Sometimes, I am compelled to really open up and be honest here. I mean, really-seriously-embarrassingly honest. So, here goes:
Several things in my life have begun unraveling all at once. I feel a little bit like I'm knitting in a movie theater and my ball of yarn just went rolling down the aisle. It's a little embarrassing, but I'm going to have to get up in front of everybody and chase it down.
So.
I'm going to lay low for a little while, at least blog-wise.
I plan to play lots of Mario Kart and Guitar Hero with my kids, pick my camera back up and try to take some decent photos and I'm going to do a little emotional housework, spiritual housework and, well, maybe some actual housework too.
I mean, there might be a post here or there about what I'm doing on my birthday or something really great that I made or whatever, but for the most part, I'm ducking out of the online world for a bit.
I just need to wind it all back up and I'll be fine.
I'll see you soon.
Hugs & kisses,
<3 me
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Twelve
It seems to be harder and harder to catch my son on camera. He hides in dark, indoor places, obscuring his face with remote controls and screens of varying natures.
With apologies for the poor quality, I am still going to post the pictures I have, just so you can get an idea of what a big guy he is now.
No longer will there be themed birthday parties. My days of thinking up Star Wars-related games and super-cool science birthday party experiments for a big bunch of boys are over. This year, Drew just wanted to have his couple of best buddies spend the night and play video games alllll night long.
And that's pretty much fine by me. I'm getting too old for all of this birthday party nonsense! I did hang up a "Happy Birthday" sign in the living room and I made them a big "treat bag" to share - instead of the little ones you usually send kids home with from your house. It was a bag filled with candy and Little Debbie cakes, some toy airplane puzzles and sticky frogs and a few confetti poppers. Oh yeah...and chips in a tube. What boy doesn't love chips in a tube? We put small-sized drinks in the fridge, sent Emma to a friend's house for a sleepover (so she didn't have to endure all the manliness) and left the boys to themselves.
I'd like to say that we slept, but the boys didn't, so we couldn't. Sometimes I really wish I had a bedroom door...
By morning time, only one of the guys had slept at all, but they were already gaming by the time I got out of bed. The requested breakfast of 12-year-old champions? Mom's homemade cinnamon rolls - with icing, please. Then we headed over to my mom's house for some swimming. And it rained. It rained all morning long, but fortunately, there was no thunder or lightning.
So they all had a great time getting wet from above as well as swimming. Then, of course, on to pizza for lunch.
And a cookie cake for dessert.
The afternoon was spent enjoying more unlimited gaming privileges - that is something that pretty much only happens at Christmas, on a birthday or as a reward for straight A's, so it's really exciting. So exciting that Drew decided not to nap.
He wanted to sit in the man chair and play a game that we had rented (hint: the surest way to keep this type of boy occupied is to tell him that what he has is "for a limited time only").
And after no sleep, we went out for a steak dinner with the family, then to Grandma's for cake (marble cake, of course, for my boy who has serious trouble making decisions - chocolate or vanilla? uh....both!)
and presents!!
This was pretty much Drew's dream birthday. I didn't insist on giving him educational things. I let everybody give him video games and Wii accessories and Chris and I even got him the holy grail of boy gifts:
A PSP.
His life is now complete.
Change is happening rapidly with this guy. He is suddenly growing up faster than I can even comprehend. He's on the phone more often (I was wondering when that would happen) and fielded his own birthday calls on Tuesday. He's so responsible and capable - he constantly amazes me with what he can accomplish on his own. This kid? I would have had such a crush on him when I was 12. He's that great. And I have the humbling privilege of introducing him to the the world around us. Can I just state for the record that it's such an honor? 'Cause it really is.
PS:
Mary? This is really freaking me out - hope it freaks out Kris too: we were 12 when we met. Yikes.
With apologies for the poor quality, I am still going to post the pictures I have, just so you can get an idea of what a big guy he is now.
No longer will there be themed birthday parties. My days of thinking up Star Wars-related games and super-cool science birthday party experiments for a big bunch of boys are over. This year, Drew just wanted to have his couple of best buddies spend the night and play video games alllll night long.
And that's pretty much fine by me. I'm getting too old for all of this birthday party nonsense! I did hang up a "Happy Birthday" sign in the living room and I made them a big "treat bag" to share - instead of the little ones you usually send kids home with from your house. It was a bag filled with candy and Little Debbie cakes, some toy airplane puzzles and sticky frogs and a few confetti poppers. Oh yeah...and chips in a tube. What boy doesn't love chips in a tube? We put small-sized drinks in the fridge, sent Emma to a friend's house for a sleepover (so she didn't have to endure all the manliness) and left the boys to themselves.
