I think that's not too far off.
Courtesy of Diane and Janis.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Roomba Driver
Just too cute.
I don't think my dogs would be so nice, I think they would kill the Roomba instead.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Turkey in the oven... check
bread dough rising... check
pumpkin pie in the fridge... check
cranberry sauce doing its thing in the fridge... check
Count down to turkey time, all systems go... check
Have a healthy and happy thanksgiving!
bread dough rising... check
pumpkin pie in the fridge... check
cranberry sauce doing its thing in the fridge... check
Count down to turkey time, all systems go... check
Have a healthy and happy thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Artist of the Week: CF Patients
This week the artist of the week is actually a group, Cystic Fibrosis patients. Namely those featured in calendars we've acquired this past year from two of the big drug companies, Axcan and Novartis. Both put out CF themed calendars that are distributed for free at CF clinics.
Axcan's calendar is the result of an annual calendar art contest open to all CF patients. I forgot about the deadline this year, but we'll give it a shot next year.
Anyway the end result is a fairly nice calendar that features art work from kids as young as five all the way up to twenty two. I picked the turkey featured on November because he is so utterly appropriate for today. If you click on the turkey he will take you to a complete photo set of the calendar.
The other company, Novartis, has a different take on CF, a CF patient is profiled each month. The photographs are stunning and the bios give a little peek into each person's life. There is a grandma, a firefighter, a set of twins, and so on. People of all ages and types. As a parent of a child with CF it is so very heartening to see people in their 50's and up.
And here is where I get on my soapbox.
CF affects ALL populations, male and female, black and white. It is slightly more prevalent in Caucasians, but if you click through the pictures (I made a picture set out of the entire calendar) it is not the only group. I was appalled at the ridiculous decision by the Carleton University student association. It was an idiotic vote based on incomplete and erroneous information.
Quite a firestorm of controversy was stirred up and according to the latest press releases from the University's President and the Student Association's President the decision will in all likelihood be reversed.
Axcan's calendar is the result of an annual calendar art contest open to all CF patients. I forgot about the deadline this year, but we'll give it a shot next year.
Anyway the end result is a fairly nice calendar that features art work from kids as young as five all the way up to twenty two. I picked the turkey featured on November because he is so utterly appropriate for today. If you click on the turkey he will take you to a complete photo set of the calendar.
The other company, Novartis, has a different take on CF, a CF patient is profiled each month. The photographs are stunning and the bios give a little peek into each person's life. There is a grandma, a firefighter, a set of twins, and so on. People of all ages and types. As a parent of a child with CF it is so very heartening to see people in their 50's and up.
And here is where I get on my soapbox.
CF affects ALL populations, male and female, black and white. It is slightly more prevalent in Caucasians, but if you click through the pictures (I made a picture set out of the entire calendar) it is not the only group. I was appalled at the ridiculous decision by the Carleton University student association. It was an idiotic vote based on incomplete and erroneous information.
Quite a firestorm of controversy was stirred up and according to the latest press releases from the University's President and the Student Association's President the decision will in all likelihood be reversed.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Luxury of Time
It has all ended.
The soccer and football seasons have all come to a close. No more practices and no more games. No more rushing around after school trying to cram in homework.
We now get to eat dinner together without somebody having to rush off.
Mind you I have nothing against sports, in fact I think it is important that our children keep active. But... it really is a huge time commitment. From driving around and the actual time spent on the field the days just disappear.
The kids are happy that it is over, however they are all looking forward to spring and when it all starts up again.
The soccer and football seasons have all come to a close. No more practices and no more games. No more rushing around after school trying to cram in homework.
We now get to eat dinner together without somebody having to rush off.
Mind you I have nothing against sports, in fact I think it is important that our children keep active. But... it really is a huge time commitment. From driving around and the actual time spent on the field the days just disappear.
The kids are happy that it is over, however they are all looking forward to spring and when it all starts up again.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Have You...
1. Started your own blog (Well duh, you're reading it.)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (I quit flute when I found out I had to perform)
4. Visited Hawaii (would love to go)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped (not gonna happen)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (I view baking an art and I'm self taught)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (Twice, the second time I was pregnant and it was awful)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (on my list)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (It was on a Sunday, we stopped in to use the bathroom and then did a quick tour of the Louvre)
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (only partial of the sun, but total of the moon)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (lived in Pennsylvania right next to Lancaster county)
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (badly)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (I love the beach at night)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing (does flounder count?)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (training video for the county, I was the cardboard recycler)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (love to)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia (It was USSR at the time)
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (Sadly I'm not allowed anymore because I was in England for six months during the 1980's)
65. Gone sky diving (No way, no how)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem (Want to)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (but I have been interviewed on TV twice)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (fish)
88. Had chickenpox (in high school and it was horrible)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Joan Jett, she's very cool)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
From Diane over at Ginosko.
