reflections

(no, not reflections on the past year. I only wish I had that kind of memory or time!)

boy1 wanted me to take the following picture for him so people could see it on their computers. He specifically requested one of "me and tree looking in the mirror with my arm around him and both of us smiling" and this is the result... enjoy :)

"my doctor said..."

...boy2 has a bit of a lazy eye. Now most of you know that I don't always see eye to eye (sorry, had to) with the doctors I encounter, and am not that likely to follow their advice to the letter. However, this particular doctor is also my super-smart cousin, and this time (I can see her eyes rolling from here about all the other times...) I decided to follow her advice and give him an eye patch of his very own. Of course I couldn't just stop at one. Guess I'll have to locate the matching pirate costumes my mom made for my brothers when they were about 4 and 2 and add them to the Christmas stash :-)

*this post brought to you by your friendly 2 month old, who would like to add that his eyes appear to be tracking extremely well, thank you very much*

what we are doing right now...

drainage project

A few key notes:
*never give a 4yo a shovel and tell him to "go dig something"
*boys+large machines=momma got a LOT of reading time in this week.
*daddy thinks his new(ish) boots are pretty spiffy
*ducks do not like dump trucks full of gravel
*man I grew since the last belly shot.
*boy2 really thought that if he sprayed long enough, the treads on the excavator would come clean.
*we are grateful for workers who hide the keys to the skid steer/track loader/bulldozer (depending on who you ask) so that no harm will come while the boys are role-playing.
*it's not nesting when your house really is that filthy.
*hooray for the Academy finding enough $$ in their budget for this much-needed project.
*really hoping the new porch(es) are big enough for a grill, picnic table, and some patio furniture.
*Labour(sic) Day is coming. I'm just sayin'...


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Non Sequitur

(pic: what happens when you let the boys paint on the driveway one day and give them paper and brushes and walk away the next day).


So yesterday for lunch I made grilled cheese with tomato soup for lunch. Boy 1 was watching and asking all about where the cheese came from. The first question was "did that cheese come from the upstairs fridge or the downstairs freezer, Mooooom?" (somehow drawing out my name at the end of every.single.question. has become the status quo). There were enough questions after that that I ended up giving him a not-so-brief rundown of how our milk got from the grass (as cow food) to the counter. By this time the food was almost done, but he did have one more question and here is the short convo that followed:

"why-"
"Nope. Ask a different question that does not start with "why." If you have a different question, I will answer it, but not everything is a "why" question, bud."
"... .... .......... ......... um.......... (at this point I can see the beginnings of about 6 different questions running through his head and almost through his lips) ..... ..... hm....... how big are piglets when the are born, Moooooom?"
"?!?! pretty small, bud. maybe about this big (motion with hands). Here's your sandwiches and soup!"

H and I didn't even laugh at first, we were too flabbergasted. Ah to be 4 again...

parking lot game

we're doing a little bit of concentrated schooling here during the summer. Not much, but just enough to keep us from going bonkers. Today, we parked cars and practiced number counting/recognition.

I downloaded and laminated this domino parking lot game (scroll down for pdf link) from mathwire.com a loong time ago, and we finally got around to playing it today. Of the many variations, this is the one we came up with:
1) Tonka had cars #1-6, Momma had #7-12. Tonka played with one dice, Momma had 2.
2) roll the dice and count to see which car to park. Make appropriate vrooming noises.
3) if one player finishes first (in this case, Tonka), he/she may help the other player roll and park cars until the lot is full. After the lot is full, the "zero" car may be parked and the dice placed in the remaining slot because they are bikes (of course).
4) tips: more dice may be added to ensure that the higher numbers are reached if desired, and a knitting needle makes an excellent pointer when counting small dots on a small dice.

aww...

don't know how much longer they'll fit together on the couch like this, but it sure is cute while it lasts!

creek with the girl cousin

thanks for coming to play, T! We love you :)

26 weeks

*apologies for the sensitive of ear, the following verse has been stuck in my head. feel free to groan*

All around the mulberry bush,
the daddy chased the mommy.
the daddy thought 'twas all in fun...
pop! goes the tummy.



what's happening developmentally

note: shirt is thrifted, skirt is thrifted maternity shirt turned skirt, shoes are from a dumpster in Italy. go go cheap outfit!

