The Red Wagon (Part 2)

So here we have this nonreturnable personalized wagon. Which, let's be honest, I've always wanted for my kids. So we let them play with it in the yard, and we go on walks with it.

Sunday evening we went on a walk with it after General Conference.

We turned down a street we never have before. Neither of us brought any electronic devices, and finding ourselves in a dead end had to turn around. By this time the kids were tired and had switched in and out of the wagon walking or riding and Giddy was getting all jealous of Mom holding hands with Dad so the middle two were in the wagon. Olea trailed with us.

I watched the middle two and listened to their laughter as they leaned over the side of the wagon trailing sticks in the white shell-sand road. I soaked in the feeling of Giddy clutching tightly around my neck as I held him on my chest. I wanted a picture, but didn't have one so took a snapshot with my heart.

Life at it's best.


The Red Wagon

Daddy pulls the red wagon 
In a winding path
Creating soft ruts in the fragmented shells
Their two heads jostle 
each on a soft arm resting over the side
Their other arms drag a stick pressed into the ground
Like sparklers in the sandy road
leaving snakelike wiggles behind them for the length of our travel
Giggles at the simple joy peak and die
as they watch the sand spray
and listen to it grind and fall
In harmony with the wagon wheels
She wanders behind
skipping back and forth in the lines
as Daddy pulls the red wagon.


Hold
 
His arms clutch 
warm and squishy 
solid in his resolve 
to hang on
to Mommy
I wrap my arms
snug against him 
creating a seat
hanging on to my hips to anchor it
as I walk with him
carried against me
his sweet curls catch
in my eyes 
his kisses saturate my cheek 
his little hands pat my back
renew and tighten his grip 

Summer's End: Monsters

We had some fleece squares that were fringed and supposed to be for a blanket for Giddy. However, we haven't gotten around to it and he certainly doesn't NEED a blanket and they were just the right size for today's plan. Plus the colors were awesome. I sewed some funky glove reminiscent shapes. The sewing is stellar due to Zurich sitting on my lap and Nev changing the dials and various fingers headed for the needles.

I heated up the hot glue gun in a distant land and dumped out the wiggle eyes and let the kids decide what they wanted.

Zurich wanted a mustache and sharp teeth. So I started cutting their requests from felt. I hot glued the accessories on. Olea got the sharpies out and drew some clothes and a nose on hers. Nev rearranged lots of eyes and laughed a lot over the strip of eyes. Then she stole Olea's lips so I cut her a pair.

I read them a monster book we had picked up at the library: "Leonardo the Terrible Monster" by Mo Williams

They had a great time giggling over my reading of his big attempt to scare the Tuna Salad out of someone. They wanted to lay in wait to scare their Dad but by the time he got around to coming home we had moved on to dinner and getting ready for pictures.

( and for those who noticed that Nev is wearing the same clothes as yesterday, for what it is worth she has worn five different outfits between those pictures and these today...)

Validation

Warning: this post contains no pictures. Get over it. It has some links to pictures though. :)

There are lots of things we do in life. Some of them, or most of them go unnoticed and lots of those unnoticed things are the things that keep life running. That's okay.

There are also lots of loosing battles we choose to fight... or at least play at. I'm sure you can think of plenty of them in your own life in hobbies, parenting, life, etc.

My Tatties, is probably one of those, I likely will never make enough money to have a viable business out of it. That's okay. I do it because I think it is a good idea, because I like to do it and because I believe in the quality and value of what I do. The other day my Dad had somethings to say about the business end of it, how it was probably a loosing battle, because of the time and love I invest in it. While monetarily that may be true, it isn't true for the validation and the joy I get out of doing it. Sometimes, someone really gets it and loves them at least half as much as I do, and for that it is worth it. Also being able to do something and create something is a thrill, that I think we all need to experience that on whatever level of creativity we entertain. I love to be able to teach people to tat. Or to share with them the things that I am able to create. I sell them because I do have to recoup some cost and because lots of people have encouraged me to do so. I love the challenge of creating a new pattern and now have quite a few that I can call my own.

At different stages of my life different avenues of creativity, or the ability to use my skills have presented themselves and I have enjoyed the opportunities. Aside from tatting I love to edit photos, design, create wedding announcements, sew, draw, paint, knit, crochet, ceramics, re-purpose/ renew and learn more about all these options and have the opportunities to share my skills or exercise them.

We all do something that internally brings us joy. But it doesn't hurt to have outside validation. I never took on a job that implemented my Bachelor's Degree in the formal sense. So when I get an opportunity to do a graphic design job, it is a thrill for me. It is a form of validation that most people get when they are hired to do a job in their field.