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (I quit flute when I found out I had to perform)
4. Visited Hawaii (would love to go)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped (not gonna happen)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (I view baking an art and I'm self taught)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (Twice, the second time I was pregnant and it was awful)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (on my list)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (It was on a Sunday, we stopped in to use the bathroom and then did a quick tour of the Louvre)
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (only partial of the sun, but total of the moon)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (lived in Pennsylvania right next to Lancaster county)
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (badly)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (I love the beach at night)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing (does flounder count?)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (training video for the county, I was the cardboard recycler)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (love to)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia (It was USSR at the time)
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (Sadly I'm not allowed anymore because I was in England for six months during the 1980's)
65. Gone sky diving (No way, no how)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem (Want to)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (but I have been interviewed on TV twice)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (fish)
88. Had chickenpox (in high school and it was horrible)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Joan Jett, she's very cool)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
From Diane over at Ginosko.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A Perfect Season
It was the championship game on Saturday. The skies were clear, but (for here) it was bitterly cold. The temps struggled to reach the low 40's and a sharp, damp wind cut across the field. It was not the pleasantest of days, but that's football. We were all bundled up and Meryl brought a nice fleece blanket to insulate our bottoms from the metal bleachers.
Before we left for the game Rebecca made a sign to show her support. It was completely her own idea, all I did was help her with spelling. She looked incredibly cute waving her sign and had a great time cheering her brother on. I guess she really will be a cheerleader next year.
Any way the game was fun to watch and Nate got a fair amount of time on the field. He was fairly confident going in, his team had already played their opponents during the regular season and had beaten them.
His confidence was not misplaced.
It was not a cake walk, but our team slowly racked up the points. The other team played a good game and was able to score, they even got the extra point. However, it was not enough, our team kept on rolling. When the clock ran down and the ball was in our possession, our side went wild.
12-0, that was Nate's team record at the end of the season.
What an introduction to the sport, a championship season his first time playing. That'll be a tough act to follow next year and there will be a next year. The coaching is bit too serious for my tastes (football is a very, very serious thing down here in the south), but Nate had a great time.
I think he'll be smiling for quite some time.
Before we left for the game Rebecca made a sign to show her support. It was completely her own idea, all I did was help her with spelling. She looked incredibly cute waving her sign and had a great time cheering her brother on. I guess she really will be a cheerleader next year.
Any way the game was fun to watch and Nate got a fair amount of time on the field. He was fairly confident going in, his team had already played their opponents during the regular season and had beaten them.
His confidence was not misplaced.
It was not a cake walk, but our team slowly racked up the points. The other team played a good game and was able to score, they even got the extra point. However, it was not enough, our team kept on rolling. When the clock ran down and the ball was in our possession, our side went wild.
12-0, that was Nate's team record at the end of the season.
What an introduction to the sport, a championship season his first time playing. That'll be a tough act to follow next year and there will be a next year. The coaching is bit too serious for my tastes (football is a very, very serious thing down here in the south), but Nate had a great time.
I think he'll be smiling for quite some time.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Babe Lives
I saw this over at Tightly Wound and I just had to share.
All the pig needs are some sheep and it really would be Babe in the flesh.
All the pig needs are some sheep and it really would be Babe in the flesh.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
It's Official
I'm crazy.
I volunteered to make a cake for Nate's team for the end of the season party. That in itself is not crazy. With thirty kids on the roster it would be a big cake, but I can do it.
No the crazy starts when the team mom came back later and wanted to know if I could make more cakes. More as in enough for all four teams for the school (the school's athletic assoc. fields four teams, flag, minor, junior and senior) at the end of season banquet. I thought it over for a moment and agreed. My one caveat was that I was not going to pay for all the ingredients. The mom kind of wigged out (she's a bit overwhelmed by all the stuff she's got going on for the team) when my husband showed her the list I worked up.
So our game plan was for us to directly solicit help from the other parents. I was just about to do a mass email when I got a call from Jerry, my guardian angel. He is a friend of ours who is one of the junior team's coaches and just happens to be the guy catering the banquet.
Right off the bat he told me the athletic association would pay for the ingredients. All he needed was a shopping list. Then he wanted to be sure that I was really up for the job. He was afraid that I had gotten accidentally roped in and that I was too polite to say no. I assured him that I really could do it and it would be my pleasure. We talked about what I was going to do and what my time line was.
By the end of our conversation he was reassured that it was something I wanted to do, but he told me if I had a change of heart he could always pick up some cakes elsewhere.
But I'm too crazy to do that.
I volunteered to make a cake for Nate's team for the end of the season party. That in itself is not crazy. With thirty kids on the roster it would be a big cake, but I can do it.
No the crazy starts when the team mom came back later and wanted to know if I could make more cakes. More as in enough for all four teams for the school (the school's athletic assoc. fields four teams, flag, minor, junior and senior) at the end of season banquet. I thought it over for a moment and agreed. My one caveat was that I was not going to pay for all the ingredients. The mom kind of wigged out (she's a bit overwhelmed by all the stuff she's got going on for the team) when my husband showed her the list I worked up.
So our game plan was for us to directly solicit help from the other parents. I was just about to do a mass email when I got a call from Jerry, my guardian angel. He is a friend of ours who is one of the junior team's coaches and just happens to be the guy catering the banquet.
