Christmas Tree Face

6 Months Old!

2012-01-23T22:18:00.001-08:00

Stuff I Made...aka my craft failure.

2012-01-22T16:19:00.000-08:00

I have a new hobby... its a hobby formed out of desperation... of being help captive to my couch while my lovely little one eats ALL the DANG TIME. If you know me in real life, you know I have a lot of creative energy. I have an entire room of my house filled with fabric, paint stuff, beading, metal stamping, scrap-booking, silkscreening, you name it I probably have some of it... and that's just in that one room... craft/art/project stuff is spilling out of every corner of our house (and don't even get me started on my spray paint obsession in the garage).

Unfortunately, a lot of my favorite activities require a sewing machine or two hands, or basically just not an infant attached to one's chest. So I slowly went crazy for a few months, not really being able to get some of this energy out except in short, nap-length bursts from time to time. And I went a little wild on Pinterest...but that's another story. So I decided I needed to learn to crochet. There's tons of cute crochet things out there that don't look like your granny's blanket thing-ies and I could totally do that while feeding the boy. Corbin has this cute crocheted ball that he loves and I decided making crochet balls would be a good goal. And how hard could it really be- you're just tying knots- right?

I think I have finally met my match in the craft world.

Not to sound braggy or anything but I am good at crafty things.

They just generally come naturally to me. I am not the best sewer but I am good at the things I do make with my sewing machine.

I am by no means a master painter but if I want something to look a certain way I can usually accomplish it.

I am totally awesome at making life-sized monsters and Halloween props.

But crochet.... ohhhh crochet. Why do you evade me like you do?

I started to out by learning the basic stitches- no problem. Tying knots... literally.

I figured out how to hold the hook and start my foundation row.

I loved picking out fun yarns (cheaper than fabric!).

And then I struggled through learning how to read patterns (horrible person who figured out that method of short-hand!).

I decided if I could figure out hats then I'd get a good overall understanding of how crochet works. Seemed like a small enough of a project that I'd actually finish it and I like hats and Corbin looks cute in hats (since he has no hair) so win-win.

Lose-lose.

My first attempt:

A big, green, yarn pancake. See:

Not a hat.

After several more 'pancakes' I finally started getting my projects to look a little more hat-like:

I made this one for Mr. Incredible. He said it looked like a giant knit boob.

My next attempt was actually closer to fitting an actual human's head... but still boob-like:

For the record I proudly wore the blue boob out in public.

I finally started getting a flatter hat shape... but its weird:

Here I stopped while I was ahead... already boob-ish:

These were two different hats that didn't turn out so I stitched them together... kind of like a sad ice cream cone:

I actually finally started to figure things out and found a pattern that wasn't written in Martian and my hats started turning out.... see how cute Corbin looks despite his mama's lack of crochet skills?

And yes I finally did accomplish it- the crocheted ball:

Pretty much 2 months from when I first started this 'hobby' I finally think I have a 50/50 shot of whatever I'm working on turning out more or less like what the pattern says it should be. I feel like a craft failure for the first time in my life. I suppose I'm getting better with practice. We'll see... one thing is certain, I've got the corner of the market covered for yarn pancakes and boobs!

Witty Title About CIO-ing

2012-01-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

That's Cry-It-Out-ing for those not in the know... and yes I declared the other day for all the world to hear (or at least all my Facebook friends) that Mr. Incredible were putting our collective foot down and making Corbin Cry It Out in his crib that night. He has gone from crummy sleeper to crapp-o sleeper these last few weeks and we had.had.enough. Or so I thought.

Mr. Incredible- in his Incredible way of doing things- had done the research. By leaving the baby to cry for a while and then going in to rock, feed, etc we were teaching perseverance... and perseverance was not what we needed to be teaching right now since our son was applying this new skill towards battling our will power in the middle of the night. And he was getting very, very good at it. We had a plan to end this and I had worked up the stamina/courage/guts/desperate need for something to work to enforce a night of crying it out.

But here's the thing. Our bundle of joy is a small bundle of joy... like literally small in size not in joy or whatever... like he's tiny and small and still eating every three hours (per doctor's orders). That's three hours day AND NIGHT... not really conducive to sleeping through the night which is what CIO-ing is suppose to accomplish. We've managed to make it to six months with this eating all hours of the night schedule and me not going totally insane from lack of sleep by discovering that Corbin is actually pretty content to sleep in our bed (insert *GASP* from the internets- did she just say they [bad word] CO-SLEEP?!?!?!?!?). Sooooo... the cat is now out of the bag. Yes, we do the hippy thing and co-sleep.

We both decided until Corbin gets a little bigger/we get the go ahead to make him sleep longer, then we're just going to stop stressing about being Damn Hippies and embrace the co-sleeping.

We're still battling getting him to sleep for his early bedtime- he's in his own room and is putting up a big fight. But when the adults of the house are ready to call it a day and the BABY is still awake, well, then he just gets to sleep with us for now.

After we decided we could handle this new plan, I think we both felt better about how things were going as you know, PARENTS. We had rationalized to each other that Corbin was a good sleeper in our bed and we were both sleeping well enough and it was much better than listening to him scream for an hour and a half (his previous record). We settled into our 'family bed' (bleh!) feeling in charge when, low and behold, someone decided to put our decision to the test. Corbin very clearly said,

"Hey."

We both kind of laughed.

"Hey. Hey!"

Ok- he'll settle down.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

Me: "Shhhhh- Corbin its sleep time."

(whispered) "hhhhhHey!"

"Shhhhh!"

"hhhhHey!"

"HEY! HEY! HEY!"

And on and on until we both felt stupid for thinking we had outsmarted our 6 MONTH OLD!

"silly parents- who needs sleep?"

His next doctor appointment is this week... we'll see if we have a new plan of attack after that....

Name That Photo Contest!

2012-01-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

Its time for the first Caption Contest of 2012! Comment with your best caption and I'll send you a prize if Mr. Incredible picks your entry!

california winter

2012-01-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

ssssscamping!

2012-01-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

We have a new family member!

This is our 2003 13 foot long Scamp camping trailer. Despite the fisheye photo it really is tiny!

Here's a few interior shots (again with the fisheye... its just too tiny to take with a normal lens!)

This is from the dinette looking towards the kitchen and bathroom (yes- it has a bathroom, with a shower!)

Here's looking back towards the dinette that makes into a full-size (ish) bed.

For our maiden voyage we headed out to Aqua Caliente County Park for a few days before New Years.

We relaxed...

Built camp fires...

Wore ridiculous matching shirts (thanks Mom!)...

We hiked and explored the nearby Mud Caves...

Corbin mostly rode along but had a few adventures of his own...

...Including flipping off the dinette seat in the Scamp and landing on his face!

He screamed a bit but then quickly got over his traumatic experience... but he did get some pretty awesome battle wounds (we're telling people he got bit by a snake).

We have plans to update the Scamp and do a few modifications but are really just looking forward to enjoying more weekend trips around Southern California.... so if you have a favorite campsite- let us know!

Christmas Memories...

2011-12-25T23:04:00.000-08:00

Its Corbin's first Christmas. One he will only 'remember' through our stories and photos. Of course he had presents wrapped in pretty paper and toys stuffed in his stocking even though the wrapping paper was much more enticing for his five month old eyes. But it made for nice memories for Mr. Incredible and me (and his grandparents and aunties and uncles etc). I was reminded of one of my Christmas memories and a lesson I learned from that particular experience- one I hope to teach Corbin early on.

I remember my first visit to a Romanian orphanage- it was around Christmas time and I was only 12 years old. The orphanage was built way up on top of a mountain, above the tiny coal mining village. The day before, our team had helped pack Christmas gifts for the children. Toothbrushes, soap, a few cookies, and dime-store toys were packaged into handmade draw-string bags. As I quickly put these together, I thought about how lame the gifts were and how no kid would want these for Christmas. My mind automatically wandered to my own Christmas list and all the amazing toys, gadgets, and the new bike I was anticipating seeing under our Christmas tree at home.

It was bitter cold and my California- bought coat and shoes were not adequate for a Romanian winter. We went into a large room where all the kids were gathered and I realized it was colder inside than outside! My thin coat and shoes suddenly felt like arctic expedition gear compared to the children's worn sweaters and rubber sandals. We sang songs with the children and handed out the meager gifts. The excitement on the children's faces was overwhelming as they carefully inspected each item in their bags. Our translator leaned over and whispered to me that we had just given the children the only present that they would receive this year.

After our little Christmas program, the children surrounded me, speaking eagerly and quickly. I only knew how to say 'I don't understand' and 'where is the bathroom' so the conversation was very one-sided but I smiled and let them hold my hands. My little brother and I stood out in the dirty snow with kids much older than us and oohed and aaahed at the hot wheel cars and rubber bouncy balls they had received. It didn't seem to matter that the toys were cheaply made and tiny. They just smiled and laughed and showed off each item in their bags. I drove a toy car around in the snow for a fifteen year old boy whose eyes lit up, like, well, Christmas morning. A girl about the same age as me handed me a yo-yo with a confused look on her face. I threaded the string and quickly showed her how to use it. More kids surrounded us and the laughter and joy doubled.

It was time for us to go and as I climbed into the beat-up van that transported us around, several of the children grabbed my hands one last time. I inexplicably had tears in my eyes as we said goodbye. The children were called back inside and as the van door slammed closed, I realized that I had several rubber bouncy balls and other small toys in my hands and pockets. They had given me their only toys- the only presents they would receive for Christmas and as far as I knew the only gifts they would get all year. I tried to call out to them and return the gifts but the children were already herded inside. Suddenly my tears were not so inexplicable and that expected new bike was as far from my mind as California was from Romania.

I sat in the back of that old van silently shivering from the cold and sniffling from the lesson that I had learned - it is far better to give than to receive. What we get in this life will fade- wheels will fall off, strings will get tied into knots- but what we give- smiles, time, joy- will last.

Merry Christmas- I hope it was filled with wonderful time with family and friends, smiles, and joy!

-CtF

checking in...

2011-12-01T20:24:00.001-08:00

Hello there!

Just checking in after a busy week. Corbin-o had his four month doctor appointment this week- he weighed in at only 12 lbs 9 oz which puts him pretty much in the 'squirt' percentage for his age but he charmed the doctor out of getting overly concerned by cooing and laughing and smiling at her the whole time. He got a couple shots that he didn't appreciate but they were necessary.