I chose to be a mom first and so my validation in this way comes in small doses. A freelance job here, a Tattie sale there, a well received gift... That's fine. I enjoy what I chose.

Giving Thanks part 3/3

This is part 3 of three parts. Part one can be found here and Part Two Here. Numbers correspond to calendar dates.

18: I am thankful for great friends. It's a rare find to enjoy an entire family as much as the person they are attached to.


19: Not getting a ticket...er make that two. This also includes being thankful that there are law enforcement officers out there that have a brain and aren't all just ego. Every major road in the town was under construction, intersections were messed up and I was LOST and so was my GPS by that point. Gary was trying to navigate, it was dark etc. etc. At a very strange intersection apparently I took the wrong turn lane $85, and after that on an unknown road was going 35, apparently it was 25 but there weren't any signs... another $85 fine. Can I just say how seriously it would have killed my mood for the next month if I had gotten those tickets?! Zurich had been driving me to the point of wacko all day and so when I picked up Gary at 3:30 and the other two kids screaming at seeing their Daddy woke up Zurich, who had just screamed himself to sleep... well I burst into tears. It had been one of those days, and even after Gary drove a good portion of the way my nerves were still not capable of handling a strange drive even for a half an hour.

20: Fun shopping. As a general rule I hate shopping. Today though, it was just Gary and I and we stopped off at a store to get something for our nephew's b-day and found the store was going out of business so things were all marked down. As we wandered around the store we decided to do some Christmas shopping for the kids since we kept seeing things that were on their wish lists. It was a major success and fast. We left with most everything checked off and Gary commented like a giddy child as we drove off with our garbage bag of loot, "That was fun!" I do have to agree.


21: Family lounge time. It's my favorite thing to do with family. Sit around and chat, bellies full, my hands busy and time to just relax and enjoy a good chat.


22: Being a mother. It's the hardest thing I have ever done... and continue to do, but I love it. I've experienced loss of my own to hopefully not take for granted the 3 blessings I have so far.
Even with stuff like this: (this is a negative side of mother hood... don't watch if you aren't prepared)

Because I get to experience stuff like this:


23: Gary's ability to work from home.

24: My talents. I am able to enjoy and accomplish a lot of things because of the talents I have been blessed with.

In case you were wondering:

There is a God.

Giving Thanks 2/3

This is part 2 of three parts. Part one can be found here. Numbers correspond to calendar dates.

11: Today and all other days I am grateful for Veterans and their families. They go through so much and most of us (I do include myself in this, because I don't understand it first hand) are completely oblivious to the sacrifices they make for all the freedoms we enjoy.

12: The kiss fest between Nev, Zurich and I this morning. We were chilling after dropping Olea off at school and Nev leans in to give Zurich a kiss, then it was kisses all around for everyone. Nev's kiss face:

13: A chance to relax. I spent most of the day laying down while Gary and the kids winterized and organized the garage. Gary reminded me, it's time to slow down and remember, I'm pregnant and just can't do everything I usually do. So grateful for a husband who helps me keep it all in perspective.

14: A clean kitchen, by little effort of my own, because it is one thing to be told to relax and another thing for someone to make it possible. I had a meeting tonight and when I came home late to a sparkling kitchen (thanks to Gary) I got a bit emotional, then went upstairs to find him in the middle of the last three batches of laundry all folded.

15: Free Stuff: Zurich's Cold Stone Birthday coupon provided a treat for the kids, a motivation for Zurich to be good at the chiropractor. This can also include today's lunch compliments of Arby's receipt survey, which gave me a free beef n' cheddar sandwich for lunch and the rhodium plating on my wedding set... though technically we paid for the warranty, I think I have made enough use of it by now that the plating is free. :)

16: Laughter. It's often the best choice when trying to decide how to cope or react and it feels so good. I have plenty of opportunities for it it my life, as demonstrated yesterday with the Amish bread and the two youngest.

17: This little boy.

The other day, after I dropped Olea off at school we sat on the couch and chatted, well, I sat and he and his sister wiggle wormed around me for about a half an hour talking about the baby in my belly, what who's names were. For the record: Zurich knows his first, middle and last name in the right order but usually refers to himself as BoBo Fetters. The baby in my belly's name according to Zurich is "Baby Brother" and he's not sure what my name is other than Mommy, but he knows Dad's, Olea's and Genève's first names. The boy can physically push me out of bed and really likes to drink and quickly downs whatever is put in his sippy cup. He loves trains and all other boyish things (cars, helicopters, airplanes, superheros etc). He really likes to paint. He looks like my side of the family. He is repetitive and stubborn. I absolutely fell in love with him when he was about a year old. He likes to talk, watch TV and "cuddle wit you Mommy." He often tells me something is scary. When he is really scared by something he says, "I want to hide" and finds a place to hide.

