach with practically no one there. We loved it.

When you get Castle near a beach, he will literally spend the entire time contentedly digging in the sand. I love that I always know where he is & what he's doing.

Bakling3 is a sweet, fierce, little ball o' love. He makes me want to squish his face & kiss him on a daily basis.

Mamie & I brought up the rear heading down to the sands & I stood there, looking over my domain like a queen, and feeling so grateful for my beautiful, practical, statuesque wunderfriend.

In the morning, Mamie & I took a stroll from our house down to Haystack Rock together, sans kids. So nice! I always forget how restorative it is for me to be in nature until I'm there.

Dan, taking some alone time as well.

Jasper was the life of the party. Except when stole the chicken carcass, licked up all the juice & then threw up on the rug. Then, he was all ours (do you blame them?). But otherwise, he spent the entire time being wrestled, cuddled, and otherwise fawned over by the 4 Baklings who pine for a dog of their own.

Bakling2 is like Castle--such a boy's boy. And for him, I am so glad that we have a dog he can play with pennextdoor.

Love doggy footprints on the beach.

It was Fetchapalooza for Jasper. We even introduced him to Mrs. Frisbee's flying pie tins.

It was also a little bit of Fetchapalooza for Soupy Lou. She loved getting to throw for the pup. (You can tell a little bit how cold it was by how bundled up Soup is.)

One of my favorite visuals is a dog digging. Jasper loves it & on the beach, we can let him do as much as he wants.

He ends up all cute & sandy-faced. (Do you like how he raised one eyebrow here? Weird dog!)

Rogue gets cute & sandy-faced, too. Rogue likes to stand behind Jasper as he digs--it cracks him up.

He cracks me up.

Bakling3 spent his fair share of time puttering in the dirt, too.

Castle in a rare, non-digging moment.

These are the dunes we went over to get from our house to the beach. It felt like the African safaris we imagined as kids. But cold & windy.

And here we have the elusive Bakling1. He is literal, logical, and adorable. He reminds me of myself at his age. Love this kid.

Beach texture. There's nothing like it in the world.

And last, but never least, this was the Cave o' Danger. We all dared each other to go inside & not get killed by the tide. Do you see where the tide is in the picture? Yep, nowhere near the cave.

It was a great weekend. We think we'll do it again.

Snow Day!

2011-02-24T19:42:00.000-08:00

I originally wanted to title this post, "In which my children channel Christmas Story and we have both the coolest dog and kindest neighbor in town," but Dan voted it down as being ridiculously long. Eh, well. Long, but true.

(It turns out there is a purpose to the awful hill that makes our front yard useless the rest of the year.)

I really needed a snow day. So much so, that when I heard there might be a chance for one, I began a series of fervent and devoted prayers on its behalf. Since Rogue started school, I really treasure the days when he is home, and the idea of having him here, giggling in the snow was too much for my little mommy brain. Oh, how I prayed for that snow day! In fact, when the first predicted snow failed to appear, and I began to dislike our poor local meteorologist, Rogue said to me, "Mama, Heavenly Father forgot to throw the snow down from the sky. You should pray to tell him not to forget tonight." At which point, I clued him in on the fallibility of poor local meteorologists.

At last, however, we woke up to a crystalline, white Thursday morning! (My apologies to my dear friends in Utah/Minnesota/Maine who despair of ever seeing any other kind of Thursday morning.)

Because Oregon shuts down at the slightest hint of snow, Dan was able to stay with us for a little while. Hooray! Big guy on a little sled just makes me fall in love with him all over again. I'm smiling and batting my lashes as I type this, it makes me so giggly.

It was so fun to see the big kids and the little kids all sledding together on the minuscule hill at the end of our street. Our sweet neighbor saw our pathetic penguin sled that's obviously meant for toddlers and asked me, "do you want to use a real sled?" Of course, I said I'd really appreciate that, thank you kindly. She went into her garage and pulled out, I-am-not-kidding-you, a real, live, honest to goodness vintage Fantastic Flyer Yankee Clipper sled! Oh, baby, can I tell you how sweet this sled is? With the steering, and the rails and the complete awesomeness and perfection of its ride? Of course, I had to give it a trial run to make sure it was "safe" for the boys. Then, when we tried to return it, she told us, "keep it. What am I going to do with it; I'm 60 years old! Besides, my father would be happy to know that it's being enjoyed by two little boys." Wow. She insisted a bit, and in the end, I caved. This sled is such a treasure, and now I'm trying to figure out how many jars of homemade jam, pints of blueberries from our patch, and general obeisances I need to make to have her understand the true depth of my gratitude. She is such a kind person!

As for the coolest dog in town, behold! Jasper cracks me up:

On Being a SAHM

2011-02-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

My friend Betina recently wrote a post because her sister had asked her whether being a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) was worth it. What a huge question! This is, by far, the hardest job I've ever done. Which seems only right, considering what I get out of it.

I only have two littles, but they still amaze me with the sheer volume of amazing, cute, funny, clever, perfect, priceless moments with which they fill my days. A few examples, culled from facebook & my journal the last month or so:

Took the boys to the store where Rogue lost it and screamed bloody murder for an entire HOUR nonstop while I shopped, loaded the car and drove home. I didn't lose my temper or raise my voice. I'm the freakin' Mother of the Year! --Okay, this may seem like a bad moment, but I was so proud of myself, and amazed by how much I learned in such a short time.
So I worked really hard this morning. Then Rogue came home from school & said, "It's like someone broke into our house & cleaned it!" Thanks. ;P
Yesterday, Rogue was telling me about a friend, and he said, "He's not affiliated with me, but he's my friend." Affiliated? Awesome!
What does it say about me that I laugh & give myself a mental high five when my son starts yelling at me, "Bad Mama! You don't want me to have any fun, ever!"?
Watching family videos with the boys. I love how they get a kick out of "baby Rogue."
Rogue told me today he wants to be on the Dark Side of the force. Sometimes I believe him. I asked why, and he said, "oh, because I have a red light saber." Awesome.

Then this morning, Castle & I took a full 10 minutes to walk back from the bus stop because he walked along the curb, or "train tracks" as he likes to call it, jumping over every single crack, picking up rocks, and finding the exact perfect crack to shove them into. When we got home, he ate some yogurt & then smothered me with vanilla kisses. There are so many moments when I stop and say to myself, "This is a perfect moment!" These are the times I want to remember.

Also, I love that I wake up like this.

March 2010

2011-01-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

Another trip to the Academy of Sciences. Man, I miss that place.

And I finally, finally got a picture of the Blue Morpho with his wings extended.

The day Castle randomly dressed himself like a jack o'lantern. I love the single slipper and the way his finger is next to, but not inside, his nose.

Birds in our bushes. We had the coolest little flocks of birds at the old place. I loved watching them.

Missy M in the bridal costume I threw together for her birthday.

Rogue, cracking me up as he dove into a cupcake at M's party.

And last but not least, Easter. Easter was in March last year, right?

Anyway, it was Castle's first year hunting for eggs. Loved it! Rogue made sure that Castle got all of the easy ones, while he went for the tougher spots. Love those boys.

In Which I am in Touch with Nature

2011-01-29T08:59:00.000-08:00

I knew I wasn't supposed to. There was a sign, admittedly very small and placed so as not to be intrusive.

But, really, what was I supposed to do?

They looked so soft.

And they were so playful.

I mean, come on!

So I did it.

I petted a puffin. And I don't regret it, one bit.

February 2010

2011-01-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

We're coming up on February again, and I can't help but think of how much our lives have changed since then. It all kind of started to happen in February. We bought our first home, Dan took the Oregon BAR, and this move we were going to make became real. Wow. On to the photos...

Castle, playing in the Discovery Zone at the Children's Museum in Portland. I love how he was so intent in his play that he got his sleeves all wet without even noticing.

The Portland LDS Temple. This is where Dan & I got married, and it makes my heart smile.

The fam. I like my 3 boys in this picture, but as I look at myself, all I can think is that I'm glad I joined weight watchers. It's so rare that we get a picture of the four of us, though, that I treasure each one.

I don't

2011-01-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

Castle has a funny new habit. Instead of "no," he uses the words, "I don't." Sometimes it's grammatically correct, as in, "I don't want apples," but most of the time it just makes me laugh. Some examples:

I don't eat me!
I don't go a bed.
I don't stinky poopers.

This phase, much like the hopping-instead-of-walking stage, is one that I'm happy to have him stay in for as long as he likes.

2010 in Review

2010-12-31T20:13:00.000-08:00

A new year! Time to get the 2010 photos off of the computer. So I thought I'd take a few posts to put up some of my fave moments in 2010 that never made it to the blog. Ya know?

I love this picture of Rogue. He & Dan went for a special afternoon together to San Francisco. Rogue used his allowance to buy a cool train tunnel for his Thomas set and Dan took this picture on the train as they bonded. I love the light in Roguie's eyes. That boy has owned me since the moment he was born.

Mama, you are true

2010-12-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

Rogue & I had a really interesting conversation today. I love pulling him on my lap & just talking with him about whatever's important to him right now. Today, it was all about sneaking and Santa.

First, he told me that he wakes up in the middle of the night and sneaks all around the house to make sure "everything is in perfect order." He says he sneaks on his tummy like the grinch. I asked him what he does if it's not, and he said, "If it's in perfect order, I put a check on my checklist, and if it's not, I put an X." Apparently there is no action plan to correct non-perfection; it just makes him feel better to know. This is so very Rogue. He likes routine. I do think it's funny that when I suggested he go & put his room in perfect order, he was less than enthusiastic.

The second topic is really pulling at my heart today. See, Rogue's never really believed much in Santa. Maybe it's our fault, for not gushing on and on about him as the season nears, or maybe it's just because he's so uber-logical. Anyway, a couple of months ago, Rogue came to us and said, "I don't think Santa's real. Is Santa for real?" We have a non-lying policy with our kids, so we told him the truth. He's talked a lot about how he doesn't believe in Santa since then. Last week, then, he kicked me in the teeth with this little gem:

Rogue: Hey Mama, remember when I was 3 and 4 and 5, and I believed in Santa?
Me: Mmm hmm.
Rogue: Well, that was more fun. You shouldn't have told me that he wasn't real.

Ouch.