I finished up a big project for H2H this week, got a haircut, and hey- its December already! We have our first Christmas party of the season this weekend and Mr. Incredible has big plans to put lights up outside...hopefully this year before Christmas.

December has come really fast for me- Corbin reaching 4 months, Thanksgiving coming and going, Christmas approaching with all the shopping, parties, and events... its hard to take a breathe and enjoy the moment sometimes. But we're really trying to do just that and establish a few traditions that Corbin will hopefully learn to look forward to as he gets older.

Well, that's enough over thinking the holiday season for now- happy December!

Thanksgiving!

2011-11-27T21:03:00.001-08:00

4 Months

2011-11-23T12:52:00.001-08:00

Corbin is 4 months old today!

To celebrate and show off all his baby greatness, I decided to do a photo shoot with some of Mr. Incredible's baby clothes. Incredible Relatives- does Corbin look like his daddy?

sweater and booties made by Mr. Incredible's Great Grandma

At four months old, our little one is over 12 lbs and has figured out this rolling over business. He's a good eater but not such a good sleeper. When he sees his reflection, Corbin gets a little shy and then smiles a very goofy smile. He does not laugh, but chuckles when he is tickled.

Awesome little sneaker booties

He usually wakes up in the morning happy and talking to the ceiling fan (which is AMAZING to his little eyes). Corbin is a pro at motorboat noises and shoving whatever is in his hands into his mouth. He loves bumpy stroller rides, swinging on the highest setting, and listening to the Lullatones over and over again. And he thinks Nora is pretty interesting to look at too.

Can't believe its been 4 months already!

And Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow from us to you!

milestones...maybe?

2011-11-18T11:06:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday we hit a major milestone. Mr. Corbin rolled over for the first time. (!!) He's been hovering on his side- arm flailing around, lip quivering- for weeks but on Tuesday, in front of a room full of people, he took the plunge and went all the way. And Corbin received lots of applause and cheers for his achievement. And when I flipped him back to his tummy, he rolled right over again and, I swear, looked around for more recognition. (which he got of course!)

That night he rolled and rolled and rolled- over and over again- just so his daddy could see him in his rolling glory. And I posted these photos on Facebook:

And then Corbin got all the virtual applause from friends and relatives in the form of comments and fb 'likes'. Yay Corbin-o!

And since Tuesday, he's decided that he's had enough of this rolling business and is fine on his back. And if forced to be on his tummy, he's ok with just resting his huge head, shoving a couple fingers in his mouth, and taking a little tummy nap (despite what the AAP has to say about THAT- pbbbbbbbbbbbb!).

Will he roll again? Only time will tell.

Look how cute I am when I smile!

In other news, apparently all that figuring out rolling over business might have had something to do with Corbin's sudden sleep regression. Thankfully (Puh-raise the Lord!) nighttime is no longer quite so painful and we've had a couple 5-6 hour sleeping stints.

So huh.

Babies are confusing. The minute something starts working and we do our 'awesome parents victory dance' they change it up and we're back to scrabbling for answers on 2 hours of sleep and did you make the coffee this morning and forget to put the grounds in and what am I going to do with a pot of coffee flavored water arghhhghghghgh!

But for now we're (relatively) well rested and preparing for a little road trip with the bean-o for Turkey day... now that should be interesting!

I love three hour car rides!

the smell

2011-11-14T11:38:00.001-08:00

We are in the trenches. The trenches of establishing a sleep schedule for our little bundle of ~~screaming-crying real tears- why are you evil adults trying to make me sleep~~ joy. We had a 'routine.' Sometime in the mid evening, after Corbin had eaten and regurgitated his dinner usually all over me, we'd send him to his swing with obnoxious white noise to get all drowsy (baby hypnotism I tell ya). Then when he was nodding off, Mr. Incredible would do The Transfer (all you parents knowingly nod and murmur in amazement.... those non-parents, Austin would scoop up Corbin and move him to bed without-hopefully- waking him up too much and thus requiring us to start the whole thing over again). Corbin might wake up after a little while and then we'd try to calm him down or send him back to the swing on occasion but for the most part he'd sleep for a couple hours in his own crib. Ya-ay!

But for the last few days, things have been different. Probably a combination of us feeling guilty using a swing to put our baby to sleep plus the fact that we were just finally getting into a routine with the little bugger and he changed things up on us and BAM enter the sleep wars.

First we tried sending him to his crib without the swing... and he was pissed. (Sorry for the language but I believe that is the only word to describe the look on my darling son's face as he glared at us in his baby straightjacket (a.k.a swaddle) and screamed his discontent.) He screamed and writhed around until we caved and went and got him.

Then we tried weaning him off of the swing- he only got a few minutes in it and then to bed he went. Where he pretended to sleep just long enough for us to leave his room, perform a victory dance in the living room, congratulate each other on our AWESOME parenting skills, and settle down on the couch to watch a TV show. Then the screaming banshees of hell flew forth from his lungs and we were back to square one.

We had some variation of all this for several nights- we added patting and shushing in his ear while not picking him up, picking him up and rocking/shushing, and going back to the swing even. However, once we had declared sleep war, Corbin was NOT. BACKING. DOWN.

Last night after ONE HOUR of on and off screaming (by on and off I mean he had to stop to catch his breath at some point-right?!?) I picked him up, rocked him, mangled the words and tune of "You are my Sunshine" (dang lullabies!), and put him to bed where he collapsed into exhausted sleep until 2:30 a.m. Which brings us to the main story of this blog post.

At 2:30 a.m. I awoke to a smell. I used to be a rock star sleeper- could sleep through earthquakes, demolition, Ed the stupid dog next door. Then I had a baby. Now I wake up if Corbin breathes too heavily in the other room or if the video monitor decides to lose connection and flash white for a nanosecond. On the other side of the bed, we have our family sleep princess- Mr. Incredible. He's always been a light sleeper and is usually awake a split nanosecond before I am if something is amiss in baby land. All this to say, we have never been awakened by a smell before.

It wasn't a baby smell by the way. Nor was it smoke... but a burnt, plastic-y, something-bad-is-happening-in-the-house kind of smell. Corbin was still asleep (amazingly) but the smell was not good. I sniffed around the hall, sticking my nose near our ancient wall heaters, the over, microwave, even our dryer out in the garage but I could not figure it out.

Mr. Incredible was pulled out of bed and sent to seek out said smell while I gathered sleeping Corbin (NJH@&%NFO@@!@## for waking a sleeping baby!!!) and took him to our room. Mr. Incredible sniffed around for a good twenty minutes while I was trapped in bed with a now eating baby contemplating the news headline tomorrow morning- "Young Family Found Dead In Local Home" "Mysterious Gas Claims Family" and wondering if the batteries on our smoke detectors and CO2 detector were still good (when did we change those? did they go off the other day when I burned dinner? why do we entrust our LIVES to stupid 9 volt batteries?!?!?!)

Mr. Incredible gave up and once Corbin was full and happy, I headed out once more to SAVE MY FAMILY! However I could find NOTHING awry. Finally, my middle-of-the-night rational took over and I went back to bed with my sleeping family (if we're going to go, at least we'll go together) (I know, overly dramatic but that's apparently how I get at 3 a.m.) (I did set up a little fan to blow the toxic chemical filling our house out of our room and opened a few windows) (wow- grammar foul-excessive use of parenthesis. 5 yard penalty or whatever)

The next thing I knew it was morning and Corbin and I appeared to have survived the toxic gas calamity. And Mr. Incredible was triumphantly waving something in front of my bleary eyes.

The mysterious source of the toxic smell that was surely going to be responsible for the demise of the Christmas Tree Face Family! Can anyone pull a Sherlock Holmes and figure out what the heck happened?

Well my dear Watson, apparently those directions- "For top shelf of dishwasher ONLY" are pretty serious. Somehow this tupperware-container-thing- lid flipped out of its top shelf home and landed on the very bottom of the dishwasher where it melted into a goopy mess and filled our house with the smell.

By morning the smell had cleared away, leaving the eventful night of terror, certain death, and-most significantly-the failure of our only victory in the sleep war thus far, a distant and fading memory. Good thing I took the time to retell it here where this tale will live on forever in internet-land.

I can now face the day a survivor. Now if only we could reclaim those few hours of baby sleep victory... maybe tonight! This is Christmas Tree Face signing out.

Its Fall!

2011-11-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

more costume photos to come but for now:

Happy Halloween 2011!

Crazy

2011-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

The windows are cracked, allowing air to woosh into the car and make our ears pop uncomfortably. Frantically Austin flips through the iPod, finally settling on something with loud drums and a pronounced bass line-this time it's Alien Ant Farm... My high school self is somewhere very far away rocking out... My arm is bent backwards, shaking a plush, primary colored toy and Austin is 'shushing' at the top of his lungs... But let's back up a bit.

We never thought we'd be 'those parents.' You've seen them- hair unbrushed, babbling nonsense as they rush through the grocery store with a ginormous car seat perched precariously on the handle. Their little bundle of joy screaming at the top of his/her lungs as mom and dad perform a ritual of shaking/dancing/singing/speaking jibberish despite the many onlookers. Or perhaps you've seen them at your favorite local eatery- mom valiantly trying to rock darling baby and eat with one hand while dad- who has developed several nervous ticks whenever a baby starts to cry- has scarfed down his food so quickly he's forgotten what he ordered.

Yeah, we thought we'd never be those parents. No cheesy nursery rhymes for our kid- we'd start Corbin out on good classical music and Ben Folds and Dave Brubeck. Our easy-going lifestyle would naturally be passed down to our offspring- and we would have a the perfect public baby and enjoy movies and farmers markets and car rides anywhere we wanted to go. As long as we fed him every few hours, we could do everything we did B.C. (before Corbin).

Fast forward to real life and real time and we've learned a few important parenting lessons.