I'd like to say that we slept, but the boys didn't, so we couldn't. Sometimes I really wish I had a bedroom door...
By morning time, only one of the guys had slept at all, but they were already gaming by the time I got out of bed. The requested breakfast of 12-year-old champions? Mom's homemade cinnamon rolls - with icing, please. Then we headed over to my mom's house for some swimming. And it rained. It rained all morning long, but fortunately, there was no thunder or lightning.
So they all had a great time getting wet from above as well as swimming. Then, of course, on to pizza for lunch.
And a cookie cake for dessert.
The afternoon was spent enjoying more unlimited gaming privileges - that is something that pretty much only happens at Christmas, on a birthday or as a reward for straight A's, so it's really exciting. So exciting that Drew decided not to nap.
He wanted to sit in the man chair and play a game that we had rented (hint: the surest way to keep this type of boy occupied is to tell him that what he has is "for a limited time only").
And after no sleep, we went out for a steak dinner with the family, then to Grandma's for cake (marble cake, of course, for my boy who has serious trouble making decisions - chocolate or vanilla? uh....both!)
and presents!!
This was pretty much Drew's dream birthday. I didn't insist on giving him educational things. I let everybody give him video games and Wii accessories and Chris and I even got him the holy grail of boy gifts:
A PSP.
His life is now complete.
Change is happening rapidly with this guy. He is suddenly growing up faster than I can even comprehend. He's on the phone more often (I was wondering when that would happen) and fielded his own birthday calls on Tuesday. He's so responsible and capable - he constantly amazes me with what he can accomplish on his own. This kid? I would have had such a crush on him when I was 12. He's that great. And I have the humbling privilege of introducing him to the the world around us. Can I just state for the record that it's such an honor? 'Cause it really is.
PS:
Mary? This is really freaking me out - hope it freaks out Kris too: we were 12 when we met. Yikes.
Monday, July 6, 2009
With A Bang
We had the loveliest Fourth of July weekend, and if I don't tell you about it now, it will be jumbled together with posts about Andrew's birthday. And when I try to post too much at once, nothing is thorough. Just nothing. And I do like to be thorough.
So. We slept in. I know that's not such a big deal to most of you, but it is to us. I'm not saying that we didn't stay up late, but there is something nice about sleeping until it's honest-to-goodness light outside. Also, there's something that makes you panic and have heart palpitations in that first moment when you're waking up and realize that it's honest-to-goodness light outside and you might be late for something. But then, once the adrenaline subsides, you can just sink back into your pillow and let the morning pass by slowly.
For a little while.
And then you realize that the reason you were up late was a failed attempt at a Fourth of July dress and a new shirt for your daughter, and thankfully you finished the shirt, but you still need to make a dress for yourself from scratch and make biscuits and strawberry shortcake and special butter for the corn. So you heave yourself out of bed and feel very sorry indeed that you slept so long.
But I did finish my dress and I really like it. I like it so much that I'm going to take it apart later this week and fix a couple of things on it - which, I know, sounds all wrong if I liked the dress, but if I didn't like it, I would have just chucked it. I was a little inspired by this little top from Modcloth:
And I wound up with this cute-y cute little number:
What changes might I make? Well, let me tell you. I'm going to make it a little shorter, which I don't usually do, but I feel like the length detracts from its personality. And I'm going to mess around with the back. I did shirring on it with elastic thread so it's an easy, no-zipper fit, but I didn't account for the fullness of the front...
you know what? You guys probably don't care that much about the details. Nevermind.
I made Emma a cute little shirt out of the same fabric to go with....(drumroll, please)
The first skirt she ever made by herself! That's two bandannas, sewn together front-to-back and a simple elastic casing at the waist, which I ironed down for her, but she stitched and elasticized all by herself!
Once we were all gussied up, we headed over to my parents' house for a meat-and-fire celebration. I made my traditional strawberry shortcake with homemade biscuits and the boys cooked up some burgers and yummy corn. We all ate waaaay too much and enjoyed every second of it, laughed ourselves silly and played a round of Balderdash.
Then, once the sun went down, we ignored the city fireworks display in favor of our own. We never have really bought much of that sort of thing on the fourth because we are always stuck in a crowded, sweaty and often rainy place waiting for the 15 minutes of fiery glory while being eaten alive by giant mosquitoes. But this year, it was decided that the young man in our midst needed to learn about the joys of making his own fire.
We started off small, with smoke bombs and snakes.
We worked our way up to sparklers,
and finished things off with June bugs and diamond cutters and other aptly-named bits of sparkly light.
The big finish? Oh, that was the Blazing Rebel - three straight minutes (just an estimate, mind you) of glorious, shooting fire. We still got eaten alive by giant mosquitoes, but I think we will all agree that the evening was immensely satisfying.
