When it’s good it’s very good and when it;s bad it’s horrible. Most of my reviews are favorable but, some are not. Yelpers get a bad rap for being overcritical but I try to be objective and my Yelp account is a hobby. Join me, won’t you? http://bit.ly/pddFWX
Dog Days Now Exiting Stage Left
Summer has officially ended at the Button homestead with the 2 oldest back at school.
As we get into the fall season approaching Halloween costume conversation is beginning. The boys are leaning toward things like zombies and anything that would allow for carrying a gun. Guess we’ll be catching up on a lot of ninja movies and other such action-type flicks for inspiration. Scout’s first real costume should be fun. We’re leaning toward witch or fairy. We’ll see what she’s drawn to!
Summer was cram packed with paintball, bmx, movies, video games and swimming. We also took a road-trip to California for Magic Mountain & a family reunion. Additionally, We saw a desert mummy called The Thing?, barbecued and got a fish tank. It seemed like we’d never be able to fill the days as the summer dragged on. But then, Seamus started football and we knew the end was in sight. He’s really loving the exercise as well as being in with the bigger kids. While he’s only 11, his height and weight qualified him for the 14 year old team. He’s the youngest but, has kept up nicely with the demands required of him. Scout’s walking. I guess the bribery worked-she got 2 new pairs of shoes out of the deal! But the biggest finale of all was when Jack got a Yamaha 50cc scooter for putting around the neighborhood. The kids are wild about it and love taking little jaunts around the block with Dad. Jack’s just loving the possibilities for aftermarket parts & modifications.
Painting for me has become a new possibility. I had to wait until the baby became a little more self sufficient and I have a little more spare time with the kids out of the house a lot. I’ll be starting small and you’ll be seeing my works in my Zazzle shop on posters, mugs & other cool things. Cheers for now~
Tubac…Again!
Whenever our family goes on a day trip to historic Tubac, Arizona, we are surprised to find new shops and galleries. Our trip today was no different. It’s almost a new town each time and was especially sleepy today due to the winter season drawing to a close. The snow-birders that spend the winter here have all but left for the Midwest and east coast where they are from. We had the run of the town and the gems of the day were The Yard Woman and the Hal Empie Gallery. We happened upon the Yard Woman first. Full of herbal tinctures and remedies, the store smelled fresh and clean. The children were immediately drawn to the table of handmade soaps in the center of the store. They wasted no time at all sniffing each and every soap and then thrusting them under my nose, too saying, “Smell, Mom!!” I find it so ironic that they liked the soap so much. Baths and the children are always a challenge. I was totally opportunistic and snatched up a bar of the “Eye Opener” Goat’s Milk Soap by Windrift Hill. I also picked up a few ounces of Red Raspberry Leaf tea, which is for me (and a great tea for any lady, might I add). We were off to the next find. My husband was searching for handmade pottery and wooden bowls while I was keeping my eyes open for great original plein air paintings. The children spotted ice cream stands and gem shops. Anxious to spend their hard-earned allowances, the children yanked us across one dusty street after another. Tubac has plenty of refreshing stops and it seems all stores carry bottled water. One of the last stores we happened into was the Hal Empie Gallery. It is mostly prints from the late Arizona artist’s vast body of works, but there were a few originals there on consignment, too. I appreciate prints, but there really is something special about an original piece of work that gets my pulse pounding! It was a rare treat. We left for home after that. The first thing I did after I got in the door was to go and place the children’s new soap in their shower for tomorrow!
Crochet
Crochet & knitting seem to be lumped together as interchangeable. A lot of times when I am speaking with someone about my crafty crochet hobby, they will at some point call it knitting. I don’t correct them, but there are differences. Crochet is much simpler, using only one hook and a single string of knots. The manual dexterity required of the crocheter is so simple that even small children can crochet basic projects like potholders or washcloths. My grandpa still tells me about how his mother sicked him on many a ball of yarn in his time.