Right off the bat he told me the athletic association would pay for the ingredients. All he needed was a shopping list. Then he wanted to be sure that I was really up for the job. He was afraid that I had gotten accidentally roped in and that I was too polite to say no. I assured him that I really could do it and it would be my pleasure. We talked about what I was going to do and what my time line was.
By the end of our conversation he was reassured that it was something I wanted to do, but he told me if I had a change of heart he could always pick up some cakes elsewhere.
But I'm too crazy to do that.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Artist of the Week: At the Beach
This week's artist is a raccoon, specifically Rebecca the Raccoon.
She looks so unbelievably cute in that costume, her bright little smile peeking out and lighting up the dark Halloween night. I really didn't expect her to wear it this year. Sadly, I think it will be the last year she'll be able to cram herself inside.
Anyway, this is about her art and not her costume.
A few weeks ago Meryl had dropped off a large amount of paper she didn't need anymore. I didn't immediately tell the kids about our windfall, because we still had a fair amount of scrap paper in the house.
But the cat is out of the bag now and we have a whole slew of new artworks floating about the house.
Rebecca drew this beach scene yesterday. It features a crab family at the beach. I love the little details like the beach umbrellas and the beach towel. However what really impresses me are the little crabs in the background. She gave them an umbrella and did an excellent job on perspective. She already grasps the fact that distant objects appear smaller than the same item in the foreground.
She constantly amazes me.
She looks so unbelievably cute in that costume, her bright little smile peeking out and lighting up the dark Halloween night. I really didn't expect her to wear it this year. Sadly, I think it will be the last year she'll be able to cram herself inside.
Anyway, this is about her art and not her costume.
A few weeks ago Meryl had dropped off a large amount of paper she didn't need anymore. I didn't immediately tell the kids about our windfall, because we still had a fair amount of scrap paper in the house.
But the cat is out of the bag now and we have a whole slew of new artworks floating about the house.
Rebecca drew this beach scene yesterday. It features a crab family at the beach. I love the little details like the beach umbrellas and the beach towel. However what really impresses me are the little crabs in the background. She gave them an umbrella and did an excellent job on perspective. She already grasps the fact that distant objects appear smaller than the same item in the foreground.
She constantly amazes me.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
First Snow
This morning we were greeted with a light dusting of snow on the deck. An hour later we got an actual snow flurry.
The kids were completely jazzed up by the snow. Nate went outside and gleefully announced "It's sticking! It's sticking!"
Sadly it ended after a few minutes.
For the rest of the day we would get little flurries of snow, but none of it lasted for any appreciable length of time. By night fall all traces of our little snowfall were completely gone. Melted away by the bright sunshine between flurries.
I think we are ready for winter.
The kids were completely jazzed up by the snow. Nate went outside and gleefully announced "It's sticking! It's sticking!"
Sadly it ended after a few minutes.
For the rest of the day we would get little flurries of snow, but none of it lasted for any appreciable length of time. By night fall all traces of our little snowfall were completely gone. Melted away by the bright sunshine between flurries.
I think we are ready for winter.
Monday, November 17, 2008
One Tasty Car
I found out about this luscious car cake over at Cake Wrecks.
To get the full story here is a much longer video with the back story of the ad.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Super Bowl Bound
Saturday Nate's football team played for the Southern Division championship. The team they were up against had also been undefeated in the regular season, this would not be a cake walk.
It was an incredible game.
The teams were evenly matched. Both teams had one blazingly fast player. Our team had a slight edge in defense, but not by much. The teams remained scoreless for most of the game. There were a few almost touchdowns, two called back because a flag was thrown before hand and one in which the kid almost made it after a huge run only to be tackled a few yards short of the goal line.
With two minutes to go our team scored. As the clock wound down we thought we had the win when suddenly, the other team scored. The game was tied and thus forced an overtime.
Our boys were up first and they were able to make a touchdown and get the extra point. Then it was the other teams turn. They came mighty close, but in the end they just couldn't get through our boys.
It was a real nail biter of a game and our team won. So we have one more week of practice and next Saturady is the big game. Then I can toss those awful white practice pants.
It was an incredible game.
The teams were evenly matched. Both teams had one blazingly fast player. Our team had a slight edge in defense, but not by much. The teams remained scoreless for most of the game. There were a few almost touchdowns, two called back because a flag was thrown before hand and one in which the kid almost made it after a huge run only to be tackled a few yards short of the goal line.
With two minutes to go our team scored. As the clock wound down we thought we had the win when suddenly, the other team scored. The game was tied and thus forced an overtime.
Our boys were up first and they were able to make a touchdown and get the extra point. Then it was the other teams turn. They came mighty close, but in the end they just couldn't get through our boys.
It was a real nail biter of a game and our team won. So we have one more week of practice and next Saturady is the big game. Then I can toss those awful white practice pants.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Well I'm Just Special
| HowManyOfMe.com | ||
|
A fun little site.