Lesson one: Your baby is his own person- with his own agenda. You either go with it or fight against it. Our first two weeks with Corbin, we thought we had the best car-riding baby ever to be born. We'd strap him into that big ol' carseat and he'd be out cold within seconds. We could run any errand we ever wanted, toting him around like a stuffed doll. Then at three weeks, Corbin woke up. We had been battling a bad case of jaundice and once our little guy finally started filling his tummy and spending some time actually awake, it turned out car riding was not his favorite thing. In fact, at the very sight of the car seat, Corbin's lip would begin to protrude and a pitiful hiccuping cough would soon follow and then meltdown! Tears! Screams! And then Corbin would cry too. He also pulled similar stunts whenever Mr. Incredible and I attempted a family dinner out on the town. Corbin would happily entertain himself until our food arrived and then BAM! Tears, screams, terror. I learned Parenting Lesson #1 most thoroughly when I attempted to run a bunch of shopping errands during his first growth spurt. I had very firmly planted in my brain that he only needed to eat every three hours. I fed him and headed out the door with plenty of time for a (admittedly horrible) car ride and some shopping. Until an hour later when he was inconsolable until he was fed again. And then another hour and a half later and it was the same case. I tried everything to persuade him that he wasn't really hungry- rocking/patting/swaying to presenting a thoroughly drafted argument with sharp witticism and a convincing closing argument- but it did. not. matter. He was hungry and he was going to eat or make my life miserable. It didn't matter that I had a shopping cart full or groceries. So for the next few days we stayed close to home... and spent a lot of time on the couch. One point for Corbin.

But the baby can't be the absolute controller or your life (and the lives of everyone around you). So there are times when you have to fight his agenda. Which leads to Lesson two: You gotta do what you gotta do. Or Do Whatever Works. If you spend enough time around a particular infant, you discover the little tricks that 'turn off' the cry... at least most of the time. For us right now, its a certain swing that plays horrible MIDI file classical music renditions (I swear Bizet, Bach, and Schumann turn over in their graves every time the three minute version of their masterpieces come up... but for some reason I don't think Pachelbel would mind so much...). We've also learned that 'flying' Corbin around like Super Man and singing works too. Ahh- singing, my chance to redeem Corbin's ears for 'good music' you would think. But what song do I inevitable get stuck singing, over and over again when he starts to scream? "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra. Which sounds kind of cool except that I can only remember the first few lines and then the last few lines of the chorus so he's getting some kind of Sinatra-hybrid ditty involving whatever words I happen to string together or whatever objects I notice around the room that Corbin is currently flying through ("Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars. In other words, what's for dinner? In other words, I need to vacuum....) But I digress. The point is we do whatever works. If that means playing Alien Ant Farm on the radio with the windows down so the baby is distracted from his scream-fest, then we do it. And smile and wave at the high school kids staring suspiciously at us from the next car over. One point for the parents.

Which brings us to Lesson three: you are going to look and act like a crazy person. Yep. Being a parent means you are that crazy person listening to out-dated music and performing car acrobatics to wave at your baby. You are that person singing Frank Sinatra (or something like that) at the grocery store while you frantically get the milk and eggs and bread and get. out. of. there. Mr. Incredible and I drove the little guy home last night and purposely steered for every bump, manhole cover, and uneven pavement in the road. Because Corbin likes bumps and we like quiet in the car and we're willing to risk looking a little inebriated behind the wheel. We regularly look like crazy people... and its all because of this guy:

And somehow, seeing this guy makes it all ok. Craziness and bad music included. I'm sure there are many more parenting lessons to reflect on but I think Corbin's starting to stir and I feel another rendition of 'Fly Me to the Moon' coming on!

-CtF

12 Weeks

2011-10-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Look who's 12 weeks old! Our little guy is cooing, laughing, sitting and holding his head up on his own, and looking more and more like his daddy each day.

He has discovered his feet- but we're pretty sure he doesn't know that they are connected to his legs.

He's an expert at getting that hand to his mouth...

...and as many fingers as he can fit inside his mouth.

Oh and the drool... so much drool.

And bubbles...

He's still very serious...

But graces us with plenty of smiles too!

Two Months Old!

2011-09-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

I'm Sailing Away...

2011-09-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

Mr. Incredible and I joined some friends for a day of sailing at Dana Point, CA.

I love everything about sailing- the boats, the water, the wind. The adventure, the excitement, the danger. Even all the sailing terms- bow, aft, jib... I love everything about sailing except for the actual sailing part. This is definitely one of those instances where I think I was made to do something but my body or brain or both didn't get the memo...

Ever since college, I am now prone to horrible motion sickness... and sea sickness is the worst!

So when we were invited for a day of sailing, every fiber of my being- except for my stomach or ears or whatever makes your stomach want to turn inside out- was thrilled at the prospect. Somehow all those fibers overrode the sea sick part and I went anyway.

Everything was fine as we putted around the harbor. Everything was still fine as we headed out past the wave break. And everything was fine as we hit the open ocean- on one of the highest surf weekends in California's summer history... for about two minutes. Then that one fiber of my being that controls the blowing cookies part kicked in. Meanwhile, Mr. Incredible was doing this:

I should pause here and mention that Mr. Incredible NEVER gets sea sick. The boat could be flipped upside down in the middle of a hurricane and he'd be sitting on the bow eating Cheetos. To make matters worse, he's the kind of un-seasick-person who likes to rub it in... with comments like, ' Ehh... its all in your head." Not helpful.

Anyway, I managed to hold it together and keep everything down but I was sooo grateful when our captain turned the boat around and headed back to the harbor.

It was a beautiful day despite the gale-force winds and raging seas. And once my feet touched solid ground and the blood began to flow back to my face those 'we love sailing with every fiber of my being' feelings began to kick back in too... well almost.

-CtF

6 weeks!

2011-09-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

storyboard courtesy of The Coffee Shop Blog.

progression of a cry

2011-08-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

One Month Old!

2011-08-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

so quiet...

...and yet sometimes so loud...

...can't believe its been a whole month since the last time I slept through the night!

4 weeks old!

2011-08-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Time flies... and somehow goes really s l o w at the same time (especially in the middle of the night). Nearly a month ago we were wondering where on earth we were going to find a pumpkin for our 40 week photo and then BAM here we are with a 4 week old little creature- keeping us up all night, quadrupling our laundry, and completely fascinating Mr. Incredible and I every single day.

Here's a few of Corbin's Firsts:

First friend (at one week old):

First Furry Friend:

First Shopping Trip:

First Bath (two weeks old):

First Socks (we live in Southern California and its summer... socks not required!):

First meltdown (well maybe not the first, but definitely not the last!):

First Beach Trip:

There have been lots of other firsts- first cold, first visit with Corbin's great-grandma's (he has four of them!), first trip with daddy to the fish store... we're trying to remember every one of them :)

I'll stop now while you're (hopefully) still reading this...before we get too sappy... but here's a sleepy baby photo to end on.

-CtF

Fruit Update

2011-07-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

He's here! Introducing Corbin Jay to the world! Corbin made his big arrival on July 23, 2011 at 5:51 am after about 12 hours of labor. He weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and was 19 inches long. Corbin is now at home, adjusting to eating and living in the outside world and teaching his parents how to take care of him.

Its been a wild adventure and a fun past 40 weeks of anticipation. Mr. Incredible and I are so grateful to finally hold him in our arms and are enjoying learning the intricacies of parenting and getting to know our son's unique personality already. Thanks for following along on this adventure- it is truly just the beginning!

-CtF

Fruit Update

2011-07-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Well here we are at 39 weeks! Finally the watermelon photo! Although I do hope our boy is a little smaller than this particular watermelon...

Baby Stats:

Weight: more than 7 lbs!
Length: 20 inches
Random Baby Fact: He's sloughing off and regrowing skin daily and continuing to add on fat.
Random Anna Fact: I'm in the middle of a craft-spree since I've been taking some time at home. In the last few days, I've finished two sets of curtains, multiple baby clothes items, an apron, several feet of patchwork bunting, a giant plush tomato, and probably something else I'm forgetting. I've also added a ton of projects to my 'to-do' list including making over our bedroom with a new headboard and fresh paint, planting a wall of Morning Glory in the backyard (that will require some new irrigation), and re-doing Nora's doggie tent...I'm thinking that 'nesting' instinct is a little confused in my brain but I'm getting lots of fun projects done!

In other news, there are now two fish in Austin's fishtank, my grandma is visiting from out of town to hopefully meet her newest great-grandson right away, and I've been enjoying the most amazing peaches from my mom's garden this year. How about that for mostly useless information? We're hoping this is the last of the fruit updates... I think finding a baby-sized pumpkin this time of year could be a challenge for 40 weeks but if it comes to that we will press on!

-CtF

Fruit Update

2011-07-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

What the heck is that?

Its a leek... and its suppose to be as l o n g as our baby. I know... its pretty lame.

Here's the baby stats:

19 and 1/2 inches long (as long as a leek...gee, doesn't that sound nice...)
around 7lbs
What I'm doing right now: watching a rerun of Undercover Boss. Sorry, there's not really any super interesting random baby facts.

Fruit Update

2011-07-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

So we're actually about a week late with this post... but I got so excited finishing up the nursery that our fruit photos were put on the back burner...

Baby Stats:

Weight: 6 and 1/3 lbs
Length: over 19 inches- as long as a stalk of Swiss Chard! (weird I know)
IF our baby is going to have hair, he probably has it by now... but no guarantees on that one.
We're full-term- yay!

Nursery Sneak Peek

2011-07-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well, if you're a facebook friend of mine or Mr. Incredible, you've heard the rumors of our baby nursery. We turned our seldom used guest room (aka the place where we put things that had no place) into a room for our son (coming soon!). After cleaning, repainting, organizing, and getting rid of a lot of stuff, I went a little wild with mixing colors, textures, and things I love. Mr. Incredible didn't want to miss out on the fun and somehow managed to convince me to allow a giant hole to be cut into the room, a separate closet built on the opposite side of the hole in the garage, and a 130 gallon salt water fish tank to be installed (I know- how could this happen?!?).

So our baby will have his very own 130 gallon reef tank.

...

....

.....

Ok.... I had to let that last statement sink in a bit. Aside from the fish tank, we were able to do the room for relatively little moolah. Most of the furniture came from other rooms in our house, a lot of the artwork and decor was made by me, and the two big items- the crib and chair were shower gifts (yay!).

So, without further adieu... our nursery sneak peek!

A view of the fish tank. To see more, visit Austin's fish thread.

I have a few more projects I'd like to add eventually and I'm sure we'll make adjustments to things as we figure out what works and what doesn't, but in the meantime, we're pretty happy with the room... and both find ourselves hanging out in there (although the fish tank might be a draw for Mr. I).

One re-done room on the cheap + ginormous fish tank = cool baby room... now just add baby!

