Movie Night

The first night we were all together on vacation we had a fun cookout and movie night outside with an old fashioned film projector. Mom got the idea from Martha Stewart, I think. They have been doing it for a few years now. Dad even made a huge movie screen. They order movies online. We watched Underdog and a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Aren't my nephews cute!

Later, when we were all inside scratching at our mosquito bites, Rose was sitting at the table with aspirin and a cup of water. She rubbed a wet aspirin on each of her bug bites and several days later I still had all of mine but all of hers were gone. It worked so well, I thought it was worth sharing.

So what fun things do you all do as a family?

TGIF!

Headline News

There is nothing like seeing your house on the front page of the local paper with the words "housing market appears to be in a free fall." At least they must have picked our house because it looks like a slice of Americana, flag and all.

Other than that today has been really fun. I ran in the opposite direction today...shocking, I know. That is how I ran across the paper in the first place. I came home, showered, and got ready and dressed in a fresh pair of pajamas. Then I started making my fun wallet from Amy Butler's book In Stitches. She gives really great instructions. I'm excited. It should be fun.

Today, I'm thankful for pajamas!

Virginia is for Lovers

Well, vacations are crazy aren't they. I have stopped thinking in blog so you are just going to have to bear with me on this one. Let's see...where to start, where to start. I took over 400 pictures. No wonder everyone was getting really annoyed. A few good things did happen, besides the obvious, a few lightbulb moments. One was about preparation. I am now fully converted to the gospel of preparation. On the days that weren't really planned we ended up circling sanity. Making things very interesting to say the least. I also didn't do the best job of packing either comming or going. My mom is having to mail me practically a suitcase back, sorry mom. And I did have a very inventive moment involving Watermelon gum, a map, and a rental car. The interior light would not turn off if I wanted the outside lights of the car on. So this was the result: I came home alone with the kids. So I made a scheduled stop in historic downtown Charlottesville, VA. We stayed for quite a while. It was really fun. I counted at least four different people singing with their guitar cases open for change. People seemed very classically southern (which I love) and were very friendly in that cool artsy kind of way. Cute shops. Good food. Great company.

Today I'm thankful for a break in perspective, something fresh to think about.

Penelope the Movie Trailer

Penelope the Movie Trailer

Buffy found this. It looks like the cutest movie ever(we hope), but it hasn't come out yet. So sad.

Sam made his top ten movie list on his blog. I started to do mine, but then I realized that I already had them on my profile. Although, I did leave out Empire of the Sun and Gone with the Wind. I also really like Sweet Home Alabama.

While on vacation the girls went and saw Becoming Jane. Buffy and I LOVED it! We went to this cute little theater. The kind that only plays one movie at a time. It even had a balcony. Very cute. It also had Vegan propaganda in the lobby. I (loving anything resembling a magazine) helped myself to a vegan "starter kit", and now I really don't know if I can ever eat chicken again. So sad. The funniest part of the evening was when we put Preston in a van with 5 kids under 5 at bedtime. He was definitley the hero of the night. I wish I had a picture of that. Popo was there at home to help him out and when we called to see how it was going the two year old was feeding the baby a bottle and the older kids were eating shrimp for a bedtime snack. Very funny!

And as for books, I finally finished Great Expectations. I really loved it, LOVED IT! I am waiting for my great expectations. I know exactly what I will do with them. I was inspired on my trip....

Today I'm thankful to be home!

Bentley sees the coast

I spent an hour trying to pump air in the tires of my jogging stroller and ignored at least 4 no trespassing signs to get here. So worth it!
Today I'm thankful for "VACATION BABY!" (that is a loose Friends reference to "LONDON BABY!" - just for you Chris)

prayers, please

My dad and his family moved from Bolivia to Peru to escape civil unrest. They moved into a high rise apartment right next to the beach. This is the view from their kitchen. My sister Vera emailed me saying they had been in an earthquake and that it was very scary. My dad was in a cab, Ana and Clara were at home, and Vera was at a friends. Please pray for them that they will all continue to be safe and that they will not have to feel afraid.

Ana and the girls in a cloud forest.

Dad, Ana, Clara, Vera (this picture is seriously old)

Gobble Bag

I've created something that I'm sure will traumatize my children for years to come. I can see in 30 years we are together for Christmas and the fire is blazing. We are sitting around talking about the kids childhood when one of them says, "Remember that hideous gray and pink Gobble Bag that Mom made!" At which an uproar of laughter will follow. I will blush. And the stories will flow of how their favorite toys got eaten by the gobble monster.

