Pink Tutu

We were pretty liberal with the boys when they were small.

Indulgent to a fault (what parent isn’t?)

We tried not to be too gender specific and allowed them to have dolls and ‘girl stuff’ as well as trucks and ‘boy toys’.

Grandma even bought them a play kitchen.

Husband was not too sure of some of these choices but kept his objections to himself.

Until one day when Son1 said he wanted a pink tutu for his birthday.

That’s where Husband drew the line!

We explained to Son1 that boy ballet dancers don’t wear tutus.

They wear leotards.

So Grandma got him a black leotard for his birthday.

I’m not sure it fulfilled his wish but it made Husband feel better…..

And it’s given us endless years of amusement to embarrass Son1 with these pictures!

Disclaimer: I have Son1’s permission for publication of said photos. (Signed, dated and notarized! LOL)

Traditions must be Upheld, Part Two

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIRST BORN!!

Whether you’re here or there I will find you and annoy you on your birthday!  

It is my right and my obligation to embarrass you to the outside world as much as I possibly can. LOL

To that end…….here goes…..

You are required (by law) to listen to/watch the ENTIRE video (or suffer your mother’s wrath! And you know how bad that can be!)

Have the bestest, most amazingly teriffical birthday ever!

Love you!

Almost Finished

It needed something on the base so I added the fallen leaves.

Then the tree looked too naked so I added a few to the branches.   

The 'leaves' are made from the handles of the Panera bags.

    

If you untwist the paper handles of the bags you get rippled strips that can be stained or painted and scrunched to look like fallen leaves.

     
 

If you look closely you can see the markings of the Panera bag on the tree limbs.

  
  
 
Now it just needs a creature.....................stay tuned.

Marriage; Post Retirement, Take Two

This is the second time Husband has retired.

Economic downturns required him to return to the workplace.

I was sorry that he had to go back to work. (Mostly….)

But I did learn something from the first time, so I think I’m more prepared this time around.

For example: Men think differently than women. They are not good at subtleties. Basically they need to have things told to them in plain English and in no uncertain terms.

So this time around I told Husband anytime you want to jump in and do some household chore I’m all for it. Just don’t tell me how to do what I’m doing BETTER!

So that part is settled.

Now we just have to navigate the “What do you want to do today?” problem.

Sometimes he has plans that don’t necessarily mesh with my plans. And vice versa.

This leads to what I call the ‘Marty’ syndrome. (reference from the movie Marty with Ernest Borgnine…….."What do you want to do today Marty?” “I don’t know what do you want to do?”)

Don’t get me wrong, I like having him around. He’s funny, helpful, and cute. He even engages in conversation. And it’s more than just, “What’s for dinner?”

But sometimes it can get…….weird.

Pink Hair Redux

We’re sitting in a booth at the restaurant last Friday when the young manager (twenty-something?)  comes over all smiles and says, “I really like your hair! You don’t expect to see……………”

For a nano second I considered letting him flap in the breeze at his faux pas, but I just smiled  and said “Thank you! I like it too!”

I like breaking stereotypes! I’m not just some grandmotherly old broad!  LOL 

Next time I’m thinking ……… mint green!

 

First Day of School

(Yesterday's stroll down memory lane reminded me of this.)

We always talked up how great school was. 

How important you were when you went to school!
How intelligent you were when you went to school!
How many cool things you'd learn when you went to school!
How FUN it was!

Son2 was so excited to go the first day.

His excitement had waned by the time he got home....

Have you ever seen an expression that says ‘you lying SOB’s’ more than this? LOL

Traditions must be Upheld

Since I am no longer in a position to embarrass/annoy you in person by waking you at the crack of dawn, blasting the Beatles birthday song so loud that it rattles the windows and shakes the pictures on the walls…..and piping it to the outside speakers so the entire neighborhood knows it’s your birthday!!!!!!!!

Since I can’t do that anymore……

It is inevitable that I take the only other recourse available to me and embarrass/annoy you digitally (and worldwide!!!!!!)

You are required (by law) to listen to/watch the ENTIRE video (or suffer your mother’s wrath!)

I hope it’s a splendiferous, super wonderful,  totally awesometastic day!!!

Love you!

Poppin' Tags (sort of....)

I was thinking of using them as 'tuck ins' for the next round of journals.

The Neighborhood

I was reading Mary Ann Moss’s blog a few weeks ago and she had links to some of her bloggy friend’s blogs….that lead me here.

It was late, I was tired and so I instantly decided I needed to purchase these!

And I’ve been building…..and building….and building…..ever since!

If Only I Had Listened To My Mother

In lo, these 60 years I’ve learned a lesson or two.

Even successful people have self doubts (and many failures.)

If only I had listened to my mother.

She used to say, ‘Try it! What have you got to lose?’

I would answer, ‘Lose face, be humiliated, and be labeled a failure.’

She would say, ‘So?’

It took me a long time to realize just how wise she was.

Family Portrait

It was always difficult to get them to cooperate for family photographs.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
I keep fiddling around with these characters.

Paper dolls, ‘stuffies’…..I’m still not satisfied with them but I’m having a fun time playing!!  

(I think I need a R&D team to help me.....anyone out there with a kid who likes to play with dolls.....?)