Hidden Cam

Oh this is funny.  I was facing away at my desk, sat the camera on the corner and pressed record.  The empty toilet paper tube is helping to create the voice of God I think.  Please forgive Liv's bossiness leadership skills.  George does.  :/

Come on now!

If you were 2, 4, or 6 years old, wouldn't you find this lunch fun????  

My brats must be spoiled.  I supplied them with a plate full of imaginative, prehistoric, please-play-with-your-food, awesomeness.  See those beans?  They are perfect rocks! 

Do you think they cared?  I ended up throwing away half of it from all 3 plates.  

THEY DIDN'T EVEN PLAY WITH IT!

Ingrates.

I'm never feeding them again.

Ever.

For real.

At least until dinner.

I'm embarassed

I was not posting for a little while because of that broken camera I've been complaining about.  Dad subscribes and sweetly gave me his camera (he said he was already looking to replace it, but I never know if he was just looking for a reason to help me out.  AW, I know right.). 

So, now there is something funky with macs and Kodak?  I need to do more research (more like- ask Troy to fix it) to get the pics to upload.  I need to get on that asap because I'm about out of space on the camera and Christmas is coming! 

That said- the pressure is on.  I'll get those pics up, posts written, and shake off this slacker feeling.  (I also want to say how much I appreciate the messages about where I've been.  You are too kind!)

BTW- Where I've been is in the kitchen.  Making meals for people, cookies, dishes for random parties.... Tis the Season!

Cowboy Room

Troy was painting George's room.  It is slowly becoming more and more like the cowboy room I'm envisioning.  After Troy taped off and covered everything in the middle of the room, he gave the kids paintbrushes and let them go at it while he cut the trim. 

I kind of want them to paint this on the finished wall.

Kind of.

For one who paints murals, I really have a hard time committing to a room design.

I don't know if Liv really knew we were going to paint over her masterpiece, 

as she went with the cowboy theme also.

We knew enough to strip Ginnie down first.

Cowboys, Indians, Cowgirls, horses....

The wild west in action.

Those kids worked so fast, they got 2 walls done before Troy finished his half.  The stories they were telling about their art was amazing.  It was an interactive story as they kept on illustrating it.  

I really wished I used the video mode.

The cost of a little quiet around here.

Remember, busted camera.

The house got quiet.
I about lost it.  I was scared to death.
It is never that quiet around here!
I did a quick head count.
Baby, nursing- check.
Liv and George, reading on the couch- check.
Uh oh......
Where is Ginnie???

I heard a squeaky voice coming from the porch...

Here is where I saw Virginia playing.

 How sweet, right?

 Did you notice the big rip in the screen, made by you-know-who? 
She placed her animals between the screen and the outside glass. 

Oh well, it was worth the few minutes of quiet, right?
Sigh.

Weaving, oh yeah.

Troy and I were talking (Ok, so it was probably more like, I was talking and Troy was my audience) and I was thinking out loud things the kids could do that would be fun, educational, and keep their hands busy.  Can you tell I'm gearing up for winter when we are holed up inside all day?

I mentioned those simple kid weaving looms.  He looked at me like I was nuts.  He had never paid attention to any kind of toy like that.  He was purely a "play ball" kind of kid, apparently.  

I'm sure he wasn't outside 24/7 but he has conveniently forgotten the rest of his childhood.  

He needs therapy.  

Shock therapy.

I grabbed my weekly 40% off coupon for A.C. Moore and bought a simple loom and hook for $4.  

Of course I couldn't just throw the project at the kids.  

I had to make it a lesson.  

Of course.

Not pictured is the "paper spring" skill.  Unless you are Troy, you know what I'm talking about.  A simple practice of folding back and forth.  Want to know why it is not pictured?  I totally missed the spring when I blindly zoomed in.  Stupid broken camera.

Then we did some simple paper weaving.

Finally, we broke out the loom, hook, and loops.

And two, yes, TWO days later it was finished.  

Apparently my memory is a little fickle also.  I guess it wasn't the rip roaring, exciting project I remembered.  George encouraged Liv to finish it by offering to help.  

Mind you, George wasn't into it for the coordination experience, nor the pattern practice.  He wanted to give the finished project (not pictured also) to his girlfriend, Allyson (aka babysitter).  

And he did too.  She loved it.  

She has no idea that by taking that gift, it was like signing a betrothal.  

Sucker.  

See you at the chapel in about 20 years, Allyson! 

My camera is busted.

So.... it was a misty, rainy day.  I let the kids put on their boots and rain coats to play a little.  I couldn't help but melt a little with the cuteness.  Of course I grabbed my camera.

Only to find out that the LCD screen was barely lit.  When I say barely, I mean, I can only see a faint outline on the white door on the shed.  That is all.

Are you wondering how this happened?  Not me.

Not because I saw anything happen to my camera.

I have just been graced with extra pictures when I upload my pics to my computer.  

By a certain little person.

Ginnie is great at sneaking the camera for a few shots of fun and putting it back for me to find later.

I would lay money down that she banged it on something and broke some connection to the LCD screen.  

Now, I am truly just pointing and shooting.  Blindly!  Any pictures I post from now on (I'm camera shopping) will be captured by pure luck!  Don't judge any weird compositions, or unfocused images. 

This should be fun.