Interestingly, according to the site there are 18 people with my maiden name. Which I find to be a bit high, but I do have an obscure cousin with the same name. I only found out about her because she and I got married at about the same time and I accidental got one of her wedding presents. Macy's got our registries switched. I figured out it wasn't mine because it was an extremely expensive flatware set that we had not registered for and it was from "Dad." Since my father had passed away long before hand and Larry's dad was giving us something else, I knew it was wrong. It got all straightened out in the end, but it was all very spooky and weird.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Busted!
As I was driving up to the garage yesterday I got to see the deer in action.
I slowed down to a crawl and then stopped the car so as to watch four does daintily pick their way among the plantings and enjoy the pumpkin buffet I had so thoughtfully laid out.
Luckily I had my camera in the car and I was able to capture one of the does just before she nibbled on a pumpkin. I missed one really great shot of a deer clearly licking a pumpkin as I fumbled with the camera case.
The picture quality isn't that great, but that's what you get when shooting through a grubby windshield.
The second picture came out much better. It is of a doe mucking about in the bushes in front of our house. She really wasn't at all bothered by the car or the sound of the garage door. She looked up when I peeked around the corner to take the picture. I think the only reason she left was because the others had already moved into the woods.
Shortly thereafter I carted all the pumpkins down to the far edge of the woods. The deer can now enjoy their buffet without having to go near the house, not that it stopped them.
This why I call them tall rats. They are cute, but they are pests.
I slowed down to a crawl and then stopped the car so as to watch four does daintily pick their way among the plantings and enjoy the pumpkin buffet I had so thoughtfully laid out.
Luckily I had my camera in the car and I was able to capture one of the does just before she nibbled on a pumpkin. I missed one really great shot of a deer clearly licking a pumpkin as I fumbled with the camera case.
The picture quality isn't that great, but that's what you get when shooting through a grubby windshield.
The second picture came out much better. It is of a doe mucking about in the bushes in front of our house. She really wasn't at all bothered by the car or the sound of the garage door. She looked up when I peeked around the corner to take the picture. I think the only reason she left was because the others had already moved into the woods.
Shortly thereafter I carted all the pumpkins down to the far edge of the woods. The deer can now enjoy their buffet without having to go near the house, not that it stopped them.
This why I call them tall rats. They are cute, but they are pests.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Artist of the Week: Sir Knight
This is my blog so every now and then I get to toot my own horn. Everybody that saw Max's costume from the fairytale parade and Halloween were very impressed, therefore I am the artist of the week.
Last week the first grade at our local school had a Fairy Tale Parade. I wrote all about it here. As I mentioned in the post I made Max's costume. My inspiration for the costume was from some tunics whipped up by Jessica's Mom over at Balancing Everything (Warning: Jessica has a tendency to periodically tear down her website, so I don't know how long the link will last. However, she is always worth seeking out for her writing, extremely cute kids and neat crafts.) There is no tutorial, but from the pictures I was able to get a fairly good idea of what I needed to do.
Like any good do-it-yourself project, duct tape was my friend. I did give Max the aluminum foil option, but he wanted the duct tape.
What a guy.
The hardest part of the whole outfit was the helmet. We wanted something that actually covered his head and was not to complicated. While staring at a small Amazon box I got inspired. I carefully pulled the box apart, keeping it all in one piece. I then rolled it up and cut the flaps so that I could staple then together in a conical shape. If you look inside the helmet you can get an idea of what I'm talking about.
I was aiming for something along the lines of a bucket or great helm. I preserved the slit form between the lower flaps and adding an ocular slit perpendicular to the nasal slit. It is not completely accurate (there should be a nasal guard), but the end result is pretty convincing. Especially considering I did it all off the cuff with no help from my friend Google. I didn't find the above link until now. Then the whole thing got wrapped in duct tape, thus strengthening the construction and giving it a nifty metallic look.
The tunic was fairly easy. I hemmed the long sides of the fabric and then cut a slit for Max's head and "hemmed" the slit with a bit of dark blue press-on felt. The shoulder decoration and bottom hem were also made with the press on felt. For those parts I double over the felt and cut out the teeth before sticking the felt on. That gave a bit more body to the felt and it was then stuck to both sides of the fabric. I asked Max what heraldic beast he wanted on the tunic and he picked out a dragon. I did a freehand drawing on a piece of paper and used it as a pattern for cutting the press-on felt.
The sword was a piece of cake after the helmet and all I used was doubled over cardboard, yet more duct tape, glue and tape. Max was very pleased with the end result.
To get a full appreciation of the final result you should really check out the Fairy Tale Parade video I shot. During the first half Max is having a glorious time hacking away as he marchers along. I like the large space his classmates keep around him when they are outside.
Last week the first grade at our local school had a Fairy Tale Parade. I wrote all about it here. As I mentioned in the post I made Max's costume. My inspiration for the costume was from some tunics whipped up by Jessica's Mom over at Balancing Everything (Warning: Jessica has a tendency to periodically tear down her website, so I don't know how long the link will last. However, she is always worth seeking out for her writing, extremely cute kids and neat crafts.) There is no tutorial, but from the pictures I was able to get a fairly good idea of what I needed to do.
