M.I.A.

Yeah, so I've been missing in action for a while, I know.  I hope it won't become a habit.  I've been intimidated by the thought of trying to recap, so instead of worrying about that, here's just a few recent pictures to let you know we're alive, and because I wouldn't want them to be even more out of date than they already are.

Halloween. I wasn't about to get all creative this year.

Of course I went all out for the pie making contest that was part of the Trunk-or-Treat/Fall Festival at the church.
Sheesh, I'm so competitive.
I won a chef's toque.

My little baby burritos. 

Bed head.

Yeah, they all needed hair cuts.

Just one of many shenanigans.

As if the lotion wasn't enough, yes, that's a permanent marker in the middle of it all.

Practicing to be clowns?

Ugh. Breathing treatments for Bronchiolitis. He was so good about it though.

This is a daily occurrence.
This particular masterpiece was done in the medium of yogurt followed by grilled cheese and tomato soup.
(Actually it's warmed up V8, or soup juice as my kids say. And yes, it extended onto the carpet).

This is the lovely Amaryllis I acquired from my Grandmother's house last January.
Don't ask me why it's blooming now. I also have no idea how it survived what I did to it this Summer. 

Homemade Sandbox

I have a love/hate relationship with sandboxes. I love how they keep the kids entertained outside in the fresh air for so long, but I hate sand in my house, all over the patio, and on heads and in diapers.

We built this sandbox a couple years ago and the kids loved it.

However, we moved several times and it never got set up again we just hauled the sand around in a big tupperware storage bin.  The problem with that was that the kids didn't like bending over to play in the sand and so they brought the sand out to where they could play with it comfortably (meaning all over my patio).  Also, when they wanted to add water, it stayed wet forever in the tub. Our sandbox has a canvas bottom (the same kind of ugly canvas as the lid -we got it at the thrift store for really cheap) so the water can drain out easily.  Overall it wasn't working for us and we either had to give up on sand altogether, or we had to rebuild the sandbox.

So this Fall we moved into a house that didn't have anything but grass in the backyard.  It's nice and big, with plenty of room for the kids to run around, but they were bored and wouldn't stay outside for very long. So we finally decided to resurrect the sandbox, adding in a new feature that we hoped would encourage the kids to play in the sandbox but not "in" the sandbox if you know what I mean (see above).

Benches!

not that they always use the benches...

  Not only that, but the benches are also the lid!!

This was taken a different day than the above pictures. It was raining. Otherwise they would have been playing in it.

We are also planning to add a lock for when kids lose sandbox privileges for doing things like this:

This was when it was in that blue tupperware. Apparently wet sand is fun to throw.

  or this:

  

 

  ...and thus continues my love/hate relationship with sandboxes.

Heaven.

The other place.

Ah sand.  Can't we just get along?

Another Monsterpiece

My 3 year old strikes again.  He really knows how to think outside the box.

Just drawing with chalk is so boring.  Making multicolored dust is way cooler.

"My hands are pretty pretty, huh mom?"

I have to admit, the rock is kinda cool.

You know, back in the day and maybe even now in third world countries, they would probably think such rudimentary use of tools quite a talent for a kid his age, and would put him to good use grinding wheat or something.

I'll try to remember what a talented, free-thinker I have.

(Of course, it's harder to appreciate his creativity after pulling 5 or 6 pieces of his chalk out of the washing machine --after it had already filled with water and soap.  I was just lucky I hadn't put clothes in yet.)

Work of Art?

The balance and simple aesthetics of this particular piece astounds me.  The strong straight lines, paired with the whimsical spattering of the dark color adds multiple dimensions of contrast. The carefully placed human element and the temporary nature of this medium suggests the impermanence of our own existence, and embodies the fleeting moment that is childhood.

Medium:  Mud on White Door

He couldn't have signed it better than if he could actually write.

I  wish I could always see his "masterpieces" as works of art, but generally I just see them as work for me.  Someday I'll miss it, I know, so I'll cherish these moments while I can (after giving a good [loud] lecture and taking away a few privileges).

Honestly though, the look of pure delight on his face and the jubilation in his voice as he announced "I have muddy hands!" almost makes me want to let him play in the mud everyday of his childhood.  However, thinking of all the cat poop that was buried in that particular mud reminds me why I freaked out so bad in the first place.

Sigh. Motherhood...

(I didn't see it at first, but my husband pointed out to me that our  3 yr. old's handprint resembles a smiley face with it's tongue sticking out. Genius!)