Sunday, October 24, 2010

Pebbles


We didn't pick that pumpkin.There were so many lovelies to choose from, it was hard to narrow down. Today will probably be a carving day so I'll post results later. And I'm making Risotto w/ butternut squash, gorgonzola and toasted pecans...yum!

I've actually planned all the menus for the week and let me tell ya, you wish you were coming to dinner cuz it's gonna be delectable! :)

This is the 3rd year we've come to this farm for our pumpkins and it never disappoints. We picked a cold, rainy day but the boat ride and train ride were just as pleasant and this year they threw ponies into the mix...

One of Maya's teachers told me that someone had brought in a guinea pig to school this week and that Maya was totally mesmerized. She spent over 30 minutes with it and enjoyed every second. The guinea pig's name was Pebbles. Maya drew Pebbles a picture (with smelly markers) and showed it to Pebbles who started squeaking which pleased Maya even more.
When Maya spotted the ponies @ the patch she just had to have a ($6) ride. She put on her helmet, picked her favorite one and off she went (in a slow circle). 

So, can you guess the name of this pony Maya's riding?

That's right! Pebbles. :) 

Owen's pony is named Jet.


Never did get the eyes and mouth on his shirt. The names fell off pretty quick. I kind of figured they would. I wanted to do freezer paper stenciling for the names but I couldn't find pumpkin orange. Oh well...



Below is a sewing mix. (And yes, I loved that first song from the Eat. Pray. Love. preview. And yes, I saw the movie. And yes, I thought it was waaaaaaayyyyy. tooooooooooo. lonnnnnnnng.)
Enjoy.


Sunday, October 17, 2010

You will leave a mark



It was a perfect Fall morning for a whole lot of fun @ Owen's soccer practice and scrimmage. Lots o sun, blue sky, crisp air (a bit chilly) and oh, so lovely.

And while the weather did stay spectacular the whole day, soccer practice was PAINFUL. Oh so painful. 

Owen looked like he'd rather shoot himself in the foot then be anywhere near a soccer ball. 

My husband has the patience of a saint. He's like, not human, in these situations. He's so calm and loving and supportive and SUPER nice. I wanted to grab O and get the hell out of there. It was awful. I can't even describe it. It was kind of surreal how miserable he was and how he acted as a result. (He's never been tantrum prone but very mopey).

But, true to his nature, just as soccer was winding down and everyone was leaving (~approx. 60 minutes later) he was smiling and happy and having a great time. 

UGH! I'm sort of at a loss of what to do. How do you know when to push and when to let it go? He does like playing soccer with Woody at home. It's his innate inhibition and slow to warm-up-ness that make it a big fat drag for everyone for the first hour of anything. 

I think it's an extra stab in the heart for me because every cell in my body gets where he's coming from. I was so him. Kind of still am but manage it differently now. It's such an extroverted world we live in and the quiet, low-pro, sensitive type can have a tough time making it through. 

Whatever my mark on my kid, I just hope happiness prevails. Because he seemed really freaking miserable on 10/16/10 from 9 am - 9:55 am. 

The last five minutes were great!

Thank goodness he has the love of his bestie Nigel. It's endearing how much they mean to each other.

Nigel's mama Denise is the Hamster team coach. She's amazing! She's a wonderful coach and leader for the little Hamsters. So sweet and supportive and FUN. 


Before I get to O's costume (I need some help!) I want to share this awesome recipe with you. It's from Josie Maran's blog (done by her friend or assistant or something). I love her blog. It's really positive and friendly. And all of her make-up passes the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics criteria which is super cool to me. 

A note on the recipe: I used diced tomatoes with roasted chili's mixed in (from TJ's) and that definitely took the recipe farther. Just add a jalapeno or something if you can't find TJ's smokin' hot 'matoes. Also, Woody and I felt like the cheese sprinkled on top took away from the presentation so skip that. You mix cheese with the filling (I used a little goat cheese and mozarella) and that's enough.

It. is. so. so. tasty. Make it!!!

Bat to the Man: 
the goods to make the costume:


My inspiration:


Basically it's a Hanes sweat-suit with the bat emblem wonder-under'd on... 

some shiny black fabric cut into a cape w/ spikes and another bat emblem wonder-under'd...


and I also dyed a fat piece of elastic yellow for the belt which I will stick with velcro. O insists of having a Bat boomerang and Bat rope so he can battle Nigel. Woody made the boomerang and I'm still figuring out the rope. 
And I also sewed some black kind-of-like leg warmers to mimic the black boots. Owen didn't want black rain boots ('mom, boots will be really uncomfortable to walk in, can I just wear tenny's?' Classic. My kid is as practical as me. :)

Here's where I need help: how am I going to make the black underwear-brief thing Bruce Wayne sports when he's wearing the grey and black version of the Batsuit? Should I just buy a big pair of black underwear? But I don't really want a seam opening in the front. 
Hmmmm...
Thanks for any thoughts.

Buenas noches...

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

distractions


Alright. I was all on a roll (for two whole blog posts) and now it's been over a week again. Yeesh. I've got a Batman costume in the works and this new job schedule, while lovely, is  interfering with my morning creative time. 

Anyhoo...Owen is doing well in kindergarten. His teacher says he's a great listener, very observant and stays on task. He told us he really likes kindergarten because they have Parcheesi. 

O is also in a soccer league this Fall. 
They decided to call themselves: The Hamsters. 
Team chant: HAMSTERS EAT NUTS! 
He is very excited that he's on the same team as his bff Nigel but he's still working out his way in the world. Our sensitive little soul played goalie last week and as he blocked a ball from going into the net his team started cheering and clapping.
Owen walked off the field (ok, pitch MBH) and started crying. 

He doesn't dig excessive attention. Any attention really. He likes his space...


Maya is taking a dance class this Fall. Our tiny dancer LOVES her dance dresses and we all love her teacher. We got to watch the first class but now she does it on her own. It really makes me want to take a dance class. Hmmm. 

(Maya two years ago today:)

I made a few H'ween shirts.
What do you think about the eyes?

With or without? 
I left them off Brook's in case she picked them off but I think I might like it better without.

Owen wants his to have eyes and a big "o" mouth. 
Thoughts?

Monday, October 4, 2010

sunflowers & helicopters


If Owen came with an official flower it would be the sunflower.


Remember when it was just a super sunflower seedling?

And now it's grown into full superhero sunflower status!

Here is a crop of ours (from 2007) drying out.

I can't believe my baby boy isn't this small anymore...

or that our baby girl has turned into...


this!

This is us on O's 1st day of kindergarten...

Maya making a picture for her teachers.

My five year old!


We spent a lot of summer days dropping helicopters off this bridge near our house. I could do that all day...
So sad to bid adieu to summer but Fall is lovely here in the pacific NW and with the right cozy pants and cozy kids it's a-ok.