Just some fun

Adam with his new facial hair-do (I really like it)

Finley with his cutest face ever. The legend has it that I used to always make this face as a child.

Fisher showing his brotherly love

A still un-potty-trained Fisher chilling with dad. I think they were watching Little Mermaid :)

Fisher learning to ride his new bike. I still struggle trying to get him to look ahead and not down.

Finley has discovered that he can climb these chairs. This is okay, but he's been doing some crazy stunt-like positions that he's gonna break his neck doing. I've put the chairs away for now.

Fisher was playing with his cars and decided to park them like this. Notice the grouping. This is a new concept for him to do on his own. Way to go, son, you're brilliant!

a few projects

This lamp I have already posted before, but I made some changes. I painted ribbon to match and put it around the lamp shade. I really like it, and even better, Adam likes it.

I got this wreath at a second hand store. I made these flowers out of paper plates. I like them so much I may add more.

I got these old windows from the drummer in my band. I sanded this one up and was so excited to see blue and greens behind the white. I'm keeping this distressed look. It just needs to be hung. I'm going to draw a pic to put behind it, or use a dry erase pen and write a nice saying on it.

These are the old windows that need to be cleaned up. I've got big plans for them.

oh the sickness

We had the stomach bug hit us this last week. It was, to say the least, miserable. On top of that, Finley is teething so bad and not sleeping well. Finley got the bug first. I was up all night with him throwing up every 30 minutes to an hour. Then, a day and a half later he recouped while Fisher woke up 20 minutes into his nap throwing up. Then that night I woke up at 2 in the morning throwing up. Missed Thanksgiving. Two nights later, Adam woke up throwing up. Needless to say, the laundry pile was monstrous and i'm still still not back on track with household duties. I have so many things to do: Christmas cards, birthday thank you cards from the boys (may or may not happen), make Christmas presents, meal plan for my big monthly grocery run, and CLEAN!!! Meanwhile, I still have to play with my boys a little because they are so darn fun.

I was on TV!

I wrote a song and played it downtown with Chuck. A man who runs a local channel recorded it and put it on his show. That was fun. I'm at minute 51 or 53...somewhere in there.

http://www.archive.org/details/AH-michael_the_k_experience_ep13

Fisher's Birthday Party

Fisher had a train cake for his birthday. I had no idea how intense a train cake would be to make. I made the frosting from scratch by looking online for a powder sugar frosting recipe. Well, having no idea what i'm doing I made it and put it on the engine. It started to look pretty soggy. In a slight panic I called my friend Jen who is an amazing baker. She knows her stuff. Apparently I had made a glaze. So, with about 2 hours until the party with no pizza made and no cake made and a crazy messy kitchen I made more frosting with a recipe Jen gave me. Then, wonderful friend that she is, she came over early and helped me frost my pathetic train. When I say "helped" I mean that she did it and I watched! I put on the wheels and m&m's! You might wonder why I didn't just cave and buy a cake or cupcakes. Fisher had seen me watch the youtube video on how to make a train cake and was very excited about having a train cake. I didn't want to break his little heart. We had a great time. The kids especially, which is the point. I had little party favors with a car, a whistle, and a sack of playdough I made the day before. It was a noisy party with lots of laughs,,,and whistles.

Jen and Ezra saving my cake

just a little decoration. I put everything together while Fisher slept so when he woke up he was very surprised and excited that it was finally his birthday. He had been talking about it for a week.

Fisher opening his bike from us.

singing happy birthday. half way through the song I was thinking, "why did I pick Fisher up so soon." I had picked him up to blow the candles but that kid is heavy!

ho hum

I have a winter garden and it's doing okay surprisingly. Part in the green house and...

part in the ground. I'm growing kale, chard, onions, brocolli, spinach... and i plan to stick some lettuce and green onion out there somewhere.

Fisher making a rainbow with our drain pipe thing.

Finley is king of the box. He's beginning to climb a lot of things now.

We went to the grocery store and on our way out Fisher went to those quarter machines, and wouldn't you know there was a prize waiting for him. It's pretty special.

Yes, that is Finley eating a green onion. He ate the whole thing.

Pipe cleaners and a strainer make a wonderful pass time project for Fisher.

I made baby wipes while Fisher played with the pipe cleaners...

and made some laundry detergent with these ingredients.

this is the laundry soap "cooking".

Fisher brought me a "present". Thanks Fisher.

I finally got to go grocery shopping. I was literally scraping the cupboards. I even went as far as to make homemade ketchup because Fisher desperately needed some for his quesadilla. See picture below. We've had good days but I've been inexplicably grouchy. Fisher has been pushing every one of my buttons and it has taken every ounce of self control to not scream at him. It seemed like every thing he did today was done to spite me and to disobey me. Both kids and myself have had colds so that doesn't help matters. I've been covered in snot and spit up for a week now and am feeling pretty unattractive at this point. BUT, I've also been staring at my kids just in awe of who they are becoming...in a good way! Here's what we've been up to the last couple of days.

there's the homemade ketchup I told you about already.

Fisher and i baked pumpkin seeds.

Finley playing in the sun room.

Made some chili with cornbread. great for a rainy day.

Fisher in the corner for hitting Finley.

Finley got into my potato and onion cupboard. Little guy is just to darn cute to stay mad at.

I got my wheat grinder. I used it for the first time and was impressed.

I started with wheat berries...

and ended with this. I made bread today and it turned out amazing.

I got my chickens cooked and my chicken broth made.

I got my hamburger and separated it up for meatloaf, spaghetti and tacos.

Speaking of tacos. We had that for dinner last night so I made corn tortillas...

while Fisher laid on the couch watching a show. Poor guy hurt his ankle pretty good when he jumped off his bed. Unfortunately he has not learned his lesson.

Today we made a car track with masking tape on the table. Fisher stayed busy while I baked and Finley...

played with my container lids.

Lunch time... we had quesadilla and brocolli. weird combo I know, but I've got to get those veggies in.