rub-a-dub dub, three boys in a tub

and who do you think they be?

...and while they were in the tub I altered a pair of jammie pants into FOOTIE jammie pants for the oldest boy. Yes, I am that crazy talented. Thanks goes to my hubby for paying attention to the kiddos and to my mom for supplying the practically vintage feet fabric.

ps: does anyone care about homeschooling updates? I have a ton of pics but at this point they might be gratuitous. Yes, kind of like posting about the boys just so I can brag about mad altering skilz is gratuitous. The alternative is bathroom reno updates because we're diverse like that. lmk.

Christmas on any given day part 2

sooo...I didn't take nearly enough pictures of our Christmas with the in-laws. anyone else have any they care to share? These 2 will have to suffice.

Look, matching outfits! Probably the only year we'll do them, but they were free! and they're cute! and now we have black church pants all around (turns out most of my church clothing for the under 4 crowd involves short sleeves and shorts. I miss summer.)
We did do the obligatory "gather as many of your presents as you can find and look like you're happy with them" pic. I will never admit to how many of these came from my mother's attic or a yard sale or thrift store or some such. (Actually, that's not even remotely true. I'll brag to anyone who asks.) If you don't see the gift you bestowed, feel honored; this means we loved it so much it is already a part of our belongings to the extent that we cannot locate it at the present time.


little note about the Cabbage Patch Kid: My mom made that outfit, and I had a matching one for me when I was 5. Yup, she (and I) was really that cool.
Awww, even the dog got a present.

It was a bright and sunny day...

...and look what my mom and I happened to find while on a drive around town in the early evening a couple of weeks ago! We only visited a few dumpsters this time, and had to return because my trunk was full. It's amazing what those silly college kids will throw out. On the upside, we didn't get (almost) any weird looks this time, and there were even a few other ppl out doing the same thing! Well, almost. They were looking for cans to help fund college, while we were looking for...other stuff... but at least it's a start. Also encouraging were the signs we saw on almost every dumpster advertising places to drop things off to donate instead of dumping. Sad to see how many people couldn't be bothered to do that very thing, or at the very least to recycle half their waste, but small steps are better than no steps I guess. We ended up donating a bunch of clothing, etc. to one of the local "free" places because we didn't need/want it but couldn't bear to see it to to a landfill, and we could have filled up several trucks with all the useable stuff left behind. Tonka was thrilled to provide some background music noise on the cushions, and my sister was not so thrilled to pose with my new "Sunday go-to-meeting" bag to be repaired for use come fall.
1. DSC_0115, 2. DSC_0125, 3. DSC_0120, 4. DSC_0119, 5. DSC_0118, 6. DSC_0117

hope this inspires to to do a little "diving" yourself :) I'm off to enjoy some mango-coconut oolong tea (yes, from the dumpster...hey at least it was individually packaged!) and dandelion-coconut cookies. Because dessert before dinner is definitely ok if one of the ingredients came from your front yard.

up to lately

(pics that didn't make it onto the blog yet) If you ask nicely, I might consider more words about particular pics.

1. DSC_0059, 2. puzza with yaeger, 3. duck eggs, 4. monkey's dedication, 5. vroom, 6. comparing gashes, 7. CA great grandparents, 8. NY great grandma, 9. schoolwork, 10. mowing, 11. balance bike, 12. fireman, 13. book reading, 14. superhero, 15. denise and erin's socks '09, 16. striped tank (+baby belly)

ps on the striped cami: I made it! tutorial here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Thrifty Thursday

a few weeks ago I found these skinny jeans and patent pleather flats at a local church-facilitated "free place" (thrift store where everything is...free!). here's hoping they are cute enough to motivate me to finish my to-do list for the day. Floors are mopped, kitchen is next (help!). UPDATE: well, skinny jeans are a bit formal when yoga pants are available, but apparently posting a before pic is motivation enough to produce this: yay :) the only 3 things left on the counter are all for dinner (red beans and rice with cornmeal muffins)

t-shirt recon

..because the "before" t-shirt was destined for the thrift store, and I needed something to wear this black shirt with (there are little black stripes on the pants, don't think they showed up in the pic). Besides, yoga pants are ridiculously comfy, especially when they have a waistband that is adjustable to accommodate either short or long tops.
tutorial here, on crafster. super easy, and fast. Just make sure you start with at least an xl shirt!

setting pretty

A pretty "new" table deserves pretty "new" placemats, yes? In a former life, the table (better pic coming at some point) lived at the Dr. B's house and the placemats were huge napkins Granny Boo purchased from the thrift store a couple of years back. The strips I cut off are long enough to do something with, I'm just not sure what yet. ideas? maybe coasters for the cups?