4th of July in photos

2011-07-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

Mr. Incredible and I enjoyed celebrating Independence Day together for the first time in a long time. And in the right country! We checked out our town's cute 'Old Fashion Fourth of July' celebration in the day and at night sat out in lawn chairs at a friend's house to watch our local firework show. Here's a few firework shots I got...

Mr. Incredible enjoying the show:

photo by Dave Fung

I kind of blew it for dinner and prepared the all-American favorite, Chicken Fajitas... but Mr. Incredible made up for it the next night by making his famous, secret-recipe BBQ Burgers...yum!

Hope your 4th was fabulous!

-CtF

Fruit Update

2011-06-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

36 Weeks... and we've reached the size of a Crenshaw Melon (a what?!). Crenshaws are summer melons that are a cross between a Casaba and Persian melon... and are apparently the sweetest of the melon family (awwww...). I'm just happy it doesn't smell like its Orangedew cousin! I'll have to get back to you on what it actually tastes like since I haven't been in the melon-mood lately but maybe tonight we'll slice it open.

Baby Stats:

Weight: nearly 6 lbs
Length: still around 18 1/2 inches... probably staying around there from now on
Random Fact: He's shedding all the little hairs and waxy cheesey stuff on his skin and swallowing it... and working on that first diaper for daddy! (and daddy has no idea what's waiting for him...)

Family Photo Shoot at the Park

2011-06-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

This morning I had the privilege of being our good friends' Caleb and Krissy's first family photographer! Little Micah is just now four weeks old and even when in a milk-induced coma, extremely handsome and photogenic!

I'll admit, I'm partial to the black and white photos. Little Micah looks especially sweet in monochrome!

Thanks Caleb, Krissy, and Micah for a fun photo shoot!

Fruit Update

2011-06-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

And yes, we are actually back to fruit... and not veggies!

Baby Stats:

Weight: 5 and 1/4 lbs (about the same as a honeydew melon)
Length: around 18 inches
Random Fact: He should be gaining an ounce a day from now on... and its mostly fat.

Not too much more to say today... oh about the fruit... this is actually an Orangedew Melon... something I've never heard of before my trip to the grocery store. I'm going to slice him up in a bit and see if I can handle the taste. I bought the Orangedew because I liked the color better. But after it sat in my kitchen for a few hours, our whole house smelled like melon- bleh! Mr. Incredible claims its my pregnant superpowers and that he couldn't smell anything but he also doesn't notice when the toilet needs to be cleaned or the trash needs to be taken out and that was all pre-preggo. So either Orangedew melons have a stronger smell than their honey cousins, this particular Orangedew is stinky, or my preggo superpowers are to blame... the world may never know.

Boobies in church, pearl necklaces, and being a mom

2011-06-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, I remember sitting in church on a Sunday morning with my family. I was a natural tomboy so Sunday mornings were always a battle between my mom and I- me refusing to wear a dress, my mom trying to remove the foam curlers from my stick-straight-white-blond- hair that I had slept in the night before and coax me into some cute little outfit. I don't particularly remember disliking or liking church- just that I didn't like sleeping in curlers or wearing skirts. During my early years, we attended a small-town church with long wooden pews. I would sit next to my parents during the singing and offering, waiting to be dismissed for Children's Church- where a riveting flannel-graph story awaited us.

During announcements or on the rare occasion that the children would stay in big church, my mom would allow my brother and I to doodle in our bulletins. Anything to keep us from picking on each other and creating a commotion! While I don't recall the sermon messages or the songs, I remember those drawings- the extravagant artwork I would create in the margins of the bulletins. Squished up against the announcement for the next church potluck or pouring out of the hospital report, my pencil characters would come to life. I would pick a 'theme' for the morning and fill every unprinted inch of my bulletin with monsters, knights and princesses, sketches of my family and pets, and elaborate flower gardens. My parents would do the obligatory smile and nod as I proudly showed them my artwork during the sermons- I'm sure the pastor just thought they were nodding along to his message!

I remember with detail the Sunday I decided to draw E.T. in the bulletin. Yes- E.T.- Steven Spielberg's Extra-Terrestrial. I must have been very young- the movie was released before I was born and I recall being frightened of it- but for some reason, E.T. was the church bulletin doodle theme for the day. How carefully I drew E.T.- that skinny neck and pig nose. I remember asking my mom if his eyes were close together or far apart. For the entire 45 minutes of the sermon, I worked on my E.T. and it was perfect.

Now, you'll have to remember that E.T. is a naked alien... occasionally Elliot would wrap him in a sheet to ride him around town on his bicycle but for the majority of the movie, E.T. is bare chested. Committed to artistic integrity from a very young age, I drew his nipples in my church bulletin.

I remember proudly showing off my creation to my mom- and the look on her face as she scrutinized my work, her eyes landing on E.T.'s bare chest. At the time I didn't understand the look that flashed across her face- I'm now pretty sure it was a combination of horror-concern-and finally, resolution to right a wrong. She quietly whispered, "What are those?" To which I replied, "His boobies." Without missing a beat, she took her pen- her pen! not a pencil that could be erased!- and added little circles connecting E.T.'s nipples all around his neck. "There, now he's wearing a pearl necklace." She said with satisfaction and turned her attention back to our pastor and his message. I was horror-stricken. My art! My creation! How could she just defile it with a pearl necklace?? Everyone know's E.T. didn't wear a necklace- he wasn't even a girl! I'm sure I tried to whimper a protest but my mom would hear nothing of it in church.

For some reason this memory came to me this morning. I remember the feeling of injustice and hurt that my mom would ruin my artwork. But now, looking back and (yikes!) putting myself in her situation, I can't help but laugh at the ingenuity of my mom's solution to my X-rated bulletin artwork. I'm sure my mom wasn't really that offended at E.T.'s boobies making an appearance in my art... but she must have been concerned that someone would take offense. But a pearl necklace? Who thinks like that? She could have torn my bulletin up, or dragged me to the bathroom for a spanking, or prohibited me from doodling in church ever again. But instead she turned nipples into a pearl necklace.

my mom and I, c. 1986

I'm not sure what the moral of this story is. I guess I hope I will be able to think on my feet as a mom and find unusual solutions that don't stifle my child's creativity. I'm thankful for my mom and for all the crazy things she allowed us to get away with growing up... but I'm thankful that she did set some boundary lines for us too... my brother and I had a full childhood- we explored and played, and created. We got hurt a few times but never anything serious thanks to the wisdom my parents imparted to us. And we learned all the time! I know this was a deliberate effort of my mom and I can only hope I can follow in her shoes in this way. Provide lots of learning opportunities, let your kids explore and play on their own, teach them to be wise and set boundaries. I learned an important boundary that day- no nipples in church!

Fruit Update- holy zucchini!

2011-06-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

Isn't that the craziest zucchini you've ever seen?

I was looking over our baby-fruit-size-chart for this week and was dismayed to see the cantaloupe making a reappearance... this time for weight instead of length. Determined to find a unique fruit/veggie representation of our baby (poor kid when he reads this in 10 year) I started thinking about my options...

Q: What's 18 inches long, weighs almost five pounds and is available in the produce aisle of your grocery store?

A: Not much!

What was I to do? Venture into the meat section (5 lb roast anyone?)? Resort to packaged food (sack of flour?)? I happened to be taking a stroll through my mom's vegetable garden, pondering all things fruit and baby related when Lo and Behold- this mother of a zucchini I spied, hidden underneath the broad leaves and yellow flowers of the plant. At first I was doubtful- could it actually be 18 inches long? And five pounds? Am I imagining ginormous veggies as a result of pregnancy? After a quick trip to my purse to nab my handy tape measure (yes, I carry a tape measure in my purse- I use it everywhere! And its fun to whip it out at the grocery story and measure ears of corn and mini watermelon... I ALWAYS get a produce guy asking if they can help me) I was soon snipping my prize veggie from the vine and heading off to find my camera. What luck! And now we can eat nothing but zucchini for a whole week!

Baby Stats (in case you wanted to skip the above saga and just get to the details):

Nearly 18 inches- head to heel (thankfully he stays curled up and much more compact!)
Just under 5 lbs (unfortunately there's nothing he can do to feel less heavy)
Gaining FAT everyday (lucky dog... unfortunately, so is his mama, but she just gets a lecture from the nurses while he'll get oohed and ahhed at in all his chubby glory)

So there you go... baby's still here and getting bigger everyday. I've definitely moved into the aches and pains of pregnancy- apparently they didn't get the memo during the first and second trimester so the sore back muscles, stretching ribs, and Charley Horses in the middle of the night have come with a vengeance. I know I can't complain since really this has been an easy time overall with lots of sweet moments with friends and family (once I got over the initial few months of absolute terror). Mr. Incredible and I were watching our baby move around last night... watching... as in he was moving around with enough force to jab my stomach around. I could poke him with my hand and he would either kick back (definitely have to curb that behavior out of utero) or scoot over. (I think Mr. I was a little protective of his unborn son since he made me stop 'bugging the baby.' Does he have ANY idea how much the baby has bugged me the past few months? Apparently another moot point...) So again, we're still hanging in there, and pretty much enjoying the ride... would just like to skip the charley horses!

-CtF

Fruit Update

2011-06-13T16:56:00.000-07:00

We're just wrapping up week 33... here's the Baby Stats:

Weight: more than 4 lbs
Length: over 17 inches
Random Fact: He's getting lots of hiccups lately... especially if I take a big gulp of cold water quickly (or if we're sitting in church trying to pay attention... for some reason that is hiccup inducing too!)

Now I'm off to enjoy that pineapple!

Engagement Session: Jason and Mandy

2011-06-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday I shot an engagement session for Jason and Mandy- my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law. We started at the San Elijo Lagoon trails and ended with a sunny picnic in a nearby park. Here's a few highlights of the day- and check out these fabulous outfits!

Fruit Update

2011-06-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

Actually almost to the end of 32 weeks now... but here's the baby stats:

Weight: 3 and 3/4 lbs
Length: 16 and 3/4 inches
Random Fact: He has toenails now! (Ok, that's not really that exciting, I'll admit)

This mini watermelon is on the short side to represent the baby but the correct weight. The baby-fruit-chart I've been using actually has a Jicama for 32 weeks but here's my issues with Jicamas:

-a lot of people don't know what they are (they look like a giant potato but taste like a spicy apple-carrot)
-an almost 4lb Jicama is nearly impossible to come by
-the Jicamas I did find at the store were slimy (they are NOT supposed to be slimy)
-Oh, and you pronounce Jicama like this: Hick-ah-ma... not JI-ca-ma, like my mom does.