OK so I've been threatening my daughter with it for probably a month. When Addison and Riley were here I used it as an empty threat to get them to clean up. Addison cried that night. And I didn't figure out until the next morning that it was because he was afraid that the Gobble Bag was going to go to his house and eat his parents stuff. So after much explaining, Chickie knew that I was first going to have to make the bag. At this point it was practically an out right challenge from her to me....as if she was saying,"Oh, yeah. You want me to pick up my toys. Well, you are just going to have to make this so called Gobble Bag. I don't believe you are MOM enough to go through with it." So, Monday night, after she was in bed and the house was littered with piles of what she had done that day ( Which was a lot. She made paper hair bows, a necklace, and played a lot of games with different groups of toys. ) I got to work on the bag. It had to be huge enough to hold a LOT of toys. And it had to be friendly enough to not give my children nightmares. So her reaction in the morning when her precious toys were in the bag, including beloved Sweetie, her "breathing" dog, "I want to make one!" That's what she said. And I had been worried about her having nightmares from it. Hopefully it works. I don't want her to lay awake at night wondering that she got every single toy put away....but I also don't want to have to remind her 50 times throughout the day to pick up her stuff. I would like her to remember to put things away as she goes

throughout the day. I am married to a neat freak. And for my own sanity (and his) I don't want to be the only person cleaning.

Today I'm thankful for the smell of a new magazine. ...paper and perfume, gotta love it!

artist me

I had a dream last night that artist me was lost and had several maps and was desperately trying to find her way...somewhere. Back to regular me perhaps. This blog is called another self portrait for a reason. There was a time when I felt like squidward with self portraits all over my house. I guess I was hoping other forms of art or self-expression would count as well. But I guess it's just not good enough for artist me and she is feeling desperately lost. Crafting is just so much more instant gratification. You can make a lot of things quickly. Paintings take longer. Paintings take hours at a time...which I don't have a lot of right now. Last Friday a man came to look at our house (it's for sale) and he was commenting on my art work. He said it reminded him of Alison Moffett's work...who I went to school with, and he had been the interim art director for a short while during that time. Anyway, to compare my work with hers is a gross overstatement...I wish. He was telling me that since graduating she has moved to Paris and become one of the 6 up and coming artists. So maybe that's where this dream came from, jealousy?

When I first was considering changing my major I was taking a walk around and peeking in studios. I came to hers and she was working on a huge rocket painting. There is no way I can really describe it. But it was cute. I was mesmerized. We talked for a while. And even through the years as her work evolved, it was really fantastic. Look and see for yourself here, here, and here. Mine never was. But maybe it can be if I keep working at it. I made great grades though, because I'm an excellent student. And intellectually I get it. Although, there is that special something missing from my work. But then again...isn't life supposed to flow. If it isn't really working in one area then doesn't that mean that you haven't quite nailed down where exactly you are supposed to be?

And then there is the wii. We have been playing Brain Academy. After you take a test it tells you what job you would do well at. I have gotten: Investor, Doctor, Meteorologist, Consultant, and finally Fortune Teller. Chris has gotten: Improve actor, musician, fashion stylist, and fortune teller. And his grade is so much higher than mine. I can't wait to take this game and play it with the rest of my family and see what everyone else gets. But if I plan my future according to the all powerful wii....then art is apparently not my strong suit.

Today, I'm thankful for finding a fun new blog to read. Thanks, Mandee.

Trash that looks like the number two

Today (actually this was from yesterday) Yesterday I'm thankful for litter that forms itself in interesting shapes. And I'm thankful that I have enough self confidence to stop in the middle of a parking lot, whip out my camera and take a picture of trash.

bows, bows, bows

Olivia and Eden modeling the bows.

I have been slacking on my blog this week because I have been obbsessing about hair bows. I didn't really think anyone would want to read about hair bows. But oh well, here it is. ...

Nope, it's just too boring to even write about. Just know that I have been seriously obsessing and don't be surprised if you start seeing a lot more hair bow pictures.

Chickie making korker ribbon.

Today I'm grateful for learning how to make hair bows! And once again, audio books.

the gift of blog

Anonymous brother,

I decided that you need your own blog. Just to keep you from hijacking mine. :) Really, just kidding. I love your comments. But you know you need one of your own. Seeing as how you are already addicted. Obviously you can change it to however you want. Have fun.

I'm thankful for a brother! You are great! Love ya!

And the winner is....

