The return of TGIF 9/4/09

First... this is a temporary return. I will get back to regular blogging when things settle out a bit more. Things are going well.. but it is a journey.

• A cool new job with a great boss and a interesting yet pleasant cast of characters.
• Three big kids in school (pictures are comming).
• Colin's "big" Pre-K classroom (OK - so he is the only kid in his class... REALLY!)
• A healthy hubby.
• A family room that is a family room again!!!
• knitting
• quilting - Goddess pictures are comming too. they are on Mom's computer
• the great big list
• The other even bigger list
• my Sunday night gang
• Birthday Boy #1

(yeah that is a pile of Bakugan Birthday Cake Balls! )

• Birthday boy #2

(That is a Tofutti "ice cream" cake.)

• sanity and serenity
• being back on the bike
• Brown Gables

So... Here is the thing with these lists. The concept is taken form Mama Gena. But it is really about (for me) self-reflection. I take stock of every thing that I have and see how blessed I really am. Then I make a list of my desires ..big and small. It helps me put things in perspective. Where I'm comming from and where I am going.

Well, last week, I wasn't able to get to the blog, but I put pen to paper. I wrote and wrote and wrote. The thoughts just came pouring out and didn't want to stop! Then I took a look back at what I wrote. Suddenly.... my life made sense. The path I've taken.. the twists.. the turns... falling off of a cliff of two...

The most amazing thing I realized was that I know now where it is I want my life to be headed. Still not sure how I'm going to make it from here to there, but I now have a clear goal in mind. I'm refreshed, relieved and inspired!

so... go make you own list of grattitudes and desires! enjoy!

Welcome to Brown Gables!

Since the economy needed a little boost, we thought we'd do our part and buy a new vacation home.

Andy and I are reading "Anne of Green Gables" so we thought it appropriate to name it Brown Gables.

After a test run in the back yard, we packed up and went up to Webb Mountain Park. The boys really had a blast hiking, mountain biking and making s'mores. We also took a trip down the road to the Webb Mountain Discovery Zone. Seriously COOL place. We hiked the short loop (about a mile) and plan a couple of day trips for the other two loops.

We picked Andy up after day camp and drove up to Webb Mountain. It is about a half hour from us and 3 miles from my parents. We stayed 2 nights and I think that was just about the right length for our first tent trip. We hiked them till they dropped then had the grand-parents over for dinner. They slept early and solidly. The best part... they slep in!

The older two already have a trip scheduled with Daddy and Papa in MA next week. They are also asking to go back to Webb Mtn too, so at least one more trip before school starts.

Time Warp!

can't believe it's been almost 2 months! I need to upload some pics, but we've got:

• Andy's Birthday
• book reviews
• crafty stuff (crochet dodecahedrons, Andy's quilt, Goddess quilt and sock monsters)
• our new vacation home
• Colin's ST
• PPTs for Andrew and Colin
• book reviews (hint- Twilight series=rediculously predictable)

stay tuned!

oh - and thanks Mary for pointing out that I'm WAAAAYYY behind.

I'm also working on updates and caping tips for my Daddy Day Camp Blog.

A New Hope

Colin has a LOT of words, but he isn't really putting them together. He understands everything we say. He follows instructions (usually). So, we had him screened by Birth to Three. He is beind on the speech and fine motor. He lost points on the fine motor because he couldn't sit still long enough to complete the task. He showed signs of impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattentiveness. Sound familiar? yeah.. not official yet, but it looks like he may have ADD/ADHD like his brothers and father.

So, all this means that he will get speech and other services (we set up his therapies on Friday) at home this spring/summer and he'll start pre-k on his birthday or the first day of school (whichever is later).

He is also at that "fun" stage where he rips his diaper off the second it gets wet, but he won't use the potty either. So, I made him a backpack that he can carry around his diapers etc in. It has a waterproof PUL lining and pockets perfect for diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer and Hot Wheels. I also made a matching changing pad which fold to fit the bottom of the bag, a PUL bag for wet/dirty diapers/clothes and, of course, a diaper. I'd actually inteded to make the diaper a pull-on type, but it isn't very streachy and it doesn't pull-on very well.

The diaper bag will double nicely as a school backpack in the fall! (The bag is a scaled down Chelsea Tote from Lazy Girl Designs.)

The ensemble:

Backpack and diaper in action:

Inside (empty & stuffed):

you want an example of the hyperactivity? Here are the outtakes from the photoshoot:



Fun, isn't he? He's so cute I can't stand it!

Communion Revisited

more pictures from the communion...

FO Round Up.

Once the Anniversary Shawl was done, I could wrap up the other projects I had going.

First, I finished Todd's Heavy Metal Monkey socks.

Then I finished off my socks to go with my Tubey sweater.

After everything was done... I needed a new project.

fraternal Jaywalkers for Todd.

SO grown up!

Andy made his first Communion a week ago. For those of you who arent' Catholic, it is a HUGE deal - a major rite of passage. What has been really interesting to watch is how he's started paying attention and following along in Mass. I suppose it all makes a LOT more sense now that he know what is going on and why.

Anyway... I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

more pictures to come once I get them from my FIL.