I actually do like jicama... but usually can't eat a whole one by myself since Mr. Incredible doesn't go near them (something about a giant potato tasting like a spicy apple throws him for a loop).

This week marks the start of my twice a month dr. appointments... which I really am not excited about (now I have to drive to the dr, pee in a cup, step on a scale, cringe, wait around for the dr to show up and basically do not much, and then drive all the way home twice as often- yippee!) but am excited that we're getting closer to our big arrival.

Now that I'm re-reading this post I've decided that the baby having toenails is probably the most exciting thing here- so yay for toenails!

Here's a photo of a Jicama if you're dying to see one:

photo source

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

They fell, but o'er their glorious grave

Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.

~Francis Marion Crawford

The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example. ~Benjamin Disraeli

Succulent Love

2011-05-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Does this blog title make anyone uncomfortable?

Nevermind... my new favorite gardening pastime is succulents. I shouldn't really saw 'gardening' since they basically take care of themselves, but I do pick them out at Home Depot, repot them at home, and then sometimes take their babies away and pot those too (that sounds horrific). They're pretty cool little plants that don't take a lot of skill, time, etc.

And I never used to like them because of this thought process:

succulents= cactus=spikes=yuck

But I stand here today (sit behind Austin's laptop) to tell you that none of my succulents have spikes. They are all soft, lush, and a few are even fuzzy! And what could be better than a fuzzy plant that takes care of itself?

Anyway, I have far exceeded my quotient of writing - photos for this blog post so on to the pics (quotients and equations in one blog post- whhaat??!)

These are all from my garden- and with no photoshop shenanigans of any kind (translate: the plants actually look just like the photos in real life...)

This one creeps me out a little... looks like ogre ears or something....

These next few are teeny tiny succulents... in teeny tiny pots:

Apparently elephants eat this particular succulent in Africa (its safe here in SD though):

Orange!

The Twins!

And my newest favorite:

See- no spikes, only amazing color!

Fruit Update: Double Whammy

2011-05-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

Last week was 30 weeks of pregnancy... and that is a cabbage (American?) wearing a Padres' hat. Because it fit on the cabbage...and looks slightly more interesting than a naked cabbage...

Baby Stats:

Weight: 3 lbs!
Length: 15 and 3/4 inches
Random Fact: He can distinguish light from dark now!

And this week we have reached 31 weeks! Woo-hooo! And the people who make the baby-fruit-size chart-things were pretty creative with this one... that's right folks, the little guy is roughly the same weight as 4 Naval Oranges!

Baby Stats:

Weight: over 3lbs
Length: over 16 inches
Random Fact: lots and lots of kicking and somersaulting going on. Last night, we completed our Kick Count (google it non-preggos) in less than 5 minutes!

Things I think the baby likes (or maybe doesn't like... at any rate, things he responds to with lots of spastic movement):

Nora cuddling up on my belly
Live symphonic band music
Me sitting on a balance/exercise ball
Savasana time at Yoga class
Grilled veggies- like onions and bell peppers

Mr. Incredible and I are now taking suggestions on what to name the baby. Feel free to throw your top favorite name into the running!

-CtF

Fruit Update

2011-05-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

I always think butternut squash look better with a mustache.

Baby Stats:

2 and 1/2 lbs
around 15 inches head to heel
still somersaulting or practicing gymnastics of some sort!

Fruit Update

2011-05-10T18:01:00.000-07:00

Meet the Napa Cabbage. Its delicious in this recipe. Sometimes grocery stores call it a Chinese Cabbage. I do not know if they grow these cabbages in China.

About the Baby: 2 and 1/4 lbs, and about 15 inches head to heel. Yippee!

HBD

2011-05-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. INCREDIBLE!!!!

Caption Contest

2011-05-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Comment below with your best caption!

Winner gets bragging rights and maybe something else...

Fruit Update

2011-05-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Hurray- no more weird cucumber photos!

Twenty-seven weeks is a cauliflower (which incidentally I just found a fun new way to cook for dinner). Stats on the baby (not the cooked cauliflower):

2lbs
14 and 1/2 inches (or so... we're short people, so this guy is probably less than that)
kicking like David Beckham!

Stats on the side dish, go here.

We're a little behind on the fruit/veggie photos, so stay tuned for 28 weeks soon!

-CtF

Fruit Update... awkward vegetable alert!

2011-05-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

Twenty-six weeks was an English cucumber. I was fortunate enough to find an English cucumber, but was faced with the dilemma of 'how on earth do I photograph this thing?!' My iphoto is now full of awkward cucumber photos... maybe some day I'll share a few. But for now, this is all you get... 26 weeks- awkward English cucumber!

today....

2011-04-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Its a little dreary today. Although the sun did peek through a bit. While I've been somewhat tied to my email inbox, I've shared the indoor company of three unruly dogs. When the sun came out, they decided it was time for a romp through the fields. Which meant that a romp through the fields became my next to-do item.

So romping through the fields we went. Well, the unruly dogs did much more exuberant romping than I actually did, but I did peruse the garden my mom has started. Its still in its beginning stages but there are a few veggies making an early debut.

I found this very ugly radish and extremely stubby carrot had pushed their way to freedom, probably prematurely. Do I hear a children's book title somewhere?

There once was a very ugly radish...

Who was friends with an extremely stubby carrot...

Just kidding... things are not desperate enough to resort to this kind of behavior, alla last summer, but for some reason they seemed worthy enough to make the blog...

Guess its just going to be one of those kind of days!

-CtF

(Late) Fruit Update

2011-04-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

stats: about 1 and 1/2 lbs, 13 or so inches long, missing those Hawaiian beaches!

Fruit Update

2011-04-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

Ok... I know this is confusing...

We're talking about length here... about 12 inches... not weight or width or whatever else.
(FYI: weight is 1 lb 6 oz as of Monday)

And for those super observant, we missed 23 weeks. According to the fruit/baby charts, 23 weeks is:
"a large mango, weighing 1 lb."

One pound?!? have you ever seen a one pound mango? Maybe in the Philippines or where ever they grow but not here... so here's what we were doing on week 23:

Now just imagine a 1 lb mango sitting someplace on this beach....

Fine-But

2011-04-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

We got back from our BABYmoon on Sunday morning and I had an ultrasound Monday morning. This is actually my third ultrasound (fourth if you count the one at 8 weeks to see if I was actually preggo)...

The first at 19 weeks went great I thought but my OB didn't like the imaging that she received. So I received a phone call telling me 'everything is fine, BUT...'- which, note to health care professionals, is a TERRIBLE thing to tell a first time mom, or probably anyone who is dealing with any kind of medical procedure. So I was sent back to the ultrasound guys for another look.

This time, at 21 weeks, everything seemed fine, the tech seemed happy with what he was able to capture... but a few hours later, I was back on the phone with my OB with another 'fine- but.'

I hate fine-buts.

This time I was sent to a pregnancy specialist- an office that deals with high risk pregnancies... great. Still armed with the knowledge of my OB's fine-but, I nervously went to this DR for yet another ultrasound. This time I had a little more info- they were specifically looking for better pictures of the baby's heart. I had seen it beating, so I knew it was there... but there was some confusion about blood flowing in and out correctly.

After a relatively quick appointment and a chat with the specialist DR, we were both given a 'good report card'... NOT a fine- but! I still haven't heard from my OB but the specialist was reassuring enough that everything was as it should be... and we got more photos!

profile with hand in the air

almost sucking thumb

doing something unruly

Proof that there he has feet... or at least one foot

definitely still a boy... that's probably good though.

still wishing he was in Hawai'i!

BABYmoon part 3- My favorite place

2011-04-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

Tunnels Beach, North Shore, Kauai

photo take at approx. 8:30 am

Tunnels Beach, approx. 20 minutes later...here comes the rain!

Same place, just looking toward the sunshine...

Better than a fish tank...

Sun shining on the reef

beach combing...

Faint rainbow after the rain

And maybe another kind of rainbow too... (hey, we're on vacation!)

-CtF

BABYmoon part dos

2011-03-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

Checking in with what we've been up to!

We spent a day at the North Shore, snorkeling, laying on the beach, checking out the amazing Na Pali Coast from this angle:

Watching big waves:

And eating Shave Ice of course!

Then we headed to the South Shore for some of the famous sights:

And great hikes along the cliffs:

We found a sandstone cave that was totally cool:

And of course we've spent lots of time doing this:

(baby on the beach)

-CtF

BABYmoon part 1

2011-03-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

Mr. Incredible and I are in Kauai, Hawaii to celebrate our 5th year anniversary and enjoy one last great vacation without the responsibility of another person (particularly a small, smelly, noisy person).

So to celebrate our five year, or the fact that I'm five months preggo we went on a five mile hike (not recommended... well the hike is very recommended but the 5 months preggo thing not so much).

We headed up to Waimea Canyon and were treated to a rare, clear view:

From there we drove further into Koke'e forest to the Pihea Trail... which led to AMAZING views of the Na Pali Coast:

Here we are all clean and not exhausted:

But that soon changed... but first, a lesson in what a professional mud trail hiker looks like:

Note the water shoes, big stick, and box of Cheezits... because mud hiking really zaps your energy!

We soon looked more like this photo... but with more mud:

We took the Pihea Trail to the Alakai Swamp Trail (just for you JT):

And it was incredible! Ferns, moss, lots of mud... unlike any place we had ever seen with our own eyes. Photos hardly do it justice but here's one of the jungle trail through the swamp:

After trudging through the swamp, we decided to start heading back up (and down) the mountain... basically back through more mud. But we made good time and were rewarded with more amazing sights. Check out our feet here:

5 miles, five months, five years... fun day and a memory we'll never forget!

-CtF

fruit update

2011-03-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

[note: this is a papaya...not a gourd!]

things that happen in my garden without me really doing anything

2011-03-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

My backyard garden has been, shall we say, neglected for a few months. I know most gardens around the U.S. have been left to their own devices during the winter- mainly because of the piles of snow and ice that have covered them, but in southern California, we really don't have that excuse. Things grow here all the time... all year round. Which is wonderful. Unless you're a kind of lazy gardener like me.

But I've noticed that despite my laziest efforts, my garden has been working on its own (yay! now if it would only tell my trees to start raking their own leaves that would be truly wonderful...). Seeing new flowers bloom and buds coming out inspires me (a bit) to help the rest of my garden look as nice as the hands-free part...

