Happy Valentine's Day.

I love you, schmoopy-poo.

Overheard

We were discussing the possibility of cutting down our own tree this year. We will usually go cut one down, tie it precariously to the top of the car, & enjoy some hot chocolate in the freezing cold. Normally it snows THE DAY we want to go & get said tree. A good, albeit cold, time is had by all. This will be Jack's first Christmas, so we'll see.

Dylan, Alex & Jackjack are in the backseat. Dylan pipes up saying he wants one that we 'put together ourselves'. Last year, Dylan helped me sort out all of the branches, put it together, and assisted in the placement of the ornaments. Usually a good half-a day production; with the sorting & arranging, and lighting.

He told Alex, "Santa didn't know! He still brought us presents!"

for no other purpose other than just because.

I love Kate moss! and Johnny Depp! And lovingly, Carlotta has placed the two together.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Be sure to take the time to review her entire post; the photos are awesome if you are a Kate + Johnny lover. It makes me wish I was Kate, or very much like her... & Johnny... well, he's been a crush of mine for YEARS.

Enjoy!!

See, kids? Reading is sexy.

My bookshelves have been featured on a blog called "book lovers never go to bed alone". You should go check it out. View my shelf [here], if you haven't already seen it.

My jaw fell open last night...

...and I haven't stopped smiling since!!! My cousin April just got engaged yesterday, to a lovely man named Ryan whom I've yet to meet. But I will!



Congratulations!!!!

I'm not bitching, I'm decluttering.

I am so very grateful that I have the work I do right now. Creatively, its keeping me going in between my own paintings. Financially, I'm not going to discuss it. Lets just say Fredward is very happy about my decision to return to work this fall. I am hoping that I am able to keep the creative juices flowing and eventually have enough NEW pieces to hold a show.

:big sigh:

I hope, with the utmost sincerity and skill, that I can complete all of my tasks at hand: 1- the logo for the newest Chapter of Wisconsin Campers Association- the East Troy Area Country Campers. It will be a damn shame and an epic failure if I can't figure it out. I'm getting there; Lorie, don't get stressed. I'm working on it... I've just had a major brain fart & its still a little cloudy in here. I want to make it perfect [because, you know I am ;) ] and easily made printed or embroidered. The making-it-easy-for-embroidery is a little more difficult, but never fear! I've come up with something! I just need to get it on paper, then into the computer. 2- The odd tasks/ creative spots at the Fox residence. I have a lot to do, and trying to do it with a baby whose just started cereal & baby food, is a whole new venture! Its like re-revolving yourself around the baby's schedule... again! Who knew? 3- The scenery for Camp Venture. I did 3/4 of my swamp scene today... & I'm pretty happy with it too! I've got a bit more to do, but I feel that I can get it done. 4- The very random, and very present, ideas that keep presenting themselves as FABULOUS artistic developments. I am extremely intrigued to get them all together, and I sincerely hope I can throw together an art show before the years' end. Which also means I'll have to find a way to get a hotel room with a waterpark, so the kids don't complain about said party.

:inhale. hold. exhale. [yes I'm doing that as I type] repeat.:
:find balance:

My grandparents are still in town, and I'm trying to divide my time between spending it with them, because I don't have much time until their drive back to New Mexico. I wish they would stay here, but I completely respect their decision to go home. Its home. Its been their home for the last 22 years. I can still dream...

I'm a little torn that Dylan has been spending so much time with his friends and not with me. I want to feel really good about it, because that means he has friends, however, he's not home very often and we don't get to do much together :whine- omg, don't I sound pathetic?: I realized tonight that it is not unusual for us to not have any children at home except for the baby lately. Alex has his friends, and between Sam and his grandparents, I hardly see him too.

I can't wait for school to start, because then I'll always know where my kids are [being the same place every day]. I know where they are; I am a good mom- cripes, I don't let the roam the neighborhood, but you know? I feel I could get so much more done with them at that special place, I know and love so much.

Okay I think I'm to the point of rambling, so if you've made it this far, congratulations! You've won the opportunity to gaze at my adorable son.

G'night, everyone.

LOVE

As much as I can, I'm visiting my Grammy while she is here. She & Grampa come north every 4 years or so, and while she is here, she's getting some of her medical issues looked at. We have better medical care here, than they do in New Mexico.


Gramma, me & Jackjack [he's trying to sabotage the camera, he's yanking on the cord.]


<3 So you think I'll look like her when I'm 83? Hope so... she's beautiful.

My African violets. I bought these 3 years ago, when I started working at the hellish call center... they had flowers when I purchased them, and this is the first time in 3 years they have bloomed.

jackjack loves his toes

Oh! And Jackjack is starting the cereal & formula combo... hopefully he'll be weaned by the end of August, so I can go back to work! :he drank a full 4 oz!!!:

Hopefully I'll be back to work by end of August, early September.

Priceless

Fred shaved his & Dylan's head today.

"Dylan, go get the vacuum and vacuum up all the hair on the floor in the bathroom."

:Dylan goes to get the vacuum, takes it into the bathroom:
:I can hear him pushing the buttons on it:

"Mom, the vacuum doesn't work anymore!"

:I get up from my perch in the living room to check, & sure enough:

"Dylan, you need to plug it in!"

:Fredward & I dissolve into giggle fits in the living room:

"OOOhhh!"

Its goo time!

Yes, goo. What is coming out of his mouth is the goo left over after he's "eaten" his first rice cereal. It looks like a cross between puke and formula. No chunks, just a bunch of drooled cereal.

He was all "eh, eww.. I dunno about this..."
But like a good little birdie, he opened up again...