To complete the explanations, the dishes started at Texas Hot's, moved to the Salvation Army's church, and then to their thrift store, where they were nabbed by my mother for me. The silverware is the same set my Granny has; she picked up a second set at an auction and gifted them to me. The napkins were on the tables at my wedding and have been in almost daily use since...especially the ones I sized down for smaller fingers.

phew!

premature joy

Monkey's only getting one or two presents from us this year. One of them came secondhand from a free place nearby. Because it had been previously loved, this particular gift required a bit of crafting before it was ready for the boychild. Namely, pants. I had the bright idea to craft them from some of Abuela's denim scraps, and was zooming right along on them not many minutes ago. Monkey was awake, but not paying much attention until he happened to climb up onto a chair and saw what was on the table next to all my sewing paraphernalia.


I'm not sure I have the heart to hide him (the baby) away again, even if it is only for a few more weeks! WWYD?

mud boots on Thanksgiving

This year, my boys learned that mud is a blessing (yes, it is a learned activity for some). What a gift it is to have a house with access to free dirt AND hand-me-down mud boots.

cheese =D

1. DSC_0209s, 2. DSC_0210s, 3. DSC_0212s, 4. DSC_0208s

I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

...dumpster finds, that is. (what did you think I meant?!)

















Here's what I rescued today while I was on my way back from the mini commissary here in housing. Most of this is going to end up at the thrift store, unless you lay claim. All I really wanted was the yellow shelves for Tonka's room.

SOOO.....Up for grabs:
-one pair girls sketchers roller skates, like new condition. size 5
-one pair roller blades, also 5 (I think?)
-one bike helmet
-one set of knee/elbow pads with a Pirates theme
-2 pool floaties (the kind you can lie on) and 2 inflatable beating devices (for chicken fights, I think?)
-chili pepper rear-view mirror decor
-little asian girl rear-view mirror decor
-2 small terra-cotta vases, good for forcing bulbs. might keep these. one green, one black.
-one set of shoe clip thingers for a bicycle
-little photo book keychain. tonka may have laid claim to this already.
-curtain rod hooks, set of 2

random, yes? At least I got my shelves!

Happiness is...

Notes:
*"new" swing. Thanks Tiffani (sp?)
*spring=naked babies. you didn't know that?
*I thought they were just about the same orange until we went outside. cfl=weird lighting.
*not a stick. a sword.
*yes, basically SOOC. I upped the saturation in a couple and cropped a couple.

two-inch squares

did you know that I hate to throw something out if I think there is any chance it might be of use to me later?





did you know that drives mr. waaz batty?







did you know that scraps make a really neat matching game?






did you know that all 2-year-old's love the box just as much as the toy?






score one for the hoarder thrifty crafter!

yup, all boy.

"new sliiiiii!!!!" (yes, from the dumpster)

"be fare-cul...wash: go dow sli!!"








"bonk! nose! slii!


"'gain? 2...4....go!!!!" (note the bloody nose)

Wordless Wednesday: Upside-Down

ok, not precisely wordless (you knew I couldn't do it). I have to add: those shorties? made from a thrifted sweater. don't they just beg for a matching sock monkey hat and/or applique'd t-shirt? Love them, mom.

It was a dark and steamy night...

