Rodeo

Each year PaPa Jack likes to treat the kids with a trip to the rodeo. I’ve been to the same rodeo almost every year since I was two months old. It was something that I anticipated as a child, but now I just love seeing how excited the kids and my dad get in sharing this experience.

[My goober daughter tried to flip down the Batman slide and fell on her face. We got a pretty good laugh.]

We usually try to catch a few carnival rides before we leave, but just after we enjoyed ice cream in 70 degree weather, a storm blew in, dropped the temperature about 25 degrees in 10 minutes, and windy conditions shut down the Ferris wheel, the one thing Finn wanted to ride.

So, we called it a day, and headed back home before we blew away.

Thanks again, Dad! We had fun!

xo

nessa dee

Finnanigans

It’s cold and sleeting right now, the kids are excited and trying to make snowballs, and my computer’s not uploading any of the pictures, so instead of our wintry mix morning pictures I’ll just post some Finnanigans.

Finn: Mom I just want to be a little baby again, inside your tummy.

Me: But Finn, if you’re inside my tummy, you won’t have any toys to play with.

Finn: Mom, you can just eat a TV and I can watch TV all day.

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Me to Finn who’s dressed up: Are you a businessman cowboy?

Finn: No, I’m just a cowboy with my cowboy boots, my cowboy hat, my cowboy guns, and my cowboy tie.

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Finn, as we’re tucking him in bed: Mom, tomorrow I’m hungry.

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Audrie: Finn, when you grow up I’m going to tell you how you used to like to play with Barbies.

Finn: Yeah, and I want to play with Barbie castles, too!

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Finn, dressed as a cowboy, carrying his shotgun, speaking with his best southern drawl: Mom, you know what else cowboys like to carry? Swords.

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Finn: Mom, I have a headache.

Me: I’m sorry you have a headache.

Finn: Mom, what’s this called?

Me: That’s your forehead.

Finn: Yeah, and this is my five head where my hair grows.

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Mom, my tummy has a headache.

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Finn: I was so sad and that makes me lose my heart.

Me: You’re not going to lose your heart.

Finn, lifting his shirt and pointing to his nipple: I like my little heart.

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Finn: Mom, can I watch a movie?

Me: No, not right now.

Finn: That makes my heart melt.

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Finn: I’m Donald Duck and Audrie’s Daisy Duck and she’s my girlfriend.

Jonathan: What’s a girlfriend?

Finn: It’s someone who follows in love with you.

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Nonna: Finn, did you have your sword, and shield, and breastplate?

Finn: No, it’s RESTplate.

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After putting a balloon up under my shirt and parading around the house…

Finn: Audrie, Mom ate a baby!

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After getting his toys out of the car:

Thank you, Mom! Thank you, thank you! I ‘preciate that.

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To all of those who have left comments lately, I’ve read everyone, and am behind on getting back to you, but I just wanted to tell you thank you, thank you! I ‘preciate them!

xo

nessa dee

Morning Sword Fights

There’s nothing like a little duel to get my guys ready to conquer the day!

xo

nessa dee

When I was young, all I had to play with were cups…

and I walked ten miles to school each day…uphill…both ways.

Since I’ve packed away a lot of the kids’ toys and set up rules limiting the amount of toys one can get out at a time, my kids have been forced to get a little creative with their playtime. The pantry, it’s been discovered, holds endless amounts of fun and entertainment. The most recent discovery…plastic cups.

But it’s not only cups that have been used in ways other than intended purpose.

This is a castle:

This is a train, or airplane, or pirate ship:

I don’t know if I’ll ever unpack the rest of their toys. The boxes might mysteriously disappear when we move. They have more than enough toys as it is, so I don’t think they’ll miss them one bit. Besides, when I was young, all I had to play with were sticks.

:)

nessa dee

Breakfast Guests

My daughter bought a few new toys…they joined us for breakfast.

xo

nessa dee

IF: Adrift

I haven’t participated in Illustration Friday for quite sometime, and I don’t know if I’ll have time to submit something completely new, so for now, I’ll just post a several oldies that fit the topic.

Have a good weekend!

nessa dee

Super heroes eat Fruit Loops

And sometimes…with a little bit of patience… their furry sidekicks do, too.

xo

nessa dee

Rotten

I’d say someone’s gotten quite comfortable around here. Maybe a little too comfortable.

Spoiled? Yes.Rotten? Of Course.In need of a little eyebrow plucking? Most definitely.

xo

nessa dee

Crafty Friday: Valentine’s Day Crafts

Project 1: Heart Placemats

Here’s what you need:

-red, pink, or white paper
-red, pink, and white paint
-sponges
-paintbrushes
-scissors
-clear contact paper

Step 1: Cut a large heart shape out of construction paper or scrapbook paper. I used the 12x12 scrapbook paper which allowed for more surface space for the placemat.

Step 2: Let your child decorate the placemat with paint. I cut several heart shapes out of an old sponge and let the kids stamp hearts onto their placemats. Once their done, let the paint dry completely before moving on to the next step.

Step 3: Cut two pieces of clear contact paper large enough to cover each side of the heart. Sandwich the placemat between the two pieces of contact paper making sure there is enough excess around the edges to stick the pieces of contact paper together. This will seal the placemat in place and make it waterproof.

Step 4: Use the placemat at mealtime!

Step 5: Play with your food. [Is it wrong that I took pictures of this, therefore condoning bad table manners?]

***The second project is not quite finished yet, but it will be posted as soon as it’s done.***

Happy Crafting!

nessa dee

Be Green

Audrie wrote a persuasive paragraph on why people should recycle, and she convinced one member of our family to enact an effort towards being environmentally friendly. This was Finn’s idea of recycling [just ignore the messy counters in the foreground]:

This was the second time he created this recycling project. It had already been picked up, but when Jonathan came home, Finn had to “show Dad how he can recycle.”

We have to work on the concept a little more. :)

xo

nessa dee

I got nothin’

I’m just posting for posting’s sake. The last few days have been kind of lazy around here thanks to the rainy forecast, and several cases of the sniffles. We’re just taking it slow, and keeping things easy, setting up forts, and defending castles.

I’ll be back to blogging interesting things soon, but right now I have to go help the army guy, firefighter and lego pirates storm the castle walls.

xo

nessa dee

Stress Relief

I finally got my paints out the other day…the first time since we started to get our house ready to put on the market. It was 5:30PM, and the light was getting dim, but I just needed a bit of stress relief and to feel like I’d accomplished something other than cleaning my house for the forty-fifth time that week. A great way for me to relieve stress is to make something free of any form, detail, or lines. That’s what I like about mixed media abstracts, you can be loose with paint. It’s very freeing just to start slapping some paint on a canvas. Of course, there is some thought as to color combinations, and where to arrange the collaged papers, but without having to worry about specific details. I have perfectionist tendencies in some areas of my life [not in housework], and I always say that the artist in me who embraces loose paint strokes and asymmetry is at constant war with the perfectionist who prefers smooth blends and balance. Abstracts really let me explore my “artistic” side.

These still have a ways to go, but it really felt good to get my hands messy again.

xo

nessa dee