you've come a long way, baby

Here it is, Max's 5th birthday. How does that happen? How do you blink your eyes three times and find your baby has turned into a little boy?

I feel like I should write a big post and talk about Max's birth and all my feelings from that time. But I just don't feel like it today. As joyous as it was, it was also a hard time...and today I just want to focus on the blessing that is Max!

He is such a delight! A very rambunctious, unruly delight, but a delight none-the-less!

Max, this morning:


Max, five years ago:


As I said, you've come a long way, baby! Happy Birthday, Maxidoodle! I love you!

past, present, future...

The past:

*We headed out Friday afternoon for our "field trip" to Saratoga. It was one of those "can anything else go wrong?!!" kind of days. Nothing major...just a million little minor things. Like having to make an unexpected trip to the vet's office before leaving to get Baker a different dosage of pills. Like Baker pooping on the floor when we were waiting to "check in" at the kennel. Like me accidentally going into the men's room (twice!) to get paper towels to wipe up the floor. Like not being able to find a hotel (though we eventually did). Just those piddly little nuisances making us wonder if this trip was a good idea.

*But Saturday turned out to be wonderful! We had a fabulous time at Saratoga National Historical Park. They have a great visitors center...the battlefield tour was fantastic...and of course, we enjoyed the hiking trail. (Though the boys were sort of dragging there at the end.) They were also having British Camp Days at the park...so we got to see some reenactment activity. The boys have been playing Redcoats and Patriots ever since.






*Mother's Day was somewhat uneventful. Too many errands and whatnot, I suppose. Picking up Baker from the kennel, grocery shopping, and the like. We did go out to dinner. And of course, I got presents. In fact, they totally surprised me with the cutest little iPod shuffle! I am so excited! Now I just have to figure out how to use it...which for me, will be quite a task!

The Present:

*Poor little Maxidoodle is sick and staying home from school today. He actually isn't complaining at all...he's always such a trooper when he's under the weather. But he is running a fever and has a nasty cough.

*Annie and I have a lot of catching up to do for school. We really got out of whack somehow last week, but I'm not really worried about it.

*I really need to sit down and work on a major "to do" list for the next couple weeks. Things have somehow fallen apart around here. And we're going to be getting some company over the next month...first my in-laws and then some old friends from Tennessee. I'm so excited! But I need to get this place whipped back into shape first!

*"Soccer season" starts tonight. The kids love playing, and I think it's really good for them. But...it really makes things hectic around here. Monday through Thursday nights are now booked through the end of July.

*The weather this time of the year is frustrating. I'm not complaining. Really. It's wonderful to be enjoying beautiful spring afternoons! Today, for example, we're supposed to have a high of 70 degrees. Shall be glorious! But of course, the nights are still rather cold. It just makes it hard to dress for the day when it's in the 30s in the morning, but then reaches 70 in the afternoon. I usually just don my shorts and shiver for a while. The kids usually choose to dress warmer and then change later in the day...just what I need...twice the laundry. But I can't really blame them.

The Future:

*Well, mostly that will be filled with trying to bring some order back to this house. Trying for finish up our school year over the next 6 weeks. Trying to come up with a plan for next year's schooling. Trying to make a dent in some of my challenges. And as always, trying to make our home a happy place to be.

creating update (weeks 10-11)

WARNING: MOM, in the unlikely event that you are reading this, STOP. Unless you you want to ruin the surprise of part of your Mother's Day gifts.

Okay, now on with the update...

Yep, totally forgot to do this last week. Though in truth, I don't think I would have had anything to post then. But this week, I do actually have a few odds 'n ends...

Thanks to the 30 Day Organizational Challenge I whipped up some quick little valances for the windows in my little craft room. Nothing fancy, but they seem to work pretty well in those horrid basement windows...they cover up a bit of the natural ugliness yet still let in the precious little natural light that the room so desperately needs.



Also for in the room, I covered a couple of Velveeta (well, the generic version of Velveeta) boxes with some fabric scraps from the valances. Again, nothing fancy, but they look better than before they were covered.



On the knitting front, I finally finished Annie's scarf. Now that spring seems to have actually arrived. Well, it's still down in the 30s most nights...maybe she can wear it then.



And now that I feel I have the basics (and I really do mean just the basics) of knitting down, I decided to go back to crocheting for a project. I'm working on a baby afghan to donate to Newborns in Need. Of course, it doesn't look much like an afghan yet.



As well as my own projects, I helped the boys (mostly in the form of wielding the hot iron) finish up their Mother's Day gifts for their Grammy. (Grandmother's still need to be made.) Anyway, Max made this cute little suncatcher (which I really wish I could keep for myself)...



And Gray's present to Grammy is a t-shirt. His part of the project actually occurred early last fall. But as soon as I saw this drawing of his, I knew it was going to become Mother's Day gifts. And this past week, I finally got around to turning his artwork into a tee for Grammy. (Grandmother will also be getting one of these treasures. And I really think I must make one for myself, too!) Annie was gracious enough to model it for me, as I thought it would photograph better that way.



And I do believe that completes this creating update.

**If you would like to read how creative the boys can be in other endeavors, please feel free to read the post below. LOL