Jammin’

Apparently the ear tubes have opened up the world of music in a way we were missing out on before…

It’s so nice…

When you get a little help around the house, isn’t it?  I know I really, really appreciate the fact that Maggie’s starting to pull her weight.  Check it out…

Once she finished ‘helping’ with the office supplies, she moved on to books…

And ended the night in home textiles.  Every single swatch of fabric in she could reach was touched, pulled, and tossed over her shoulder.  And there she sat – queen of the mountain.  Sheesh.

The Sun Was Shining…

The birds were chirping, a light snow was falling.  The scene was picturesque.  We ventured out on a family trip to St. Vinny’s & a tag sale we saw on Craigslist.  We expected so little – thought we’d be returning home quickly & with little show for the time spent out and about.  But we were mistaken.

The thrifting gods were watching out for us this crisp winter morning.  They lured us out there & with good reason.  WE HIT THE MOTHERLOAD.  We are done shopping for Maggie for next Christmas…really! St Vinny’s was a treasure trove today.  We scored some great furniture items.  Granted, they’ll need some love, but that’s to be expected. 

Kole found his old pal in the furniture section.  It works like this - we decide on our items, and then this little old man writes up a ticket for us so that we can pay up front, but pick up our items at the service door ‘round back.  Dude knocked $10 off the cupboard – he did the same thing last time we bought something there.  What a steal!

Then we went to the tag sale, figuring we wouldn’t find much.  It’d been running for 3 hours by the time we made it there.  Ay!  Besides the cooler of fabric for $4 and the plethora of miscellaneous treasures, we also got these gems.

 

A wooden doll highchair and a drop leaf table and 4 chairs.  Again, wood glue is certain to become our new best friend sometime between now and next December, but still! 

We’ve got an entire child’s kitchen and dining room ready to go once we’ve got a place for it – Do you hear me forever house?  Show yourself!!! We’re running out of storage space here!

Our Handmade Holidays

We made a good number of holiday gifts this year.  Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of many of them.  Below you’ll find the ones that stayed with us…

I wanted to name her Miranda or Lucinda, but Kole says Maggie gets to name her.

Clearance dress shirt appliqued with squirrel nutkins & some acorns.

 

Gnomey the gnome, which Wally seems quite interested in…

A coat rack from Kole & Maggie – made from yardsticks.  It cut into our yardstick collection a little.

Not pictured: an ipod cozy, 2 coffee sleeves, 5 water bottle carriers, 2 more dolls, 2 painted shirts (whattup Pohmers!) and an array of edibile delights.

New Year’s Resolution for 2010- photograph more stuff!!!  I think a new camera is in order. Hmmmmm…

Ornaments 2009

To Maggie: an angel engraved with her name.

  

To Kole: a wee little gnome friend working on his song.

To Kari: a 1977 Hallmark special – a German weather house.

All came bundled with love in the last 3 days of our advent calendar.

Play.

We do NOT heart…

This week seems to have an overabundance of things we do not heart.

1. Rotavirus.  I don’t know that anyone could heart this particular strain of sickness that has caused us to do approximately 3 sheet changes and 4 extra loads of baby laundry a day. 

2. Tests done on babies.  Said tests require blood draws and samples of other things.  Babies cry…hard.  Moms then cry…hard. 

3.  This weather!  Does no one understand that we’ve got Christmases to celebrate in different towns, and this quasi-blizzard threat isn’t helping???

Things we DO heart…

1.  Knowing that this, too, shall pass.  She seems a lot better than yesterday.  We are enjoying the extra snuggles that come with feeling not so great (though not the reasons for them).

2.  The pediatrician who hugged this crying mom and cried a little, too.  Compassionate healthcare providers – love them!

3.  A new plan to get to grandma & grandpa’s tonight with the Wii in tow.  Racin' Rick playing Mario Kart… I like it!

4.  Wally & Maggie’s new-found rules for play.  We’ll post some video soon – they’re pretty hilarious.

Take care friends & family.  From the house where we live…