Merry Christmas

Humph.
That's right.
I said Christmas.
I asked Ren Man on Solstice if we were going to wait until next year to switch to Solstice.
Evidently he thought his snickering at my Solstice idea was hint enough that he doesn't want to switch at all.
No time to worry about that now.
(Did I just say this in the last entry... feel like I'm repeating myself)
Wanted to test out a studio set up we have this morning.
I couldn't get Noah to smile at the camera without doing a fake smile.
Asking him to laugh wasn't much better:

Del wanted nothing to do with the hat.
Mostly I wanted to do these to be able to compare it to the pictures of Noah we did for his first Christmas.
A baby a month or so older is not as co-operative...
or maybe she's just not as willing to sit naked and have her picture done.

and from Noah's first Christmas (for those that are interested):

see- I think he was less mobile... that helped.

Anyway- I didn't want to double post so if you want to see the best of the 3 minute Noah and Del shoot you can check them out at the Brown Eyed Photography blog.
We'll be on a internet hiatus as of tomorrow...
hope everyone has a relaxing Christmas and New Year!

More projects

Did you know?
TOMORROW is Christmas Eve!?!?
EEK!
And for the record: Ren Man scoffs at my Solstice Celebration instead of Christmas.
Argh.
No time to worry about that now though.
Too much to do.
Here are some more Christmas projects that are done:
Letters for Miss Del

A toy for Del... another March '08 baby is also getting one... hope they like it.

And three sets of trivets.
One for Great Grammy and Great Grampy

One set created by the boy who has discovered he loves painting (Ark Boy, not Ren Man) for Uncle Evan)

And a set for scientist relatives who have a new house

A pyrex dish with etching- it's a yankee swap gift. Ren Man thinks it's dumb. I think it's great. He ended up doing it in the end because I couldn't wield the x-acto knife precisely enough. I think we're going to add some brownie mix type stuff to the gift.

And this?
This is so cool!
Ren Man was all unsure abou this idea but I think they turned out great- and yes- it was my idea but Ren Man ended up doing this one too:
It's blocks with the picture pasted to it. Each side of the blocks has a different picture. Here's another example:

cool, huh?

And another gift for Del... maybe it's hard to tell... it's a mirror with positive atributes/hopes we have for her


And I think that might be it! Just some last minute touch up stuff to do and wrapping.
Whew!
I want to be starting this stuff in July next year!

brrr

I've been wanting to take a picture of this ridiculous house that is about 4 houses down from ours. EVERYONE who has come to our house since the WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING (!!) has commented on the craziness of this house (I think "intense" is usually the descriptor used).
Not only are there all these crazy lights...
there is also...
wait for it...
music!
I kid you not.
And when I'm working on the third floor- I can hear it.
And yet
tonight
while the snow is making everything look clean...
it is also muffling sound.
I felt provoked into going outside
(after hearing this conversation while Ren Man and Ark Boy geared up to go outside a little before 7pm to shovel again:
Ark Boy said: "What's mommy going to wear?" when he saw Ren Man putting on my mittens
"Mommy's not going outside, she's too wimpy" (or something similar- my memory is foggy on the specifics).
I really did want to go outside- I just didn't want to bundle up Farm Girl.
But what better night than this one to get the lit up house.
bundled up Farm Girl
Wrapped Farm Girl
Frustrated because Farm Girl insisted on leaving her arms out of wrap
Struggled into babywearing coat
somehow managed to get Farm Girls arm in my arm hole
Blaming Ren Man entirely for my predicament as he coerced me into going outside
Finally erupt from the house
Ren Man sees me
"Are you okay?" he asks
"I'm mad at you! You always do this! Say things to antagonize me and make me do things"
"What? I thought you wouldn't want to come outside because it's too late for Del"
"I do want to come outside- but it is too late for Del but you made it sound like I couldn't come outside..."
"Oh, sorry..."
Traipse down snowy road to get not good picture.
Didn't hear house's music until half way down street!

Ren Man and Ark Boy wander up street after a while to meet us.
Ask Ark Boy to freeze for long exposure.
Love his orange coat.

Snowy street facing back towards our house

Ark Boy going towards our house
he wanted to be first

Ren Man wanted to take a picture of Farm Girl and myself.
It was not my finest hour as I was cold, soaked, and wearing Ark Boy's hat as I couldn't find a better alternative when leaving the house in relative haste.
Camera was flashing ERR
I think it was done with the cold too.

