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 Dramatization- do not attempt at home

There's something about going from 2 children to 3 that prompts total strangers to comment on the fullness of my hands (ex: it  looks like you have your hands full!)  Surely I am not the only person in the world who has 3 children under the age of 4.5 but really… that's not a lot of children. I don't know if they are just stating the facts or feel really sorry for me. Like the time I was walking into the shops last week with a sleeping Charlie in his carseat on one arm and pushing a drowsy Kate in the stroller with the other hand and convincing Henry he was strong enough to open the door for us.  Because we really needed to go to Pier 1 and it couldn't wait and it was worth it to me to bring them all along. It was all in the name of design after all. And then a stranger appeared "You look like you have your hands full (which I quite literally did) let me get that for you." Which I really appreciated and smiled and said "Thanks!" and kept smiling so she would know that I really didn't mind all this. I find myself being really conscious and aware in public and feel like I have to go the extra mile to show how much I love having 3 children- that I chose this, that I choose to be out & about (because who wants to stay home all day..boo on that) and that we are having a great time even when it would appear to the layman that we are in total chaos. I don't want to give having three children a bad wrap, because we are not done you know. So chew on that. And I forgot to mention that we love every.single.second.of.it.

He turned 2 months yesterday. We blessed Charlie at church on Sunday and it was wonderful. He did so good.  At about 11:30 that night I realized we had no photo's from the day. All the excitement wiped little Charlie out and he slept all day long. So before the end of the day, in a wakeful moment, I had Chris give him a quick hold-up for the camera: We thought Chris' old  Boston College sweatshirt added just the right amount of class. We are classy people. We are adjusting to life with 3 little ones and loving every minute. More tomorrow…   

 have been filled with lots of rain (yeah!!) 3 sick children (bronchitis- boo!), and lots of 'pirate play'. 

Meet the pirate Henry affectionately calls "Arrggh-ie"

 but Kate is accepting calls… sock(s) not required.

Well, he was on Christmas, but you know how it goes. At about 4 weeks Charlie started coming out of his deep sleep and is starting to be awake for longer periods in the day. Not much to report on this 6 week old, he's a dream and still battling thrush (eeek,,,which means I still I am!) His little neck muscles are getting stronger by the day which allows him to go from this: to this:He's a dream and his brother (and sister) just adore him.
 

January

 Was spent with days on the days on the beach in Malibu…and picking avocado's from Grammies roof. 

February We made meringue hearts for Valentines Day and… drove to Las Vegas to see my sister. Kate was 9 months old and we would soon discover that we were expecting another baby in the Fall. 

March We took day trip up to Solvang with Chris' twin brother who was visiting.  On the car ride home we learned that our Uncle Bodo had passed away. Henry wore these lederhosen to his funeral (Ellen & Bodo brought these back from Germany for Henry).We also made cupcakes to usher in Spring. 

April We headed south to Carlsbad to the flower field festival (ranunculus to die for!..) We also tagged along with Chris to: Carmel (it was wonderful!) Henry's' favorite part? The aquarium for sure!

May began by heading straight to the farm for strawberry picking (which was later made into freezer jam.)Our  Special K turned 1 and a week later… Mr Henry James turned 4!

June June had us taking full advantage of our local farmers markets,  baseball, vintage summer quilts & our saltwater sandal collection.

July We  camped on the beach in Carlsbad while Mama spent her time growing this: We also mourned the loss of another uncle.

August We enjoyed cheesecake with friends,  baby blanket making for old friends and… a trip back to Boston (sob!) 

September A few warm days sent us straight back to the beach, where we enjoyed (devoured) yummy treats and was also the month I finally finished this: We also said goodbye to our sweet Grandma: 

October We gobbled up apples,  went to the farm and celebrated Halloween.

November The best month yet!

December We decorated the tree and  hung the stockings. 

Happy 2010! 

Thank you for taking this journey here with me- I hope to see you here next year!

xoxo

 Henry in his Christmas get-up

Hiya! I had every intention of blogging last week, but gosh darn it, it was so hectic and crazy. Chris had a shoot and was filming all day Christmas eve and Christmas day (lame.) Charlie got thrush (awesome.) I got the Christmas gift of mastitis, or so I thought (now thinking it's somehow tied to the thrush.) I didn't finish any of my handmade goodies for Kate and finally had to just set it aside and let it go for a few weeks. Sigh. What a week!

Anyway, we opened our gifts and I received my annual Christmas visit from "The Creep." The Creep is circa 1993 and a little cartoon invention of Chris'. He 'creeps' into any and all gifts given by Chris. He's called "The Creep" because he says and does creepy things.You get the point. Presents are never just wrapped, they are always made into something else to disguise their true identity. They are appendaged, if you will. My gifts from Aveda were made into binoculars. What appeared (from the wrapping) to be a book with a big bump on top was really this:  After all the craziness that was last week, we decided to pack up the children and get out of town.  

Snow: it was just what Henry wanted for Christmas.
We are having a ball.

Happy belated Christmas!

xoxo 

 making a quilt & matching doll quilt for Kate for her new Christmas doll stroller (and still need to make her actual doll)… finishing up hooded bath towels for the children  (and loving how easy & awesome they turned out) Wrapping, wrapping, wrapping! (and realizing gifts from Santa should probably have different wrap) 

3 more days….wish me luck!

 I downloaded some pictures last night completely forgetting that Henry was on photo-taking frenzy a couple nights ago. Hand sanitizer photographed? Check. Christmas Mater Car? Check. Ornaments? Check. McQueen Car? Check. Every Car Henry owns? Check. Kate wearing her Papa's glasses? Check. 

She is her Father's Daughter.

I'm trying not to get totally frustrated with my lack of 'free time' these days. The evenings, which were always reserved for any sewing or making that I wanted to do are now filled with more important things like sweet baby snuggling or putting the children down (Kate got out of bed 38 times last night…I am not kidding.) I have a handful of things on the list to be made but when it comes down to it, I am exhausted by 8:00 p.m. I was, however,  able to eek out some mittens for Kate yesterday. They aren't for Christmas- just a project that has been on my to-do list for ages. All you need is a wool sweater (this was a brown thrifted one which happened to be from the BR) Trace the outline of your child's hands on card stock  and add an additional 1/4" around each side. Cut out and place on bottom of sweater. Pin and cut out. I thought I would be all tricky ricky (only to later find that said idea was neither tricky nor ricky) to put a heart on the inside of the gloves so if you cupped your hands together you'd see a heart inside…So I cut out a heart (from a wool sweater as well) and pinned it to the right side of the gloves…and then I zig-zagged around the edges(sorry the coloring is so weird in all these photos- it was getting dark…) Pin right sides together & sew with a 1/4" seam allowance. Turn right side out. Badda boom badda bing. Mittens.

Kate was a little freaked out by them. Henry wants to know when I'm making his.

Why does red always photograph so weird?