MPM: Preparation

MPM= Mod Podge Mondays, our weekly craft 'round these parts. Around the time that I decided to start this little routine, I was browsing blogs like this which gave me the ice paint idea, and I've been wanting to do it ever since. But I knew it would take some prep work, and once we had a free weekend, I knew I could enlist SOMEONE to help me. So, we're gearing up for ice painting in the morning, hopefully before it gets too hot... or well, because it's hot, I guess.

Squeezing in drops of food coloring

Stirring the colored water

Mom did the pouring, Ian did the rinsing

Fun colors for tomorrow's project

What Seth was doing in the meantime

So, thankfully Seth will be able to participate in our painting tomorrow. That kid is into EVERYTHING these days. I can hardly take my eye off him for a SECOND! He's lucky that he's so darn cute. OK, well, until tomorrow!

For the record

Seth is a stinker!

He had his fifteen month well visit today and checked out just fine... he says 4-5 words, can throw a ball, and can throw a temper tantrum... all normal for this fun age. Well, OK, he IS pretty fun for the most part.

His stats are: 22 lbs. 5 oz. (20th percentile), 31.5 inches long (75th percentile), and 18.75 cm around the head (75th percentile). So, tall, skinny, and top-heavy. No wonder he falls so much. Today Seth is not very happy, though, because he got THREE shots, and he has THREE teeth coming in at the same time (two canines and a molar). Hopefully he'll sleep some of it off during his nap... it's his first time to use a pillow! (It was something the doc mentioned that I hadn't really thought about.)

Rethinking Some Things

Lately I've been realizing some of my own underlying prejudices that I wasn't acutely aware of and now that I am, I feel the need to reevaluate some of my thinking. I've always considered myself a somewhat open-minded person... or at least I am willing to try and see things from another perspective. However, sometimes I am ashamed at the thoughts that pop into my head or the words that come out of my mouth. Where do these things come from and how do I change this about myself? So, part of this realization process means that I need to write these things out, and see where that takes me. You may or may NOT want to go along for the ride.

First of all, I was part of a conversation recently where the person said something like, "Well all those men in that family just found themselves a wealthy woman and haven't worked a day in their lives." She kinda trailed off, and I said something that I felt like she was implying, "So maybe it's a cultural thing." My husband across the room rolled his eyes and called me on it later. And he's right... laziness is NOT cultural (and by culture, I essentially mean race). There are plenty of lazy and hard-working people alike from all different backgrounds, and it is certainly not fair for me (even in just assuming that's what the other person was talking about) to label entire groups of people this way!

So, a couple of week ago, I got a tattoo. And lots of completely normal people have them. From what I gather, this is somewhat of a paradigm shift from when our parents were young, and my generation has embraced it more as an art form. However, some of my own assumptions about people who get tattoos still lingered. For some reason I thought a lot of people got them when they were drunk... as a heat-of-the-moment sort of thing. Come to find out, most tattoo parlors require appointments, and it is technically illegal to tattoo a person who has had a drink (not even necessarily drunk). Also, the tattoo artist said something like, "The hardest skin to tattoo is that thick, tanned biker skin." I said, "And those are the folks wanting the tattoos, right?" She said, "No, my most common clientele are women between ages 18 and 35." Well, whaddya know?

I recently had a dream where Ross the Intern (a gay guy from a Tonight Show skit which I haven't seen in years) was our pediatrician. I was arguing with him about scheduling an appointment, and the annoying high-pitch voice was enough to make this a nightmare. I told John about it the next morning and added, "Plus, I don't think I want a gay guy treating our boys." Um... why not? Why would a person's sexual preference make them any less capable as a doctor? Our pediatrician is heterosexual, has a wife, and therefore obviously prefers females, but I wouldn't think twice about him treating my daughter. I myself saw male OBGYNs, all of whom were married, and there was NOTHING sexual about being cared for by those doctors. So how would having a gay doctor be different, really?

Last week I was trying to schedule a meetup with another mom at a movie theater. A few different options were mentioned (this was being "discussed" on facebook), and I voted for a certain location because that other one was in a "bad part of town." Another person commented, "Just because an area is older and lower income, doesn't mean you should be fearful." Well, honestly, I wasn't afraid of going there, I was mainly concerned about cleanliness... I have a toddler who likes to wander around and pick things up off the floor which then usually end up in his mouth. (By the way, these are "free family movies" designed for moms like me to do silly things like take babies to them.) But why would I assume that a theater in an "older, lower income" part of town would be dirty? And maybe part of me IS fearful, but not really in a sensible way where I am looking out for my kids, but in a prejudiced way... because we live in a bubble and mix with only those who are like us.

So, wow... those are my thoughts. Not really sure what to do with them now that they're out there for all to see, but just some personal rethinking is in order, I suppose. And a good dose of humility. The root of my problem here is that I probably think too much of myself.

Mod Podge Mondays: Glue and Tissue

Well, we were back in action today with another craft. The past few weeks we had been doing them in the morning. This time we waited until the afternoon. Ian woke up from his nap and came into Seth's room where we were playing. He was all bleary-eyed and sweaty and he got real close to me, hugged my arm, and said, "Mommy, let's do our craft." So, we hopped right to it!