Like any good do-it-yourself project, duct tape was my friend. I did give Max the aluminum foil option, but he wanted the duct tape.
What a guy.
The hardest part of the whole outfit was the helmet. We wanted something that actually covered his head and was not to complicated. While staring at a small Amazon box I got inspired. I carefully pulled the box apart, keeping it all in one piece. I then rolled it up and cut the flaps so that I could staple then together in a conical shape. If you look inside the helmet you can get an idea of what I'm talking about.
I was aiming for something along the lines of a bucket or great helm. I preserved the slit form between the lower flaps and adding an ocular slit perpendicular to the nasal slit. It is not completely accurate (there should be a nasal guard), but the end result is pretty convincing. Especially considering I did it all off the cuff with no help from my friend Google. I didn't find the above link until now. Then the whole thing got wrapped in duct tape, thus strengthening the construction and giving it a nifty metallic look.
The tunic was fairly easy. I hemmed the long sides of the fabric and then cut a slit for Max's head and "hemmed" the slit with a bit of dark blue press-on felt. The shoulder decoration and bottom hem were also made with the press on felt. For those parts I double over the felt and cut out the teeth before sticking the felt on. That gave a bit more body to the felt and it was then stuck to both sides of the fabric. I asked Max what heraldic beast he wanted on the tunic and he picked out a dragon. I did a freehand drawing on a piece of paper and used it as a pattern for cutting the press-on felt.
The sword was a piece of cake after the helmet and all I used was doubled over cardboard, yet more duct tape, glue and tape. Max was very pleased with the end result.
To get a full appreciation of the final result you should really check out the Fairy Tale Parade video I shot. During the first half Max is having a glorious time hacking away as he marchers along. I like the large space his classmates keep around him when they are outside.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Double Digits
Happy birthday to my middle boy.
Nate turned ten today and he got to enjoy a cup cake for breakfast and open up his presents. We decided he could do it this morning because he has football practice tonight and he would get almost no time to enjoy his gifts if we waited until after practice. As for his official party, it won't be until December. With football playoffs and a silly holiday called Thanksgiving, we're booked until then.
As you can see he is very pleased with the iPod. He has being bugging us for quite some time about getting his own MP3 player. He has quite a collection of tunes on Larry's computer and was severely limited on when he could listen to his music. Now he is free to listen all the time.
Hopefully he won't lose it like his water bottles (I've lost count and now I refuse to get him another. He is stuck with the huge jug that Larry brings to practice for him.) and his coat.
You are such a fun kid to be around, happy birthday Nate.
Nate turned ten today and he got to enjoy a cup cake for breakfast and open up his presents. We decided he could do it this morning because he has football practice tonight and he would get almost no time to enjoy his gifts if we waited until after practice. As for his official party, it won't be until December. With football playoffs and a silly holiday called Thanksgiving, we're booked until then.
As you can see he is very pleased with the iPod. He has being bugging us for quite some time about getting his own MP3 player. He has quite a collection of tunes on Larry's computer and was severely limited on when he could listen to his music. Now he is free to listen all the time.
Hopefully he won't lose it like his water bottles (I've lost count and now I refuse to get him another. He is stuck with the huge jug that Larry brings to practice for him.) and his coat.
You are such a fun kid to be around, happy birthday Nate.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Thank You
I would like to thank all that have served this great nation. Protecting us and helping to preserve the ideals we hold dear.
I'm a bit early, but with my late night posting schedule and plans for tomorrow's post, I thought it was best to do it now.
I'm a bit early, but with my late night posting schedule and plans for tomorrow's post, I thought it was best to do it now.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Deer Food
This is why I carve our pumpkins at most the day before Halloween.
I noticed on Sunday that Max's sea turtle pumpkin had been munched. This was less than two days after I had carved the pumpkin. Another pumpkin had lost its lid the day before.
At this point I wasn't entirely sure what had nailed the pumpkin. It could be the dogs (unlikely due to the absence of doggy teeth marks and the that the pumpkin was otherwise undisturbed), squirrels or deer. All I could see were little nibble marks in the rind around where the design used to be.
It was an annoying sight, but oddly satisfying. Here was concrete proof that I can not do any early pumpkin carving unless I'm willing to keep the finished pumpkins inside.
A few days later the same pumpkin got dragged off the steps and onto the lawn near the woods. At this point I'm fairly certain that the deer are to blame. Last year I got to see them drag a pumpkin to the very same spot on the lawn. I frequently see them in the woods around there, picking their way through the low scrubby brush.
Tomorrow we'll chuck the pumpkins into the woods. I don't want to wait too much longer, they'll soon start to turn to mush. They are already fairly moldy inside, but they are fun to carve and I'll be doing it again next year.
I noticed on Sunday that Max's sea turtle pumpkin had been munched. This was less than two days after I had carved the pumpkin. Another pumpkin had lost its lid the day before.