Plan For the Day (according to the 3.75 yo)

note: parenthesis are mom's interpretations. All else is dictated straight from the artist.

At Aunt Erin's house, I am going to play with this ayfo-ant (the blobby thing up there) and cars. The "I Love You" is for Aunt Erin because I love her now (sometimes says no to get a reaction) and I'm going to tell her that. The car is going to have an AMAZING crash into a monster truck. Then he will get a new car, not from a (transporter) truck, from a factory. It will be a made-up car. AND, the earth will burn up (cousin was talking about the 2012 movie) but the world will still be made. When God wants it broke, he breaks it and the car won't be able to drive anymore and he'll drive a monster truck instead.

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.
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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.

sweet pea pilot cap and some "leftovers" socks

Sweet Pea Pilot Cap tutorial from meg, socks are all the yarn that was left after making a pair of socks for my MIL and another for Tonka. Baby boy #3's stash has officially begun to accumulate! A few more items have been finished (baby stuff takes much less time, thinking, and materials than adult things!), but I need to take a shower, and dumpster pics took forever to load this morning (which is why this post is not about them).

So that's why my brakes squeak.

Today I set out to fix the squeaky brakes.   Armed with new pads, wrenches, screw drivers and a "c" clamp I went at it.  Did not expect to see this...   

Needless to say, after removal of the mouse the brakes should be much quieter.

D, not GrannyBoo

Grandma's tulips and a tank tute review

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Ok, here goes.  Number one, I think my mother should give me the blog, because her "compose new post" options are much cooler than my own.  Number two, my H shot all of these pics, and they're SOOC with no flash.  I really like my camera.  Number three, yes we're down to only 2 ducklings, out of a baker's dozen of eggs that we started with.  boo.  Number 4, check out the green cami! Again, the tute is from Trina, and I didn't change a thing.  The way she explains how to do the ribbing is great, and I now have a few more useable camis where once sat shirts I never wore.  Thanks, Trina!

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).

to grandmother's house we go :)

Tonka says today, "will there be hotdogs at Grandma Dolly's birthday?
Momma: "I'm not sure she likes hotdogs."
Tonka:" Oh. Well, there will be hotdogs at my birthday in my July."
Momma: "I heard about that plan. There will be vegetables at my birthday in July."
Tonka: "I will not be at your birthday."
Momma: "Oh? where will you be?"
Tonka:" I will be at Dad's birthday."

Happy Birthday, Grandma Dolly. We love you! (even if you like hotdogs/vegetables)

new baby knitting

A pair of summery shorties, modeled by baby brodie. Super quick to knit, especially considering my last projects have all been adult socks! I also used a spool knitter for the first time since I was a kid (for the i-cord) and will never use dpn's again.

ps: Hannah and Dr. Cuz: These are up for grabs as loaners, lmk if you're interested! They're tiny (NB size for sure).

22 months

Years ago, when Tonka was getting ready to wean, my mother had some sage words: "pay attention. You never know when the last time you nurse him will be."

So I did. I remember the way I held him, the place we were, and the mix of relief and loss I felt when I realized days later that we were officially "done." He was about 20 months old, and I was just a few months away from having his brother, Monkey. A new nursling who in just 2 months will officially be a two-year old. My mother's words are echoing in my ear again, and again I feel a mix of relief and loss. Now when we nurse, it is only for a few minutes (or seconds, when something more interesting comes along...like a camera!), and there is no more milk. A day or two will go by, and I will think, "is this it?" or, "I said no to him last time, will there be another?"

Moments like this afternoon, when he asks and I oblige, are precious to me and well worth documenting. I love that connection we have, and I love that Monkey's brother is a very close (ha!) part of that connection. While we sit, I relax, pray, and remember that though my boys are growing up there will soon be another newborn in my arms, and the cycle will continue.

boys-n-belly

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what you can't see: all the boogers I wiped just prior to taking these this morning. because of course you all know my boys make some pretty impressive snot.



what you can't see: the belt holding the now permanently unbuttoned pants up. because of course you all wanted to know the status of my waistline.


