I'm thankful for...

At bedtime I encourage e to list some things he's thankful for during prayer. This evening we made a game out of it. He would say one and then when I would go to share mine, he'd giggle and interrupt me with another one of his. Our dialog went a little something like this...

e: I'm thankful for Jesus healing my elbow (he fell and scraped his elbow).

me: Yeah, that's a good one.

e: I'm thankful for Jesus healing my belly.

me: Oh yeah, how's it been feeling? That's so great e.

e: How does he talk to us?

me: He speaks to our hearts.

e: I'm thankful for Jesus healing my knee. Remember that one day...I can't remember, but he healed it.

me: Yeah, I remember you once having a hurt knee, that's a good one too, He's so faithful. Isn't it cool how he made our bodies heal?

e: Can our bones break?

me: Yes. And do you know our bones can grow back together?

(I then went into a description of how they heal using my hands and fingers to show a break and then how they come together/fuse back together. Then I told him it was my turn.)

me: (rushing while e was interrupting) I'm thankful for a nice dinner.

e: I'm thankful for Jesus healing your back.

me: (again rushing while e giggled to get his in) I'm thankful for you.

(And then I stepped it up a notch and started naming a bunch of people.)

me: Daddy, Janine, Pop, LaLa, Grandma, Papa Joe, Uncle CJ, Great Gran, Aunt Celine, Our Church Family......(by this time he's really silly and laughing).

e: I'm thankful for my Daddy creating my house.

me: Oh e! That's wonderful! I've gotta tell your Daddy that one, that's so sweet.

e: (very seriously) You know...we have bones and they heal. (Gesturing with his hands) they go like this and then we put soil with them and they grow back together.

me: (I said nothing but rather made mental note of blogging this entry.)

e: Why do you have that in your hair?

me: It's my barrette that keeps my bangs out of my eyes.

(And after a long pause and time of me convincing e it was time to go to bed e says this to me:)

e: I'll hold your hair back Mommy so it's not in your eyes.

e you are such a sweet boy.

love you son, good night.

A Short List Of Great Words

E has been using some great words lately, he uses them properly in a sentence and can give me their definition.

• Delicate
  
• Participate
  
• Similar
  
• Disgusting
  

Just A Few...

This recent photo was taken at his Daddy's. I love it.

Just a few things said and asked today:

• Although I realize this question is inevitable, it still won't ever be an easy one to answer. On the car ride home from school today e asked why Daddy and I don't live together and that he wished we all lived in one home.
• Tonight at dinner I was singing a silly song. When I couldn't remember the words e reminded me; "Daddy is a greater knower". Me: "your Daddy is a great knower, I'll have to ask him". (Hey Daddy do you know the lime in the coconut song? What are the words?) By the end of dinner e had made up the words, "you put the lime in the coconut and I don't know" (repeat). Pretty funny.
• e and I took a walk after dinner. I pushed him in the stroller not the wagon tonight. We were going over bumpy sidewalks when he said, "we need to get Ewan here." I questioned what made him think of Ewan and he said, "remember Mommy how Ewan and I laugh when we go over the bumps in our wagon?" I love his little memory. Ewan and family we miss you.
  

The Start Of A Collection

My Latest Design Experiment

This is a photograph of my latest design experiment with fabric and paper. For my girlfriend Daniella, I made her a headband for her Birthday. Here is a close-up of the flower details of the second headband I designed. 

I've decided to do more handmade gifts being inspired by so many new design trends and by my pocket book. With less money going into my "gift" budget I've managed to create two designs for two dear friends. The other design, that is still in testing after making a batch that only half survived, is the "Little Abbie". This feather barrette needs a little more attention to detail before going out to the masses (see below). 

I'd like to say that I'll make lots of these and give Etsy a try but I'd rather keep my expectations low and surprise myself. I'm known to have lots of big ideas and not follow through, it's my design handicap.

I hope to follow this entry with many more designs along with a creative direction. I think it will be fun to get a group of girls together of all ages to do a little photo shoot with some of these pieces. While laid up in bed with a horrible cold I've managed to get quite a few flowers created so let's see where this goes...shall we? Instead of "see ya", I'll say "stay tuned".

  

This is me at Abbie's 30th Birthday wearing a "Little Abbie".

My table setting on HGTV

By accident this evening I found this link:

http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/table-setting-inspiration/page3.html

I was doing a Google search to see if you can connect to this blog by searching my name. I'm still learning all the in's and out's to Blogger and was wondering how easy others can connect if they don't have the proper URL. To my surprise was this little blurb on my table design.

On Flickr I have a few of my photographs and designs. I sent this image to a HGTV group I joined but didn't know it would be picked up and written about. I love what they had to say, it made me smile that they highlighted the design.

The Office

Ummm, what? Huh? Is this a post?
...yes, yes it is! And after I share this story I'll post a long list of events I need to cover!

When I picked up e from school today I saw that this evenings teacher was a substitute so she didn't have much to report during her short shift, so I asked e how his day was.

After offering to hold his graham cracker he started sharing a story that quickly got him flustered. It started off with him saying he "didn't do anything wrong", or "bad" or "naughty" which I of course questioned. He then stopped at a little lounge area, sat down on the couch and told me, "me and Ms. Ann had a 'serious' talk today". He didn't want to share the details of this "serious talk". I got down to his level and told him how it takes courage to tell the truth and that I wanted him to speak from his heart. Yes, I seriously say those words to him for those perhaps giggling or taking notes.

The story jumped around a little but I did clearly get that he ran from Ms. Ann and had to go to the office. We passed by the office on our way out and I asked the girls up at the front desk if they knew anything about his bad behavior today. One woman with a soulful voice said, "ummmmm hmmmm, I know he did something but I didn't get the details". The other woman stopped and shared a bit more to help put his pieces together. Apparently children who jump from cot to cot in the classroom during nap time get to go have some "quiet time" in the office so they don't disrupt other children's sleep.

I told e as we walked out to the car that we needed to call and talk to Daddy, tell him honestly what happened, he hesitated at first then agreed. We continued to talk a little bit about what is the "right and wrong" thing to do. He told me he appologized and then decided to compare and contrast the "serious talk" he had with Ms. Ann to some of our "serious talks". Then without skipping a beat shared that at Daddy's he "doesn't have any 'serious talks' with Daddy"... I had to stop myself from laughing!

We had a great rest of the evening. e called his Father and shared the news (well, I did then he did). He's apologized not only to the teacher but to both his Father and I so I've laid it to rest. Nothing like getting called to the office for the first time. Can't wait to see Ms. Ann on Monday and get her version of the day.

Now for the list of blogs I MUST get to writing:
(Not in any special order and I'm certain I'm missing thousands in between)

• Mother's Day
• Our trip to England
• A shift in our schedules
• Your audition
• Your theatrics
• Easter 2009