Many may remember Madame Defarge in Charles Dickens’ high school regarding requirement “A Tale of Two Cities”. In fact it’s the ONLY thing I remember about that book. Madam DeFarge was a powerful character in the French Revolution setting where she was in the habit of sitting quietly in the corner of her 18th century wine shop knitting. But, with Mme DeFarge, she was a spy stealthily recording in knotted code the names of those condemned to die in the name of a new French republic! Viva la Knitting!
Luckily, I reiterate, I am crocheting, not knitting. My knots have very different intentions. My knots are in the more pleasant category that may also include pretzels (with cheese or not) and love knots. I hope my knots find their way to someone who needs a warm hug or snuggle. And who knows? Maybe this summer I’ll get a ball of yarn into the hands of my boys to carry on the family tradition started by my great grandmother!
Teeth Brushing
Bird Mobile
Tombstone
Breath
Yesterday I awakened to find myself the first one up. I could feel the stale morning air of the house and heard the dog yawn. I put on my sweatshirt & house shoes and took our pup out for his first walk of the day. As I stepped out into the crisp morning air I was suprised to see something rare in Arizona. My breath. I marveled at it because I don’t think I’ve seen my breath in over a year. When we lived out west in San Diego seeing your breath in the morning or evening was completely normal. As normal as “late night early morning low clouds” or “the marine layer”. Moisture was something I took for granted. However, with the recent storms El Nino has brought us, there’s been ground moisture and even frost some mornings. The last time Tucson saw snow was 2007, for instance. We just don’t get a lot of moisture in that form. When the dog finished his sniffing and scruffing around I returned to the warmth of the house to prepare breakfast & start the day. The children were stirring and I told them what I had seen outside. They were suprised, too. My youngest quickly went to the window and pressed his face to it where he exclaimed, “Yeah, I see my breath, too!” Well, almost.
Grandparents Day
For the last two days we have participated in the event de gras. Our children’s elementary school hosted a two day event whereby grandparents could come and see the classrooms, meet the teachers, see a class presentation & then eat a very special luncheon.
We picked our grampa up early for the special occasion. He was unsure of what expectations might be thrust upon him, but I reassured him, there were no displays of talents, jokes, swimsuit competition or performances expected of the grandpersons. I think I had muddled the original invitation by relating the recent Simpson’s episode where Grampa Simpson tells Bart’s class that he invented the “ter-let”. This got a laugh from our grampa, but then I think it made him wonder what he would say if prompted. Luckily, he was in the clear and obviously relieved, as I would have been were it me!
On day 1, our youngest put on a play. We then adjourned to the cafeteria for pizza (cheese, supreme or pep’), salad, fruit, and the hugest piece of white cake I have ever seen at a school. I was reprimanded by the lunchlady for allowing our son & his friend to share the cake. Apparently, a MAJOR lunchroom faux pas there.
The school was clever enough to coincide the annual book fair with the grandparents day. SMART marketing, but grampa was unaffected by this shameless pandering for school funds. He donated a dollar to the cause, though & the children were able to bring home a video game code guide. Grampa laughed with us as we all agreed it was a colossal rip-off at $9.00.
Day deux was a nice tour of our older son’s class We asked him to point out the smartest kids in class and the meanest kids in class. He obliged. We asked him to describe his works and point out which snowman was his. He again obliged. When conversation ran thin, he showed us he wasn’t wearing any socks explaining the recent rains had created a “mosh pit” on the soccer field that he stepped in. We asked where his socks were: backpack. I turned to my husband and said, “Remind me to get those out later” as we chuckled.
Day two’s menu was better than day one. I was reprimanded by the lunch lady for picking up my own tray as it was her gloved hand alone which was to serve. oops. I still said thank you. We had fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, fruit, & cake again. I ate my own cake this time and did not share.
We all took something away from the experience, and I don’t just mean cake or gravy stains from the lunch. There was a moment of clarity as we walked the oldest son walk away to recess leaving gigantic clomps of turf behind where grampa really sparkled with joy.