In other news:
had a very fun newborn shoot. Head over to the Brown Eyed Photography blog to check it out.

I have a couple projects that I need to photograph and then I'll post them for your enjoyment.
I also have approximately 937 projects still to go before the big DEC 25!
EEEK!

sub wrap up

I subbed all week.
My throat is very ouch-ed.
I'm not sick... I don't think... just have a very tired throat.

Here's the funny/quirky/interesting story wrap up:
....
k, evidently my memory is gone too.
well here's a couple I remember:
kindergartner shared in circle:
*big grin* my dad lost his job yesterday! *big grin* *lots of wiggles* There were too many people in his office so he lost his job! *more grinning*
Not sure how to respond to that...
In PE:
the other PE teacher smacked a third grade girl's butt playfully as she ran past dressed in a purple sweats.
He teased a lot of the kids in a fun way
but this went too far
felt very uncomfortable but didn't know how to ask him about it until...
"are one of your daughters in this class?"
"Yep! That's her, over there in the purple"
quickly recover
"Oh! is that weird having her in your class?...."
Waking up EVERY morning:
alarm goes off
cat meows
and meows
and meows
Try to walk to stairs
cat blocks way
try to walk down stairs
cat stops every step to check that I'm coming
end up essentially kicking the silly cat down the stairs one at a time in order to get down the stairs to feed the silly thing.
mention all this to Ren Man.
"That may be because I used to get up when he meowed and he'd run down the stairs and I'd get back in bed," he says "so now he's probably just making sure you're really coming."

pregnant...

Had midwife appt for annual.
Explained that since we aren't abstaining we could possibly be pregnant
but unlikely
peed in cup
hear midwife in lab
"this one's Sarah's?... She's pregnant"
go hot
go cold
pregnant?
eek.
Okay.
It's okay.
Right.
It will only happen if it's meant to happen.
"six..."
did she say six?
maybe a room number?
check door.
big seven on door.
not pregnant.
phew!
wait- did she say six?
moment to think again.
I think she said six.
Midwife enters room.
"So you're not pregnant"
"I'm not? Oh!... You scared me!"
"Sorry, the lab tech wasn't making eye contact to confirm what I was seeing"
Sad not to see midwife for another year.
remind self that wanting to see midwife more regularly is no reason to make baby.
Go home.
Five minutes after getting home very very thankful to have two and no more at the moment.

another holiday do-it-yourself project

I've always wanted a wreath.
But they are expensive... with a capital E!
So I can never justify it.

We have 3 holly trees... that's right... trees
in our yard
and we hate them.
They shed their leaves... I don't know when...
but when we moved in in early May we quickly learned not to walk outside barefoot because if you step on a holly leaf... ouch!
We asked our landlord if we could cut them down and they don't mind us cutting them down but logistically... well, we just don't know how- or we know how but don't think we could do it ourselves.
Anyway- I was determined to use these prickly leaved trees to my advantage during the holidays.
And here it is... my first wreath:

Christmas Crazy

So very stressed.
Very.
Every year we have not so nice words with each other because Ren Man seems to think it's perfectly acceptable to wait until Dec. to start discussing Christmas gifts.
I want to have everything done by Dec.
Thus we have words.
So this year I thought we could do it his way.
Now I'm incredibly stressed.
On top of it all I have NOTHING- not even an idea- of what to get for Ren Man.
And then frustrated that we feel compelled to consume anything at all!
On top of all this we've been a non-religious family for a year and a half.
My feelings about Christmas are:
It's a religious holiday that has been commercialized.
Take out the religion and you get the commercialization.
I'm not okay with that.
Thinking we should celebrate the Winter Solstice instead.
We could have a special meal that day, give small homemade gifts, maybe do something specific as a family (go look at lights?).
Still pondering all this
while also running around like a crazy person
thinking
making
wrapping
gifts.
And through it all
Ren Man is not stressed.
In fact, he spends a great deal of energy critique-ing my gift ideas.
His main complaint:
the gift isn't needed.
Ahhh!
Anyway- should stop blogging and get to more Christmas-ing.