So then today, when we were talking, Rogue asked me again if Santa was real. Two thoughts immediately ran through my head: 1, Castle has no chance of believing in Santa if Rogue has anything to do with it, and 2, I really do want him to hold on to some of the magic of childhood a little longer. So I said,

Me: Yes.
Rogue: No! Santa is magic and magic is not real, so Santa can't be real.
Me: He's real.
Rogue: Mama, you are true (this is his word for "honest"), and I believe everything you tell me. If you tell me Santa is real, it will be true and I will believe you. Is Santa real?
Me: Santa is real.

This opened up a discussion of whether magic is real (yes), and who actually has magic (stage magicians=no, per Rogue, but Santa, the Easter Bunny, leprechauns, the Tooth Fairy=yes).

So here's the thing. I'm glad we had this little conversation. I know I did the right thing. I just feel awful about

lying to my son.

Sometimes this job sucks.

P.S. the photos are from New Year's Eve last year. Just never got around to posting them. Good times.

More on our great day at the zoo.

2010-12-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

(The pictures on this post are from a zoo visit earlier this year. Just so ya know.)

Years ago, I heard on the radio that the best time to visit the zoo is when the weather is awful. Most of the animals (except the African ones) prefer this to the hot, sunny days we tend to think of when we think, "Zoo!" So yesterday wasn't awful, but it was really cold, and it was amazing. All of the animals were so active!

We saw bears out clawing up their trees (and even looking at us from time to time). The otters, beavers, sea lions, and penguins played with us through the glass--awesome! I never realized how cool beavers could be. The bald eagle sat in a tree about 8 feet from the viewing area (no screen in between us) and just stared at us. Mother Debbie would have loved that so much. Ooh! and I petted an owl! I don't think I was supposed to--he flew up to the chicken wire in front of me and stayed there for a bit, so I just poked my finger in and petted his wing & tail. It's true--sooo soft.

But did you see those wolves? They were awesome! They howled like that forever. At one point they were tracking my littles, which, you know, is hilarious. They pounced on each other & played around. It was delightful. Also, it was fun to see how much the wolves looked and acted like Jasper. I do feel for the elk in the next enclosure, though. His nerves must be a wreck.

The zoo has always been a healing place for me. The pictures on this post were from a day when I was pretty much at my limit & I had a playdate at the zoo with my good friend. I showed up and just started crying. But how can you be down for long in a place with so much life & energy? The animals understand serenity & pass it on to you. Zoos, like forests, always make me feel closer to God.

And, of course, my favorite zoo animals, playing on the drums at the African village exhibit.

Thank goodness for family time at the zoo.

Best Day at the Zoo Ever!

2010-12-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

I like to make drawrings

2010-12-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

So, as you know, I haven't been feeling well lately. Every day, when the littles go down for Quiet Time (thank GOODNESS for Quiet Time!), I've had to take naps so that I have some energy to take care of them in the afternoon. This has essentially eliminated all of my "me time." No biggie. Naps are more important right now. So why am I talking about this?

Well, one of the things that has made me happy (& that I can do with the littles around) is drawing. Tonight I went through my sketch books & snapped a few shots to share with you. Please keep in mind that these are blurry camera phone shots with no flash (hence the blur) and my shadow shows up in some of the pictures. I could take better shots with my real camera, but that would take, well, energy.

This little dude was done last Christmas. He cracks me up. Eventually I will paint him.

One of the most useful things for me has been copying from artists who inspire me. This is copied from Don Seegmiller, who I found through his daughter, one of the coolest gals you'll ever meet. Anyway, he's faboo, and very inspiring. I copied these fish straight from some of his.

I wish I remembered where I got this one, but it, too is a copy.

This is Harold, the unique-horned twonicorn. I'm sure he's not nearly as funny to you as he is to me, but he cracks me up. Back in college, I used to doodle these guys I called the Grotesquities. They were intentionally off--no symmetry at all, and meant to look a bit gargoyle-like. They were the only thing I could draw & I love them. I wish I still had some of those old doodles.

I don't know why I drew Alice looking so grouchy. I was full of ennui one day, and the thought occurred to me that life must have been really boring for Alice after her adventures. The caption reads, "Once you've been to Wonderland, suburbia can only disappoint." Um, okay, I guess I do know why I drew her that way.

Here I just wanted to see if I could do a 3/4 view face. I haven't decided what to do with her yet.

This is a copy off of someone's rough oil painting. It turned out quite different from the original.

Oh, Cassandra Barney, how I love thee! Seriously, I want to copy almost every painting she does. She's kind of brilliant. Also, I love how she calls her children "kittens". Her painting:

my sketch:

So there you have it. I may be posting more. Here's hoping!

Oh, P.S. I've been keeping a list of women I want to draw: fairy tales, historical figures, literary characters, etc., etc., etc. Please, please, do you have any suggestions?

Halloween Decor

2010-11-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

So, now that it's mid-November, and way past the time anyone cares about it, I'm finally ready to post some pictures of my Halloween decor. Ha!

I had a lot of fun decorating for Halloween this year. We put all of the fun kids' decorations in the family room/kitchen area. I save something the kids make every year to add to the festivity, so it's so fun for me to pull them out of the box & have a little trip down memory lane.

And no, I didn't clean up for this picture. Sue me.

In the "formal" area of the house, I did more grown-up decorations, which was a total blast for me. I transformed my china hutch into an apothecary shop, complete with jars of eyeballs, and all sorts of witch doctor type potions.

The Wall of Ancestors got updated for the holiday courtesy of the Graphics Fairy & her impressive collection of anatomy drawings. Dan kept joking that they were pictures of our ancestors, too. Especially the chimp skeleton (matted with black in the big frame below).

More ancestor photos were mounted inside "crystal balls" (plain snowglobes that I emptied out & use as cloches), and the whole room was given a fine coat of cobwebs.

By the by, if you want to know how to make those fake dollar store cobwebs look more real, use less! I used about 1/4 what you would expect, and you just stretch, stretch, stretch it all over your scene. Anywhere you get a fake-looking glob, stretch the heck out of it in every direction.

Up above, we had garlands of bats & skulls (not shown), and Apollo sported an elegant mask for the occasion.

Also, can you see that I painted my ugly, brass chandelier white? Soooo much prettier now. It, too, was adorned with cobwebs & crows. I put crows & rubber mice peeking out here & there throughout the room. On the whole, the room was macabre, without crossing the line into creepy scary. Perfect.

But you wanna see the creepiest thing in the room? My friend was given a bunch of free beads for jewelry making, and among them were several pieces of coral. Now, keep in mind that someone expected people to wear these on their body for adornment. We saw these and both thought the same thing:

Dead fingers.

Seriously? Can you imagine wearing these on a necklace? The one in the middle even has a fingernail! Gross!

But they made perfect zombie fingers, reaching out of the grave.

Last, but not least, I made my first attempt at realistic pumpkin carving this year. Awesome! I'll never go back to the other way. I wanted to make sure that I only took candy after really thinking about it, so for the party we stored it in this guy's mouth. It was awesome.

So there you have it! I hope your All Hallow's Eve was as fun as ours. Maybe next year, I'll even get this stuff posted before the holiday. Maybe. I'm not promisin' nuthin'.

Big Hair

2010-11-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

Letting my hair down after our Halloween party. And yes, that is my attempt at Perky Face. Also, the white is sprayed in. I'm just sayin'.

I love when my hair goes big. Frankly, I could do about twice this big & be thrilled. It makes me feel very much l'artiste. One of my secret wishes is to be able to have an afro. It makes me smile as I'm typing this. :)

Every now & again I get comments about my sense of style. Most often, the words "fun" and "brave" are used together. I'm not saying this to toot any horns, just to bring up something those comments made me realize. The last 5 years or so of my life have been a bit of a journey to knowing who I am and what makes me happy. This is a very awesome thing. Once I learned to replace "weird" with "special", and even "pretty" in my head, all sorts of possibilities opened up. Even big hair.

What's your special happy?

Sigh.

2010-11-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

Hey, there, bloggy friends. I've been gone for a while, haven't I? Well not really gone, just not all the way here.

I'm tired. Really tired. Let's just say that I am over the moon grateful for doctors who are finally figuring out what's wrong with my lil' ol' body. Grateful that what they're finding is making so many things make sense. Grateful that there's a solution and that in a few months I may feel better than the steamrolled poopie I've felt like for the last several years. Grateful for a husband who is so strong & loving, even when I'm a limp noodle.

I have a quote from Richard G. Scott hanging above my desk right now. It reads,

When I take a small pebble and place it directly in front of my eye, it takes on the appearance of a mighty boulder. It is all I can see. It becomes all-consuming—like the problems of a loved one that affect our lives every waking moment. When the things you realistically can do to help are done, leave the matter in the hands of the Lord and worry no more. Do not feel guilty because you cannot do more. Do not waste your energy on useless worry. The Lord will take the pebble that fills your vision and cast it down among the challenges you will face in your eternal progress. It will then be seen in perspective. In time, you will feel impressions and know how to give further help. You will find more peace and happiness, will not neglect others that need you, and will be able to give greater help because of that eternal perspective. (Ensign, May 1988, 60).

I read this every day, because every day I hit a point, sitting here, where it's just all too much.

But this experience is teaching me so much, too, you know? Wanna know what I'm learning?

You have a finite amount of energy. This is not just for people dealing with weird, rare adrenal disorders, but for everyone. The preacher of Ecclesiastes said, " I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.(Eccl. 9:11)" Also, Mosiah, 4:27 says, "And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order." Amen, brother.
First things first. Tonight at dinner, Dan found that he had had enough. He threw up his hands and announced that our children are savages. He's right. As far as table manners go, Rogue & Castles are pretty rough around the edges. But they're savages who know that Mama & Daddy love them. They love Jesus & know that he loves them. Right now, I don't have energy for much more than that, & Dan only has so much to give to make up the difference. So they're savages. Meh!
Trust in the Lord. It will get better. I've been punched in the face by life too many times to be an optimist. I'm somewhere in between a stoic, a meliorist, and, um, I don't know... something else. But here's what I do know--I know that there is one place I can go where I have never been let down. Ever. The Lord has always been there for me, and every trial I have ever had has eventually passed. Every time, I've eventually been able to look back & see that I am stronger, kinder, and better for the hard times I've passed through. So this one, this too, shall pass.
Breathe. One of my church leaders when I was in college had the following on his fridge: "List of things to do today: 1. Breathe in 2. Breathe out." Yeah. When it gets a little frantic in your brain, stop and breathe. Feel the fresh energy flow through your body and clean out all of the mess. We're teaching Rogue to do this, too, and it's wonderful to see that it helps him as much as it does me.
Count your blessings. Makes it all better, most days. Seriously. So in addition to all of my gratefuls above, let me just say that I'm grateful for little boys who will play with legos for what seems like forever, while Mama rests.