At this point I wasn't entirely sure what had nailed the pumpkin. It could be the dogs (unlikely due to the absence of doggy teeth marks and the that the pumpkin was otherwise undisturbed), squirrels or deer. All I could see were little nibble marks in the rind around where the design used to be.
It was an annoying sight, but oddly satisfying. Here was concrete proof that I can not do any early pumpkin carving unless I'm willing to keep the finished pumpkins inside.
A few days later the same pumpkin got dragged off the steps and onto the lawn near the woods. At this point I'm fairly certain that the deer are to blame. Last year I got to see them drag a pumpkin to the very same spot on the lawn. I frequently see them in the woods around there, picking their way through the low scrubby brush.
Tomorrow we'll chuck the pumpkins into the woods. I don't want to wait too much longer, they'll soon start to turn to mush. They are already fairly moldy inside, but they are fun to carve and I'll be doing it again next year.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Kathy Klimkiewicz
Today I just found out that one of my dachshund friends had passed away.
Kathy and I were not the closest of friends, but I did enjoy her company and I was always happy to take her calls. We were brought together by Dell. She had used him at stud and had kept one of the puppies, a little female called Indigo.
Kathy was very proud of Indigo and rightly so. At a young age Indigo got a Group 1 (AKC has dog breeds categorized into seven groups: hound, herding, sporting, non-sporting, toys, terriers and working. At a dog show after the best of each breed is determined, the winners go back into the ring in their respective groups. The top four dogs are selected with the winner, ie Group 1, going back in for best in show. Hence, a Group 1 is a very big deal.) Indigo had just completed her show championship and had just started in field trials, tracking rabbits, with a first placement. In order for a dog to become a field champion a dachshund must accumulate at least 35 points, with a minimum of three placements including one 1st place. Kathy had high hopes that Indigo would be her first dual champion.
I called my dear friend Dianne when I got the news. I knew she would have the full story and could tell me how I could help. We chatted for a bit and she told me that Indigo needed a home. Indigo's co-ower wasn't interested (she had enough standard smooth females already) and Dianne felt strongly that the dog be field trialed, and I agreed, we both want Kathy's dream to be realized. So a normal pet home was out of the question.
I was tempted, but I can not take on another dog. My hands are too full as is and I wouldn't be able to do the things neccessary for Indigo to earn her dual championship. She is a sweet and happy dog, just like her daddy Dell and her grandsire Crunch. She deserves better than what I can do and Dianne and I will do whatever it takes to make it happen for Indigo and for Kathy.
Kathy and I were not the closest of friends, but I did enjoy her company and I was always happy to take her calls. We were brought together by Dell. She had used him at stud and had kept one of the puppies, a little female called Indigo.
Kathy was very proud of Indigo and rightly so. At a young age Indigo got a Group 1 (AKC has dog breeds categorized into seven groups: hound, herding, sporting, non-sporting, toys, terriers and working. At a dog show after the best of each breed is determined, the winners go back into the ring in their respective groups. The top four dogs are selected with the winner, ie Group 1, going back in for best in show. Hence, a Group 1 is a very big deal.) Indigo had just completed her show championship and had just started in field trials, tracking rabbits, with a first placement. In order for a dog to become a field champion a dachshund must accumulate at least 35 points, with a minimum of three placements including one 1st place. Kathy had high hopes that Indigo would be her first dual champion.
I called my dear friend Dianne when I got the news. I knew she would have the full story and could tell me how I could help. We chatted for a bit and she told me that Indigo needed a home. Indigo's co-ower wasn't interested (she had enough standard smooth females already) and Dianne felt strongly that the dog be field trialed, and I agreed, we both want Kathy's dream to be realized. So a normal pet home was out of the question.
I was tempted, but I can not take on another dog. My hands are too full as is and I wouldn't be able to do the things neccessary for Indigo to earn her dual championship. She is a sweet and happy dog, just like her daddy Dell and her grandsire Crunch. She deserves better than what I can do and Dianne and I will do whatever it takes to make it happen for Indigo and for Kathy.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Artist of the Week: Pumpkins
This week's artist is the very silly Jake.
That's the head of the pinata from Max and Rebecca's birthday party. It was dangling for the shelter we suspend it from for the actual pinata bashing. I thought it looked funny and started taking pictures. Jake came over and promptly stuck it on his head, thus inspiring everyone else to try it as well.
Anyway this post is not about how silly Jake can be, but about carving pumpkins.
Every year I get a boat load of pumpkins. I wait until the last minute to buy them, just when the stores start cutting the price. I save money and then I don't have to worry about marauding creatures (deer, dogs, squirrels and heaven knows what else) eating the pumpkins before the big day.
Normally I do all the carving. The kids either draw their desired design on the pumpkin or request something like a bat, spider or even a sea turtle. This year I let Jake carve his own without my direct supervision. All I did was hollow it out and hand him a knife. He had three pumpkins to carve.
He did a great job on two of the pumpkins. One (the lit one pictured here) had a rather happy expression and looked wonderful at nightfall with a candle inside burning brightly. The second one was also terrific all lit up, but during the daylight hours you get a bit more detail.