I'm quite certain that my sil, Chelsea, doesn't read the blog so here's something I've made for Christmas.
I was feeling really frustrated (lots of swearing- yes, real swearing- I know- shocking for those of you that know me well) about another bag I was working on for someone who shall remain unnamed so this project restored my faith in sewing.

And the inside has two pockets.

blog tag

Thanks to my friend, AJ, I've been blog tagged...
My directions:
1. choose the 4th picture folder on my computer.
2. choose the 4th picture.
3. explain the picture.
4. tag at least 4 people to do the same.

This picture was taken I *think* last summer.
We found this outside at Ren Man's parents house.
I thought it looked so cool- like The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Ren Man was freaked that the sticky out bits were poisonous.

I tag:
1. Kate
2. Shalonne
3. Angela
4. Caitlyn

Dear Del 8 mos

Hi Baby Girl,
So not only am I late in writing your letter... we're also seriously lacking in photos this month. Not sure why. We have been slightly busy. We went to Chicago at the beginning of the month, Vermont in the middle of the month, and then Vermont AGAIN for Thanksgiving. No wonder you're on the short nap track. After you wake up the first time you've been getting up every hour to hour and a half. We're both cranky and tired. Last night you slept for 2 hour chunks... I'm wondering if it's because we're home now.
Anyway- enough about sleep.

You continue to delight everyone you meet. Relatives in Vermont kept asking if you were "always this easy/quiet". Daddy and I kind of glance at each other trying to show our disbelief. Maybe you are just more easy going in crowds- or when you're too tired to do anything but come along for the ride. Daddy and I try to explain to people that you are definitely not quiet. In fact you are quite loud. You cry loud, you scream loud, you laugh loud, you babble loudly. That certainly didn't come from your Daddy. Over the summer, after listening to you cry (loudly and persistently) on a car ride because you were hungry, Nina said she wondered if you'd continue to be clear about your wants/needs. It's interesting because often it's very clear what your opinion is. You love playing peek-a-boo and even initiate the game yourself if you can find a nearby blanket or scarf to hide under. You hate getting dressed.

You are still very much all about Mommy. You've warmed up to Daddy and even reach for him from time to time but you are not often okay with Mommy passing you off to someone other than Daddy. Just building my core muscles from carrying you 75% of the day. It only gets tricky when you also insist I stand while holding you. I know, I know- these days are flying by- so I try (not always successfully) to relish this time when you can fit in my arms and perch on my hip.
You've recently started doing this funny scrunchy nose face. While you do it you blow in and out quick through your nose.

You have been amazing Daddy and I with your cute-ness and your smart-ness. You amaze us.
And just past the 8 month mark you starte crawling suddenly- much to my surprise- and started pulling yourself up on every piece of furniture possible. It was unnerving enough to not be able to find you in the night when I knew I had put you to sleep in the crib. About 2 weeks ago you started sitting up in your crib when you wake up in the night. When I went to get you the first time you did that I couldn't find you because you were at the opposite end of the crib, taking up less space in a sitting position, than where I laid you to sleep. Things got even crazier last night when I found you standing in your crib waiting for me. But that's really something I should talk about next month.
I should make sure to take more pictures this month!
Well, you're at the bottom of the stairs and I hear your brother saying "are you coming?...Noah help Del..." so I better go investigate. It's one thing to see you crawling across the living room floor or pulling yourself up on the coffee table- but stairs... not yet... wait just a little bit longer for that- please.
Amazed,
Mommy

ahhh!

I know.
I know.
Del needs a letter.
8 months was Thanksgiving day.
We were in VT.
Me and dial up.
not going to happen.
It's on my to-do list I swear.
I am up to my eye balls editing pictures but the pile is getting lower and lower.
Want to see?
Check out Brown Eyed Photography blog.
In the mean time...
two pictures from Thanksgiving.
In the end I took over 400 pictures but only about 10 were of Ren Man or the kids.
Here's a funny one- Ren Man was helping me figure out lighting.

And here's Del with her Great Grampy.
I regret we don't have any pictures of the kids with their other Great Grampy- so I made sure to get some with this one while we were up.

In other news:
I have an interview in about an hour.
I'm half talking myself out of it... I'm not positive what it entails (it's for a "teaching partner" position) and I'm reasoning that if the pay isn't more than I make an hour subbing then I'll say no.
I think it could possibly put me in a good position for next year too... maybe have my own classroom!