Doesn't hurt that they're cute as buttons either.

2010-10-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

Dan says this picture is confusing. It's just a picture of Rogue. In the shower, with goggles on. So now you know.

Rogue (playing in a cardboard box): This is my jet. It's a special jet; it has a super power. You want to see it?

Me: Sure.

R: Ta-da! Did you see that?

M: What did it do?

R: It did its super power.

M: What's that?

R: It turned into a cardboard box! . . . Hey, Castle, look at my jet; it has a super power! . . .

Never underestimate the power of a cardboard box.

The Knock-Off Queen

2010-10-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

When we moved to our new home, I decided that this was an opportunity to change things up a bit in my decor. My colors in our last place were green, brown, red & gold. (The red was added in the move before this one--see how I'm expanding my horizons?) So for this house, I added in some lovely robin's egg blue, yum!

Once I did that, I needed some accessories to tie the blue into my decor. You know how that goes. I fell in love right away with this beauty from Pottery Barn:

(Autumn Embroidered Pillow Cover, image courtesy of Pottery Barn)

The only problem? That lovely pillow cover costs $49. 49 Bucks! They don't even throw in the pillow form for that price! There's just no way that pretties like this lie within my budget. So...

I found a pretty, vintage embroidery pattern of a rooster at my favorite free redwork site, pulled out my stash of embroidery floss, and went to work on a scrap of fabric. Once that was done, I grabbed some vintage rick rack from my MIL, added cloth from the next quilt in my queue, and voila!

Free, y'all. This was free. It took me a week of embroidery while chatting with friends, listening in church, etc. to do the rooster, and then a couple of hours designing & sewing the pillow cover itself. I love it to death!

For the back, my fat quarter of the red & white material wasn't quite big enough, so I added a couple of stripes from the front fabrics to fill in the gap. Fabric covered buttons finished it off, although the closure is velcro, because I hate doing buttonholes.

As I was finishing my pretty, I found out that there was a pillow contest at my local craft store, so I entered it. I'm feeling pretty good about my chances, but mostly I can't wait for the contest to end so I can have my pretty pillow back for my house.

So yeah, I'm feeling like the Knock-Off Queen, and don't think I don't love it!

Salamanders, Ambling & Bird-Brains

2010-09-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl in Germany, we used to catch salamanders in the little forest behind my elementary school. One of the boys in my class (I wish I remembered his name!) & I would make our way into the woods where there were the remains of an old Roman fort (or so we had been told), and a wee pond full of salamanders. I remember watching them scramble about in our bucket, and feeling awe at the idea of a creature so foreign, so different from myself. No wonder medieval alchemists associated them with magic.

Imagine my delight this summer when we arrived at my SIL's campsite to find all of the collected cousins salamander-hunting. (Isn't Emma lovely?)

The salamanders in our little German pond crawled among the rocks at the bottom, but these were more relaxed, Oregonian salamanders. They spent most of their time floating spread-eagled at the top of the water. Loved it!

The big cousins helped the little ones.

And the Big Boys, of course, helped everyone.

Tire swings were enjoyed.

Rogue & I took some time together for horseshoes.

And there were peacocks. Everywhere. Seriously, you couldn't traipse down a wooded lane without practically tripping over one. Not that you minded, mind you.

This fellow & I ambled down the lane for a bit together. Don't you just love the word "amble"? Just thinking "amble" makes my body relax. It's like my friend in high school who used the word "mosey" in everyday conversation. Well, okay, we were in Texas.

Where was I? Oh, yes.

Can you explain something to me? How is it that something with a brain the size of maybe a pea can give so much attitude? Peadude here would cock his head at me with the biggest attitude. It was hilarious.

As we were leaving, we were given a real treat. This fellow showed us his full splendor, cawing and swaying in the breeze. What a lovely goodbye!

Aaand then he mooned us. Bird brain.

Family Foto Funday

2010-09-24T09:07:00.001-07:00

Autumn has arrived in Portland. The trees in my yard are starting to change color, we get rain at night and fog in the mornings, and most importantly, I can go outside without immediately starting to wilt. In Autumn, I get to play with textures and layering in my clothing, drink hot herbal tea, feeling the warmth sizzle down my throat, and stand outside and just breathe.

"Refreshing" does not even begin to do this feeling justice.

At first, I thought it was just me. We arrived in Oregon at the end of a long spring following a long winter, and while we loved the rain, the natives did not want to hear a word of it. They were ready for the sun. So, now, as the rain soaks into the earth and the air smells like life, I've kept my happy to myself. But today in church, someone spoke up about feeling liberated from the heat, and I thought to myself, "I am among my kindred!"

Which brings me to our FFF. It's been a while, no?

This is my great grandmother, Mamie Huish, her mother, Mary Elizabeth Fillmore Huish, and her sister, LaVieve Huish. LaVieve made those glorious coats that the girls are wearing. I love them! Mamie lived in Mexico from the time she was 12 until she was a young woman. I love how the Mexican influence melds with Art Deco in these jackets. I'm told that they're still around, being worn by a great-aunt or two. I imagine Mamie pulling her jacket and gloves out of the closet, snuggling into them, and going outside just to breathe Autumn in.

P.S. Doesn't LaVieve look like she's wearing an earbud? It's the netting on her hat (which I love!).

Jewelry Making

2010-09-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

I love Anthropologie. I mean, really, who doesn't love Anthropologie? The problem is, I can't afford $38-198 for a necklace, especially since I tend to gravitate towards the $198 ones. So...

This is called the Bauble Bow necklace. Love it! (Image from Anthro)

And here is my version of it. You can't see it in the photo, but the beads kind of look like velvet. It's pretty cool.

My friend, Doreen, taught me how to make my own chains & clasps using wire. So much easier than I thought it would be!

Here's Anthro's Allamanda necklace. One of my very stylish friends showed up wearing this to church, and I knew I had to do something.

My version is a good deal simpler, but it's much more me.

And if I wear the flowers on the other side, you can see my secret sparrow!

Okay, this one's not Anthro, but my lovely SIL gave me the flower-charm-brooch thingy on a plain chain, and it needed something to balance it out. Hooray for freshwater pearls & seam tape! There are a couple of secret sparrows here, too. (It's kind of my thing.)

This is a bracelet Doreen showed me how to make. Copper wire & freshwater pearls, that's it!

And this is the necklace that started me on my Anthro knock-off spree. I don't have a picture of the original, but my same stylish friend showed up at church with it & I knew I had to make one. Several crocheted flowers and some Dollar Store beads later, I had a necklace that is so, so very me.

I especially like to wear it layered with my cuckoo clock watch necklace. Yum!

It's so fun to be able to express my personality through my wardrobe this way. In the near future, I will be making more to post in my etsy shop. (Great Christmas presents, y'all!)

Smörgåsbord of Domestic Bliss

2010-09-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been busy around here.

This one started kindergarten. (Wow!)

This one's been having some one on one time with Mama.

Mama's been making all sorts of stuff.

So now I have a list hanging above my desk of all the things I need to blog but haven't yet. I think I'll try to follow my sister's example of committing to 3 blog posts a week. Ha! There's just so much that I want to record, and I've gotten out of the habit.

Still, it's pretty much been a smörgåsbord of domestic bliss around here.

May all of your peanut butter sandwiches be filled with hearts. (can you see them both?)

Mmmwah!

In Which I Have a School-Aged Child

2010-09-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this? Rogue started Kindergarten! I bought him a Very Special Star Wars shirt for the big day. He insisted that his overshirt be worn open so that everyone could see the SW characters. Love the vintage poster look!

I can't believe what a big boy my little Rogue is! Look at him! He's so sweet!

I have to say, though, I'm pretty proud of myself for not crying at the drop-off. (Got it all out of my system the night before!)

Rogue did a great job during the whole melee. He found his teacher, got into line with his classmates,

and was gone.

Dan (giving me a big hug): Hey, honey, I'm proud of you for not crying.

Me: Let go. We have to leave before I cry.

Good job, Roguie. You are so ready for school.

Thank you

2010-09-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Bloggy Friends,

Thank you.

Thank you for your kind comments. For loving me & my boys & for believing in me. Let's just say that I'm okay now & we've gotten everything worked out, thanks to a wonderful neighbor who has offered to take the boys during my Monday meeting. Neighbors rock.

You know what else made me feel better, though? You know, before y'all had a chance to find my blog post & reassure me, I had to do something to fill the wait time. So here's what made me feel better:

1. Blogging it out.

2. Calling my hubby. Hooray for Hubbies!

3. Going over to that same neighbor's house & stripping the wallpaper in her kitchen. See, she's really not all that crazy about stripping wallpaper, so I just started doing it while we were talking, and before I knew it, the kitchen was wallpaper free, and I felt better. It's amazing what happens when we get outside of ourselves & do something for someone else.

One of the leaders of my church who's since passed away said it really well.

"If we really want to feel better about ourselves, we should do deeds of kindness. Kindness shapes our character and makes us more like our Father in Heaven. The Savior taught us, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' As we demonstrate our love for others, in turn we will understand better the love our Savior has for each of us and that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father.... Indeed, as a prominent psychiatrist once wrote: 'We feel pleasure when we are involved with other people, and they are involved with us, but we feel pain when we are uninvolved and lonely. The path to an acceptable identity in any society is involvement.' Great satisfaction can come in helping the poor, the sick, the elderly, or others who have special needs. Look around you; there are all kinds of opportunities." (James E. Faust, "Who do you think you are?" Ensign, March 2001)

It was funny to me how my neighbor was so grateful to me for stripping the wallpaper, while I was thinking, "You snapped up my boys when you saw me upset, you're helping me work out this problem, and you're listening to me and letting me use your home to let go. I'm not serving you, you're serving me." Isn't it funny how it works out that way when we get outside of ourselves & do something for others? Everybody ends up grateful. Hooray for grateful!