Jake deliberately carved the pumpkin on it's dirty side. He thought it would look far more interesting than if he used the "pretty" side.
And he was right.
I've always been a big fan of lumpy bumpy pumpkins and I'm so pleased that Jake has picked up on the joys of the off kilter carving. His pumpkin is far better for being carved on the dirty side.
As for his third, well he was tired of carving and requested that I make a wolf. If you click on the pumpkin pictures you can reach the two sets, lit and unlit, of all the pumpkins we carved this year.
That's the head of the pinata from Max and Rebecca's birthday party. It was dangling for the shelter we suspend it from for the actual pinata bashing. I thought it looked funny and started taking pictures. Jake came over and promptly stuck it on his head, thus inspiring everyone else to try it as well.
Anyway this post is not about how silly Jake can be, but about carving pumpkins.
Every year I get a boat load of pumpkins. I wait until the last minute to buy them, just when the stores start cutting the price. I save money and then I don't have to worry about marauding creatures (deer, dogs, squirrels and heaven knows what else) eating the pumpkins before the big day.
Normally I do all the carving. The kids either draw their desired design on the pumpkin or request something like a bat, spider or even a sea turtle. This year I let Jake carve his own without my direct supervision. All I did was hollow it out and hand him a knife. He had three pumpkins to carve.
He did a great job on two of the pumpkins. One (the lit one pictured here) had a rather happy expression and looked wonderful at nightfall with a candle inside burning brightly. The second one was also terrific all lit up, but during the daylight hours you get a bit more detail.
Jake deliberately carved the pumpkin on it's dirty side. He thought it would look far more interesting than if he used the "pretty" side.
And he was right.
I've always been a big fan of lumpy bumpy pumpkins and I'm so pleased that Jake has picked up on the joys of the off kilter carving. His pumpkin is far better for being carved on the dirty side.
As for his third, well he was tired of carving and requested that I make a wolf. If you click on the pumpkin pictures you can reach the two sets, lit and unlit, of all the pumpkins we carved this year.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
I Voted
For doughnuts!
I did my civic duty today and schlepped out in the rain to cast my vote.
The actual vote casting was a breeze. I had at most a thirty second wait for the gentleman in front of me to get his ballot before I could get mine and step up to the carrel. Then I walked across the room, fed my ballot into the scantron and got to see the counter roll over to 1273. I was in at 9:35 am and out by 9:40 am.
Then we were off to get Jake, Nate and Rebecca FluMisted (Max will get the shot later, FluMist is not reccommended for CF patents).As a treat we stopped at Meryl's for lunch and then went on up to Krispy Kreme to claim my free voter doughnut.
Interestingly it was a bigger hassle to get the doughnut than to actually vote. The parking lot was jammed and the line was long, but I was not to be denied my doughnut reward.
Of course I had to pick up a dozen for my not yet voting brood.
I did my civic duty today and schlepped out in the rain to cast my vote.
The actual vote casting was a breeze. I had at most a thirty second wait for the gentleman in front of me to get his ballot before I could get mine and step up to the carrel. Then I walked across the room, fed my ballot into the scantron and got to see the counter roll over to 1273. I was in at 9:35 am and out by 9:40 am.
Then we were off to get Jake, Nate and Rebecca FluMisted (Max will get the shot later, FluMist is not reccommended for CF patents).As a treat we stopped at Meryl's for lunch and then went on up to Krispy Kreme to claim my free voter doughnut.
Interestingly it was a bigger hassle to get the doughnut than to actually vote. The parking lot was jammed and the line was long, but I was not to be denied my doughnut reward.
Of course I had to pick up a dozen for my not yet voting brood.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Weezie's Kitchen Rocks
This weekend Larry and I decided to give the whole brunch thing during Hebrew school another go after the Can Can mistake.
After brunch last weekend we strolled up and down Cary Street checking out the sights, as we drew closer to the car the delightful aroma of hash browns filled the air. We knew it couldn't be from the place we just dined at, so we looked around for the source of the potato goodness. And right across the street we found Weezie's Kitchen.
We didn't go in, but decided to keep it in mind for a future brunch.
Yesterday we pulled up in front and gave Weezie's a try. It is a tiny, tiny little place that has a bright, cheerful and very clean interior. They had a party coming in so we couldn't get a table for a bit, so instead we opted for the bar/counter.
The menu at Weezie's is not huge, but it does offer a good range. I went for the biscuits with sausage gravey and Larry got the chicken fried steak (which I seriously considered). Both dishes were excellent and came with some mighty tasty home fries.
We happily clered our plates and declared Weeezie's the place to go and far better than the fancy-pants place across the street.
After brunch last weekend we strolled up and down Cary Street checking out the sights, as we drew closer to the car the delightful aroma of hash browns filled the air. We knew it couldn't be from the place we just dined at, so we looked around for the source of the potato goodness. And right across the street we found Weezie's Kitchen.
We didn't go in, but decided to keep it in mind for a future brunch.
Yesterday we pulled up in front and gave Weezie's a try. It is a tiny, tiny little place that has a bright, cheerful and very clean interior. They had a party coming in so we couldn't get a table for a bit, so instead we opted for the bar/counter.