So little wads of tissue and glue make great bluebonnets. Ours kinda turned into a bluebonnet blob, so I tried to draw in some leaves to help make them more distinct.

There is often the question of what to do with Seth during craft time. Well, he liked playing in big brother's room with no interruptions.

But then he got a little fussy, so I relocated him for some snack time.

After we finished our bluebonnets, we made a stained glass window with tissue pieces and glue.

Ian mixed up our "mod podge," which is water plus enough glue to get the right consistency.

Inked

Here are answers to the most obvious questions.

When did you decide you wanted a tattoo?
Hmm, about four weeks ago. The idea just kinda popped into my head one day, and when I get an idea stuck in my head, there's usually no turning back.

When did you actually get one?
Two weeks ago on July 9.

Does it mean anything?
It means I wanted a tattoo.

What are you going to think when you're old and wrinkly?
The tattoo artist put it well, "I'll be thankful to be alive."

Did it hurt?
Well, it's wasn't the most pleasant sensation ever, but it was certainly bearable. And I would do it again. (Not saying that I will, but who knows?)

Does John like it?
He likes it a lot. I think he used the word, "sexy." Woohoo!

What does your grandmother think?
Well, we've gotten mixed reactions from family members, but no one has disowned me and quite frankly, there's nothing that can be done about it now!

How long has it taken to heal?
I am two weeks into the healing process, and it has been super easy! It only hurt a day or so afterward, and I've experienced minimal itching and peeling. No oozing or sticking to my shirt or anything like that!

What surprised you the most about getting/having a tattoo? 
The cost... but it is custom artwork, I suppose. And also how many people I notice now that have tattoos, too!

So, here are the photos...

My friend Jana went with me.

Tara in action

I'm still smiling!

Right after it was done

A few days later

Mod Podge Mondays: Simple Scrapbook

We were out of town for the weekend, so I wanted something relatively simple for our Mod Podge Monday project today. I always have scrapbooking supplies on hand, and I found a cute little scrapbook on sale last week, so that became today's crafting effort.

So the name of this scrapbook is "Two Little Monkeys." I recently printed a bunch of photos for my own scrapbooking, so I pulled out a selection that featured my two boys together. Ian loves using all my tools... tape, scissors, paper cutter, and the Cricut! So, here is how it went down...

Gotta tape down the photos!

Ian always picked blue for the matte paper.

Wait, what is Seth up to? Ugh...

Trimming the paper... into small pieces!

No worries, we can use those small pieces, too!

Seth has brother's toy and blanket... haha!

Creating letters on the Cricut!

So, as you can see, this activity couldn't really involve Seth, and well, that boy took advantage of mom's attention to Ian and got into things! Ian also got a little bored with the scrapbooking after a while probably because, well, it's pretty repetitive stuff, and he's done it before. We got about five pages done today. I haven't decided if we'll continue the project together throughout the week, wait until next Monday, or if I will just finish it myself. I have some fun stickers we can use, too, so maybe if I do the pics and mattes, Ian would enjoy adding stickers.

I'm sure I'll learn a lot doing these little crafts... about what works, what doesn't, and how long I can keep kids occupied whether they are doing the same thing, doing different things, or left to their own devices!

Product Reviews

Well, here are some products that I have come to know and love this summer, so I thought I would share them with you.

First of all, I am totally digging this tank top from Old Navy. It's called "Jersey Stretch," and it is super soft cotton, a little stretchy, and wears long on the torso. The straps are a little thin, so it requires a strapless, ahem, undergarment if you want to wear it in public. I mostly wear these to sleep in, actually. They are comfortable, cool, and the "stretch" gives you just a little bit of support. Ever since my nursing days, I kinda like having a little support, but John doesn't really like me to wear a, er, complicated tank top. These are also good for working out! The website doesn't seem to have many colors available, but the stores have tons of fun colors.

For the kids' clothes, I LOVE Children's Place. In fact, I've bought most of the boys' swimsuits there. Their clothes seem very true to size, and they just fit my boys well. They are also very budget-friendly, and they send/give you tons of coupons not to mention they run lots of sales. This summer, the boys are not only wearing their CP swimsuits, they're cool and comfortable in their coordinating cotton shorts and tank tops from there.

Two other summer necessities are sunscreen and bugspray, but don't you hate the way that stuff feels on your skin? Sunscreen always feels greasy, and you usually smell like coconut. Bugspray makes you feel sticky, and the scent is usually pretty yucky. This summer, we have actually found options that we like... not crazy-scented and both feel very sheer on your skin.

And in the summer, you gotta stay hydrated. We just recently consolidated all of the boys' sippy cups down to one kind: the Playtex Twist-n-Click. We try to do blue cups for Ian and green for Seth (they usually come in a 2-pk of one blue, one green). We have found these cups to be the best at withstanding the elements (frequent washing, being thrown, tossed, chewed on, etc.), and we very rarely have problems with spills EXCEPT...

I also bought the ones with this different kind of lid... supposed to help the transition to a real cup, but still offer the spill-proof feature. (Ian CAN use a regular cup, by the way, but I don't trust him with it in transit.) These lids, however, are more difficult to screw on right, and tend to have more problems with leaking.