So I'm okay. Thank you. I am grateful.

P.S. The flowers are all ones that bloomed in our yard this last spring. I guess the people who lived here before us really liked purple :). The beehive & tree bark vases were made by me. The white vase came from a sake set.

Reaching Out

2010-08-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

Dear bloggy friends,

I don't rant on my blog. I'm just not into that. But today, I need some moral support, so I'm reaching out to you. Please bear with me.

...........................

To the mean mommies who got us kicked out of our Monday morning group:

I was very sad today to find out that you have a problem with my children and me. I was even sadder that I had to hear it from the group leader and not from you. I am very sorry that you felt uncomfortable/angry/whatever around us. I would like you to know that I do teach my children when it is appropriate to be loud and when it is not. I am not the horrible mother that you think I am.

However.

I don't know what kind of freakish, Victorian, "children should be seen & not heard" kind of household you run, but in our house, boys run. They jump too. Sometimes they even wrestle. When they're outside, they can squeal/scream/yell their bloody heads off (but not too loud, because, you know, we do have neighbors). And some (not all) of the time, they're even allowed to talk until they've said all they have to say. And I like it that way.

Does your perfect child stop whatever he's playing when he sees a friend fall down & go over to make sure they're okay?

Does he tell you every day that he loves you forever and always and that you've earned a million-billion kisses for being such a good mommy?

Does he stop you when you're hunting all over the house for your keys and say, "Mama, we should say a prayer to Heavenly Father, because he loves us and he'll help us to find them."

Does he save half of his special treats for the neighbor boys just because he likes to share?

Well, my boys do these things. They are awesome that way.

Shame on you for making me cry. Twice. Shame on you for going behind my back. If you had just talked to me, I'm sure we could have worked it out. Shame, shame, shame on you for making my boy feel bad about himself! For making him say to me, "Mama, I was trying so hard to be a good boy. Am I a bad boy?"

My boys are GOOD, dammit! They are beautiful and wonderful and mostly well-behaved! They sat quietly through a wedding and 3 hours of church this weekend. Quietly! And they are going to grow into strong, valiant men, so there! I could not be more proud of them!!!

Now, I am going to try to find a sitter for Monday mornings, because I kind of really need our group. But I know you're out there. I know you don't understand me, don't accept me and because you're too chicken to talk to me about it, you humiliated me in a place that I go to feel loved & safe.

Just know that I know. And it makes me really sad.

That's all.

Mama's Got Game

2010-08-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

Try this some time:

Stand on one foot.

Sweep up yucky gunk that just fell on the floor.

Fend off the dog (other foot).

Fend off the little one (child-bearing hips continue to prove themselves useful).

Catch the package of ham that the bigger one has just thrown to you.

Don't swear at anyone.

Oh yeah, I just did all of that. At the same time. Does motherhood have a required skill set? You better believe it!

Just for fun: blue morpho butterfly's mild mannered alter ego ( i.e. the other side of his wings).

How to Pick Blackberries

2010-08-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

Wake up early. Lay there for a bit, then decide to go pick blackberries before everyone else gets up. Leave your husband and son (when did he get into bed with you?) sleeping in your bed, leash up the puppy, and head out.

Dress appropriately. This means cover every inch of your skin. Really. Every inch. If you leave, say, an inch and a half of your forearm uncovered, it will get shredded by the bushes. Wear clothing you wouldn't mind having ruined. Also, wear good, thick work boots. Work boots rock. And good gardening gloves with the rubber tips. (If you don't have that kind, wear disposable plastic gloves over your cloth gardening gloves.) You are so prepared! Don't forget a bucket!

Walk three blocks to the open greenspace behind your friend's house. You may choose to spend the walk praying or meditating (or not; we at Mud Blossom would never dictate a lifestyle choice to you. But if you like meditation, there's nothing better than a morning walk. Yum).

Pick up poop on the way. Ask the dog why he couldn't have held it for 20 more yards to the greenspace, but then be grateful for your friend's trash can nearby. (See how the meditation helps?)

Mmm...pretty morning greenspace. Take a deep breath. The air around Portland smells like blackberries, and you decide that this is a fantastic way for a city to smell. Realize that this soothes your longing for the eucalyptus & redwoods smell of the Bay Area, and be grateful.

Pick blackberries. This is where you will be grateful you are so well prepared, because you can just force your way into the bushes & get the really plump & juicy ones in the back. Use your work boots to stomp down any thorny bits that are trying to attack you. You don't even feel bad about hurting the plant, because they are so resilient (read: invasive) that they will sproing back into place the instant you step away.

Your puppy will likely try to eat some berries off of the bush. After being thorned in the nose, however, he will decide that he would rather beg berries off of you. He will succeed in this, because he is as cute as he is smart. Also, because it's fun to chuck berries out into the field & watch him scamper after them.

Before you leave, snap a few pictures for the blog with your camera phone. Think to yourself, "What did we do before camera phones?", then resolve to come back with your real camera because there are some serious beauties out here.

Walk home, feeling grateful for blackberries, and puppies, and Saturday mornings.

What was I thinking?

2010-07-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

The scene: an idyllic Saturday morning. Dan & Rogue were on a hike, I'd just cleaned the kitchen, and Castle was playing with trains, making up a song about "twain twacks on duh bwiiiiidge!" Awesome.

So what do I go & do?

I decide to take a shower.

By myself.

What was I thinking?

Now keep in mind, I'm not one of those types who laze about in their shower for long, long periods, like 10 minutes. I'm usually in & out in 5. I thought I could do it.

Next thing I know, Castle is standing at the (open) door of my shower, wailing like a banshee, while I try both to finish washing myself & keep Castle from getting too wet.

Oh, and he brought the dog with him.

In the end, I managed to get clean & dry, even with a dog that was a little too excited about getting a sniff of my unprotected nethers. I threw on the basics and grabbed up Castle for a little snuggle & Calm Down Time. I love Snuggle Time with Castle, because he doesn't give it to me very often, so I just held my baby for a while and enjoyed the moment.

Until he started poking my boob and saying "Boing! Boing!"

Yeah.

And because there is no appropriate picture for this post, behold: The Waxy Monkey Frog! Awesome!

Rahn Wedding

2010-07-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

(Finally! I have pictures for you, Beth!)

Ah, so last month, we were privileged to be part of one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever been to. Dan's cousin, Beth married her high school sweetheart, Chris.

It was aaaawesome!

Uncle Steve performed the ceremony, which was amazing, because

Uncle Steve is one of the best Christians I've ever known. He always has this amazing spirit of love around him. People (myself included) are drawn to him like a moth to flame (but without the bzzz-ouch!)

Beth & Chris decorated in that kitschy style that is sooo "Beth & Chris," complete with a mountain of Voodoo Donuts (Voodoo Donuts!).

(Beth, an illustrator, created their invitations with the cutest self portrait on the front!)

Gag cups & glasses at the tables:

Castle enjoying a Voodoo:

How brilliant is this? They had a kids' table. Best wedding idea ever.

Rogue & Cousin Ty were, of course, attached at the hip.

I stole some stickers from the kids' table & found some willing models. Such lovely girls!

Makayla & I spent a lot of time together that weekend. We seem to have a special bond. She's my girl.

I was proud of the vintage looks that Rogue & Castle were sporting. (Of course, Rogue never did hold still long enough for a pic).

And, of course, everyone was on their best behavior.

All in all, it was beautiful, vibrant, and so full of love,

Just like Beth & Chris.

Dammit.

2010-07-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

I love my puppy. He is sweet, and fluffy, and wonderful. However, after searching the entire house for Castle's khaki shorts only to find them and 10 seconds later find Jasper peeing on them, it is not entirely surprising that a profane, but wholehearted "No, DAMMIT!" escaped my otherwise pristine lips.

At least the kids didn't hear.

Family Night

2010-07-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Load up the kids

and the dog,

pick up Daddy from work,

and have a picnic dinner at a waterfall

only an hour from our house.

I love having a decent-ish camera phone!

I freakin' love Oregon.

Things I love about the beach

2010-07-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

The beach is so different once you have littles. When Castle is bigger, we'll go back to hiking among the tide pools & nighttime bonfires, but I am loving this stage of life at the beach. Right now, I am grateful for:

Watching my boys play. Can't ever get enough of that.

The way Rogue has inherited my tolerance for the cold water & Castle has inherited Dan's complete lack of cold-water tolerance. Ha!

In Oregon, the sand squeaks when you scuff your feet on it. I don't remember this happening in California. It's both weird and very, very fun.

It's always cool at the beach, even when it gets up into the *gasp* 90's in Portland.

Collecting shells with my sweet niece who gave me sea glass when I didn't find any on my own. (finding sea glass is on My List, BTW)

The way Castle plays quietly in the sand for the entire time. It's paradise for him.

The beach never gets old. We'd go there every day of our lives if we could.

Puppy Love

2010-07-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is Jasper, a German Shepherd/Australian Shepherd mix. He's 10 weeks old, which means he was born around the time we moved into our house. Jasper is also the newest member of our family. He is unbelievably adorable, and solely responsible for our sudden boost in popularity in the neighborhood. We looooove Jasper!

Things Jasper loves:

Anything the kids drop from the table
Blueberries
Grass
Our Love Sac (He thinks it's the world's biggest doggie bed & that we are very, very generous.)
His rope-tied-in-a-knot
Castle
The rest of us

Things we love about Jasper:

He's soft.
And so sweet!
Having someone named "Jasper" in our family.
He's pretty good at fetch.
He's the same size as Castle, & when they wrestle, it's awesome.
He's pretty calm for a puppy & not very barky.
Try this: get a puppy, then walk to a friend's house. Make sure it's a friend with pre-teen daughters. Hilarity ensues. (If you can't get a puppy, get Justin Bieber or Taylor Lautner--it's pretty much the same squealy-effect).

Right now Jasper is curled up by my feet as I type. This is pretty much his favorite place to be. I love it, too. Welcome to the family, Jasper.

