Vintage

I guess this post is going to qualify me as "vintage".
This is me in a dress my Grandma Jones gave me.  I am around 1-2 months old and being held up by someones hand beneath a shag rug (thus the extra round face).  My mom saved this dress and it was used on dolls and such, but is now mine.  So...

Tennyson thought it would be fun to model a funny ruffly vintage dress.  She totally rocks it.  I hope it gets warm enough that we can wear it to church.

I need to get the picure of my Mom with the curl on top, I think Tennyson looks like her in that picture.

The Quilt - aka The Beast

It is finally all pieced together.  I hope to never do it again (but I will).  I hate it, I hope a little absence will make the heart grow fonder.  It is in the mail to get machine quilted and maybe when it gets back I will like it.  It is just too busy for me.  Maybe if I put some solid pillows on the bed and a solid aqua throw or something...  (share your solutions please).

All folded up because 63 squares is too much to take in.

Friday Night Football

Grahm was lucky enough to have one evening game on a Friday.  Like most of their games the weather was wonderful....ly awful.  I know it is not "cold", but I have adjusted - and it is too cold for a baby.  Talking about Tennyson, not me.  Then you throw in some rain and it is miserable to be sitting on the metal benches that stay cold and keep a river of water running into you. 

But, it was the most fun I had watching a game.  Grahm was on fire.  He scored a couple touchdowns and grabbed some flags. 

The dedicated Cheerleaders 

My Valentine gave me these, so I am hoping for rain tomorrow morning (I have 2 games to cheer at).

My Baby

Some Yummy Baby Pics

Last Minute Valentines

Here on the Island if you are not shopping 1 month in advance you can forgot being able to find anything you need.  We finished shopping for Christmas before Thanksgiving.  Anyone who knows me knows I function best last minute and in a crunch - I think because I am forced to focus.  I don't like to slowly work on anything.  Projects get all of my attention until they are done.

Currently my project is a quilt (oh, and taking care of a baby and 3 kids and a husband - you know - laundry and stuff).  So, I have not been thinking about Valentines day, until it was time to make them.  I didn't want a project.  So first, I avoided looking at any blogs for ideas (so glad I did).  Second, we will just buy the goofy ones from the store - none to be seen.  I couldn't even find a conversation heart.  Third, come up with a quick  - make the kids - happy idea.

They couldn't be too girly.  Origami Envelopes with Tokyo Tape and Chocolate Hearts.

Face Painting

At the Dental kids Christmas Party they offered face painting.  This is what my kiddos chose to have painted on their faces.

 Nothing says Christmas like blood - Maybe he got run over by the sleigh?

A skull, cross bones and a snake - super Christmassy (is that even a word?).

Sorry - these pics were forgotten on the cell phone until this week.

The Nursery Rocking Chair

I have been really slow to post the finished pictures of the rocking chair we refinished.  I wish I had before pictures.  It started out in  pieces in a 5 gallon bucket.  I snagged the pieces from my Grandma's basement, it was an unfinished project of my Grandpa's.  Jason figured out the puzzle, replaced a piece or two and then it waited for me to get around to doing something with it.  So I brought it here to finish up and to use. This is the first time I have had a rocking chair that I have used for rocking a baby to sleep.  Tennyson just needs a little more snuggling to get to sleep than the others did.  We have loved it.  The re-upholstery job is not perfect - we don't have many tools here.  The next time it gets a face life I will have my Mom and my Grandma handy to help me make it look even better.

Any ideas of what to do with a bunch of tacks?

The Pursuit of Beauty

I think a universal human desire is find or create greater beauty in oneself.  It is a billion dollar industry and worldwide.  Here are a few off the shelf beauty aids I found here in Okinawa.

Here we have a "belt" to wear at night to keep your face from sagging.  I recently read that running can make your face sag (bounce and gravity), maybe we could start wearing theses to run in.  The other item is used to roll away cellulite.  Charlotte and I like that it is pink, Jason thinks it would be better if used for a massage.

Nose too big?  They also have something similar for your mouth (forgot to get a pic) - too narrow and it will widen you smile.  If your smile is too wide it will pull it narrower.

These are the ultimate for your face - I think they fight wrinkles and help your skin - keep your night creams in place for more effectiveness.  As you can see - they do have lots for the men as well.

Dental Visits

During the Holiday break we took the three older kids in for a dental checkup.  It was the first time Grahm or Charlotte had been to see "The Dentist" - Jayce endured a visit while "The Dentist" was in school.

They all enjoyed getting a few X-rays.  Tennyson and I bounced around in the hall and tried to keep the other two children entertained with whatever I had in the Mary Poppins Bag that day.  So far so good - No Cavities!!

Football

Football season is in full swing for us.  The boys have spent December practicing and gearing up for the season and now we enjoy practice twice a week and games on Saturday.  With both boys enjoying their first season of football it keeps Jason busy.  We are lucky that they practice the same days of the week at the same field one after the other.  Jason plays catch with Grahm while Jayce is at practice and then they trade. 

They are in different age brackets.  The crazy thing is that they are both Packers.  I guess I had better go buy some green and yellow to wear.  Half the season they both play games at the same time, which is too bad - but then it is only 1hour of our Saturday. 

Any one who knows me knows that I try to keep things looking brand new for as long as possible.  They came home from their first practice covered in mud (new cleats and my car!).   Quick initiation into the club.