Special tribute alert

Syd had a big Birthday today and I wanted to do a special tribute post, but then I felt bad because Hub’s B-day was two weeks ago and I never got around to his….and you know how he gets about that sort of thing.  So I think I’ll play it fair and just mush them together. That way everyone gets ripped off a little bit.

                              bad picture of Hub in front of the Jefferson Memorial

Hub took off to DC the day after his Birthday so his celebration included packing and going to bed early.  But that does bring to mind one of his great hidden talents. He is a super packer. Whether it be luggage, cars or meals----that man knows how to fit it all in. I like to just stuff and squish stuff into bags, but Hub has super powers of spatial cognition where everything fits just right.

He’s pretty fun too. He often will ask the kids what they want to do (dangerous territory so I rarely ask such open-ended questions) and then he’ll actually do what  they say. Even if it’s horrible like playing Chutes and Ladders.

Unfortunately Hub is not a showoff so his many skills and talents may be surprising to some. Did you know he is great at math and writing and Frisbee golf? He’s good at most sports but he is also artistic and likes to draft house plans. He enjoyed framing our basement and using power tools. He also can sing and dance. But those skills probably won’t be shared outside of the home…. I could go on, but we’ve got to get onto Syd….

                                 Syd and her new baby with matching 'creepy big eyes' as Ike puts it....

Who is now 2! She showed off her age by climbing out of the crib yesterday with nary an injury or a nap. Aarrrgh.  She looks like an angel, but definitely is more on the devil’s side of late. She can hit, pinch, scratch and scream like a girl twice her age. She’s mastered saying ‘my turn’ even when it’s not, and can blame others for her messes and smells.  She’s also very sweet and will give great hugs and kisses when we’re sad.  She’s Noelle’s shadow most of the day and I love watching them play kitchen, house, church, beach, dance class, etc.

 Syd spent her birthday playing in the snow, cleaning bathrooms with me, hanging out at Ethan’s class, not napping, and playing at the McDonald’s playland with her sibs. She’s going to be getting a new dresser when we get around to ordering it. I am enjoying her being two and not knowing she’s supposed to have a big shebang birthday party. Unlike Ethan, who knows that his Birthday is in exactly 53 days and wants another dinosaur party or go to Chuck E Cheese or Disneyland….

So that was my Birthday twofer tribute. Hope it was awesome for you.

Evidence of my domesticity

Some of you may not believe I have great homemaking skills. Maybe due to the fact that I can't thread a sewing machine, I don't use exotic spices and my craft supplies consist of a box of crayons and a tablet of construction paper? Well, today I am going to prove you wrong with my photo evidences (is that plural? or should it be 'evidi' as in 'cacti'? ehhhhh, I'll google it later). Anyway, enjoy!

EXHIBIT A: Proof that I do not let a penny go to waste. After spending LOTS of pennies on this jar of Nutella (those commercials where the kids eat it on whole wheat toast sold me!) I made sure that we didn't prematurely throw the container away. I think after this picture was taken I still managed to make it last on another whole loaf of bread.....

EXHIBIT B: Hub had a Birthday and wanted some weird fruity thing called pineapple upside down cake. Bless his heart though-- he remembered he was going out of town the next day for several days and the rest of us would not be able to consume the leftovers so he opted for a more family friendly mint ice cream cake. I think the picture actually makes it look prettier than it really was....

Exhibit C: Valentine's Day containers. Ethan wanted a simple box that he basically mauled with markers. And by the time it made it to school on Monday he'd added pirate flags and toothpicks and all sorts of paraphernalia. Ike went for the classic milk jug look. Replete with blond wig, Santa hat, and warthog teeth. Mitch was the smart one who kept his from last year. I even think there was still candy in it...... 

Exhbit D: I am most proud of this accomplishment even if my jealous sister said they looked 'homemade'. I found an online tutorial for no-sew tutus and made some for my girlies for V Day. It was embarrassingly easy and quick and I'd make some for the whole family if I could get my boys into ballet.

 There are a ton more ways in which I am a homemaking goddess and would induce Martha Stewart into salivating with envy, but I only had pictures of the above. Use your imagination to wonder what I do with my ground wheat.....

For Real?

 Yesterday Noelle came running to me upset. “Waaah! He isn’t turning off! Throw him and my zhu zhu pet in the garbage!” After a few more dramatic sobs (she knows it’s Oscar season) she was able to tell me that she was referring to her FurReal dog. You’ve seen these? Cute, little creatures whose heads and tail vibrate upon touch? Not really for real, but close enough for our purposes. Anyway, I tried to push it’s little button to turn it off but it didn’t work. The dang tail kept on wagging and the loud vibrating noise was starting to get annoying. I started hitting it against the table hoping to abuse it in to submission. I threw it on the floor. I read the tag for instructions. Nada. I couldn’t take out batteries because there are none? (How the heck does it vibrate then?? Magic?) This thing was possessed! Just like her zhu zhu pet—months ago Noelle received a zhu zhu pet that was beloved. Until it started going off and on by itself. In the middle of the night.  So Noelle’s love turned to to hate. Nobody likes a possessed toy. And now she had two!

I really didn’t know how to fix it. I tried putting it under the couch pillows to muffle the sound but you could still hear it. Naptime was here and figuring out the possessed FurReal wasn’t high on my priorities, so I did the only thing I could think of. I put it on the porch and hoped it would die or some neighbor kid would come steal it.  6 hours later it was vibrating loud and strong. Still on our porch. Hub arrived home, picked it up, tweaked the tail and fixed it. How come he is always the hero?