by Lucky Red Hen on July 26, 2006
Monday daddy was sick so the kids and I took off for a day of whatever came our way. We had a few errands to run (pick up the disc Holly left at a local boutique because she was late for a wedding out of town, meet Angie at South Towne Mall to deliver said disc, plus mine, so she could choose favorites from her engagement session, drop off pictures to Matt from Lisa as a surprise – I love GOOD surprises).
Gardner Village was our next stop. We went to wander and found these…
I almost can’t stand how cute my boy is!!!
Inside these cups are Baboa Tea thingys – not too sure what they’re made out of but they’re an Asian version of a smoothy that was VERY refreshing.
Our families favorite holiday is Halloween.
These boots aren’t made for walkin’.
We ended up at Temple Square (got a sweet parking spot in the SHADE) so the kids could just run around and look. The Assembly Hall was open so we walked in to take a look – just a little chapel inside with the organ against the back wall so we turned back around since that’s not the funnest place for kids. Took a look at a couple of statues then a sister missionary told us about the new family exhibit in the north visitor’s building that the kids might like. Alright, let’s head that way. Inside that building there’s a mock-up Jeruselem, huge paintings depicting stories in the scriptures and the Christus.
Ah the Christus. Jack asked me to come with him to the 11′ statue of Christ to show me something he learned. He pointed out the holes in His hands and in His feet. Very nice! We were having a lovely time when Piper pointed out something too. “Mom,” looking at Jesus’ face, “he’s so CUTE!” Thanks for the buzz kill. :o)
Then we went through the little family exhibit and the kids were so well-behaved. The sister missionaries asked them (mostly Jack) questions and they answered politely. The guy acting as the dad is CJane’s husband, so that was fun to point out to the kids that he was at our house for dinner recently. He did a FABULOUS job ;o)
On our way home we stopped by Karen & Heather’s for a little visiting and ended up home about 8pm (after getting Wendy’s on the way).
Lovely day.
by Lucky Red Hen on July 16, 2006
Sunday’s are usually pretty lazy around here. Last night daughter woke up asking for mommy this time (normally she asks for daddy), but she wasn’t screaming so that was nice. I didn’t get back to sleep right away so I tossed and turned for about an hour and a half. About 4ish I woke again and had trouble getting back to sleep. Tonight I think I’ll take a melatonin and see if that does the trick.
We missed the first hour of church but were right on time for the 2nd (we have 3 hours of church on Sundays). In Relief Society (women’s organization) the topic was strengthening marriages. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman was mentioned; love, love, love that book. The bishop’s wife was invited to tell us about her parents; married 68 years, died 12 days apart and were exemplar role models in the marriage department. The stories were touching about their love and kindness to each other. While we discussed marriage I hung out with my friend’s baby, Boston, who’s about 4 months old, entertaining him then getting him to sleep (I have that knack with most other babies that are not my own, but particularly him). Speaking of but… someone said that an apology isn’t one when followed by a “but” or excuse for the behavior. Thought that was a nice way to look at saying sorry.
Returned home, ate lunch and scribbled changes to the map and phone list I keep updated for our Ward. There is a lot of growth in our neighborhood so the list gets updated regularly. Laid daughter down for her nap and jumped into my bed for my own. A couple hours later slowly woke to Posie licking herself incessantly – gross.
Edited the pictures I took yesterday – got some really great ones (like the one of the baby, above). Helped daughter with Dora games on the internet, played Frogger with son, ate Stoffer’s Frozen Lasagna & Texas Garlic Toast that hubby made for dinner and Nutter Butter’s with milk for dessert. Played the I Spy puzzle game with daughter while daddy and son played a number game before bed. Teeth brushed and into bed (not without some dramatics from daughter, of course). Read the Red Barn book to daugher in her bed then came down to the cooler-than-the-rest-of-the-friggin-hot-house-but-not-cool-enough basement; watched some Miami Ink’s and a little Robot Chicken.
Now I have to go upstairs to get Emily’s email address and send her preliminary headshot images so she can tell me which she likes best before I print them (deadline) then daddy and I will spend some time together before getting to sleep. Hey, 11:45pm – I’m not doing as bad as I thought!
This will be my last dissertation. I think I’ve accomplished what I set out to do ;O)
by Lucky Red Hen on July 15, 2006
Sorry about bailing on you all (and I use “all” loosely) last night, but I must show my support to LaYen because eiye lof herrr.
Oh yeah. I’m tired of using initials to describe the people I know; it’s so impersonal. From now on I shall use first names and make you all FAMOUS :o) Ten percent finders fee is optional but encouraged.
Daddy is between office locations (the other is being sold) so he was home programming. I got the kids bathed & ready for Linda’s so she and I could go to lunch for my birthday. You say, but your birthday was at the end of May! Yes, it was, but I’ll celebrate any day! So my kids played with her kids (with babysitter-aged kids at the house; we didn’t leave two 6yr olds and two 3yr olds to fend for themselves) and we went to Café Rio for some much-needed catching up. Hubby doesn’t care for Café Rio (I don’t either if I’m waiting 45minutes for a friggin’ burrito) so I like to go with girlfriends and get the Fire Grilled Steak Salad that Tiffany turned me onto. Chatted with Kim about Natalie’s pictures and her hubby’s motorcycle (his is orange too) then suggested her friend could use a commercial-grade Café Rio napkin to make it home since none of us had feminine hygiene products on hand. On our way home we swung by the cute one-way street by the Old Star Mill and an amphitheater to check the lighting for photo taking then pulled up to find our too-cute blonde daughters sitting together in the grass eating yogurt.
