Auction for Two Little Ones

Claire and Benson Skinner were both born with an a rare genetic mutation in their liver. It is called Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1. Claire had been on dialysis her entire life for three hours a day. She is waiting list to receive a kidney / liver transplant. Benson will need transplants soon also. They are trying to raise the $500,000 that is needed for the procedure.

When we found out we were moving my computer crashed, complications started with Ruby and chaos ensued. Than is when I put Etsy on the back burner. Off the stove really. But when I see a great effort like this one , I want to contribute. The great ladies of BLOOM are putting on a great auction for them. I am auctioning my two most popular prints at today and tomorrow. Please come participate! To learn more check out http://cotaforbensonandclaires.com/ .

A taste of parenthood

Look at what my brother is doing in Africa! He is helping to save at risk baboons. Does this picture look strangely familiar to you? It does to me. Looks like what I do everyday.

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why oh why?

I have wondered this for about five years and I have yet to figure it out.

How does a child ever get the idea to eat one of their boogers? Really? I mean do they pick and think...mmm, tasty! Children have been doing this for as far as I can tell...forever. Did the practice originate in times of famine and then passed on from generation to generation? It is not something unique to the U.S. I saw a little boy in Chile eating one of these tasty morsels on a bus and once a little tot at a bed and breakfast in Edinburgh and of course my own little ones have tried this delicacy.

On Friday I went to the Thanksgiving festival in the Kindergarten room.  We have the most wonderful teacher for kindergarten. She is the reason we bought our house!  She puts on magnificent productions for every occasion.   There sat Middle Mac, beaming with pride. He belted out each number, his hand actions so big that they precluded his neighbors from doing theirs. Then in the tradition of feasts, he had his own little feast in the middle of a stirring rendition of "Deep and Wide".

Possibilities

After a crazy morning-showers, scriptures, breakfast, teeth brushing, hair combing, clothing decisions, homework gathering, library book searching and book bag hunting, my two little ones and I feel just marvelous as we shut the door behind their older siblings and hear...nothing. It is beautiful. It only lasts a minute though and then my youngest son begins his prattle. "Mom, can I have hot cocoa and read a book and go on a walk and go to the museum and do my workbook and look at my chart and go to the Thomas store and watch movie and go to he park and play in the sandbox...." and so on and so on. I feel just the same way. Three glorious hours of possibilities. I can go to Winco, go pick up that soil at the nursery, bake some bread, return that shelf to Walmart, go to the park, shop for my husbands birthday, go walking, do some laundry, work in the garden, read to the littles, clean the bathrooms, clean out my car....and ao on. I only dream of the day where sew, draw or decorate are back in the running. So there I sit. Making lists as I nurse the baby and the world is my oyster. And then my ADD manifests and i spend the next three hours flitting from thing to thing, stopping occasionaly to play blocks or wipe a bum. All the while getting nothing done, but working up a sweat anyway. Before I know it we are buckling up in the car to pick up middle Mac. My youngest son fights the buckle--"NOT YET...it isn't time yet. PLLLLEASSSE." My sentiments exactly. Now on with the homework, projects, practicing, cooking, baths and bedtime. We will try again tomorrow. Hope springs eternal.

Tahoe

outnumbered!


Beautiful Tahoe! I want to go back already.

(my husband always asks for me not to write about him- he never said anything about pics!)

busy doing what

one of my favorite pieces- because I need a rest and I love Picasso. But mostly because I need some rest.


I have very OBSESSIVE children. My three year old is infatuated with Thomas, red and the letter O. My five year old has thoughts of deconstructing and rebuilding objects instead of important issues like what to wear, eat or flushing for that matter. You can actually see him look at everything in the house with a look that says, "how can I take that apart or what kind of experiment could I conduct on it?" It is very frightening as a mother.

From the time my seven year old was four, he has wanted to be one of two things. That was either a filmmaker or a doctor. I think you can guess which way I tried to nudge him. So naturally, he wanted even more to be a filmmaker. He is mostly obsessed with Star Wars. Funny though because I didn't even let him watch it until he turned six! As he explains, it was in his DNA. He read some of the books, studied the characters and watched "the making of Star Wars" and other documentaries.

Then, one day when his Nana was babysitting, she let him watch Indiana Jones. Oh man! Now it wasn't just Star Wars, it was George Lucas. He even rented a film making series from the library that interviewed him and he would watch it over and over. He writes scripts and had "directed" four short films. He is frustrated though that he hasn't figured out a way to get them into theatres. He would have been a great only child! I guess I just hoped he would move on eventually.

The other morning I was lying in bed, it was after all 5:30. He came in talking, LOUD, as he always does bright and early. Of course asking questions, as he always does bright and early.

"Mom, if George Lucas called you today and asked you to work for Luca Films, would you?"


"No honey, I am a little busy doing something else right these days." I tried to answer without really waking up.

"What?"

I gave no response. Still hoping maybe he would give up and go back to bed. No such luck.

"Oh yeah. Nursing."

Good Friends

One day I was having a particularly hard day. My oldest had been teased at his new school and was missing his old friends, and I was too. I pulled up to my house to find a package in my mailbox. Katy, an old high school friends had sent me a completely unexpected package. If you know me well you know there is nothing in the world I like more than surprises, I love getting them and giving them. I am worse than my kids.

I was so thrilled to find this tiny ensemble! I love it. The blouse might be the cutest little one I have seen. The hairclip is from my sweet friend Karen who made me a bunch to match different outfits.

The funny thing about both these amazing women is they each are mamas to five YOUNG children. They both sew like professionals and do it all. I love reading their blogs, they inspire. I love them and Ruby is far more stylish because of you! Thank you for brightening my life!

Kel- I can't wait until the little shoes you gave her fit! She is getting close. I also regret not having any pics of the darling outfit Aunt Becky and handsome cousin Wyatt sent! We didnt have a camera for awhile. It was from a company called tea clothes that I have always drooled over but never owned! If you havent, check out these darling clothes.