For Dan, on a craptacular day

2010-06-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, babe. Sorry you're having a rough day. Here's what you've missed at home:

Rogue sitting on the potty narrating himself to me. "First, I needed to do something, but I couldn't remember what it was. I was like, 'I need to do something, but I don't remember what it is.' Then, I remembered that I needed to go potty, and I was like, 'Oh, I really need to go potty.' Then I told you that I needed to go potty and now I'm on the potty. Oh! A poop fell out! Mama, what if we pooped like wood and it was like wood and we could build stuff out of it?" This went on for minutes and minutes. At least he's not making up his own theme music.

When we said our goodnight prayer, Castle didn't say amen. I told him to say amen, and he started to run off. I caught him, and said, "No, Castle, we say, 'Amen'." In response, he grabbed my shirt and BLEW HIS NOSE ALL OVER ME!

A quiet office doesn't sound so bad, does it? Thank you for working so hard so that we can have our blissful Utopia here at home. Also, there are fresh strawberries waiting for you in the fridge. Yeah, I know, I rock.

Americana

2010-06-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

I made us a little Americana banner for Memorial Day this year. It's made of old clothes from the boys that I couldn't bear to part with, and a couple of scraps from my fabric stash. Also bias tape from the MIL.

Here it is decorating our living room entrance. Dan & Captain Bumcrack there are practicing meditation. Awesome, right? After the summer, the banner will go up in the boys' room, as it has an Americana theme. Yum!

Because Victory is My Name, After All

2010-06-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

So I have this friend . . . seriously, I do! She's a bit of a trivia maniac, and on Thursday night, she took me into Portland to play Pub Quiz. I'd never been before, and hello fun! I gave her fair warning that I wouldn't exactly be an asset, but neither would I be a liability. Mostly, I'd just watch her play & help with spelling.

It turned out, I was quite helpful after all. I knew tons of answers, and much to my surprise and delight, we ended the night by taking first place! I had a blast. We called our team "Heartbreaking Works of Staggering Genius," and enjoyed all the hubris that implied. I even surprised myself by doing a little trash talk with the other teams. (I'm really bad at trash talk--"No, um, you're a poopoohead!" I'm always worried about hurting people's feelings.) Oh, and we won a free pitcher of beer. The team at the table next to us are now our bosom buddies. Okay, at least they toasted us with the beer we gave them.

Here we are after winning:

You can read the quiz master's blog entry about the game here.

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T08:42:00.001-07:00

So I'm going to pretend I didn't fall off of the face of the earth & blog as though nothing had happened, m'kay?

Ah, Memorial Day! Patriotism, community, the start of summer (sort of), what's not to love? Actually, this was the first year in a long time that I couldn't visit my grandpa's grave, so I was really glad we made our Memorial Day special here. After a relaxing morning, we headed out to the Rose Festival here in Portland. Awesome. It's mostly a tiny fairway crowded with seriously overpriced rides, but we had a blast!
On our way in, we met a couple of older gentlemen who looked like they belonged to one of those bands that plays in the gazebos during community festivals. They were absolutely charming, with their green blazers and snare drums. They gave the boys little flags, and loved Rogue's little memorized synopsis of Memorial Day:

Me: who do we remember on Memorial Day?

R: SOLDIERS!

Castle held tight to his little flag the entire day. He didn't let go of it when climbing in & out of their favorite ride, the boat floater, nor when he was screaming like a banshee whenever Mama or Daddy got on a ride (he was very concerned for us), nor even when he fell asleep on the way home. It made me want to just eat him up.

Rogue rode one of the big kid rides with Dan, even though he's not quite tall enough. It was one of those galleon rides that swings you like a pendulum (love those rides). Dan said Rogue did great until it really got going, and then he kind of freaked out a little bit. Rogue said, "I'm really not tall enough for this ride!"

There was a booth where we could write postcards for the soldiers in Afghanistan. This always makes me cry.

Worst/Best of all, there was an amazing booth that commemorated all of the soldiers who've fallen in America's wars. High school students had gathered pop can tabs for each of them and strung them on wires according to their respective wars. I really like that the victims of 9/11 were included with the soldiers. It was shocking to see how much space just the pop tabs took up; they filled this entire tent:

Yeah. The whole thing. I hate holidays that make me cry. Cuz I did. I stood there in the middle of the muddy, horse-poo smelling fairway (there weren't any horses--how does that even happen?) blubbering like a baby. Those heroes gave us such a good, safe life. God bless them.

Afterwards, it was getting a little hot, so we went for a walk along the waterfront. Mmm... I love me some waterfront walking. Cool breeze, nice view, what's not to love?

So apparently we had fantastic timing for our little walk, because this fire boat went by & started spouting in America's colors. So cool!

Also, there was a fly-by during the National Moment of Silence. Beautiful. I'm so grateful for all of the amazing people who have given us this wonderful country that I love so much. Happy Memorial Day, my lovies.

My Lovable Little Rogue

2010-04-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny left behind his favorite bowtie for Rogue. He loves wearing it.

Today is Rogue's turn. There are so many things I don't want to forget as he grows, and he is growing so quickly!

I can't believe how smart Rogue is! He's not super-interested in reading, but he has so many questions about physics and the natural sciences. Yesterday he asked Pampaw to explain to him how remote control cars work. He wanted to know what kind of electricity they use. He's rarely, if ever, satisfied with the simple explanation.
He still snuggles with me. I know he's pretty much the only 5 year old in the world who will sit & snuggle with his mama, and I'm so grateful. I know that this will go away someday, but I don't like to think about that.
Rogue likes to tell stories. He'll make them up about his day, and I write them in a notebook. It's his favorite storybook. Lately though, he's been obsessed with this story: "Once upon a time, the end!" and then he collapses in laughter.
If you want to make him laugh, add the words banana, monkey, or pants to anything. "Monkey noodle!" He falls apart. It's pretty funny.
Rogue is an amazing big brother. He and Castle sleep in a pile like a couple of kittens. I love it! He also loves pushing Castle on the swing in the backyard. They're inseparable.
He's finally starting to put detail in his drawings. I lurve them. Also, Rogue can do dot to dots.

Mmm...I never want to forget this time. Someone suggested to me that we should bury a time capsule in our yard for the boys to dig up in 5 years. Wouldn't that be awesome? I am loving the right now.

Castle, My Little King

2010-04-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

My sweet, little Castle has been having a hard time lately. It breaks my heart. He's too young to understand the move, so from his point of view, his world is just . . . gone. The boys' bedroom furniture fell apart during the move, too, so even his bedroom, his inner sanctuary, looks completely different. Every now & then, Castle will just stop and put his face in his hands. He'll stay that way until I see him and grab him for a snuggle. Like I said, it really breaks my heart. Dan & I are trying to just give him the extra lovin's he needs and reassure him that we are here.

Sigh.

On a happier note, I've been wanting lately to record all of the things I'm really loving on about my boys right now. Here are some of the things I never want to forget about Castle at this age:

He hops everywhere. We call him our little jumping bean. The best part? Whenever he makes a really big jump, like over a line in a parking lot or something, he makes this sound like, "yert!" It slays me every time.
A few weeks ago, I took Castle's face in both of my hands, gave him a squishy face, and told him, "I just love you so much!" Now, from time to time, he will come up to me, squish my face in both of his hands, and say, "Love much much!"
He says, "open the door," all the time. But it sounds like, "Up in da door!" Slays me. When I wear a locket, he wants to open & shut it over and over. Each time--up in da door!
Castle has a tickle spot just behind the joint of his jaw. He has this funny gurgling laugh that only comes out when you hit the tickle spot just right. Also, in the middle of Home Depot, he'll start to yell, "tickow pot," over and over until you oblige, and then he collapses in giggles.
He's smart as a whip. Castle can turn on any electronic appliance we own. He can load the DVD player, turn on the TV, and get it all going, no matter how many times I've told him not to. Drives me crazy. I can't wait for our new TV stand to arrive. Also, he loves numbers & will point them out whenever he sees them. One day I walked into his room, and he was counting his toy cars over and over. This kid is super smart.
Castle has the exact same smile Dan had at this age. It's amazing. It's like this little, toothy kind of overbite, and crazy-adorable. One of these days I'll get a picture of it.

Mmm . . . love that kid.

Jason's Quilt

2010-04-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I haven't put up pictures of the house yet! We're still dealing with boxes, although it's much, much better now. We also have some furniture on order that needs to be put in place before anyone sees our house. C'est la vie!

Instead, I thought I'd show you the quilt I made for my new nephew, Jason. It's based on this lovely tutorial by V & Co. If you sew at all, you should check out her site. She has some really stylish, crazy-easy tutorials on there. Anywho...

It was pretty funny, I'd bet, watching me scramble around to finish this quilt before: a. we moved, and b. Jason was born. As it is, I got the quilt to Jenny just in time.

This is what it looks like all rolled up. I added the snap strap so that Jenny could just attach it to her stroller or throw it in the diaper bag without it feeling like a life raft inflated in there sometime between the time she packed it and the time she's rummaging through it for a binkie.

Here's the front of the quilt. Isn't that hilarious?

And the back. I copied the plaid-ish quilting pattern from a quilt my friend had in her home. I needed something SIMPLE if I was going to quilt it on my machine. I'll leave the curly, loopy stuff for the pros. Straight lines work just fine for me.

I love this quilt. It's light enough for a summer blanket, but tough enough that it will last forever. Jenny was excited to get it, and I can't wait to see little Jason all rolled up in it.

ETA- It's not really as wonky-shaped as it looks in these pictures. Hey, I was on a stepladder in the yard.

The Faith of a Child

2010-04-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took Grandma, Grandpa (now renamed Pampaw by Castle) & Dunkle to the zoo. Dunkle, who had left 30 minutes before the gparents, hadn't arrived at our house by the time the gparents got here, and was way past our meeting time. Pampaw was concerned because there was a lot of construction near us, and he thought Dunkle might have gotten lost. Pampaw wanted to go out looking for Dunkle, while I favored waiting.

So since we had talked in Sunday School about finding teaching moments for our children, I asked Rogue, "Should we say a prayer so that Heavenly Father will help Dunkle get here?" Rogue was all for that, so we all quieted down while Rogue gave the sweetest prayer. After a little while, we decided to send Dan & Pampaw in opposite directions with cell phones while I waited at the house. Instead of saying, "oh, Heavenly Father didn't answer my prayer, so now we have to look for Dunkle," which, let's face it, a lot of us adults tend to say, Rogue said, "They're going to help Heavenly Father answer my prayer." Awesome.

