Oh, Wook It! I'm Four Months Old!

You've probably noticed that this blog has become, at least for now, really about Alden. Less about the house and how we are living in it as we fix it up. And THAT is tough cookies for anyone who thinks we may be a bit obsessed. C'mon! He is our ultimate project!
I introduced him to the jumping chair which, if you ask me, is one of the oddest contraptions invented. And I'd be lost without it! Alden detested his swing chair and was more than pumped to get set up in this thing... this thing that hangs from the door moulding and resembles something you'd rig your food up in while camping. But. Who am I to question the desires of a baby?
Observe.

And the Insisting Begins...

Dustin and I have always been kids at heart. When we lived in San Diego, we had season passes to Sea World and would go all of the time. We'd cheer and laugh even more than some of the little kids sitting next to us in the Splash Zone at the Shamu Show. It's a wonder what took us so long to get on the kid-havin' train. Anyway. Now that we do have one, it gives us a better excuse to do even more family oriented stuff. We're no longer the creepy kid-less adults laughing maniacally at otters balancing soda cans on their heads or shrieking with delight when a clown hands us a balloon. Now, with Alden in tow, we can go to pumpkin patches with dignity even though our child won't remember any of it and will probably sleep through the entire thing.
Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Oooh, oooh! His eyes are open!

Totally worth it!

Puppets! Git Yer Fresh, Hot Puppets Here!

As a freshman, I remember being extremely disappointed with the options that were offered at a career fair hosted at our high school. As an alternative aspiration, I declared that I wanted to be a puppeteer. Now, sixteen years and several career paths later, I am making personalized puppets for those that like a little flair in their gift giving. I've been making these for close friends and family for 2 years and now I am taking them globally. Help me populate with personalized puppets, please.

• Do you know someone who would appreciate a personalized puppet of themselves or someone they love?
• Do you know a child or spouse that could use a personalized puppet to teach them things like how to be brave, how to take a nap, or how to replace the roll of toiler paper?
• Do you have some bad news to tell someone and don't have the heart to do it yourself?
  
• Do you have a friend that has everything and you're stumped on a gift to give them?

Give the gift of puppet. Personalized, of course.

Lookalike Puppet Model: $25 total
The sock puppet will have the following:

• skin color of choice
• hair color of choice
• eye color of choice
• moving mouth
• shirt in your preference of color
• bendable arms (NEWEST FEATURE)

Mirror Image Puppet Model: $35 total
The sock puppet will have the above AND the following:

• shirt embroidered with an initial or simple design
  
• sequined eyes
  
• something of interest to hold
  

Dead Ringer Puppet Model: $55 total
The sock puppet will have the above AND the following:

• body art (arms only, others depending on complicity)
• piercings (ears, nose, possibly others)
• bendable hair (NEWEST FEATURE)
  

Mini-Them Puppet Model: $7 total



To get the ball rolling, I require:

1. a picture of the person's face, up close and personal with descriptions of hair and eye color
2. a brief description of the person's attributes and personality that I am capturing
3. any pictures of the top notch stuff (tattoos specifically)

Lastly, if you are wanting a puppet that will actually be played with a lot, say by a child, I am limited to using only felt, thread, foam sheet, and glue on the puppet. These styles of puppets are made more durably so that parts and pieces remain affixed to the puppet though they should be examined before and after play time for steadfastness. If the puppet is intended for adult use and care, depending on your person that I am puppeting, I may use felt, paint, beads, foam sheet, embroidery thread, and adhesives. I am not limited to those materials and will discuss new options with you.

If you are interested, leave an inquiry in my email puppetnow@yahoo.com

Where the Wild Things Went...

Some parents are content letting just their kids dress up for Halloween while they look on adoringly. These particular parents aren't simply satisfied with that concept. We both just sort of shake our heads back and forth in dismay like you would when trying to convey that you don't understand someone's accent. We not only dress up but build a friggin' theme with back story. This year? We were mythical creatures...

Ah, the majestic unicorn and dragon.


A jackalope and his son...


Ignore my Captain Morgan stance and concentrate on the adorable-ness of Baby Dragon's profile. I want to eat him like a cob of corn.


Crouching Jackalope, Snoozing Dragon

Alden was more lulled to sleep than excited over the stroll downtown to Trick or Treat. Once again, this parenting thing seems to be more about us right now.

Inter species cuddling...

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: Part 2

1. I like that Dustin thinks that Alden has my smile.
2. I like that I think Alden has Dustin's smiley eyes.
3. It fun to give Alden baths. He is very peaceful in the tub.
4. Alden's head smells like honey.
5. I like that "tummy time" also means "farty time".

Curt, A Year Gone By

A year ago today, I had been newly hired, Dustin was leaving for Elk Camp with my dad, and my biggest worry was leaving our little puppy dog, Curtis, at home by himself for the day. Little did we know that life was going to get a whole lot more exciting. We were pregnant for a less than a minute and had a while before we found out. Anyway. I'd like to take a moment to show our Curtis growing up in this past year. Must be all that dry wall in his diet...









He is a great dog with the best intentions but puts Marley to shame. You can actually hear the gears turning in his noggin as he thinks up the next thing to destroy...

The Scent of Money

Lever 2000 soap smells like money to me. And I'll tell you why...

When I was younger and living with my two older sisters and parents in the woods outside of town, neighbors with kids our age were hard to come by. Luckily, we had a family that lived about 2 miles away that had three daughters around our same ages. It was a comfortable bike ride away if you were committed to visiting. And I typically was because the middle daughter and I were good buddies who liked to clean and organize for fun, play office, and set up rigid schedules for our summer time enjoyment. Like the military for 12 year olds.

They would sometimes visit our home but not nearly as often as we would go to theirs. We lived up a dirt road that had 3 tough hills in it's mile long distance and we didn't have a 3 hole golf course, golf cart, in-ground swimming pool, or Coke on tap. That's right, you heard me with the Coke ON TAP. They also had a lynx-y/bob cat in a beautiful cage that ran along the side of the house that the girl' bedroom were on. I can still see it looking into their window at me from my sleeping bag on the floor. As a result, I can only clearly remember staying over two times in the entire 14 years of living near them... the second time I slept in the parents' room. But I digress.

Sometime in the 90's, Lever 2000 soap came out on the market. It was a brand new soap amidst so many tried and true and, frankly, tired soaps like Ivory, Irish Spring, and Tone. It had fresh and modern packaging and was more expensive than the other soaps. That is why we never had any at our home. Not to say that we couldn't afford it but that is wouldn't be the NEXT thing we'd buy. But, one day, while rinsing off in the outdoor bathroom after swimming in the neighbors pool, I got to try Lever 2000. It was a significant time in my life already, so I apologize if this seems a bit dramatic. It made an impression, is all. I was starting high school soon, I was going to be a cheerleader after having been relatively friendless through middle school, I was soon to be a child of divorce, and so and so on. I was noticing differences between my lifestyle and those of my peers for the first time. Some of those differences were materialistic. So there I was, having just spent the day drinking Coke from the tap like I was getting paid for it after cruising down to the country store in the golf cart to put candy on our parents' tabs before swimming in a pool that looked like it belonged in Miami and not Southern Oregon. Who was I? Where was I? And where do I fit in? And what is that amazingly luxurious sent? I decided that I wanted more of what the Lever 2000 lifestyle had to offer.

To this day, I use Lever 2000 soap in my home. I didn't know then what kind of money one had to have to live like our neighbors did but I liked thinking that I would know some day. This isn't to say that I've made it materially but when I do you had better believe I'll be having me some Slurpee on tap. And a mini-cow. And a butler. And a finger monkey.