For the record, my youngest brother would like to be known from now on as The Blazing Rebel.
Today, I am busily making preparations to celebrate my big boy's birthday. He is turning twelve tomorrow. Sigh. The Terrible Teens are knocking at our door and I can only hold them off for this one last year.
Daily Bliss: licking the birthday cake batter bowl
Wake-up Playlist: Band of Horses, No One's Gonna Love You
So. We slept in. I know that's not such a big deal to most of you, but it is to us. I'm not saying that we didn't stay up late, but there is something nice about sleeping until it's honest-to-goodness light outside. Also, there's something that makes you panic and have heart palpitations in that first moment when you're waking up and realize that it's honest-to-goodness light outside and you might be late for something. But then, once the adrenaline subsides, you can just sink back into your pillow and let the morning pass by slowly.
For a little while.
And then you realize that the reason you were up late was a failed attempt at a Fourth of July dress and a new shirt for your daughter, and thankfully you finished the shirt, but you still need to make a dress for yourself from scratch and make biscuits and strawberry shortcake and special butter for the corn. So you heave yourself out of bed and feel very sorry indeed that you slept so long.
But I did finish my dress and I really like it. I like it so much that I'm going to take it apart later this week and fix a couple of things on it - which, I know, sounds all wrong if I liked the dress, but if I didn't like it, I would have just chucked it. I was a little inspired by this little top from Modcloth:
And I wound up with this cute-y cute little number:
What changes might I make? Well, let me tell you. I'm going to make it a little shorter, which I don't usually do, but I feel like the length detracts from its personality. And I'm going to mess around with the back. I did shirring on it with elastic thread so it's an easy, no-zipper fit, but I didn't account for the fullness of the front...
you know what? You guys probably don't care that much about the details. Nevermind.
I made Emma a cute little shirt out of the same fabric to go with....(drumroll, please)
The first skirt she ever made by herself! That's two bandannas, sewn together front-to-back and a simple elastic casing at the waist, which I ironed down for her, but she stitched and elasticized all by herself!
Once we were all gussied up, we headed over to my parents' house for a meat-and-fire celebration. I made my traditional strawberry shortcake with homemade biscuits and the boys cooked up some burgers and yummy corn. We all ate waaaay too much and enjoyed every second of it, laughed ourselves silly and played a round of Balderdash.
Then, once the sun went down, we ignored the city fireworks display in favor of our own. We never have really bought much of that sort of thing on the fourth because we are always stuck in a crowded, sweaty and often rainy place waiting for the 15 minutes of fiery glory while being eaten alive by giant mosquitoes. But this year, it was decided that the young man in our midst needed to learn about the joys of making his own fire.
We started off small, with smoke bombs and snakes.
We worked our way up to sparklers,
and finished things off with June bugs and diamond cutters and other aptly-named bits of sparkly light.
The big finish? Oh, that was the Blazing Rebel - three straight minutes (just an estimate, mind you) of glorious, shooting fire. We still got eaten alive by giant mosquitoes, but I think we will all agree that the evening was immensely satisfying.
For the record, my youngest brother would like to be known from now on as The Blazing Rebel.
Today, I am busily making preparations to celebrate my big boy's birthday. He is turning twelve tomorrow. Sigh. The Terrible Teens are knocking at our door and I can only hold them off for this one last year.
Daily Bliss: licking the birthday cake batter bowl
Wake-up Playlist: Band of Horses, No One's Gonna Love You
Sunday, July 5, 2009
More Tomorrow...
I couldn't leave today post-less.
But know this: there was fire. It was good.
Daily Bliss: sulphur haze in the air and more fireworks than ever
Wake-up Playlist: Frank Loesser, Heart and Soul
But know this: there was fire. It was good.
Daily Bliss: sulphur haze in the air and more fireworks than ever
Wake-up Playlist: Frank Loesser, Heart and Soul
Friday, July 3, 2009
Ouch
I talked to my new piano teacher this week. She is nearly as excited to get started with my lessons as I am! I guess my kids are so great, she can't wait to see if I'm the genetic source of that or something. We shall see.
I asked her what technique books she uses...you know, what I should be working on before we actually get started so that I'm not all creaky and rusty on the first day. And she told me to pull out my dear, old Hanon book of finger exercises and to be working on my scales.
Whoofda.
My forearms and finger muscles are screaming at me. They are asking why, at this advanced age, we are returning to the tortures of our youth. I keep telling them that this is good for them and that, once we brush the dust off our skills, we will make beautiful music again. It will all be worthwhile.
