Bead update

I am posting a picture of my recent beads, they are turning out a little better, so they are going on my art blog. I just got in touch with a local lampwork artist, (the one I mentioned in my last post about beads, but the link didn't work), and she told me where to take classes. I would love to get better, her work is amazing and inspiring. There is something soothing about working with glass, I really enjoy it. Check out my blog if you want to see them.

13 month old Eddie

These are just a few random Eddie moments over this weekend, and an update, since I missed recording his 1yr milestones. After family left on Sat, it's been a pretty chill and lazy weekend.

I found some blocks at a garage sale, much to Bill's disappointment, since we just had our own sale last week. But Eddie LOVED playing Godzilla.
This is Eddie's "I'm waiting for that bottle in your hand" look.

Sorry the video is sideways. You don't have to watch it anyway. Nothing special. It's mostly for the grandmas, since Eddie isn't really doing anything, just being normal cute.

He can say a few words, mama, dada, baba, and he says "ah" or "ga" on the phone. That's about it. I contribute his verbal delay to the fact that he focused so much on getting around early, and he was in discomfort most of his life, he didn't feel like talking much. Who would? He does like to play typical baby games, and he is pretty handy with stacking blocks and pushing buttons. He claps a lot, and likes to give kisses. Surprisingly, he isn't much for TV, even baby Einstein doesn't grab him like it did his siblings. He ADORES his dad, and becomes ultra-alert the second he hears the front door open in the evening, then heads to the stairs to see his old man. That's Eddie at 13 months. We just love him!

Graduation Celebration for Enos The Genius!

Yesterday was Graduation day at BYU. Enos did a FANTASTIC job on his speech, he was my favorite. :)
We took the boys out to run around while we waited for most of the students to receive diplomas. Enos was near the end, so we had nearly and hour to kill during that time. I think Josh will agree that running is always more fun than sitting through names.

The two college grad bros sharin' some luv.
Brothers and sisters........(Ammon had to rush off for Amanda's job interview, and Ira has school in CA, we missed them)
Sisters only, but Enos felt left out.
Enos, don't you know how much we LOVE you?
Pretty sure Lindsay does too. Who wouldn't love this?

Proud parents.
Matt is way cool with the kids. (Staci, this is what you have to look forward too!)
My favorite picture of the kids and I.

At lunch, Eddie surprised us by letting grandpa hold him for a LONG time while we waited for our table.

Tired kiddos.....

Jade's drawing during graduation.....
CONGRATULATIONS LITTLE BROTHER! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

A few random things....

I just made a very impatient Eddie a nice hemp milk/rice milk bottle. And Josh was so sweet to let him lean against him to drink it.


Tonight we make the kids slave away again. Everyone is coming over after my brother's graduation, so we gave the kids each a list of jobs to do. We had a good laugh at her "doodles" on her list. The picture is actually quite accurate.

I gave Jade her list first, was writing out Joshua's and handing it to him while she was sitting at the table drawing this out, Eddie loves to pull his little wooden duck on wheels, and daddy like to lounge on the couch drinking a soda. (just click on it to see the details)
This is our family "sushi jar". We just started it after the yard sale, and will continue putting all our loose change in it until we have enough to go out to a nice sushi restaurant. Kids idea, really, I swear.

my spare time?

Most of you who know me well, know that I have a VERY hard time allowing myself to be creative on a regular basis for my sanity, unless I have ALL my other responsibilities completed. So naturally, I never do anything "I" want FOR MYSELF ONLY. I only make thing when I HAVE to do it for a gift, a request, or I have a deadline for a boutique.

For some reason, maybe it's just the mounting stress in my life, but I said "to HECK with it all!" I needed to do something creative JUST for myself! I busted out my lampwork kit I bought nearly 5 YEARS AGO and have never touched, and I am teaching myself to make beads.

No, these are not my beads, a sweet friend bought them for me before she left China to move back to the states. They inspired me, as well as this lampwork artist's blog, SO beautiful!

I have checked out every book on glass lampwork in the library, watched every instructional video on YouTube. And the following are the results so far. It's A LOT harder than it looks! These beads are not impressive, but it's a start. I keep burning the glass, so they come out really dark. I will keep trying. :)

3 best so far. I think I need to take a class or something. Like I have time for that. I have made these beads over the past week, doing just a few a day, since they take 10-20 mins each. I go in spurts, one at a time. Well, at least it's working my creative side. When I get some good ones made, I will make something with them and post it on my art blog. I'll let you know how it goes.

feelin' sassy?

I love how Jade makes use of hand-me-downs. Head to toe, the only thing originally hers is on her little bum. I recycled some beads and made her her first pair of dangle earrings. She said this is her "happy" outfit. (thank you for the clothes Aunt Mica and Aunt Diane)
My brown-eyed kidos.

She found this shirt from Aunt Lindsay and one of my NY hats. She fell in love with the outfit she created. She LOVES Auntie hand-me-downs.
I'm not sure I'm prepared for tweens. But she is quite amazing, and I LOVE watching her develop herself, even though it scares me how fast it's going by.
* I LOVE you Jade! Don't ever stop being creative, with all the wonderful things you do. Be yourself! Don't worry about those silly, shallow little sissies at school! (Don't give in to them, stand tall!) You ROCK girl!

The day before our Yard Sale......

