Monday, March 30, 2009

Felt Food Bonanza

I made a bunch of felt food for Baloney for Christmas, to go with her new kitchen. Cost effective, and would provide countless hours of entertainment. And it has. Recently a friend mentioned she wanted to make some for her son for Easter, and of course I'm going on and on about how easy it is and cute. And realizing that I never put any pics up. So here they are... after I went and dug them out of Baloney's little house in the backyard.

(And for those of you that really want to kick my crafty personality in the booty and invite my name calling, storytelling, laughing diva back, it's happening. Soon. I'm just not good about balancing. Ask my 7th grade p.e. gymnastic class.




Carrots, bread, some kind of mystery meat, cheese, tomato, green bean, pickle, and lettuce. My cucumber and banana are missing.




Choc. chip cookie, cookies with sprinkles. I made a whole plateful, and the rest are probably buried under a box of barbies.



raviolis... missing a red squiggly cut out of "sauce"


quesadilla.... every california kid needs one.





Pancakes and eggs. With the bacon missing. Girl must be watching her cholesterol.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Oldielocks at bat


Oldielocks plays softball. She has been blessed with a natural athletic ability, just like her dad. This is her second year,and she really enjoys it. The husband helps coach the team, and I get to sit on the sidelines and chase Baloney and Middle, all while trying to watch the game. Every now and then I shove licorice in their dirt encrusted hands and watch them spend forever chewing. It keeps them busy and buys me time to watch Oldielocks play. Candy is the currency of kids I tell you. And 25 cents for 5... I'm a rich momma.

I'm not the overly laid back parent that would rather be lounging on my bed, yet I am not the red-in-the-face-major-league-player-breeder either. I will tell you this, I expect effort. I will not let my child half ass things, in my house, at school or in sport.

Recently, Oldie wants to pitch. I will always let and encourage my kids to go for it, because if they never try, then they will never know. I was recently posed the question if it was too much pressure, for a 9 year old. Being pitcher. Well can't have a game without a pitcher. She likes it, and asks to do it. The problem is, she does great for the husband, and if she starts off great, she keeps going. If she makes one mistake, she stops. Literally a wall comes down, and she gives up. She will pitch the ball, but it will hit the ground. before the plate. Over and over. She stops moving her legs and that's it. Then she suffers throughout the inning until she walks 4 players.
It's painful, when you know she can do it. I look at it as a learning lesson. That life is gonna suck, but when and where you pick it back up is where it matters.

It's hard work, every day. Practicing, honing skills. Hard work is what sets apart the people who want it.

I honestly think some parents today make the world to easy for kids. That they shouldn't have to be disappointed, that they all are winners, that if they are unhappy it needs to be fixed. I think softball is a great teacher for this. She does have her teammates rely on her, she is responsible to others,, She can learn that you can swing and miss or you can swing and hit, but if you don't swing at all, then you have no chance of ever hitting at all. It's not always going to be easy. You can want something badly for someone else. It's okay to feel pressure, people count on you. And it's okay, to rely on others around you. If she walks away with just having tried, then she will be far better in life then never learning to try at all.

We celebrate her successes. She has her mommy encouraging her from the stands, and her daddy, sitting on a bucket, guiding her through every pitch. If she hears no voices but ours, and knows that we believe in her, I know that she will learn to believe in herself. I remember after her first inning pitching, a parent commented that they really liked how the husband sat on a bucket and talked her through every pitch. He turned to them and said " If I could pitch for her, I would." I hope when she grows up, she'll see why we let her feel sad, why we let her feel frustrated, why we watched, hearts aching from the sidelines as she would throw balls, or miss a play. And all that we ever asked, was that she try.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

For baby Braeden

My dear friend from back in the days is having her first baby. It's been a long pregnancy, a complicated one at that, so I wanted to send a lot of love her way. We used to work together in daycare, and at my home where we used to watch kids together. So she used to love on my kids, and now this is how I can love on her baby.

The theme is airplanes, if you can't tell.



I made these burp cloths.

And made her a hooter hider, she picked out this pretty fabric.. Amy Butler.


The back of Braeden's airplane quilt. Cozy chenille.


The front of the quilt, it has airplanes, blue minky, blue gingham flannel, and brown with white polka dots.




All of the fun presents, complete with airplane outfit, matching binks, blankets, and of course blue and brown dinosaur.