Figuring that daddy could use more quiet time to program we hung out for a little while visiting with her oldest daughters about the weirdest things, and some normal ones too. Trying to get her 17yr old to the grocery store for some dinner ingredients, it got close enough to dinner that I suggested I provide the missing ingredients if we could invite ourselves along. Agreed. So Piper (that’s P in previous posts) and I came home for the stuff and to check in with daddy (Jack, that’s J in previous posts, stayed to play). Jennifer came to pick up the ingredients and we finalized plans with daddy on the evening (he went to interview a band in SLC then watch their show) and the next day (he’s golfing in the morning, which is right now, then I have a photoshoot in Provo at 2pm and 5pm we’re leaving on a date).
Piper and I drove back to Linda’s and had Radio Chicken (her BIL, Chuck, named it – he heard the recipe on the radio) and more visiting with her, the kids and her hubby. On the ride over I called back Emily to finalize plans for taking her headshots Saturday (she’s a performer and needs them for programs). She reiterated the love for the pictures I took of her son and his cousins (I love hearing that). Walking out in their yard to check the ripeness of their peaches (not yet) we went over to the shop and stepped over a metal 20’ slide that was used by the previous owner as a shoot to send packages from the upper floor to the lower. I about freaked out because I’ve been looking for a 20’ slide to put in our backyard on a slope for the kids to play on. Her hubby said we can have it since he was just going to take it to the dump. PERFECTO! The kids and I left about 9ish to get them in bed.
I couldn’t find lighter pj’s for Piper so I went in Jack’s room to his too-small box of clothes and pulled out the Texas t-shirt daddy brought from a trip and pj bottoms. As I put the shirt on she asked, “Where THIS come from?” I told her daddy bought it in Texas then did some of the Spongebob, Patrick and Sandy dialog and heard Jack in the other room chime in with other lines. She got mad because she was serious and we were being silly. So, we read a Winnie-the-Pooh activity book (Piper was answering all the questions correctly; Jack and I were shocked because we didn’t realize she knew that stuff), brushed teeth and got in bed. She went right down but about 11:30pm woke up crying and I soothed her back to sleep. In the middle of the night she screamed for daddy too. Her nap was missed yesterday and I think that’s what is screwing up her night schedule. The trick seems to be the combination of a nap AND melatonin or she has the night terrors.
Before bed I checked eBay for the stuff I’m watching (looking for motorcycle boots) and went to a headshot website to check out different styles and poses. Jumped online to check blogs and that’s when I came across La Yen’s dilema and postponed my days dissertation. There’s a LOT to read, but it was fun to get different perspectives.
by Lucky Red Hen on June 4, 2006
Per Compulsive Writers request (well, insistance), I’m going to post the quilts I’ve made that I actually have pictures of. In the beginning of my quilt making days, I started out small and simple. My MIL taught me to sew as an adult (my own mom attempted to teach me but as a young girl I had NO attention span for it) in 2001.
My son’s blankie was the first quilt ever. Notice how the backside, that’s supposed to be 1 whole piece, has a border on it? Well, measuring isn’t my strong suit and I made the top too big to fit the back and had to jimmy-rig the back to fit. That was an ordeal — being my first quilt and all.
The second was made from some squares I bought on eBay (that’s the middle) then the checkered lavender fabric was vintage that I also got on eBay. That was my first time stippling (quilting by hand with the machine in a puzzle-shape pattern but using no pattern, just eyeballed it).
My first attempt at Yellow Brick Road (although not my last). I made a handful of these because I didn’t realize all the fabric would make so many. So there are a few with these same fabrics floating around out there. Maybe about 3 or 4 more.
This is little Jenna on her blankie. She’s bonded with it and still? sleeps with it (she’s 5ish). Well, the last time I talked with her mom she told me about how she couldn’t go to sleep without it. That makes me feel mushy inside. LOVE it.
Diane’s quilt was made out of much love for “Other Mother” so her grandkids would have a blankie they’d use when visiting Nana and Papa’s house. Her favorite color is blue and I used vintage replicated fabrics.
by Lucky Red Hen on May 21, 2006
In case you were wondering, photographing children can be awfully tricky.
Yesterday I photographed 4 grandkids; 3yr old, 2yr old, 4mos and 3mos. Propping the babies was the most challenging but thankfully we had several adults to help. I thought these 2 pics were pretty sweet. Especially the first one.
I almost can’t stand how cute my boy is!!!
Inside these cups are Baboa Tea thingys – not too sure what they’re made out of but they’re an Asian version of a smoothy that was VERY refreshing.
Our families favorite holiday is Halloween.
These boots aren’t made for walkin’.
