Where O Where Has the Nice Weather Gone?

Before I start, this is my 296th blog post. Yes, 300 is coming soon, I figure at the rate I am going, 300 will be in August (wait, should I time it with another milestone?).

OK, what has been going on since the last post? Both girls have started summer school, gymnastics and swim lessons. The weather has been crappy, but we are still out and about in the yard. YUCK! It has been humid and cold, all on the same day. What else? Today is niece Jeana's 16th Birthday! Happy Birthday!!!! Yesterday, we went to visit Jeana after we went to Rick Bayless's Farm Foundation Festival. We've also been working around the house. De-cluttering (have I mentioned that I am never buying anything else?), spring cleaning, LAUNDRY, WEEDING! YUCK!

Now, to what you've all been waiting for.....PICTURES!

B took the following photos:

Shadow and Layla-Belle.

Charley hating her bike. Is it because it isn't pink?
I suspect that is the reason. 'Cause she sure
wants to ride B's.

Self Portrait entitled,
"Here's My Mug."

B's wings. I finally finished them.
Good news. she likes them.
Bad news, they need to be washed.
Will they survive? I did make them you know.

Dress up time from yesterday. See, the wings are a winner.
So is the tutu Lee gave Charley for Easter.
The wings and crown were left by Santa.

Charley thinks she is all that and a bag of chips.

B is flying everywhere!

They have been playing together more and more.
YAY!!!!!

All and all, things are going OK. I want to sew more and I want to get the art room re-organized (for the 5th time this year). We all take stuff out (some may dump things on the floor) and don't put it back. The room is so small, that it only takes a couple of days and it is CHAOS! (I do love the CAPS today, don't I?) OK, Mike is de-cluttering without me, I better go toe the line. TTFN and Happy Birthday Jeana!

New Photo Alert! Early April 2011

I always think I am going to post more, and I never do. Where does my time go? Laundry? Picking up the same stuff I picked up 15 minutes ago? Listening to B ask the 1000 questions she asks each day? Carrying my little cling-on Charley? Chasing Layla off the couch? Rounding up the wandering Shadow-dog? Or is it watching Bones on TV? Wherever the time goes, I need more!

Other than me not being able to do anything productive, everything around here is OK. Lots of art, lots time outside, kids making me insane, the usual. Charley is a year and three months. B is 4 1/2. They both are growing and changing. Charley still doesn't talk. No matter what. It's all sign language! It isn't like there is a shortage of actual words around her. We read 3o books a day. And she knows all the words. She can point out zebras, knows the color blue, can do simple puzzles and sort shapes (totally ready for Montessori, now if they only had a place for her....). But she just won't talk. Though I think she said baby and good girl. Her potty training has been going well. She had a bad day on Sunday (all over me) but other than that, she is letting us know when she has to go. Something else fairly new is Charley is climbing up and over everything. We were at the park yesterday, and she was climbing (or trying) up stuff like her big sister. Who she adores. Charley is trying to do all the stuff B does. They are interacting more and more. Charley waves goodbye (not says) when B leaves for school. They hug, cuddle and makes noise back and forth. It really is sweet. OK, there are lots of tears too. But the love almost makes up for the tears.

B is happy to be getting outside. Lots of bugs, dirt and worms. She keeps asking for a lizard or frog or something cold blooded she can keep in a cage. B s prolific in the art room. So much that I want to say, go play with toys. I am running out of room for all the finished projects and the walls are full! B has a great imagination, and I think the art room is where is makes it all come true. The thing B won't do is learn to read. She knows her letter sounds, knows the process, but won't read. She won't even do it for her teacher. Adamant that she doesn't how to read and doesn't want to learn. What kid, who loves books as much as she does, doesn't want to read?

And the two of them and food. You know, Mike and I really like food. We eat a fairly varied diet, trying lots of things (OK, I am not into game - rabbit? YUCK) but my girls are plain pasta! Charley eats a little better than B, but B used to eat better than she does now. Not a lot of variety. My friend's kids eat egg salad. B barely eats eggs and Charley won't touch them. OK, OK, my kids eat weird things, like olives, capers, sushi dinner (though lately it is just soup and rice), and they like raw veggies like cauliflower and broccoli, but we had grass fed filet and they wouldn't touch it!

OK, enough of my ramblings, on with the pictures.

Layla ripped B's wings and this is how (all
by herself) she fixed them. She is ingenious this one.

I think she did the headband herself too.

Nice pained look. She had a bit of leftover cough.
Climbs over everything!

Charley loves to play in the sink, but I have to
stand next to her so she doesn't fall off the stool.
I set her up on the floor with some bowls and cups, thinking she
would pour the water back and forth.

She dumped it all over herself. Repeatedly!
She had fun, that is all that matters.

These are all the sculptures B made with her new glue gun.

I was a bit nervous, but she understood that it could
burn her. She really had fun. The problem is the glue gun
is something we need to use while Charley is asleep.

Sometimes Charley and I do art while B is at school.
This way, I can concentrate of showing her new things.

As I have said before, Charley loves art as much
as B. Loves to paint.

I really need to expose to different mediums.

Though I bet she comes back to paint.

The weather this past Sunday was unbelievable!
Charley had so much fun hanging outside.
Mike set up the jumpy house, we brought out the Fropper.

And B's scooter too. B was outside from 9 am until we
made her come in for dinner after 5.