The menu at Weezie's is not huge, but it does offer a good range. I went for the biscuits with sausage gravey and Larry got the chicken fried steak (which I seriously considered). Both dishes were excellent and came with some mighty tasty home fries.
We happily clered our plates and declared Weeezie's the place to go and far better than the fancy-pants place across the street.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Fairy Tale Parade
Last Friday was a very exciting day for Max and Rebecca. In addition to being Halloween, they also got to dress up as their favorite fairy tale character and parade around the school.
They brought home their assignment sheets about a month ago and the sheets stayed pinned to the bulletin board until last Wednesday. The sheet had just a few instructions: the child had to fill out a brief report on which character they represented, a space was provided on the sheet for an illustration of the character and the costume/character could not be Halloween themed. Costumes need not be store bought.
Rebecca's was dead easy. She wanted to use the Cinderella dress Nana bought her about a year ago. The harderest part was finding both of her shoes. You can see how utterly adorable she is in her costume. As for her report, well she is a girl of few words. The reason she gave for selecting Cinderella was that "She was nice."
Max was a bit trickier. After a bit of hemming and hawing he decided on being a knight. And he had to be just a knight and not a prince. After a bit of thought I told Max about Saint George and the dragon. Max liked the story, especially the bit about slaying the dragon and saving the kingdom. Now we just had to come up with a costume.
Using some leftover fabric from an old sewing project, cardboard, press-on felt from the store (I just want to add here I heart press-on felt, I could sew it on, but this is much easier) and a whole lot of duct tape we were able to cobble together a decent costume. In fact Max liked it so much he ditched his original Halloween costume, Ironman, for his knight.
I think his favorite part is the sword. As you can see in the following video highlights of the parade, Max loved to swing his sword around. He never hit anybody, but I did bring it home with me after the parade. I figured his teacher didn't need an armed Max in the classroom.
The parade started out doors for Max's class and after the transition I caught up with Rebecca's class which was already indoors. Unfortunately her part of the video came out rather dark. But, I did get a good still photo of the classroom banner before the parade started. Captain Hook and Rapunzel got the honor of holding aloft the banner during the parade.
There were quite a few princesses and numerous Captain hooks and Peter Pans. Jack and the beanstalk was another favorite, in fact that was what Jake dressed up as in first grade. I think the most inventive one was a girl not in Max or Rebecca's class dressed as Rapunzel. Here body was encased in a cardboard tower with her head peeking out of a window. A long blonde wig cascaded over her face and down the outside of the tower.
After the parade the children returned to their classrooms and had a fairy tale feast. Sadly I missed both of my children's oral presentations, but that is what happens when you have to bounce back and forth between two classrooms. However, I was able to get this nice group photo of Max's class after the feast was over.
They brought home their assignment sheets about a month ago and the sheets stayed pinned to the bulletin board until last Wednesday. The sheet had just a few instructions: the child had to fill out a brief report on which character they represented, a space was provided on the sheet for an illustration of the character and the costume/character could not be Halloween themed. Costumes need not be store bought.
Rebecca's was dead easy. She wanted to use the Cinderella dress Nana bought her about a year ago. The harderest part was finding both of her shoes. You can see how utterly adorable she is in her costume. As for her report, well she is a girl of few words. The reason she gave for selecting Cinderella was that "She was nice."
Max was a bit trickier. After a bit of hemming and hawing he decided on being a knight. And he had to be just a knight and not a prince. After a bit of thought I told Max about Saint George and the dragon. Max liked the story, especially the bit about slaying the dragon and saving the kingdom. Now we just had to come up with a costume.
Using some leftover fabric from an old sewing project, cardboard, press-on felt from the store (I just want to add here I heart press-on felt, I could sew it on, but this is much easier) and a whole lot of duct tape we were able to cobble together a decent costume. In fact Max liked it so much he ditched his original Halloween costume, Ironman, for his knight.
I think his favorite part is the sword. As you can see in the following video highlights of the parade, Max loved to swing his sword around. He never hit anybody, but I did bring it home with me after the parade. I figured his teacher didn't need an armed Max in the classroom.
The parade started out doors for Max's class and after the transition I caught up with Rebecca's class which was already indoors. Unfortunately her part of the video came out rather dark. But, I did get a good still photo of the classroom banner before the parade started. Captain Hook and Rapunzel got the honor of holding aloft the banner during the parade.
There were quite a few princesses and numerous Captain hooks and Peter Pans. Jack and the beanstalk was another favorite, in fact that was what Jake dressed up as in first grade. I think the most inventive one was a girl not in Max or Rebecca's class dressed as Rapunzel. Here body was encased in a cardboard tower with her head peeking out of a window. A long blonde wig cascaded over her face and down the outside of the tower.
After the parade the children returned to their classrooms and had a fairy tale feast. Sadly I missed both of my children's oral presentations, but that is what happens when you have to bounce back and forth between two classrooms. However, I was able to get this nice group photo of Max's class after the feast was over.
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