...the gnats were out, and even the dog was panting after the first quarter mile. Our heroine had had a long day and dumpster diving was, for once, furthest from her mind as she walked. Instead, as sweat slowly trailed down her forehead, she was thinking of only one thing: finish this walk before the baby wakes up. It wasn't her fault she happened to glance into the plastics recycling bin as she passed, old habits die hard. What she saw within made her heart skip a beat.
"Seriously?" she incredulously asked herself, "who on earth thought this was a good place for that?!" She quickly finished her evening constitutional, dashed into the house, dropped off the (drooly and exhausted) dog, and grabbed the keys.
"I'll be right back hon, you'll never guess what I just found! The boys are ok, right? bye!"
There was a party taking place right across the street, but she didn't care who was watching. Our heroine maneuvered the bulky piece of brightly colored plastic into her trunk, grateful that her belly was no longer humongous, and hurried home (at the leisurely pace of 30km an hour, we are in housing after all) to show off her find:

woot! She knew there was a reason she had asked mr. waaz to bring home a plastic bag full of sand from the recent trip to the beach! You know what they say, one kid's trash is another kid's (early) birthday present =)

occupying the toddler

oh, and ps: don't you just love the packing paper+fingerpaint+dived frame=work of art?! it's going to hang just above the table there, as soon as we find the drill bits for the hammer drill.

one for me, one for you

In every "must-have" list I've ever seen for life with a newborn, receiving blankets are mentioned. New mothers are told to have a generous supply of them and to expect to use them for everything from swaddling to nursing covers and beyond. Last time around, I dutifully followed the rules (I am, after all, a firstborn daughter), and acquired at least 25 of them, either from hand-me-down bags, the thrift store, or the hospital. I might even have received a few brand-new ones as gifts.
Anyway, since I had my baby in MISSISSIPPI in JULY and was furthermore coerced into using a bili bed for lp's first couple of nights home from the hospital, and apparently have no sense of propriety, I ended up using about 6 of the blankets for about a week. From there, the stash was packed up, shipped to Sicily, stacked in the linen closet, and forgotten about.
And then I got pregnant again. Got the nesting bug. Decided sewing was a better outlet for my energy than scrubbing mold off walls (thank you mr. waaz, the bathroom looks great), and made a dent in my blanket stash while growing my shower/hospital bag stash. Did you know that one receiving blanket will make 2 newborn-sized pocket prefolds? Or that the same blanket could alternately make two fitted diapers and 2 wipes?
I plan on keeping one of each and gifting the other, along with the matching wipes. Anyone want dibs?PS: to tell the truth, the camo fitteds are actually not from blankets, but were reconstructed from their former life as contours. microsuede interiors, how cushy :) It's too bad you can't really see the print in the pic. to further tell the truth, a couple of those wipes aren't from receiving blankets either. oops.

UFO sighting #2

terrible picture (turns out standing on the loveseat and balancing a tripod while shooing the cat and laughing at the resident belly contortionist does not result in a clear shot, no matter how many times you try), but here it is: Next step: little hand embroidered somethings in each of the linen center squares. After that: square each square, piece them together, decide whether or not to add a border, baste together with batting and backing, hand quilt, and bind. All before July 12. Ahem.

The nice thing about little tiny embroidery things is that you can pick them up and put them down easily. Comes in handy when your son discovered his birthday present (dived, of course) a few months early and insists on using it every.single.day. At least he cleans up after himself (sort of!)...
Please note the bare feet and short sleeves 8-)

Bye bye.

There may be some unconfirmed rumors flying around that I have sold the bike. Sadly, this is true. I have found that between working long hours, riding in a car pool, and having no riding partners equals little to no ride time on the bike. I felt bad for it, sitting in the driveway receiving hardly any attention whatsoever.

So... I have let it go to some one who will use it more than me. I also received a new vehicle and some cash in the deal so all is not lost. And for those who were eagerly awaiting my return so we could ride together, don't worry, I'll get another one later. Anyway, here is the replacement vehicle:

This is a Lada Niva, it's Russian.

4 cylinders, 4 wheel drive

No back seat though, so it is just as family unfriendly as the Honda. The dog likes it.

As does the Boy.


EP will miss it too. I will have you know that the wife took this picture, posed the boy and even made some vroomy noises all on her own.(disclaimer: by doing thus, she was not condoning the vehicle, merely attempting to get a couple more minutes to sit on her butt in the warm sun and read a grown-up book. She is shedding no tears about the bike's departure).