So of course, about three minutes after they left, Dunkle showed up. He had just stopped to run an errand. No big deal, I called the men back to the house. That's when I heard this gem come out of Rogue, "Heavenly Father found Dunkle! Now he just needs to find Pampaw."

I love being around family.

The Important Stuff

2010-04-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

I'm going to do a P.S. for this post, but before instead of after. A pre-script, if you will. Just roll with me:

P.S. So I've been getting a lot of comments lately on my bloggity blog from people I don't know. This is both totally awesome and a little unnerving. So it's looking like it's time to pull out the code names. This is totally fun for me, because I'm just going to use the names Dan originally wanted to name the boys (hahaha!) and because they sound like spy names. Ready?

This is Rogue.

And this is Castle. Great spy names, right?

No spy name yet for Dan yet, because (a) he is a big boy & I'm not too worried about him, (b) I can't think of a cool spy name for him, and (c) he voted down "Hunk-a hunk-a burning love," which is also way too long to type.

So there you have it. We now return to our regularly scheduled (ha!) post.

The Important Stuff

Remember yesterday when I told you all of the stuff I've been up to lately? Yesterday was more of the same--every second of the day was scheduled out. Then, when the boys found a couple of swim diapers and started running around the house yelling, "Diaper! Diaper!" and then finding creative ways to wear them, I just . . . stopped. Stopped packing, stopped supervising, stopped everything. And I just laughed with them for a while. I let it go and somehow my 5-year-old self was allowed to come out and enjoy the joke with them. Then the mom popped back in and I thought, "must record this!" And I'm glad I did.

I think most moms feel inadequate most of the time. This is a BIG job, with lousy hours and even lousier pay. But the benefit package, oh my! Still, you can't be at the top of your game 24/7. So I'm glad I recorded this moment yesterday, when I felt like a good mom. A great mom, actually. These are the moments we need to hold on to. Even when they involve Diaper Head.

P.S. (post-script this time) That little hopping-instead-of-walking thing Q- er, Castle is doing is his current mode of transportation. I hope it lasts for a while because I cannot get enough of it.

P.P.S. When Rogue saw me posting this, he pulled out the swim diapers again. Somehow he convinced me to join him. That's right, I have a Little Swimmer on my head as I'm typing this. And I feel like a great mom. There will be no video.

I'm over here, under all the packing peanuts.

2010-04-01T08:40:00.001-07:00

Wow. I can't believe how busy I have been lately. I finished my quilt top from Diana McClun's class, & made two more baby quilts for upcoming niece & nephew. Also, we're wrapping up everything with Simon's school & my calling at church. And oh yeah, we're moving. I'm trying to do as much packing as possible during the week so that we're not overwhelmed on the weekends, and the house is starting to look pretty sparse. Our bedroom is a gallery of nail holes left over from the wall o' ancestors. This morning, it's 8:46 and I already feel behind. Thank goodness for audio books.

To break up the stress, I made a bunch of jewelry, knocked off of dear Anthropologie's excellent, but expensive tastes. (All packed up, no photos, sorry!) Now, though, I've packed all of my crafty stuff, so it's just pack, pack, pack.

It seems lately that any time I take a break I'm scrolling through my Google Reader looking at home decor blogs and filing away ideas for the new house. Furniture redo's, paint colors, textiles all swirl through my head & are very, very exciting. Dan & I have completely different decor tastes (how did I not know this before we got married?), but since he prefers a pretty, clean house done my way to a not-clean house done this way, and since my cleaning ability seems to be affected by my surroundings, I'm going to, ahem, do it my way. I have a sweet little surprise for him once we get settled in, though.

It's kind of exciting to be starting off on a new adventure. 14 days until we pack up the moving van. I can't wait.

BTW, I am in love with this video. Love it!

cead mile failte

2010-03-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

A hundred thousand welcomes, my lovies. Thank you for all of your wonderful input on boys' style. Like I said, I'm putting something together, but it may take a bit. Thank you!

So how was your St. Paddy's Day last week? This was the first year that the leprechauns made it to our home. Believe you me, hilarity ensued. Simon was excited for them to come until after the fact, when he decided that miniature magical home invaders weren't his cup of tea after all.

When he got up & we sent him to the potty, the toilet bowl was full of green water. We laughed and told him the leprechauns had peed in the toilet, but were too short to reach the flush handle. Simon grimaced, quickly shut the toilet seat, and flushed it. "That was disgusting!," he said.

At breakfast, the milk was green from the leprechauns, too. While Quinn & I enjoyed the treat, Simon wanted nothing to do with it. He said, "Mama, you need to put the milk in the recycling. That is not right."

Regarding the trail of gold chocolate coins leading from his room to the living room:

Si: Why did the leprechauns leave their gold behind?

Me: It must have fallen out of their pockets while they were dancing.

S: No. It's too big for their pockets. They must have had wheelbarrows.

M: Okay, it fell out of their wheelbarrows.

S: But why were they in my room?

M: Because they wanted to play with you.

S: But what did they want to do with me?

M: They wanted to dance with you.

S: Why?

M: Because they heard you're a really good dancer.

S: Well, that's true. I am a really good dancer.

Simon wanted to know everything about the mechanics of the visit. How did their gold turn into chocolate? Why do leprechauns live under the ground, and why do they visit us anyway? Why are they short? Where do they get their gold? How do they turn things green? And "magic" isn't an acceptable response, by the way. This is the boy who understands inertia & how the solar system works.

So we'll have to play it by ear as to whether the Fair Ones visit us next year. At least he isn't afraid of Santa Claus.

Simon as King of the Garden. Love his freckles!

Need Your Input

2010-03-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hello, my lovies. I have a question, and I'm serious about wanting your input.

For those of you who are boys and/or parents of boys: what do you do to dress boys stylishly?

For those of you who have no boys to dress: what do you see in men's/boys' fashion that makes you stop & notice someone with style?

I mean, of course, going beyond the basic t-shirt & jeans to showing a unique & fun sense of personality. I've been thinking about this lately and I'm putting something together, but I would really like to hear your thoughts.

Dunkle Does Yoga, or WMKLUDBTM part 3

2010-03-12T13:00:00.001-08:00

I don't think I even need to say anything here. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Home Sweet Home

2010-03-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's taken me so long to blog about this! After all of the stress & road trips, the house is finally ours. Wanna see it?

Look at this pretty spring tree. It's ours. Oh, wait, look behind the tree..

Look at this beautiful house! I can't believe we own such a beautiful house! The sale was final last week, so all we're waiting for now is to finish up our time here in California and move into our beautiful home. I love the colonial blue.

Here's our front entrance with our realtor entering the house. I looooove the red porch! I am already envisioning where I will put up a wreath and maybe an architectural star. I'm going to plant roses in front of the fence and set up a nice sitting area. It's a pretty big front porch. {heart!}

So, um, I couldn't really get a good picture of the master bedroom, because, well, it's really big. No complaining here! I am well and truly done with having a bedroom that is only two feet bigger than our bed on all sides. But... I thought I'd give you a sense of the scale of our master suite by showing you the tub. I had Dan sit in because he's the biggest thing I could find to compare it with. Believe me, he's way more excited than he looks.

Oh, yeah, baby! That's like, 40 cubic feet of jetted yumminess! Mmm... candles, Mozart, not sharing it with the kids' toys... I think I can handle it.

A laundry room! We get a laundry room! No more putting on a coat & shoes and going out to the (unattached) garage to switch the laundry! I'm really excited because there's room for a folding table on the other side of the door.

For our kitchen, you'll have to mash these two pictures together. The lighting in the second picture is more accurate. I love that we have a computer desk right there. And an island. I've always wanted an island!

Guess where my leaf dish collection is going to go?

To the left is a breakfast nook with a bay window. Have I mentioned that I LOVE THIS HOUSE?

Here's the family room, between the nook & the backyard. We love that it has the industrial carpet here, while the formal areas have softer, prettier carpet. Also, it's bigger than it looks, which is nice. Dan wants to fill it up with a super gigantic Love Sac. We're still "discussing" that one.

On to the back yard...

Is this not the coolest backyard swing set ever? The boys can play with their sand toys in the gravel pit, and we'll bring their slide with us, so it's like a whole playground in the backyard. A playground with a fence. It's so much more secure than the backyard we have now, so I can just let them play outside while I clean. I cannot tell you how much I am loving that. When we went to see the house again & get pictures before the signing, the boys spent forever on the swing set. Quinn was devastated when we had to leave.

Here's what I think of as the "grown-up side" of the back yard. The swing set is on the other side of that porch, which is also painted red {love!}. To the left, along the side of the house is an area for a garden and a pretty big blueberry patch that's already growing quite well there.

There's more--the boys' bedroom and the formal areas, but who wants to see those areas without any stuff in them? I'm really excited to decorate this house. I have paint colors and furniture designs swirling around in my head already. Sigh. This is gonna be fun!

Dunkle & Apollo, or WMKLUDBTM part 2

2010-03-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the garden Apollo? I love him; he's so graceful & dignified, sitting there among the plants.

Yeah. Dignified. Then Dunkle gets a hold of him.

Dude, is the coast clear?

I'll look this way, you keep guard that way.

Dude, get down! They're gonna see you!

...

Yes, my dear friends, only Dunkle could make the God of art and poetry into a freshman prankster.

Coming up next...Dunkle does yoga.

Why My Kids Like Uncle Dave Better Than Me, part 1

2010-03-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

This is Uncle Dave. Quinn calls him "Dunkle," which I think is ah-dooor-able. I will do everything in my power to make that name stick.

Dunkle, much like Esther, should never be left alone with your camera. Ever.

But my kids love it, because he can play silly games with them all day. Really. He has this unending patience with children, whereas Mama gets really sick of most children's games after about 7 minutes.

Even now, as I'm typing this, my littles are looking at the pictures and laughing hysterically. Yeah, we like having Dunkle around.

Although, to be fair to myself, I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to looking like an idiot for my kids:

Nice!