I really enjoyed all of the funny things you all have done. Thanks so much for sharing. My story for the winner and all the rest of you is this:

Food is the way to a man's heart...Right? Well that's what I thought in college. My friend, Martha, and I planned a date and we were going to make the guys dinner. Our plan was to make my mom's delicious "Chicken that makes it's own gravey" recipe. I called her to get the recipe, but just wrote down what I thought I needed to know in a kind of vague sort of way. One of the ingredients was evaported milk. And since I was 18 or 19 hadn't cooked many things other than treats, I got it confused with sweetened condensed milk. So the food was in the oven and I kept checking it. It didn't quite look right. So I kept tasting it and it didn't quite taste right, either. So I kept putting it back in waiting for it to taste better. I don't remember how I figured it out. But the only one who ate any of that chicken was Martha. She was so so funny. I have a million funny Martha stories. At any rate that's my story.

As for the winner....it was a very difficult decision but I'm gonna have to say Mindy. And since she doesn't eat chicken, I'm going to send her the recipe and the stuff to make what should have been made with the sweetened condensed milk. SO SO yummy!

ZOO!

and I thought I had problems...

Today I'm thankful for learning new things, having a lot to do, and less than 2 weeks until the beach!

I'm thankful for graveyards and other oddities

My sweet friend Mindy posted a really nice complement about me on her blog. It made me feel like all this silly blogging is worthwhile if we can inspire each other. I feel like there is so much good in this world. All we have to do if focus on it.

This morning I woke up feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude for not only my life now, but for the possibility of good things to come. I headed off with Bentley in the jogging stroller and just couldn't shake this feeling of overwhelming gratitude. In fact, I got kind of choked up thinking of all my blessings and that, coupled with the fact that I was running and pushing a 20 lb. baby, I almost couldn't breathe for a minute. I feel like this morning was a special gift. I usually don't focus on being grateful until the end of my run when I am almost back home. I make a trip through a graveyard near my house for this purpose. I heard Nicole Kidman say once that she liked graveyards because they make her feel small--or something to that effect. I agree. It just brings so much perspective for me to start the day. It reminds me that life goes on after death and that reminds me to focus on the things that do last, like family and knowledge. The other purpose for going through a graveyard is that I can talk out loud without anyone thinking I'm crazy (except for the guy mowing the lawn). I have this thing I say over and over again. I got it from Anthony Robbins: "God's wealth circulates in my life! It's what flows to me as avalanches of abundance! All my needs, desires, and goals are met instantaneously by infinite intelligence. And I give thanks for all God's riches for I'm one with God and God is everything!" (I added the !'s.) And then I think about all of my blessings starting with my family and circling outward and then I continue to include things that haven't happened yet but that I'm sure are headed my way. By the time I get home I feel GREAT!

Today was lovely, I got at least an hour of silence. Which is a miracle at our house. And my friend Sarah gave me some pretty tomatoes and yummy zucchini bread. And I don't know what happened but by bedtime (the kid's bedtime) I didn't think I was gonna make it. I was feeling very inadequate. And overwhelmed by my self imposed ridiculously impossible to do list. I have a huge problem with focus. I can't. I have a lot of unfinished projects and I'm spending a lot of my time doing things that aren't my most important priorities. Like cleaning.

Today I'm grateful for all the different people around me. I feel so inspired by Mindy's desire to learn, Mandee's perfectionism, Katie's persistence, Heather's generosity of spirit, Chris's vision and Sarah's workouts! I'm thankful for my flaws. Which are abundant. But I love any opportunity to improve myself. I hope that I can take the good I see in others and apply it to myself without adding too much pressure, but just enjoy the fact that I'm teachable and ready to make at least some of my faults into strengths. And when I can't I'll just lean on them to fill the gaps in myself. That's what friends are for, right! And I'm grateful for hard times. Because that's when I stretch myself the most. And I know that things will get abundantly better. I know that! And I'm grateful for Mia's awesome piece on So You Think You Can Dance last night! I so cried! :)

MY HAIR!!

So so silly. I know. I guess I'm on a silly streak...But I have posted pics of me and my hair before and after venturing outside for the day. Please look down and VOTE on how I should wear my hair!! Then I will post a pic of me with the winning do on my profile. You all are anxiously holding your breath, I know.

Today I'm thankful for being able to laugh at myself. And I'm greatful that you all are laughing with me and not at me. :)

It looks like I'm doing my best to raise silly kids! Here is another Chickie pic.