We spent some afternoons outside this week as well. The weather was nice, and our side porch is blocked from the wind so it is warm. Tuesday ( I wish I had taken photos) B and I sprayed watercolor onto paper with spray bottles. It was messy but fun. Yesterday was just front porch fun. Riding the Fropper and scooter, digging in the dirt, the usual. Monday, I actually don't remember too much, I know the girls were outside, because the had to take baths. So it must have been something dirty. I see this weekend will be cold. Maybe I will finally get all the stuff we took to Mexico put away. I finished the laundry and put it away, but there are some sandals that need to find a home as well as the leftover sunscreen and shell we found on the beach. So, wish me luck. Maybe by the end of the year, I'll finally get my house organized - maybe one of those shows or Real Simple magazine will want to come help me. Here's hoping!!!!!!

Some Mid to Late March Pictures

Spring. Has it sprung? Today it is supposed to be 43 degrees and rainy. Good thing we have gotten outside lately. I almost can't keep the kids (Chuck especially) in the house. She walks over to the door and signs (notice she does not say) "more". Charley is doing well otherwise. Knock on wood, she has been really good on the potty - still false alarms, but way better than accidents. What else is new? My friend Sandy is in town from Seattle and I have been out to dinner with her twice (no kids, thanks Mike). Layla has been to doggy daycare and seems to actually behave worse than she did before she went. Not much else. B brought a cold home from school. But guess who has the worst of it? Yes, me! Charley seems bad too, but I feel like I have rocks in my nose.

OK, after that graphic on with the photos.

This kid (like my other) loves water. She will stand at the sink playing
(and making a mess) until I take her away screaming.

Ariel. Much beloved in our house.

Charley picks this coat out every day. No buttons
on it. So practical.

We have done lots of bubbles lately.

Sweet Shadow. OK, she isn't sweet. But poor thing
is becoming deaf. Either that or she is numb to my
yelling.

See those crazy eyes. She is loco, man!

Art room fun. Beads and pipe cleaners.
Good hand eye.

Sorting shells.

Sorting, water play. This kid is ready for Montessori.

Do you like the way she holds the marker? I did not show
her that. Most kids her age, use their whole arm (from the shoulder)
when scribbling. Not Charley, she uses her wrist.

She concentrates so hard when doing it too.
What a cutey.

I have a "I'm cursed" story that I almost forgot. I told Sandy last night at dinner and maybe you'll find it amusing too. Since the kids played outside (and Charley dug in the dirt and spilled bubble solution) they had bathes on Monday night. After dinner B had a major freak out over a floaty Mike found in the garage. Good long tantrum. After, she refused a bath, so she showered. That left Charley to take a bath by herself (divine providence?). All was going well. Mike was sitting watching her when I came up to model the new bathing suit I got (too big, weird print). B came into the bathroom (mind you, smallest room in the house) with her vitamin cup (a glass cup). Just as Mike told her not to drop it on the marble floor - power of suggestion - she dropped it, scattering glass everywhere. Now I am barefoot, in just the bathing suit bottoms, B is barefoot, and Charley is in the tub smiling at me as she poops in the water! Seriously! Glass, poop, chaos. So I pull Charley out, pull the plug and pop her into the sink to wash her off. Mike is picking up glass and B is freaking out that the poop is still in the tub and not going down the drain (I should mention that B ha issues with drains and flushing potties - don't want to forget this so I can mention it when she is older and brings home that guy I can't stand). And you know, this was all at 7:45 at night when all good little girls should be getting ready for bed.

Hopefully that made you smile on this dreary day. OK, off to feed the birds, I mean squirrels.

Art on James Street (And Scenes From The Front Porch)

Now that Charley is a little older (but not as old as I think she is - I must remember she is only 9 months and not the 1 1/2 I wish she were) we are doing more art. B is doing more painting and I am able to introduce more ideas. I have found a couple of blogs I like for inspiration. One is the Artful Parent. I found Jean via the Picky Apple. The Artful Parent has led me to a couple of books that have helped me understand how to foster creativity - my main goal. I found some of the stuff I did with B wasn't so good. Mainly trying to get her to create stuff that I thought looked like something. Well, you know, kids are like pancakes, the first is just a trial....

Anyway, the books I am reading are Young at Art and Please Touch both by Susan Striker, and First Art by MaryAnn Kohl.

Of course, it is slow reading. Where do all these blogging moms find the time? Right now, B is upstairs playing (which is fine) and Charley is digging through the pantry trying to drink the vanilla (I'll take that...). My plan is, once I am all learned, is to put together an art group. Where the kids can explore and try new things all in the safety of my kitchen (don't tell Mike). We'll see how everything goes. I need to make sure I have my patience hat on, you know the one I have on somewhere sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

This is Charley's first scribble. (the green blob is leftover
from something B did).

This is B's watercolor. She used rubber
cement first. After it dried, she painted with watercolor.
After that, more drying then I helped her rub
off the rubber cement. Voila!

This is mine.

Here are yesterday's scenes from the front porch.

We were doing bubbles. Have to take advantage of
the nice weather.

While at Gymboree play, I realized that I never blow bubbles
for Charley like I did for B. Charley, of course, loves them. Poor
Chuck, she sometimes gets the shaft.

B was chasing them into the yard. There also may have
been an attempt to fly a kite.


Mike came home and joined us. This porch
has changed our lives. An overstatement? Not really.
Now it is more enjoyable to sit outside while B plays.
Now we just need to work on the mountains of poop the
dogs make and our crappy back patio.

Charley just loves her photo taken.


This isn't from the porch, but Layla, despite her proclivity
for destruction, is a loving dog to the kids. She is
very gentle. Charley and B climb all over her.