13 weeks (link is to 12, but close enough)

potty training, bum style

ps: only one accident all day! Many kudos to Daddy, who always said he wanted to be a personal trainer on the side (ha) and is totally taking the lead on this one, stats wise. Apparently this is what happens when you ignore a kid on the pot long enough...


potty training 1, 2. potty training 3, 3. potty training 2, 4. potty training 4

sometimes I sew

just realized I never posted pics of what I made for my good friend Hannah's baby shower. She's due this month. Also at the shower was another college friend, Jill. As far as I know she is not expecting (lol). Wow, we all look a bit tired...Leather shoes are from some of my Grandma's fabric stash. Can I mention one more time how much I love her machine? went through both layers like a dream. Also pictured are a couple dozen wipes (cloth diapers: everyone's doing it), a little headband for better gender identification by strangers, and plugs. Cus you never know when you might need one.

remains of a good meal

butternut squash soup and soaked monkey bread. Christopher ate 3 helpings. Patrick ate 3 bites and said, "this meal is not very good mom. May I be excused please?" To his credit, he is equally frank with his approval (but still!). Not the prettiest picture, I apologize. I was too hungry to find the camera before digging in...(and now you know why...) Recipes (ish) follow.


Butternut Squash Soup
1)cut 2 squash in half, save the seeds (some for sprouts, some for planting). drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper and roast in the oven until fork-tender. cool and scoop into blender.
2)thaw some chicken or veggie stock and add to it: celery, sweet potato, onion, peppers (red and yellow, I used frozen), garlic, thyme, and marjoram. Throw in a bone or two if handy. Simmer until sweet potato is fork-tender.
3)dump everything except the bone and some of the broth into the blender with the squash. Add a few handfuls of roasted pumpkin seeds and puree.
4)pour back into pot with remaining broth and bring to a simmer. just before serving, ad a bit of whole milk.

Monkey Bread
1)start with the basic recipe from 5 minutes a day bread (whole grain edition) or any soft bread dough. Soaked is best!
2)divide into a bunch of little balls (smaller than golf balls). grease a pan while your son or other pair of hands is dumping them in a 1/2 butter, 1/2 coconut oil mix and then into xylitol (or sugar) and cinnamon.
3) stack (or dump) into pan. Top with remaining butter/coconut oil.
4) bake at 350 45" or so until done. For best presentation, invert onto plate. Doesn't really matter since it won't last the night!

ABC's and 123's

We practiced up a bunch and look what we can do! E: the pound-for-pound challenge is back on with a vengeance. See you in September!

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)

WW: a little light reading before bed.

the making of a game

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Originally uploaded by newlywaaz

1. fold a paper so that there are 16 squares. have your resident 3yo draw lines on top of all the folds. resident 1yo may play alongside, provided he take off every.single.cap from every.single.marker to make sure they all write.
2. acquire stickers (thanks, GB)
3. corral resident hubby to join you for some tea and a game after dinner. take turns occupying the 1you while playing this simple grid game with the 3yo. books and the cat are good options.
4. rules: take turns rolling a die (preferably huge, we were temporarily lacking), counting how many "dots" and placing that many stickers on your grid; one per square. work L to R, top to bottom. object is not to win, per se, but to have each person's paper filled before the 1yo knocks over the stickers and makes off with the dice.
5. jump up and down hysterically when your grid is complete.

those crazy uncles...

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!

Rudy's formal introduction

(or, just an excuse to play with the new post settings.  FTR, I am sufficiently confused)

pretty cute cat, mom was a garage cat (which may explain a lot).  calms down...once in awhile.  Loves to be carried upside down by the monkey.  In retaliation, Rudy often chews on his ears. It's a love-maul relationship, of which I have very little photo documentation thus far (they won't hold still!)



~mira (not GrannieBoo)

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!