And final product, for her baby shower in a box. Who doesn't love chocolate and blue together.. or chocolate and pink, chocolate and lime green.... love it all.

We are so excited for you Baby Braeden!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Grandma's Quilt



I was at a local fabric store that was going out of business to see what they had. None of my favorite Amy Butler, but I did come across this super pretty purple fabric (erin mcmorris-urban garden). So I started pairing up fabric, and decided I would make a quilt.

I have never made a quilt in my life.... unless you count a rag quilt, which is far easier and not so complicated. But I had many reasons for this quilt.

My grandma lives in Hawaii.
This quilt is so hawaii-esque.
It has polka dot fabric, who doesn't love polka dots....dot dot dot...
My grandma always wears this huge print fabrics
and this is a huge print fabric.

My grandma would sew everything. Absolutely everything.
Then she had a stroke.
or a few.
And my able bodied, free spirited grandma can no longer sew.
Sewing was my grandma's heart, and and to see it be taken,
is heartbreaking.
I figure if I can sew, I'll be her hands for her.
She made my kids blankets when they were born, and now, things will be made for her.
Because that's what love does, it comes full circle.
Like the circles of my quilt.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Why the Internet tries to sabotage my healthy ways....

I have 3 kids.

Three different births, the last a c-section. People have c-sections all the time. The difference in mine was it is straight down my stomach. Not the cute little bikini cut that will hide itself when you work off all the baby weight and buy a skimpy bikini to hang out on the beaches of St. Tropez. Nope, mine is from belly button to pubic bone. It almost needs slices on the side to be an arrow. Pointing down... towards the business. Then I will tattoo "Not always an exit" on it. Because I am creative like that. The whole point in telling you about my split gut is that it does just that. Indents a little inward. And when I gain weight.. Holy moose knuckle. Like a huge cameltoe..... but on my stomach. yes I said cameltoe. I just watch it get baggier. Then I have nightmares of Jon and Kate plus 8, the way her stomach looked pre-tummy tuck. Elphantitis of the stomach flab.

So that and the fact that I swear my backfat and buttfat have decided meet, become BFF's, and be joined at the hip, I have (for real this time, really really reals) decided the chunk has got to go. I even bought an elliptical. Then I learned that you have to use it to become effective. And while you use it, you have to step away from the french fries. Even Del Taco french fries. and cheese enchiladas. And learn that it is cool to eat an apple a day.

Last Monday, I jumped on that elliptical and became a filthy, sweaty beast. And every day since... for a half hour. I feel like I am gonna die....then I just say (in time to the movement) "I will be hot, I will be hot, I will be hot." Because that's my goal. Absolute hotness. Goodbye belly blubber, hello bikini. and uh... pants that fit. I'm eating everything healthy, and fresh. I'm lovin it.

I need recipes for my new hot life. So I'm looking around my favorite food porn website, Foodgawker, and this pictures jumped out and did a striptease in front of me.





THIN MINT CUPCAKES!?!?!?!?!
Holy mother of yumminess!

Thin mint is my favorite girl scout cookie. And oh my sweet heavens... a cupcake.... with them....it's such a love story. I went all over this website... and it has coconut cake, and lemon cakes, it all looks amazing.

So would someone please make these. I can't make them. Fatbag belly, remember. I could do just one........

Must... stay... strong.....

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Fashion worries

Help me pick easter outfits!!
They go in order of Oldie (9), Middle 6, Baloney 2.





One thing though...this dress (orange and pink)is kind of blah... like a cheese sandwhich on white bread. I might add a bigger white bow or something.



If I do the stripes, I will outfit them with shrugs, and you can't see but theyhavelittlebits of tule sticking out the bottom.

And just to be difficult I like this dress too.
ANd if pics are too small, they are all childrens place.

So whatcha think? I need help!
l

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Happiest place on earth

We are heading to Disneyland tomorrow. This year you get to go free on your birthday, so we are taking advantage of that for Oldielocks ninth birthday. Of course, I *had* to make them some disney outfits.



Baloney's outfit. I can't take credit for the design, I saw it while googling and thought I could make that. It was a cinch. I'm going to add a bow to the Mickey graphic. She's going to wear it with jeans and a long sleeve shirt tomorrow since it will be chilly, but it soo can be a sundress.



This is Oldielocks. I'm going to add rhinestone's to the tiara.... being a princess and all.


This is Middle. We call her Mookie, so it's fitting. The heads go all the way around the shirts.