I planted these tulips at least two years ago... and every year after the spring I forget completely about them until the next year. (yes I see those green bugs... I guess I'll have to go do something about them...)

These were my favorite tulips...

Somehow this gerber daisy survived the winter and the snails...

And then there's the ginormous geranium that I do nothing to yet continues to expand and bloom...

I bought these pansys because of their variety name- they are called Mickey-Penny's...

...Mickey and Penny are my in-laws... I had high hopes of growing them healthy and huge and giving them to the real Mickey and Penny but Mr. Incredible killed them (so I thought) when I was out of town... then all of a sudden they started to make a come back... so maybe there's still hope...

I started growing succulents this year... and they're doing well all on their own too! (Mr. I thinks that succulents may be my new calling since they are everywhere in our backyard...)

Crazy ornamental grasses.

And this daisy thing is doing really well (those are more daisies in the bokah background).

And this is Nora's mad face because I stopped throwing the frisbee for her to grab my camera. Its hard to deal with this kind of disappointment but I know I can bribe her with a Milkbone and she'll get over it!

what I done did this weekend

2011-03-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

Adventures in patchwork sewing... my first two attempts!

Scrappy Pillow...

And a baby sleep sack...

Both projects from an AMH book.

fruit update

2011-03-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

NCAA Brackets...

2011-03-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Mr. Incredible and some work buddies are posting their bracket predictions for the NCAA 2011 Championship games on the wall of their cube. Since for some reason its always fun to have people who know nothing about basketball participate in these things, he brought one home for me to fill out too. I made all my picks based on which school's colors were the least tacky (with just a little bias for SDSU).

I also came up with the brilliant idea of letting Nora fill out a bracket too. So Mr. I set up a simple, dog-friendly way to pick which team would win each game.

First, set out two pieces of Nora-food in a neutral location.

I think he alternated the higher ranked team from left to right to make sure Nora didn't have a bias...

Second, release the hound!

Nora made her pick by which piece of food was consumed first. And she made some strange picks I hear... I guess there's a school called Wofford that she picked to win it all! (I did see that their mascot is a terrier so maybe there was something to her picks aside from food...)

We'll keep you posted if Nora wins the big money from her bracket picks!

-CtF

JohnThomas and Marinela's Engagement Session

2011-03-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

JohnThomas and Marinela are engaged! We shot these first few photos at the Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo. While we battled crowds and the hot sun, we managed to find a few special places to capture these two.

Next we headed over to Old Poway Park for a trip to the wild west! The old railway tracks and wooden buildings made a great backdrop for engagement photos.

Congratulations Marinela and JT!

fruit update

2011-03-10T10:03:00.001-08:00

Gender Reveal Party

2011-03-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

When Mr. Incredible and I found out we were having a baby, it became quite clear that we would have to find out the gender before delivery. I believe the conversation went like this:

Me: we should wait and make it a surprise!

Mr. I: No way- there are WAY too many decisions to make before then.

Me: But wouldn't it be fun to be surprised?

Mr. I: I'll be surprised enough when we find out at 20 weeks!

So I agreed to find out early as long as we could throw a party for our family and friends and reveal the gender then. Anything for a party- right?

So here is our take on a gender-reveal party. There are interesting 'thoughts' floating around the web- some people love these parties and some people HATE them. We had a great night with our friends and fam and everyone was super excited to hear our news so we're obviously pro-gender reveal party... and I think it could be a fun thing to do for a second baby especially since most people do not have actual baby showers for #2. We did not ask for gifts- it was just a way for us to celebrate with those we love. Those are my two cents on the politics of a gender party. Now on to the fun stuff!

First our decor- everything pink and blue of course!

We also asked those who couldn't make it to send in their votes- pink or blue- for our absentee ballots:

We had a few simple party games set up including asking for baby name suggestions.

We asked everyone to wear either pink or blue to show their vote. (sorry for the bad photos- I guess the party was just too rowdy to worry about something like focus!)

Then we played pink v. blue games for points throughout the night. We kept it simple- a couple rounds of Taboo, an 'Old Wives Tale Game' found here, and a dance off on the Wii (the highlight of the night!)

My mom made incredible King Cakes for dessert:

Everyone was anxious for our reveal- pink?

Or blue?

Pink?

Blue?

Pink or Blue?

Sorry... I had to get these photos in somewhere...especially since I made all the poms!

Here's how we did the reveal... actually, this was ALL Mr. Incredible:

A few brought fun gifts... and I realized how well my friends/family know Mr. I and me!

Go Padres!

And this was just too funny:

So I guess I should put a few of these up just to be consistent:

And that's the saga of the Nielsen Gender-Reveal Party of 2011. Our little house was filled to capacity, there was LOTS of loud laughter, and for me it was a great way to face the reality a bit that in a few months another Nielsen will be here- disrupting our lives like we could never imagine... but in a good way I think ;)

-CtF

Scenes from my Commute

2011-02-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

On my daily commute to work, I pass a dairy farm. As I sped by at 50 mph, something caught my eye that made me exclaim loudly, startle Nora, and make an illegal U-turn all in the course of about 30 seconds.

I saw this cow:

Giving birth to this calf:

Right along the side of the road! All I had with me was my lackluster cell phone camera so I witnessed the event without photographing it (and you should all be very grateful). But I came back an hour later with a camera to check on the baby.

Mama cow was not too happy to have me around so I snapped a few photos and was about to leave when this brown cow started mooing at me.

It wasn't a particularly angry moo so I got a little closer:

And then she got a little closer:

And then I decided that was close enough to a cow for one day and went on my merry way.

The End.

JT's still not eating... so no new series update today :(

-CtF

What JT Eats: Day 4

2011-02-22T15:57:00.001-08:00

Nothing!

He's been sick with the flu all weekend so we're taking a brief hiatus from this series until he's back on solid foods... so stay tuned for some new photos of Nora or whatever else I find to stick up here in the meantime!

-CtF

What JT Eats: Day 3

2011-02-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

Continuing in our series, today What JT Ate was leftovers prepared al la JT...

Turkey Chili (or so he says!)

Preheated in microwave for several, let's call them 'moments.' Then after several 'moments' JT realizes he can't eat chili without cheese... so the search for cheddar begins...

...and ends with a bag of frozen cheese...

No matter!

Reheat for several more 'moments' and enjoy with a tall glass of milk.

JT is starting to follow this blog and swears that this will be the most uninteresting post yet... he may be right. But he forgot to include his 'dessert'- several overly frosted sugar cookies!

So 'yum I'd eat that!' or 'heck no!'

Hopefully tomorrow will be slightly more compelling ;)

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

Mr. Incredible and I continued our tradition of cooking a fancy dinner at home together on Valentine's Day this year. (*Note- 'fancy' is a very relative term... it means anything other than something made by Costco or the typical grilled chicken whatever we usually eat)

Here's a few photo details of our night:

First, there were beautiful orchids (that I will invoke the help of God to keep alive) waiting for me when I got home:

Then on to dinner- baked asparagus with parmesan cheese:

Our main course: Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp... but we had to take all of this off of the shrimp first (Note: totally worth spending the extra $5/lb to have someone do this for you!)

We used this recipe and it was delicious (next time I'll go a little lighter on the Cayenne pepper but Austin likes things HOT)!

And for dessert we went with creme brulee... a very time consuming dessert but so much better in heart-shaped ramekins!

And Mr. Incredible got to use the blow torch... in the kitchen!

-CTF

message from Nora

2011-02-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

hey you...

come over here and say happy valentine's day...

Oh we don't want to hear how its a hallmark holiday and ploy to get us to spend money on roses and dinner reservations...

this isn't that kind of blog anyway... how about a little 'happy valentine's?

that's it? you can do better than that!

That's a little more like it...

Okay, okay- we get the idea...

Oh Nora- noooooo!!!

Ackkkk- NORA! Wishing you a sloppy Nora kiss on Valentine's Day!

-CtF

Day 2: What JT Eats

2011-02-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Day two of What JT Eats and its not nearly as original as yesterday... but still strange. Today I present to you: Wendy's Chocolate Frostee with french fries dipped in

I think its a sweet salty thing...

"Yum, I'd eat that (or I already do)" or "Heck no!"

New Blog Series: What JT Eats

2011-02-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

I'm trying something new- a blog series. But first some background.

I work in an unconventional office... in other words- its out of my parent's house. My big little brother comes home for lunch every day. This usually causes some form of work disruption. But that's another story.

I've lately noticed the unusual things my big little brother eats for lunch. Thus a new series is born: What JT Eats. I'll try to document regularly. Feel free to comment 'yum I'd eat that' or 'heck no!'

Today's entry: Bacon Quesadilla with Ranch Dressing

Directions: Throw one flour tortilla in frying pan (heat probably too high). Grate cheddar cheese directly on to tortilla. Add pre-cooked pieces of bacon. Cover with another flour tortilla. Attempt to flip quesadilla using only your hands (so you don't have to wash a spatula). When cheese is melted, rip tortillas apart and squirt ranch dressing inside. Eat with a glass of milk.

So- 'yum I'd eat that!' or 'Heck no!'

A spitty day

2011-02-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

Seventeen eager little faces peered up at me from the floor. They struggled to stay seated and to keep their hands from grabbing at each other, their toys, or the shiny distraction I held in front of them. The first and second graders at the orphanage had been promised a reward if they could sit through the entire lesson without interrupting. The desire for a reward waged war against their lack of discipline and longing to wiggle- evident enough to me that I almost laughed out loud several times as I taught from the front. But to laugh would be the end of any semblance of order and the impending chaos that was promised (aka their reward) would be coming soon enough.

"Let's count how many pieces make up a trumpet!" I flashed the black case in front of their little faces and began to assemble the instrument. The children counted out loud and then looked at me with anticipation.

"Do you think this instrument will be high or low?" I asked again and then kids called out their guesses. I played a scale, demonstrating the trumpet's range and now the kids screamed out in glee, "High! High!"

After a few more demonstrations and questions we told the children it was time for their reward. Because of their good behavior, they would be allowed to try to play the trumpet. They gasped in awe at the possibility of being able to not only touch the shiny trumpet but to play it too.

Chaos erupted. Before I could take a step back, little hands were reaching for the trumpet, pushing to be next in line, pleading to try first. We quickly attempted some order, creating a line for them to wait in, and I made sure to not take my hands off the trumpet.

