Thursday, January 19, 2012

Artsy craftsy in the best kinda way

My oldest is my creative artist. Always knee deep in a craft, project or just daydreaming these outrageous ideas that are just waiting to come to fruition.

I try to encourage it and be patient when we are surrounded by glitter, felt, markers, tissue paper, foam etc but honestly; sometimes I just don't get it.
She takes creative to a whole 'nother level.

And then she goes and makes these masterpieces:


Aren't they awesome? She called them "cool cards" or "personality cards" (she's really not into labels and doesn't let them hinder her creativity :)
But basically they are little cards that Bonnie has drawn that highlight and describe each person in our family.

Each person in the family got one but since the kids cards have their names on them I am not going to post them until I can blur them out-yes I am a weirdo like that. Now naturally since Jet Pilot IS a Jet Pilot his card is awesome and sleek looking with a man "plane surfing" on a jet (cuz that could happen ya know?)

The baby's card says he is a milk monster and it has the word "Sleerrrp" on it...she says that's the sound your straw makes when you suck up the last of a drink from you cup. Yet, my baby is a nursing baby--so he doesn't drink from a cup...but she says that's the sound I should make when he is done nursing.
Twisted sense of humor, this kid.

Clyde's picture has him hitting a home run at a packed stadium because we love all things baseball in this house. His caricature also has a huge bat that if it were actually really would be very disproportionate to the ACTUAL size my 4 year old is. But whatever. In ink drawings you can skew reality like that. It's cool.

When we got the little cards there was a small part of me that was like "really another project to hang on the wall?". But since they have been taped up on our walls I find myself going about my daily life stopping occasionally to gaze at one of these drawings and my heart melts.

She is so kind to take time out of her day and highlight something special about all of the members of her family. I also find it endearing the perceptions she has of us and our roles in this house. And I secretly wish I was doing a "cool trick" on my card. But in reality I guess no one can do a cool trick while folding laundry or nursing a baby or a organizing a hall closet. It would be nice though.

My kid is artsy and I DO LOVE IT.
Now I just need to repeat to self again and again.
Like 829568261 more times.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Heavy heart

As of late I have had the comings and goings of a heavy heart. Unless you have been under a rock recently you know that 2 F/A-18 Pilots died recently. There was a shooting in Coronado (the small resorty islandish city off the coast of San Diego) on New Years Day.

Now when you get to where we are in Aviation training it soon becomes apparent that everyone knows everyone. Mainly because all these pilots have been stationed together at one point or another.

And it is with a heavy heart that I say we knew one of those pilots affected by this incident in San Diego. Bob Reeves. He went through training in Mississippi with us. He was actually in Jet Pilot's class and went to the Aircraft Carrier to get qualified on the boat with him.

I happened to find out about the story because I read it on the Internet (without all the names initially) and being that the Aviator pool is so small and the fact that we actually know several pilots who live in San Diego I texted Jet Pilot and asked him to call Bob and make sure he was ok. I'm really not sure why I was so adamant that Jet Pilot do this I just felt this weird sense of urgency. When Jet Pilot finally called me back he told me the news, Bob was one of the people who was dead and all the details were still sketchy but it didn't look good.

I'm not going to rehash the details of the story, that's what Google
Is for, and honestly it's so sad I don't want to dredge it up again.

The authorities are saying Bob committed this horrible act, for that I have no words- he was a friend and nice guy and always seemed happy around us.

I do not know how to take all this...so I am giving it over to the Lord and asking for His hands to touch the minds and hearts affected by all this senseless tragedy.

I pray for the three families who's loved ones are gone, and I pray tonight for all the pilots who knew one or both of these Aviators. As a friend and co-worker I'm sure there are a multitude of questions or concerns that have rolled around in their heads and I pray for their peace of mind. God's plan is always at work.

I went back and forth as to whether or not I should publish this post but thanks to a good friend I decided I should. And honestly, I'm glad I did. It's like a load has been lifted-closure, or something.

So tonight hug your littles, kiss your spouse and never take it all for granted.
Because it could all be gone in a flash.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Against the grain. The flushing of the toilet grain.

Alright--please tell me I am not the only mother out there who is constantly going behind her children and....
FLUSHING.THE.TOLIET.

It's like my kids shun flushing. It's taboo or something.

I am all for being green, shrinking your carbon footprint, waste less, reuse more but personally I have to draw the line somewhere. And using that shiny silver handle is that somewhere.

Its driving me bonkers!!
(now to the credit of my children--lately I have been a little stressed, under slept and sluggish, but still!)

Tell me to get over it, tell me it's not that big of a deal. It's a menial task that takes .00047 of a microsecond to complete.

So do tell, do your kids also FIGHT THE FLUSH tooth and nail?