We finally found a cute little "vintage" looking dress for Jade to wear at Mica's wedding. (All of us are in black, Mica is in ivory, and Jade has a bit of both)) We just need to find a little black shrug and make the pearl cluster pins for her hair, and she is DONE. I still have to find everything for myself, but we have a month. :)

Eddie climbed up on our new picnic basket a neighbor gave us, and just sat there, chill, relaxed, and gazed off towards the window. I felt relaxed just to look at him.
Josh and Alyson wanted "baby pancakes" this morning. I have made them suffer with just cereal or toast for the last week because I was so busy with getting ready for the yard sale, and didn't want to make any messes. I gave in today. And they were happy.
BTW- Bill said I am posting too often, people can't keep up. I personally think people are just busy. Besides, I blog so I don't feel guilty about not writing in my journal or keeping up a photo album, and it's my main form of socializing, so I hit two birds with one stone. I'm cool with that. :)

Taxi Fish

Jade completed her report on two of her favorite Spanish artists, Guillermo Silva and Pablo Picasso. She made up a drawing inspired by Silva to make as handouts for her classmates to color. I thought it was kind of cool.

Perspective

My friend, Karli, just posted a link on her blog to this sweet family who are going through a lot with their new little angel up at Primary Childrens hospital. I just cried and cried as I went through their blog. You have to go back about 3 pages to the start of when she was born, but it's worth it. You will probably cry too, but I also felt a sweet feeling of gratitude, peace, and hope. My silly tulips are nothing, I want to cherish the time I have with my kids, and make sure they know it! This little girls mother is a brave and amazing woman to go through all this with so much faith. It is inspiring. (*Jess, be careful, you will probably sob, due to pregnancy of course)

***SPRING!!!!!***.......oh, wait....

uh.....my mood exactly

btw- I like to think that I have brave tulips

a dragon and a shampoo ad

Jade did this for another school contest. I would love to see what she could come up with if she planned and created well in advance, (not 2 days before the due date). I didn't mean to take a pic RIGHT next to the shampoo bottle, it just happened, but I think it makes it look funnier. Josh is such a ham.

More pics, just because they make me happy......

This morning I woke to MORE flowers, and even more buds ready to bloom. I hope the expected snow tomorrow doesn't hurt them!

By this evening the clouds had come in, I am not liking the overcast thing at all..........poor little flowers!I have learned I do not care for annuals, I think I will only invest in perennials or bulbs for the rest of my life. (with the exception of eddibles of course) I like not having to do anything but weed and trim, and still have a pretty yard. :)

Some kids......

I have always been impressed with some kids who have the ability to fall asleep ANYWHERE. Jade and Josh each fell asleep in their highchair once, maybe twice, but I only remember once each. Of course they have fallen asleep on the couch during a late movie, but they are both "bed" kids.

The other day I caught Eddie asleep in his high chair, his head leaning to the side, but he had a handful of cereal and was popping those in his mouth, ever so slowly, and eating, while asleep. I tried to video it, but he stopped eating right when I started to video, so he just looked like a sleeping baby, how normal.

Today, I was downstairs blogging, and I could hear him playing away on his little piano toy, (the blue thing in the background). Then the playing stopped, and I just assumed his wandered into the kids rooms. But after a while, I did not hear the usual, "OH EDDIE! NO NO, DON"T TOUCH THAT!". I went upstairs, worried I would find him drowned in the toilet or something, but he was safe and sound, looks like he tossed his piano aside, held his empty bottle, and fell asleep.
Poor kid. I know this is normal for some of you, but it's unusual for me to have a child who will just drop somewhere and sleep. He wasn't this way before, but he is a completely different baby since we started him on his new diet. So I guess this is the real Eddie, chill, laid back, sleep anywhere kid. I can swing with that.

*sigh* Oh, Thank You

I have a new found appreciation for flowering bulbs. Never thought much about them before. But while most things in my yard are simply micro buds, spring magic is evident in these amazing flowers I find to be SO uplifting after such a long winter.

btw- Eddie is growing as well, my sore arms and his short pants are telling the tale! (hurray for gluten-free!)

Flanimals ROCK!

I know we have told a few of you about "Flanimals", and some of you may already know about them. They are a series of children's books by Ricky Gervais, (from the BBC The Office, The Extras, and other films, a HILLARIOUS British comedian) My kids love these books. They are in NO way educational, encourage any values, or really appropriate period. They are just down right creative stupidity and they make us ALL laugh. Check out Flanimals one of these days, or you can stop by our house and take a look, I promise you will "have a laugh".

The GOOD kind of pink

I love Jade, I LOVE how she is growing into such an amazing young woman. I love how she is so responsible, other people can depend on her for help.

She is getting the reputation of being the neighborhood pet babysitter. Tonight, as one of our neighbors were showing her what's what for her next babysitting job, they gave her this REALLY nice ski helmet and goggle set.

The first thing my very honest daughter said was, "Thank you, but to be honest, I really don't like pink". (I nearly died at that moment, I explained to her later how to accept a "pink" gift)

But our neighbor explained it was not just "pink", it was for Breast Cancer Awareness.

OK, that is the COOL pink that Jade said later, she will wear with PRIDE. Not just because it is a good cause, but in honor of her favorite cancer survivor, Grandma Alex.

So here is Jade, all ready for the ski day with her dad tomorrow, wearing, of all things....... something PINK. But it's the GOOD kind of PINK.

DaVinci?

Jade had an art appreciation "thing" in her class. (I don't know what else to call it, it's pretty lame, but at least it introduces artists, only 4 times a year) This time they saw pictures by DaVinci, and were asked to make a self-portrait. Jade (quickly) sketched this one at school, and brought it home to ink.
The first one is the pencil sketch, then she went over it with ink and erased the pencil.

Bill told her he has NEVER drawn anything as good as she draws........ in his whole life. (he and I had the same art teachers in high school. He has a creative side most people do not know about, it's not just me she gets her artistic abilities from, plus I was NEVER that good at 10!)

Go Jade.......... keep drawing girl!!!