This dream he had each child, still knows

To do list...after the holidays...

1.  Fade the pacifier out.

2.  Potty train (has nothing to do with this photo, I just find it adorable)

I lead a glamorous life friends.  Until then we shall strive toward peace on our little part of earth by diapering and plugging our child.

Merry Christmas!  Hope your Santa-experience is better than Sloane's was.

This too shall pass.

Title courtesy of lyrics from Trans Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Canon

put Sufjan Stevens on, and we'll play your favorite song

I have a short list of things I still need to get done before Christmas.  Unfortunately one thing is to ship.  Yikes!

I was scouring my craft supplies for something quick to make and noted that I own 3 sets of Scrabble.  I kept one in tact (otherwise I'd be deemed sacrilegious by my board game fanatic family) and attacked the letters in the two other sets.

I whipped up a set of these.

I have had them pinned for an eternity but I never got around to making them. Since finishing this set I decided to make a baseball themed set (bunt, runs, home, ball, foul, save, bomb, gone, game, outs, heat, balk etc) for my brother to accompany his Christmas gift basket (of spirits).  

So easy you barely need a tutorial.  

Supplies

Scrabble tiles

Cork (self-adhesive or not)

Strong glue (like gorilla or E-6000)

Sealant (I used a Mod-Podge)

Exacto knife

So so easy to line these up, glue them, let them sit overnight, trim excess cork with an exacto knife and seal them with a thin layer of Mod Podge. 

They look pretty cute.  I had all the supplies on hand besides the cork which cost me about 5$ at Hobby Lobby.  So much thriftier than paying for them online and they look adorable bundled in baker's twine. 

I think I may be picking up orphan scrabble games at thrift stores and garage sales...now I need a tutorial on how to utilize excess game boards.

title courtesy of Snow Patrol (remember them?): Hands Open

Linking up to Sugar & Dots & Ginger Snap Crafts & Whimsy Wednesday  

Shine it on my heart, so you could see the truth

Dear Sloane, 

On 12.14.12 you turned two years old.  The day started sad enough.  We drove into eastern Kansas to a tiny little church and a tiny little cemetery to attend the first funeral you would attend-- your great-grandma Pederson.  Your aunt Tay, uncle Matt and I unplugged ourselves from our social media outlets and from our phones to honor your great grandma Pederson's wonderful life. She was an 80 year old retired teacher but there was scarcely a place to sit in the church as she has touched so many lives. 

You were unaware of what was happening. We didn't go to the internment, I took you downstairs to play in the church nursery while the burial occurred.  You thought the dessert table at the dinner following the funeral was "happy day cake" for you.  

On our way home your aunt Maddy called uncle Matt. She was crying. She told us all what happened at an elementary school in Connecticut.  

It was your birthday.  
I was sad that I had to take you to a funeral.  
How selfish of me.

In the days since first hearing of the tragedy I realize so painfully that you are not guaranteed to me.  You are no more able to be possessed by me than a sunrise.  I am so powerless.  

I was able to protect you on your birthday. I will not always protect you, because I cannot.  

But I intend to tell you everything I can, while I can.  So many things went viral, quotes, anger, rage, blame and sadness.  The one thing that went viral that I love is the quote by Fred Rogers.  

Mr. Rogers was a show I loved when I was a little girl (just like you love Elmo & Abby Cadabby now).  

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world.” — Mr. Rogers

 
I want to teach you that.  To look for the helpers. To be kind, even in the face of evil and fear.  

The day of your birth was still joyous, in spite of this. Because you were here on earth and that has never been, nor will ever be a guarantee.  

Love you to the moon & back, 
mama 

title courtesy of lyrics from Eric Clapton's Change the World

I have dreams of orca whales and owls

The birthday is upon us.  I have a couple of days to put it all together. Luckily my friends Pinterest and Etsy are around to assure that I never have an original idea in my head.

We sent these out a few weeks ago.  The designer (see link below photo) only charges 5$ for this design, took them to copy co (a mere 10$ later), used left over kraft paper envelopes from the wedding invitations, slapped on some washi tape to seal and was very happy with the results.

via

I've got my wood-chopping step-dad whipping these up for me on the fly.

via

My mom will be making a similar bottom layer to this cake and then a crescent moon top layer, then the cupcakes will have the owls on them.

holy awesomeness via

Remember these?  More wedding leftovers transformed into a new purpose!

via

Luckily my friend Kate had already accessed a similar tutorial for my baby shower a couple years ago and made a couple of these adorable Styrofoam ball owls.  Now I just have to make the stars.

again go here

What's a party without something to wear?  ChubbyFeets on Etsy...she's delightful to work with (honestly), I purchased the pants add-on and had her do a crescent moon shape on the top, rather than the bow tie and it is perfect, she chose just the perfect cut of fabric to make the moon. Fast service and shipping and GREAT prices. Cannot wait to see the little birthday girl don these. All the better to snuggle with her after the party. She was fast, like maybe even fast enough for you to get some for Christmas! 