One by one, little faces moved from my mouth giving them directions to the trumpet in my hands as they waited to try. Little hands pressed down on the valves as rapidly as possible, and little lungs gasped huge breathes of air, trying to make the loudest sound on the trumpet. The kids took turns buzzing on the mouthpiece and then playing through the trumpet. Most could manage a blast of sound- but that was enough- they were quickly bouncing up and down at their success at adding to the cacophony of noise in the room. A few struggled to make any sound come out of the trumpet, and I helped them as best as I could to remember to 'buzz' and not 'hum.' And then there were a few who could really play the trumpet. They instinctually pressed their lips together, took a deep breath, and played a decent sounding note. These kids would look down at the trumpet in wonder and then look up at me in awe.

After much high fiving and leaping around the room in triumph at the experience of playing an actual trumpet, our class came to an end. The kids filed out, I packed up the instruments, and was left with a slight headache, a very wet, spit-covered sweater, and a feeling of joy at bringing music- or cacophonous noise if you prefer- to these forgotten children.

-CtF

Memories of SuperBowl XLV

2011-02-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

Holy Guacamole!

Random Post

2011-02-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

1. I heard Owl City on a Christian radio station... you know, the Fireflies guys? They recorded 'In Christ Alone.' Huh.

2. Every time I think of Owl City, I think of the amazing music teacher at PS22... haven't heard of them?! Definitely worth wiki-ing to find out more but here's a clip:

3. I've been thinking a lot about music education- and ways that I can further mine... my music education education that is. That's really confusing but I'd like to find classes or a program or something that I can learn to be a better music educator. But not like a masters program... that's too intense right now. But maybe something more like this.

4. SDSU is doing something exciting with their basketball team. I don't personally care, but Mr. Incredible is experiencing some long-lost alumni nostalgia and is making me watch all the games. I don't mind but I hate how squeaky the players' shoes are on the court. I almost can't pay attention to anything else.

5. Its strawberry time in San Diego! Just so you all know.

6. We're watching the new season of American Idol with J-Lo and the Aerosmith guy. I think its awkward... and probably the easiest season to get on the show. The producers are going to have to cut so many people in Hollywood week! We haven't gotten through a show yet without Mr. Incredible exclaiming, "I HATE this show!" and then going back to watching it. I'm pretty sure Mr. Aerosmith wears women's clothing most of the time... but maybe that's 'in' right now (?).

7. Ahh, I think that's enough randomness for now... oh wait, except for this:

-CtF

things I do

2011-01-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

I sing loudly and use my steering wheel as a drum set whenever songs by Third Eye Blind of Weezer come on the radio. Sometimes people stare at me. But I can't help it- its like my own little high school reunion in my Corolla!

I honk at people when I think they deserve it. But in a nice way.

I wave at (most of) my neighbors.

I have intelligent conversations with my dog. They are mostly one-sided but once in awhile Nora answers back.

I cry at just about any sappy email or news story involving one or any combination of the following: dogs, the military, and children singing.

I make gifts. Unless I procrastinate.

I take pictures of my feet whenever something momentous in my life happens. I feel compelled to document certain things but usually am at a loss for how to do it... so I photograph my feet.

Which brings me to this point... remember this blog?

This is a photograph of my awesome grey and red socks. The momentous event that merited such a photograph was finding out that our little family would be growing by one! Come the end of July, Mr. Incredible, Nora, and I will welcome the newest member of our family. Big changes are coming... That probably means more feet photos!

There, the news is official- its been blogged ;)
-CtF

remembering

2011-01-24T15:48:00.000-08:00

I want to tell you about a man named Tom. He was born in 1925 in Little Rock, Arkansas. At just 17 years old, Tom joined the Navy to fight submarines in World War II.

Tom, right, with brother.

He loved one woman, Laverna, and made her his bride as soon as he was honorably discharged from the Navy.

His training in the Navy coupled with a quick mind led Tom to many electrical engineering positions. He continued to develop projects for the US government as well as invent new machines in a variety of fields.

Tom worked on the Apollo project and developed the precision radar used on the Minuteman Missile. At the same time, he was bringing up six boys at home.

His knowledge of electronics and radio and his commitment to serve God brought him to the doors of many mission agencies.

From installing radio equipment in South America to founding organizations such as The Navigators, Tom and his family soon found themselves involved in full-time ministry.

As the children grew up and moved out, Tom and Laverna continued ministry, this time planting churches in Mexico.

Tom was a gentle man who loved spending time with his grandson- his 'little buddy.'

As he and Laverna reached retirement age, they continued to serve faithfully at their church, on mission boards, and with their family.

I will remember Tom as the person my dad always called for advice, as a man who loved and cared for God's creation- especially the fruit trees and rose bushes...

And as a man who continues to inspire so many people to hope in an eternal life with his Lord Jesus Christ.

We laid Tom, my grandfather, to rest at Rosecrans National Cemetery after a long fight with cancer. While I admired my grandfather for being just that- my grandfather- after his passing, I have learned more about his remarkable life and the many, many people he touched.

His battle is over, the pain is gone, and now he lives forever with his beloved Creator.

'One life is past... what's done for Christ will last.'

Thomas T. Sorrels, May 25, 1925- December 29, 2010

Evil Twin...

2011-01-24T15:17:00.001-08:00

...is on the LEFT!

But he sure is cute!

-CtF

Blog Poll!

2011-01-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

There's a new set of twins at one of the orphanages we work in.

Like most sets of twins, there is one evil twin and one good twin. Now, there is some disagreement among the H2H Staff about classifying one as evil- some think its too harsh a term while others think they are both evil twins. I showed this photo to my mom and she correctly guessed right away which was the good twin and which was the 'evil twin.'

I was intrigued... could a photo tell that much or was it a lucky guess? A blog poll seems to be in order so please cast your vote: is the evil twin on the left or the right? (and for those of you who actually do know which is which and can tell them apart in the photo-mark and rebecca- don't give it away!)

Apple technology meets Romanian orphans

2011-01-13T03:22:00.000-08:00

iPad fun in Romania with littlest girls from orphanage:

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

From the Mustachioed Nielsen's

Christmas Eve Eve

2010-12-23T14:45:00.000-08:00

Coming down the mountain into Ramona after the rain... no smoke, just clouds.

-CtF

Its beginning to smell a lot like Christmas...

2010-12-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

Pipparkakor Bread... a Swedish Christmas must! My mom has been baking these little loafs and its definitely one of the smells I associate with Christmas. That warm bready smell mixed with cinnamon, cloves, and cardamon...What smell makes you think of Christmas? Cinnamon? Peppermint? Evergreen?

Ok grab the kleenex, this does have something to do with Christmas...

2010-12-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

UPDATE (12/22): Here's a great synopsis of this Christmas miracle. You still do need tissues though ;)

Just read about this through another blog... a real life Christmas miracle. Check it out if you get a chance!

[just a mild warning- the linked blog has some harsh language- not in the actual post that I've linked but in other parts... but its still worth reading about an amazing community of generosity!]

-CtF

this has nothing to with Christmas...

2010-12-20T13:05:00.001-08:00

...except maybe the joy aspect... still you should totally watch this to the end!

-CtF

2010 Christmas Tree!

2010-12-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

Ok... Mr. Incredible made me take the Austin Angel down... saying something about it being sacrilegious... but I thought it was a nice touch!

This may be a problem...

2010-12-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

and there may or may not be a treat hidden in the tree... but I wouldn't know anything about that!

The Nose

2010-12-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

Another photo experiment with my fisheye lens. Nora seems to be an ideal model with long nose. Now if only she would hold still for a second!

I'm watching NBC's Sing Off... love it! But Mr. Incredible and I are also huge Ben Folds fans so we kind of have to love it. (BF quote of the night, "The harmonies, to use another technical term, were sick.") But I think its way better than American Idol. (Mr. I is rooting for the Whiffenpoofs...weird)

Our house and credit card bill are starting to look like Christmas. The former we're happy about, the latter, not so much. We still need a tree and the outside of our house is sadly lacking Christmas lights. Our neighbors are probably wondering about that... since we had quite the Halloween display... we just know that we can't compete with the old people down the street with the blow-up lawn decoration problem... one of these days I'll sneak down the street with my camera and share it with you all.

Speaking of Christmas, Mr. Incredible has some hiding place in the house for my Christmas presents. I know I can't hide things from him so everything gets wrapped as soon as I get home from shopping, but he's been shuttling boxes to the back of the house and acting suspicious. So far I haven't found his stash. Which is hard to believe considering the size of the house and the fact that I am the person who vacuums and puts things away...

I think that concludes this random post. Hopefully I'll start taking my camera on outings again so we can prevent this randomness from occurring again... we'll see...

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-12-01T22:29:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my family joined Mr. Incredible's family in Mexico for a little R&R...

We also visited San Felipe- on the Sea of Cortez for shopping and AMAZING shrimp tacos. San Felipe appeals to lots of Americans looking for cheap retirement, beachside property, and solitude. There are housing developments for several miles as you approach the city and all of the typical touristy- Mexican handicrafts you find everywhere in Mexico.

Ahh, but the beach...

That's Mr. Incredible testing the water. It was a kind of cool, windy day so no swimming for us but plenty of beautiful ocean views.

Looking for a secluded beach? Found it!

And you're only steps away from some of the best fish and shrimp tacos I've ever had (for those Rubio's fans out there, San Felipe is the home of the fish taco).

All in all, a fun day :)

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY....

2010-11-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

I wore red and grey striped socks...

Just thought I should share that with you all....

vintage fall

2010-11-13T14:05:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up with the Christmas bug... ready to decorate, try out a new color for Christmas, even (yikes!) hit the malls to do a little shopping.

But then I remembered my house still in post-Halloween disarray... and decided that maybe I better do a little clean-up instead.

So here's a few Halloween-Thanksgiving-Fallish shots because afterall, it IS still Fall, not Christmas... let's not rush things too much!

-CtF

randomness in the drive thru

2010-11-12T22:32:00.000-08:00

heirloom

2010-11-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

My Uncles are in town! Uncles that are normally not in town. My dad has five brothers- and three of them were here last week all together. My grandfather is not doing well health-wise and so there were many serious discussions and big decisions made over the last few days.

But there were also opportunities to reminisce. And one of the shared memories all the 'boys had, was of this couch:

Solid wood with worn-velvet cushions. Ornamental legs and wicker panels... its a beast of a piece of furniture:

My grandmother always smiled when she talked about how her little boys would use this couch as a crib and playpen.