Silence

2010-03-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

Today is day three for me of absolutely no voice. Saturday morning, I was all smoky, and by noon it was gone. Of course, it's rough to be a parent without talking, but I have to say, there's a part of me that is always happy to be silent.

When I was in college, I used to go on "silence walks". I would walk for at least a couple of hours in silence a few times a week. Hmm...walking a couple of hours a few times a week...maybe that's why I was so skinny! Anyway, it wasn't just about not talking. It was about stilling the chatter in my mind. Once I could turn off the song in my head, the talking to myself, the processing every little thing in my life, something magical would happen. I would be perfectly in the moment. I would look at the flowers & trees around me, and they would be more vibrant and rich. I could feel the rhythm of the world around me & be just a part of it all. I would return from my walks rejuvenated and ready to take on the rest of my life.

As a parent, silence walks are pretty much impossible. Dan works long hours, so I have the children with me anytime I go on a walk. Their constant chatter is adorable, but not much for mental stillness. So today, as much as I feel like steamrolled poopie, I am grateful for the chance to just be silent.

And just for fun, the other night we went into the boys' room, and Simon had tucked Rojo in for the night. Such a sweet little boy!

My Angel Boys

2010-02-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

This was one of my favorite gifts this Christmas. I made these ornaments for my mom, inspired by this project from Artist Class.

I took a couple of my favorite pictures of the boys and printed them in sepia tones. On the back of the butterfly wings are pages from an old french dictionary that I got at the library book sale for a dollar. Grrrreat for papercrafting. love it! The wings are edged in clear, chunky glitter.

I'm so in love with the sweet expressions on my boys' faces. I'm thinking that next year I may have to make a couple of these for myself. <3

Birds love her back

2010-02-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

When my mother (Debbie) was 17, her dad was transferred out of the Bay Area for his work. In order to finish high school at the same school she started, Mother Debbie moved in with my dad's family for her senior year. She told my grandparents (with a smile) that they were abandoning her and sent them this painting:

I have always loved this painting. I would stare at it as a little girl and wish I could be as talented as my amazing mother. My grandmother left it to me, and every time I look at it, I'm still amazed.

So.

Exactly one year ago, I gave myself some totally indulgent Me Time for my birthday, and drew this:

She started out as just a girl, then got that Victorian neckline, and then I started thinking about how little control girls had over their lives back then. So she became Rapunzel. I love her.

Then, because my brain is random, I thought, "How did she wash her hair?" Then I thought, "eeeeeewwww!", and drew this:

Do you see the little bird nest in there? It's important, because it made me think, "Oh, how sweet, she's giving this little birdie a home."

And then I drew this:

I called it "One Woman's Fight Against Homelessness," and I thought, "I must paint her."

I tried new things, and learned new techniques, and now I have my first oil painting. I feel so grateful and awed, and not a little bit proud of myself.

Birds Loved Her Back, mixed media

Isn't she pretty??? She's done in oil paints, but the birds are downloaded from vintageprintable.com. The lace for her dress comes from a bridesmaid dress one of my friends wore in the 70's.

I love her face. She seems sweet and gentle.

The coolest thing is that while I painted her, I felt a closeness with my Mother that I'd never felt before. Except for the eyes, she even looks like Mother Debbie (MD had blue eyes).

Now my little sweetheart hangs in our living room next to MD's self-portrait. They are happy together.

Nut

2010-01-29T17:58:00.000-08:00

Simon informed me today that his name is now "Nut".

I have no problem with that.

Cookies with Poppa

2010-01-20T11:06:00.000-08:00

So while my dad was up here for Christmas, I roped him into making cookies with the boys. Not like it was hard to convince him. I think I had more fun watching him and Simon interact than anything. Simon and I made the dough and then Dad & Si made thumbprints with my homemade jelly--my new favorite cookie!

Check out Simon's two-spoon technique. The boy is a natural. Love it!

Quinn mostly participated in the decorating of the sugar cookies. Simon kept freaking out that he wasn't getting the sugar, um, evenly sprinkled across the pan. I thought it was awesome.

Santa didn't mind much either. Yum!

PS I used Martha Stewart's awesome 4-in-1 cookie dough. Best. Cookies. Ever! This recipe sat in my email box for a whole year before I got around to it. Worth it! I just changed the snowballs from pineapple macadamia nut to apricot almond because that's what I had on hand. Yum.

Here ya go, Betina

2010-01-13T07:57:00.000-08:00

Someday, Dan has promised me, I will get a studio. I need a room in my home where I can paint without it taking half an hour to take out my paints and put them away again. I keep all of my art supplies locked in a closet in our hall so that the boys don't oh, I don't know, paint the carpet or chug turpentine. I know, I'm so controlling. For example, I'm almost done with my bird lady (my first oil painting!), but it just takes so long to set up that I haven't finished it yet. I need a room that I can just shut (and lock) the door. Someday.

I did get one painting done over the holidays. This was a gift for Dan's sister Kate and her new hubby and daughters. This was the first time I tried to actually make a representation of someone, and it was pretty fun (although a little bit nerve-racking).

Happily, they loved it. Kate said that the first thing they did was to take a picture of themselves in the same position. That is hilarious!

Awesome

2010-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is an "old" pic, but I just love Esther's anime-hair from Halloween.

Awesome.

Crazy

2010-01-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

I'm always amazed at people who can blog during the holidays. Things are so crazy-busy, and when they're not, I'm just enjoying my family so much that I don't want to stop it all to upload photos & blog. Oh, well.

I think for the next little while, I will be just posting some catch-up. Except, you know, when something actually happens.

And just because I love having a photo when I post, this is how Simon watches TV:

My kids sleep weird

2010-01-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

It's not like he doesn't have blankets. Sometimes he just prefers dog.

See, blankets. Just, um, on the wrong end.

Ah, that's more like it.

They're so sweet when they sleep together. I adore these boys. They own me completely.

Aaaand 10 minutes later, I see this. Sound asleep, and still they crack me up.

Plus, who doesn't love baby diaper butt?

(We moved him to the mattress on the floor. I so love my boys.)

Been gone long time

2009-12-26T21:20:00.001-08:00

You know those times when you’ve been so busy living your life that you don’t have time to write about your life? That’s how it’s been around here. Crazy. Until this morning, we’ve had house guests almost every day in December. It’s been awesome to be surrounded by family, but, you know.

And now, today, while I’m pretending to be back, writing you, I really need to toddle off to bed so that I will be rested enough to keep the Sabbath holy. Last night Dan & I went to see Avatar (possibly the best movie I have ever seen in my life—no kidding), & didn’t get home until 1:30. I need sleep.

Christmas was wonderful, though. My dad came up & spent several days with us. We played games, went to the temple & just kind of enjoyed having him here. This morning before he left, he gave me a Father’s Blessing for the first time I can remember. That. was. awesome. I’m so glad my dad has come back to church. It’s cool to see the change in him over the last two years.

This Christmas, I’ve really felt blessed. I’ve felt the focus on the Savior, and his wonderful condescension to leave his, well, rather cushy job as Creator of the World and God of the Old Testament, to be born as a helpless little baby, grow up without the luxuries we enjoy today, and atone for our sins & sufferings. What love!

I want to love like that.

Merry Christmas, my lovies.

Calvin & Garrett

2009-12-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been a bad blogger. Please, please chalk it up to the Christmas busies. Anyway, here are a few pics from my last photo shoot of the year (I take a break so that my head doesn't explode over the holidays). Calvin & Garrett were cute as could be.

Rest assured, the boys are funny and adorable, and there is much painting, crafting and mothering going on. I just don't have time to record it right now.

Must go. The unfinished Christmas cards are calling.

Mmmwah!

Caroline & Henry

2009-11-30T19:49:00.000-08:00

Wow. So much for NaBloPoMo. That so did not work out for me.

Anyway,

I love this family. Love them! Patricia & I came home from our missions around the same time about 10 years ago (wow!), and bonded through our love of spanish music. In fact, the last time I went to a big name concert was with Patricia to see Ricky Martin. Which may be why I don't go to big name concerts anymore. Wow. TMI.

Anywhoooo,

Aren't they cute? Love them!

There was one, one split-second where neither sibling was crying when we put them together (sounds familiar!). So lucky I caught it.

One thing I love about this family is their ability to use strong colors really well. Patricia made this little bear for Caroline--don't you love it?

So sweet.

Caroline is a very private little girl. It was kind of fun to work with that, and we were able to capture her sweetness & her shyness.

This may well be my new all-time favorite picture.

Henry was much more of a ham. He posed for me like a pro.

I love his lips & hands in this shot. Also that quilt! Patricia & her mom are both quilting goddesses, and their house is practically overflowing with treasures like this one.

This look, right here, is why people say that babies are wise. Henry looks like he has got it all down to a science here.

Mmm...fun family to photograph! Thanks for letting me be a part of your journey!

Tis the Season

2009-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to make a nativity. It's on my life list. So last week, when they announced at church that they needed people to bring their nativities to decorate the big Christmas party, I pulled out my sketch pad & drew this during choir practice.

I love it. I love how peaceful it looks. I love how Jesus looks like he's related to Mary, but not Joseph. I love that I got to use my very favorite paper (the one that I save the tiniest scraps of) for Jesus' swaddling clothes, and somehow, for me, that seemed almost worshipful. I love that this was my drawing, and not a copy from someone else.

So now they've joined our little guardian angel on top of the piano. Maybe next year I'll paint the shepherds or the wise men. Yeah, that would be fun!

P.S. Since this was my drawing, I can sell it. If you're interested in an 8x10 print, call me. We can get it shipped to you right away!

On my list today

2009-11-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

I'm canning mangoes today. How sweet is that? I've found that, for my lifestyle, canning in small batches works best. So this week I got a case of mangoes at Costco, & to ensure that none go bad, I'm going to can most of them. Simon could eat mangoes all day, and I'm just loving the idea of being able to open a jar for him when there aren't any good ones in the stores. Mmm... domesticity.

In which Simon narrates

2009-11-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

Hi. It's me, Victory, in the purple. A couple of weeks ago, we went walking in Briones, which we do kind of a lot. We love it there. Anyway, while we were waiting for our burgers at Nations, Simon dictated this letter to Grandma & Grandpa Nichols, and I thought it was so irresistible, I had to share it with you.

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

Today we made a fairy house only.

We walked in a maze.