This years party will be a lot more low key than the first birthday, but I am looking forward to it all the more for that reason.  And the menu as requested by the birthday tot: pizza & "pop" (7up).  Now I am off to spray paint, bake and scour my brain to find a small party game for the littles.  And will maybe whip up some small favors too, I mean I have a whole 48 hours to do all of this (and clean the bathroom).  

title courtesy of Regina Spektor's Hotel Song

hahaha bless your soul, you really think you're in control?

It's December...technically it's practically mid-December.  When did that happen?  Maybe it was during the plague that took hold of my entire family the day after Thanksgiving (more like black-lung Friday).  

We have a couple of huge projects to finish in December (let alone how I just adore making little handmade touches with all my gifts screw that ...which I fear I may not have time to finish this year.  

Huge project number 1-- the child we had turns 2 on Friday.  We will be having her birthday party on Saturday evening.  The second birthday party doesn't feel like as much pressure as planning that classic and perfect 1st birthday party does.  In fact the second party feels as though it should really be an homage to her father and I as we are about to embark on the cliche that is (REALLY TRUE)-- the terrible twos.  

Sloane always likes to be early to things. For her own birth she was 5 weeks early.  She started her terrible two phase at about 18 months.  Joy -- extra time in the terribleness.  I know, I know, as my friend Kate will remind me, I have always loved the age 2-5, as a mental health professional I wax on philosophically about how interesting their brains are at this age, that their personalities are forming, that they are learning things so quickly it is hard for us to keep up with what they know and don't know....I said ALL of these things, BEFORE I had a kid that was 2, heck before I had a kid at all.  And now I tell you all of those things are true but this stage is damn hard.  

A rational human being (as I like to fancy myself) has a difficult time guiding their child (which really seems like running and screaming NO from every corner of the entire house all day long so that said child doesn't electrocute, poison or choke themselves or somehow otherwise need stitches or emergency medical attention) through the day when they are dealing with a complete and utter psychopath  irrational human torpedo being. 

I am truly beginning to understand the meaning of "ignorance is bliss" as it applies to raising a two year old.  It literally translates to: "if your kid doesn't know about _______ (ipads/pods/phones/books/tunes, shopping carts with the cars attached, ice cream) they cannot tantrum over said item, and the lack of a tantrum is BLISS my friends (sorry to shout about bliss, but it's hard to come by these days and excites me).  

Which leads me to, big project number 2 in December.  The "Santa gift".  As you can see above Keenan and I are not wanting to introduce another tantrum-invoking item into our daily lives. So although she is asking for LOL Elmo (a torture device that would not make anyone over the age of 3 laugh out loud) we are compromising with putting batteries into her ("broken") Let's Rock Elmo (thank you K's mama) and getting her Potty Time Elmo book and then giving her something that has no whistles, bells or touch screen.

Enter stage right the thing I found next to an apartment house dumpster in August:

Santa's elves are very busy sanding and painting and hammering and accessorizing!

I loved watching Mr. K sand this to see all the different colors it has been for different kiddos (it's been pepto pink, country blue, and primary yellow) for Sloane it will be Overalls Blue by Valspar

We found this at Lowe's...Blue is her favorite color

This is Dylan Velvet, it looks a little too gold on my screen, but it's for the accents

I also found a large tool bench/area at a garage sale for 5 bucks, which will serve as her sink and counter.  I've had a lot of fun designing and working on this for the tiny terrorist tot.

Go to amazon they have lots of M&D 25% off today!

We've themed most of her presents around the gift as well.  Including some swag from Melissa & Doug, I really don't think anyone does it better when it comes to play food.

Hopefully this gift will be one to carry her all the way through the terrible twos into a more serene state of being (of course she's my first kid. translation: I don't know anything).  One can only dream.

title courtesy of lyrics by CeeLo Green: Crazy (or the toddler-parent's theme song)

Linking up to Sugar & Dots  & Ginger Snap Crafts & Whimsy Wednesday & Apron Thrift Girl & Sir Thrift Alot