Gramma was ecstatic to see him eat cereal for the first time.

Needless to say it went better the second time. I swear he ate, but I don't know how much actually ended up in his mouth.

Seriously? Who bites people on the nose?

This guy.



Can I have a kiss, honey?

WTF? YOU BIT MY NOSE!!!!!

:tears flow from my eyes due to either the fresh bite on my nose or the horrid stench his ass is fumigating the living room with:


Yea, imagine how it smells in here. He could have very well pinched one off in his shorts. Don't strain yourself by pushing....



What is it honey? Is it scraping you from the inside out? Hee hee hee....



All the, ah- shit, he puts me through, and yea. I still love the guy.


Smooch-worthy, isn't it??? I know, he looks completely surprised by the kiss. He's such a fucker. But, he's my little fucker.

I finished on time and on schedule.

For this episode, I'll refer you to Accomplished Anything?

It turned out well. You should go see. Really.

Deadlines and Parenting

So I've started the baby Helmet that I've been asked to do. Because the object in question is such a critical piece [quite literally- this helmet reshapes the boy's head, so its round, not flat in multiple spots, as his parents told me], Fredward needs to and has offered to care for the kids so I could focus on my new project and not have to worry about making dinner or taking care of the boys this evening. Exception, being Jackjack, when he needs to be fed. Problem being, Jack screams when Fred is trying to care for him, either because he [Fredward] isn't me, or because Fred isn't standing up. The boy doesn't like to sit down - actually, he doesn't like it when you sit down. He wants to be up and moving and going. So I ended up taking Jack a few times throughout the evening when I just couldn't take the screaming anymore, because he wouldn't stop. No, its not colic, he is just unhappy with Fred in the evening hours. Usually because he doesn't take the greatest of naps during the day, so he is cranky as all hell by the time Fred gets home.

The other boys don't seem to notice Fred is in charge, either.

Alex came into the kitchen fully expecting me to start dinner after my guests left, and to his surprise, I took the helmet and went into the studio without another word. He looked completely puzzled as Fred explained that Mom has to work on a project that has to be done by tomorrow, and that he has to help me out tomorrow. Take care of Dylan and Jack- Mom will feed Jack, but you'll have to play with him.

:side note- this ought to be interesting:

Dylan comes up to me; "Ah, Mom?"
'What, Dylan?'
"I don't like brown beans."
'Tell someone who cares. Tell dad. I'm working at the moment.'
Dylan was present during the Authority change explanation. He also heard it earlier in the day. I have no idea if it registered or not though.

And Jackjack, of course, screamed and cried and carried on and on and on. Then I took him, attempted the calm-down ritual, fed him, and gave him back to Fred.

What? I've got work to do. This Helmet isn't going to paint itself.

Summer is official.

We've been at the beach, playing in the sprinkler, and hiding out in the air conditioning avoiding the fierce glare of the Midwestern intense heat/humidity combo. Jackjack had his first foray into the lake this weekend, swim diaper and all. The kid smelled like sunscreen for two days. I bathed him, I swear.

But he didn't burn, thank goodness. Through my sunglasses, I could have sworn he was a little pink, but that could have just been from being in the water.

Dylan, ever the daredevil when it comes to water, continues his quest to jump off the pier to see how far he can actually go.

This little guy has taught himself how to swim. It totally blows my mind, too. He can hold is breath and swim under water, he wears his goggles, and regularly challenges himself. I am so proud.

Between sleepovers and playtime at friends houses, its actually rare to get all three boys together lately. Never thought that would happen, but I'm grateful it has. It means my kids have friends, and are determined to keep those friendships.

But here they are. And I love them. Look how much they have all changed! My goodness! They are growing and changing on a daily basis. They are getting older, more mature. That doesn't mean I'll admit to getting older. I am, but I refuse to grow up.

I love the Red Hot Chilli Peppers

So much. I remember hearing BloodSugarSexMagik and remember thinking what an awesome album it was. Is. Still is.



This was in the early years, when I was just, ah, "experimenting" with music. I was young enough to be living at home, and heavily influenced by my parent's choices. My dad's thing was the Oldies of the 50s & 60s, and had to be one of the only people I knew who didn't care for the Beatles. My mom liked John 'Cougar' Mellencamp, as he was known back then [she still does, I think]. Granted, BloodSugarSexMagik came out quite a few years later, but still. It was this raw, crazy sound to me, and I remember going to my cousin's house to play- she had the CD, and would let me crank it when I was over. I would listen to the entire album, over and over. I loved her for that. Still do.

I was fascinated, even back then, by all of their tattoos. The inside cover had photos of all of their tattoos... I would look at all the different designs, and try to match the tats with their owners. I love the pictures and how they looked as they were wrapped around various parts of their bodies. How yummy they looked covered in tattoos.


To this day, I love two things: Loud music and tattoos. Apparently, not much has changed. And I'm okay with this. I still think guys with tattoos are hot: see my husband for further proof. And I still listen to whole albums, over and over and over and over again. In a single song era, whole album appreciation is vital. Well, at least, for me it is.

Happy listening, folks.

June 21, 2003

I got married 6 years ago on this day. I married my Fred, the man who has consistently made me laugh for the last 10 years. He carried me through the rough times, and laughed at me during all the other times. We are raising 3 boys together and have decided that our family is complete. Our anniversary falls this year on Father's day. Happy Father's Day, Fredward.




He made me the most awesome gift- which I avoided sharing with you all on Friday night when he gave it to me. I have been having some trouble with my inspiration lately. He captured my inspiration and put it in a box, so that when I lose it, its always in a place where I can find it.



And I love him.