Giving Thanks Part 1/3

I think bandwagon or not, this is a good thing to do and to think about as we gear up for the holidays. I chose to not do mine one day at a time because I knew that things I was grateful for that day would share more info than I wanted that particular day, for instance, it's fine with me if you all know that Gary was gone for a week, because he is home now, and I wanted to give some flesh to some of the things I listed.
So here are days 1-10:

1: So thankful for my Marriage. I picked the right guy at the right time and we've worked to keep it right over the years. I am under no delusion that it's "happily ever after" unless we both make it so. I married a guy who understands that and works every day to keep our relationship alive and kicking. There can be no apathy in marriage.


2: I am grateful for Skype and the internet so I could talk and see Gary while he is away.

3: I am grateful for family. My dad came today to help ease the pain and suffering while Gary is gone, the kids really enjoyed him and time outside and I was able to get some shopping done kid free. Other family members have also called to check up on me. In our separation from family we realize just how much we need and appreciate them. It helps us laugh when there is stress and let offenses slide when no offense is intended. It's family relationships that add value and joy to our lives. Each person adds a unique touch and talent.

4: I am grateful for time to put my aching feet up and tat. Finally! (now to not fall asleep, which I also need... hmm)

5: Today I am so grateful it is Friday night! So giddy it is ridiculous! Gary has been gone for work since Sunday afternoon and he comes home just after midnight.

6: Thankful for good company and fun things to do. Attended our ward's Super Saturday today.

Made Nev the cute little leggings and some clips she still can't wear, of course I had to add a little tatting to them, because I had the pieces lying around. :)

7: Grateful for a husband who lovingly helps me see my limits and forced me to take a rest instead of trying to push through and for sharing this talk with me for justification: Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Of Things that Matter Most

8: I am so grateful for chiropractics. I can function today! After the pain I was in yesterday I was not looking forward to the week ahead at all, but after a good adjustment, I am ready for life as a pregnant mother of three again.

9: I am grateful for quiet, low stress, easy days, because today has not been one of them!

10: I am grateful for a spouse who understands me and knows how to talk me though a creative funk, so I can get going on a project.

FHE, Temple, and Art

June 21st we had a very simplistic FHE due to the fact that I had had surgery that morning and Gary and I had been in the ER/ hospital for the past 15 or so hours. I don't even remember what the lesson was on. I was that out of it.

The Sunday after that though I attended church and our new bishop extended a challenge. Given the current status of my healing we chose to hit a few birds (metaphorically of course) with one stone. Part of the challenge was to have a meaningful FHE, go to the temple (and if we couldn't attend a session to dress up and visit the grounds). So Gary and I decided for FHE June 28th, we would get all dressed up and drive to the temple grounds with the kids and walk around and talk about the temple. While we were there we figured we'd make use of my Dad's skills and have him take a family picture for us. Since I had just made us all matching outfits for Father's day we used those.

Zurich really likes churches and temples and calls them castles, he is slowly learning temple and church differences. We chose to go to the Draper temple since none of us had been there. We had Olea read the words on the temple and we talked about what they mean. Olea was very disappointed that she didn't get to go in (we took them to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house).



Afterward we drove around Suncrest to look over the valley and then went out for ice cream at JCW's (their Mini's are HUGE, for the record, and would could have shared one or two around the 6 of us there and been just fine) and put some very tired kids to bed.

This last Monday Olea had an artist's reception in Provo for entering the children's art show. I had forgotten till pretty much the last minute and we'd been out gallyveranting all day in the wilderness so the kids were totally filthy, but we went anyway. Olea was thrilled to get her face painted and Zurich was excited for a spaceship. We tried to have Nev's face painted but all we got was a blue check mark. :)

I'm glad we made it to the Reception since Olea got Honorable Mention.


It was unorthodox so far as typical FHE's go but we got to talk about doing our best and being happy with that. That it doesn't matter if we win or not. Olea really wanted a trophy. Gary and I reflected on how your ideas of value change as you get older. We wouldn't want a trophy now, we'd want the water bottle she got way more. :) For the record she does love her water bottle and takes it everywhere. We talked about how it was the best that she did her painting all on her own so that she could feel happy that it was her work and her's alone.

