SNOW!

I'll do better when I feel better, I promise. Until then, here are a couple of links...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icrecPy3fkk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQjQ4WaAbd8

A Self-Inking Adventure

I will update with pictures of Ivy and our long weekend's happenings on Monday. For now, here's a little glimpse at Alex's adventure in self-tattooing...

This lovely spiderweb has quite a creation story. Fifteen years ago, Alex (ever the thinker) had an idea that he could create his own tattoo machine. Using a sewing needle, the casing of a mechanical pencil and who knows what else, he did just that. The spiderweb was the only tattoo he gave himself, but now... years later... he had decided that the spiderweb needed an update.

.

Now those of you who are still bare-skinned may not know that tattoos can be a rather costly accessory. Alex had the thought that if he could do a decent tattoo with a homemade machine, he could certainly do a better job with a real tattoo machine, and he wouldn't have to pay someone else! So, he purchased his very own machine courtesy of eBay, and replaced the ageing spiderweb with a star. In this picture he is finishing the outline...

This is merely the first of what is destined to become of galaxy of stars in varying sizes, but for those of you who heard the story earlier in the week I wanted to go ahead a post a visual for you, even if it is unfinished.

As for how rational I think this is, most of you know where I stand... Still, I guess it's an improvement over the original. ;)

Brag Blog

This week's only happening was when I opened Ivy's closet and she took out diapers instead of toys. When I found her she had laid out a floor full of diapers ready for a baby. I asked her what she was doing and she replied, "Mr. Bunny need a diaper." "Oh," I said, "Well, that's good practice in case God sends us a baby brother or sister." Her reply? "I need a baby sister."

Since it's a slow news week so I thought I'd catch up on my bragging... what, you thought I did that every week? Okay, maybe I do, but this one will be a blatant "Can Do" list. There just isn't enough room in her baby book to list all her accomplishments, and I don't want to forget them. Forgive me, or check back next week when things are more interesting! :)

Here are some of the things Ivy can do in this, her 26th month on Earth...

*Sing the ABC's, and what impresses me more is that if you sing part of it she'll pick up where you left off.

*Read her name, Momma, Papa, and Bojangles (I don't know why that is the environmental print she's picked up on.)

*Find Plaza Sesamo on the DVR with minimal help.

*Say complete sentences with 6+ words. Today I was caught by surprise when she said, "Momma, I don't like my pants."

*Put a napkin in her lap when she eats (it usually falls, but the effort makes me proud).

*Say her blessing... either "A_B_C_D_E_F_G_Thank you God for feeding me!" or "God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our food."

*Sing parts of tons of songs... Itsy, Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle, Santa Clause is Coming to Town, Feliz Navidad, Jingle Bells, Mr. Sun, Wheels on the Bus, If You're Happy and You Know It, Jesus Loves Me, Ring Around the Rosey

*It makes me laugh when she generalizes words... all flowers are Roseys (because of the aforementioned rhyme), Barbie is Barbara because of a relative, Carl is corra (run in Spanish).

*Wear big girl panties for a whole day (with lots of reminders, still)

*Ask for things that meet her basic needs (and then some... chocolate)

*Get her own cheese and yogurt from the refrigerator and get her own spoon from the drawer.

*She sorts the silverware into the tray when the dishwasher is clean, but we're going to have to work on the "dirty" part because after snack or a meal she takes her own dishes to the sink and then tries to put her dirty silverware in the drawer... :)

Okay, that's probably enough for one week.

Now, to appease an old friend, I'm going to post a couple of pictures of me in college and me now. I said I'd do this back before Thanksgiving, but I never got around to it. I'm very blessed to be on this road called motherhood. Having a reason to take care of myself and to be a healthy example has been good for me. Thanks, Ivy!

Here's a DG sister and I in the Spring of 1999... this was near my heaviest.

With my sisters again in 2007... My dear SFA friends and I in 2000...
My SFA friends (-Randi, +Rebecca) and I this summer... Alex and I in August 2004... Me last month...