Assortment

Sketches

 

It all started with this tracing of a Clone Trooper (other wise referred to by those less-in-the-know as a Cologne Trooper!) by the nine-year-old boy.  He'll sometimes take tracings of pictures he likes in order to get the feel and technique for a particular image. 

  

Then, he runs with it, freehand. 

Soon, the brothers catch the Cologne Trooper (sorry, had to!) drawing fever, and what started with that tracing up there, soon turns into this:

 

And, they go from one sketch, to a pile of sketches in a matter of a couple days.

Then, the boys decide they need to spread the Cologne Trooper drawin' love, and give their parents private one-on-one drawing lessons. 

   

So, for my lesson, there were detailed step-by-step visuals quickly drawn out by my nine-ear-old tutor.  (He found the technique on starwars.com)

Side-by-side we sat.  Step-by-step he patiently told me what to draw and how to draw it.

He ended up with this:

I ended up with this:

   

Short arms, big head, definately a female Cologne Trooper. 

Then it was Daddy's turn.  Daddy, the self-admitted non-artist in the house, was game for a drawing lesson with his seven-year-old boy.

Side by side they sat.  Step-by-step the boy showed him what to draw and how to draw it. 

The boy's drawing came out like this:

 

Daddy's came out like this:

 

Whoo-hoo, Daddy!  (You're gettin' cuter by the minute!) 

Now, for a simple critique of this amazing Cologne Trooper...

Nice helmet, great shoulder pads (nice and high). 

Um, in his right hand, is that a gun?  Could be.  Could also be a handkerchief or kleenex.  Could be his cuddle blanket (Clone Troopers probably don't have cuddle blankets, but a Cologne Trooper might).  Maybe it is a gun, and maybe he just shoots upside down.  Maybe that's his thing. 

Love the foot-length to leg-length ratio on this guy.  Love it.  (A good under-standing is always helpful if you're a Cologne Trooper.)

But, wow, what takes the cake, for me, is how this non-artist completely by-passes the spandex super-hero underwear look, and goes straight for the diaper look.  The saggy, full diaper look, none-the-less!  Brilliant interpretation.  Simply brilliant!

All I can say is, keep it up, Daddy.  I think you're on to something!

 

Done!

I know what you're thinking, but no, not quite done around here with the Big Project (though we're in the trenches with that today), but I am done with something else that is always a huge relief to have behind me...

Taxes! 

What used to be in here...

   

Is now in here, sitting there all cute and put together,

 

waiting under the front portico for the mail lady to come pick it up!

I love  my mail lady, she comes to my door and picks up my out-bound packages! 

Your mail carrier will do this, too, I promise!  Just go to usps.com and follow the instructions to print out a postage-paid label, then schedule a free mail-carrier pick-up!

So much better than waiting in line at the post office!

A Little Bit More

Here, just for your Monday morning, are peeks of the progress with the Big Project :

 

 

 

Original artwork by the nine-year-old boy, to celebrate the near-completion of the Big Project.

   

A new use for an antique floral frog.  Perfect for holding meaningful things right where I can see them on my desk.

   

A fun part of a major purge is finding all those little things you forgot you had!  Tic-Tac-Toe has been played a lot lately, now that it sits out on an open shelf.

 

A these came in very handy.  Exactly what did I do with them?

You'll see soon in the full reveal!

In the Darkness

 

Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, he pulled in from a long, hard trip.  He was finally, finally home. 

Soon, his head was on his pillow; his warm body there beside me.

 

In the darkness, his strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me close.  And, in my smiling sleep-awake, I heard him say, 

"You're my girl." 

It Runs In The Family

High school track runner Daddy had to take the day off work and come watch. 

It was their first-ever track meet. 

Actually, it was more like a "track meet," it was so low-key and fun. 

Each student got to participate in four events of his choice.  Times were clocked just so parents could write them down and feel proud, and in the end, every kid got a medal.

 

This boy was in it for the sheer fun of the experience.  

  

Every swing of his stride,

  

 

Every leap over the hurdles,

 

Even the side-ache, it was all for the fun.

 

Now, this one, he wasn't in it for the fun. 

   

Fun was firmly put to the side and replaced by seriousness, determination,

 

And the GRITTING OF TEETH!

 

This was a race, for Pete's sake, and races are meant to be WON!

 

And this boy was finally grinning and racing down the track because...

  

...he was racing against two of his favorite guys, and mama was the only one watching.  All those other people had (thankfully) turned their backs, walked away, and become engrossed in watching other events. 

Earlier, having all those eyeballs focused on him was just too much to take, and he had come crying, crying, crying down the field and into my arms before the race had even begun!

 

One way or another, they all earned their hardware, and at least one of them thought it was real gold.

With Love

Being fond of tradition, the heart-shaped cookie cutter made its appearance in my kitchen on Saturday morning. 

 

It helped me make a love-shaped spot in every slice of homemade bread.

  

Just so my guys would know I love 'em with every bite.

 

Of course, pink milk made them feel even more loved.

 

Oh, and chocolates!  There had to be chocolates! 

Could there be any more love than this?

They didn't think so!

 

As each boy spread his honey,

 

Ate his toast and jam,

 

And guzzled his milk, I just knew he was thinking about which tree he was going to carve our initials into, his and mine--surrounded by a heart, of course.

Cupid, you've done it again!

Fresh, Local

 

Strawberry season here.

Craziest thing!

Meet the February Girls

 

Just like she promised, January passed the girls on to February, and we have been so enjoying eachother.

Every time I walk by, they're laughing and chattering together.  Oh, they do go on so!

And, sometimes they sing sweet little tunes.

My, and the fragrance they are wearing, well, it's just like spring!

   

I've seen them act shy only once, and it was here, in this shot when they were so full of butterflies, this group of giddy girls.  They were hovering together at the edge of a ballroom floor, each one nervously waiting, hoping (!) that a dashing young man would come ask her to dance.

Uh, don't look now, sweeties, but I think I see one coming! 

Surely, but Slowly

 

Filling the need for tea, toast, and grapefruit these last few days.  That, and lots of time spent on the couch, hoping that this cold goes far, far away. 

Soon. 

Here and there, though, I'm making progress with the big project.

 

 

Surely.

But, slowly.

One Fine Chef, One Fine Boy

 

 

He rolled

 

He crimped 

 

Now he's got flour-dusted sleeves to go with his hitch hiker-speckled shirt. 

{Hitch hikers are Florida's  version of a cockle burr} 

Love that this boy wants to be playing in the woods one minute, and rolling out pie dough the next.