Afterward we took the kids to McDonalds, ONLY because part of her prize was 4 free icecream cones. She decided to share one of the coupons with her brother. So we picked up icecream for them and Nev was MAD.

She didn't scream or cry, but check out the look on her face. In between leaving the reception and getting the kids ice cream Gary and I decided we wanted Lassi from the Bombay House so I had called and ordered some for take out. On our loop back to the Bombay House we realized we HAD to get Nev some ice cream. We stopped at Arctic Circle and ordered a regular cone so we could get a courtesy cone for Nev. She was THRILLED. She dug into hers so fast the next time I turned around she was already eating down the napkin that held the cone. She ended up finishing of Zurich's as well and was SO happy about it.

Time to wash the car seats!

Animae and love

I have to share here, because I'm all excited about it and can't share it with Gary, yet.
(And he doesn't read the blog due to sheer disinterest in the computer after work is over, and he has a job where he doesn't have time to blog surf... I think most people have jobs like this, they probably just don't respect it.)

Every year I make a book for our anniversary about the past year. This year we are number 7. One of my favorite sections in the book is "stupid things we say" appropriatly titled with one of the year's best quotes. Every year as things we say make us giggle I run for my palm to jot it down and then as April comes I start typing all those notes up. There are so many priceless, disgusting, hilarious things in this complilation.

Gary has a lot of nicknames, because I have maintained the idea that "Gary" is an old man's name, and he is not yet an old man. However, most of his nicknames, are not particularly masculine... but he loves me because he responds to them and appreciates them. While getting ready for bed one night I called him by one such nickname, "Gershie" to which he said, "That's cute, is that my Animae name?" So of course I start thinking that his own animae character would be a funny thing. Like Homestar Runner and Strong Bad and Japaneese cartoons.
Watch it.
So I looked around for Character creators online. But most of them weren't the style I was looking for, or were just simple dress up, or female. So then I found this little tutorial and tried my hand at drawing my own. I had fun, and even for animae their eyes are probably too far apart or something, but for a quick sketch it suits my purpose and was fun. If I have time (which I probably won't) an action pose would be awesome, but I doubt I will get to anything extra on this year's book. Time is winding down fast and I have more children to care for this time around.
So here's my first go around on Gershie and Deeds, Animae characters.

And ya, I used some copy and paste on photoshop to save time, I drew all the components and pieced them together. I'm sure they suck compared to real animae artists, but hey, it was fun.

Today as Gary emptied out his lunch pail and found a note I had put in late last night that he had missed during the day he pointed to it and said, "That's how I know we'll always be together, becuase you never forget." Not to put notes in his lunch, but that we are in love.
Decide everyday to be in love.

Dear Calla Lily

Dear Calla Lily,
I love you. I mostly always have. You were there when I got engaged. You were there preserved in plastic while I waited to be married. You were there in silk when I got married. You were there these past seven years of marriage in all your glorious forms, potted, planted, vased, silk, plastic, prisma color, pencil, paint, foam even. A series of you hangs in my front room. I have loved you for your elegance, and simplicity. Your color and shape. I have loved you for the memories.
But I write to inform you that your standing is in jeopardy.
This is a serious threat.
Let me begin this way:
Gary bought me a bouquet of flowers of Orange one fine day. It was lovely.

I had begun a new relationship with orange. Every single Lily of orange in that bouquet bloomed, long after the other flowers had died. Even you.

You were beautiful though, I admit.
We bought plants for our flower bed. I bought these hoping they would be as fragrant as their pink sister. I almost did, but did not, in the end, buy you.

Then another bouquet. This time you were absent.

Lily was not. This time she was a ravishing pink purple and white.

And she SMELLED! She was intoxicating and filled the room with her fragrance. I found myself aimlessly entering the room just to get another sniff. And again every single lily opened and shared it's fragrance.
Again flowers, and after last time Gary was sure to get Lilies.

The ones open when the bouquet arrived we not in the best of shape. But here we stand two and a half weeks later as the last flower finally fades. There were so many lilies un-opened, but they all made their appearance and shared their fragrance. Every single one of them.

I'm not sure you would do the same Calla, I'm just not sure.

So this year when I had to pick a new flower for the flower bed.
I chose this.

Sorry Calla.
I hope you understand the draw of cutting them and bringing them indoors to sniff was too over powering. If it helps, I did try and convince my 5 year old to pick you, but she wanted the one named "little princess" over you.
Love,