is anyone else concerned with what is going thru this tiny mind ....

I'd better be on the look-out today. He's sneaky AND quick . . . a bad combination in a 2 year old boy.

outtakes

So, I mentioned a few posts back that we once again participated in the Great Photo Swap with Valerie and her family last Nov. After much whining and complaining from the menfolk we got everyone dressed and out to the giant stumps to sit and smile. Above is the fantastic final portrait that now hangs in our front room, but I'd like to show you what happens when you're two and not concerned with how long the family has to wait for you to smile.

First, you ponder the candy your mom gives you to bribe a stand-still out of you: Next, you swallow wrong . . . yes, stuff still goes down the wrong pipe all the time . . . and decide you're choking on the candy. "If I throw up do I still have to stand still?" :Then, the choking subsides and the crisis is over. However, any kind of gagging/coughing immediately triggers a sneeze for you so you let loose a doozy:
But you hold onto that candy, no matter what! : Thus endeth the episode, and while you've just had your tiny world completely rocked, you manage to hang on to the candy!

God bless the people at Canon who decided that the EOS 20D camera needed to be able to shoot 8 frames per second!

Now, if we were to go to a different pro photog . . . who's not one of my close friends . . . I wouldn't even know these delightful shots existed because I'm sure they'd be culled out of the final proofs. But with our system, I get to see all of them and yay, what a find! I get teased all the time by my fam that I take way too many pictures at each photo session - but for a scrapbooker like me, these are golden and so worth the room they take up on my hard drive.

I think there's a flippy-book in here somewhere . . . .

etsy shop update

So, I've been working like mad to update my Etsy shop . . . at www.etsy.com or click the link at the right marked "spicytuesday" . . . that's my shop name . . . and I finally finished all the blankets I had started! Yay, me!

All of these are kid-tested . . . my kids and several of their friends have their own versions of each except the ladybug (it's a One-Of-A-Kind, unless someone requests it again) . . . and approved. G sleeps with her watermelon every night and wraps up in it especially when she's sick - it's the only one she asks for. I have to admit that the watermelon on here is my favorite but I can't keep them all so hopefully someone will come along and love it as much as I do.

If you need something for a gift or whatever, let me know! Or go visit my etsy shop and check out the other photos of each!

shortcake goodness

So, say hello to the happiest girl ever. My mom was recently cleaning out her linens and found the Strawberry Shortcake sheets that I used to have on my bed when I was little. I hate to admit that they are now considered "vintage" on eBay . . . I looked them up to see if other original strawberry shortcake stuff was out there and found them listed for WAY more than they cost when they first came out . . . and I'm just not willing to own up to my age, folks. I LOVED those sheets when I was a kid and insisted that my mom wash them immediately and put them directly back on my bed while they were still warm from the dryer, which is why I'm really amazed they are still in such good condition and not completely threadbare!

For Christmas and her birthday G got several Strawberry Shortcake dolls and keeps them lined up on her bed, at arms reach at all times.

Now she can spend each night wrapped in strawberry goodness just like I did.

Funny, the sheets smell like vanilla . . . from the candle my mom kept in the linen closet. Between that and the strawberry scent from the dolls, I envy her dreams!

Come quickly, stawberry season!

handy manny, indeed

So, the other day Jo disappeared for a few minutes and when I went looking for him this is what I found:He got a Handy Manny tool set for Christmas from Papa and Marilyn (Thanks so much!!) just like the one he played with constantly with his cousin Tristan while we were out for the holidays. His fav one is Squeeze, the pliers, and he insists on finding him each morning when he gets up. However, Squeeze has these giant eyeballs on him which made it impossible to get Jo's full nose into the pinchy part so Jo went and hunted down his old pliers from a different set.

Not sure why he insists on squeezing his own nose over and over but, whatever, kid. And as soon as I started laughing at him he started with the, "Take a picture, take a picture, show Daddy!" so who am I to say no?!

soccer girl

G's first game was great! She whispered to me before the game, "I think I'm a little nervous about playing tonight" but once we arrived and she got out there with her team she was fine.

Of course they start with stretching. Then a quick warm-up drill. She got chosen for goalie to start the game . . . at their first practice she was the only one who actually stepped in front of the ball and stopped it with her body, making her coaches very happy. She didn't, however, like the red mesh goalie thing they made her wear. She did pretty well but kept mugging for the camera and they scored 2 goals on her . . . next time I won't bring the camera. They rotate the kids really well so they all get lots of playing time. After goalie they made her a forward and she did great.
Love that game face.

And she got right out there in the fray with the boys. Not sure if any of them realized they were all on the same team but at least they're all going the same way, right? All that running! She was exhausted afterwards and slept really hard. When it was time to get up for school this morning she wasn't interested . . . first time since the first day of school that she didn't bolt out of bed and start getting ready.

As I tucked her into bed last night she hugged me and whispered, "I want to play soccer every year!" I kinda get the feeling she liked it . . . .

and lest you think it was "just for the kids" :

Even I got in on the action. I raced G on the obstacle course. I was shamefully beaten by a kindergartener. And to add insult to injury, I am too short to make it up the slide at the finish:

Even with Hailey's help and me bouncing up to reach her, I couldn't reach high enough to get up there. But Kev and Kim and Denise had a fantastic time laughing at Little Miss Shorty-pants.
So instead, G dragged me up the tallest slide and made me go down repeatedly.

And yes, when you're the mom of the birthday girl you are allowed to throw your arm in the air and make a silly face. I will continue to do it until she's old and gray and I'm older and gray-er.

6 years already

So, for G's 6th birthday we were in CA so her Nana and Auntie Denise found this great place called Go Bananas! It is a warehouse completely filled with inflatable bounce-houses and slides and obstacle courses. They couldn't have found a better place for her - she kept saying over and over "Mom, this is the birthday best place ever!!"

There was a special play place for the toddlers so the boys had a ton of fun in the ball pit and the mini bouncy area. But soon J ventured out to the bigger slides and then we couldn't pry him away:

Tristan was sooo cute going down with his daddy . . . that smile was perfect!

Then J decided it was time to do it himself - no more sister's help.

After all the bouncing was done . . . J couldn't walk by the time we left; he was so bone tired . . . we went to mexican food for supper and home for showers and bedtime. They all slept in crazy late the next day so the adults did too.

Happy 6th Birthday, Gennie Beans. We love you so much!

one little word

So, recently I was reading a fav blog of mine and the writer is starting year 4 of what she refers to as the One Little Word "program." Each year she has chosen a single word to claim as her own for the year; a word to remember for the year, that stands for the goals she wants to achieve and focus on. I decided that I'd like to have one little word for this year and this is what I chose:

I'd like to work on being content - with money, with where we are and what we have, with myself and my quirks (except, of course, the things I should be working on to change), just overall contentment.

We'll have to see how this goes - I'm not known for my resolution-keeping abilities - but I'd really like to stick with the idea of being content. We are so blessed with all that the Lord has given us and I really need to actively notice this and thank Him for it instead of plotting how I can get more.

And at the very, very least, maybe this one little word will help me dwindle my scrapbooking supply abundance. For the love of corn, Amy, complete a project already!

:)