My hands and arms have begun to buy into my pep talk. They have been responding and finding strength in the repetition of scales and arpeggios.
But, as I said before, the piano and I have a tempestuous relationship. We are on-again, off-again. We have fought over who really is the boss. And today, as I made my reconciliation efforts toward it, it bit me.
The piano drew first blood.
It's war now.
I had to cut my fingernails pretty short - shorter than they have been in a long time. And somewhere around exercise #16 in that Hanon book, something pinched right at the corner where my fingernail meets the side of the nail bed. But I pushed through. And it bit harder. So I stopped in the middle of exercise #17 to have a look, and for the first time ever, I have bled for the sake music.
Mind you, it's tiny. Minuscule. I will knit tonight and not really feel pain.
Also, the piano should know by now that I bite back.
Daily Bliss: all four of us - hubby, me and both kiddos - filling the house with laughter and fun because we all have the day off!
Wake-up Playlist: Jason Mraz, I'm Yours
I asked her what technique books she uses...you know, what I should be working on before we actually get started so that I'm not all creaky and rusty on the first day. And she told me to pull out my dear, old Hanon book of finger exercises and to be working on my scales.
Whoofda.
My forearms and finger muscles are screaming at me. They are asking why, at this advanced age, we are returning to the tortures of our youth. I keep telling them that this is good for them and that, once we brush the dust off our skills, we will make beautiful music again. It will all be worthwhile.
My hands and arms have begun to buy into my pep talk. They have been responding and finding strength in the repetition of scales and arpeggios.
But, as I said before, the piano and I have a tempestuous relationship. We are on-again, off-again. We have fought over who really is the boss. And today, as I made my reconciliation efforts toward it, it bit me.
The piano drew first blood.
It's war now.
I had to cut my fingernails pretty short - shorter than they have been in a long time. And somewhere around exercise #16 in that Hanon book, something pinched right at the corner where my fingernail meets the side of the nail bed. But I pushed through. And it bit harder. So I stopped in the middle of exercise #17 to have a look, and for the first time ever, I have bled for the sake music.
Mind you, it's tiny. Minuscule. I will knit tonight and not really feel pain.
Also, the piano should know by now that I bite back.
Daily Bliss: all four of us - hubby, me and both kiddos - filling the house with laughter and fun because we all have the day off!
Wake-up Playlist: Jason Mraz, I'm Yours
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Forgot...
Daily Bliss: organic cotton yarn in my mail box - hello, baby Nolan sweater!
Wake-up Playlist: The Beatles, If I Fell
Wake-up Playlist: The Beatles, If I Fell
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Feast
It's been raining so much this week! It seems that the rain this year is either feast or famine. We had such a hot, dry spring in which we could not keep our garden wet enough with the hose, followed by a torrent of rain over the course of two weeks during which all my tomatoes cracked under the pressure of the sudden moisture being delivered to them with incredible speed. Then we have had just nothing again - oh, I mean, it tried to work up an afternoon shower here and there, but it was largely unsuccessful. But this week? It's been incredibly rainy, stormy and wet. The humidity this morning was 95%! It's the kind of hot, steamy morning that makes you feel as though you could shower off by simply wringing your hands above your head, squeezing the very drops out of thin air. Tomatoes? Ha! They are so full of blight and fungus by now that they are nearly hopeless. I suppose we will try again in September.
Speaking of feasts, we had our new old friends over for dinner last night. They are in town from Tennessee and have actually been considering making the move back home. Just between us, I hope they make it back here soon. It was a night of good food and great conversation. My cheeks hurt from all the smiling and laughing! And their two precious girls hid away in my precious girl's room, doing the secret things that girls will do, only to pop out now and again in fantastic outfits from the dress-up clothes bin. Andrew, for the most part, preferred to be in on the grown-up conversation, leaving the room when topics turned a bit more serious for his taste. And when the feast and conversation were through, one tiny "fairy godmudder" was found huddled behind our biggest chair, presumably hoping to live out the rest of her days in the frothy pink finery she had discovered.
Speaking of feasts, we had our new old friends over for dinner last night. They are in town from Tennessee and have actually been considering making the move back home. Just between us, I hope they make it back here soon. It was a night of good food and great conversation. My cheeks hurt from all the smiling and laughing! And their two precious girls hid away in my precious girl's room, doing the secret things that girls will do, only to pop out now and again in fantastic outfits from the dress-up clothes bin. Andrew, for the most part, preferred to be in on the grown-up conversation, leaving the room when topics turned a bit more serious for his taste. And when the feast and conversation were through, one tiny "fairy godmudder" was found huddled behind our biggest chair, presumably hoping to live out the rest of her days in the frothy pink finery she had discovered.
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