So, there you have it. Happy summer, y'all!

Mod Podge Mondays: Fun With Finger Paint

We started out our official Mod Podge Mondays with a little finger painting. Well, the paint was labeled "finger paint," but Ian isn't too keen on getting paint all over his hands. But I knew someone around here might enjoy it...

While Seth was busy, I helped Ian with a neat effect you can do with marbles and paint. Put your paper down in a plastic bin and squeeze drops of paint on it. Then add some marbles (also works with balls, cars, Easter eggs, anything that will roll around in there), and shake it around! It makes a cool effect, although most of our crafting today ended up turning brown when all the colors mixed together!

It wasn't long before Ian requested paint brushes, though...

Ian had a tendency to put big globs of paint on his paper, so we also tried pressing papers together to get mirror-image paint splatters. Below is a sampling of the finished products.

Announcing: Mod Podge Mondays!

I have recently decided to establish a weekly craft activity with my boy(s). (Depending on the project, Seth may or may not be able to participate.) I really enjoy doing crafts in general, and I think kids' crafts are lots of fun. And if it involves paint, glue, scissors, markers, glitter... Ian is ALL about that! I've decided to call these weekly crafting adventures "Mod Podge Mondays."

Why Mondays? Well, coincidentally we have done crafts the past two Mondays. Above Ian has cut up a snake skin we got in the mail from Great Grandma and is making a "collage" with it. After we discussed how the snake loses its skin and all, Ian's first question was "can we cut it up?" Um, sure, why not? And we even mod podged it afterward! (Homemade mod podge is equal parts glue to water, by the way.)

Above is our fireworks craft we did last Monday on the Fourth of July. Another reason Mondays are good is because we generally need to have a low key day on Mondays especially if we had a busy weekend before. So, this is a nice stay-at-home activity that will keep us occupied since the outdoor temps of 100 degrees often keep up cooped up inside.

Did you think MESS when you saw the glitter project? Yep, that was a hangup for me... I don't really like messes. But we bought some of this plastic sheeting that I use on the table, floor, and probably on the back porch, too, to help contain our messes. When the craft is over, just fold it all up and throw it away!

And of course, we have to display our art projects! I just bought this fun wall cable system from Pottery Barn Kids (on sale, thank goodness!), and Ian is pretty excited to see his pictures on the wall, not to mention the fun little airplanes to match his room. I plan to post about our Mod Podge Monday activities... so stay tuned for tomorrow's report! Hmm, now I just have to decide what to do!

Oh Pantry Schmantry!

For a long time, my pantry was driving my crazy. A friend posted about some reorganization that she was doing, so I thought I'd jump on board that train. So, here is what it looked like BEFORE:

It was starting to feel SO non-functional to me. I mean, there's all kind of stuff in there from cookbooks to snack food to oil and vinegar to small kitchen appliances. And truthfully, I needed all that stuff to STAY in there, but a reworking was definitely in order. And so...

OK, so you may not be able to see the details, but here's the breakdown. Floor level houses bags (now in a plastic bin on wheels instead of strewn about) and baskets (stacked more neatly) plus the handy dandy stool. First shelf has cookbooks, a box of recipes, and the trays are for cooking magazines and loose recipes that tend to collect on that shelf from time to time. The cheerios don't really belong there, but they wouldn't fit anywhere else.

The second and third shelves basically have plastic bins to separate out snacks and contain smaller items. The paper goods are still on the stacker-shelf. I bought two small lazy susans to help me find things better. You can't see them in the pic, but I also have two narrow graduated shelves to put cans and drink mixes on, again to help me see AND reach things better.

Just across the way from this pantry mayhem was another spot that I simply could not ignore any longer. I think if there was one thing I could change about this house, it would be the size of the laundry room. Alas, here is what it had become...

I am actually embarrassed to show this photo. This is what summer has done to us... the tops of the washer and dryer became a place to catch all the pool gear, craft supplies, and well, of course, random laundry! And so...

One laundry basket for laundry, the other mesh laundry basket is now the catch-all for pool bags, towels, and toys. And the secret to this success? Well...

Inside the door is a small area for hanging things... clothes, I guess, but I never used it for that. This space was pretty much unused except for the vacuum cleaner which found a new home in the garage with the rest of our cleaning supplies, mops, brooms, etc. The best part about this little setup is that I didn't have to buy anything new for it. I already had all the pieces, just needed to put it all together. This is MOSTLY a craft spot which is an activity that Ian and I are enjoying on these hot summer days. I plan to post more about that later.

Phew, I am feeling hot and tired, but successful! John expressed some hesitancy in finding his beloved popcorn in the overhauled pantry. I soon heard the familiar popping sound in the microwave, so he must've found his way around. The ONLY downside to these two little projects is that my treasured label maker is BROKEN. That really would have been the icing on the cake for me... to have nicely printed labels on all my fun little bins. Hmm... a project for another day, I suppose.

Seth Shorts

Two Little Monkeys...

Jumping on the bed! And thankfully no one fell off and bumped his head!