Woody Woodpecker Lives in Our Trees!!

We have some pretty big holes in our trees made by woodpeckers ... Jamie is intrigued by them because he hears them but never sees them.

They are sneaky little buggers, I rarely see them myself but they are always out there just knocking on wood!!

I've made references to Woody Woodpecker but he's too young so maybe we will have to find some old cartoons for him to watch. The holes and lines are pretty artistic but sadly they bugs are killing our poor tree. We've had a few yard maintenance days where we had to trim it back so the dead parts don't affect the healthy parts.

Just another random adventure in our own backyard!

Until our next cup of tea ...

Batter Up! Time to Rally Around the Home Team!!

Well our little Monkey has just finished his first season of Little League Baseball and it was an experience for us all! He was one of only 3 4 year olds, all who barely made the cutoff age by a month or so. The other 8 kids had played both Sping and Fall of last year in Instructional T-Ball and are moving to T-Ball.

Oh, was fun it was to watch him play, though most of the time he was dancing, practicing to be a Ninja Turtle or Superhero or picking clovers. The three of us moms were assured that all of the others did the same thing at this age, so hopefully next year will be more actual playing.

He was great at hitting and fielding, but once he was bored, other interests took over.

He did swim for about a year (you'll see that in previous posts from 2011) and even spent six weeks in soccer (the coach spent all her time on her phone and we had a lot of "breaks" where the kids sat around.) I decided that I should probably start a scrap book for him with photos and stuff because if I wait too long, it'll just be overwhelming. So I spent a few hours pulling out scrapbook paper I'd collected, sorting through digital photos and ordering prints and gathering notes of what I wanted to do. Finally I was ready to start!! Let the fun begin!!

Here is the first page for baseball. I wanted to get all his team info on there because I'll never remember. I can't even remember kids from his preschool class last year, much less any of his teammates years from now.

Well, I'm off to get some more pages done while he is running errands with Daddy. Ah, the life of a crafty mom!!

Until our next cup of tea ...

Operation Organization: Keeping Up with the Toys!!

Jamie is 18-months-old and since we moved him into his room at 3 months I have been wanting to create a "cubby" system for his toys. For the most part his toys were in one of two baskets, either in his room or downtairs in the livingroom. In my mind they were contained, but recently I was informed that I didn't have enough toys for him.

The cubby system kept getting put on the back burner because I couldn't find a shelf in the same wood color as his bedding. I guess it wasn't that necessary, but I'm OCD and things have to be the way I see them in my mind.

Well, recently I conceeded and agreed that white wouldn't be that bad either. So after months of rolling my pennies I finally went and got the cubby system Target yesterday. (Seriously, I literally rolled change for months finally accumulating $104.)

With a little help from the little man and some heavy sighs from the pup for interrupting his 18-hour nap, we did it. Here's some photos:

(Before)

(After)

He did this minutes after I put all the toys on it -- He's smart and stood to the side to push it over, but we had a little talk and, Grandmas (real and adopted) don't worry, he hasn't done it anymore.


Spoiler alert, Elissa: I made you the same multi-purpose blanket for Baby Carson and Definately, don't be shy to "break it in", it's durable enough to take out fishing with Daddy and Mommy!

My little handy helper even pitched in ...







There still more that I want to get. I need 3 more containers and there were some larger bins on wheels probably good for his bigger toys like balls or large trucks and then there was a laundry hamper. I'm pretty happy with it and we'll slowly get more stuff. We move in Decemeber, so I'm hoping that at the next place we can paint his room a tan color and the red and navy will really look good. I'm not too proud to accept gifts either, so if anyone is in Target and wants to get a gift card, I'll send me address! :-)

Well, I'm off to figure out how to get the videos from my iPhone uploaded on here, so have a great weekend!

Keeping Busy During Deployments

Now I've said it many times ... and those who have followed my blog for a time has seen the results of me keeping busy during deployments. Yes, I completed my masters, worked as a civilain journalist for the Army and was selected as one of 17 (paid) Battalion level Family representatives ... but I'm talking about "me" time.

Its different for everyone, but for me, it's a variety of crafts that keep me sane ... and blogging. Since the baby arrived I must say I have been more stressed because I have noticably less time for both ... things come up, plans change, life happens. During this pass deployment I had planned to make a small quilt ... not quite a "lap quilt", but something like it. I had some beautiful fabric I had gotten at JoAnn's a few years ago that I was going to decorate the formal dining room with, but when my father-in-law passed and we got my husband's grandmother's antique cherry wood sining table and hutch, those plans changed a little. Other than adding some wine-colored curtains, the room was complete, throw rug and all.

But I fell in love with the burgandy paisley fabric and a complementing striped one, so just before he left I decided to make a simple 9-inch square quilt ... and maybe pillow case with any extra. After doing the math, I realized I could make a nearly 5-foot square quilt ... with blocks on both sides ... if I was efficient. Well, I'm a military wife, I sleep efficiently!

So I went to JoAnn's (conviently located across the street from my gym- talk about incentive!). There I found 2 complementing fabrics, a brown and a green, that didn't compete with the busy paisley and striped ones.

I came home and cut down the fabric one night after the baby went to bed. The deployment (thankfully) was only a few weeks this time and there was a lot of unplanned things, like the baby getting sick, family coming to visit, mutant mosquitoes attacking the baby causing his face to swell ... well you get the idea. So I didn't get to start sewing on it until the week hubby returned. Luckily, the large blocks and easy "patterns" allowed me to finish it over 3 days- a total of 9 hours. Each side has the same blocks, but in a different pattern.

"Front"

"Back"

When I completed the front and back measured 54-inches ... and you know me, I need even numbers, so I decided to add 6-inches of border. True to my luck they only had the brown fabric left, the green was gone, so I decided to get a tan that I had originally looked at but felt that a brown and tan might make the quilt a little too "dark". My luck didn't return when I get to the register and realized I was one coupon short of the items I had. Not too bad since the price was good already, but I realized when I was working out before going to the store that so far all of the fabric had either been on sale, on clearance or with a coupon. Darn! So close!

Well, I still have to add the border and find someone to quilt it for a price that won't leave me short on diapers or milk, but I'm kind of excited! I'll post photos when I get it completed ... hopefully soon.

(BTW, I'm well aware of the irony of making a quilt in the middle of summer ... in South Florida!)

Well, off to work on another quilt!

Too Funny Not to Share ...

Now, I know years from now Jamie will protest and fight when I bring out baby pictures, especially ones like these, but it was too funny not to share. While we were in Houston we also met my brother's baby girl for the first time and so my mom (and us in tow of course) took the babies to get 4th of July pictures done of the babies. In true Jamie fashion, he stole the show with his antics and funny faces!

(This one was my favorite! I don't know if he was thinking "Eww, stinky feet!" or "Yucky ... girls!" He makes me laugh so much.)

(This one was funny too. Already trying to get a peek under the girls' dresses! I'm gonna have to keep an eye on that boy.)

Until our next cup of tea ...

One Cool Dude!