But the boys have different memories...

Memories of waiting, lined up on the couch for discipline and scoldings... for sitting, waiting for their father to get home to deliver the punishment and then unexpectedly bursting into giggles at some childish joke- only to have their 'time-out' extended.

'Couch-talk' went on one night for several hours- the boys grimacing as they shared about various forms of corporal punishment they endured... and instead of directing hurt toward their parents, this couch seemed to receive the blame.

So we dragged it outside and made them all pose for a family portrait with 'The Couch.'

And despite the 'not-so-fond' memories, all the brothers mentioned how they wouldn't mind inheriting The Couch someday...

I caught a rare smile from both of my grandparents here...

Funny how furniture can take on a life of its own... funny how it can be interwoven into our histories and take on a personality without us even realizing it...

Does your family have anything like this?

-CtF

The Revelry Continues!

2010-11-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Pirate Party Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

two

2010-10-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

That first day we brought her home...

And she was so tiny- yet already had such a mischievous look

She quickly became part of our family, posing for photos...

Trying new things...

Meeting new friends...

Putting up with our antics...

And surprising us by doing the impossible....

Happy 2nd Birthday Nora Nora!

...Here's to many more!!

-CtF

a few things

2010-10-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

I can't remember if I posted these already, but here's a few CTF creations from the past few months.

a wedding present for a friend with an affinity for asparagus...

and a few more baby onesies... this time for a cute little boy.

and a blue monster too...

I picked up a new lens- with a very wide aperture (f/1.4). Its an all manuel lens so it takes a little more work to get the shot, but I've been enjoying the bokah!

And finally, I am deep into halloween... our house is partially decorated, projects of various levels of completion are everywhere, and I'm loving it!

Halloween at the Nielsen's will be a pirate party this year, complete with swashbuckling scallywags and a grounded ship in the front yard. If you're in the area, come by on Halloween night and join the fun! I'll be posting some of my projects once I finally get around to taking some photos, but here's a preview:

All hope abandon, ye who hear this tale;

Of th’ fateful night th’ ship set sail.

Th’ ship laden down with treasure of gold;

And secrets of ghosts burried deep in its hold.

Through hurricane winds and a fearsome wave;

Th’ ship sailed on with a crew mighty brave.

Th’ Captain called orders, lost in th’ storm’s sound;

Th’ ship, she shuddered, and then ran aground.

Th’ crew was lost on th’ rocks that night;

But th’ ghosts and th’ gold remain there to fright.

Th’ haunted ship sails on th’ night of Halloween;

An’ buccaneers gather at the street called Ilene.

Come treasure hunting at the ship that sank;

But wear your best Pirate attire- or walk th’ plank!

how bout them apples?

2010-09-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

Its apple time in Julian, Ca! Growing up in nearby Ramona, we typically avoided Julian during the fall months as hoards of tourists hit the mountain roads to pay to pick apples and eat pie. Don't get me wrong- its great! You get a respite from our So Cal-lack of seasons and might catch a few glimpses of changing leaves and feel the crisp fall air (not this week- its been over 100F!!) and tourists support a super cute gold-mining town and lots of mom 'n pop shops. But Julian is basically one street long, with a two- lane curvey road and I just typically can do without the crowds.

But I ended up in Julian during Apple Days this year... and I really didn't even mean to do it! We took a friend visiting from Romania up the mountain during the week (highly suggested if you can take off work) for a little 'step back in time.' She loved seeing the old buildings and eating delicious apple pie and cinnamon ice cream (yum!). But us Ramona kids had a few tricks up our sleeves- namely, knowing the location of wild apple trees that don't have an admittance fee to pick from!

I just realized these two paragraphs are basically a preamble for me to feel ok about posting these photos... maybe I should just post the photos and let you live your lives without my ramblings. Too late I suppose... maybe next time you'll get a bunch of photos without any of this nonsense...

A lovely apple just waiting to be picked!

One of those (free) wild apple trees... we lightened its load a bit.

Anyone know what this is? It grew on a bush near the wild apple tree... it was much taller than a person and generally huge... and had these pretty little berries on it. (don't worry, despite my lack of girl-scouting experience, I know enough NOT to eat unknown berries...)

All washed up and ready to be eaten...

And nestled in my favorite bowl that my mom has. You'll recognize it in my Tomato Tales... if you've wasted 3 minutes and 30 seconds of your life with that craziness...

And one pear tree... a lone pear tree... all alone... surrounded by apple trees... weatherbeaten bark and rock-hard pears on this lone pear tree... perhaps someone should write a poem or song about it. I'm kind of afraid to try to eat one of these pears but I do like this photo.

Anywhooo... go to Julian if you like apples.... and crowds... and try the cinnamon ice cream. Yum.

-CtF

steals

2010-09-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post is all about fabric. And finding really good deals. But I know this is absolutely NOT interesting to some people. My heartfelt apologies :)

Last week I ventured into LA's famous fashion district. We wandered through tightly packed little shops and stalls, taking in the plethora of patterns, textures, and cheap prices! One of my favorite shops appeared to be a tiny stall along Olympic Blvd. As we wandered inside, through piles of cheap polyester and stretch knit, we discovered the shop was actually the entire length of the building! And the best part- nearly everything was $1.99/yard! At the back of the shop there was every kind of trim, ribbon, elastic, and notion you could imagine!

We also made it to the immense Michael Levine store (also home to one of the only public restrooms in the whole neighborhood!). We perused all the amazing fabrics but the real deals were found across the street, upstairs in the Michael Levine Loft. This bare-floored room is comprised of giant boxes stacked on the floor filled with random shapes and sizes of all kinds of material. You get to dig through the boxes and stack up your finds on the counter- where they sell fabric by the pound! I believe it was $2 a pound... so fun! Here's some of my stash from the day!

I came home with over 10 yards of different fabric and huge roll of black elastic for under $20. We didn't even get to half of the shops and I already have a list of things to go back for... so... who wants to be my fabric friend and make the trip with me????

I also found some great deals closer to home...

It looks a little neutral for me I know but look at this interesting sweater-y material (anyone know what this is called? Or how to sew it?):

And some stripes:

And the best part?

$5 per bolt!! There is supposedly about 5 yards on each bolt... $1/yard!! And where did I find this stellar deal?? The Walmart of course! I didn't know they did this, but our Walmart cleared out a bunch of fabric by marking it down and stashing it in bins... I happened to be wandering the brightly lit hallways of The Walmart late at night and discovered this. Now, granted, there was a lot of stretchy, out of date polyester in those bins, but a few treasures in there as well...

Ok... that ends my fabric-deal-random post... enjoy... or not... or email me if you want to head up to the Fashion District with me!

-CtF

old stuff

2010-09-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the first episode of American Pickers- a History Channel show about two guys and truck who go through barns, garages, and back yards looking for rusty junk that they buy cheap and then resell for a lot of money. I was turned on to this show after a trip last weekend to the San Diego famous Kobey's Swap Meet. I picked up a few choice items from the Swap Meet, but also from a few less conventional places...

I've been looking forward to sharing some of these 'treasures' here with you all... until I watched another tv show- Hoarders. Suddenly my vintage finds and rusty treasures looked a little, well, dusty, old, and cluttered... However, you all will be happy to know that I overcame my Hoader-induced panic and after I took out all the trash from the house and put a few things away that I had been procrastinating on, I am now back to embracing my thrifty finds and looking forward to fixing/restoring/and otherwise enjoying said objects.

Here's what I got!

Copper kerosene ship lantern... I bought it for $5 from a garage sale guy at the swap meet.

A box of twin-lens reflex cameras! There are several cameras- a Yashica, a couple Mamiyas, and a pair of Rollis!

Not sure if they work... to be determined... grand total: free! (or a lifetime of servitude to the person who brought these babies into my life!)

Leather cowboy boots... IN MY SIZE!!!! The leather is in in beautiful condition...

But they were just a little stiff... so after spending the night in the freezer with bags of water in them to stretch a little, I think they'll work!

Hello Beautiful! Grand total: $0! Again, another unconventional find... from a bag of clothes destined to the second hand shop.

And finally, sitting inconspicuously at the end of a table piled with junk, this baby:

Its a fullsized wooden trunk with metal detailing:

And this great paint job on the inside:

And I paid a total of ten bucks for it! Major score!!!

Hope this isn't the start of horrible downhill slide to hoarder-dom! At least I'll have cool boots to show for it!

-CtF

another dog post

2010-09-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile dear blog friends! Mr. Incredible and I have been kind of busy, kind of trying to get back into a routine after all the summer fun. We've had some interesting moments- talk of a new job, major life changes, and then ultimately a little let-down, but we're still here, still 'chuggin' away' at life as we know it.

Since this has been both an eventful and uneventful last couple of weeks, I've turned to what I always turn to- photos of Nora!

She's almost two now and has been honing her skills as a Dock Diving Dog!

Her partners in crime for this last weekend, Cody and Molly, joined in on the fun:

Wait for the ball, launch off the dock:

Extend through the air:

And SPLASH!

Some of the dogs were more committed than others to the game:

Namely Molly and Nora:

While others (Cody) were perfectly happy to watch from the docks:

Hope you're holiday weekend was wonderful- wether you spent it flying through the air or sitting back and watching the show!

-CtF

Unbelievable!

2010-08-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

I won!

Pioneer Woman Photography

whoo-hooo!

2010-08-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

This week I entered one of Pioneer Woman's photography contests. I've entered a few of her contests- but the chances of making it into one of her 'groups' is pretty slim when you're competing against 100,000 other photographs!

Her theme was 'love.' I had the perfect shot from this summer...

And I made it into one of her groups! Yippee! This is even better than winning (ok maybe not... but nearly as good!).

Go visit her Photography section and admire the other finalists (I'm in group four if you want to see with your own eyes!)

-CtF

Canyons in Black and White

2010-08-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken one morning at Lake Powell on a kayak/hiking adventure a few of us embarked on. We kayaked to the end of a canyon, parked the boats, and then continued hiking until we could go no further. We ended up in one of the area's infamous slot canyons. The rock walls were an intriguing red color but the texture of the rocks and their interesting shapes begged to be turned into black and white images. Enjoy these photos- it was quite an adventure!

-CtF

Lake Powell Images

2010-08-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

photo by Mickey Nielsen

photo by Mr. Incredible