The maze is called a labyrinth.

We made fairy dresses. (This consisted of poking a hole in a leaf and leaving it in the fairy house. Simon was very concerned that there were fairies out there running around in their skivvies.)

We saw a snake! It was big. It was in the grass.

We saw trees, too.

After the hike we went to lunch.

Then, I saw a spider. It was a Halloween spider. I'm going to be Wall-e for Halloween. (He was a cowboy. And a knight.)

I love you. I like to drink milk and juice and water.

I was going hiking today.

I saw a squirrel in the pool. (a pool of water in a tree trunk) ??? Your guess is as good as mine.

I like you.

Love, Simon

I want to record every second of this little boy. You, know, when he's not smearing paint on the walls. {love}

I'm a Cylon

2009-11-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

So my sister, the Free Range Chick, has been doing this knitting game based on Battlestar Galactica for a year or so now, and I've finally joined up. It's pretty rad because it has all sorts of little challenges--yay! Anyway, you get assigned to be either a human or a Cylon, and I get to be a Cylon with my sis--again, yay!

Anyway, just for fun, I whipped up this little pic in photoshop for my avatar. Three of the uber-hot cylon skin-jobs. hee hee!

Dan & Quinn

2009-11-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

Waking up to a good snuggle while camping. Quinn is beautiful beyond words, and Dan's hair is aaaaaaawesome!

The time Dan channelled Risky Business through his youngest.

Me, I'm feeling like caca today, so that's all I have to say. 'Night!

Guardian Angel

2009-11-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

I couldn't do it. I couldn't take down my Boo Who painting without putting up a replacement. This little guardian angel is also inspired by one of Diane Duda's sketches, but I think more of it came from me this time.

I wanted to do an angel because of a couple of scriptures that have been on my mind lately: Psalms 91:11, "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." Also Luke 12:6-7, "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows."

Anywho, this painting came together much more quickly than the last one--about 4 hours from start to finish. Awesome! Can I tell you, I'm so much more focused and calm after I've painted? It's kind of zen for me.

You can't really tell what's going on with the wings in these photos, but they're made from a pearly-shimmery scrapbook paper with some damask designs on it. I love them.

I love how she fits in with our little harvest tableau, too. The pretty lady on the other side of the piano is also an angel, and one that inspires me, too, so I'm happy to have them balance each other. Once the Christmas season is past, I think I'll put my new angel in the entryway in the back of our home as a reminder that we have guardian angels with us every time we leave this house.

While I was painting, at least the first 45 minutes or so, Simon was doing this:

Here's the Kookaburra he made. I love him! Simon has a thing for kookaburras. I love how his has big feet and an accidental smile. {sigh}

Dan

2009-11-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

I'm just loving on you today.

Love it.

Love it. Never want to forget it.

Love you.

Halloween Pumpkins

2009-11-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Today, as I'm cleaning up Halloween and decorating for Thanksgiving, I'm feeling grateful for pumpkin stickers.

It meant a lot that Quinn was able to decorate his pumpkin all by himself.

Doesn't this picture just crack you up??? Simon had such a blast decorating pumpkins. Love that kid.

And now for me, you can see how easily Halloween Pianoscape will transform to Thanksgiving Pianoscape. Don't know if I'm ready to say goodbye to Boo Who for a whole year, though.

Maybe I need to do some painting today.

Medallion Medley

2009-11-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

I finally took pictures of my Medallion Medley shawl! I. love. this. shawl! It is warm, and yummy, and so unique!

When I was 12, my mom taught me to crochet, making a simple triangle shell shawl with rainbow yarn. I'm so grateful she taught me this craft. Thanks, Mom.

Family Foto Funday

2009-11-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

...because Friday just wasn't working out for me. I do family history on Sundays, though, soooooo:

I've written before about my great grandpa, J. Ed Johnson, the headstanding wonder. He's awesome.

This was his (& G.Gma Johnson's too) Christmas card in 1971. He's standing on his head throughout western Europe. The one on top of the Matterhorn is faked, I'm pretty sure, but the rest are real. Awesome.

Here are some more of J. Ed's antics. Seriously, I'm surprised he got cooperation on some of these.

On a petrified tree at the Petrified Forest in Arizona. I went there when I was 8 with my Grandma Franklin. Sadly, for some weird reason it was closed, and I was soooo disappointed (I love me some petrified wood!), and I've always wanted to go back there. Not enough to actually go to Arizona (hot = yucky!), but I love that J. Ed went there. And stood on his head.

Here he is at the Grand Canyon. The back of this picture reads, "How do you like my cute unknown secret admirer!! Had I been a little nearer to the fence; then eased over it backward, my first stop would have been some 1400 feet down." Yikes!

I've shown you this one at Yosemite before. These high-up ones make me nervous just to look at the pictures. Seriously, how did the person holding the camera not say, "No, Grandpa, I think it's time to have you committed." Although if he had, J. Ed probably would have wrestled him down & given the camera to someone more willing...

And my personal favorite:

This is the barn at our family's ranch. You can see that he brought up a couple of pillows to give himself an even surface on the roof's peak. He is so brave! I can't even climb a stepladder without getting freaked out (on the inside). My other favorite headstand picture, which I have to dig out & scan for you, shows J. Ed doing it on the back of that pretty brown horse in this picture.

Which brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk (blog) about.

November is National Blog Posting Month, or NaBloPoMo. It's all about celebrating this online community & getting into the habit of posting every day. Every day! So I'm going to give it a try. Cheer me on, oh electronic support system!

Other things I'm going to do in November

Find out if I can still do a headstand (sounds lame, but I need to be careful not to re-injure my foot).
If I can do #1, learn to do a leglift like J. Ed
Start playing Christmas carols way too early
Learn to play the harmonica. Not kidding!
Make a cute, girly hostess apron
Make me some Sourwood Mountain fingerless gloves.

Wish me luck!

Transitioning

2009-10-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

Nice 'do, Q.

Every now & then I'll walk into Simon's room and find Quinn snuggling down for naptime in Simon's bed. Sometimes he'll do it on my bed, too. I figure he's just about ready to say farewell to the crib. I already have fabric to make his big-boy fuzzy blanket for Christmas this year. Woohoo!

Of course, times like this always make me stop & think for a moment. We're about to move past the crib stage as a family. That is so awesome! I know I'm supposed to feel nostalgic & wistful, but I don't, really. I'm just enjoying where my boys are right now. No wishes to go back. I heard once that's how you know you're really done having children. No more baby-hunger, no awww, this is the last time that Quinn does whatever. Yep, just enjoying now & looking forward.

Now if I could just feel that way about the rest of my life, I'd be all set.

Quinn

2009-10-22T09:53:00.001-07:00

Why is it that when I say, "No, no, yucky!", he hears, "put it in your mouth, baby, it'll be fun"?

I'm just sayin'.

Ardenwood

2009-10-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, our friend Mackenzie took us to Ardenwood Farm in Hayward (?). Super fun! It was the harvest festival that day, so on top of the train, cornfield, etc, they had extra activities. The kids would have been happy to card & spin wool all day...

...while Amy & I were stoked to learn how to make cornhusk dolls. I'm a big fan of pioneer dolls (I already knew handkerchief dolls; now I need to learn hollyhock dolls). Simon decided that this one was Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Awesome that he can play along with his girl friends.

Simon demonstrating safe driving. Forget the road, always keep your eyes on the wheel. On the wheel.

They have cornfields of popcorn and indian corn that you can pick & take home. (grin!)

I love that we've been getting out more on weekends. Dan & I feel like we are doing a better job at forming good childhood memories for the boys. It's so restful to the soul when we can get that good quality family time. I am so in love with these boys!

Lovey

2009-10-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a very loving day at preschool.

Every now & then I would be standing around, supervising the kids, when I would feel a little hand slip into mine (don't you just love that??? Insert girlie squeal!). I'd look down, and each time, it was Jack. Jack is Mr. Independent, and I know when he's a teenager, he's going to have that cool confidence thing going on that will drive the girls wild. So to have him come up to me like that and just lean on my leg for a while was the sweetest thing ever. He completely won me over.

Also, this is Mackenzie. Missy M & Simon are awesome friends. They frequently hold hands and declare to the world that they are brother and sister. (cute!)

Today I witnessed the following:

Simon: I love you, Mackenzie.
Mackenzie: Oh, Simon, you are just too sweet!

Later...

Mackenzie: (rubbing Simon's back) Simon, that was very nice of you to say, "I love you."
Simon: Yeah. Now I want a kiss. (Simon puckers up & closes his eyes)
Mackenzie: (scrunching up her nose as though she had just smelled something awful) No!
Me: That's right, Mackenzie. Make 'em wait.

Like I said, very loving.

Project--Bookshelves

2009-10-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Yay! I finished another project around the house!

So I've always organized my books by subject because, hey, books are meant for reading, not decoration. Then the other day I was eating my shredded wheat and the view across the cereal bowl was this:

And I realized that my books spend a lot more time being ugly than being read. (Especially when you consider that this entire room is lined with bookshelves. Uck.)

Sooo, I took down all of the books, organized by color, brought in baskets for paperbacks (shopped the house, thank you Nester!), and put up curtain mistreatments to hide scrapbooking supplies, etc. (again, thanks, Nester!), and finally decorated my bookshelves.

Aaah, that's better.

After the Harvest

2009-10-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

I sketched this out tonight as a possibility for the other side of the piano while Dan & I were watching NCIS. I thought it was funny to have an exasperated yet stoic pumpkin-headed scarecrow at the end of a long harvest season. Now I'm thinking he needs to be happier and maybe holding a crow in his other hand. And I need to figure out something else for his foot to be resting on 'cuz the pumpkin is a little morbid, you know, considering.

Everytime I look at one of these little doodles of mine, I wonder what happened???? I've never been able to draw. Like, not at all. I've always, always been artistically impaired. I remember taking art in middle school, and, yeah, it was not good. The only things I've ever been able to do are these little guys I called the Grotesquities. They were just these kind of gargoyles--not pretty, but I enjoyed them. I threw away all pretense of symmetry & proportion and had fun with it. I guess that's the trick for me. I enjoy drawing more when I'm not worried about making it actually look like something.

I'm learning so much right now.

I need to do this more. It makes my heart happy.