Joe (G.I. Joe, that is)

Yesterday Joe entered our lives for the first time. He was a party favor at a baby shower. I had no idea how quickly he would become part of our family.

Joe showed up at the breakfast table first thing in the morning, and I heard myself say "No, no... don't put Joe in your breakfast please, H."

Then I paused to contemplate the strange sentence I had so naturally just uttered.

But then, later in the day, disaster struck. Joe's leg fell off. Call the paramedics! We have to get him to the hospital!! He was inconsolable. Literally. He stood by while I frantically tried to re-insert Joe's leg into it's socket. "Joe, Joe!" The cries continued from my little boy. Tears rolled. His pleading eyes met with mine. He was trusting me to make him better. My heart broke in a thousand peices.

"Fix, Mama, Fix... JOOOOOOE" *sob, sob*

"Oh Mikey, if there has been anytime when we need you to be home... it's now!!" I thought.

"We need you!!!... JOE needs you!!"

Well, all the medical attention (and prayers) didn't work (really... we sat at the table, held hands, and prayed for Joe to be healed right before we said "Thank you Jesus for this dinner" and "Bless Daddy while he travels.")

Joe is now hidden on my boy's top bookshelf. My only hope is that my compassionate boy will forget about Joe until we can fix him or find a replacement Joe. *gasp* As if the Joe shaped hole in our hearts could ever be filled by just any plastic soldier...

Sundey Chair

Today is Sunday, and I decided it's time to spent a few hours in my Sundey Chair.

The tradition started a few years ago, when Mike and I settled into our little house just north of downtown for the first time. Sunday afternoon would roll around... he'd be tinkering around the house and I'd relax, read, snooze, and veg in my Sundey chair. Sometimes all day. It was glorious.

What makes a regular chair into a Sundey Chair? Well, first you must remove the cushion on the back. This makes it a really deep chair... perfect for sinking in and snuggling with a pillow and blanket. Second, you must stack all your supplies within arms reach. Books, computer, Sunday's ads, telephone, candle, and a hot drink are all necessary. Just so long as you don't have to get up for any reason. Any reason at all.

So, today... here I am... lounging, enjoying a couple hours I have before my peanut wakes up from his nap. My Sundey Chair doesn't see many visits from me these days... life's pace is a little different with a toddler... but oh, am I happy to be spending time here today...

A Whole New Deal...

So, from what I hear, raising boys is totally different from raising girls. Well, we're about to do our own little experiment! Lord have mercy!

Our sweet Christmas baby is a little girl, and we are thrilled! Oh... to think of all the clothes shopping in my future! Of course, we will need to start saving for a wedding (although Mike's strategy is just to indoctrinate her her entire life that tiny, cheap weddings are the only way to go). But we'll see about that...

Here she is! In all her one-pound, 22 week cuteness.











And now begins the naming challenge...
:)

Big Boy in a Big Bed

My boy had his first night in a 'big boy' bed earlier this week. He was really excited during the day when I showed him his new bed. He loves that he can climb in all by himself.





He went to sleep with no problem, and when we checked on him before we went to to bed he was literally stretched out as much as possible (for a tiny tot). Arms straight up above his head and legs and feet stretched straight down. As if we'd been confining him in his crib and now he finally was FREE FREE FREE to stretch out.
he he

Anyway, I heard some noise at 4am and decided to take a peek. Somehow he had overcome the obstacle of the bed rail, fallen (or climbed) out of bed and was curled up on his tummy sound asleep on the hardwood floor.

Oh my goodness.

Luckily, since then... it's been going better. :)

Our Little Reader

A few months ago, when we were in Africa, H had his nose stuck in books! MANY times a day the house would get really quiet and I would think "What is he up to?" Then I would find him sitting somewhere, 'reading' another book!

It hasn't been the same back here in the States, since there are always more people around than just Mommy, but I hope it's started something in him to love books forever like his Daddy and I do.

:)

Ants in His Pants

Today my son had ants in his pants. Literally.

I guess that's what I (he) get(s) for having him 'help' me make peanut butter cookies while he sat on the kitchen counter.

Sorry peanut. Your bum will feel better tomorrow. Promise. And I'll be more careful. Promise.

Sillouette

I've been playing around with silhouettes. Actually, I have been trying for MONTHS to get a sharp silhouette photograph of my son. The right angle, the right lighting, and the most important... he needed to STOP MOVING. I know, impossible, right? Why even embark on such an impossible task?!

ANYway, I got it. And do you know what it took? A movie. I should have known. So simple.

Anyway, I finally got the shot and have been playing around in Photoshop. I was on my way to 'classic' silhouette, black on plain white, when I stumbled upon this.




It is just a work-in-progress on my Photoshop desktop, and I love it! I didn't purposefully add any of these elements for the sake of the 'composition', they are all just steps in the making! I think I'll still finish to get the classic look to see what I think, but this unique one might be the one that ends up on the wall.